Illinois Basketball: History of Illini players in the NBA All-Star Game
The Illinois basketball team has had many great players come through Champaign and end up in the NBA.
There haven’t been nearly as many NBA All-Stars during that time, though. This is a great accomplishment that not many players get to have. There have been a few for the Illini, though. Here is a list of Illini NBA All-Star players.
Dike Eddleman (2) 1950-1952
Illinois had some of the best basketball players in the world in the 1950’s. Dike Eddleman was one of the best. He started his NBA career with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks in 1950 and had a three-year run that saw him make two all-star games. He was in the first ever NBA All-Star Game.
After moving to the Milwaukee Hawks in 1952, Eddleman was traded to the Fort Wayne Pistons that same year. He finished that season up and played one more with the Pistons before retiring from basketball with an NBA scoring average of 12.1 points per game.
Andy Phillip (5) 1950-1955
One of the legendary NBA players who attending Illinois was Andy Phillip. He was drafted by the Chicago Stags in 1947 and also participated in the first NBA All-Star Game. He ended up signing with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1950 and that is when he started making all-star games.
Phillip spent a few years with the Warriors before getting traded to the Fort Wayne Pistons. With the Pistons, Phillip made two more all-star games and finished his career with a total of five. He was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame as well.
Don Sunderlage (1) 1953-54
The career of Don Sunderlage was short but impactful. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1951 NBA Draft with the No. 9 overall pick. He then had his draft rights traded to the Milwaukee Hawks in 1952 where he spent a season.
Sunderlage spent one season with the Hawks but was an all-star during his time in Milwaukee. He averaged 11.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game that season. He was then traded to the Minneapolis Lakers in 1955 where he spent one season and ended his career. Sadly, Sunderlage would die in 1961 due to a car accident. He was only 31 years old.
Red Kerr (3) 1955-56, 1958-59, 1962-63
Illinois has some popular NBA names that have come through the campus, but one of the most famous is easily Red Kerr. Kerr was selected in the 1954 NBA Draft by the Syracuse Nationals with the No. 6 overall pick. This is where he spent most of his career. He made three NBA All-Star Games with the Nationals.
The Syracuse Nationals became the Philadelphia 76ers in 1963, and Kerr spent two more years with the franchise. He finished his career with the Baltimore Bullets before becoming the head coach of the new NBA expansion team – Chicago Bulls – in 1966. He finished his career averaging 13.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per game.
Don Ohl (5) 1962-1967
Don Ohl had a tremendous NBA career. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors in the fifth round of the 1958 NBA Draft. He was then traded to the Detroit Pistons in 1960. Ohl became an all-star with the Pistons. He had four great years there making two NBA All-Star Games. He was then traded to the Baltimore Bullets in 1964.
Ohl made three more all-star games with the Bullets before getting traded to the St. Louis Hawks in 1968 and then that franchise turned into the Atlanta Hawks. He would end his legendary NBA career with five NBA All-Star Game appearances and a 15.9 PPG scoring average.
Skip Thoren (1) 1968-1969
In the 1965 NBA Draft, the Baltimore Bullets selected Skip Thoren in the fourth round. He had a great career with the Illini but then decided to play in a few different leagues. He played in Italy with Simmenthal Milano and then came back over and played for the Twin City Sailors for a year after that.
Thoren finally landed back in the ABA with the Minnesota Muskies where he spent one season before the franchise became the Miami Floridians where he spent his final two seasons. During his three-year ABA career, Thoren averaged 13.2 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Donnie Freeman (5) 1967-1972
Another legendary Illini player who had an equally great ABA career was Donnie Freeman. He was selected in the third round of the 1966 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. That same year, Freeman become a free agent after the 76ers placed him on waivers. He never spent a single season with the franchise.
Freeman ended up having a great ABA career, though. He signed on with the Minnesota Muskies and was an all-star there. The Muskies ended up becoming the Miami Floridians where he spent two more seasons and made two more all-star games. Freeman then signed with the Utah Stars and was traded to the Texas Chaparrals the next season. He also made an all-star game that year as well.
The Texas Chaparrals become the Dallas Chaparrals, but Freeman continued to make all-star appearances. He had a total of five all-star game appearances in his 10-year ABA/NBA career. He finished his career averaging 18.9 PPG.
Next: Top class of 2018 recruiting targets for the Illini
Deron Williams (3) 2009-2012
The most recent NBA All-Star player who came from Illinois is Deron Williams. He was selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft. He was sensational from the get-go with the Jazz as well. The first few years were all-star snubs, but he finally broke out in the 2009-10 campaign. He made the all-star game that year and the next season as well but was traded to the New Jersey Nets.
Williams had a few good seasons with the Nets, but injuries plagued much of his time there. The team moved to Brooklyn where Williams continued to play well but the final few years of his career he spent with the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He finished his career averaging 16.3 points and 8.1 assists per game and a total of three NBA All-Star appearances.