Baltimore's best in NBA

June 29, 2007

Top 10 careers of NBA-drafted Baltimore players:

1. Sam Cassell

Taken No. 24 overall in the 1993 draft by Houston

• Cassell has parlayed a sweet mid-range jumper and court awareness into two NBA titles and more than 15,000 career points in 14 seasons. The Dunbar graduate was named second-team All-NBA and selected for the All-Star Game in the 2003-04 season.

2. Carmelo Anthony

Taken No. 3 overall in the 2003 draft by Denver

• The silky-smooth Towson Catholic graduate finished second in the league in scoring last season, and is only a consistent jumper and a championship away from breaking through into LeBron James-Dwyane Wade territory.

3. Reggie Lewis

Taken No. 22 overall in the 1987 draft by Boston

• The only Celtic to record 100 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocked shots in a single season, Lewis, a Dunbar graduate, was a gifted forward who replaced Larry Bird as Boston's captain. He died at 27 of a heart condition.

4. Gene Shue

Taken No. 3 overall in the 1954 draft by Philadelphia

• Shue, who, like Anthony, went to Towson Catholic, is far better known for his career at Maryland and for coaching the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, the team with the worst record in NBA history. But Shue was a valuable contributor off the bench for four teams, averaging 14.4 points a game over his 11-year career.

5. Reggie Williams

Taken No. 4 overall in the 1987 draft by the Los Angeles Clippers

• Williams, a Dunbar graduate, had the best of his 10 NBA seasons in Denver. Nicknamed "Silk," the small forward possessed a sweet stroke, hitting 44 percent of his field-goal attempts and 78 percent of his free throws for his career.

6. Juan Dixon

Taken No. 17 overall in the 2002 draft by Washington

• The Calvert Hall graduate's career path hasn't been an easy one, but Dixon, now with the Toronto Raptors, has carved out a niche as a solid third guard who can force tempo off the bench, get steals and score points in bunches, albeit occasionally streakily.

7. Muggsy Bogues

E-mail

Single page

Reprint

Get home delivery of The Sun and save over 50% off the newsstand price

Baltimore's best in NBA

Online resources

Going deep

Going deep Sun sports special reports and in-depth coverage
	> 1983 O's > Recruiting Tavon Austin > Football: The tie that binds > Orioles > Baltimore Colts > Going deep: Other sports

Baltimore's best in NBA

Related topic galleries: Morgan State University, Sam Cassell, Sting, Larry Bird, Philadelphia 76ers, Reggie Williams, LeBron James

Popular stories: Sports

Poll: Is Phelps the greatest Olympian ever?

Online resources

Going deep