The Greatest NBA Players Ever From Iowa
From Way Downtown
While it might be a little different than Sunset Park and Hoosiers, Iowa certainly has more than a few white men that can jump coming out of Iowa hoops. This week Moonlighter Jack Brownlee returns to the studio to help Tim come up with the all-time Iowa NBA team. Some of the greats, like Kyle Korver, Fred Hoiberg and Nick Collison, quickly come to mind but the research required some deep dives. Tim and Jack had to put on their wannabe GM hats to make some tough choices when putting together the official Moonlight all-time Iowa NBA list.
Bill Simmons is to credit (blame?) for this episode thanks to his neglect in his 2003 redraft. One of the most consistent names in OKC Thunder history, Nick Collison, was left out and Kirk Hinrich caught a little undue shade. A phone call to Jack Brownlee was made and an idea was born to create the Moonlight Graham version of the redraft. The Moonlight twist though is that this list covers 1948-2020 and compares guys across different eras and even different professional leagues.
24 names were considered for the list, dating back to Murray Wier and Hoot Gibson. Just like the football and baseball teams to make the cut, you had to grow up in Iowa. Guys like Acie Earl and Don Nelson are sometimes thought of as Iowans but they are from Illinois and other guys like Luke Zeller were born in Iowa and moved away.
“With a name like that, I assumed he wore rec-specs”
Basketball junkies will appreciate the way that Tim and Jack break down all aspects of the game for each pick as they come off of the board. The guys have everything from stat breakdowns and player comparisons to really obscure nicknames. The top of the draft is full of talent but once they get down to the back end of the draft the nicknames aren’t the only obscure part of the conversation.
Are you a proud supporter of the Moonlight Graham Show? Buy the "Moonlighter Tee"
https://www.moonlightgrahamshow.com/buy-swag/moonlighter-tee-1
We would love to meet you on social media. Give us a follow!
Every Iowa sports fan knows the reputation of Harlan Community High School. The Harlan Cyclones are known far and wide for their success in every sport. Coach Bladt and the football program built a foundation of success that the entire community rests on. There is a lot of pride in the school colors and full bleachers whenever they take the field or court. Mitch Osborn has helped to continue that success in his roles as AD and head basketball coach. This week we sit down with Coach Osborn to learn about his career and what makes Harlan so darn special.