Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) shoots the ball against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday. [Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports]

Former Florida Players Are Making Waves In NBA

Isaac Edelman January 29, 2025 Feature Sports News, Gators Men's Basketball, Gators Sports, NBA 143 Views

As a basketball program, the Florida Gators have been known to produce NBA talent. Players like Udonis Haslem, Joakim Noah and even Jason Williams didn’t just make their mark in Gainesville, but they repped their Orange and Blue at the next level.

Let’s check in on the five Gators in the NBA.

Bradley Beal

Beal played one year at Florida before being selected with the third overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. As a freshman, Beal was named first-team All-SEC as he made his name as one of the best pure shooters in college basketball. The 31-year-old is part of the “Big 3” on the Phoenix Suns, which consists of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. He is averaging 16.9 PPG, which is good for 58th in the NBA. Beal is the fourth-highest paid player in the association, making more than $250 million over the next five years ($50.2 million AAV).

Dorian Finney-Smith

Finney-Smith played three years at Florida, racking up 1,220 career points, which ranks 36th in school history. The 31-year-old is in his eighth season in the NBA. He plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 8.8 PPG off the bench.

Al Horford

Horford played three years at Florida where he won two national championships. He ranks second in school history in blocked shots and seventh in school history in total rebounds. Horford is playing for the Boston Celtics, where he won his first NBA Championship just last year. The five-time NBA All-Star is still balling at 38-years-old, averaging 8.1 PPG and 5.3 RPG as a starter. The veteran big man is known for shooting 3s, he is shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc this year.

Tre Mann

Mann averaged 10.2 PPG over his two seasons at Florida. Now, the combo guard finds himself with the Charlotte Hornets where he has averaged a career-high 14.1 PPG this season. However, Mann has played in just 13 games due to a disc irritation in his back. Mann has not played since Nov. 21.

Andrew Nembhard

Nembhard played two years at Florida and started in all 67 games before transferring to Gonzaga. Nembhard is having a career year in his third season with the Indiana Pacers. The 25-year-old is averaging 10.6 PPG and 5.2 APG as a starter. Nembhard has missed 15 games this season with knee tendinitis. He is back on the injury report this week with a thoracic spine sprain.

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