Click here to see an interactive database of the players.
Editor’s Note: This story is the second in a five-part series involving former LSU athletes competing in the professional ranks.The New Orleans Hornets played one game in the PMAC after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.That game against the Phoenix Suns wasn’t the first time fans saw professional-level talent on the floor of the PMAC.Many former LSU basketball players played on the same floor before starting careers as NBA journeymen, starters, superstars and Hall of Famers.Thirty-four former Tigers played in the NBA or ABA after donning purple and gold, according to DatabaseBasketball.com.Bob Pettit and Pete Maravich are in the NBA Hall of Fame after extending their success at LSU to the NBA. Shaquille O’Neal and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, formerly known as Chris Jackson, are still playing but have already secured their legacies at the professional level.LSU coach Trent Johnson said those four players stack up against the best pros from any college.”I challenge you to find any other college with those caliber of players,” Johnson said. “That’s a pretty good team right there.”Former LSU coach Dale Brown said most people never guess that LSU is one of two schools with three players on the list of the league’s 50 greatest players announced in 1996.”Everyone gets that one wrong,” Brown said. “Nobody guesses that it’s LSU.”Pettit was the first NBA player to eclipse the 20,000-point mark and is 30th on the all-time NBA list with 20,880 points.”You’ve got to say Bob Pettit was one of the best,” said former LSU guard Garrett Temple. “You also got guys like Pistol and Chris Jackson, who led Denver for a couple years.”Maravich, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer, also excelled in the NBA. “Pistol Pete” made the All-NBA first team in 1967 and 1977 and is 89th all-time with 15,948 career points.Abdul-Rauf made his mark in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets and is playing overseas after leaving the NBA in 1994. Abdul-Rauf now plays for Kyoto Hannaryz in the Basketball Japan League.”He’s truly a miracle,” Brown said. “What he accomplished with Tourette’s [syndrome] is totally unique.”O’Neal has secured a Hall of Fame spot with a lofty resume since joining the professional ranks in 1992. O’Neal won three titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, another with the Miami Heat and is currently playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers and is in contention for another title.”When you start talking about Shaquille O’Neal — he’s one of the top two big men to ever play basketball,” Johnson said.O’Neal is fifth all-time in scoring and 14th in rebounding in the NBA.”Obviously, Shaq has been great with what he’s done in his career,” Temple said.Six former LSU stars are on NBA rosters this season — Tyrus Thomas (Charlotte), Brandon Bass (Orlando), Marcus Thornton (New Orleans), Glen Davis (Boston) and Temple (San Antonio).Recruiting the best players has helped LSU produce pros, Johnson said.”It has more to do with that the kids want to come here,” Johnson said. “The life blood of your program is being able to keep the best players in the state.”Brown said LSU lacked facilities and name recognition before he was hired in 1972.”LSU’s got a pretty good reputation now,” Brown said. “It was a very tough school for basketball back in the day. Football overpowered basketball. Now things are different.”Former Tigers still talk about their time at LSU years after leaving Baton Rouge, Temple said.”Whenever we see each other, we do reminisce a little bit,” Temple said. “I talked to Glen and Shaq. When we played against New Orleans I got to talk to Marcus.”Johnson said the competition in the Southeastern Conference is part of the success of LSU players.”You’re talking about the elite — the SEC Conference,” Johnson said. “The SEC has some of the best professional players ever.”Temple said he regularly faces old foes from the SEC. The Spurs guard also said the defense he learned at LSU was the most valuable tool at the next level.”The biggest thing was the defense they taught us,” Temple said. “A lot of guys going to the NBA don’t have the defense.”- – – -Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]