Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Calipari Wants Kentucky to Supply ‘Half’ The NBA All-Stars
John Calipari wants Kentucky to supply half of the NBA’s All-Stars. Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
John Calipari has revolutionized the college basketball game by using the one-and-done rule to benefit the Kentucky basketball program and those players who land in the NBA as a result.
So far, so good.
At the start of last season, there were 18 former Kentucky players on NBA rosters, down from 21 in the 2013-14 campaign.
So it may not be completely unrealistic for Calipari to dream of Kentucky supplying half of the players in the NBA All-Star Game not too far down the road.
“Let’s get half the All-Star Game came through here, that would be a fun thing to see,” Calipari said Thursday on a conference call where he discussed his seven former players who entered the NBA Draft, including projected No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns.
Last season, three former Kentucky players were selected to the All-Star Game in Boogie Cousins, Anthony Davis and John Wall. Davis was injured and did not play.
Assuming those guys continue to get better, younger players like Julius Randle, Nerlens Noel and Brandon Knight also improve and incoming players like Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein live up to expectations as lottery picks, Kentucky’s All-Star number could certainly rise.
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Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
