When there are no games to watch, the sports world gets creative.

Beyond COVID-19 news, Twitter timelines are overflowing with fantasy brackets and endless G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) debates. While the action is on halt, hypotheticals help the time pass and fill the daily growing void in the lives of sports junkies.

With over a century of NC State basketball in the past, and hopefully many more centuries of Pack hoops in the future, the pause in sports offers a grand opportunity for reflection.

The honored jerseys that hang from the rafters of PNC Arena celebrate the individuals with the best careers at NC State, but what about those who shined at the next level?

What if you could make a roster composed of the best that NC State sent to the NBA?

We took a deep dive into the professional careers of former NC State players that considered statistics, longevity in the league and individual skill sets to determine the All-Wolfpack NBA roster.

Here are the reserves and head coach after revealing the starting five on Sunday.

Webb is remembered for two things that typically don’t correlate, his dunking ability and a lack of height.

Standing just 5-foot-7, only three players in NBA history were shorter than Spud. Some believe he was really 5-5 ½, which just adds to his legend.

What he lacked in height was compensated for with his vertical leap. Webb shocked the world when he won the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, beating out teammate Dominique Wilkins.

After playing two years at NC State as a transfer from Midland College, Webb was drafted 87th overall in the 1985 NBA Draft. He spent his first six seasons with the Atlanta Hawks before having his four best statistical seasons with the Sacramento Kings. He split a season with the Hawks and the Minnesota Timberwolves before playing his last season with the Orlando Magic in 1998.

Webb averaged 9.9 points, 5.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game over twelve seasons in the NBA.

As a member of the 1985-86 Atlanta Hawks team, Webb’s rookie season, he is rated a 77 overall according to NBA 2K20. Current NBA players with a similar rating include Terry Rozier (79), Patrick Beverly (78) and Rajon Rondo (77).

Standing 7-foot-2, Burleson provides the All-Wolfpack team with some height off of the bench.

After winning the 1974 National Championship at NC State with David Thompson, Burleson was picked third overall in the 1974 NBA draft.

He began his career with the Seattle SuperSonics where he made the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1975. He followed up with 15.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game his second season at just 23 years old. However, Burleson’s first two seasons would be his best in his seven-year professional stint.

Burleson was hurt while breaking up a fight during a game and suffered from injuries for the remainder of his career. He played three seasons with the SuperSonics, three more with the Kansas City Kings and one season with the Atlanta Hawks before retiring in 1981 at age 28.

Burleson averaged 9.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in 446 career games.

Carr is one of just six former NC State players to average double figures in points per game during his NBA career.

A two-time first-team All-ACC member, Carr was selected sixth overall in the 1977 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. His first round pick was part of the famous Lakers-Jazz trade that also landed Los Angeles the No. 1 pick in 1979 — Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

He suffered two foot injuries in his first two seasons and was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers just before the Lakers won the 1980 NBA Finals. He later was part of a crucial trade where he and Bill Laimbeer were sent from the Cavaliers to the Pistons in the middle of the 1982 season. He finished his career playing five seasons for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Carr’s greatest basketball achievement didn’t come in college or the NBA. He won a gold medal as a member of Team USA in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Carr averaged 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game over his 10-year NBA career. He retired in 1986-87 at age 31, averaging double figures in all but his first two years in the league.

Brown has the most frequent flyer miles on this roster. Over 13 seasons in the NBA, Brown played for 12 different NBA teams.

Although he never stayed with one team for longer than two seasons, there’s something to say about staying on an NBA payroll for over a decade.

Brown’s most notable season came in 1995 when he won the NBA Finals as a member of the Houston Rockets. He played his best in Hoston. Brown averaged a career-high 8.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in the 1995-96 season in which he started all 82 regular-season games.

The Fayetteville, N.C., native trails only McMillan and Webb for the most assists per game in the NBA among former NC State players. He is also one of six to average double figures in points per game in the NBA.

Although his one year in Raleigh did not live up to expectations, Smith Jr. was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2017. He was selected ninth overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas shipped Smith, DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and two first-round picks (2021 and 2023) for Kristaps Porzingis, Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee on Jan. 31, 2019.

Smith has averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game in 156 career NBA games. However, his career has gone south in the Big Apple this season, averaging just 5.5 points in 34 games.

Although a four year player at NC State, Nevitt was never able to produce an eye-catching stat line. The same could be said about his 11 seasons in the NBA.

Standing at 7-foot-5, however, Nevitt can’t help but be recognized. Even if it’s for the All-Wolfpack NBA team.

Nevitt is considered one of the tallest players to ever play in the league and became an NBA Champion in 1985 as a member of the L.A. Lakers. He is the tallest player in league history to win an NBA Championship.

Nevitt averaged 1.6 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in 155 career NBA games.

Just imagine a twin-tower lineup with Nevitt and Burleson. Nobody is coming into the paint.

The team photographer would have to take a side-by-side photo of Nevitt standing next to the 5-7 Spud Webb.

Hickson brings frontcourt depth and rebounding ability to the All-Wolfpack NBA team.

An eight-year pro, Hickson is third all-time in rebounds per game in the NBA among former NC State players.

Hickson played just one season as a freshman in Raleigh before entering the 2008 NBA Draft, where he was selected 19th overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 2012-13 season with the Portland Trailblazers was Hickson’s personal best. He started in 80 games that year and averaged a double-double with 12.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.

Hickson averaged 9.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 534 career NBA games.

His last season in the NBA came in 2016 with the Washington Wizards and he last played professionally in Puerto Rico this past year.

Del Negro’s playing career alone would have qualified him to make the roster. In fact the starting point guard, McMillan, is an active head coach in the NBA whereas Del Negro hasn’t coached in the league since 2013.

Nonetheless, McMillan was needed more at point guard while Del Negro has a better track record of getting his teams to the playoffs, and someone has to coach this squad.

Del Negro was drafted 29th overall in the 1988 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings.

His most memorable playing days came in the mid-nineties with the San Antonio Spurs. In his statistically best season, Del Negro averaged 14.5 points per game and started all 82 regular-season games.

Del Negro retired as a player in 2001 after averaging 9.1 points and 3.2 assists per game over 12 NBA seasons.

He was hired as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls in 2008 where he spent two seasons. He then took a job with the Los Angeles Clippers where he coached for three seasons.

Del Negro took his team to the playoffs four of his five years as a head coach.

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