Useful Notes / Notable NBA Players N Through Z

There have been a number of famous NBA players to put on basketball jerseys throughout the years, many of which have been referenced or featured prominently in various forms of media themselves. The most notable—those who have been featured prominently in media outside of the game or have set records that have made them likely to be referenced in other works—are listed here, in alphabetical order by family name. For more, see Notable NBA Players A Through F and Notable NBA Players G Through M.

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N

• Larry Nance spent the first half of his career with the Phoenix Suns but is most highly treasured by Cleveland Cavaliers fans for his late career contributions. Drafted #20 overall out of Clemson in 1981, "The High Ayatolla of Slamola" was the first winner of the Slam Dunk Contest and an all-around solid player. His trade to Cleveland in 1988 worked out for both franchises, as they both improved considerably. Nance became such an integral part to Cleveland's early '90s successes that the Cavs retired his #22 when he stepped away from the game in 1994. Nance's son, Larry Nance Jr., is an NBA journeyman.
• Steve Nash was a Hall of Fame point guard out of Canada^note although he was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is often listed from Santa Clara, California, due to his time at Santa Clara University best known for his astounding "no look" passes, ability to carry teams through games, and his 50-40-90 status (he made 50% of his shooting, 40% from the three-point line, and 90% from the free throw line four times; only Larry Bird and Kevin Durant have ever done that more than once). Although drafted by the Phoenix Suns #15 overall in 1996, it was only after he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1998 when his ball-handling skills were discovered — he was paired with Dirk Nowitzki in a Malone-Stockton fashion. He returned to Phoenix in 2004 and won back-to-back MVP honors in 2005-06, the first two of five seasons that he led the league in assists (he holds the Suns franchise record in that stat). Nash was sometimes criticized for a lack of talent on the defensive end of the floor but remained one half of several top scoring/passing duo threats in the league (with Nowitzki in Dallas; with Amar'e Stoudemire and Shaq in Phoenix) even at the age when most players show strong signs of decline. The same can't be said for his success in the playoffs, as he never managed to win a ring. As an unrestricted free agent, Nash decided to join forces with Kobe Bryant's Lakers in the summer of 2012 in exchange for four of the Lakers' picks. Despite his hopes of adding a championship to his impressive resume, the eight-time All-Star broke his leg in a freak collision with Portland's Damian Lillard in his first year in L.A., which in turn aggravated long-standing back, nerve, and muscle issues. Nash only played a total of 65 games in his first two seasons with the Lakers and was unable to play at all in 2014–15, officially retiring near the end of that season; the Sun retired his #13. He later served as the head coach of the Nets from 2020-22.
• Jameer Nelson was a point guard selected #20 overall in 2004 by the Orlando Magic (via the Nuggets) who had already selected Dwight Howard with the #1 pick. A college star who set virtually every career program record at Saint Joseph's, he was viewed as a potential top 10 pick but fell due to concerns over his size (listed at 6'0", 180 lbs). He answered the critics by quickly displacing former All-Star Steve Francis for the starting PG role and emerged as one of the team's stars behind Howard in that era. He was named an All-Star during their 2009 NBA Finals appearance season, but missed the game and much of the second half of the season with a shoulder injury. He valiantly returned in time for the Finals, but the Magic still fell to the Lakers. He persevered through the "Dwightmare" season and remained with the Magic until 2014, becoming the franchise leader in career assists while cementing his legacy as a fan favorite. He bounced around to five other teams before retiring in 2019 and now serves as an administrator in the G League.
• Nenê (born Maybyner Rodney Hilário) was the first Brazilian player to be drafted in NBA history, going #7 overall to the Denver Nuggets (via the Knicks) in 2002, who had already selected draft bust Nikoloz Tskitishvili with the #5 pick. The Only One Name center/power forward proved to be a much better investment, quickly moving into the starting lineup and making the NBA All-Rookie team. He paired well with Carmelo Anthony over the next decade, but the team struggled to advance deep into the playoffs while Nenê himself battled injuries as well as a cancer diagnosis. He recovered to spend time with the Wizards then Rockets, as well as continuing to play for the Brazil national team before retiring in 2020.
• Joakim Noah was a center the Chicago Bulls drafted #9 overall from two-time champion Florida in 2007. He steadily improved year over year and became the team's biggest star when Derrick Rose and Luol Deng were sidelined and kept on carrying the Bulls, earning All-Star nods in 2013 and '14 and winning Defensive Player of the Year in the latter season. Unfortunately, just like Rose, his performance and durability declined pretty sharply after reaching that peak. He signed with the Knicks as a free agent in 2016 for a lucrative deal after missing most of the previous season, a move that was widely questioned at the time and soon proved disastrous as injuries and suspensions kept him off the court; he spent a few more years with the Grizzlies and Clippers before retiring in 2021. He used to play internationally for France, as his father ('80s tennis star Yannick Noah) is from there.
• Dirk Nowitzki is a German-born player who spent his entire Long Runner NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks, where he holds franchise records for points, games, minutes, rebounds, and blocks. The Mavs selected him #9 overall (via the Bucks) in 1998 after he spent his teen years playing in his home country. One of his biggest claims to fame is that he holds the record for most seasons with a single NBA team (21). His other is his unorthodox style of playing; he was one of the few power forwards who scored better from distance rather than by driving the paint, and with his unblockable fadeaway jumpshot - with a height of 7 foot flat and a high jump of 13 inches with his right leg raised to create space (incidentally, the "wrong" leg for the right-handed Nowitzki) - anybody guarding him could only pray that he missed. His incredible career included 14 All-Star appearances, being named MVP in 2007, and leading the Mavericks to their only Championship and winning Finals MVP in 2011. All this spawned a great deal of interest in other European-born players; most of his accomplishments were firsts for an NBA player from Europe, and many of his career records remain the gold standard for international players. Dirk retired in 2019 and quickly had his #41 retired by the Mavs, followed by his inevitable Hall of Fame induction in 2023. He was also featured on the "NBA 75th Anniversary" cover for NBA 2K 22. Also in 2022, the German Basketball Federation retired the #14 he wore for the national team, also announcing that a replica of that jersey would hang from the rafters at every future men's national team home game. A larger-than-life statue of Nowitzki is just outside the main entrance to the Mavs' arena.

O

• Charles Oakley was a power forward with a 19-year career over four different teams, most prominently spending a decade with the New York Knicks through the '90s. Drafted #9 overall in 1985 out of D-II HBCU Virginia Union by the Bulls (via the Cavs), "Oak Tree" earned his nickname with a no-nonsense attitude and quality defensive play. He also acted as a bodyguard on the court for the young Michael Jordan, intervening in fights and protecting him from cheap shots. With the development of Horace Grant at the same position, Oakley was traded to the Knicks in '89, where he continued his steady play and acted in a similar role toward Patrick Ewing. However, his Knicks could never make it past the Jordan Bulls in the playoffs and lost in the '94 Finals during Jordan's first retirement. He was traded to the Raptors in '98, where he again acted as a protector and Big Brother Mentor to a rising star in Vince Carter. He finished his career with short stints on three other teams, including a brief return to the Bulls (the other two being the Wizards and the Rockets) before retiring in 2004. In 2017, he was involved in an incident at Madison Square Garden while attending a Knicks game where he allegedly had a verbal altercation with reviled owner James Dolan and was ejected. Fans and media rallied to support Oakley, who sued Dolan and MSG for defamation and slander, ended any relationship with the Knicks organization, and cancelled plans to retire his jersey.
• Ed O'Bannon was a power forward selected #9 overall by the New Jersey Nets in 1995 after leading UCLA to the national championship and winning NCAA tournament MVP. However, his talent didn't translate to the pros, he was traded to the Mavs, and lasted just two years in the league before moving on to play internationally and in smaller North American leagues for another decade. The Nets missed out on two future All-Stars and a number of long-term contributors. He later gained fame (or notoriety, depending on your point view) for being the principal plaintiff in the class action lawsuit against the NCAA in 2014 that challenged the NCAA's ownership of its athletes' Name, Image, and Likeness. In the short term, this brought an end to Electronic Arts "NCAA" series of video games (including most famously NCAA Football) for over a decade; in the long term, it paved the way for future college athletes to profit from NIL before going pro.
• Greg Oden was the #1 overall pick in 2007 by the Portland Trail Blazers and one of the biggest NBA draft busts of the modern era. An athletic big man who took Ohio State to an NCAA Championship appearance, injuries in both his knees kept him off the court through his rookie year and persisted through the rest of his career. Oden played in just two of the five seasons he spent on Portland's roster and barely saw the court in his brief stint in Miami before retiring. His status as a massive bust was only exacerbated by the legendary career of the player taken #2 in the draft: Kevin Durant.
• Lamar Odom was a combo forward for the Los Angeles Lakers during the team's final championships of the Kobe Bryant/Phil Jackson era. Originally the #4 overall pick by the Clippers in 1999 out of Rhode Island^note Odom initially committed to UNLV as one of the biggest recruits in the country, but was arrested for soliciting prostitution, had his scholarship revoked, and then got UNLV sanctioned after it was revealed they made illicit payments to him., he was a solid player and particularly beloved team leader, but struggled with the NBA's marijuana policy, leading to multiple suspensions and lagging production. After a stint with the Heat, he moved onto the Lakers in 2004 who were trying to emerge from their post-Shaq slump. He continued to be a quality starter for his first four years with the team, but really broke out when he moved out of the starting lineup and became one of the league's best "sixth men", winning the award in 2011. During this time, he married Khloé Kardashian and became a fixture on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, even spinning off into their own show for two seasons with Khloe and Lamar in 2011-12. He was supposed to be part of the trade that would have brought Chris Paul to the Lakers but was vetoed by Commissioner David Stern for infamous "basketball reasons" and, feeling "disrespected" by the trade, asked to be traded to another contender, ending up with the defending champion Mavericks. He struggled in Dallas, even being relegated to the D League for a stint, then returned to the Clippers which all took a toll on his mental health and relationship. He went back to using drugs, was arrested for DUI, and Khloe filed for divorce while his career ended ignominiously in 2013. In 2015, he overdosed on cocaine leading to multiple heart attacks and strokes, briefly ending up in a coma, before recovering and getting clean. He has since gotten into acting, appearing in numerous bit roles (usually related to basketball) and was on Celebrity Big Brother.
• Emeka Okafor was the Charlotte Bobcats' first draft pick after their revival, going to them #2 overall in 2004 after winning a national title with UConn. The center/power forward won Rookie of the Year, won bronze in the Athens Olympics, and was considered reliable if not outstanding. He was traded to the New Orleans Hornets in 2009 for Tyson Chandler, leading both Okafor and the Bobcats to reach their first playoffs separately. He retired in 2020 after spending a year playing in Korea; he remains the Hornets' franchise leader in rebounds.
• Hakeem Olajuwon, a legendary Hall of Fame center who holds the Houston Rockets' records for points, games, minutes, rebounds, steals, and blocks, was drafted #1 overall in 1984, the same draft that included Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. The Nigerian native used to be a soccer player before getting into basketball, coming to the United States and becoming a leader of the "Phi Slama Jama" University of Houston teams that visited three straight Final Fours. Nicknamed "The Dream" for his grace on and off the court, his size (variously listed between 6'10" and 7'0"), high athleticism for that size, smarts, and soccer-honed footwork made him a near-unstoppable Master of All who could defend and score with equal ease, especially when he broke out his "Dream Shake" Signature Move. Olajuwon became the first non-American to be named an All-Star (he would earn 12 total All-Star nods) and formed the first pair of "Twin Towers" with the Ralph Sampson, leading the Rockets to the '86 Finals. After Sampson was traded to the Warriors in '88, Olajuwon became the Rockets' undisputed leader. He led the league in rebounding twice ('89, '90) and blocks three times ('90, '91, '93), recorded a quadruple-double in 1990, and had six games with a 5x5 (five of each major stat; not only is this more than any other player, only Andrei Kirilenko even had more than one). After he was very nearly traded away during a contract dispute in 1992, the Dream delivered Houston the '94 and '95 championships, claiming Finals MVP both times. In the 1993–94 season, he became the only player in NBA history to win the NBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year (which he also won the prior year), and Finals MVP in the same season. After becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1993, Olajuwon competed with the Dream Team II in the 1996 Olympics, winning gold. To stay true to his Islamic faith, Olajuwon fasted during daylight hours for one month during Ramadan, which in certain years coincided with the NBA season. During one of those Ramadan months, February 1995, he won NBA player of the month. He retired in 2002 after a final season with the Raptors, and the Rockets retired his #35. Olajuwon remains the NBA's all-time leader in career blocks (3,830), and the Defensive Player of the Year trophy is named in his honor. He was also featured on the cover of NBA Jam Extreme.
• Michael Olowokandi, aka "The Kandy Man", was a 7'1" center selected by the Clippers #1 overall in 1998. Born in Nigeria and raised in London, he didn't touch a basketball until he was 17 and chose an American college to apply to by selecting a random page in a "Guide to American Colleges", landing on the mid-major University of the Pacific, where he initially walked-on. He broke out nationally as a junior (his number was retired by the college) and soared to the top of draft boards. His rookie year in the NBA was disrupted by the '98 lockout, during which he briefly played in Italy. When he did return to the States, he struggled with frequent injuries and never developed as a scorer (with coach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar infamously calling him "uncoachable"). He moved onto the T-Wolves in 2003 and finished his career on the bench in Boston. Though a solid defensive big man when healthy, he is frequently cited among the biggest NBA busts and was the epitome of the Clippers struggles for their first several decades of existence, having missed out on Hall of Famers Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce, as well as several other All-Stars.
• Jermaine O'Neal was a star with the Indiana Pacers in the 2000s, but the center/power forward did not begin his career in Indiana. Initially drafted #17 overall by the Trail Blazers in 1996 straight out of high school, O'Neal was the youngest player in the NBA at the time and rarely saw the court on a fairly experienced roster. His trade to the Pacers in 2000 was met with some skepticism, but he quickly emerged as a team leader for the next several years, earning Most Improved Player in 2002 at the start of a streak of six All-Star appearances and setting the franchise record for blocks. O'Neal was traded out of town in '08 and bounced around the league for several years. He never won a title, being cut from the Heat the year before LeBron's arrival and being cut from the Warriors in 2014 after what turned out to be his final NBA season right before the start of their dynasty.
• Shaquille O'Neal was a dominant force in the NBA in the 1990s and 2000s, most notably helping lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their three-peat championship run from 2000-02 between excellent stints with the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. He is perhaps even more famous for his larger-than-life persona off the court. For more, see his own page.

P-Q

• Robert Parish was the NBA's ultimate Long Runner, playing more games than any other NBA player (1,611) over the span of 21 seasons (also the record until Vince Carter passed it in 2020). The Hall of Famer's basketball career started out at the small Centenary College, where he posted massive numbers in relative obscurity due to NCAA sanctions on the school involving his recruitment. Despite the school being banned from postseason play and his numbers not being recognized, Parish stuck with the school rather than transfer or even enter the pros early because he believed they'd done nothing wrong; indeed, the rule they violated was overturned almost immediately after the sanctions were issued, and the NCAA reneged on their decision in 2018. Parish was drafted by the Warriors #8 overall in 1976 but was later traded to the Boston Celtics in 1980. This trade was historically lopsided, as Parish joined Bird and the newly drafted McCale to form a dominant Big Three that won three NBA titles. The nine-time All-Star was a versatile center, using his 7' size and speed to contain opposing players, launch precise shots from outside the paint, and finish fast breaks - the latter uncanny for a man of his stature. Parish was also unusual for his surprisingly high field goal and free throw shooting ability; his Signature Move was his high release jump shot, which traversed a very high arc before falling. He was also known as The Quiet One and The Stoic, earning him the nickname of "Chief" after the mute character from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Parish left the Celtics in '94 at 41 years old as the franchise's all-time leader in total blocks, but he still had some gas in the tank; he played two more years in Charlotte before signing with the Bulls in 1996, where he became the oldest player to ever win an NBA championship (and third oldest to play period) at 43 before retiring on top.
• Jabari Parker was the #2 overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft out of Duke and a catalyst of the Bucks' resurgence in the following season. Sadly, multiple ACL tears derailed his career before he could really get it started, and with the rise of Giannis making him redundant, he has bounced around the league since 2018; he is now seen as one of the more notable draft busts of the 2010s.
• Tony Parker is a Hall of Fame point guard spent 17 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. He was born in Belgium but raised in France; his father was an African-American basketball player and his mother was a Dutch model. The Spurs drafted Parker #28 overall in 2001, with his relative no-name status keeping him off most teams' radars. He quickly grew into one of the most skilled players in the league, slowly replacing Duncan as The Hero for the Spurs and becoming the team's sole captain after Duncan's retirement. He won four rings with the Spurs, was named Finals MVP in '07 (the first European to receive the award), became the Spurs' all-time assists leader, and had his #9 retired by the franchise after he spent the 2018-19 season with the Hornets. The six-time All-Star was featured on worldwide cover of NBA Live 09 and the French cover of NBA 2K 16. He has kept himself busy as owner of ASVEL, a team in France's top pro league playing in Lyon, where he was raised. Parker opened a basketball academy in Lyon in fall 2019 and has publicly expressed hopes of owning an NBA team in the future. For a few years, he owned a small stake in Seattle's team in the National Women's Soccer League, known during his ownership as OL Reign before reverting to its original name of Seattle Reign FC. Parker has also dabbled in music and acting and was once married to Eva Longoria.
• Chris Paul was originally drafted #4 overall in 2005 out of Wake Forest by the New Orleans Hornets^note though he began with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets due to Hurricane Katrina. He quickly emerged as a star in New Orleans, winning Rookie of the Year, being featured on the cover of NBA 2K 8, and becoming a perennial All-Star and the Pelicans all-time leader in assists and steals. While only six feet tall, Paul's passing, ball-handling, and court vision rank with all-time greats, and he's generally agreed to be one of the best point guards ever, gaining the nickname "Point God". For all of his scoring acumen, Paul has been an exceptional all-around player; he has led the NBA in assists five times and steals a record six (no one else has done it more than thrice). In 2011, Paul was slated to be traded to the Lakers, but due to "basketball reasons"^note widely viewed as commissioner David Stern doing a favor for Clippers owner Donald Sterling, he was sent to the Los Angeles Clippers instead. His arrival, paired with rising star Blake Griffin, created the "Lob City" sensation and finally catapulted the Clippers from mediocrity to contention. Paul settled in as the Clippers' leader for the long haul, becoming that franchise's all-time leader in assists, but several years of playoff disappointment and frustration with coaching and ownership led him to force a trade to the Rockets in 2017. After two seasons in Houston, he was packaged with several future draft picks and traded to Oklahoma City for Russell Westbrook in 2019. After a bounce-back year, the Thunder sent him (and another player) to the Suns for a huge haul. Paul reached the Finals for the first time with Phoenix in 2021 but ultimately came up short. He landed with the Warriors in 2023 as part of a complex shuffle of trades. He ranks up with Barkley, Nash, and Malone for best players ever to never win a title, in part due to his late career knack for playoff injuries. He was the first player in NBA history to reach both 20,000 points and 10,000 assists in an NBA career (LeBron would later become the second), which easily made him worthy of a spot for the NBA 75 in 2021. Paul was also the president of the NBA Players' Union from 2013-21 (where he played a key role in the removal of his own team's owner, Donald Sterling, for racist remarks), has been featured in numerous commercials (most notably for State Farm Insurance), and won Olympic gold in '08 and '12.
• Gary Payton was a Hall of Famer drafted #2 overall in 1990 with the Seattle SuperSonics, where he would play until 2003 and became arguably the best player in that team's history. Payton was known for two things: his dominant defense and his trash talk. The two were closely intertwined, as Payton had a way of getting into his opponents' heads as few other could. "The Glove" was about as tenacious a defender as the league has ever seen—for years he was the only point guard to win Defensive Player of the Year, doing so when he led the league in steals in 1996, and in Game 6 of that year's Finals, he held Michael Jordan to 22 points on 5-of-19 shooting, arguably Jordan's worst Finals game ever. The 6’4” player out of Oregon State became the Sonics all-time leader in games, minutes, field goals, assists, and steals. In 13 seasons, Payton missed a total of five regular-season games. In the twilight of his career, the nine-time All-Star and two-time Olympic Gold-winner became a journeyman and won his only ring with Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in 2006 the year before he retired. Payton's son, Gary Payton II, also played at Oregon State, has had NBA success as a defender, and eventually won himself a championship 16 years later in 2022 with the Warriors.
• Geoff Petrie was the Portland Trail Blazers' first ever draft pick, taken #8 overall in 1970 out of Princeton. The guard was a solid first pick and solid scorer, winning Rookie of the Year in Portland's first season, but a knee injury ended his career after just six seasons, missing the franchise's only championship by a year. He later moved into the Blazers' front office, and the team retired his #45. He had a much more successful career as a basketball executive, eventually becoming the president of basketball operations for the Sacramento Kings from 1994-2013, where he won two Executive of the Year awards in '99 and '01. Petrie's biggest NBA claim to fame, however, might be being the first NBA player to wear Nike shoes.
• Dražen Petrović was a shooting guard from Croatia and a tragic example of What Could Have Been. Widely considered to be the most talented European player ever seen, he was nicknamed "Basketball's Mozart" after winning multiple championships and MVP honors in Europe with his incredible sharpshooting prowess. His heroic performance against such stacked competition and is undoubtedly one of the best sharpshooters who ever played in the NBA. Before playing in the NBA, he utterly dominated the European basketball scene, notably scoring 62 points in the European Cup finals in 1989^note since 2001, the single-game scoring record in the European Cup's successor, the EuroLeague, is 41. He once scored 112 points^note 40/60 FG, 10/20 3P, 22/22 FT in a Yugoslavian League game when he was 20 years old. He led Yugoslavia to bronze and silver medals in the '84 and '88 Summer Olympics before leading a newly independent Croatia to silver after losing to the Dream Team in '92, an immense moral victory against such stellar competition. He was drafted in the third round to Portland in 1986 but didn't come to the States until '89; frustrated by spending so much time on the bench, he was traded to the New Jersey Nets in 1991 and began to emerge as an American star. However, at just 28 years old, his life was sadly cut short by a car accident in 1993. He remains an icon in European basketball history and a national hero in Croatia, and the Nets retired his #3.
• Bob Pettit was one of the greatest players of the '50s and '60s. The 6'9" Hall of Fame forward drafted #2 overall out of LSU began his career in 1954 when the Hawks were still in Milwaukee, averaging a double-double and being named Rookie of the Year. The next season, with the Hawks now in St. Louis, he led the league in both scoring and rebounding and won the NBA's first official MVP award. He went on to take the Hawks to their only NBA title in '58, won MVP again in '59 after again leading in scoring, and received four All-Star Game MVP awards (a record now shared with Kobe Bryant). In the 1958 Finals, Pettit scored 50 points in the Hawks' series clincher, a feat that wasn't repeated until Giannis Antetokounmpo did it in 2021, and kept the Celtics from an even longer championship streak. Perhaps most notably, he's the only player with 10 or more seasons in the league to be named All-NBA in every season of his career, earning first-team honors every season except his last (1964–65), in which he was on the second team due to injuries that led to his early retirement. He's further the only retired player to ever average over 20 points every season of his career.^note ...besides Alex Groza, who only played two seasons before receiving a lifetime ban. He was the first player to score over 20,000 career points, sits behind only Chamberlain and Russell in career rebounds per game, and the Hawks retired his #9.
• Paul Pierce helped lead the Boston Celtics back to relevance after their late '90s dip. The #10 overall draft pick out of Kansas in 1998, he quickly became noted for his late-game heroics and versatile Lightning Bruiser credentials, earning him the nickname "The Truth" from Shaq himself. His remarkable career began with tragedy: In 2000, Pierce was stabbed 11 times in the face, neck, and back, and had a bottle smashed over his head at a late-night dance club while attempting to separate a fight. Teammate Tony Battie and his brother narrowly saved his life by rushing him to a nearby hospital, preventing Pierce from being added to the string of tragic Celtics deaths; while he had to undergo lung surgery to repair the damage, Pierce was the only Celtic to start all 82 games in the 2000–01 season. He took the Celtics to a championship against Kobe's Lakers in 2008, bringing Boston their sole title of the 21st century, and won Finals MVP after memorably returning to Game 1 after being taken out of the game in a wheelchair^note Conspiracy theories abound to this day that this was due to Potty Failure rather than an actual injury.; he made it to a rematch in 2010, where Kobe won instead. Seen as The Rival to LeBron James through much of his early career, he's known for being rather cocky: in his words, "I'm the best player." The ten-time All-Star was traded to Brooklyn in 2013 and retired in 2017 after stints with the Wizards and Clippers, signing a ceremonial contract so he could officially retire as a Celtic; he remains the franchise leader in three-pointers and steals. He joined the rest of the late-2000s Celtics "Big Three" in the Hall of Fame in 2021.
• Scottie Pippen was The Lancer to Michael Jordan during his golden years with the Chicago Bulls, their second-leading scorer, and led the team through the two seasons of Jordan's first retirement. He was drafted #5 overall in 1987 out of then-NAIA Central Arkansas, where he started out as a walk-on. Though largely known as Jordan's Number Two, the Hall of Famer is widely acclaimed as one of the most versatile small forwards in the history of the league and an elite defender who enabled much of his teammates' success. He came into his own in the 1993-94 season, the first year without Jordan, when he won the All-Star Game MVP and led the Bulls to a 55-win season, only two fewer than in '92-'93, and led the league in steals the following season. The seven-time All-Star is also notable as the only player to win Olympic gold and a NBA title in the same year twice, doing so with the Dream Team in '92 Barcelona and again in '96 Atlanta. After the Bulls' second three-peat, Pippen left to play for the Rockets and Trail Blazers (where he made a trip to the Western Conference Finals before falling to the Shaq-Kobe Lakers) before returning to Chicago to retire in 2004; the team retired his #33.
• The Porter Brothers:
  • Michael Porter Jr. is a small forward for the Denver Nuggets, who drafted him #14 overall in 2018 out of Missouri. He injured his back in his very first collegiate game and missed the rest of the regular season, returning in time for the conference and NCAA tournament. Despite this, he declared for the draft and was selected on his pre-injury potential. He broke out in his second year but suffered another back injury and missed most of his third season. He returned to help lead the Nuggets to their first NBA championship in '23 and set the franchise record for single-season three-pointers made in season in 2024.
  • Jontay Porter was a center out of Missouri, where he joined his older brother. Unlike his brother, he chose to stay for his sophomore season but missed it after tearing multiple knee ligaments in a scrimmage, then tore his ACL again while rehabbing. Despite this, he declared for the 2019 NBA Draft but went undrafted and signed with the Grizzlies. He spent the next two seasons in the G League before signing with the Raptors in 2023. However, his season and career was cut short when he became the subject of a gambling investigation. It was discovered that he "disclosed confidential information about his own health status" to a known sports bettor and placed bets himself using another person's account. He would bet the "under" for his personal prop bets and then take himself out of the game with injury/illness justifications, as well as bet against the Raptors while playing. He was banned for life from the NBA and affiliates, the first player banned for gambling since 1954.
• Terry Porter was drafted #24 overall in 1985 out of NAIA Wisconsin-Stevens Point by the Portland Trail Blazers. He played ten years in Portland, becoming the franchise's all-time leader in assists and serving as a compliment to Drexler during their runner-up Finals campaigns. He then played several more years in Minnesota, Miami, and San Antonio before retiring in 2002, going into coaching and serving brief stints as HC of the Bucks and Suns. The Blazers retired his #30.
• Kristaps Porziņģis, a 7'3" Latvian who had been playing for Sevilla in the Spanish league, was the #4 pick in 2015, going to the New York Knicks. His combination of height and skills soon earned him the nickname "The Unicorn". While he lost out on Rookie of the Year to Karl-Anthony Towns, he became the first NBA rookie ever with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 blocks, and 75 threes. After improving in most key stats in his second season, the sky looked to be the limit... until he suffered a torn ACL just before the 2018 All-Star break. With the Knicks apparently in full-on tank mode in 2018–19, Porziņģis did not play before being traded to the Mavericks as part of a salary-cap move. He has since recovered to a semblance of his former promise, was traded to the Wizards in the middle of the 2021-22 season, and is currently with the Celtics.
• Mark Price was a tremendously accurate shooter and the Cleveland Cavaliers' biggest star in their best era prior to LeBron's arrival. A second round pick out of Georgia Tech in 1986, Price's shooting skills were, by many metrics, ahead of their time: he was only the second member of the 50–40–90 club after Larry Bird, won the Three-Point Contest twice, and often led the league in free throw percentage (even holding the career record for many years). Unfortunately, the four-time All-Star played on a team that had to face Jordan's Bulls in the playoffs every year, and he was never able to get the team past a single Conference Finals appearance in 1992. Injuries led to him being traded in 1995, and he was out of the NBA after three seasons with three different teams. The Cavs still retired his #25, and he entered into a long coaching career.
• Tayshaun Prince was a small forward drafted #23 overall out of Kentucky by the Detroit Pistons in 2002 and a key part of their 2004 championship run. Prince never earned an All-Star nod but was well known for his defense, best illustrated with his game-sealing chase-down block of Reggie Miller in the 2004 playoffs, and won Olympic gold in 2008. He was traded to the Grizzlies in 2013 and spent some time in Boston and Minnesota, returning to Detroit before retiring after 2016; he now works in the Grizzlies' front office.

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• Frank Ramsey was drafted #5 overall by the Boston Celtics in 1953 out of Kentucky, where he won a national championship and helped lead the team on a perfect regular season. The Hall of Fame swingman is often identified as the first "sixth man" in NBA history, often playing off the bench and putting up stellar performances that helped the Celtics win seven championships during his tenure (1954-64, missing the 1955-56 season to serve in the military). Ramsey was Auerbach's first choice to succeed him as head coach, but he opted instead to return to Kentucky to take care of his family. He would return to coach basketball for the ABA's Kentucky Colonels in 1970-71, helping lead them to a Finals appearance. Ramsey passed away in 2018.
• Julius Randle is a power forward selected #7 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014 out of Kentucky, which he led to a loss in the NCAA championship game. He fractured his leg in his very first professional game and missed the rest of his rookie season, but returned to be a solid-if-unspectacular player over the next three years. He signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Pelicans and put up career bests to that point in PPG and blocks, but the team declined the option on his contract after one year. He moved onto the New York Knicks where he broke out in 2021, winning Most Improved Player as well as making his first All-Star appearance. He became a regular All-Star in the following years while helping the Knicks to regular postseason contention following their Audience-Alienating Era in the mid-late 2010s.
• Zach Randolph is a power forward and center whose best years came with the Memphis Grizzlies from 2009-17. He spent his early years with the turbulent early-2000s Portland Trail Blazers, who drafted him #19 overall out of Michigan State. After being named Most Improved Player in 2004, he bounced through a series of trades before landing in Memphis, where he made an immediate impact and epitomized the "Grit and Grind" style of aggressive defense that defined the Grizzlies for most of the 2010s and landed them seven straight trips to the playoffs, including a stunning first-round upset over the top-seeded Spurs in 2011 and a Conference Finals appearance in 2013. "Z-Bo" represented Memphis twice at the All-Star Game and was the first Grizzly ever to be named an All-NBA Player, making the Third Team in 2011. After his Memphis contract expired, Randolph headed to the Kings, where he played his last full season in the NBA and made his 10,000th career rebound. The Grizzlies retired his #50, making him the first player in team history to receive the honor.
• Willis Reed, simply known as "Captain", was the leader of the New York Knicks that won two titles in 1970 and 1973. The #8 overall pick of the 1964 Draft out of HBCU Grambling State was undersized for a center but successfully battled Wilt Chamberlain and Lew Alcindor on a nightly basis; he won Rookie of the Year and earned seven All-Star nods. The shining moment of the Hall of Famer's career came in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, the culmination of his MVP season. After sitting out Game 6 with a torn thigh muscle, Willis hobbled out on an injured leg onto the Madison Square Garden court to a standing ovation moments before Game 7. He scored two baskets - only four points, but with jump shots (meaning he was willing to harm his leg even worse than it already had been just to continue playing). It inspired his team to win the game and the Championship against Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. Reed earned Finals MVP for both this and his other championship series, then retired after 1974 and entered into a long career as a coach and GM (most prominently building the '90s New Jersey Nets roster that reached two Finals in the early 2000s). The Knicks retired his #19, the first jersey to be so honored in the franchise's history. The Captain passed away in 2023.
• Bryant Reeves was the first draft pick made by the Vancouver Grizzlies, selected #6 overall out of Oklahoma State in 1995. A 7'0", 275lb center, "Big Country" (an Oklahoma farmboy from a town of 300) had a solid if unspectacular first three seasons for the expansion team. Following career highs in points and blocks, he was rewarded with a monster $66 million extension after his third season. This quickly turned into one of the worst investments in NBA history as he ballooned to 315 lbs following the '98-'99 lockout and looked slow and out-of-shape on the court, while his numbers plummetted. After three more injury plagued seasons in Vancouver, he traveled with the team to Memphis but played in just two preseason games there before retiring, citing a chronic back injury. Years later, he was the subject of the 2018 award-winning documentary ''Finding Big Country", detailing his life after basketball.
• Mitch Richmond was a Hall of Fame shooting guard who spent the peak of his career with the Sacramento Kings. Drafted #5 overall in 1988 by the Warriors, Richmond won Rookie of the Year while complementing the Run TMC offense, but he really came into his own after being traded to the Kings in 1991. Richmond amassed six All-Star nods in Sac (including winning game MVP in 1995), asserting himself as the franchise's first star since its move to California's capital. As an amateur at Kansas State, Richmond had been part of the 1988 Olympic bronze team that spurred the formation of the Dream Team; he later returned to the Olympics as a pro, winning gold in 1996. However, despite his individual success, the team generally struggled, and it wasn't until he was traded out of town for Chris Webber (below) that the Kings were able to become competitive. Richmond got to go out on a high note in his final 2001-02 season, joining the Lakers to win a ring before calling it a career. Despite his trade out of town unlocking the Kings' glory years, the franchise still retired his #2. Richmond was featured on the cover of NBA Live 97.
• Austin Rivers is a point guard, son of former NBA player and current Sixers head coach Doc Rivers, drafted #10 by the then-Pelicans out of Duke in 2012. He started out as a bench player, eventually becoming a starter, but is perhaps best known for being the first player in league history to play for his father, which came about during the 2014–15 season when he joined the Clippers after a series of trades He was dealt to the Wizards in 2018 and has since bounced around the league in a reserve role.
• Alvin Robertson was one of the best defensive players in NBA history, holding the record for career steals per game (2.71). Drafted #7 overall in 1984 out of Arkansas by the San Antonio Spurs, his second year was one of the most dominant defensive performances ever seen, as he became the only player to amass over 300 steals in a single season and became both the only non-center ever to post a quadruple-double and the only one to do so with steals as one of the categories. For his efforts, he was named Defensive Player of the Year and the league's inaugural Most Improved Player. This performance wasn't a flash in the pan, either, as he led the NBA in steals two more times and was named a four-time All-Star and six-time All-Defensive teamer (a span that also includes his time with the Bucks from 1989-93). He retired in 1997 after bouncing around the NBA and CBA. Such a resume would seem to make Robertson a no-brainer Hall of Famer were it not for two factors: 1. His teams were never very good while he was with them, and 2. He had a long history of serious legal trouble during and after his career involving domestic and sexual assault charges, including a jail sentence while with the Bucks.
• Oscar Robertson was a 6-foot-5, 220-pound guard selected as the territorial pick by the Cincinnati Royals (later Sacramento Kings) in 1960 shortly after he won Olympic gold. He went on to become the all-time franchise leader in points, assists, and leaders, but that really only scratches the surface of his importance to basketball. "The Big O" is recognized as the first legitimate "big guard" in the NBA, paving the way for other oversized backcourt players like Magic Johnson. Furthermore, he is also credited with inventing the head fake and the fadeaway jump shot, and he led the NBA in assists six times. He was the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season (in 1961–62) and held the career triple-double record (181); both feats stood for pver half a century before being surpassed by Russell Westbrook.^note Robertson lived to see Westbrook match his feats, and despite a reputation for being very prickly, he publicly cheered for Westbrook to do so... which may have had to do with the triple-double not even being an officially tracked stat while he played. In fact, Robertson averaged a triple-double over his first five seasons combined, a span in which he also won Rookie of the Year, then league MVP in 1964. The twelve-time All-Star and three-time All-Star MVP was greatly impacted by racism throughout his playing career, especially during high school in Indianapolis and college at Cincinnati. This, combined with frustration over the Royals' inability to even reach the Finals (let alone win a championship) and clashes with the coaching staff, led Robertson to successfully push for a trade out of the Royals to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1970, helping the young team to win a championship in his first season there. The same year, as the third president of the Players' Association (1965-74), he was the lead plaintiff in a 1970 lawsuit that became known as the "Oscar Robertson suit", which led to an extensive reform of the league's strict free agency and draft rules and, subsequently, to higher salaries for all players. Robertson retired in 1974 as the NBA's all-time leader in career assists and free throws and the #2 in scoring (all since surpassed). The now-Kings retired his #14 (and the Bucks his #1), and the Western Conference Championship Trophy is named in his honor.
• David Robinson is one of the greatest and most respected centers in NBA history who played his whole pro career with the San Antonio Spurs. He is a Hall of Famer, Rookie of the Year, 1995 MVP, 1992 Defensive Player of the Year, 10-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA player, eight-time Defensive Teamer, and a two-time NBA champion with Tim Duncan; the pair was known as the "Twin Towers". He's also notable for having been drafted #1 overall out of the U.S. Naval Academy and serving two years as a commissioned officer before beginning his basketball career in 1989, giving him the nickname "The Admiral" (he was actually a lieutenant, though the idea of a 7-foot tall Four-Star Badass who could kick your ass on the court is certainly awesome). That two-year gap meant he was still an "amateur" in 1988, allowing him to play for the bronze medal-winning Olympic team that year, which made his membership in the Dream Team in 1992 My Greatest Second Chance; he won gold in that and the next Olympics. Robinson's arrival immediately turned the Spurs around after a few down years. He was one of the few NBA players of his era to post a 70+ point game, doing so in the final game of the 1993-94 season; this monster effort ensured he narrowly won his only scoring title that year (he had previously led the league in rebounds and blocks). That season also saw him become the last player to put up a quadruple-double. Despite his individual success and leading the team on several playoff runs (including a Conference Finals appearance after his MVP year), a title eluded Robinson until late in his career after Duncan's arrival. He retired in 2003 after winning his second ring, and the Spurs retired his #50. The trophy for NBA's Community Assist Award recognizing philanthropic activity is named in his honor.
• Thomas Robinson was a power forward/center selected #5 overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2012 out of Kansas where he exploded in his junior season as a double-double machine and led the Jayhawks to a Final Four appearance. As a rookie, he badly struggled coming off the bench with his most notable act being to hit an opposing player in the throat, earning him a two game suspension. He was traded mid-season to the Rockets having never started a game for the Kings, and likewise never started in Houston. He played for four other teams over the next three seasons before moving on to play internationally, his 4.9 PPG among the worst ever for a top five pick in the lottery era. He was selected ahead of Damian Lillard and Draymond Green (making it the third time the Kings passed on one of the Warriors dynastic "Big Three" for a bust at the same position) and the second bust they selected in a row after Jimmer Fredette.
• Guy Rodgers was a Hall of Fame point guard for the Philadelphia Warriors. A Philly native and Temple alum, Rodgers was the Warriors' territorial pick in 1958 and quickly emerged as one of the greatest passers of his era, leading the league in assists twice and serving as runner-up four other occasions. He ended his career with brief stints with the Bulls, Royals, and Bucks before retiring in 1970, and he passed away in 2001.
• Dennis Rodman, aka "The Worm", was a Hall of Fame power forward famous for his daily hair color changes, non-conformist persona, and controversial off-the-court antics. Despite his antics, he is among the greatest defensive players in league history, leading the league in rebounding a record seven straight seasons (1992-98). He spent the largest part of his career as a "Bad Boy" Detroit Piston before going to the Chicago Bulls. For more, see his own page.
• Wayne "Tree" Rollins was a center who played 18 seasons in the NBA, the first eleven of which were spent with the Atlanta Hawks after he was drafted #14 overall out of Clemson in 1977. Rollins led the NBA in blocks in '83 and remains the franchise leader in the category, though NBA fans likely know him best as the guy who nearly bit Danny Ainge's finger off in a playoff game. He retired in 1995 after already serving as a player-coach and spent the next two decades as an assistant.
• Rajon Rondo was a point guard for the Boston Celtics, who selected him #21 overall (via the Suns) in 2006 out of Kentucky. While Pierce, Allen, and Garnett were touted as Boston's championship-winning Big 3, it was Rondo that regularly coordinated their plays during games, leading the league in assists thrice. His contributions were made especially evident during 2010, when he also led the league in steals. His first major drive into stardom, media coverage, and fan recognition came when he kept playing in a 2011 game against the Heat even when his arm was dislocated. On a more personal note, Rondo was noted for his weird on-court antics, off-court quirkiness (arriving to Chicago in the 2009 playoffs in a Red Bull NASCAR car), and relative Hair-Trigger Temper. Boston traded him out of town to Dallas in 2014, and he bounced around to eight different teams. In 2020, he became the second player to win a championship for both the Lakers and the Celtics (the first being Clyde Lovellette) and set the record for the longest gap between championships. He formally retired in 2024 after being unsigned since 2022 while dealing with off-court legal issues.
• Derrick Rose was a star point guard for the Chicago Bulls and a major case of What Could Have Been in Bulls (and NBA) history. Drafted #1 overall in 2008 out of Memphis, the hometown hero was born, grew up, and played in Chicago in his high school days. To start his career, he didn't disappoint - blazing fast and strong, he became Rookie of the Year and the first rookie to win the All-Star Skills Challenge, and in 2011 became the youngest player ever be named MVP at just 22 years old (and the only Bull besides his childhood hero Jordan himself) before taking the Bulls to their only Conference Finals since MJ. However, the three-time All-Star never saw that level of success again: Throughout the next season, Rose was plagued with various injuries on his toe, back, groin, foot, and ankle, causing him to miss most games and look notably rustier in those he did play. Though he made the cover of NBA 2K 13, Rose skipped out the 2012-13 season, and his return the following year only lasted 10 games before his other knee gave in and forced him out again. While he remained a somewhat productive player after his return, he sadly never quite got back to the rarefied level he was at before his first knee injury and began to struggle with off-court legal issues. He was traded to the Knicks in 2016 and has since bounced around the league.
• Brandon Roy was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers #6 overall out of Washington in 2006. He won Rookie of the Year followed by three All-Star appearances, but a degenerative knee condition caused him constant pain, leading him to an early retirement in 2011 shortly after coming off the bench (with an injury) to score 16 fourth quarter points in Game 4 versus the Mavericks and come back from a 23-point deficit. After a failed comeback attempt with the Timberwolves, he retired and moved into coaching.
• Ricky Rubio was a Spanish point guard who first gained international fame in 2005, when his club put him on the main roster and played him in Spain's top pro league days before his 15th birthday. He gained more acclaim by playing in the EuroLeague at 16, then for Spain's Olympic team at 17. He entered the 2009 NBA Draft and was selected #5 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves (via the Wizards) but didn't join the team until 2011 as he wrapped up international commitments. A skilled ball-handler, he never fully broke out at the NBA level due to his somewhat limited shooting and bounced around the league from 2017-23, most recently playing in Cleveland before stepping away from the game in early 2024. Internationally, he's led the Spanish national team to two Olympic medals (silver in 2008, bronze in 2016), four medals at EuroBasket (including two golds), and a gold medal at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, also being named World Cup MVP. He was the first of back-to-back point guards selected by the T-Wolves that year (both ahead of the best PG in the class, Stephen Curry).
• Bill Russell was perhaps the greatest defensive player ever and another major contender in the "best ever" debates, leading the Boston Celtics to a staggering 11 championships in the 1950s and '60s; see his page for more details.

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• Arvydas Sabonis, a Lithuanian great who is also in the Hall of Fame, is another example of What Could Have Been (though infinitely less tragic than Dražen Petrović in that Sabas is very much alive). During the last half of the 1980s, he was arguably the best center in the world, notably leading the Soviet national team to Olympic gold in 1988. However, he suffered numerous Achilles and knee injuries, and by the time he arrived with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1995, he had lost virtually all of his mobility.^note When Portland's general manager consulted with the team doctor before signing him, the doctor said that Sabonis' leg X-rays would qualify him for a handicapped parking space! Nonetheless, he remained an effective scorer, rebounder, and (for a big man) passer for seven seasons in Portland before he returned to Lithuania to finish his career.
  • Domantas Sabonis, Arvydas' son, played at Gonzaga before declaring for the 2016 Draft; he was drafted #11 overall by the Thunder (via the Magic), and became a regular All-Star with the Pacers. He truly ascended after being traded to the Kings just before the 2022 trade deadline, helping them break their NBA record playoff drought in his first full season in Sacto after leading the NBA in rebounds and double-doubles. He repeated both feats the following year, becoming the league's most consistent double-double producer since Wilt Chamberlain in the process.
• Ralph Sampson was a star center at Virginia before the Houston Rockets drafted him #1 overall in 1983. While the team continued to struggle upon his arrival, the 7'4" Sampson immediately lived up to his college promise and won Rookie of the Year. When the Rockets received the #1 pick again the following year and used it on fellow big man Hakeem Olajuwon (see below), Sampson continued to thrive as a power forward, winning All-Star Game MVP in his second season and taking the Rockets to a Finals appearance in his third as one half of the Rockets' "Twin Towers". Despite the blazing start to his career, earning All-Star nods in each of his first four seasons, knee injuries and repeated surgeries derailed his career; he was traded to the Warriors during the 1987-88 season, was mostly relegated to the bench in stints with the Kings and Bullets, and retired in 1992. Despite the brevity of his peak and some post-career legal issues, Sampson was still inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2011.
• Thomas "Satch" Sanders was a power forward for the '60s Boston Celtics, drafted #8 overall in 1960 out of NYU. Sanders played all 13 of his NBA seasons in Boston, and while he wasn't highly acclaimed (his biggest honor being an All-Defensive Second-Team nod in '69), he was recognized as an important locker room leader who contributed to eight championships during his run, and the Celtics retired his #16. After his retirement from play, Sanders was hired as the head coach for Harvard's basketball team; while he wasn't very successful, he was the first African American HC for any sport in the Ivy League. After a very brief and likewise unsuccessful run as the Celtics' HC in 1978, Sanders founded the NBA's Rookie Transition Program, helping several generations of college players transition to life in the pros; it was for this contribution, rather than his basketball career, that he received a Hall of Fame induction in 2011.
• Dolph Schayes was one of the NBA's first stars, literally scoring the first basket in the first All-Star Game. The Bronx native was drafted #4 overall in 1948 by his hometown Knicks, but he elected to instead sign with the Syracuse Nationals of the NBL, who offered him a much bigger contract. He was named the league's last Rookie of the Year before their merger with the NBA, after which he was named an All-Star every season until 1962 (12 in all) and led the team to a championship in 1955. While he led the league in rebounding in 1951 and still holds the 76ers all-time record in the category, he was best known for his scoring. After he broke his right arm early in his career and played the entire season with a cast, he became exceptionally dexterous with both hands, making him hard to guard. Additionally, while the power forward was one of the last basketball players to use a two-handed set-shot rather than a one-handed jump shot, his high shooting arc Signature Move (nicknamed "The Sputnik") was very accurate for his era; this, combined with leading the league in minutes played in the mid-'50s, helped him become the first NBA player to compile 15,000 points. He followed the Nationals in 1963 when they became the Philadelphia 76ers, mostly shifting to a head coach role in that time. After fully retiring from play in '64, he won Coach of the Year in '66 after breaking the Celtics' long reign over their division, though they wound up losing to Boston in the playoffs anyways; he was fired, and his successor took the team over the top to a title. Schayes served for a few years as the NBA's referee supervisor before briefly stepping in as the Buffalo Braves' (the future Clippers) first HC, though he was fired one game into his second season. The Hall of Famer died of cancer in 2015, and the Sixers retired his #4 the following year. His son Danny Schayes had an 18-year NBA career as a journeyman center.
• Detlef Schrempf was a West German-born combo forward drafted #8 overall in 1985 by the Mavericks out of Washington. He broke out after being traded to the Indiana Pacers in 1988, becoming one of the league's best Sixth Men and winning the award back-to-back in 1991 and '92. He was traded again to the Seattle SuperSonics where he moved into the starting lineup and earned three All-Star nominations, becoming the first European player to achieve this honor, as well as the first European to play in the NBA Finals (his Sonics losing to Michael Jordan's Bulls). After two final seasons with the Trail Blazers, he moved into a brief coaching career. Throughout his NBA career, he continued to play for the German national team, including the '84 and '92 Olympics. He has made a number of cameo appearances in media since, including Married... with Children, 30 Rock, and a recurring guest role on Parks and Recreation where he's a local hero to the Indiana community owing to his time with the Pacers.
• Dennis Scott was a small forward and long-range specialist drafted #4 overall by the Orlando Magic in 1990 out of Georgia Tech. Nicknamed "3-D" for his capability at three-point shooting (setting the record for most scored in a season in 1995-96, which would stand for a decade), he played for the team up until '97; he played for five different teams in the next three seasons before retiring.
• Malik Sealy was drafted #14 overall in 1992 out of St. John's in Queens, NY, by the Pacers. He bounced around to the Clippers and Pistons before landing with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1998. Sealy was a capable role player and quickly became star Kevin Garnett's best friend. Tragically, Sealy died in a car accident in 2000 at just 30 years old; the T-Wolves retired Sealy's #2.
• God Shammgod was a second-round selection for the Washington Wizards in 1997 out of Providence and played just one season for them before going overseas for his basketball career, and is currently a player development coach for the Dallas Mavericks. Despite this, he has become a street and college ball legend in his own right, due to his eponymous crossover dribble. Current point guards in the NBA and international basketball have since adopted his moves to the pro game with much success.
• Bill Sharman was Bob Cousy's shooting guard partner in the early Boston Celtics backcourt and a Hall of Famer as both a player and coach. Initially drafted in the second round in 1950 by the short-lived Washington Capitols, the USC product was picked up by the Celtics the next year after the Capitols folded. His excellent accuracy (he led the league in free throw percentage a record eight times) helped him pick up eight All-Star nods (winning the '55 game's MVP) and win four titles in Boston. Following his retirement in 1961, he moved straight into coaching, eventually winning multiple rings with the Los Angeles Lakers as an HC and exec; see more on the main page. Despite his defection to the Celtics' most hated enemy, the team retired his #21. Sharman passed away in 2013.
• Gene Shue was a guard drafted #3 overall out of Maryland in 1954 by the Warriors, but he was quickly sold to the Knicks and landed with the Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons in 1956. He reached the height of his individual success with the team, being named an All-Star for five straight seasons and becoming known for his expert ball-handling skills (including being credited with inventing the spin move). However, his solo talents weren't enough to elevate the team to a great number of wins, a trend that continued when he transitioned to a long coaching career after retiring from play in 1964 (see the main NBA page under "Coaches" for more).
• Pascal Siakam is a Cameroonian power forward drafted #27 overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2016 out of New Mexico State. Despite putting up decent numbers in his rookie season, his performance was considered lackluster and he was sent down to the Raptors 905, which he helped lead to a D (now G) League title along with earning Finals MVP. He returned to the NBA the next year and broke out the next season, being named Most Improved Player. During the 2019 playoffs, he helped the Raptors reach the Finals and he recorded team highs in points during Game 1 and Game 6 en route to the team's first championship. With the departure of Kawhi Leonard, Raptors fans looked to Siakam to fill the void, and he made All-NBA twice in Toronto before being traded to the Pacers during the 2023–24 season.
• Jack Sikma, a 6'11" forward/center who went #8 overall to the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1977 Draft despite playing for NAIA school Illinois Wesleyan,^note which has since moved to NCAA D-III went on to make seven straight All-Star Games (1979–85) and contribute to the Sonics' only NBA title in 1979. In some ways, he was an American precursor to Dirk Nowitzki, with unusually good shooting ability for a big man and his own Signature Move, a behind-the-head jumper; also like Nowitzki, he was a very good free throw shooter, even leading the NBA in free-throw percentage one season (the only center in NBA history to accomplish this). After nine years in Seattle, he played another five with the Bucks before his retirement. Despite his strong Hall of Fame credentials, both in traditional numbers and in more advanced metrics, he was long unable to gain any momentum for induction to Springfield, never making the list of finalists before his long-awaited induction in 2019. The Sonics retired his #43, and he remains the franchise leader in rebounds.
• James Silas was drafted in the fifth round by the Rockets out of Stephen F. Austin in 1972 but was waived before the season and instead signed with the Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA. The point guard broke out as the young franchise's first real star after they became the San Antonio Spurs, earning the nicknames "the Snake" and "the late Mr. Silas" for his clutch ability late in games. He retired in 1982 after a year in Cleveland, and his #13 was the first jersey retired by the Spurs.
• Paul Silas was an important defensive contributor to the '70s Boston Celtics and had a nearly half-century career in the NBA. The power forward was initially a second round pick by the Hawks out of Creighton in 1964, had his first All-Star season with the Suns, and landed in Boston in 1972. Silas won two rings in Boston and one more with the SuperSonics and served as president of the NBPA from 1974 until he retired from play in 1980. He immediately entered coaching. After a poor showing as the HC of the Clippers, he worked his way back up the coaching ranks, being hired by former Celtics teammate Dave Cowens as an assistant with the Hornets and experiencing some success as HC after succeeding him. A later stint as HC of the Cavaliers flamed out, with him being fired in the middle of a winning season due to his clashes with players. He later returned to Charlotte to coach the Bobcats, where he unfortunately oversaw the worst season in NBA history in terms of win percentage in 2011-12, which marked the end of his time in the NBA. Silas passed away in 2022.
• Ben Simmons shined in college on a mediocre LSU team before being drafted #1 overall in 2016 by the Philadelphia 76ers. Like Joel Embiid a few seasons before, he also sat out his intended rookie year due to a foot injury. The similarities to Embiid, however, end there. The Australian son of an African-American player is a point guard in a stretch four's body (6'10"). When Simmons finally got to play in 2017–18, he had by some advanced statistical measures the best rookie season by any player in the '10s, was named Rookie of the Year, and was featured on the cover of NBA 2K 19 in his home market of Oceania. However, despite another stellar season and leading the league in steals in 2019-20, Simmons saw the court less and less due both to physical injuries and struggles with his mental health. Following tensions with his team after a tumultuous 2021 playoffs, Simmons sat out for an extended period, breaking the NBA record for fines for missed games, and requested a trade for most of the following season until the Sixers dealt him (along with Seth Curry and Andre Drummond) to the Nets in exchange for James Harden (and Paul Millsap). Simmons likewise didn't play much for the Nets and struggled greatly when he did, leaving many to wonder about his NBA future.
• Jerry Sloan is best known as a Hall of Fame coach for the Utah Jazz, but he was first a legendary player for the Chicago Bulls, who honored him by making his #4 their first retired jersey. For more on Sloan, see the main page.
• Marcus Smart was drafted #6 overall in 2014 out of Oklahoma State and soon became a fan favorite with the Boston Celtics. After starting out as a shooting guard, he was moved to point guard in 2021 and immediately thrived at the new position, becoming the first guard to win Defensive Player of the Year since Gary Payton over two decades prior and helping take the Celtics to a Finals appearance. His efficiency on both ends of the court also earned him three Hustle Awards, including two straight in '22 and '23. However, Smart was traded to the Grizzlies in 2023 in a a cap-saving maneuver.
• Kenny Smith, nicknamed "The Jet", was drafted #6 overall by the Kings in 1987. After successful play at North Carolina (alongside Michael Jordan in his rookie year), the point guard joined the All-Rookie First Team, then was traded to Atlanta in the middle of his third season, after which he was traded again to the Houston Rockets. Smith became their starting point guard, contributing to their consecutive championships in the mid-'90s by organizing play and spacing the floor with three-point shooting, including setting a then-record for three-pointers in a finals game. He also became only the fourth player to compete in both the Slam Dunk Contest and Three-Point Shootout, and the first to do both in the same year. Wear and injuries took their toll, and after the Rockets released him in 1996, Smith bounced around three teams in a single season before retiring. Smith landed a role on the desk of Inside the NBA in 1998 and immediately found his niche; he has served as a regular analyst on the most popular basketball analysis show ever since, serving as the middle ground between down-to-earth straight man Ernie Johnson and the larger-than-life personalities of his Hall of Fame co-stars. He continues his career as a point guard off the court, lending most of the show's actual play analysis and setting up his teammates to land jokes, and calling the plays of the Dunk Contest as its voice.
• Randy Smith was a shooting guard drafted in the seventh round in 1971 by the young Buffalo Braves, mainly because he was a local who played at D-II Buffalo State. Smith outperformed all expectations, not just making the team but emerging as one of the young franchise's stars, playing for the team for the next eight years through its move to San Diego and transformation into the Clippers. During that stretch, Smith earned two All-Star selections (winning game MVP in '78) and set an NBA record for consecutive games (906) that would stand until A.C. Green passed it nearly two decades later. Smith retired in 1983 after bouncing around the league (including another season back with the Clippers). Decades after his retirement, he remains the Clippers' all-time leader in games, minutes, and steals. Smith died of a heart attack in 2009.
• Latrell Sprewell was a wing drafted #24 overall in 1992 out of Alabama by the Golden State Warriors, where he developed into a star scoring threat, earning three All-Star nods in the Bay. Unfortunately, he was also known for his incredibly short temper. He had multiple fights with teammates and most infamously attacked head coach P.J. Carlesimo in practice in 1997, choking him for nearly 10 seconds until pulled away, then coming back 20 minutes later to punch him in the face. The Warriors voided his contract (though this was later overturned via arbitration) while Spreewell was suspended 68 games, the longest in the NBA at the time not related to drugs or gambling (since surpassed by Ron Artest's 86 games for his role in the Malice at the Palace). While serving his suspension, he was arrested for reckless driving after causing an accident which injured two people and spent three months on house arrest. After his suspension, he was traded to the Knicks, where he was key in helping New York become the first #8 seed to ever reach the NBA Finals and made his final All-Star appearance. In his final year in New York, he set an NBA record (since tied) by going 9/9 on three-point attempts, the most without a miss in a game. However, he continued to have off-court issues and was traded to the Timberwolves in '03. He helped the T-Wolves make their only Conference Finals appearance to date but did not sign an extension with the team, remained a free agent despite offers from contenders in 2005, and was out of basketball soon after. His legal issues have continued in the years since, including tax problems and a disorderly conduct arrest.
• John Starks was a shooting guard who remains a cult hero for the New York Knicks, even though he went undrafted out of Oklahoma State (after stops at three jucos) in 1988. He started out at Golden State before being cut and making his way back to the NBA via the Continental Basketball Association, spending the best years of his career as part of the '90s-era Knicks (becoming the franchise's all-time leader in 3-pointers) and winning Sixth Man of the Year in 1997. A passionate - though at times hot-headed - competitor on offense and defense, he was the arch-nemesis of Reggie Miller during the Knicks vs. Pacers rivalry in the '90s. He retired in 2002.
• Larry Steele was a guard drafted in the third round by Kentucky in 1971 by the Portland Trail Blazers. He became a mainstay of the team, leading the NBA in steals in '74 and contributing to their title run in '77. He retired in 1980, went into broadcasting, and later served as head coach of the University of Portland's team; the Blazers retired his #15.
• John Stockton was a Hall of Fame point guard who played for 19 seasons with the Utah Jazz after they drafted him #16 overall in 1984 out of Gonzaga, the longest single-team tenure ever seen in the league before Kobe made it 20 in his final season. Short but fast, the 10-time All-Star was a playmaking genius (he remains the NBA all-time leader in career assists and led the NBA in the category in nine straight seasons, including a record 14.5 assists per game in 1989-90), who could switch to perimeter shooting while also staying tough (only missing 23 games in his whole career) and dominating defensively (he likewise remains the all-time NBA leader in career steals and led the league in that category twice). Stockton and Malone popularized the "pick and roll" play, which was soon copied across the league. Though he never could take the Jazz to a championship, falling short in both of their Finals appearances against the Bulls, Stockton won two Olympic gold medals. Stockton retired in 2004 while still an active and productive starter in his early 40s, wanting to spend more time with his family, and his #12 was retired by the Jazz. Also associated with short shorts (which he continued to wear even as the whole league adopted baggier ones) and controversial/conspiratorial politics.
• Predrag "Peja" Stojaković, a three-time All-Star, joined the Sacramento Kings from Europe in 1998 and stayed there through 2006 as a key part of their run of strength in the West. An ethnic Serb born in what is now Croatia, he holds both Serbian and Greek citizenship and played in both countries before coming to the NBA. The 6'10" (2.08 m) Stojaković was one of the league's deadliest three-point and free throw shooters throughout his career and won the All-Star Weekend Three-Point Shootout twice. After leaving Sacto, he played with four other teams (Indiana, New Orleans, Toronto, and Dallas) ending his career in 2011 after winning a championship ring with the Mavericks as one of Dirk Nowitzki's running mates. The Kings retired his #16.
• Maurice Stokes was a Hall of Fame forward drafted by the Rochester Royals (later the Sacramento Kings) #2 overall out of Sant Francis (PA) in 1955. The Pittsburgh native was an inside force and one of the league's top rebounders (and a surprisingly good passer for his position), was an All-Star in each of his three NBA seasons, and won Rookie of the Year. In the last game of the 1957–58 regular season, Stokes suffered a serious head injury from a fall; several days later, he suffered a seizure that left him permanently paralyzed. Teammate and fellow future Hall of Famer Jack Twyman stepped in, becoming Stokes' legal guardian and raising funds for his care through an annual exhibition basketball game featuring NBA players. Stokes died in 1970, and Twyman lived until 2012, but the fundraiser (which became a pro-am golf event after 1999) continued to benefit other needy ex-NBA players until the early 2000s when the league finally took those responsibilities. Since 2013, the NBA has an end-of-season award for the league's "best teammate" that bears their names. The Kings retired Stokes' #12.
• Damon Stoudamire^note No relation to Amar'e Stoudemire which is spelled with an "e" was the first draft pick in Toronto Raptors team history, selected #7 overall out of Arizona in 1995. Nicknamed "Mighty Mouse", the 5'10 point guard immediately broke out, winning Rookie of the Year while setting the NBA rookie record for three-pointers made (since surpassed) and putting up the third most assists-per-game by a rookie in NBA history. He continued his strong play, but following changes to team leadership, was traded to the Trail Blazers midway through his third season. He'd spend the next eight seasons in Portland, though he struggled to match his early career success due to injuries, clashes with coaches that led to benchings, and marijunana suspensions. Still, he signed a large free agent deal with Memphis in 2005 but tore his patellar tendon early in his first season there. He never regained form after the injury, was bought out after two more years, and, after a final season with the Spurs, retired. He moved into coaching and, after several seasons as an NBA assistant, is currently the head coach at Georgia Tech.
• Amar'e Stoudemire started his career with the Phoenix Suns in 2002 when they drafted him #9 overall out of high school. He formed a power duo with Steve Nash, won Rookie of the Year in 2003, made five All-Star appearances, and won a bronze medal with the United States men's national basketball team at the 2004 Olympics. However, he made a very bad habit out of getting injured, often leading to critical losses in the playoffs. He joined the New York Knicks in 2010, helping to elevate them back to relevance with one more All-Star season, though he became somewhat infamous for slicing his hand by slapping a fire extinguisher after falling behind 0-2 in the 2012 playoffs. In February 2015, when the Knicks had the league's worst record, he successfully obtained a buyout of his contract; he wound up with the Mavericks, then played the 2015–16 season with the Heat before signing a ceremonial contract to retire as a Knick. However, Stoudemire continued his playing career in Israel, leading Hapoel Jerusalem to that country's title in his first season there. He moved to China in 2019 before returning to Israel to play the rest of that season for Maccabi Tel Aviv, helping them to a league title and being named the Israeli Finals MVP, before retiring for good. He briefly returned to the States to be an assistant for the Nets with Nash, but he has since seemingly redirected his attention towards Israel, having attained citizenship in the country and converted to Orthodox Judaism. The Suns retired his #32.

T

• Jayson Tatum is the Boston Celtics' current main star, a small forward drafted #3 overall in 2017 out of Duke. There were significant rumors that the Celtics, who were the #1 seed in the Eastern conference the previous season and acquired the pick from the woebegone Nets as part of the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trade four years prior, were looking to trade Tatum for a veteran to help them win now. No trade ever materialized and, luckily for Boston, Tatum quickly emerged as one of the league's top young stars. He has been named an All-Star every season since 2020 and took the team back to their first Finals appearance in a decade in 2022 after being named the inaugural Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Notable for his clutch play, he set the NBA record for points scored in a series game seven with 51 in 2023 (though that has yet to translate to another long-desired title for Boston). He also won gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• Brian Taylor signed with the New York Nets out of Princeton in 1972. The guard was named ABA Rookie of the Year, led the ABA in steals in '75, and won two championships with the Nets (still the only ones in team history). The two-time All-Star was traded to the Kings in '76 for Tiny Archibald; he played a season apiece for them and the Nuggets before rounding out his career with the Clippers, notably becoming the first player to lead the NBA in three-pointers in the season they were introduced. An Achilles tear ended his career in 1982.
• Jason Terry was a journeyman combo guard who played 19 seasons in the NBA. Drafted #10 overall in 1999 out of Arizona by the Hawks, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2004 and served as a capable role-player for the next eight years, winning Sixth Man of the Year in '09 and contributing to their title win two years later. He then bounced around five other NBA teams before going into coaching.
• Hasheem Thabeet was a massive (listed at 7'3", 260 lbs) center out of UConn selected #2 overall in 2009 by the Grizzlies, becoming the first Tanzanian player in the NBA. A monster defensive presence in college, he was viewed as a raw prospect in other aspects despite being a three-year player and many felt he was a reach with the 2nd pick. Those critics were quickly proven correct, as Thabeet badly struggled and become both the tallest and the then highest-drafted player^note Since surpassed by Anthony Bennett, the #1 pick in 2013. to be sent to the D League midway into his rookie season. He never returned to the starting lineup for the Grizzlies, was traded away during his second season to the Rockets, was sent to the D League again, and then bounced around for a few more years. He has since found more success internationally, including winning a championship and MVP in his native Tanzania, but still goes down as a collosal NBA bust with his 2.1 PPG career average being the worst of any top five pick in the lottery era. Not helping matters is that he was selected ahead of two future Hall of Famers in Steph Curry and James Harden, as well as several other All-Stars.
• Isaiah Thomas, not to be confused with Hall of Fame guard and Hall of Shame executive Isiah Thomas (below), is a journeyman who made his name with the Boston Celtics. The point guard out of Washington was the very last pick in the 2011 Draft by the Kings, mainly due to his size—or lack thereof (being all of 5'9"/1.75 m). After being traded to the Suns in 2014, he was dealt again to the Celtics, where he emerged as an All-Star in 2016 and '17, breaking a number of franchise records. Unfortunately, Thomas turned out to be something of a One-Hit Wonder as a hip injury derailed his career; he was sent out of Boston and has since bounced around seven different NBA teams.
• Isiah Thomas, the leader of the Detroit "Bad Boy" Pistons and the franchise's all-time leader in points, minutes, assists, and steals, is both one of the best players in NBA history and a very controversial figure. Drafted #2 overall in 1981 after leading Indiana to an NCAA championship, the 6'1" point guard was initially lauded for his determination, ball skills, and playmaking, including leading the NBA in assists in 1985. His popularity took a hit when he said that Larry Bird would be "just another guy" if he weren't white, but he refused to back down from his statements, accepted his new "villain" role with open arms, and became the general for the Bad Boys' aggressive style of play. He was infamous for his Hair-Trigger Temper, his rambunctious competitiveness, his trash-talking swagger, and his dirty plays. He often overreacted to calls that went against him, committed hard-to-flagrant fouls on others, and left the court without shaking his opponents' hands; he was snubbed from the Dream Team due to his unpleasant on- and off-court demeanor. Nevertheless, Isiah kept Michael Jordan from winning a championship three years in a row, from 1988-90, twice in the conference finals. The 12-time All-Star took his Bad Boys to five consecutive Conference Finals and three straight Finals appearances, winning back-to-back championships in 1989-90; Thomas claimed Finals MVP for that second title. During that era, Thomas was also president of the Players' Association from 1988-94. However, the Pistons' success was soon eclipsed by the Bulls' first threepeat in 1991-93; Isiah himself retired soon after tearing his Achilles tendon in 1994, the Pistons retired his #11, and he earned a first ballot induction into the Hall of Fame. After retiring, Thomas earned an infamous reputation as a bad coach and even worse executive with plenty of boneheaded decisions. Lowlights include: An unsuccessful stint as an exec/minority owner of the expansion Raptors, purchasing the Continental Basketball Association a few years before the league went bankrupt and folded, a middling run as HC of the Indiana Pacers, and a truly disastrous tenure as an exec/HC with the New York Knicks in the 2000s that was littered with controversies on and off the court. He's not to be mixed up with current journeyman Isaiah Thomas (above).
• David Thompson was a small forward and shooting guard nicknamed "The Skywalker"^note preceding Star Wars because of his incredible vertical leap (he could jump high enough to touch the top of the backboard) which allowed him to throw down powerful dunks. Drafted #1 overall by both the NBA and ABA in 1975 after a legendary career at NC State, he chose the Denver Nuggets and immediately established himself as one of the league's best players, leading the team to a Finals appearance and winning Rookie of the Year. Along with Julius Erving, he and his playing style helped to popularize the "high-flying, above-the-rim" game that the ABA- and eventually NBA- became known for. Despite the emphasis on his dunks, Thompson was also a great shooter: his career 50% field goal percentage rivaled that of George Gervin, whom he frequently competed with for the NBA's scoring title. Their frequent scoring battles led to Thompson becoming one of few players to score more than 70 points in a game, which he did against the Pistons on the final game of the season in 1978. Amazingly, the five-time All-Star had the potential to be even greater, but persistent problems with substance abuse and a severe injury to his knee at a New York nightclub put an end to that. Despite his pro career lasting less than a decade, with him retiring in 1984 after two years in Seattle, his peak was still enough to earn him a spot in the Hall of Fame, and the Nuggets retired his #33. However, he's probably more known today for being the idol of Michael Jordan, who has said that he looked up to Thompson in the way that most look up to Jordan himself. This admiration led to Jordan choosing Thompson as the person to introduce him for his Hall of Fame induction in 2009.
• The Thompson Family:
  • Mychal Thompson was the #1 overall pick in 1978, taken out of Minnesota by the Portland Trail Blazers. The Bahamian center played six-and-a-half seasons in Portland, and while he remains the franchise's career leader in blocks, he generally underperformed compared to his draft position. After half a season with the Spurs, Thompson ended his career playing for the Lakers, picking up two rings as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's backup before retiring in 1992 after a year playing in Italy. He is now much more famous for the exploits of his son...
  • Klay Thompson is a shooting guard generally seen as the Golden State Warriors' #2. Like his backcourt partner Curry, he's a second-generation NBA player best known for his 3-point shooting; together, they're referred to as the "Splash Brothers". After being drafted #11 overall in 2011 out of Washington State, Thompson steadily improved with every season, going from a catch-and-shoot 3-point bomber with no inside game to a lockdown defender and versatile scorer. When the Warriors refused to trade him for then-Timberwolves star Kevin Love in 2014 and offered him a contract extension instead, Klay rewarded the team's faith by putting up career-high numbers, making his first of five NBA All-Star nods and going supernova in Sacramento to set a new all-time single-quarter scoring record (37 points). Thompson also won Olympic gold in Rio in 2016. After tearing an ACL in the 2019 Finals, he missed the entire 2019–20 season and then tore an Achilles, costing him the entire 2020–21 season. Despite missing 31 months of basketball, during which the Warriors severely regressed, he powered through his rehab to return in 2022 and helped the Warriors win another championship a few months later.
• Nate Thurmond was a Hall of Fame power forward/center drafted by the then-San Francisco Warriors #3 overall in 1963 out of Bowling Green. "Nate the Great" was a dominant scorer and rebounder and played with the Warriors for the next 11 seasons, helping them reach two Finals appearances and becoming the team's all-time leading rebounder before being traded to the Bulls. In his first game with Chicago, Thurmond became the first player to officially record a quadruple-double (adding 12 blocks to a standard triple-double line shortly after that stat started being counted). While that was a great personal accomplishment, the trade meant that the seven-time All-Star missed winning a championship with the Warriors that season. The Akron native played two seasons with his hometown Cavaliers before retiring ringless in 1977. The Warriors and Cavs both retired his #42, and he lived out his days in San Francisco before passing away in 2016.
• Rudy Tomjanovich was the greatest coach in Houston Rockets history, but before that, he was one of their best players; see his full entry on the main page for more.
• Karl-Anthony Towns is a center/power-forward drafted #1 overall in 2015 by the Minnesota Timberwolves. After a prolific year at Kentucky, Towns was considered one of the best big man prospects in years, but not even the most optimistic fans would've predicted how dominant he was right off the bat. Towns played every game in his rookie year, becoming a two-way force in the paint and being just the fifth player to win a unanimous vote for Rookie of the Year. Though he has struggled somewhat with injuries, he has remained a regular All-Star when healthy and was key to returning the T-Wolves to contention after over a decade of losing seasons; he holds the franchise record for 3-pointers. Though born and raised in New Jersey, he represents his mother's homeland of the Dominican Republic in international ball.
• Nikoloz Tskitishvili was a Georgian basketball star fresh off of winning an Italian League championship under Mike D'Antoni in 2002 when the Denver Nuggets selected him #5 overall. Described as a "shooting guard in a center's body", the seven-footer was expected to be a Dirk Nowitzki-type but instead became one of the biggest international busts in NBA Draft history right up with Darko Miličić. Struggling with the more physical style of the NBA, he started just 18 games as a rookie, averaging an abysmal 3.9 PPG, then never started a game in the NBA again. He bounced around to three other teams but, even reunited with D'Antoni with the Suns in 2006, couldn't contribute as more than a deep bench player. He moved on to play overseas for nearly a decade (winning an Iranian Superleague Championship in 2012), briefly returned to the NBA in 2015 after a nine-year absence with the Clippers (but never played in a game), and retired in 2019. Tskitishvili was selected ahead of future All-Stars Amar'e Stoudemire and Caron Butler while his 2.9 PPG is the second worst by a top five pick in the lottery era.
• Hidayet "Hedo" Türkoğlu was a versatile forward and the first Turkish player in NBA history. Selected by the Kings #16 overall in 2000 after a multi-championship career in his home country, he was typecast early in his NBA career as a "spot-up shooter" like many lengthy international players and was looking like a bust as he bounced to the Spurs before landing with the Orlando Magic. When Orlando hired Stan Van Gundy in 2007, he recognized Türkoğlu's larger skillset and helped him develop into one of the league's most versatile players. Thanks to his length (listed at 6'10"), shooting ability from range, and surprisingly good ball-handling skills for a player his size, Türkoğlu could play any position on the court to create mismatches. He won Most Improved Player in '08 and was one of the stars of their '09 NBA Finals appearance, even helping to fill in at point guard while Jameer Nelson was out with an injury and being the team's leading scorer in the finals. Looking to capitalize on this success, he opted out of his deal with the Magic and accepted a big money sign-and-trade to the Raptors. He regressed with his new team, missed time with an illness, and was suspended after being seen at a night club while allegedly still recovering from said illness, souring relations with the team. He demanded a trade and was sent to the Suns, returned to the Magic, and finished his NBA career with the Clippers, never again reaching the heights of his first stint with the Magic. Since 2016, he has served as the president of the Turkish Basketball Federation.
• Jack Twyman was a Hall of Fame forward for the Rochester Royals (later Sacramento Kings). The Pittsburgh native was drafted #8 overall out of Cincinnati (before the Royals moved to the city) and became a six-time All-Star. In the last game of the 1957–58 regular season, teammate and fellow future Hall of Famer Maurice Stokes suffered a serious head injury from a fall; several days later, he suffered a seizure that left him permanently paralyzed. Twyman stepped in, became Stokes' legal guardian, and raised funds for his care through an annual exhibition basketball game featuring NBA players. Stokes died in 1970, and Twyman lived until 2012, but the fundraiser (which became a pro-am golf event after 1999) continued to benefit other needy ex-NBA players until the early 2000s when the league finally took those responsibilities. Since 2013, the NBA has an end-of-season award for the league's "best teammate" that bears their names. The Kings retired Twyman's #27.

U-V

• Wes Unseld, a Hall of Fame center who spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, arrived in the league in 1968 out of his hometown school of Louisville after being drafted #2 overall. He made an immediate impact, bringing the Bullets from last place to first in their division and becoming the only player after Wilt Chamberlain to be named league MVP in their rookie year. At 6'7", Unseld was short for his position even in his era, but he made up for it with brute strength and determination. The five-time All-Star was especially noted for his rebounding skills (leading the NBA in '75), outlet passes, and picks, and he still holds the franchise records for games, minutes, and rebounds. He helped lead the Bullets to three NBA Finals in the second half of the '70s, including a championship in 1978 in which he won Finals MVP. After his retirement from play in 1981, Unseld moved straight to the Wizards front office, even serving as head coach from 1988-94 and GM from 1996-2004. Unseld's #41 is retired by the franchise, and he passed away in 2020; his son Wes Jr. began a brief tenure as the Wizards' head coach the following year.
• Dick Van Arsdale is sometimes referred to as "the original Sun" due to being the first player picked by the Phoenix Suns in the 1968 Expansion Draft. Van Arsdale was initially picked #10 overall in 1965 out of Indiana by the Knicks and was a dependable contributor with the Suns for nine seasons, earning three All-Star selections. The Suns retired his #5, and he moved into the team's front office, where he has remained in some capacity ever since, including stints as GM and even interim head coach.
  • In the last year as a player, Dick was joined on the Suns by his identical twin brother and fellow IU star Tom Van Arsdale, who was drafted by the Pistons just one spot after Dick. Despite earning as many All-Star nods as his brother, Tom holds the unfortunate distinction of playing more games and scoring more points than any NBA player to never make the playoffs despite playing for five different teams in twelve years.
• Keith Van Horn was the #2 overall pick in 1997 out of Utah by the New Jersey Nets. A prolific scorer for a young player, he never quite developed into the star the Nets needed, though his early promise landed him a spot on the cover of NBA Jam '99, and he helped the team to their first NBA Finals appearance before being traded out of town for Dikembe Mutombo. He bounced around the league (including for Denver and Dallas) until retiring in 2008.
• Fred VanVleet is one of the more notable undrafted players in recent NBA history, being completely passed over in the 2016 Draft despite a strong collegiate career at Wichita State. That setback clearly didn't faze the 6'0" point guard, as he stuck by his slogan of Bet on Yourself to become arguably the most successful undrafted player of the modern era. Signing with the Toronto Raptors, he spent some time on their D-League (now G-League) team before breaking out during the 2018-19 season. During the playoffs, he entered a significant slump while waiting on the impending birth of his son. After his son was born, VanVleet was a key factor in delivering Toronto its first NBA title while defensively frustrating Steph Curry in the finals.^note The joke among Raptors fans was that Fred's son was the actual MVP and, if anything, should get a ring of his own. After continued improvement during the Covid-shortened 2019-20 season in which he was made the de facto shooting guard, the Raptors rewarded VanVleet with a 4-year contract worth $85 million, at the time was the largest contract ever signed by an undrafted player^note Miami's Duncan Robinson surpassed this a season later with a 5-year/$90-million contract.; he rewarded them by settling in as a team leader and being named an All-Star the following season. In 2023, he left for the Rockets and again signed the richest contract for an undrafted player in league history, this time for 3 years and $130 million.
• Anderson Varejão was an Ensemble Dark Horse for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2004-16, earning the nickname "Wild Thing" because of his Wild Hair (that at times were homaged by wig giveouts) and energetic and relentless style of play. The second round pick was the first Brazilian to play in the Finals, when the Cavs lost in 2007 to the Spurs. With limited play and the Cavs needing cap space for new signings, he was traded halfway through 2015-16 and signed with the Warriors, which got all the way to the Finals to face... the Cavs, making Varejão the first guy to play for both finalists the same season. In a cruel twist, Varejão played for the also-rans in those 2015 & 2016 Finals and was cut in 2017 a few months before the Warriors won the title, though he still accepted a ring for that final season. He was out of the NBA for several years but was brought back to play the last few games of his career with the Cavs in 2021.

W-Z

• Dwyane Wade is perhaps the greatest player in Miami Heat history, a shooting guard who spent most of his career with Miami from 2003-16 and holds franchise records for points, games, minutes, assists and steals. Drafted #5 overall out of Marquette in 2003, D-Wade instantly propelled the Heat into the playoffs but was often overshadowed by Carmelo and LeBron. On the other hand, Wade was the first to deliver a championship to the team that drafted him^note unless you count Darko Miličić, but he barely did anything. He was the 2006 Finals MVP for averaging 34 points in the final four games versus the Mavericks, setting him up as The Rival to Dirk Nowitzki for the rest of their respective careers. He continued to be one of Miami's best players; in '08, he led the Olympic "Redeem Team" to gold in Beijing (making up for them only winning bronze four years prior); in '09, he led the NBA in scoring and even placed second in MVP voting, behind only LeBron James prior to him joining the Heat. Despite publicly endorsing LeBron as the leader during the latter's four years in Miami, Wade was still recognized as the face of the team that won another two titles. His tendency to receive injuries due to his physical playstyle became a concern as he aged, but he could still score in double digits right to the end. He was lauded for his determination and heart as a player, overcoming a Dark and Troubled Past and several difficult off-court challenges (especially during the 2012 playoffs), even though it led to him sometimes having a Hair-Trigger Temper on the court. He went to his hometown Bulls in '16, briefly rejoined LeBron in Cleveland in '17, and returned to the Heat in one of the Cavaliers' '18 trade-deadline deals, retiring in 2019 still posting excellent numbers. NBA 2K honored his career by featuring him on the "Legends" cover for 20 (he was also on the cover of NBA Live 06). The team retired D-Wade's #3, and the 13-time All-Star entered the Hall of Fame in 2023. He now hosts the U.S. version of The Cube.
• Chet "The Jet" Walker was an agile small forward drafted by the then-Syracuse Nationals in the second round in 1962 before they became the Philadelphia 76ers. The Bradley product was one of the most accurate free throw shooters of his era, and his Hall of Fame resume included seven All-Star nods and the '67 championship. In 1969, he moved to the Chicago Bulls and kept up his prolific scoring all the way to the end of his career in 1975.
• Kemba Walker is a point guard who spent the majority of his career with the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets, becoming the young franchise's biggest star since returning to the league. Despite leading UConn to a national championship, concerns over his size (listed at 6'0", 184 lbs) lowered his draft stock and the Bobcats took him #9 overall in 2011. He became the franchise's all-time leading scorer, a four-time All-Star, and two-time Sportsmanship Award winner. He moved on to Boston as a free agent for a max deal in 2019, but struggled with persistent knee issues and was traded in a cash dump, since bouncing around as a reserve for the Knicks and Pistons.
• John Wall is a point guard who made his name with the Washington Wizards in the 2010s. A massive college star at Kentucky, he was drafted to Washington #1 overall in 2010 and quickly gained national recognition. He finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting behind unanimous selection Blake Griffin. The Wizards finished near the bottom of the standings in Wall's first three years in the league, but fans' worries that he would bolt to another team were eased when he signed a five-year "max" deal with the Wizards in the 2013 offseason. After setting franchise records for career assists and steals, he signed a four-year, $170 million supermax extension in 2017 that took effect in '19. Unfortunately, he became a poster child for the risk teams take in giving a supermax deal—Wall tore an Achilles late in the 2018–19 season in a fall at his home and missed the entire 2019–20 season. In 2020, the Wizards dealt him along with a first-round pick to the Rockets for Russell Westbrook, but despite showing some signs of improvement, he sat out his second season in Houston to force a trade to the Clippers but only lasted a year there.
• Ben Wallace was an undersized center^note listed at 6'9"/2.06 m, not including the Afro he wore during his peak in Detroit, but admits to being closer to 6'7"/2.01 m who was one of the NBA's great defensive specialists and arguably the greatest undrafted player in the league's history. After being largely overlooked at the small HBCU Virginia Union, he made the roster of the then-Washington Bullets in 1996. The Wizards traded him to the Magic after three seasons, and he arrived with the Detroit Pistons a year later as part of the Grant Hill trade. While a poor scorer and a truly abysmal free throw shooter (his 41.4% is nearly ten percent worse than Wilt Chamberlain's, the nearest retired runner-up), Wallace emerged in Detroit as one of the league's greatest rebounders and defensive stars, leading the league in rebounding twice and blocks once and being named Defensive Player of the Year four times (2002-03, 2005-06), a record shared with Dikembe Mutombo. He proved to be a key piece of the Pistons' championship run in 2004, and the team soon instituted a tradition of ringing a clocktower chime for every score and block recorded by "Big Ben"; such was his popularity and success that he landed on the cover of NBA 2K 5, knocking Allen Iverson off for the first time in series history. However, he was also issued a suspension for his role in the "Malice at the Palace" brawl the following year. He later had stints with the Bulls and Cavaliers before returning to Detroit to finish his career, retiring in 2012 after playing more games than any other undrafted player in NBA history. His #3 was retired by the Pistons, and he still holds the franchise block record. He then became part of the ownership group of the Grand Rapids Drive, at the time the Pistons' G League affiliate, until selling his stake in 2021 when the Nuggets took over and renamed the team the Gold. Wallace then returned to the Pistons as director of basketball operations and the team's engagement adviser. In 2021, the four-time All-Star and six-time All-Defensive Teamer became the first modern-era undrafted NBA player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
• Rasheed Wallace was a power forward/center first drafted #4 overall out of North Carolina in 1995 by the Bullets, though he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers after his rookie season. While very productive in Portland, earning two All-Star nods with his great shooting range and post moves and helping the Blazers reach two Conference Finals, "Sheed" became even more known for his colorful personality and propensity for technical fouls. He notably broke the record for most technicals in a season twice, receiving the most of any player in the 2000-01 season (41); said record likely can't be broken, since the rules have changed to require suspensions after multiple technicals. His frustration with the refs led to him being suspended for seven games in 2003 for threatening a referee, contributing to his squad's nickname of the "Jail Blazers". More humorously, the phrase "ball don't lie" (a.k.a. if a disputed foul call was made by the referees, the player will miss the free throws, because while the referees may lie, the ball doesn't) was made famous by him. Wallace was traded in the middle of the 2003-04 season to Atlanta, where he played just one game before being traded again to the Detroit Pistons; the franchise was a perfect fit for his "Bad Boy" image, and he immediately helped them win a championship and stayed for another four seasons, notching two more All-Star nods. He retired for two years after a stint in Boston before finishing his playing career in New York, and he has since transitioned into coaching.
• Bill Walton, a Hall of Fame center, arrived with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1974 as the #1 overall draft pick after a storied career at UCLA. His first two years were marked by injuries, but his third saw him lead the league in rebounds and blocks and take the Blazers to their first (and so far only) NBA title, winning Finals MVP in the process. The following season, the Blazers were 50–10 when he broke his foot; he tried to come back for the playoffs but got hurt again, though he was still named the league MVP that season. Disgruntled with his treatment by the Blazers' front office, he sat out the 1978–79 season and signed with the Clippers, where he missed far more games to injury than he played. After one last healthy season as sixth man for the champion Celtics of 1986 (and being named Sixth Man of the Year), he got hurt again the next year and retired. Although he only played four seasons in Portland, the Blazers still retired his #32. Since 1990, he has been a color commentator for NBC and ESPN, and has gained the reputation of being a Cloud Cuckoo Lander. Outside of basketball, Walton is well known for being a devoted fan of The Grateful Dead — he's attended over 850 of their concerts and often peppers his interviews and game commentary with references to their songs. Also, despite the Blazers being the team Walton is most identified with as a player, he is personally a Celtics fan and has kept up a considerable relationship with that team instead of the Portland squad that jilted him in the '70s.
  • His son Luke played 10 seasons in the league, mostly with the Lakers. He then went into coaching, landing with the Warriors as an assistant for their 2015 championship and record-setting 2016 team. Right after the Dubs' loss to the Cavs in the 2016 Finals, he became the Lakers' head coach, lasting three years before being canned in 2019 after failing to make the playoffs in LeBron's first season in L.A. He landed on his feet, with the Kings soon hiring him as their new head coach, though he lasted only two seasons there and is now an assistant with the Cavs.
• Bobby Wanzer was a Hall of Fame combo guard drafted #10 overall by the Rochester Royals (later the Sacramento Kings) in 1948. Already 27 years old when he entered the BAA (his college tenure at Seton Hall being interrupted by service in WWII), he played nine seasons for the Royals, the last two as player-coach, and helped win the Royals/Kings' only title in 1951. After the five-time All-Star's playing career ended, he coached over two decades for Rochester's small St. John Fisher program and passed away in 2016.
• Anthony "Spud" Webb, who is noted for his height - 5 feet 6 inches. He is the shortest player ever to win - or even enter - the Slam Dunk contest, doing so in his 1985 rookie year with the Atlanta Hawks and beating out acknowledged slam dunk master and teammate Dominique Wilkins (above), a feat that earned the fourth round pick from NC State massive fame. He played seven nonconsecutive seasons in Atlanta (split by four in Sacramento) and retired after '98; he's currently president of basketball operations for the Texas Legends, the Mavericks' G League team.
• Chris Webber, a Hall of Famer and five-time All-Star power forward, was the face of the Sacramento Kings for nearly a decade (1998–2005). Webber first became known as one of the University of Michigan's "Fab Five" of the early '90s and for being the central figure in a pay-for-play scandal that led to the school wiping his accomplishments from its record books. Prior to that scandal, Webber was drafted #1 overall in 1993 by the Warriors (via the Magic who acquired Penny Hardaway and three future first round picks in the trade). Despite winning Rookie of the Year, Webber clashed with coaching staff so much that he was traded to Washington after his first season. He performed well in DC, but a run of legal issues contributed to him being traded to the Kings in 1998. He immediately sparked a run of playoff success, leading the league in rebounds in his first season there and taking the team to their only Conference Finals appearance since the move to California in 2001. However, Webber never won a ring and was traded to Philly in '05; he bounced around to Detroit and back to Golden State before retiring in 2008. He was the cover athlete for NBA Jam 2000, and the Kings retired his #4.
• Victor Wembanyama was the #1 overall pick of the 2023 Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. Sporting freakish athleticism at 7'3" with an 8' wingspan, "Wemby" was widely regarded as the best prospect since LeBron James and made for one of the most anticipated Draft Lotteries of all time. Born and raised in France where he played in the top pro league and on the national team as a teenager, his combination of size, shooting (including from three-point range), ball-handling, and shot-blocking ability made him a unique and multiple-threat prospect. Spurs fans hope that he will live up to the legacy of former Spurs #1 picks David Robinson and Tim Duncan and return their franchise to its former greatness after an unprecedented dry spell in the wake of Kawhi's departure. He almost immediately set about breaking several "youngest ever" records, mostly pertaining to his ability to rack up sizable block and steal tallies; not only did he lead the entire league in blocks in his rookie year, he averaged well over one more per game than the nearest runner-up.
• David West remains the New Orelans Pelicans' all-time leader in games and minutes. The power forward was drafted #18 overall in 2003 out of Xavier, and while he didn't become a regular starter until his third season, he played well for the team the next six seasons, earning two All-Star nods before signing with the Pacers. After four years in Indy and another with the Lakers, West ended his career winning two rings off the Warriors bench.
• Jerry West was one of the superstars the '60s and early '70s, known as "Mr. Clutch" (for his ability to score buzzer-beating game-winners), "Mr. Outside" (for his complementary shooting style with the more physical "Mr. Inside" Elgin Baylor), and "The Logo" (his likeness is the basis of the NBA's official logo). Drafted #2 overall in 1960 by the Los Angeles Lakers out of West Virginia shortly after winning Olympic gold with a USA team that entered the Hall of Fame as a unit in 2010, the point guard was a ten-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA Defensive Teamer, and led the league in scoring in 1970 and assists in '72. Despite all of his individual accomplishments and leading the Lakers to nine NBA Finals appearances, he only won a single championship late in his career ('72) due to having to compete against the dynastic Celtics. West is the only player to have ever been awarded the Finals MVP award despite losing in the NBA Finals (against the Celtics in 1969). This wasn't just a pity award; West was dominant in all of those Finals appearances despite being on the losing side, and arguably his worst series was the one he actually won. Only Jordan had a higher career scoring average in the playoffs (33.5 versus 29.1) and no one has scored more points in Finals appearances than him. Among retired players, only Baylor, Chamberlain, and Jordan surpass his 27.0 points per game average. Following his retirement from playing, the Lakers retired his #44 and he went straight into the Hall of Fame. West remained attached to the franchise for decades, serving as the team's HC from 1976-79 and its GM from 1979-2000. As GM, he was responsible for assembling both the Showtime and Jackson-Kobe-Shaq threepeat rosters (though he departed L.A. after the latter squad's first title) and won Executive of the Year in 1995 for keeping the team competitive in the transition between the two. He next served as the Memphis Grizzlies' GM from 2002-07, winning his second EotY in 2004 after helping the young struggling franchise reach its first playoff appearance. Following his retirement from GM duties, West has continued to serve as an executive, sitting on the Warriors' board from 2011-17 during the start of their dynasty (bringing his executive ring total up to eight, dramatically different from his playing career) and currently sitting on the Clippers' board. In 2024, he will enter the Hall of Fame as a contributor for his work as an executive, making him the first person ever to enter the Hall three times. Donald Trump awarded West the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019, and the NBA's award for Clutch Player of the Year is named after him. He was portrayed by Jason Clarke in the HB series Winning Time, a depiction as a foul-mouthed and temperamental figure that infuriated the real West.
• Russell Westbrook is the Thunder's all-time leading scorer and the second wheel of the Thunder's former Big 3 (Durant, Westbrook, and Harden), playing at point guard after they drafted him #4 overall out of UCLA in 2008. Westbrook quickly broke out as a star and an immensely productive statistical player, though he's often been the beacon of criticism due to his unconventional focus on running down the clock and jump shots (despite being an extremely poor three-point shooter^note His 30.4% three-point percentage is the lowest of any player with 2,500 attempts.) making him rather turnover-prone. Critics often identified him as a "ball hog" and have attributed some of the Thunder's playoff shortcomings during their era of dominance to tensions that caused; fans would counter that his exceptional play was the reason for them getting that far in the first place. When Durant's departure made Westbrook the team's Number One in 2016–17, he became a triple-double machine, becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for a season, passing The Big O for total single-season triple-doubles, and claiming his second scoring title on his way to winning league MVP. He then averaged a triple-double again for the next three seasons. He reunited with Harden in Houston in 2019, having been dealt to the Rockets for Chris Paul and several draft picks; in that year, he broke Wilt Chamberlain's longstanding record for consecutive triple-doubles, taking that record literally up to eleven. Beyond these many accomplishments, he also won Olympic gold in 2012 and became the only player to be named All-Star Game MVP in back-to-back seasons (2015-16). Westbrook was traded to the Wizards in 2020, where he surpassed Robinson's long-standing career triple-double record and led the league in assists a third time, then hopped to the Lakers the next year, where his production unfortunately took a serious plunge. He would eventually play the sixth man role in his second season as a Laker, where he set a record for the most triple-doubles off the bench. Later in that season, he was traded to the Jazz, then was bought out of his contract to sign with the Clippers. He was featured on the cover of NBA Live 16.
• Paul Westphal led the Phoenix Suns to their first two Finals appearances, first as a player and later as a coach. Drafted #10 overall in 1972 out of USC by the Celtics, the young guard was mostly a role player, picking up a ring in '74 before being traded to Phoenix the following year. Westphal immediately emerged as a star, leading the Suns on a Finals run against his former team that peaked with his stellar performance in the Suns' loss in a triple-OT Game 5. He followed this up with a string of five All-Star years, though the Suns couldn't return to those postseason heights for the rest of his on-court tenure in the desert. They traded him to Seattle for Dennis Johnson in 1980, a trade that soured immediately for the Sonics as Westphal began to struggle with injuries. He was cut after the end of the season, won Comeback Player of the Year during a brief stint with the Knicks, and returned for a final year with the Suns before retiring in 1984. He subsequently entered into coaching, eventually being named his former team's HC in 1992 and immediately leading his former team to a Finals appearance. His tenure with the team was ended three seasons later, but he continued to coach for the next two decades, including brief and middling stints with the Sonics and Kings. Shortly after being inducted into the Hall of Fame for his playing career in 2019, Westphal was diagnosed with brain cancer and died in 2021, just a few months before the Suns again returned to the Finals. The team retired his #44.
• Jo Jo White was a point guard for the '70s Boston Celtics best known for his record 488 consecutive games played for the franchise. After winning Olympic Gold in 1968, White was drafted #9 overall out of Kansas in 1969, right after the end of the Celtics dynastic run. White played a major role in quickly turning the franchise back around, earning seven All-Star nods and winning two championships in '74 and '76. White won Finals MVP in the latter title run for scoring the most points in that series' legendary triple-OT Game 5. White retired in 1981 after brief stints with the Warriors and Kings. While the Celtics retired his #10, White had to wait decades for a Hall of Fame induction, with his career becoming synonymous with the Award Snub in basketball. When he was finally inducted in 2015, he had already been struggling with dementia for several years following an operation to remove a brain tumor; he died from complications with the disorder in 2018.
• Royce White was a power forward drafted #16 overall out of Iowa State in 2012 by the Rockets, though he immediately became notorious as one of the more bizarre draft busts in NBA history. White suffered from a debilitating fear of flying, an obvious problem for a professional American athlete. While the Rockets did agree to pay for a bus to transport him to-and-from away games, his phobia was just one of several mental health issues and general strange behavior that led him to not play a single game for Houston. White did wind up playing a few games for the Kings, but didn't score a single point, making him by some metrics the worst first rounder in modern NBA history. White's post-NBA career has been even more bizarre; he had a few very successful seasons playing basketball up in Canada, dabbled in mixed martial arts, became a full-blown Conspiracy Theorist, and has launched several failed attempts to run for Congress.
• Andrew Wiggins is a shooting guard drafted #1 overall in 2014 out of Kansas, originally selected by the Cavaliers but was traded to the Timberwolves during the preseason alongside fellow Canadian #1 draft pick Anthony Bennett as a part of the complicated trade for Cleveland to acquire Kevin Love. Wiggins comes from a strong athletic pedigree—his father is a former NBA player and his mother a former Olympic medal-winning sprinter for Canada. While Wiggins was far from a bust in Minnesota, averaging nearly 20 points with the T-Wolves, his career was seen as something of a disappointment until he was traded to the Warriors near the 2020 trade deadline. In 2021-22, Wiggins had a breakout season, becoming a key wing defender and secondary scorer for the Warriors' 2022 championship team, earning his first All-Star selection in the process.
• Jamaal Wilkes^note took the name Jamaal Abdul-Lateef after converting to Islam but kept using his birth name while playing in the NBA was a Hall of Fame small forward. Nicknamed "Silk", he won two national championships at UCLA, was drafted #11 overall in 1974 by the Golden State Warriors, and won Rookie of the Year the same year he claimed his first of four championship rings. However, he spent the longest stretch of his career back in his hometown with the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers, who picked him up in 1977. He retired in 1985 after a very brief stint with the Clippers, and the Lakers retired his #52.
• Lenny Wilkens was a NBA legend as both a player and a coach, being the only man honored in both categories on the league's 75th Anniversary team (fitting, since he was an active part of the league for over half that time). Relatively tiny for the NBA at just 6'1", he was regardless drafted #6 overall out of Providence in 1960 by the St. Louis Hawks, where he played for eight seasons before being traded to the Seattle SuperSonics. In his second season with the Sonics, Wilkens was promoted to player-coach for the young team and steadily improved its performance, posting the team's first winning record... at which point he was shipped out of town to Cleveland and the team's performance deflated once again. The nine-time All-Star had another stint as a player-coach in Portland before retiring from playing in 1975. He would later return to Seattle to lead the franchise to its only championship. His #19 was retired by the Sonics. See more of his bio on the main NBA page under "Coaches".
• Dominique Wilkins, a.k.a. "The Human Highlight Film", is the Atlanta Hawks' all-time leading scorer. Originally drafted by the Jazz at #3 overall in 1982 out of Georgia, he forced a historically lopsided trade to the Hawks. The Hall of Fame forward was known for his thunderous dunks, usually on top of opposing players. He won the Slam Dunk contest twice; his notable Slam Dunk contest losses were to Spud Webb and to a tightly contested final against Michael Jordan. The nine-time All-Star was also a scoring machine, winning the scoring title in '86, having a career average of 24.8 ppg, and setting a unique NBA record with 23/23 made free throws in a '92 game. The latter record was set shortly after he became one of the few players to recover relatively well from a torn Achilles, normally a career ender. He was traded to the Clippers midseason in '94 and spent the next five years bouncing between various teams in the NBA (including Boston and San Antonio) and Europe, winning the European Cup with Panathinaikos Athens in '96 before retiring after 1999 after a stint in Orlando where he played with his brother, longtime journeyman Gerald. The Hawks retired his #21.
• Buck Williams was drafted #3 overall in 1981 and played for the New Jersey Nets through the '80s, becoming the franchise's all-time leader in games, minutes, and rebounds. The Maryland power forward won Rookie of the Year and three All-Stars with the Nets, becoming acclaimed for his rebounding. He was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in 1989, becoming a key part of their three straight Conference Final visits and two shots at the Finals in his first three seasons there. Williams served as President of the NBPA from 1994-97 and retired in '98 after a few years with the Knicks. The Nets retired his #52.
• Deron Williams was a point guard originally drafted #3 overall out of Illinois by the Utah Jazz in 2005. Although initially flourishing under Jerry Sloan's pick-and-roll system, the two came to have disagreements, which led Sloan to resign and Williams to be traded to the Nets in '11. He won Olympic gold medals in '08 and '12 and had some success with the Nets before being pushed out in '15, bouncing around the league before retiring in 2017.
• Derrick Williams was a power forward selected #2 overall by the T-Wolves in 2011 after a star career at Arizona. However, he never developed as a scorer, struggled with turnovers, fell out of the starting lineup during his second season, and was traded to the Kings during his third season. Yet another massive disappointment for moribund Sacramento in that era, he was released after two seasons, bounced to four teams (the Heat, Cavaliers, and Lakers) in the next three seasons, and was out of the NBA completely before going overseas. He goes down as a colossal bust, not helped by being picked ahead of superstars Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, and Jimmy Butler.
• Jay Williams was a point guard selected by the Chicago Bulls #2 overall in 2002 after leading Duke to a national title. He started the majority of his rookie season and showed promise, but his career ended in a motorcycle accident prior to his second season. Williams was riding without a license, not wearing a helmet, and speeding when he crashed, fracturing his pelvis, severing a nerve in his leg, and tearing all three major ligaments in his knee. As it was a violation of his contract to ride a motorcycle, the Bulls could have voided his remaining salary but opted to buy it out instead for $3 million to help with his recovery expenses. He attempted a comeback in 2006 with the (then) D League, but played in just three games due to injury. He has since become an analyst for ESPN and is an announcer for the NBA Live series. Williams' accident was another incident in the long series of failures the Bulls have had since the end of the Jordan-era, while Williams himself is considered a massive draft bust, going ahead of future All-Stars Amar'e Stoudemire and Caron Butler.
• Zion Williamson is a power forward from Duke drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans with the #1 overall pick in 2019. Described by many as a "once-in-a-generation athlete" due to his rare combination of speed, strength, and leaping ability, he first drew national attention as a high schooler for his slam dunks that were compiled into "basketball mixtape" videos, and he led his small college prep school to multiple regional championships. As a college freshman, Williamson became a near-instant superstar but was injured for part of the season after a knee sprain suffered when his foot ripped through his shoe during a game. He declared for the Draft after that season and immediately became the new face of Pelicans franchise, even when he was injured again in a pre-season game and had to sit out until early 2020. When he finally got to play pro ball, Williamson put up impressive numbers but only played 33 games before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Williamson played well after the season resumed, and in 2021 went 25 consecutive games scoring 20 or more points with a least 50 percent field goal shooting, tying a league record set by Shaquille O'Neal. This early success landed him an All-Star nod and a cover spot on some editions of NBA 2K 21, but he wound up sitting out most of the 2021-22 season with a foot injury, further cementing his Glass Cannon reputation.
• Kevin Willis was one of the greatest Long-Runners in NBA history. A #11 overall pick in 1984 out of Michigan State, Willis spent eleven seasons with the Atlanta Hawks (missing all of the 1988-89 season and claiming only one All-Star nod in '92) before launching into an even longer journeyman stretch with seven different teams that included him picking up a ring with the '03 Spurs. In total, he played 23 years and 21 seasons in the NBA (missing two complete seasons from injury, but still tying Robert Parish's then-record season mark). Before his retirement in 2007, Willis became the oldest player in modern NBA history at 44 years old; he would be the oldest period were it not for Nat Hickey, the coach of the 1947-48 Providence Steamrollers of the BAA, who activated himself for two games just shy of 46. He is the Hawks' all-time leading rebounder and sits at the very top of many career stat lists among players eligible but not inducted into the Hall of Fame.
• James Wiseman has one of the stranger and more disappointing stories in recent NBA history. The consensus top high school recruit of 2019, the athletic 7'0" center shirked all of the top college programs to sign with Penny Hardaway at Memphis. However, it was quickly revealed that Hardaway made an illicit payment covering Wiseman's family's moving expenses, and he was ruled ineligible after playing in just three games. After some legal wrangling, his punishment was reduced to a 12-game suspension, though Wiseman declared for the draft and hired an agent after serving seven games of that suspension. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors were coming off of five straight NBA Finals appearances with three championships entering 2019 but were without Klay Thompson for the season due to injury, lost Steph Curry to injury after just five games, and performed especially poorly in the "Covid Bubble", resulting in an NBA worst record and "earning" the 2020 #2 overall pick in the Draft Lottery. Despite many pundits believing that the Warriors should trade the pick for a veteran player to help them back to championship contention, they saw Wiseman as a superstar level talent and drafted him. Wiseman showed some flashes but struggled with injuries and played just 39 games as a rookie. He missed his entire second season due to injury (though picked up a ring as the Warriors went on to win the Finals without him), was sent down to the G League, and was then shipped off to the Pistons during his third season as part of a four-team trade. He put up career bests in points and rebounds per game in Detroit but was benched due to defensive struggles and barely saw the court the next season, having been dropped to the third string center on one of the league's worst teams. Time will tell if Wiseman can shake the "bust" label currently applied, though he still has many proponents who point to his raw talent and lack of development time as reasons he could turn it around.
• James Worthy was a Hall of Fame small forward drafted #1 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982 after winning the national championship at North Carolina; Los Angeles got him from a coin toss. Thriving in the Magic-led fast-break offense, Worthy immediately made an impact; beyond just finishing a fast break with his trademark Statue of Liberty dunks or swooping finger rolls, Worthy was also one of the best baseline post players at the small forward position, with a quick spin move and a deadly turnaround jump shot. Nicknamed "Big Game James", he continued to average over 20 points per game, even achieving a triple-double effort in Game 7 of the 1988 Finals and earning Finals MVP. A three-time champion and seven-time All-Star, Worthy retired in 1994 and his #42 was retired by the Lakers.
• Yao Ming was drafted #1 overall in 2002 by the Houston Rockets due to his championship-winning MVP performance with the CBA's Shanghai Sharks. He played well for a few years, amassing eight All-Star selections, and his mere presence in the NBA dramatically increased basketball's popularity in his native China (with many Chinese people being fans of the Rockets for obvious reasons). Most star centers in the league have been 6'9" to 7'2" - the 7'6" (2.29 m) Yao might have actually been too tall for basketball, as despite being much more mobile and less awkward than any previous players in his height range, his feet and leg joints just didn't seem to be able to take all the stress resulting from his size, and he missed around half of his possible games in the last six years of his pro career. These physical problems have been used to criticize China's sport-academy system. The eight-time All-Star retired in 2011 after a final Career-Ending Injury to his foot. Because of his extensive humanitarian work and his major role in the growth of the game in China, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016, and the Rockets retired his #11. For several years, he was the president of the Chinese Basketball Association... and the Chinese Basketball Association.^note One is the country's governing body for the sport, and the other is its top men's professional league. He stepped down from the league in 2023 and remains head of the governing body.
• George Yardley was a Hall of Fame swingman drafted by the Fort Wayne Pistons #7 overall out of Stanford in 1950. He didn't actually join the team until 1953, choosing first to serve in the Navy. When he did arrive in Fort Wayne, he quickly broke out as one of the young league's biggest stars, leading the Pistons to two Finals appearances and becoming the first player to score over 2,000 points in a season in 1958. After a season with the Nationals, "Bird" retired in 1960 having been named an All-Star every season after his rookie year. He died of ALS in 2004.
• Yi Jianlian is one of the greatest players in the history of the Chinese Basketball Association, playing there for 14 years sandwiching his brief NBA career. His pro career began (allegedly) as a 14-year-old in 2002 with Guangdong where he won three CBA championships (2004-06) as well as Finals MVP in 2006 before declaring for the 2007 NBA Draft. An athletic seven-footer, he was viewed as the "next Yao Ming". Despite his stated preference to go to a large city with a significant Asian-American population, the small-market Bucks selected him #6 overall; he refused to sign. Despite reports alleging that Yi was four years older than his documentation claimed, making him several years older than typical NBA rookies, Bucks owner Herb Kohl flew to China and personally convinced Yi to sign just prior to the start of the season. He showed initial promise but suffered a knee injury that cut his rookie season short. He was traded to the Nets but still struggled with his health and his shooting; he was traded again after two seasons in a salary dump and bounced around the NBA and D League before returning to the CBA and winning three more championships and five league MVPs before retiring in 2020. He is seen as a massive draft bust in the States, with the Bucks missing out on All-Star big men Joakim Noah and Marc Gasol.
• Trae Young went from an unknown to an instant superstar in college, being the nation's leader in both points scored and assists made in his only year at Oklahoma. Drafted #5 overall by the Mavericks in 2018, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks after the Hawks gave up Luka Dončić for him and another first round pick from Dallas. He became an instant leader for the team; if he were drafted in any other year, he likely would have won Rookie of the Year instead of being runner-up to the aforementioned Luka. (Due to the above trade, comparisons to Luka are always going to be a given.) In his third season, Young got the team into the Conference Finals, losing to the eventual champion Bucks. However, the Hawks have been consistently less competitive each season since, with many detractors pointing to the relatively slight Young's deficiencies on defense.