TCU MEN’S BASKETBALL
THE NBA
From TCU to the nba TCU MEN’S BASKETBALL / NBA
NBA PATH
In total, TCU has had 18 student-athletes go on to NBA careers after leaving Fort Worth, with the most notable being Kurt Thomas, who as of last season was the NBA’s oldest active player. He played the 2012-13 season for the New York Knicks after previously serving several years with the San Antonio Spurs. Below is a listing of TCU’s NBA Players all-time.
TCU NBA PLAYERS ame N Kurt Thomas Lee Nailon Reggie Smith Jamie Dixon Carven Holcombe Dennis Nutt Darrell Browder Doug Boyd H.E. Kirchner Dick O’Neal George Mcleod Gene Schmidt Ray Warren Ronny Stevenson Gary Turner Eugene Kennedy Doug Arnold Carl Lott
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First Year NBA Franchise Miami Heat New Orleans Hornets Portland Trailblazers Washington Bullets Cleveland Cavaliers Dallas Mavericks Houston Rockets Portland Trailblazers Cincinnati Royals Boston Celtics Milwaukee Hawks Houston Fort Wayne Pistons Philadelphia Warriors Boston Celtics Portland Trailblazers Utah Jazz Cleveland Cavaliers
BIG 12 BASKETBALL
KURT THOMAS
New York Knicks (Present) _Thomas was the 10th pick in the 1995 National Basketball Association’s Draft, selected by the Miami Heat. The NBA veteran, who spent the bulk of his career with the New York Knicks, also has played for the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Seattle Supersonics, San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls. Thomas became only the third player in NCAA history to lead the nation in both scoring and rebounding, as he averaged 28.9 points and 14.6 rebounds per contest in 1995. T homas was the team’s Most Valuable Player as a junior and senior and earned All-Southwest Conference honors both seasons. The 1995 SWC Player of the Year, Thomas earned All-America honors by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Associated Press and United Press International. T homas left TCU as the career record holder for blocked shots and was voted the 1995 SWC Athlete of the Year. The native of Dallas grabbed at least 20 rebounds in a game four times, led by a 25-rebound performance against Baylor in 1995. In 2005, he was elected to the TCU Lettermen’s Association Hall of Fame.
LEE NAILON
Drafted in the 1999 NBA Draft Nailon was a second-round draft pick (43rd selection overall) by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1999 NBA Draft and currently plays for the Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca oversees. As a senior, Nailon became TCU’s first preseason first team All-American (Associated Press) and followed that acclaim by winning another WAC scoring championship by averaging 22.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest. His 44-point scoring outburst against eventual NCAA Sweet 16 team Gonzaga was the highest output by any NCAA Division I player during the 1998-99 season. Nailon’s consistency allowed him to reach several scoring plateaus faster than any previous TCU player. He reached the 1,200- 1,300- 1,400- and 1,500-point milestones in fewer games than any Horned Frog ever.