If it weren't for Kobe's return and the Miami's quest to three-peat, Derrick Rose would be the unrivaled story of 2013-14. Pound for pound, it doesn't get any better than a hometown hero whose moment has come.
In a world where roots only go down so far as the next big payday or chance at a title, playing where you come from is as anomalous as it is gratifying. Even when a city somehow holds on to one of its own, career prospects and nostalgia are two very different things.
For all the sentiment attached to Ohio's LeBron, all the rings wound up with Miami's.
But what if the NBA's finest actually got to rep their hometowns in more than words alone?
Some of those finest—like the Gasols—come from Spain or any number of exotic theaters to which the NBA can't come soon enough. Others like Rajon Rondo come from Kentucky, which—while less exotic—may trail even Spain in chances at an NBA franchise.
But there's a heaping handful of stars who wouldn't have had to stray far from the (literal) crib in order to find NBA glory. Some would even have some company.
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Article written by Stephen Babb
What the NBA Would Look Like If Stars Stayed in Cities They Grew Up in
September 27th, 2013 by Stephen Babb Leave a reply »
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