Twelve Gator Greats Set to Kick Off 2014-15 NBA Season
Tuesday, October 28, 2014 | Men's Basketball
The NBA will once again have an Orange and Blue tint in 2014-15 as a dozen Gator greats dot league rosters as season-opening 15-man rosters have been set in advance of Tuesday's tipoff.
The Gators have one of seven college programs in the nation with at least 10 players representing them at the game's highest level. But the Gators aren't flooding the league with flashes in the pan, having demonstrated exceptional staying power in the league as those 12 players have a combined 77 years of experience entering the season. The 6.42 average years of experience for UF's NBA players is the best among that group of seven schools.
| School | Players | Total Exp. | Avg. Exp. | 10+ Yrs. |
| Florida | 12 | 77 | 6.42 | 3 |
| Arizona | 12 | 66 | 5.50 | 3 |
| UNC | 16 | 85 | 5.31 | 2 |
| Duke | 18 | 90 | 5.00 | 4 |
| Kansas | 17 | 84 | 4.94 | 4 |
| UCLA | 15 | 72 | 4.80 | 2 |
| Kentucky | 18 | 78 | 4.33 | 2 |
The Gators' ongoing NBA success should come as no surprise, as Billy Donovan has been named by ESPN.com as the best college basketball coach in the country.
Florida's dozen players on opening-night rosters also play a part in several intriguing storylines heading into this NBA season. Mike Miller, the longest-tenured Gator in the NBA with 14 seasons under his belt, joined LeBron James in signing with Cleveland this offseason after being a part of two NBA championship teams in Miami. Udonis Haslem, meanwhile, will be one of the Heat holdovers looking to keep Miami on the winning track, while 2015 UF Hall of Fame inductee Matt Bonner will try to help the Spurs repeat as champions after making sure he enjoyed San Antonio's preseason trip to Germany.
Three members of "the '04s" are still going strong in the league, with Joakim Noah the returning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Al Horford coming off injury and Corey Brewer returning to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Chandler Parsons was the subject of discussion this offseason both for his rich new deal with the Dallas Mavericks, which should only escalate the Rockets-Mavericks rivalry, and for his foray into fashion.
David Lee and Marreese Speights, the only Gator teammates in the NBA, will see what they can do with the Warriors under new head coach Steve Kerr, while Bradley Beal is part of a rising Washington Wizards team. Nick Calathes will suit up for the Memphis Grizzlies for his second NBA season after his successful overseas stint in Greece, and 2014 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Patric Young caught on with the New Orleans Pelicans despite going undrafted.
Gators in the NBA
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
Matt Bonner, San Antonio Spurs
Corey Brewer, Minnesota Timberwolves
Nick Calathes, Memphis Grizzlies
Udonis Haslem, Miami Heat
Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
David Lee, Golden State Warriors
Mike Miller, Cleveland Cavaliers
Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks
Marreese Speights, Golden State Warriors
Patric Young, New Orleans Pelicans
