Ranking the Best NBA Golfers

The NBA has a not-so-secret love affair with golf.

The intersection between the two might not immediately seem apparent, but when you really think about it, attributes required to succeed in both basketball and golf – precision, patience, and above all mental fortitude – become strikingly clear. 

So, it makes sense that many hoopers over the years have taken to the links. It’s a vehicle to not only unwind (and maybe enjoy a few drinks), but also to channel their competitive energies into a different arena…without 20,000 fans screaming at them.

That begs the question: When NBA stars swap their sneakers for golf shoes, who’s the best? After consulting a range of online sources, we’ve compiled a ranking of the top NBA players-turned-golfers, featuring both past and present players. (Most of these handicaps are estimates and not precise data points.)

OK, so there are a number of other NBA golfers who should actually rank higher than Sir Charles – among them, Dirk Nowitzki and Grant Hill – but we had to give Barkley a nod. When you think of golf and hoops, Barkley is one of the first figures who comes to mind. He’s trying his best…and getting better! Barkley’s golf coach, Stan Utley, said, “I really don’t think people realize how much he loves golf and how much time he spends playing and practicing.”

We can’t find data on D-Wade’s handicap because he’s relatively new to golf, but online evidence suggests he has already developed an impressive game as he has forayed into golf in retirement. The 42-year-old Heat legend, who won three NBA championships and now hosts the game show The Cube, made headlines in September 2023 when he drilled a hole-in-one on the iconic seventh hole at Pebble Beach. Afterward, Flash posted that he “might as well get golf tattooed on my body, I’m locked in for life!”

They call him "The Logo." Jerry West, legendary former Lakers player and coach, is a member of Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles. He’s still getting out there in his advanced age. “For a soon-to-be 80 to be able to shoot my age or better is frankly kind of fun,” West said in 2018. Golf is a big part of the West family. One of Jerry’s sons, Jonnie, is married to professional golfer Michelle Wie.

Kidd, the coach of the Dallas Mavericks, is a little busy these days with his Mavs competing in the Western Conference playoffs, so he probably doesn’t have much time to hit the links – but when his schedule is less packed, he can often be found golfing. Widely considered one of the best point guards in NBA history, Kidd orchestrates on the greens much like he did on the court. He discussed his love for golf during a 2021 interview with Golf.com.

Noticing a theme on this list? The best 3-point shooters are often the best golfers. It makes sense – think of the hand-eye coordination, spatial mapping, rotational abilities, and physical balance required to succeed in both endeavors. Korver, a 17-year NBA veteran who now serves as the Assistant General Manager of the Atlanta Hawks, has hosted golf tournaments and events through his Kyle Korver Foundation. “It feels like every good shooter that I know enjoys golf as well,” Korver said in 2023.

JR Smith, a 16-year NBA veteran who won two rings during his career, enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University after his playing career wrapped up – and he actually joined the men’s golf team. He played in the Aggies’ Phoenix Invitational tournament at Elon University in October 2021 and was named his school’s Academic Athlete of the Year after accruing a flawless 4.0 GPA. Smith received encouragement to pick up golf from NBA legend Moses Malone. “Golf is one of those games that has you feeling really high or can bring you down to your knees and humble you,” Smith said.

IRVING, TX - APRIL 22: Former NBA player Ray Allen looks on after playing his shot from the second hole tee during round one of the ClubCorp Classic at Las Colinas Country Club on April 22, 2022 in Irving, Texas. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

Half man, half amazing, fully committed to golf excellence. The 22-year NBA veteran, most remembered for his iconic performance in the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, swings with the same intensity with which he once dunked. His high-flying antics on the hardwood may be over – these days, you can catch him providing analysis on YES Network – but his drive on the course is alive and well. He recently played a round with Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, where Carter discussed his admiration for Tiger Woods.  

Even in the days when Jordan was drilling buzzer-beaters and ferociously striving to win more rings, he still made time to knock in birdies. MJ’s love for golf has long been known – it even played a role in Space Jam – and his commitment has helped His Airness construct a rather impressive game on the links. Legend has it MJ learned to golf from 21-time- PGA Tour winner Davis Love III when the two were students at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. And you just know, whether it’s Game 7 or he’s on the back nine, Jordan is a relentless competitor. (Though, as Drexler tells it, MJ might have a softer side when it comes to golf. He once lent Clyde his clubs while the two were in Spain with the Dream Team.)

It seems Clyde can also glide on the golf links. The former Trail Blazers and Rockets star, who's now commissioner of the Big3 league, has an undeniably impressive handicap. The man’s agility and finesse made him an NBA legend – a 10-time All-Star, a member of the Dream Team, a Hall-of-Famer – and his golf prowess only extends his legacy of greatness. Take a look at that smooth stroke. There are clear parallels between the wisdom Drexler obtained during his NBA career and success in golf.

Drake was alluding to basketball when he said, “hittin’ like that 30 on my jersey, man, I’m gifted” – but Aubrey could just as easily have been referring to the golfing abilities of the sharpshooter who made No. 30 famous. Wardell Stephen Curry, the best 3-point shooter in NBA history, has competed in golf tournaments such as the American Century Championship in 2023 and has played the game since he was 10. Butch Harmon, one of the top golf teachers in the world, described Curry as “an incredibly talented golfer, with tremendous, natural ability,”

Basketball fans still dream about the player Penny Hardaway could’ve been if his knees had held up. The former Magic guard had a phenomenal NBA career nonetheless, but injuries sadly inhibited his greatness on the court. Regardless, the current Memphis Tigers head coach is an absolute sniper on the golf course, where has the lowest handicap of any current or former player. Penny hosted his own golf tournament in 2022 and can regularly be found golfing in the Memphis area.