The history of the Syracuse Orange (formerly the Orangemen) can be traced back to 1898, but one of the most successful programs in NCAA history didn't win its first national championship until 2003. Coached by the legendary Jim Boeheim and led by Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse defeated Kansas that year in the National Championship game, 81-78. But is Anthony, who played only one season at the Big East school, the greatest Syracuse NBA player of all-time?

Lawrence Moten, who played for the Orange from 1991-95, is the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,334 points, but his NBA career lasted only three years. Likewise, Syracuse great John Wallace lasted seven unspectacular seasons in the NBA in which he averaged more than double figures just once (14 points per game for Toronto in 1997-98). So, who are the greatest NBA players to come out of Syracuse? Here are the top five NBA players who attended Syracuse University:

  • David Bing ... Named one of the NBA's 50 greatest players.
  • Carmelo Anthony ... Led Syracuse to its first national title.
  • Derrick Coleman ... First overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft.
  • Sherman Douglas ... More than 8,000 NBA points and 4,500 NBA assists.
  • Billy Owens ... Traded eight times during his NBA career.

David Bing -- At Syracuse, Bing scored 1,883 points in only 76 games between 1963-66 for a 24.8 points per game average -- the highest ever at the school. As a result, the Detriot Pistons drafted him with the second overall pick in the 1966 NBA Draft. Bing played the first nine years of his 12-year career with the Pistons, establishing himself as one of the league's most explosive guards. He was named to the NBA All-Star team seven times from 1968-76 and was a two-time All-NBA first team selection. Bing, who was named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all time, was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990, but non-sports fans may know him as the Mayor of Detroit, Michigan. His No. 21 has been retired by the Pistons.