Current NBA Players from the State of Iowa (2023-2024)
Basketball players, and indeed competitors across all athletic fields, carry a badge of honor for their birthplaces. It could be their home state, the neighborhood they grew up in, or the area code they associate with; there’s always a noticeable desire to represent one’s beginnings.
The same holds true for the fan base. There’s an added thrill in supporting a player who shares your state lines or even the same local stomping grounds, especially when that athlete plays for the team you root for above all others.
Bearing this in mind, we scoured through NBA.com to extract the home states or, in some instances, the home countries of every player listed on the active rosters of each team.
Our findings included 4 players originating from the state of Iowa.
NBA Players from Iowa
Below is a list of all 4 players on NBA rosters at the commencement of the 2023 season, detailing their hometowns and the respective teams they represent.
| Name | City | State | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| AJ Green | Cedar Falls | Iowa | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Kris Murray | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Keegan Murray | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | Sacramento Kings |
| Harrison Barnes | Ames | Iowa | Sacramento Kings |
Player Bios
Here is a little background on each player:
AJ Green
A.J. Green, born in Cedar Falls, Iowa, plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. He began his basketball journey at Holmes Junior High School and then Cedar Falls High School, where he distinguished himself as a top player.
In his senior year, he averaged 26 points per game and led his team to a state championship, becoming Cedar Falls’ all-time leading scorer. Rated as a consensus four-star recruit and the No. 78 player in the 2018 class by ESPN, Green committed to Northern Iowa, where he made a significant impact.
In his freshman year, he averaged 15 points per game, earning MVC Freshman of the Year, and as a sophomore, he further improved, averaging 19.7 points and 3.0 assists per game, receiving MVC Player of the Year honors.
Kris Murray
Kris Murray was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers. Kris, along with his twin brother Keegan, played high school basketball at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids, where he earned first-team All-Metro and second-team All-State honors, averaging 19.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game.
After high school, the Murray brothers attended DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida, for a postgraduate year, before committing to play college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
At Iowa, Kris Murray’s college career saw a steady progression. He played in a reserve role as a freshman, participating in 13 games. His performance improved significantly as a sophomore, where he averaged 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds over 35 games. In his junior season, he made a significant leap, averaging 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2 assists per game.
This performance earned him first-team All-Big Ten honors and recognition as a third-team All-American by the Associated Press, United States Basketball Writers Association, and Sporting News. Following this impressive junior year, Murray entered the 2023 NBA draft and was selected 23rd overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.
Keegan Murray
Keegan Mitchell Murray grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he played high school basketball at Prairie High School. In his senior year, Murray averaged 20.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, earning Metro Player of the Year. He then spent a postgraduate year at DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he averaged 22.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
As a freshman at Iowa, he averaged 7.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, earning Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. His sophomore year was even more remarkable, as he was named to the First Team All-Big Ten and won the Karl Malone Award as the nation’s top power forward.
He led the Hawkeyes to the 2022 Big Ten men’s basketball tournament championship and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. After his sophomore year, Murray declared for the 2022 NBA draft and was selected fourth overall by the Sacramento Kings.
Harrison Barnes
Harrison Barnes plays for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA. Before entering the pros, Barnes had a standout high school career at Ames High School in Iowa, where, alongside teammate Doug McDermott, he led his team to two consecutive Iowa 4A state championships.
Barnes was rated as the top player in the class of 2010 by Scout.com and ESPNU 100, and second by Rivals.com. His achievements included being named co-MVP in both the 2010 McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic, as well as receiving the Morgan Wootten Player of the Year Award.
Barnes played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, then entered the 2012 NBA draft, where he was selected seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors.
Conclusion
From the driveways of small-town Iowa to the gleaming hardwood of NBA arenas, these players carry with them a piece of their home state, a testament to the talent and determination that Iowa instills in its athletes.
Whether they are rookies making their debut or seasoned veterans known by every fan, the pride of Iowa continues to shine on the national stage. To the fans back home, these players are more than just athletes; they are local heroes, each with a story that resonates with the dreams of young ballers across the state.
As the season unfolds, we will watch their stories develop further, cheering for not only the skills they display but also the communities they represent. The spirit of Iowa basketball is alive and well in the NBA, and perhaps, in the cheers of the crowd, the players can hear a little bit of home calling back to them.
