Indiana basketball: 10 best NBA careers in Hoosiers history
By Josh Yourish
No. 9 best Indiana basketball NBA career: Calbert Cheaney
- Drafted: 1993 No. 6 overall (first round)
- NBA games played: 825
- NBA PPG: 9.5
- Total seasons: 13 years
Longevity places Cheaney ahead of Anunoby, though Anunoby’s talent is greater than Cheaney’s was in the NBA. Cheaney was a superstar at Indiana in winning the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award, but his NBA was not as decorated.
Cheaney got off to a hot start with Washington, who drafted him in 1993. He averaged 12.0 points his first year and in year two he averaged 16.6 on 45% shooting. That remained his career-high scoring average.
Cheaney settled into the league as a role player, staying in Washington for six seasons, then bouncing between, Golden State, Denver, Utah, and Boston. His career ended in 2006 as a 34-year-old with the Warriors.