Duke basketball: The 10 greatest NBA Blue Devils of all time
By Matt Giles
All-time top 10 Duke basketball pro: No. 5 Elton Brand
Elton Brand, now the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, provided Duke basketball with one of the most uniquely gifted specimens in program history, to the tune of winning the 1999 Naismith and then coming up one heartbreaking minute shy of a national title (no need to go there here). Of course, those gifts spilled over — and then some — into his NBA career.
By averaging 20.1 points and 10.0 rebounds across 81 appearances in his first season, Brand proved a worthy former No. 1 draft pick. After picking up his NBA Rookie of the Year honor and then essentially matching those numbers in his second year with the Chicago Bulls, he ended up with the Los Angeles Clippers for sevens seasons, including his two All-Star campaigns.
Mr. Wingspan then played for three more franchises across the remainder of his 17-year NBA career. Among all NBA Blue Devils, he ranks No. 2 in points with 16,827 and No. 1 in rebounds with 9,040. As for blocks, Brand’s 1,828 about double the amounts of No. 2 and No. 3 (those two guys are honorable mentions here at the end).