Kentucky Basketball: 3 former Wildcats named to 2022-23 All-NBA teams

Officially announced Wednesday night, there were three former Kentucky basketball players who were named to the 2022-23 All-NBA teams in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, De’Aaron Fox, and Julius Randle, with the trio of Wildcats being the lone SEC players to receive the honor this season.

3 former Kentucky basketball players named to 2022-23 All-NBA teams

Beginning with Gilgeous-Alexander, the former 2018 first round pick was the lone Kentucky player to receive First Team All-NBA honors, and rightfully so. Gilgeous-Alexander had a career-year in what was his fifth NBA season, as well as his fourth with the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 31.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.5 APG, and 1.6 SPG, while also ranking fourth in the NBA in scoring.

Starting in all 68 games in which he played, Gilgeous-Alexander would also shoot 51% from the field, 34.5% from three, and 90.5% from the free throw line, as well as having received his first All-Star selection midway through the year.

As for Fox and Randle, both would be named Third Team All-NBA coming off strong seasons in their own right.

Fox was also named an All-Star for the first time in his professional career, with the former 2017 first round pick having averaged 25 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 6.1 APG during his sixth NBA season with the Sacramento Kings. The former Kentucky guard also started in all 73 games in which he played, while also shooting 51.2% from the field, 32.4% from three, and 78% from the free throw line.

Randle however receives All-NBA honors for the second time in his nine-year NBA career, with the other coming when the former 2014 first round pick received Second Team honors back during the 2020-21 season, the same year he won Most Improved Player.

As for this year, Randle started in all 77 games which he played for the New York Knicks, averaging a double-double at 25.1 PPG, 10 RPG, and 4.1 APG. Randle would also shoot 45.9% from the field, as well as 34.3% from three and 75.7% from the free throw line.