NBA Purdue Players: Moore & Hammons Make Opening Day Rosters

I received a press release this morning from the excellent Chris Forman, Purdue’s basketball SID. It outlines that A.J. Hammons and E’Twaun Moore both made the opening day rosters of their respective NBA teams. Moore of course, got paid this offseason with a 4-year $34 million contract with New Orleans, but Hammons will make his NBA debut tomorrow night in Indianapolis (and you can still get tickets). A.J. will become the 34^th former Purdue Player to play in at least one NBA game, but this stat stood out to me:

Purdue has had at least two players appear in an NBA game in a season for 36 consecutive years.

That’s very interesting, and unbelievable to some on the internet. When Hammons and Moore play this year it will mark 37 years where at least two Purdue players played in at least one NBA game. My curiosity being what it is, I wanted to see who has kept this streak alive. I can imagine that some years it was barely alive by virtue of one player playing in like two games, but let’s see:

2015-16: E’Twaun Moore, Carl Landry – Landry played in 36 games in Philadelphia and Moore played in 59 in Chicago. So far, so good.

2014-15: Moore, Landry, Robbie Hummel – Moore was in 56 games in Chicago while Landry was in 70 in Sacramento. Hummel, in what has been his final season so far (he just barely missed the cut in Denver this year) played in 45 games for Minnesota.

2013-14: Moore, Landry, Hummel – This was Hummel’s much delayed rookie year, but he played in 53 games for Minnesota. Moore was in Orlando while Landry was in Sacramento

2012-13: Moore, Landry – This was Moore’s first year in Orlando, while Landry played 81 games with Golden State. Both played over 70 games.

2011-12: Moore, Landry, JaJuan Johnson, Brian Cardinal, Brad Miller – For a lockout-shortened season there was a plethora of Boilers in the NBA. Johnson and Moore were rookies in Boston, with Johnson playing the only 36 games of his NBA career. Landry was in New Orleans, while Cardinal got his sendoff year of 44 games in Dallas as a thank you for helping them win the previous year’s title. Brad Miller also closed out a lengthy career with 15 games in Minnesota.

2010-11: Landry, Miller, Cardinal – Landry split time between Sacramento and New Orleans, playing in a total of 76 games. Miller played in 60 games in Houston as he started winding down his career. Cardinal only helped Dallas win an NBA title.

2009-10: Landry, Miller, Cardinal – This was the final year of Cardinal’s one big contract and he managed to play in 29 games with Minnesota (making $6.75 million in the process). Miller played a full 82 games in Chicago, while Landry played in both Houston and Sacramento. As you can tell, we’re going to have a lot of Miller-Landry-Cardinals seasons here.

2008-09: Landry, Miller, Cardinal – Landry was a key reserve for 69 games in Houston. Cardinal was in his first year in Minnesota after being traded from Memphis and played in 64 games. Brad Miller split 70 games between Sacramento and Chicago.

2007-08: Landry, Miller, Cardinal – This was Landry’s rookie season, where he played in 42 games for the Rockets. Cardinal played in 37 games for Memphis, while Miller started 72 games in Sacramento.

2006-07: Miller, Cardinal – Miller was an absolute fixture in Sacramento with 56 starts in 63 games. Cardinal played in 28 games for Memphis.

2005-06: Miller, Cardinal – Still only two, but Miller started 79 games in Sacramento while Cardinal played in 36 in Memphis.

2004-05: Miller, Cardinal, Glenn Robinson – This was the final season for the former No. 1 overall pick and he went out a winner as a bench player for the NBA champion Spurs. This was after playing in only nine regular season games (but 13 playoff games). Miller started 56 games in Sacramento while Cardinal played in 58 in Memphis.

2003-04: Miller, Cardinal, Robinson – In his first season in Sacramento, Miller was an NBA All-Star (Purdue’s last such player). Cardinal played a career high 76 games in Golden State, which he parlayed into a nice contract. The Big Dog played in 42 games for Philadelphia.

2002-03: Miller, Cardinal, Robinson – Miller made his first all-star team in his final year with Indiana. Robinson played in 69 games in Atlanta. Cardinal attempted to make it by scratching into 5 games in Washington.

2001-02: Miller, Cardinal, Robinson – Miller was traded from Chicago to Indiana in the middle of the season. Robinson spent his final season in Milwaukee. Cardinal had a proverbial cup of coffee with 8 games in Detroit.

2000-01: Miller, Cardinal, Robinson – Miller started to come into his own in Chicago while Robinson was in his prime in Milwaukee, taking them to the Eastern Conference Finals. Cardinal, the rookie, played 15 games in Detroit.

1999-2000: Miller, Robinson – Miller got his first extensive run with 55 games and 4 starts in Charlotte. Robinson did his thing as The Man with Milwaukee. This was the first of two straight All-Star game appearances for Robinson.

1998-99: Miller, Robinson, Jimmy Oliver – Another lockout shortened year, Robinson was still the guy in Milwaukee. Miller makes his debut with a 10-day contract after going undrafted. He eventually plays 28 games for the Hornets. We even have a Jimmy Oliver sighting as he plays two games in Phoenix.

1997-98: Robinson, Oliver – This is a true test of the phrase Forman used. Robinson played in 56 games for Milwaukee, while Oliver played a single game, October 31, 1997, for Washington.

1996-97: Robinson, Oliver, Cuonzo Martin, Steve Scheffler – As expected, Robinson played 80 games in Milwaukee. Oliver barely keeps it alive with four games in Toronto. ‘Zo plays in three games for Milwaukee as Big Dog’s teammate once again, while Steve Scheffler wraps up his career with 7 games in Seattle.

1995-96: Robinson, Martin, Scheffler – Oliver was playing in the CBA this year, but Robinson was in year two in Milwaukee. Scheffler played in 35 games in Seattle. Martin makes his NBA debut with four games in Vancouver.

1994-95: Robinson, Scheffler, Doug Lee – Robinson comes into the league as the No. 1 overall pick. Scheffler plays 18 games in Seattle. Lee, who played two years at Purdue after transferring from Texas A&M, plays 22 games in Sacramento. Oliver is over in Spain.

1993-94: Scheffler, Oliver – Scheffler gets 35 games and a start in Seattle. Oliver gets a career high 44 games in Boston.

1992-93: Scheffler, Lee – Scheffler plays in 29 games in his first season in Seattle. Lee plays 5 games in New Jersey before heading to Croatia for 1993-94. Oliver is in the CBA and Spain.

1991-92: Scheffler, Lee, Oliver – Scheffler splits 11 games between Denver and Sacramento. Oliver plays 27 games for Cleveland. Lee plays in a career high 46 games in New Jersey. Both Lee and Oliver are rookies.

1990-91: Scheffler, Joe Barry Carroll, Everette Stephens – Scheffler debuts as a rookie in 39 games for Charlotte, which would be a career high in games played for him. Carroll, a former No. 1 overall pick, wraps up his career with 11 games in Phoenix. Stephens comes back from a year in the CBA to play in three games for Milwaukee.

1989-90: Carroll, Jerry Sichting, Melvin McCants, Jim Rowinski – Carroll plays in a forgettable 30 games in Denver and 46 in New Jersey. Sichting plays 34 games for the Hornets and one for Milwaukee. Rowinski plays 14 games for the Miami Heat. McCants gets his only career action: 13 games with the Lakers.

1988-89: Carroll, Sichting, Stephens, Rowinski, Todd Mitchell – Carroll starts 62 games in New Jersey. Sichting plays in 25 games in Portland. Rowinski gets three random games in Philly and six in Detroit in his NBA debut. Stephens makes his NBA debut and plays 35 games for the Pacers. Todd Mitchell’s lone NBA season lasts 22 games in Miami and two in San Antonio.

1987-88: Carroll, Sichting – Get ready for a long run of Sichting and Carroll. Sichting splits 52 games between Boston and Portland. Carroll splits 77 games in Houston and Golden State.

1986-87: Carroll, Sichting – Carroll makes his only All-Star team and plays 81 games with Golden State. Sichting plays 78 games for NBA runner-up Boston.

1985-86: Carroll, Sichting – Carroll comes back from a one year stint in Italy to play 79 games with golden State. Sichting wins an NBA title in Boston playing in all 82 regular season games.

1984-85: Sichting, Tom Scheffler – the streak would have been broken with Carroll playing a year in Italy, but Tom Scheffler plays his only NBA season. He makes it 39 games with Portland. Sichting plays 70 games in Indiana.

1983-84: Carroll, Sichting, Russell Cross, Keith Edmonson – Carroll is going strong with 80 games in Golden State and Sichting plays 80 games for the Pacers. Cross plays 45 games as Carroll’s teammate in his only NBA season. Edmonson plays in 55 games between San Antonio & Denver.

1982-83: Carroll, Sichting, Edmonson – Edmonson makes his NBA debut with 32 games in Atlanta. Sichting plays 78 games for the Pacers. Carroll starts 79 games for Golden State.

1981-82: Carroll, Sichting – Carroll’s second NBA season sees him start 75 games. Sichting plays 51 games for the Pacers.

1980-81: Carroll, Sichting, Walter Jordan – Carroll and Sichting are both rookies. Sichting plays 47 games in Indiana, while Carroll plays all 82 games with Golden State as the No. 1 overall pick. Walter Jordan also plays 30 games for Cleveland in his only NBA season.

1979-80: None – From the time Herm Gilliam ended his career in 1977 until Carroll, Sichting, and Jordan played in 1980-81 there were no Purdue players in the NBA.