Fansided

Picking the best NBA player from each state

By Brad Rowland

Apr 10, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; A general view of the American Flag being displayed prior to the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; A general view of the American Flag being displayed prior to the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 5, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The pant leg with of an Orlando Magic logo during a break in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Magic defeated the 76ers 91-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The pant leg with of an Orlando Magic logo during a break in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Magic defeated the 76ers 91-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Maine – Jeff Turner

There wasn’t much competition for the “championship belt” in representing the state of Maine.

In fact, there was no competition for this prestigious honor.

According to the good people of Basketball-Reference, Jeff Turner is the one and only NBA player to call Maine “home” in terms of his birthplace, and that makes this an easy choice. The 10-year NBA veteran played in the league from 1984 through 1996 with a brief sabbatical, and Turner was actually a very useful player for the majority of that career.

In totality, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged only 6.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 612 contests, but Turner’s production was better than that on a per-minute basis and he was a floor-spacing forward before that was popular. It must be said that Turner is not the picture of a player who should be carrying the banner for an entire state, but he did play more than 11,000 minutes on an NBA court and that is more than most people can say.

At some point in the near future, Jeff Turner will likely be joined in the club of NBA players who hail from Maine, but right now, he’s the list.

Next: Maryland

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