Many believe Jason Kidd is the best high school basketball player in California history. He is now head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Photo: Jay Stallman
There is a section of categories in our state record book listing former California high school players who’ve gone on to win major honors in the NBA.
For California’s All-Time List of NBA All-Star Game Participants/Selectees, CLICK HERE.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Springfield, Massachusetts
Players from California high schools in order of year inducted:
1959 – Hank Luisetti, San Francisco Galileo ’34
1974 – Bill Russell, Oakland McClymonds ’52
1975 – Bill Sharman, Porterville ’44
1977 – Jim Pollard, Oakland Technical ’39
1988 – K.C. Jones, San FranciscoCommerce ’51
1993 – Bill Walton, La Mesa Helix ’70
1996 – Gail Goodrich, Los Angeles Polytechnic ’61
1996 – George Yardley, Newport Beach Newport Harbor ’48
2010 – Dennis Johnson, Compton Dominguez
2012 – Don Barksdale, Berkeley
2012 – Reggie Miller, Riverside Poly
2012 – Jamaal Wilkes, Santa Barbara
2013 – Gary Payton, Oakland Skyline
2018 – Jason Kidd, Alameda St. Joseph
2019 – Paul Westphal, Redondo Beach Aviation
2021 – Paul Pierce, Inglewood
Coach:
1998 – Alex Hannum, Los Angeles Hamilton ’42
1994 – Denny Crum, San Fernando ’54
2004 – Bill Sharman, Porterville ’44
MVP Award Winners (Since 1955-56)
1957-58 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1960-61 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1961-62 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1962-63 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1964-65 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1977-78 – Bill Walton, Trailblazers (La Mesa Helix)
2016-17 – Russell Westbrook, Thunder (Lawndale Leuzinger)
2017-18 – James Harden, Rockets (Lakewood Artesia)
All-NBA First & Second Team Selections (Since 1946-47)
1947-48 – Howie Dallmar, Warriors (San Francisco Lowell)
1951-52 – Jim Pollard, Lakers (Oakland Technical)
1952-53 – Bill Sharman, Celtics (Harbor City Narbonne & Porterville)
1953-54 – Jim Pollard, Lakers (Oakland Technical)
1954-55 – Bill Sharman, Celtics (Harbor City Narbonne & Porterville)
1955-56 – Bill Sharman, Celtics (Harbor City Narbonne & Porterville)
1956-57 – Bill Sharman, Celtics (Harbor City Narbonne & Porterville)
1956-57 – George Yardley, Pistons (Newport Beach Newport Harbor)
1957-58 – Bill Sharman, Celtics (Harbor City Narbonne & Porterville)
1957-58 – George Yardley, Pistons (Newport Beach Newport Harbor)
1957-58 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1958-59 – Bill Sharman, Celtics (Harbor City Narbonne & Porterville)
1958-59 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1959-60 – Bill Sharman, Celtics (Harbor City Narbonne & Porterville)
1959-60 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1960-61 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1961-62 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1962-63 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1963-64 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1964-65 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1965-66 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1966-67 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1967-68 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
1973-74 – Gail Goodrich, Lakers (Los Angeles Polytechnic)
1974-75 – Phil Chenier, Bullets (Berkeley)
1975-76 – Phil Smith, Warriors (San Francisco Washington)
1976-77 – Paul Westphal, Suns (Redondo Beach Aviation)
1976-77 – Bill Walton, Blazers (La Mesa Helix)
1977-78 – Paul Westphal, Suns (Redondo Beach Aviation)
1977-78 – Bill Walton, Blazers (La Mesa Helix)
1978-79 – Paul Westphal, Suns (Redondo Beach Aviation)
1978-79 – Marques Johnson, Bucks (Los Angeles Crenshaw)
1979-80 – Paul Westphal, Suns (Redondo Beach Aviation)
1979-80 – Marques Johnson, Bucks (Los Angeles Crenshaw)
1979-80 – Dennis Johnson, SuperSoincs (Compton Dominguez)
1980-81 – Marques Johnson, Bucks (Los Angeles Crenshaw)
1980-81 – Dennis Johnson, Suns (Compton Dominguez)
1988-89 – Kevin Johnson, Suns (Sacramento)
1989-90 – Kevin Johnson, Suns (Sacramento)
1990-91 – Kevin Johnson, Suns (Sacramento)
1993-94 – Kevin Johnson, Suns (Sacramento)
1994-95 – Gary Payton, SuperSonics (Oakland Skyline)
1995-96 – Gary Payton, SuperSonics (Oakland Skyline)
1996-97 – Gary Payton, SuperSonics (Oakland Skyline)
1997-98 – Gary Payton, SuperSonics (Oakland Skyline)
1998-99 – Gary Payton, SuperSonics (Oakland Skyline)
1998-99 – Jason Kidd, Suns (Alameda St. Joseph)
1999-00 – Gary Payton, SuperSonics (Oakland Skyline)
1999-00 – Jason Kidd, Suns (Alameda St. Joseph)
2000-01 – Jason Kidd, Suns (Alameda St. Joseph)
2001-02 – Jason Kidd, Nets (Alameda St. Joseph)
2001-02 – Gary Payton, SuperSonics (Oakland Skyline)
2002-03 – Jason Kidd, Nets (Alameda St. Joseph)
2003-04 – Jason Kidd, Nets (Alameda St. Joseph)
2006-07 – Gilbert Arenas, Wizards (Van Nuys Grant)
2008-09 – Paul Pierce, Celtics (Inglewood)
2010-11 – Russell Westbrook, Thunder (Lawndale Leuzinger)
2011-12 – Russell Westbrook, Thunder (Lawndale Leuzinger)
2012-13 – Russell Westbrook, Thunder (Lawndale Leuzinger)
2013-14 – James Harden, Rockets (Lakewood Artesia)
2014-15 – James Harden, Rockets (Lakewood Artesia)
2014-15 – Russell Westbrook, Thunder (Lawndale Leuzinger)
2015-16 – Kawhi Leonard, Spurs (Riverside M.L. King)
2015-16 – Russell Westbrook, Thunder (Lawndale Leuzinger)
2015-16 – Damian Lillard, Trailblazers (Oakland)
2016-17 – Kawhi Leonard, Spurs (Riverside M.L. King)
2016-17 – James Harden, Rockets (Lakewood Artesia)
2016-17 – Russell Westbrook, Thunder (Lawndale Leuzinger)
2017-18 – James Harden, Rockets (Lakewood Artesia)
2017-18 – Damian Lillard, Trailblazers (Oakland)
2017-18 – DeMar DeRozan, Raptors (Compton)
2017-18 – Russell Westbrook, Thunder (Lawndale Leuzinger)
2018-19 – Paul George, Thunder (Palmdale Knight)
2018-19 – James Harden, Rockets (Lakewood Artesia)
2018-19 – Kawhi Leonard, Raptors (Riverside M.L. King)
2018-19 – Damian Lillard, Trailblazers (Oakland)
2019-20 – James Harden, Rockets (Lakewood Artesia)
2019-20 – Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (Riverside M.L. King)
2019-20 – Damian Lillard, Trailblazers (Oakland)
2020-21 – Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (Riverside M.L. King)
2020-21 – Damian Lillard, Clippers (Oakland)
2021-22 – DeMar DeRozan, Bulls (Compton)
NBA Finals Series MVPs (Since 1969)
1977 – Bill Walton, Trailblazers (La Mesa Helix)
1979 – Dennis Johnson, Celtics (Compton Dominguez)
2008 – Paul Pierce, Celtics (Inglewood)
2014 – Kawhi Leonard, Spurs (Riverside M.L. King)
2019 – Kawhi Leonard, Raptors (Riverside M.L. King)
Rookies of the Year (Since 1952-53)
1957-58 – Woody Sauldsberry, Warriors (Compton)
1971-72 – Sidney Wicks, Trailblazers (Los Angeles Hamilton)
1974-75 – Keith Wilkes, Warriors (Ventura & Santa Barbara)
1994-95 – Jason Kidd, Mavericks (Alameda St. Joseph)*
2012-13 – Damian Lillard, Trailblazers (Oakland)
2020-21 – LaMelo Ball, Hornets (Chino Hills)**
*Co-Rookie of the Year with Grant Hill.
**We count LaMelo from Chino Hills since it was the last regular high school he attended.
Defensive Players of the Year (Since 1982-83)
1984-85 – Mark Eaton, Jazz (Westminster)
1986-87 – Michael Cooper, Lakers (Pasadena)
1988-89 – Mark Eaton, Jazz (Westminster)
1995-96 – Gary Payton, Sonics (Oakland Skyline)
2011-12 – Tyson Chandler, Knicks (Compton Dominguez)
2014-15 – Kawhi Leonard, Spurs (Riverside M.L. King)
2015-16 – Kawhi Leonard, Spurs (Riverside M.L. King)
NBA Sixth Man of the Year (Since 1982-83)
1985-86 – Bill Walton, Celtics (La Mesa Helix)
2011-12 – James Harden, Thunder (Lakewood Artesia)
All-Star Game MVP (Since 1950-51)
1954-55 – Bill Sharman, Celtics (Harbor City Narbonne & Porterville)
1962-63 – Bill Russell, Celtics (Oakland McClymonds)
2014-15 – Russell Westbrook, Thunder (Lawndale Leuzinger)
2015-16 – Russell Westbrook, Thunder (Lawndale Leuzinger)
2019-20 – Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (Riverside M.L. King)
All-Star Game Slam Dunk Contest Winner
1991-92 – Cedric Ceballos, Suns (Compton Dominguez)
1992-93 – Harold Miner, Heat (Inglewood)
1993-94 – Isaiah Rider, Timberwolves (Alameda Encinal)
1994-95 – Harold Miner, Heat (Inglewood)
1995-96 – Brent Barry, Clippers (Concord De La Salle)
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
