The History of UCLA Players and the NBA
There have been 99 players to see the floor in the NBA/ABA coming from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Of those players, 17 of them are still active players in the NBA. There have been two Bruins drafted #1 overall, and there have been six UCLA players inducted into the Hall of Fame. This Dream Team will be based solely on stats and accolades accumulated in the NBA and certain players may be moved from their “standard” position in order to create the best rotation possible. Without further ado, what would the All-UCLA NBA Dream Team Look like?
Starting Point Guard – Russell Westbrook
Mr. Triple Double will be heading the point for a star-studded Bruins starting lineup. Westbrook played with UCLA in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 before being drafted 4th overall by the Seattle SuperSonics/OKC Thunder. Russ is a 9x All-Star, 9x All-NBA, 2x scoring champ, and 3x assist champ, along with being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He was also 2016-2017 NBA MVP, where he averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game. Westbrook is #1 in total assists and total steals, #3 in total points and minutes played, and #4 in total rebounds in the NBA by UCLA players.
Starting Shooting Guard – Gail Goodrich
At Shooting Guard, Gail “Stumpy” Goodrich will get the nod for the Bruins Dream Team. Goodrich played at UCLA from 1962-1965, where he won the NCAA Championship twice. In the NBA he became a 5-time All-Star and Hall of Famer who won the 1972 championship with the Lakers. In 1973-1974, Goodrich averaged 25.3 points per game and was named to the All-NBA First Team. Gail Goodrich is #4 in total points, minutes played, and made field goals, as well as #5 in total assists in the NBA by UCLA players.
Starting Small Forward – Reggie Miller
Steph Curry is known for revolutionizing the NBA with the art of the three-pointer, but before Curry, there was Ray Allen, and before Ray Allen, there was Reggie Miller. The 6’7” scorer played 85% of his career NBA minutes at SG, but in this UCLA NBA Dream Team he will slide to SF. Miller played at UCLA from 1983-1987 before being selected #11 in the draft. He became a 5x All-Star and 3x All-NBA player and is still #3 All-time in made three-pointers with 2,560. He also was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2012 and was recently named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He is #1 in made three-pointers and #2 in total points and minutes played in the NBA by Bruins players.
Starting Power Forward – Bill Walton
This is where things get really interesting. Two of the best players in UCLA basketball history and the only two Bruins alumni to be drafted #1 overall in the NBA draft are Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (formerly Lew Alcindor). This means that Bill Walton gets to slide to PF for this Dream Team. Walton played at UCLA from 1971-1974, winning two NCAA championships. In the NBA “Big Red” had one of the highest ceilings of any player before his injuries. His accolades include being a 2x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 2x All-Defensive, 2x NBA Champion, 1x rebounding champ, 1x block champ, and 1977-1978 MVP. Additionally he is in the Hall of Fame and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He is #3 in total blocks, and #4 in rebounds per game in the NBA for players from UCLA.
Starting Center – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor)
Pairing with Walton as the other twin tower in this UCLA Dream Team starting lineup is none-other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At UCLA, prior to his name change in 1971, Lew Alcindor won three NCAA titles in 1967, 1968, and 1969 before being selected #1 overall in the draft. In the NBA, the 7’2” big fella became a consensus top 5 NBA player of All-Time. He scored the most points of any player to ever play in the NBA and has the most accolades of any player in this Dream Team series so far. He was a 19x All-Star, 15x All-NBA, 11x All-Defensive, 6x MVP, 6x NBA Champion, 4x block champ, 2x scoring champ, and is obviously a Hall of Famer who was named to the 75th Anniversary Team. He is #1 in games played, minutes played, field goals made, total points, total rebounds, and total blocks in the NBA for Bruins players.
Backup Point Guard – Baron Davis
While newer fans of the NBA may be tempted to give this backup PG spot to Jrue Holiday, for now, Baron Davis is slightly more deserving of being on this UCLA Dream Team. Davis played for the Bruins from 1997-1999 and was drafted #3 overall as sophomore. B-Diddy had an injury riddled, yet solid career, allowing him to make the All-Star Game twice as well as the 2003-2004 All-NBA Team. He was also the 2x steal champion and became incredibly memorable for leading the #8 seeded “We Believe” Warriors to a remarkable upset over the #1 seed Dallas Mavericks. Davis is #2 in total assists, #3 in total steals, and #4 in made three-pointers in the NBA for players from UCLA.
Backup Shooting Guard – Marques Johnson
One of the many NBA “What-ifs” in basketball history and plugging in as the backup SG is Marques Johnson. Johnson was a 4-year player at UCLA from 1973-1977, winning the championship in 1975. In the NBA, M.J. was an All-Star four times in his first six seasons and earned three All-NBA selections in that span. He then added his 5th All-Star appearance in 1986, but that marked the last time Johnson was able to play at a high level. The following season, he ruptured a disk in his neck, effectively ending his career. Although Johnson did not have the longevity he could have had, he still remains #3 in points per game and #8 in FG% for UCLA players in the NBA.
Backup Small Forward – Kiki Vandeweghe
Joining Marques Johnson in the backup wing rotation is another high-level scorer who had his career stifled due to injuries, Kiki Vandeweghe. The German forward was a 4-year player with the Bruins from 1976-1980 and immediately became a part of the best forward duos in the NBA with Alex English for the Denver Nuggets. While Vandeweghe was just a two-time All-Star, for those two seasons, he was 2nd in the entire NBA in scoring in 1983 (26.7 PPG) and 3rd in the entire league in 1984 (29.4 PPG). Unfortunately he dealt with recurring back injuries later in his career but he is still #4 in points per game, #5 in total points, and #6 in made field goals and FG% in the NBA by Bruins players.
Backup Power Forward – Jamaal Wilkes (Jackson Keith Wilkes/Jamaal Abdul-Lateef)
At backup power forward for the UCLA NBA Dream Team, Jamaal Wilkes gets the honor. Born Jackson Keith Wilkes, he played 4 years at UCLA from 1970-1974. He changed his name multiple times and eventually switched to Islam once in the NBA, but kept his surname and is remembered by NBA fans as Jamaal Wilkes or “Silk”. Wilkes is a 4x NBA champ, 3x All-Star, 2x All-Defensive Hall of Famer who won rings with both the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers. Wilks is #6 in total points and #7 in total steals and minutes played in the NBA for UCLA players.
Backup Center – Kevin Love
At backup center, Kevin Love will slide into place as the last member of the UCLA NBA Dream Team. Love played just one season at UCLA in 2007-2008 with Russell Westbrook before being taken #5 overall in the NBA draft. Nowadays Kevin Love is known as being a bad contract in the NBA who is just an average role player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. What people may not discuss are his All-NBA caliber days with the Minnesota Timberwolves and him being a part of the Cavs Big 3 with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James. His accolades include being a 5x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 2010-2011 rebounding champ, 2010-2011 Most Improved Player, and 2016 NBA Champion. He is #2 in total rebounds, #3 in rebounds per game and made three-pointers, and #8 in total points in the NBA for Bruins players.
UCLA Bruins NBA Dream Team Depth Chart:
Russell Westbrook/Baron Davis
Gail Goodrich/Marques Johnson
Reggie Miller/Kiki Vandeweghe
Bill Walton/Jamaal Wilkes (Jackson Keith Wilkes/Jamaal Abdul-Lateef)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor)/Kevin Love
Other Notable Players:
PG/SG Jrue Holiday
SG/SF Trevor Ariza
SG/SF Zach LaVine
C Swen Nater
PF Sidney Wicks
