NBA Finals: High school teammates who made the NBA
Come Sunday, when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Indiana Pacers for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Thunder teammates Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams will be able to pull from past championship game experiences.
Back in 2018, the duo teamed up to lead Northside High School (Fort Smith, Arkansas) to the state title game, ultimately falling to North Little Rock.
Both players went on to be named Arkansas’ Gatorade Player of the Year during their respective senior years and suited up for the Razorbacks at Arkansas. Seven years later, the Thunder reserves are seeking their first title as teammates.
While examples of high school teammates-to-NBA peers are rare, we’ve zeroed in on a handful of examples of current NBA players who demolished opponents as teammates at the high school level.
Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons), Moses Moody (Golden State Warriors), Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors), Day’Ron Sharpe (Brooklyn Nets), Dariq Whitehead (Brooklyn Nets)
Good luck finding a better collection of talent at the high school level. This foursome teamed up at Montverde Academy (Florida) back in 2020 and finished 25-0, rolling teams by more than 30 points a game. The Eagles’ quest for the Chipotle Nationals title was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the size, talent and chemistry of the traveling all-star squad was undeniable.
LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets), Onyeka Okongwu (Atlanta Hawks), Lonzo Ball (Chicago Bulls)
The trio teamed up at Chino Hills High School (California) to form one of the most dominant high school teams in history, rolling opponents by an average of 28.4 points a game and finishing 35-0 overall in 2016. The Ball brothers and Okongwu were so impressive that they went on to make Chino Hills the first school to have three former teammates among NBA draft lottery picks.
Ben Simmons (LA Clippers), D’Angelo Russell (Brooklyn Nets)
Simmons and Russell formed the most feared duo in high school basketball in 2013 and 2014 when they won back-to-back Chipotle Nationals titles and went 45-2. Russell was selected No. 2 overall in the 2015 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, while Simmons went No. 1 overall in 2016 to the Philadelphia 76ers. The pair reunited briefly this season in Brooklyn before Simmons shipped out again to the West Coast.
Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder), Jalen Suggs (Orlando Magic)
Suggs and Holmgren were high school legends, teaming up to lead Minnehaha Academy (Minnesota) to three straight state titles from 2018 to ’20. When Suggs left for Gonzaga in 2020, Holmgren snagged one more title for good measure in his senior season in 2021. Holmgren went on to star at Gonzaga before being picked second overall by the Thunder in 2022. Suggs went fifth overall to the Magic in 2021.
Harrison Barnes (San Antonio Spurs), Doug McDermott (Sacramento Kings)
The duo had a legendary run at Ames High School (Iowa), leading the Cyclones to two undefeated seasons in 2009 and 2010, reeling off 53 straight wins. Barnes starred at North Carolina before being picked seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors in 2012, while McDermott dominated at Creighton before going 11th overall to the Denver Nuggets in 2014.
Source: espn.com