The past few years in the NBA have proven that talent in the NBA is sourced from across the globe. The last 7 MVPs (since James Harden last won in 2017) have all been from outside the United States. However, the NBA’s scouting network is domestically growing as vast as it is going internationally. By that, I mean, as quickly as talent is growing internationally, it is growing domestically for the NBA as well.
According to the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Paolo Banchero, Seattle is one of the prime states in a unique position to produce NBA-level talent. He appeared on ‘The Pivot Podcast’ and expressed his opinion on the talent coming from his hometown, Seattle.
He said, “Man, I think Seattle, pound-for-pound. We’re a smaller state, a smaller demographic, but if you was to do by population of hoopers, we got less people and a lot more hoopers. It’s just something in the water there, man. It’s such a rich, rich culture.”
As Banchero pointed out, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and Charlotte are all more populated than Seattle. Despite being the thirteenth most populous state in terms of population (almost eight million in 2024), California (39.4 million), Texas (31.2 million), and Florida (23.3 million) still outnumber Washington. But when it comes to basketball skill, Seattle, Washington, could compete with the greats.
Some Noteworthy Players From Seattle, Washington
According to the Basketball Real GM website, there are currently six active players in the NBA who were born in Seattle. Paolo Banchero, Tari Eason, Gary Payton II, and Dejounte Murray are among the few noteworthy names on that list.
Among retired NBA players, however, 23 players were born in Seattle, Washington. Some noteworthy names from that list include Jamal Crawford, Brandon Roy, Nate Robinson, and Jason Terry. Therefore, Banchero is not wrong in claiming that Seattle produces a top pedigree of NBA players.
Which State/City Has Produced The Most NBA Players?
According to several sources, Los Angeles, California, has produced the largest number of NBA players like Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Klay Thompson, and Paul George. While New York has produced the most major league athletes for any sport, California and Chicago are among the top 3 states to produce basketball talent for the NBA.
However, considering that California is also the most populous state in the country, with 39 million people, it is not a surprising or impressive feat that they produced the most NBA talent. However, despite Washington State’s meager 7.95 million population, its ability to produce such high-level NBA talent is a remarkable achievement.
