The Atlantic Coast Conference is one of the most storied basketball conferences in the history of college hoops, but who does ChatGPT think is the best player in each program's history? There have been so many greats to come out of the ACC; this debate would be near impossible to have, especially for programs like Duke, Louisville, and North Carolina. However, let's see what AI has to say.
These are the responses ChatGPT gave after being asked who the best all-time basketball player from every ACC program is.
Boston College - Troy Bell
Bell was from the time when Boston College was back in the Big East. In four seasons as a full-time starter for the Eagles from 1999-2003, the 6'1 guard averaged 21.6 points and 3.5 assists on 42.4% shooting from the field and 37.2% from three. He was a two-time All-American, three-time All-Big East selection, and two-time Big East Player of the Year. The Minneapolis native led Boston College to two NCAA Tournament appearances before being selected by the Boston Celtics with the 16th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
Clemson - Horace Grant
Before a fantastic NBA career, Horace Grant had a storied four seasons at Clemson from 1983-87. Averaging 13.9 points and 8.0 rebounds throughout his career, Grant led Clemson to its second NCAA Tournament appearance ever in 1987, while earning 1986-87 ACC Player of the Year honors and being named an All-American. Grant would go on to be selected with the 10th overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, where he'd go on to win four NBA Championships.
Duke - Christian Laettner
Most college hoops fans love to hate him, but Duke fans know that Laettner brought more success to the program than potentially any other player to ever put on a Blue Devil uniform. In four seasons, Laettner led Duke to four Final Four appearances and two National Championships, highlighted by the iconic shot at the buzzer to take down Kentucky in the 1992 Elite Eight. Averaging 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds on 57.4% shooting from the field and 48.5% shooting from three throughout his career, Laettner was a two-time All-American, a Wooden Award winner, a Naismith Award winner, an NCAA Tournament MOP, and an ACC Tournament MVP. This could very well be the most decorated career in the history of college basketball.
Florida State - Dave Cowens
Another old-timer, Dave Cowens played three seasons for the Seminoles from 1967-70 when FSU wasn't a part of any conference. Across those three seasons, the 6'9 center averaged 19.0 points and 17.2 rebounds on 51.9% shooting from the floor. Cowens was inducted into the Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame and was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 1970 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. Cowens averaged 17.6 points and 13.6 rebounds in 10 seasons for Boston, earning the 1970-71 Rookie of the Year award and the 1972-73 NBA MVP award, while being selected to eight All-Star games and 3 All-NBA teams. The two-time NBA champion is an NBA Hall of Fame inductee.
Georgia Tech - Chris Bosh
Bosh, part of the Miami Heat dynasty with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, played his lone season at Georgia Tech in 2002-03. The forward averaged 15.6 point, 9.0 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and a steal a night on 56% shooting from the field, earning the ACC Rookie of the Year Award while being named to an All-ACC team and the All-ACC Defense team. The NBA legend went on to average 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and a block a night in 13 NBA seasons for Miami and the Toronto Raptors, as Toronto selected Bosh with the fourth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. After 11 All-Star selections and two NBA Championships with the Heat, Bosh is a Hall of Famer.
Louisville - Wes Unseld
Back when Louisville was a part of the Missouri Valley Conference, Unseld spent three seasons with the varsity team from 1965-68, averaging a ridiculous 20.6 points and 18.9 rebounds. Unseld was a three-time All-MVC selection and two-time All-American, and was eventually selected with the second overall pick in the 1968 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets. In 13 seasons for the Baltimore, Capital, and Washington Bullets, Unseld averaged 10.8 points and 14.0 rebounds. The 1968-69 Rookie of the Year and MVP is the only player besides Wilt Chamberlain to win both awards in the same season. A five-time All-Star, NBA Champion, and Finals MVP, Unseld is a Hall of Fame inductee.
Miami - Rick Barry
Rick Barry spent three years as a Hurricane from 1962-65. Averaging 29.8 points and 16.5 rebounds throughout his tenure, Barry still leads Miami in career points with 2,298. A consensus All-American selection, Barry led the nation in scoring in 1964-65 at 37.4 points per game, and the 6'7 forward was taken with the fourth overall pick in the 1965 NBA Draft by the San Francisco Warriors. Across 10 years in the NBA and four in the ABA, Barry averaged 24.8 points on 45.6% shooting from the field. The 12-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection, four-time All-ABA selection, Rookie of the Year winner, 1966-67 scoring champion, and 1975 NBA champion and Finals MVP is in the Hall of Fame.
North Carolina - Michael Jordan
Well, not much of a description is needed for the best to ever do it. The national champion averaged 17.7 points across his three seasons in Chapel Hill, winning the 1983-84 National Player of the Year award and ACC Player of the Year award while being named a two-time All-American. We all know how it went after the Chicago Bulls selected MJ with the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. Six titles, 10-time scoring champ, 11-time All-NBA, five-time MVP, nine-time All-Defensive selection, averaged 30 points for his career, you get it.
NC State - David Thompson
Thompson, a two-time National Player of the Year, spent three seasons with the Wolfpack from 1972-75, averaging 26.8 points and 8.1 rebounds. The three-time ACC Player of the Year led NC State to its first National Championship in 1974-75. Thompson would go on to be selected with the first overall pick in the 1975 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, but would end up heading to the ABA to play for the Denver Nuggets. After one season in the ABA, Denver and Thompson would move to the NBA, where Thompson would spend six more seasons, then spend two with the Seattle Supersonics. A severe knee injury after being pushed down a flight of stairs cut his career short, but the guard averaged 22.7 points on 50.5% shooting from the field throughout his career, making five All-Star teams, two All-NBA teams, and being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.
Notre Dame - Austin Carr
Austin Carr was one heck of a scorer during his three seasons with the Fighting Irish from 1968-71, averaging 34.6 points per game along with 7.3 rebounds on 52.8% shooting throughout his career. The 6'4 guard was a two-time All-American and scored the most points in an NCAA Tournament game ever, with 61 against Ohio in 1970. Carr went on to have a respectable NBA career after being selected with the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1971, averaging 15.4 points and making one All-Star team in ten seasons for Cleveland, the Washington Bullets, and the Dallas Mavericks.
Pittsburgh - Charles Smith
Back when Pitt was in the Big East, Smith spent four seasons as a Panther from 1984-88, averaging 16.8 points and 8.1 rebounds. The 6'10 forward was a four-time All-Big East selection and the 1987-88 Big East Player of the Year. Smith is the program's all-time leader in points (2,045) and blocks (346), going on to be taken with the third overall selection in the 1988 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Smith was traded on draft day to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he'd spend four seasons. The big man spent another five years in the NBA for the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, averaging 14.4 points and 5.8 rebounds a game.
Syracuse - Carmelo Anthony
Regarded as one of the best scorers in NBA history, Melo spent one season with Syracuse in the Big East, averaging 22.2 points and 10.0 rebounds on 45.3% shooting from the field in the 2002-03 season. Bringing the Orange their only national title, Anthony was the NCAA Tournament MOP and a consensus All-American. After setting an NCAA freshman record with 22 double-doubles, Anthony was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the third overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Through 19 NBA seasons with Denver, the New York Knicks, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and three other franchises, Anthony averaged 22.5 points per game on 44.7% shooting from the field, ranking tenth in NBA history in career points with 28,289. The ten-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025.
Virginia - Ralph Sampson
Through his four seasons with the Cavaliers from 1979-83, Sampson became one of the most dominant college basketball players of all time, winning three National Player of the Year awards and being named an All-American three times as well. After averaging 16.9 points and 11.4 rebounds throughout his collegiate tenure, Sampson was selected with the first overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, where he'd spend four full seasons. Across nine years in the NBA, Sampson averaged 15.4 points and 8.8 rebounds while being named to four All-Star teams and being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.
Virginia Tech - Dell Curry
Although his son, Steph, gets most of the attention for being the greatest shooter the NBA has ever seen, Dell Curry was still a dominant college basketball player. In four seasons for the Hokies as part of the MCAC, Curry averaged 19.0 points on 50.5% shooting from the field. After being a consensus All-American, Curry was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. Across 16 NBA seasons for five different franchises, Curry averaged 11.7 points per game on a career 40.2% shooting from three. Wearing No. 30 as well, Curry was named the 1993-94 NBA Sixth Man of the Year while with the Charlotte Hornets.
Wake Forest - Tim Duncan
Here's another guy who doesn't need much of an introduction, as Duncan is widely regarded as a top-ten player in NBA history. In college, The Big Fundamental spent four seasons at Wake from 1993-97, averaging 16.5 points and 12.3 rebounds throughout his career. Duncan was the 1996-97 National Player of the Year and a two-time ACC Player of the Year while delivering the Demon Deacons an ACC Championship in 1996. Duncan went on to be selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, where he'd spent a storied 19 seasons. A 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA selection, 15-time All-Defensive selection, five-time NBA champion, and two-time MVP, Duncan is sixth in NBA history in rebounds (15,091) and fifth all-time in blocks (3,020). Arguably the best center of all time, Duncan was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.
SMU - Jon Koncak
The seven-footer spent four years with the Mustangs from 1981-85, averaging 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds when SMU was a part of the Southwest Conference. Koncak is SMU's all-time leader in blocks (278), field goal percentage (55.9), and rebounds (1,169). The All-American would be selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, where he'd spend 10 of his 11 NBA seasons. Across his career, Koncak averaged 4.5 points and 4.9 rebounds a night.
California - Jason Kidd
Kidd spent two years with the Golden Bears out of the Pac-10 from 1992-94, averaging 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 8.4 assists a game. The elite passer leads Cal all-time in assists per game, was the 1992-93 Pac-10 Rookie of the Year, and was named the 1993-94 Pac-10 Player of the Year. Kidd went on to be selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the second overall pick in the 1994 draft, where he'd begin a fantastic 19 years in the NBA. Playing for Dallas, the Phoenix Suns, the New Jersey Nets, and the New York Knicks, Kidd averaged 12.6 points and 8.7 assists throughout his career, ranking third all-time in career assists with 12,091. A ten-time All-Star, five-time assist champ, and 2011 NBA champion, Kidd was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. After beginning a coaching career in the NBA with the Brooklyn Nets, Kidd won an NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant in 2020, and is now the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
Stanford - Brook Lopez
The lone active NBA player on this list, Lopez spent two seasons in the Pac-10 for Stanford from 2006-08. The seven-foot center averaged 16.0 points and 7.1 rebounds throughout his time with the Cardinal, leading Stanford to a Sweet 16 in 2008. Lopez was selected by the New Jersey Nets with the 10th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and has carved out a great NBA career. Lopez will enter his 18th NBA season in 2025-26 with a new franchise, as the veteran signed with the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason after spending the last seven years with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he won an NBA Championship in 2021. The two-time All-Defensive selection has averaged 15.9 points and 6.1 rebounds throughout his pro career.