Who are the 10 best Duke basketball players of all time?
The Duke Blue Devils are one of the most prestigious blue bloods in men’s college basketball.
Winning five national championships, reaching 17 Final Fours and winning 23 ACC regular-season titles, Duke is one of the most iconic programs in all of collegiate sports. Moreover, it has produced 102 NBA/ABA players.
That said, here are the 10 best Duke basketball players of all time (combining both college and NBA careers):
10 best Duke basketball players of all time
10. Bobby Hurley
Before starring in “Blue Chips,” Hurley was one of the best point guards in the nation. A four-year player, Hurley led the ACC in assists in each of his final two seasons at Duke, with whom he won two national championships (1991 and 1992). Hurley, who totaled a program-high 1,076 career assists, was the seventh overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft.
Deng made the most of his one season in Durham, North Carolina. An impact player on both ends of the floor, Deng averaged 15.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game on a Duke team that went 31-6 and reached the Final Four in the 2003-04 season. Deng was also the seventh overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, going on to be a two-time All-Star and earn an All-Defensive honor.
8. Shane Battier
A four-year player for the Blue Devils, Battier received playing time from the outset of his career, steadily earned more minutes and was one of the focal points of their 2001 national championship team. Across his final two seasons, Battier averaged a combined 18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 2.1 steals per game, while shooting 42.8% from behind the arc. Battier was the sixth overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft and helped the Miami Heat win two titles.
7. Carlos Boozer
Boozer was a rock in the paint for the Blue Devils across his three seasons. Part of their 2001 championship team, Boozer led the ACC in shooting percentage in both his sophomore and junior seasons and ended his time averaging 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. A second-round NBA Draft pick, Boozer went on to be one of the best big men of his generation, earning two All-Star nods and averaging 16.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for his career.
6. Elton Brand
Across his two seasons at Duke, Brand averaged 16.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, while leading the ACC in field goal percentage in his final season. Brand was part of a Duke team that reached the Elite Eight in 1998 and the national championship in 1999. The first overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, Brand went on to be a two-time All-Star and post 20-plus points per game in six seasons.
Williamson’s one season at Duke was special. Whether it was him being a force to be reckoned with off the dribble, skying above the rim, taking the ball the other way or occasionally pulling up from mid-range, Williamson was an unstoppable force at 6-foot-7, 285 pounds. In the 2018-19 season, he averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, while shooting an NCAA-record 74.7% from inside the arc on a Blue Devils team that reached the Elite Eight. Williamson was the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and, to date, is a two-time All-Star.
Tatum flaunted the potential to be both a high-end scorer and an impact defender in his 2016-17 campaign at Duke, averaging 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. The lengthy forward built on his impressive freshman season at Duke in his first season with the Boston Celtics, who selected him with the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, helping them reach Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals despite being without both Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Thus far, Tatum is a four-time All-NBA honoree who’s averaging 23.5 points per season and just helped the Celtics win the 2024 NBA Finals.
Redick scored at Duke — a lot. An All-ACC player in each of his four seasons with the program, Redick is first in Duke history with both 2,769 career points and 457 career 3-pointers. Redick, who was part of four teams that reached the Sweet 16 and one that reached the Final Four, is one of the best shooters and scorers in college basketball history, averaging 26.8 points per game in his senior season (2005-06) — which was second in the nation behind Adam Morrison — and finishing his career averaging 19.9 points per game. Redick played 15 seasons in the NBA, averaging 12.8 points per season, while shooting 41.5% from behind the arc.
2. Christian Laettner
Laettner made one of the most famous shots in the history of basketball and, without question, in college basketball. Trailing the Kentucky Wildcats 103-102 with 2.1 seconds remaining in overtime, Laettner received a full-court pass at the free throw line from Grant Hill, turned around and made a buzzer-beater jumper to send Duke to the 1992 Final Four; the Blue Devils later won the national title. Across his four seasons at Duke, the big man was part of back-to-back title teams (1991 and 1992) and averaged 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and one block per game. Laettner is third in program history with 2,460 career points. He was the third overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, going on to play 13 seasons, earn one All-Star nod and average 12.8 points per game for his career.
1. Grant Hill
The person who made the inbounds pass to Laettner didn’t have a shabby career, either. Hill, an All-ACC honoree in three of his four seasons at Duke, was part of national title teams in 1991 and 1992 (his freshman and sophomore seasons). He finished his stint at Durham averaging 14.9 points, six rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game. The third overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, Hill went on to be a five-time All-NBA honoree, seven-time All-Star and posted 20-plus points per game in five seasons. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Honorable mentions:
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