Since ’94, hundreds of NBA players have made it to the Top 100 camp. This year’s event is scheduled to be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, June 8-13. But first, to celebrate 30 incredible years, we’re taking a look back at the top 30 members of the NBPA who took the court in the Top 100 camp. Check out the best 30-21 players here.
20. Jason Richardson
Don’t let those epic dunk contests, and they definitely were epic— in the early 2000s distracts you from the bigger picture. Jason Richardson was an all-around player who had an incredibly productive 13-year NBA career. The Michigan native was the fifth overall pick in the 2001 Draft and made an immediate impact on the Warriors, posting 14.4 ppg as a rookie. Over the next nine seasons, his scoring average never dropped below 15, peaking at 23.2 in 2005-06. Perhaps the most famous statistic about J-Rich. Of the 857 games in which he appeared, he started 842.
19. Richard Jefferson
Children, listen. While Richard Jefferson was talking about the game on TV, the man could lay the ball. The versatile forward out of Arizona played for eight teams during his 17-year NBA career. He was a key player on a remarkable New Jersey Nets team that reached the Finals twice, losing to the Lakers in 2002 and the Spurs in 2003. RJ will finally get his ring as a veteran in 2016, coming off the bench for the Cavaliers. when they overcame a 3-1 deficit to knock off the Warriors.
18. Lamar Odom
Lamar Odom, a 6-10 forward from Queens, N.Y., was extremely unique and made him extremely difficult to contain. He could possess the ball, start fast breaks and organize the attack. He had outstanding court vision and knew how to make plays for his teammates. As he once told SLAM, “Because New York City basketball is primarily a point guard game, I learned how to be a point guard.” He could dominate the post, isolate himself on the wing and get off the ball. That versatile skill set led LO to become a 2-time NBA Champion and 2011 Sixth Man of the Year. In 1999-2011, he averaged 14.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4 assists.
17. Rajon Rondo
Just behind 4-time All-Star and 2-time champion Rajon Rondon, who ranks 15thth On the NBA’s all-time assists list, who officially announced his retirement in April, LeBron James said of his former teammate: “One of the best players I’ve ever played with. Clearly his IQ was out of this world. I was very fortunate to be on the team with him… “I always talked about if he ever got together with me, he knew we could win a championship. And we did it.” When you get that kind of praise from one of the greatest who ever did it, nothing else needs to be said. Rondo returned to camp as a member of the Top 100 coaching program, passing it on to the next generation of basketball greats.
16. Joe Johnson
It didn’t matter what uniform he was wearing, or what arena he was rolling in, or who was guarding him, you could always count on Iso Joe to take control in the crunch time. The man had ice in his veins. In his 18 years in the league, Johnson has hit an absurd amount of clutch and game-winning hits. His best years were spent with the Hawks, but the talented guard also got buckets for the Suns and Nets. He scored more than 20,000 career points, made seven All-Star teams and provided countless memorable moments.
15. LaMarcus Aldridge
He was one of the top high school prospects in the country, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year while at Texas, a second overall pick in 2006 and a 7-time NBA All-Star. And yetLaMarcus Aldridge’s career tends to be underrated. The big man averaged 20.2 points and 8.6 rebounds from 2008-20. During that stretch, when LMA caught it down low, it was game over. He was a mid-range maestro and his touch around the basket was always money. Just ask Trail Blazers and Spurs fans about Aldridge. they will have many fond memories of watching this boy play.
14. Jermaine O’Neal
A superstar out of Columbia’s O’Neill High School, O’Neill jumped straight to the NBA in 1996, being drafted 17th overall.th overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers. It would take a few years and a trade to the Indiana Pacers for JO to unlock his full potential in the league, but when he finally did, the big man became seriously problem He won the Most Improved Player award in 2001-02 and made six consecutive All-Star appearances from 2002-07. In all, he spent 18 seasons in the NBA with seven different franchises, but that run with the Pacers was definitely his most memorable. And full circle, his son Jermaine O’Neal Jr. is in attendance at this year’s camp.
13. Trae Young
A lot of crazy crossovers, nutmegs, lobs, and deep threes come to mind when you think of Trae Young, and rightfully so. But the character that stands out the most. The Atlanta Hawks guard silenced the crowd at Madison Square Garden with a finger to his lips in a 2021 first-round playoff game against the Knicks with a victory whistle. Shhh. Yang captured the moment perfectly. to a fiery, fearless, trash-talking competitor with ridiculous talent to back it up. There’s a reason they call him Ice Trae.
12. Jaylen Brown
Here’s how Kemba Walker described Jaylen Brown to SLAM back in 2020 when the two were teammates. He can do anything. He can score, he can pass, he can rebound, he can shoot. He is fearless. He’s a competitor.” Brown was Georgia’s Mr. Basketball in 2015 and played one season at UC Berkeley before being drafted 3rd overall by the Boston Celtics in 2016. The athletic forward has become a star for the C’s, helping them contend in the East. Conference every year. Since making the Top 100, Brown has continued to be involved with the NBPA, becoming one of the youngest players to be elected to the NBPA Executive Committee in 2019.
11. DeMar DeRosa
DeMar DeRozan’s journey has taken him from the West Coast (Compton and Los Angeles) to the North (Toronto) to the South (San Antonio) to the Midwest (Chicago). Along the way, he was a McDonald’s All-American, Pac-10 tournament MVP, lottery pick in 2009 and a 6x NBA All-Star. He spent the first nine years of his NBA career with The 6, where he became the Raptors’ all-time leading scorer and made the playoffs five times. Since then, he’s had more standout moments, including averaging 27.9 points for the Bulls in 2021-22. Hello to the real one.
Action photo via Getty Images.
