These are the five greatest basketball players to come out of Kinston
Here are the five greatest basketball players to come out of Kinston.
Cedric Maxwell
Kinston High Class of 1973
College: Charlotte
NBA draft: Boston Celtics; first round, No. 12 pick; 1977
Best known by his nickname, “Cornbread,” Maxwell led Charlotte to the 1977 Final Four and then played a prominent role on the dominant Boston Celtics teams of the early-to-mid 1980s. He was the MVP of the 1981 NBA Finals.
Charles Shackleford
Kinston High Class of 1985
College: N.C. State
NBA draft: New Jersey Nets; second round, No. 32 pick; 1988
Played three seasons under Jim Valvano at N.C. State, where he was an All-ACC selection in 1988 before a 10-year professional career that ended with the Charlotte Hornets in 1999.
Jerry Stackhouse
Oak Hill Academy Class of 1993
College: North Carolina
NBA draft: Philadelphia 76ers; first round, No. 3 pick; 1995
Considered the state’s best prospect since Michael Jordan, Stackhouse played his final high season at Oak Hill Academy and went onto a memorable two-year college career at UNC, where he was an All-American. Played in the NBA for 17 seasons and is now the head coach at Vanderbilt.
Reggie Bullock
Kinston High Class of 2010
College: North Carolina
NBA draft: Los Angeles Clippers; first round, No. 25 pick; 2013
The best perimeter shooter in Kinston history, Bullock led the Vikings to two state championships and played for three seasons at UNC. A late first-round pick in 2013 NBA Draft, he has carved out a niche as a valuable role player in the league.
Brandon Ingram
Kinston High Class of 2015
College: Duke
NBA draft: Los Angeles Lakers; first round, No. 2 pick; 2016
The college recruitment of Ingram, who helped lead Kinston to four consecutive state championships, was among the most-followed in state history before he chose Duke over UNC. After one college season, he became the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and he has developed into one of the league’s best young players.
