Greatest Longhorns of All Time in the NBA No. 3 - T.J. Ford

Ford is one of only three men to have his jersey retired by the program

Before Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, Tristan Thompson and so many other future NBA players chose Texas, there was a player by the name of T.J Ford that went against the grain and changed the public perception of Texas basketball. In the early 2000’s, being a top basketball player in the state of Texas meant one thing. You were going to play out of state for college.

In high school, Ford went 75–1 and won two state championships. As offers started rolling in, the Houston native established a unique and genuine connection with Texas Coach Rick Barnes. This led to a shocking commitment to the 40 Acres by one of the nation’s highly ranked high school talents.

This decision proved to pay dividends as Ford became the first freshman player in NCAA history to lead the nation in assists (8.27 per game). While making history, Ford was able to lead the Horns to the Sweet Sixteen, while also being named a consensus Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Additionally, his sophomore season included the Horn’s first trip to the Final Four since 1947. This season included prestigious awards for Ford, such as, Naismith College Player of the Year and John Wooden awards.

In 2003, Ford was picked eighth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in a stacked draft class including future NBA icons LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony. In his rookie NBA season, Ford led the Bucks with 6.5 assists per game, while also putting up 7.1 points per game and being selected to the NBA All-Rookie 2nd Team. Unfortunately, injury became a repeating theme in Ford's career, as he only played in about 40-50 games in five out of his eight seasons in the league. His best season came in 2008 with the Indiana Pacers. Ford averaged a career high 14.9 points and 5.3 assists per game.

In 2012, Ford signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs. After playing just 14 games, he announced on Twitter that he would retire. Once again, an injury suffered through an elbow in the back by Baron Davis. While the NBA story was cut short, it is truly amazing to see the impact he's had on the Texas basketball program and future players coming into the league.