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Jayson Tatum helped the Boston Celtics climb within two wins of an NBA Championship this season. Ultimately, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors ended that dream, winning in six. But the former Duke Blue Devils product still had a fantastic season, earning NBA First Team All-Pro honors.
On Friday, Tatum must have been reminiscing about his great college days at Duke. He took to Twitter and shared who he believes would be in contention for the five greatest Blue Devils of all-time.
Top 5 all time @DukeMBB players (strictly on time at duke) 8 names I think could argue to be in that 5
G hill, Laetnner, jj, jay will, battier, Jah, bari, Zion— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) July 22, 2022
Tatum listed Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, JJ Redick, Jay Williams, Shane Battier, Jahlil Okafor, Jabari Parker and Zion Williamson. It's easy to forget just how many great players have come through Duke over the years.
Hill played at Duke from 1990 to 1994, helping the school win two NCAA Championships. He overlapped with Laettner, who played from 1988 through 1992, also a part of their back-to-back titles in 1991 and 1992. Redick, Williams and Battier all played for Duke later in the 1990's.
Redick was a three-point specialist and one of the best college basketball fans have ever seen. Williams was an all-around guard and great defender. Battier helped the Blue Devils to their third national championship in 2001.
The more recent crop on his list were Okafor, Smith and Williamson. Unlike the previous guys on Tatum's list, these guys were one and done at Duke. Parker played 2013-2014 with Duke and was drafted 2nd overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. Okafor played the next season for the Blue Devils and was taken third overall in the Philadelphia 76ers. But neither player has gone on to make a big splash in the NBA.
Williamson is the one guy on this list with the potential to surpass NBA legends. But injuries have kept him sidelined for two-thirds of his career thus far.
