So, the other day, I got to thinking about Stanford and basketball. You know, you hear Stanford, you think smarty pants, Silicon Valley, all that. But then I was like, hang on, what about their guys in the NBA? Are there any? How many? It just popped into my head, probably ’cause I was trying to avoid doing something actually productive.
My Deep Dive into Cardinal Hoops Stars
Alright, so I started digging. First, I just typed it into a search bar, simple stuff. But you know how it is, one click leads to another. I wasn’t just looking for a list; I wanted to see, you know, who actually made it, who stuck around. It’s not like they’re Kentucky or Duke, pumping out first-rounders every year. Or at least, that was my gut feeling.
I remember I was actually putting off finishing this report for my old boss. Man, that job. Let’s just say looking up Stanford ballers was way more interesting. So, I’m clicking through rosters, alumni lists, draft histories. It’s a bit of a rabbit hole. You find some names you recognize, some you don’t. It’s not a flood, that’s for sure.
The Current Scene and Some Backstory
Then I stumbled on some newer stuff. They just had a pretty decent season, apparently. Something like 21 wins? Best they’ve done since 2014-15, I read. And they got this new coach, Kyle Smith. He was at USF before, and Columbia way back. Seems like he’s trying to build something there.
- They even matched a record for home wins at Maples Pavilion, 17 of ’em. Not bad.
- And this one player, Maxime Raynaud, a big French dude, 7’1″. He’s been climbing up the draft boards. Saw he made like 67 threes this season. For a big guy, that’s pretty nuts.
- The crazy part about Raynaud? Apparently, he didn’t even get serious about basketball until his senior year of high school. Walked on at Stanford! Wild. Shows you never know.
More Than Just a List
But back to the NBA guys. You look at the history, and you see the Lopez brothers, Brook and Robin. They’ve had solid careers. Josh Childress was a Stanford guy too, had a unique look with that afro. There are others, scattered around. It’s not a factory, like I said. It feels more like, when a Stanford guy makes it, it’s a bit more of a story, you know? Maybe because the academic pressure there is so insane, juggling both at that level is a feat.
I spent a good couple of hours on this, all because I was arguing with my buddy Dave. He was all like, “Stanford? NBA? Never happens.” And I was like, “Nah, man, there’s gotta be some.” So I went full detective mode. Old team rosters, articles, anything I could find. It wasn’t for a project or anything, just that stubborn itch to prove a point. You know how it is.
So, What’s the Takeaway?
Yeah, so Stanford does send guys to the league. Not in droves, but they’re there. And sometimes their paths are pretty interesting, like that Raynaud kid starting late. It’s not just about the big basketball schools. Talent can come from anywhere, even from a place most people think of for books, not ball.
Anyway, that was my afternoon. Definitely beat filling out those TPS reports, I tell ya. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think Dave owes me a beer.
