Best state of Michigan high school basketball player all-time

Submitted by Champeen on September 11th, 2019 at 3:56 PM

- George Gervin

- Magic Johnson

- Chris Webber

- Emoni Bates

- Matt Steigenga

 

My opinion: If Bates continues his ttrajectory, he will become the best ever to play high school basketball in the state of Michigan.  I personally would have to take George Gervin by a very small amount over Magic, who is second by a very small amount over Webber..  I was totally fucking kidding about Steigenga BTW.

 

 

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Roy G. Biv

September 11th, 2019 at 6:54 PM ^

Mark Harris.  Very arguably the most gifted baller to walk this great state.  Unfortuntely for various reasons he never got his chance on the biggest stages.

Also, some kid named Rice who was a scoring machine on the best team in the state of his era.  I seem to remember him doing something or other at Michigan, and in the NBA as well.

http://www.highschoolsportsscene.com/articles/2014-05-03-top-100-michigan-basketball-players-of-all-time

Joined: 09/03/2010

MGoPoints: 6966

GOBLUE4EVR

September 11th, 2019 at 8:53 PM ^

What about the pride of Mio Michigan Jay Smith??? He is the career points leader in Michigan HS basketball history...

Steve would point this out at his basketball camps when Smith ran them... 

Joined: 01/09/2009

MGoPoints: 4282

MoCarrBo

September 11th, 2019 at 9:07 PM ^

I averaged 8 points for a class B school that lost in the district finals. So me. Sadly, no D1 offers. Good thing, I might've saved Amakers job then no Beilein.

 

Joined: 10/08/2018

MGoPoints: -1519

BlueinLansing

September 11th, 2019 at 9:53 PM ^

Magic did some ridiculous things at Everett.

 

Guy who played at Fennville in the 60's is highly regarded by many as one of the best and maybe the best ever.  Forget his name but was the state's all-time leading score for a long time.

Joined: 09/01/2009

MGoPoints: 23520

MichiganStan

September 11th, 2019 at 10:26 PM ^

Brian Bowen could've been a stud at Arthur Hill High but in hindsight it seems his services were bought by La Lumiere

He was one of the best high school players in the country at the most competitive school in the nation so Imagine he wouldve completely dominated if he stayed in state

Figured Id throw this out there since every other name has been named

 

Joined: 01/03/2017

MGoPoints: 7991

Flying Dutchman

September 11th, 2019 at 10:47 PM ^

Obviously, me.   Grand Rapids All City 1994.

After Me:  Magic Johnson was probably amazing.  I witnessed Chris Webber, holy shit, incredible.   Jalen Rose was special.   That's all I got, guys.  

Joined: 09/16/2009

MGoPoints: 11464

BoFan

September 11th, 2019 at 11:55 PM ^

Magic without question:

NCAA championship as an underclassman and multiple NBA championships.  NBA POY.  NBA MVP. 

Who else compares?  Why is this even a question?

Joined: 03/09/2012

MGoPoints: 20067

SpaceDad

September 12th, 2019 at 12:36 AM ^

I believe that Magic is the best high school player in US history. He’s certainly Top 5. I’d put Webber in the Top 30 nationally, second to Magic in Michigan. 

Joined: 05/15/2015

MGoPoints: 494

Jimmyisgod

September 12th, 2019 at 8:59 AM ^

Magic was a national story in high school.  National writers were at every game his senior season because nobody believed that a 6-9 guy was really playing point guard, they just assumed it was a myth and he just occasionally dribbled the ball up court.  No one believed someone that size could handle the ball and not have a little guy steal it from him 20 times a game.  Well it was almost impossible to get the ball away from Magic.  The game was different back then.

And then when people went to see him, not only was he in fact handling the ball while running the floor better than they had ever seen anyone over 6-4 do before, he had the best vision on the basketball court anyone had ever imagined.

I hate the Spartans more than most, but I think it's hard to quantify how much of a freak Magic was at the time.  Not only had no one seen anything like him before, they had never imagined anyone like him existing. Michigan actually had a real shot to land him, boy would history be different had we done so.

I think Magic is an all time top 3 High School player.  Kareem and Lebron being the other 2 with him.

Webber is 2nd overall in MI.  He was a freak and unstoppable in high school.

Joined: 01/24/2012

MGoPoints: 10342

Hucklebyforpresident

September 12th, 2019 at 2:24 PM ^

In my lifetime of watching Michigan high school basketball...

Best Player - Magic

Best shooter - Mark Brown

Best scorer - Joubert

Best low post player - JP Osterbaan

The best player I ever saw from the state however, is a little known guy I believe from Lansing (not sure which school) named Ronnie Thompkins. I don’t think anyone knew about him in high school but he lit up junior college in the mid 80’s. I went to Kellogg CC when he was there for a year. I think he also played at Mott and I believe he went on to a NAIA school. He was around 6’7”. He could shoot, he could score, he could really rebound and he played excellent defense. I had him in a couple of classes which he never attended. I looked him up a couple years ago when I was telling my son about him and he played many years around the world. Drugs seemed to be his downfall and I think he died in his 30’s. Does anybody else remember Ronnie Thompkins?

Joined: 09/25/2014

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