Hoops Habit
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Each State’s All-Time NBA Starting Five

By Ben Gibson

Jan 26, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels mascot waves a flag before the game at Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 26, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels mascot waves a flag before the game at Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 18, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Detroit Pistons shooting guard Chauncey Billups (1) shares a laugh with teammates during the fourth quarter of Detroit’s 107-106 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 18, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Detroit Pistons shooting guard Chauncey Billups (1) shares a laugh with teammates during the fourth quarter of Detroit’s 107-106 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

Colorado

Charles Williams, Chauncey Billups, Scott Wedman, Bob Doll, Joe Kleine

Total of 11 All-Star appearances, 4 NBA/ABA championships

The names may not be as big for Team Colorado, but they have a decent array of hardware in spite of that.

The biggest name is Chauncey Billups, the seven-time All-Star and NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons. Billups was a teammate willing to pass the ball as he averaged 6.1 assists a game to go along with his 17.2 points. Unlike a few others in the state, Billups was born, raised, went to high school and college in Colorado before playing for the Denver Nuggets in two separate stints.

Along with his career accomplishments, he’s clearly a home-state hero.

Next on the list, and with two NBA titles is Scott Wedman. Though he wasn’t born in the state, he was raised there and played his high school and college ball in the Centennial State. Wedman first came in the league with the Kansas City Kings before making his way back to Boston in the early 80s to win a pair of championships coming off the bench.

Wedman’s 13.2 point, 4.8 points and 48.1 percent shooting earned him two All-Star appearances as well.

Bob Doll was more of a college star than an NBA one, but he still ends up as one of the state’s better NBA players with 8.4 points per a game when he played in the 1950s. In fact, he only played one season in the NBA as the rest of his career had been in America’s proto-leagues of the time.

Like Doll, Charles Williams was more of an ABA star (where he won a championship with the Pittsburgh Pipers), but he was an All-Star twice in the NBA. Williams averaged 16.2 points a game in his career.

Joe Kleine only averaged 4.8 points and 4.1 rebounds a game in his career, but played for seven teams over his 13-year NBA career. He didn’t play in the 1998 NBA Playoffs with the Chicago Bulls, but you could add more more to the state’s total if you want. Kleine also won a gold medal in the 1984 Olympic Games.

Grade: B-

Next: Connecticut