A listing of athletes born in Minnesota who have left their mark in the basketball world.
- Khalid El-Amin (Minneapolis, MN)
Led North High to three straight state basketball titles; point guard for UConn’s 1999 NCAA champions. Selected by Chicago Bulls in the second round (34th overall pick) of the 2000 NBA Draft. Played in 50 games for the Chicago Bulls in 2000-01, went on to play professionally with international teams. - Burdette Haldorson (Austin, MN)
All-America center at Colorado twice led league in scoring; won basketball gold medals at 1956 and ’60 Olympics. - Kris Humphries (Hopkins, MN)
A phenom early on, in 2002 Humphries led his high school team (Hopkins) to its first State Championship in 49 years. He was a 2003 McDonald’s All-American, and a “Minnesota Mr. Basketball”. At the University of Minnesota, he was named 2004 Big Ten “Freshman of the Year”, and was drafted by the Utah Jazz in 2004 as the 14th pick. He currently plays for the New Jersey Nets. In August 2011 he married TV star, Kim Kardashian. 72 days later – on Oct 31st – divorce papers were filed. - Tyus Robert Jones (Burnsville, MN)
Jones helped lead the Duke Blue Devils to the 2015 NCAA National Championship. He began his varsity BB career in eighth grade at Apple Valley High School and holds the school record for total points (2,909), assists (1,031) and steals (369). He was on the 2013 State Championship (Apple Valley), graduated and then went on to Duke University in 2014. - George Keogan (Detroit Lakes, MN)
A longtime Notre Dame basketball coach who was considered the Rockne of Irish basketball. He had a 327-97 record from 1923 to ’43 and never had a losing season while at Notre Dame. - John Kundla (Minneapolis, MN)
Scholarly coach for Lakers won six titles in seven years (1948-54); later coached at Minnesota from ’59 to ’68. - Kevin McHale (Hibbing, MN)
Averaged 15.2 points and 8.5 rebounds at University of Minnesota; won three NBA titles in 13 seasons with Celtics (1980-93); named one of NBA’s 50 Greatest in 1996. Basketball Hall of Fame, 1999. - Vern Mikkelsen (Askov, MN)
Basketball star at Askov High and Hamline teamed with George Mikan to lead Minneapolis Lakers to four titles in the 1950s. - Mark Olberding (Melrose, MN)
Led Melrose High to two Class A basketball titles; jumped to ABA after freshman year at Minnesota; played 12 years as a pro (1975-87). - Briana Scurry (Dayton, MN)
All-state in basketball and national goalie of the year as senior at Anoka High; goalie on 1996 Olympics and ’99 World Cup championship teams. - Whitey Skoog (Brainerd, MN)
Guard for three Minneapolis Lakers’ title teams in 1950s. - Lindsey Whalen (Hutchinson, MN)
WNBA player, MVP Runner-up in 2008. All-Star Team 2004, 2006. Played for the Connecticut Sun 2004-2009 and the Minnesota Lynx beginning in 2010. Standout player for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and the First Golden Gopher to earn All-American honors in three different seasons.