LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The 2024-25 NBA season tipped of Tuesday night in Boston and Los Angeles, leaving us with two final scores as well as a partial score:
The Celtics clobbered the Knicks, 132-109. Bronny James, his father and the Lakers defeated Minnesota, 110-103.
And, here is the partial score: 29-7-3.
That would be 29 former University of Kentucky players on opening NBA rosters, with at least one representative on 20 of the league’s 30 franchises.
There are seven former Indiana Hoosiers in the league and three former University of Louisville players.
All 29 former Wildcats are John Calipari recruits, but the only Calipari recruit who brought the Wildcats a national title was Anthony Davis of the Lakers. He’s the last remaining member of the 2012 champs still in the league.
Four guys — Reed Sheppard; Rob Dillingham; Justin Edwards and Antonio Reeves — from the team that led to Calipari’s jump to Arkansas by losing Oakland in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament made opening night rosters.
Sheppard will debut Wednesday at 8 p.m. when the Rockets host the Charlotte Hornets in Houston. Sheppard averaged 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in four exhibition games.
No other college program has 29 guys in the league this season. Duke has 24.
If Calipari is fair game for failing to turn a 29 NBA draft picks into more than one national title, so is Mike Krzyzewski, the retired Duke coach. Of the 24 Blue Devils in the league, three played on national championships squads, with only one in a starring role.
Tyus Jones was the starting point guard on Duke’s 2015 title team. Grayson Allen was a sub on that team. And Mason Plumlee was a sub on Duke’s 2010 title team that was led by Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and current Duke coach Jon Scheyer.
Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero and Kyle Filipowski did not bring any titles to Durham.
Indiana is a strange case. The Hoosiers have seven guys in the league, and they were recruited by four different coaches.
Eric Gordon has outlasted Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley and O.J. Mayo, the first three picks in the 2008 NBA Draft, to return for his 17th season, now with Philadelphia. Gordon was a Kelvin Sampson recruit.
Three Tom Crean recruits will continue their pro careers — center Cody Zeller; center Thomas Bryant and forward OG Anunoby. (Another Crean recruit, Victor Oladipo, has transitioned into a job working for ESPN.)
Archie Miller recruited Trayce Jackson-Davis, even though Mike Woodson developed him into a force who contributed to the Golden State Warriors last season.
And two Woodson recruits are in the league — guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and well as center Kel’el Ware.
All three Louisville players who made the league — Donovan Mitchell, Terry Rozier and Damion Lee — have Rick Pitino connections. Nobody recruited by Chris Mack or Kenny Payne made the league.
After four seasons as an NBA reserve, Jordan Nwora decided to play in Turkey this season. Montrezl Harrell also bypassed the NBA for a guaranteed contract in Australia.
David Johnson’s NBA future is uncertain. Signed by Memphis last week, Johnson was waived by the Grizzlies on Sunday to make room for another player.
Here is the complete list of former UK players on opening day NBA rosters:
- Nick Richards – Charlotte Hornets
- PJ Washington – Dallas Mavericks
- Jamal Murray – Denver Nuggets
- Reed Sheppard – Houston Rockets
- Isaiah Jackson – Indiana Pacers
- Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers
- Jarred Vanderbilt – Los Angeles Lakers
- Bam Adebayo – Miami Heat
- Tyler Herro – Miami Heat
- Chris Livingston – Milwaukee Bucks
- Rob Dillingham – Minnesota Timberwolves
- Julius Randle – Minnesota Timberwolves
- Brandon Boston Jr. – New Orleans Pelicans
- Antonio Reeves – New Orleans Pelicans
- Jacob Toppin – New York Knicks
- Karl-Anthony Towns – New York Knicks
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
- Cason Wallace – Oklahoma City Thunder
- Justin Edwards – Philadelphia 76ers
- Tyrese Maxey – Philadelphia 76ers
- Devin Booker – Phoenix Suns
- TyTy Washington Jr. – Phoenix Suns
- Shaedon Sharpe – Portland Trail Blazers
- De’Aaron Fox – Sacramento Kings
- Trey Lyles – Sacramento Kings
- Keldon Johnson – San Antonio Spurs
- Malik Monk – Sacramento Kings
- Immanuel Quickley – Toronto Raptors
- Oscar Tshiebwe – Utah Jazz
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