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NBA History: Best NBA player born in each state

By Jerran Anderson

MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 01: Former Milwaukee Bucks player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is honored at halftime during a game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on March 1, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 01: Former Milwaukee Bucks player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is honored at halftime during a game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on March 1, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images /

Best NBA player born in Texas: Grant Hill

The Duke Blue Devils finally get some love, oddly enough, from the state of Texas, where basketball continues to grow across the state. Grant Hill is considered the best player from the state, for now, although names like LaMarcus Aldridge, Bill Sharman and Larry Johnson also hail from Texas.

Hill attended Duke University, where he made a name for himself on the college basketball scene. After leaving a four-year legacy, Hill was taken third overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. In Year 1, he won the1994-95 Rookie of the Year award, averaging 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

Hill was an all-around playmaker when he entered the league. He set his career-high of 46 points with the Pistons during the 1998-99 season. He shot 14-of-21 from the floor in a 106-103 victory.

He was traded to the Orlando Magic during the 2000 offseason but an ankle injury slowed him down from 2000-04, causing him to miss the entire 2003-04 season. Hill staged a comeback in 2004-05 with the Magic, earning an All-Star nod and appearing in 67 games during the regular season.

Hill made another productive stint with the Phoenix Suns from 2007-12, but he never could find the elusive championship ring so many players crave. After seven All-Star appearances and five All-NBA selections, he retired from the NBA in 2013. He was officially enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2018.