Take stock of the top 10 stars that Old K coached Duke out of: Irving, Tatum and Zion

After Duke stopped at this year's NCAA semifinals, the coaching career of the old K coach officially came to an end. At the helm of Duke University for 42 years, coach K can be described as "peach and plum all over the world".

According to statistics, as of the 2021 draft, he has sent a total of 75 players to the NBA, many of whom have become household names after entering the NBA. This article is an inventory of the top 10 stars who came out of Duke during the coaching period of coach K (in order of time they entered Duke).

1. Danny Ferry

Ferry is not a big name in the NBA, never been selected as an All-Star, but at the NCAA he is honorable. He played for Duke from 1985 to 1989, playing in 143 games, averaging 15.1 points, seven rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He won the Naismith Award in 1989 and was named College Player of the Year by several media outlets. In addition, he has been named to the All-American Team twice, the ACC Player of the Year twice, the Best Team in the Division three times, and the No. 35 jersey was retired at Duke. He scored 58 points in a single game, which is still the record for a Single Game for a Duke men's basketball player.

In 1989, Ferry was selected by the Clippers as the top spot, but left Italy because he did not want to play for the Clippers. He spent most of his career with the Cavaliers, winning his sole championship with the Spurs in 2003. After retiring, he served as general manager, vice president and president of the Cavaliers, Spurs, Eagles and Pelicans. Under his operation, the Cavaliers reached the Grand Finals in 2007.

2. Christian Leitner

Leitner is also a player with a great contrast in his careers in the NCAA and the NBA. From 1988 to 1992, Leitner played for Duke, where he played 148 games, averaging 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds. He led Duke to consecutive NCAA titles in 1992 and 1992 and Kentucky in the 1991 NCAA Finals. He has also been named MOP, won the Naismith Award and the John Wooden Award, was named to the All-American Team twice, was named ACC Player of the Year once, was named to the Division's Best Team three times, and retired at Duke with the No. 32 jersey. In 1992, he was also selected for the Dream One team as the only college player.

In the 1992 draft, he was selected by the Timberwolves as a tandem. Although he has been named an All-Star, his achievements in the NBA are far from being comparable to those of the NCAA.

3. Grant Hill

As one of the "Jordan successors", Hill's NBA career, although tragic, is better than That of Duke teammate Leitner, and he is also the beginning of many fans to know Duke. From 1990 to 1994, Hill played for Duke and was involved in the 1991 and 1992 championships. In 129 games, he averaged 14.9 points, six rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He has been named to the All-American Team twice, a Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year, a three-time ACC Team, and the Number 33 jersey retired at Duke.

In 1994, Hill was selected by the Pistons as a tandem, and rookie season shared the rookie king with Kidd. Hill at his peak of the season averaged 25+5+5 per game, and his elegant style of play has conquered countless fans, and he has been selected as an All-Star seven times and the Best Team five times. Unfortunately, due to frequent injuries, Hill failed to achieve more in the NBA.

4. Battier

In the NBA, Battier was portrayed as a defensive expert and iron man. But in the NCAA he was also a prince of the party. From 1997 to 2001, Battier played for Duke. He played in 146 games and averaged 13.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He led Duke to victory in 2001 and was elected MOP. He has also won the John Woodon Award, was named to the All-America Team twice, was named Defensive Player of the Year three times, was named to the ACC Division twice, and was named the Best Player in the Division. His No. 31 jersey was also retired at Duke.

In the 2001 draft, Battier was selected by the Grizzlies with the 6th overall pick. He has worked in many teams in the NBA, and has been well known by domestic fans for playing for the Rockets, and then won the championship twice with the Heat. He has been named to the Defensive Team twice. Today he works as a consultant to the Heat.

5. Brand

He was one of Garnett's most admired players. From 1997 to 1999, Brand played for Duke in 60 games, averaging 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. In 1999, Brand won the John Woodden Award, was named to both the National First Team and the ACC First Team, and was named the best player in the division.

In the 1999 draft, Brand was selected by the Bulls as the champion, and the rookie season shared the rookie king with Francis. He reached the peak of his career with the Clippers, being named an All-Star twice in his career and making a One-Time All-Team. From 2018 to 2020, Brand served as general manager of the 76ers.

6. Boozer

As a member of the new version of "Utah Double Brake", Boozer was once a thorn in the side of domestic fans. From 1999 to 2002, Boozer played for Duke and was a member of the 2001 championship team. In 101 games, Boozer averaged 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He was named to the All-American Team and ACC Division, and was named MVP of the ACC Championship.

In the 2002 draft, Boozer was selected with the 35th pick in the second round, but was selected as the best rookie second team in the rookie season. After switching to the Jazz, Boozer reached his peak and became another "Utah double" trained by Jerry Sloan with Deron Williams, and he was also selected as an All-Star twice. In 2017, Boozer announced his retirement.

7. Jay Williams

He is Yao Ming's peer, who lost his NBA career due to a car accident, and he was also one of the love disciples of the old K coach. From 1999 to 2002, Williams played for Duke. In 108 games, he averaged 19.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6 assists per game. He was a member of the 2001 Championship Team, won the John Wooden Award in 2002 and was twice voted Player of the Year by the Coaches' Association. He was named to the All-American First Team twice, named to the ACC All-Team three times, and was the ACC Tournament MVP, retiring his No. 22 jersey at Duke.

In the 2002 draft, Williams was selected by the Bulls as the top spot, and the rookie season was selected as the best rookie second team. However, on June 19, 2003, Williams had a serious accident while riding a motorcycle, and his career came to an end. Today, Williams has become a basketball media person with a high appearance rate.

8. Owen

The mixed-budget Irving was also produced by Duke. In the 2010–11 season, Irving played at Duke for just one season, playing in just 11 games with a toe ligament injury, averaging 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. As a result, Irving's resume at the NCAA is not as prominent as the other players on this list.

But in the NBA, Irving is prominent enough. In the 2011 draft, he was selected by the Cavaliers as the champion, and the rookie season won the rookie king. James returned in 2014, and two years later the Cavaliers won the first championship in team history, and Irving was the greatest. Subsequently, Irving has been to the Celtics and the Nets, and has been named to the All-Star seven times and the All-Team team three times so far. Irving's on-field performances are fascinating, his off-court affairs are confusing, and he is a controversial superstar.

9. Tatum

Today, the Celtics' young master is also the beloved disciple of the old K coach. In the 2016-17 season, Tatum played in 29 games at Duke, averaging 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, was named to the ACC Division's Best Freshman Team and Best Third Team, and led the team to the ACC Championship Championship.

In 2017, the Green Army sent out the first sign, from 76 people to the No. 3 sign, Tatum was selected as a tanhua. In the rookie season, Tatum was named to the all-rookie team. So far in his career, he has been named an All-Star three times. This season, Tatum's average of points, rebounds, assists and efficiency points per game has reached a new career high, and his true shooting percentage is the second highest in his career.

10. Zion

Zion is also from coach K. In the 2018-19 season, Zion played for Duke for one year, and was collectively known as the "Duke Three Masters" with Barrett and Redish. He played in 33 games that season, averaging 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, winning the John Woodden Award, being named to the All-American First Team and the ACC First Team, and was named ACC Player of the Year, Best Freshman and Tournament MVP. But that season he also buried injury hazards.

In the 2019 draft, Zion was selected by the Pelicans as a champion, but he only played 24 games due to injury, giving up the rookie king to Morant. In the 2020-21 season, Zion averaged 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, shooting 61.1% from the field, making him an All-Star for the first time in his career. But he was later hit by injuries and has not been played so far this season, and he has been reimbursed in advance.

In addition, players worth mentioning from coach K's ranks include Marvin Bagley, Barrett, Seth Curry, Lore Dun, Mike Dunllive Jr., Ingram, Kennard, Cory Mageti, Jalil Okafor, Jabari Parker, Redick, Rivers Jr., Gary Trent Jr. and Winslow. (Supine Braces/Hairy)