Who Are The Best NBA Players Born In Illinois?

By Edcel Panganiban June 03, 2025 09:55

Illinois has two professional basketball teams: the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. Both teams, by the way, are worth taking a look at if you are interested in sports betting. The Chicago Sky are quietly building their way back to the top. While they're starting the season a little slow, they have much potential in Angel Reese and the recently re-acquired future Hall of Famer Courtney Vandersloot.

The Bulls, of course, ended their season a little sooner than they would have liked. Still, they have a lot of potential in the 2026 season thanks to their high salary cap and roster full of young talent. Take a look at both teams as you consider how to use your Illinois sports betting promos by YouBet.com.

Of course, we all know that playing for a certain team doesn’t necessarily mean you’re from that state—or even live there full-time. So what about players actually from Illinois?

While the state isn’t always seen as a basketball hotbed, it has produced more than its fair share of high-achieving pros. Some of them have even gone on to shape the game at the highest levels. Let’s take a look at a few standout names who hail from the Land of Lincoln.

Isiah Thomas

Arguably, Isiah Thomas is the most famous player on our list. The 12-time NBA All-Star is best known for his legendary run with the Detroit Pistons, where he led the charge during the infamous “Bad Boys” era.

That Pistons team played mean, won dirty, and made no apologies. Thomas, for all his finesse and skill, was just as tough—never more so than in Game 6 of the 1988 Finals, when he dropped 25 points in a single quarter on a severely sprained ankle. The Pistons lost that series to the Lakers, but that performance became the stuff of legend.

His story begins in Chicago, Illinois, where he grew up on the West Side and attended St. Joseph High School in Westchester.

He was already dribbling by the time he was three. By his junior year, he helped his high school team win a state championship and quickly became one of the most sought-after recruits in the country.

He left the state to play at Indiana University under Bobby Knight, where he won a national title in 1981 before jumping to the NBA.

As a pro, Thomas was a two-time champion, Finals MVP, and the league’s assist leader in 1985. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000. His pro career may have happened elsewhere, but Chicago’s grit never left him, and Illinois still proudly claims him as one of their own.

Dwyane Wade

In Dwyane Wade, we have one of the best all-time shooting guards. Wade was born on the South Side of Chicago. He played at Richards High. There, he developed a pretty solid local acclaim. Unfortunately, Wade was not noticed at the national level. Don’t feel too bad for him. Things turned out alright.

He wound up at Marquette. There, he helped lead his team to the Final Four in 2003. From Marquette, Wade was drafted fifth overall by the Miami Heat.

The record speaks for itself. Wade is a three-time NBA champion. He made thirteen appearances in the All-Star Game. He also developed a reputation for being clutch in the biggest imaginable moments. Wade was never a man you wanted to face off against in the playoffs.

Icing on the cake? He even managed to return to his hometown of Chicago to play pro ball. The “full circle” moment lasted only for a season but touched the heart of any fan who felt great pride in the success of a local boy with a successful career. A statue in his honor was unveiled recently.

Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose grew up in the southern parts of Chicago. In the neighborhood of Englewood, he played high school ball at Simeon Career Academy, bringing his team to two state championships. His reputation as a high school baller made him a local legend—even before he stepped foot on the college landscape, let alone pro ball.

From there, he went to Memphis, where he went all the way to the NCAA title game before being drafted number one overall in 2008 by the Bulls.

In 2011, he became the youngest NBA MVP of all time and played steadily for years before injuries derailed what could have been a truly legendary career. Despite early retirement, Rose is still well known as a highly respected and potentially even Hall of Fame–worthy baller. No, he didn’t have longevity on his side, but he was great for as long as we had him.