Florida State basketball: 10 best NBA careers in Seminoles history
By Josh Yourish
No. 2 best Florida State basketball NBA career: Sam Cassell
Florida State basketball was far from a powerhouse, but in the 1992 and 1993 NCAA Tournaments, the Seminoles were suddenly a three-seed both years. That was due in large part to Sam Cassell. In his two years at FSU, he averaged right around 18 points, four assists, and four rebounds a game. He was All-ACC both years.
The athletic 6-foot-3 guard was drafted by the Rockets, 24th overall in 1993 and he went on to play 16 years in the NBA. In his first two seasons, he was a part of championship teams as the Rockets went back-to-back in 1994 and 1995.
No other Seminole has played more games in the NBA than Cassell’s 993 and only one player has a higher career points per game than Cassell’s 15.8.
He also averaged nearly six assists a game for his career. Cassell played the best years of his career with the Milwaukee Bucks. Then in 2003-04 he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and went on to average 19.8 points and 7.8 assists over 81 games and was named 2nd team All-NBA. That season was also his only all-star appearance.
Cassell began his career with two rings and ended it with his third as a member of the 2008 Boston Celtics.