Top 20 former Michigan State Spartans to play in the NBA

Earvin 'Magic' Johnson
Earvin 'Magic' Johnson /
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Former Michigan State Spartan Draymond Green. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Draymond Green

Draymond Green is arguably the most notable ex-Spartan in the NBA since Magic Johnson, which may be surprising considering he was a second round draft pick – going 35th overall to the Golden State Warriors in 2012.

However, the growth Green showed in his four years at Michigan State continued into his NBA career, netting him a handful of accolades in his still-young career that includes three All-Star appearances.

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Green’s success has come primarily on the defensive end. Aside from winning the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2016-17 season, Green has been selected to the All-NBA Defensive team five times (including three first-team selections).

As the saying goes, “defense wins championships,” and what has helped bring Green a lot of his notoriety is his role in helping lead the Golden State Warriors to three NBA championships between 2015-18.

While Green’s success alone is enough to garner him national attention, his continued beef with high profile celebrities, including former teammate Kevin Durant and Canadian rapper and Toronto Raptor superfan Drake, adds a little to his reputation, too.