Best Ten NBA Players Whose Last Names Start with B

Some of the most colorful players in the NBA have last names that start with the letter B. According to NBA.com, the 7'7 Manute Bol was tallest man to ever play professional basketball, and the 5'3 Mugsy Bogues was the shortest to ever play in the NBA.

Some of my other favorite basketball names could also be on a B-Team, including Otis Birdsong, Mookie Blaylock, and Chauncey Billups.

If I put together a roster of the best "B" players based on the stats posted on NBA.com, here are the ten I would choose.

First Team:

Center - Walt Bellamy: The 6'11 Hall of Famer was a true physical force under the basket. He averaged over 20 points and nearly 14 rebounds per game for his 13 year career spent with the Bulls, Knicks, Pistons and Hawks.

Forward - Larry Bird: The legendary Hall of Fame Celtic was the key part to the Boston dynasty of the 80s. The star of Indiana State's undefeated regular season team earned many honors in his professional career, including NBA MVP in '84,'85, and '86 as well as the 1980 Rookie of the Year.

Forward - Elgin Baylor: Baylor was an amazing shooter for the Lakers, but he became a Hall of Famer because he was well-rounded. The 11-time NBA All-Star averaged 27 points and over 13 rebounds per game for his career.

Guard - Dave Bing: The 1967 Rookie of the Year went on to average 20 points a game during an career spent mostly with the Pistons. Though vastly underrated during his playing days, Bing did get enough respect to be selected to the Hall of Fame.

Guard - Kobe Bryant: The Laker already had two scoring titles ('05-'06,'06-'07) under his belt when he earned the MVP in '07-'08. He is currently 12^th on the NBA's all-time list for points.

Second Team:

Center - Zelmo Beaty: "Big Z" was the 1971 MVP of the ABA after leading the Utah Stars to the title. The 6'9 star from Prairie View averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds per game during his career in both the NBA and ABA.

Forward - Rick Barry: The guy who shot free throws underhanded led the NBA by averaging 35 points per game in 1966-67 for the San Francisco Warriors. In spite of his unorthodox approach at the line, the Hall of Famer led the league in free throw percentage for seven seasons.

Forward - Charles Barkley: The power forward was one of the most physical players ever. Even though he was just 6'6, he three times led the league in offensive rebounds as a Sixer in the mid to late 80s. He finished his career averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Guard - Dick Barnett: Barnett really came into his own after joining the Knicks in '65-'66, where his 23 points per game were ten better than in the previous season. He quickly became a key force for the successful Knicks teams of the late 60s and early 70s, retiring as a Knick in 1974.

Guard - Rolando Blackmon: The 6'6 Kansas State star averaged 18 points per game during a 14 year career spent mostly as a Dallas Maverick. He had an unbelievable post season for Dallas in '84-'85, when he averaged just under 33 points per game in the playoffs.