New York Still Producing Top NBA Talent

Congratulations to the Oklahoma City Thunder as they defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA finals, 103-91. This is their first championship since relocating from Seattle, and now that the final horn has sounded, everyone's eyes will shift to the NBA Draft.

The draft is this Wednesday, June 25th beginning at 8 p.m. and the biggest name making the headlines in Cooper Flagg. He came from Maine and played for one season with the Duke Blue Devils and is expected to go first to the Dallas Mavericks.

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While we have a two-day NBA break, here is something else that you can think about: What state has been producing the top NBA talent?

New York Makes the List for First-Round NBA Talent

A new report from Vegas Insider looked into the past 10 years of first-round NBA Draft picks to see which states have turned out the most elite players. Not surprisingly is New York making the cut. Over the last decade, 10 players born in New York State were selected in the first round of the draft, putting them in a tie for sixth place overall.

Texas and California Lead the Way, But NY Holds Its Own

Texas topped the list with 21 first-round picks since 2014, with California right behind at 20. Georgia came in third with 15. New York tied with Wisconsin for the sixth most, just behind Florida and North Carolina. The Empire State wasn't in the top five, but still among the best when it comes to turning out basketball talent.

Familiar Faces from the Empire State

You don’t have to look far to find NBA stars who got their start in New York. Donovan Mitchell, one of the league’s top scorers, and Obi Toppin, known for his highlight-reel dunks, both came up through the New York basketball scene before going pro.

More Than Just a Basketball State

New York is known for many things and basketball is big here too. If you ever have a chance to see the high school basketball finals at the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena, you'll know that there is some real talent in the Empire State.

From legendary playgrounds to packed high school gyms, there’s something special about the way New York develops talent. And with 10 first-round picks in the last decade, the numbers back it up.