Ranking the Best Basketball Players from Chicago

Headlined by future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, Chicago has produced some of the best players in NBA history.

Who exactly qualifies as "from Chicago" is subjective, given the expansive metro area. Plus, the number of years spent in the region is important too. Kevin Garnett, for example, lived in South Carolina for much of his life but then transferred and played his final high school year in Chicago. That's not enough for inclusion.

The focus of the ranking is on NBA production. Rankings on talent alone would produce a different order, without question.

Your opinion on location and duration may vary, and that's OK. Our focus is on players who spent their high school years in Chicago, especially those who grew up around the area too.

There is one place, though, I know we can agree: Naperville is not Chicago.

Honorable Mentions

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Eddie Johnson, SF: While bouncing around the league for 17 seasons, Johnson put up 16 points and four rebounds per game. He earned the 1988-89 Sixth Man of the Year Award. Johnson was born in Chicago and went to Westinghouse in East Garfield Park.

Tony Allen, SG: The Grindfather demanded respect during his 14-year career because of outstanding defense. Allen, who attended Crane High School, averaged 1.4 steals and made six All-Defensive teams, including three first teams.

Michael Finley, SG: Finley, a two-time All-Star, tallied 15.7 points per game and celebrated one NBA title in a 15-year career. He went to Proviso East in Maywood.

Derrick Rose, PG: Were it not for a career-altering ACL injury during the 2012 playoffs, Rose could've been much higher on the list. In his first four seasons, he won Rookie of the Year and a league MVP while making three All-Star appearances. Still, he's averaged 18.8 points and 5.6 assists per game through 11 years.

8. Mark Aguirre, SF

A high school teammate of Eddie Johnson's at Westinghouse, Mark Aguirre wasted no time in emerging as a star in the NBA.

The Dallas Mavericks used the No. 1 choice of the 1981 draft on the DePaul forward. Aguirre netted 24.6 points per game over seven-plus seasons for the Mavs, earning three All-Star trips. Dallas traded him to the Detroit Pistons in February 1989.

Aguirre held a key role on the Pistons as they celebrated back-to-back titles, averaging 12.9 points per game during his time in Detroit. Aguirre, who spent his final season on the Los Angeles Clippers, ranks 68th in league history with 18,458 career points.

7. Terry Cummings, PF

Born in Chicago, Terry Cummings went to Carver High School and stayed local for college at DePaul.

During his first decade in the NBA, Cummings put up 21.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He won Rookie of the Year in 1982-83 and appeared on two All-Star teams.

Unfortunately, a knee injury derailed his career.

At a 1992 pickup game in Ada Park, Cummings tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee. He played eight more NBA seasons but never cracked 10 points per game again. Still, he ranks 53rd in career points (19,460) and 59th in rebounds (8,630).

6. Tim Hardaway, PG

The face behind the killer crossover, Tim Hardaway lived in Chicago until he attended UTEP. Hardaway's NBA journey led him to the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat, with brief late-career stops on the Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers.

Hardaway averaged 17.7 points, 8.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game in his 13-year career. Only five players in league history have matched those combined marks, per Basketball Reference.

Along with five All-Star appearances, Hardaway earned All-NBA honors five times—including a first-team nod in 1996-97.

5. Maurice Cheeks, PG

Similar to Hardaway—though roughly a decade earlier—Mo Cheeks grew up in the Windy City and headed to Texas for college. He graduated from DuSable High School and then played for West Texas State University (which is now known as West Texas A&M).

Cheeks spent 11 seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, earning four All-Star nods and laying the foundation of a Hall of Fame career. Overall, he played 15 years in the NBA and tallied 11.1 points, 6.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

The point guard landed on five straight All-Defensive teams in the mid-1980s, boasting four first-team honors in that span. Cheeks is fifth in NBA history with 2,310 steals.

4. George Mikan, C

Associated Press

George Mikan didn't have a long career in the NBA, but the Hall of Fame center enjoyed a remarkably productive one.

Known for his thick glasses, the DePaul product dominated with 23.1 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.8 assist per game. Mikan made six All-NBA teams, secured four All-Star selections and guided the Minneapolis Lakers to five championships in only seven seasons.

"He literally carried the league," Hall of Fame guard Bob Cousy said of Mikan, according to the Chicago Tribune's Bill Jauss. "He gave us recognition and acceptance when we were at the bottom of the totem pole in professional sports. People came to see him as much as they came to see the game."

3. Anthony Davis, PF/C

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Not even a decade into his NBA career, Anthony Davis is trending quite clearly toward a Hall of Fame conclusion.

Davis went to Perspectives Charter School in Chicago, signed with Kentucky and heard his name called first in the 2012 NBA draft. The Brow thrived in seven seasons on the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans, emerging as an elite scorer and defensive powerhouse.

Now on the Los Angeles Lakers, Davis is seeking an NBA title for his impressive resume. So far, he's averaged 24.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game in his eight seasons.

Davis is a seven-time All-Star with three appearances on both All-NBA and All-Defensive teams.

2. Isiah Thomas, PG

Born and raised in Chicago, Isiah Thomas changed the NBA for short guys.

Listed, perhaps generously, at 6'1", the longtime Pistons star amassed 19.2 points and 9.3 assists per game. Thomas made the All-Star team in 12 straight seasons, only missing in his final year, and appeared on five All-NBA teams in the mid-1980s.

Thomas helped Detroit to back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990, taking home Finals MVP honors in 1990. He entered the Hall of Fame as a member of the 2000 class.

1. Dwyane Wade, SG

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Dwyane Wade lived in Oak Lawn—a southern suburb—before going to Marquette for college. There, he assembled one of the more memorable NCAA tournament performances and carried the program to a Final Four in 2003.

He then joined the Heat and enjoyed a spectacular 13-year tenure. Along the way, D-Wade earned 12 All-Star trips, eight All-NBA honors, three All-Defensive team berths and won three NBA titles—one before LeBron James arrived, two with him.

Wade returned to Chicago in 2016 and spent a season with the Bulls, finishing out his career on the Cleveland Cavaliers and Heat again.

He received a ceremonious All-Star invite with longtime Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki in 2019. When eligible in a few years, Wade will enter the Hall of Fame. He racked up 22.0 points, 5.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game in 16 seasons.