Best NBA Player from every Power 5 School
. SF. Cardinal . George Yardley. 55. player. 517
Best NBA player who played for Stanford Cardinal — George Yardley
- 6X All-Star
- 2X All-NBA
- 1958 NBA Scoring Champ
George Yardley spent the majority of his NBA career with the Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons. Beginning in 1953, he parlayed a quiet rookie year into an explosive sophomore campaign. He made his first All-Star appearance in year two and would make the All-Star Game every season until his retirement in 1960.
In 1957-58 — coming off a Finals appearance in ‘57 — Yardley averaged 27.8 points and took home the league scoring title. He also became the first player to ever record over 2,000 points in a season — he barely got there, scoring 2,001. That was the Pistons’ first season in Detroit.
Yardley spent three years at Stanford, where he showcased his talent for scoring. He then played a season of amateur (AAU) ball, followed by a two-year stint in the Navy. After that long and winding road, he joined the Pistons, who had drafted him in 1950.
Runner-up: Jim Pollard — Between the BAA and NBA, Pollard won five championships and made four All-Star games. Nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid for his high vertical, Pollard tore through 50s competition en route to a Hall of Fame induction.
player. 445. . SF. Orange . Carmelo Anthony. 15
Best NBA player who played for Syracuse Orange — Carmelo Anthony
- 10X All-Star
- 6X All-NBA
- 2013 NBA Scoring Champ
Part of the hallowed 2003 draft class, Carmelo Anthony immediately put his stamp on the NBA. He stands as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history — a mid-range maestro with the strength to bully smaller defenders and the sleight of hand to outmaneuver just about anyone. With jab-steps, fadeaways, and everything in between, Melo was consistently in the driver’s seat offensively.
Anthony has 10 All-Star appearances and six All-NBA nods under his belt. He started his career in Denver, but is most defined by his trade to New York in 2011 and his time in the Mecca. Melo was the scoring champ in 2013 and lifted the Knicks to a level of relevance they have yet to achieve in his absence.
Melo’s one season at Syracuse was also historic. As a freshman, he averaged 22.2 points and 10.0 rebounds, leading the Orange to its first NCAA championship. Anthony was named tournament MVP and landed third overall in the subsequent NBA Draft.
Runner-up: Dave Bing — The 1967 Rookie of the Year and the 1968 scoring champ, Bing was quick to make an impression. He was a Pistons staple in the 60s and 70s, making seven All-Star appearances.