The NBA has a number of former Kentucky basketball players on teams around the league, and about to add a few more. Many of those players are top-level NBA stars as well. Recently, Tyrese Maxey received the Most Improved Player award as well as the NBA Sportsmanship award. Now, two more former Wildcats were named as NBA All-Defensive teamers.
Current Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis was an all-time great star for Kentucky. He averaged 12.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game this season, and was named to the first-team All-Defensive team for the third time.
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Bam Adebayo was all named to the first-team All-Defensive team. The Miami Heat star posted 10.4 rebounds and more than a steal per game. It’s his first appearance on the first-team after being second-team four times.
Kentucky players have found a great deal of success in the NBA, particularly those from the John Calipari era. Davis and Adebayo join Maxey as award winners so far. Meanwhile, there are some former players who could win an even bigger prize this year: an NBA championship. Big Blue Nation is proud of all of them.