South Carolina Basketball: Ranking the top-10 NBA Gamecocks of all-time
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Basketball’s No. 10 Greatest NBA Player of All-Time:
Shooting Guard/Point Guard Kevin Joyce
One of the best guards in South Carolina basketball history, Kevin Joyce (1970-1973) had a brief career in the NBA that was cut short by injury. The former All-American averaged 15 points and 4 assists in his first year as a starter with the Indiana Pacers. In his third season, Joyce broke his kneecap in what was reported as “a devastating patella fracture.”
The injury ended Joyce’s career, though he attempted multiple comebacks. Joyce’s jersey is retired by South Carolina basketball, but Gamecock fans and NBA fans alike were robbed of seeing what he could accomplish as a professional.
During his career, Joyce was known as a player that could inject life into an offense. He played at a frenetic pace that made it impossible for defenses to keep track of him, and he used his constant movement to find opportunities to score the basketball or to sneak passes to open teammates.
He was well on his way to stardom prior to the injury, but the former Gamecock never had the opportunity to reach his full potential.