History UsefulNotes / NotablePlayersOfTheNBA

* '''Tony Parker''' is a Hall of Fame point guard spent [[LongRunner 17 seasons]] with the San Antonio Spurs before leaving for the Hornets as a free agent in 2018 and retiring in 2019. 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, with his relative no-name keeping him off most teams' radars. The point guard grew into one of the most skilled players in the league, slowly replacing Duncan as TheHero 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. The six-time All-Star was featured on worldwide cover of ''NBA Live 09'' and the French cover of ''VideoGame/NBA2K 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, currently investing in the Seattle team in the National Women's Soccer League now known as OL Reign. Parker has also dabbled in music and acting and was once married to Creator/EvaLongoria.

* '''Kevin Love''' is a power forward who became the final cog in Cleveland's "Big Three" that dominated the Eastern Conference for much of the 2010s. He arrived from the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014, who drafted him #5 overall (via the Grizzlies) in 2008 out of UCLA. Love was a key example of the new generation of "Stretch 4" players[[note]]Power forwards who can shoot three-pointers reliably enough to require opposing teams to guard them out to the arc and therefore "stretch" the floor[[/note]]; he gained big notice when he ended up getting 30 points and 30 rebounds in a single game, which hadn't occurred in the NBA since TheEighties. Play like this, plus his array of highlight full-court passes and impressive outside shooting, resulted in Love being the shining beacon of hope in an otherwise gloom and doom team. Riding off the momentum of the 2010-11 season (where he won Most Improved Player after leading the league in rebounds), he continued to provide the team great numbers and won Olympic gold in 2012, but he never made it to the playoffs in spite of his performances. With free agency approaching, the Wolves opted to trade him to Cleveland, where he earned a ring in 2015. [[DidntSeeThatComing Surprisingly]], he was the last of the "Big Three" to remain in Cleveland following James and Irving's departure, leaving for the Heat during the 2022-23 season. The five-time All-Star became one of the faces of a growing movement for mental health awareness in the league, opening up about his struggles with panic attacks and the therapy he's undergone to help him overcome them. Kevin is ''also'' notable as the son of former NBA player Stan Love, who in turn is the younger brother of ''Music/MikeLove'' as well as first cousin to Music/{{Brian|Wilson}}, Music/{{Dennis|Wilson}}, and Music/CarlWilson, all four being founding members of Music/TheBeachBoys. This in turn makes Kevin a ''second'' cousin to Brian's daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, two-thirds of the 1990s girl group Wilson Phillips.

* '''Deron Williams''' was a point guard originally drafted #3 overall out of Illinois by the 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 2011. He won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012 and had some success with the Nets before being pushed out in 2015, bouncing around the league before retiring in 2017.
* '''Gordon Hayward''', a 6'8" small forward, became the face of the Jazz in the mid-'10s. Hayward first entered the national consciousness as a college player at [[UsefulNotes/{{Indianapolis}} Butler]], where he led the Bulldogs to [[DownToTheLastPlay within an eyelash]] of a national title in 2010. He declared for the Draft that spring, going to the Jazz #9 overall, and steadily improved from good to All-Star level. His decision to opt out of the last year of his contract to join the Celtics in 2017 unfortunately cut short his ascent, as he suffered a gruesome leg injury in the season opener. He missed all of that season and didn't recover completely until late in the 2019–20 season, and even then he was never the same player he was pre-injury, though he still averaged in the teens in scoring. He moved to the Hornets after that season, where he remained until being dealt to the Thunder in a 2024 trade-deadline deal. Also JustForFun/OneOfUs, as he's a video game enthusiast, even dabbling in UsefulNotes/ProfessionalGaming.
* '''Rudy Gobert''', a 7'1" center out of France, has become one of the league's most dominant defenders, especially at the rim (earning him the FanNickname [[PunnyName "Stifle Tower"]]). Noted for his ridiculous length, even for his size--when he was measured for the 2013 NBA draft combine, his wingspan of 7-8.5 (2.35 m) and standing reach of 9-7 (2.92 m)[[note]]to put it in perspective, that's a mere five inches below the top of the rim[[/note]] were then all-time records. The Jazz picked him at #27, which was lower than he thought he would go--he wears #27 to remind him of the "snub". Gobert truly emerged in the 2016–17 season, in which he set career highs in scoring, rebounding, blocks, field goal percentage, and free throw percentage. He was named Defensive Player of the Year the next two seasons and a third time in 2021. However, he may wind up more remembered as the first NBA player to test positive for the COVID-19 virus that soon [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic swept the world]]. Gobert's diagnosis caused the league to suspend its 2019-20 season immediately in March 2020 and required the teams he played against that week to quarantine themselves.[[note]]Shortly before his positive test, he mocked coronavirus concerns by deliberately touching all reporters' microphones and recording devices after a home game... while apparently unknowingly carrying the virus. Gobert later apologized and hoped the incident would convey the seriousness of the pandemic, which it [[https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/the-night-covid-19-broke-into-the-american-consciousness.html likely did]].[[/note]] In 2022, the Jazz entered a dramatic rebuild and decided to trade Gobert to the Timberwolves for quite the haul of four different (role) players and four unprotected first round picks.

* '''Kawhi Leonard'''[[note]]first name usually pronounced ka-WYE[[/note]] became the most recent big Spurs star in the last part of the '10s. A slashing small forward out of San Diego State, he was drafted #15 overall by the Spurs (Via the Pacers), became a starter in his second season, and quickly evolved from a defensive role-player to one of the best in the NBA on both sides of the ball. He is known for his ball-hawking style of play (he won Finals MVP in 2014 for successfully guarding [=LeBron=] James and won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2015-16, leading the NBA in steals in the former season), [[TheStoic extremely quiet]] demeanor, enormous hands, thriftiness[[note]]Despite a big contract, he drove a 1997 SUV that he bought in his high school days for more than 20 years, and has an endorsement deal with a restaurant chain that gives him discount coupons.[[/note]], and his name, which has proven to be a [[IHaveManyNames magnet for puns and nicknames]] (most notably "Klaw"). He missed almost the entire 2017–18 season to a quadriceps injury he initially suffered in the 2017 Western Conference finals and became alienated from the team late in that season. With free agency looming in 2019, the Spurs dealt him to the Toronto Raptors, getting [=DeMar DeRozan=] (see below) as part of the trade. In his first year, Leonard not only won his second ring but became the third player to win Finals MVP with two different teams after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and [=LeBron=] (and the first to win it in both conferences).[[note]]When Kareem won with the Bucks, they were in the Western Conference.[[/note]] Despite his immediate success in Canada, he chose to sign the following year with his hometown Los Angeles Clippers, where he has unfortunately struggled with injury, missing the entire 2021-22 season while recovering from an ACL tear.

* '''Damian Lillard''' is a point guard drafted #6 overall in 2012 out of Weber State. From his first game in the NBA, Lillard immediately broke out, being unanimously named Rookie of the Year while setting multiple rookie records. His presence turned Portland back into contenders, making the playoffs every year until an injury took him out of commission for the season in 2022. Lillard is especially noted for his play in clutch situations, dubbed "Dame Time" - for context, he is one of the ''two'' players in NBA history with multiple series-clinching buzzer beating shots.[[note]]Against the Rockets in 2014 and the Thunder in 2019, both at home[[/note]] The other? UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan. He's signed two contracts that were the richest in NBA history by average salary (though not by total amount) at the time of signing. The first was a supermax extension signed in 2019 for four years and $196 million that takes him through 2024–25; the second was a two-year extension for $121.8 million that takes effect in 2025–26 (the latter tying Jaylen Brown's supermax deal taking effect in 2024-25). In 2022–23, Lillard became the franchise's all-time leading scorer and joined the elite club of NBA players to post over 70 points in a game. That would be his last season in Portland; he requested a trade to a title contender immediately after that season and landed with the Bucks. He was featured on the cover of ''NBA Live 15'' and ''VideoGame/NBA2K 21'' and was named part of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

* '''Oscar Robertson''' was a 6-foot-5, 220-pound guard selected as the territorial pick by the Royals 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. One of the most important players in the history of 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), a feat that would not be matched for over a half-century (Russell Westbrook, 2016–17) ''after'' the introduction of the three-point line led to increased scoring.[[note]]Robertson lived to see Westbrook match his feat, 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.[[/note]] 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. Robertson held the career triple-double record (181) for decades until also being surpassed by Westbrook. 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 UsefulNotes/{{Indianapolis}} and college at Cincinnati. This, combined with frustration over the Royals' [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut 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 with the team. 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.

* '''Vlade Divac''',[[note]]last name pronounced DEE-vahts[[/note]] a 7'1" Serbian center, was drafted by the Lakers in 1989 out of Partizan Belgrade and arrived in L.A. that year. He became one of the first European players to make a significant impact in the league. On the positive side, he was a remarkably skilled player for his size, noted especially for his passing skills, and also won many friends around the league with his infectious personality. On the negative side, he earned a reputation for flopping to draw fouls, years before Manu Ginóbili (see San Antonio Spurs) became notorious for it. While the bulk of his NBA career was actually with the Lakers, he's more identified with the Kings, having arrived in Sacto in 1998 (at the same time as Webber & Stojaković) and becoming one of the key players during their peak era around the turn of the century before he retired in 2005 after over two decades of playing pro basketball. Divac also won two Olympic silver medals for Yugoslavia in '88 and '96. The Kings retired his #21, and he was their general manager from 2015-20[[note]]His GM tenure was ''not'' one to be proud of, though, as he made blunder after blunder, most infamously picking Marvin Bagley III over Luka Dončić in the 2018 NBA Draft.[[/note]]. Also a member of the Hall of Fame class of 2019.

* Chavano Rainer '''"Buddy" Hield''', aka "[[RedBaron Buddy Buckets]]", is a [[UsefulNotes/TheBahamas Bahamian]] shooting phenom currently with the Pacers but spent most of his career and had his greatest success with the Kings. A college star at Oklahoma, he broke out his senior year as one of the top scorers in the country and led the nation in three-point shots. Essentially an undersized "wing" (listed at 6'4"), there were concerns over his size and how his high-volume shooting would translate to the NBA, but was selected #6 overall by the Pelicans in 2016, becoming an increasingly rare lottery pick who played all four years in college. He got off to a hot start but was traded in the middle of his rookie season to the Kings as part of the deal to bring [=DeMarcus Cousins=] to New Orleans. Hield quickly became one of the NBA's top three-point shooters, shattering franchise records while setting NBA records for most three-pointers made in a player's first three seasons (599) and fastest to make 1,000 three-pointers (350 games) while also winning the 2020 three-point competition at the All-Star weekend. Unfortunately, the Kings continued to struggle, and Hield was shipped out to the Pacers in 2022 as part of the trade to bring in Domantas Sabonis. In Indy, Hield broke several of Reggie Miller's single-season three-point shooting franchise records but has yet to reach the postseason (the Kings broke their long playoff drought the season after trading him away).

* '''Tim Duncan''' is a Hall of Famer said by many to be the greatest power forward in NBA history who played for the San Antonio Spurs for [[LongRunner 19 seasons]], becoming the franchise's all-time leader in points, games, minutes, rebounds, and blocks. A dominant defender, he earned a record ''15'' selections to the NBA's All-Defensive Team, though he surprisingly was never named Defensive Player of the Year. He likely wouldn't complain about missing out; in addition to being one of the most humble and [[TheQuietOne understated]] players to ever see the court, he won back-to-back MVP awards (2002-03) and Finals MVP in his first three of five titles across three decades ('99, '03, '05, '07, '14), not to mention Olympic bronze in '04. The [[UsefulNotes/UnitedStatesVirginIslands St. Croix]] native (who had originally planned to be a pro swimmer before a hurricane destroyed his pool) was drafted #1 overall by the Spurs out of Wake Forest in 1997; he probably would have been drafted at the same spot two or even three whole years earlier had he not vowed to his mother on her deathbed that he would graduate from college. However, his four-year tenure honed his skills to the point that he ''was already playing at an All-Star level from the moment he stepped on an NBA court''. Fittingly he won Rookie of the Year, teamed up with David Robinson to create a legendary basketball duo – the so-called "Twin Towers" - and carved his niche into NBA history by lifting his team into one of the Western elites: the only time in his career that the Spurs won fewer than 50 regular-season games was in 1999, where due to a lockout there only were 50 games played, and they never missed the playoffs. Because of his calm and unassuming style of basketball – even in his younger years, he was as likely to dominate with footwork and intelligence as with his natural talent, and he rarely showboated or showed much emotion while playing - Shaquille O'Neal nicknamed Duncan "The Big Fundamental". He was likewise durable and extremely consistent, being the only player ever to make 13 straight All-NBA ''and'' All-Defensive selections. JustForFun/OneOfUs at times, as he's a D&D fan and was even nicknamed [[TheSpock "Mr. Spock"]] for his [[TheStoic stoic]] and [[TheSmartOne intelligent]] demeanor. His retirement during the 2016 offseason matched his personality--no farewell tour, no hype, just a statement to the press. To no one's surprise, the team retired his #21. He's occasionally worked with the Spurs' bigs since his retirement, even returning to the team in 2019–20 as a full-time assistant. Duncan was featured on the cover of ''NBA Live 2000''.

* '''Tom Chambers''' was an athletic forward out of Utah who started off with the (then) San Diego Clippers and Seattle [=SuperSonics=] before joining the Phoenix Suns as the first ever unrestricted free agent signing in league history. A high flyer with a nice shooting touch, he is most known for [[EightiesHair his mullet]] and using Mark Jackson as a springboard for a near free-throw line two-handed dunk (this dunk is also a GameBreaker in ''Lakers vs. Celtics''). However, he's also had a respected career outside of those moments, being a star bench power forward for the Suns' 1993 NBA Finals run. He is currently the only eligible player to have scored 60+ points in a game (besides Gilbert Arenas) or over 20,000 points throughout his career who has not entered the Basketball Hall of Fame. Despite this, his #24 is retired by the Suns, and he is a part of the team's local pre-game and post-game broadcasting shows.

* '''Amar'e Stoudemire''' started his career with the 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 [[MadeOfPlasticine 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 [[MemeticMutation 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 continude his playing career in Israel, leading Hapoel Jerusalem to that country's title in his first season there. He briefly 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. Stoudemire then retired from play for good in 2020. 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.
* '''Devin Booker''' is a very skilled shooting guard who oddly started out collegiately as the [[UsefulNotes/PowerFiveConferences Southeastern Conference]] [[StrongerThanTheyLook Sixth Man of the Year winner]] for Kentucky in his only season there. Despite being considered a Sixth Man for them, Booker was one of the key players on a stacked roster that post a nearly-undefeated season. While he was expected to continue being a good shooting guard for the Suns after being drafted by Phoenix #13 overall in 2015, he made his presence be known immediately to Suns fans clamoring for an escape of the AudienceAlienatingEra that was the 2010s for them. Due to his prominent scoring presence along with improvements in both passing and defense, he's been their main star going forward from the late 2010s in spite of serious ExecutiveMeddling going on in that era. He is the youngest player to score 60 points in an NBA, never mind ''70'', which he did at ''20 years old''. He is also the youngest player to compete in the Three-Point Shootout and one of the youngest to win that event, and he went on to set the Suns franchise record in that stat. When the Suns traded for superstar point guard Chris Paul, Booker's presence became one of the keys to help the team from a franchise that had struggled to even make the Playoffs throughout the 2010s reach the Finals in 2021. His success landed him a spot on the cover of ''VideoGame/NBA2K 23''.
* '''Deandre Ayton''' is a very skilled center who, while drafted as the Suns' first ever #1 pick out of Arizona in 2018, has had to deal with being OvershadowedByAwesome from later selections Luka Dončić and Trae Young. Despite that, the Bahamian big man (who has lived in Arizona since his high school years) was a consistent element in Phoenix's system that helped them escape their AudienceAlienatingEra from the 2010s by being a sneaky, dominant presence that stops small-ball dominant line-ups and competes well against the more talented centers of the game. Ayton grew his name during the 2021 Playoffs, where he and Booker were the most dominant players of the team that got them into their third NBA Finals appearance. However, Ayton was traded to Portland in 2023.

** 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 seasons 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.

* '''Joel Embiid''' is a 7'0" Cameroonian drafted #3 overall out of Kansas in 2014, though he wound up missing his first ''two years'' due to injuries and didn't make his debut until the 2016–17 season. He made an immediate impact and looked to have Rookie of the Year locked up... until [[GlassCannon getting hurt again]] (this time a torn meniscus) in January 2017; the Sixers shut him down for the rest of the season after 31 games. (He ultimately lost out on Rookie of the Year to the Bucks' Malcolm Brogdon.) However, "the Process" eventually asserted himself as a star in Philly, earning an All-Star selection every season since. In 2022, he became the first center since Shaq to lead the NBA in scoring, as well as the first since Moses Malone to average 30+ points per game; he not only kept the scoring title the following year, he ''increased'' his scoring output, becoming the first since Bob [=McAdoo=] to earn back-to-back scoring titles and being named league MVP. In 2024, he became the first center since David Robinson to score 70 points in a game. Despite his individual regular season accolades, Embiid's style of play has also been widely critiqued for his dependence on drawing fouls, averaging considerably more free throws per game than most players in NBA history. This, paired with durability issues, may explain why Embiid has been much less successful in the postseason, holding the undesirable distinction of being the only MVP [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut to never play in a Conference Finals]]. Also known for his larger-than-life social media presence (including hitting on Music/{{Rihanna}} and Creator/KimKardashian on Website/{{Twitter}}) and generally being a huge goofball while's he not on the court, Embiid was featured on the cover of ''NBA Live 19'', to date the last installment in the franchise.
* '''Ben Simmons''' shined in college on a mediocre LSU team before being drafted #1 overall in 2016, and like Embiid 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 ''VideoGame/NBA2K 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 and anxiety. 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.

* '''Billy Cunningham''' was a Hall of Fame Sixers forward drafted #5 overall in 1965 out of North Carolina. "The Kangaroo Kid"'s leaping ability helped win the '67 title, and he claimed four All-Star nods before signing with the ABA's Carolina Cougars for more money in 1972. When the cash-strapped Cougars failed to pay his full signing bonus, he tried to back out and rejoin the Sixers, only for a court injunction to force him to stay; he won ABA MVP that season after leading the league in steals and taking the Cougars to the ABA's best win record. When the Cougars folded and moved to St. Louis in 1974, Cunningham managed to return to the Sixers and play two more seasons before retiring. After a year in broadcasting, Philly hired him as their head coach; over his eight seasons with the team, he never had a losing season and took them to six Conference Finals, three NBA Finals, and the championship in '83, giving him a career win percentage second only to Phil Jackson and making him the winningest coach in franchise history. The Sixers retired his #32.
* '''Julius Erving''', nicknamed Dr. J, was ''the'' dominant player in the ABA before the merger, giving the league much of its legitimacy; it's been suggested that getting him into the NBA was the primary reason ''for'' the merger. He was the only player to win the MVP award in both leagues ''and'' the only player to win a championship in both leagues. Erving signed with the Virginia Squires in 1971 in order to leave college at [=UMass=] (where NCAA rules prohibited him from utilizing his SignatureMove of the slam dunk) one year early, then was traded by the cash-strapped franchise to the New Jersey Nets two years later, where he led the league in scoring thrice and won three straight ABA [=MVPs=] (1974-76) as well as two Playoff [=MVPs=] after leading the Nets to their only titles in '74 and '76. After the merger left the Nets struggling for dough as well (largely due to the Knicks forcing them to pay a fee for "invading" their territory), he was traded to the Sixers and became one of the most dominant players in the NBA, claiming the '81 MVP, winning a championship two years later (though the Sixers lost the other three Finals he led them to), and becoming the franchise leader in blocks. Besides his iconic afro, Erving was famous the flashiness of his playstyle, particularly his long-range dunks that made the move a standard part of how basketball is played and coined the term "posterized" for how awesome they looked. Iconic moves include his 'Rock That Baby' dunk over the head of Laker Michael Cooper in 1983 (one of the greatest dunks of all time) and the Baseline Move, a behind-the-board reverse layup executed against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980 NBA Finals. The 16-time All-Star (5 ABA, 11 NBA) and first-ballot Hall of Famer remained active in basketball after retirement in 1987, joining the front office of the Orlando Magic in 1997. A longtime NASCAR fan, Erving also held an ownership stake in the first all-minority-owned UsefulNotes/{{NASCAR}} racing team. He also has a fondness for acting, starring in the comedy ''The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh'' during his career and making regular cameos in other projects in the years after (usually AsHimself in Philly-related works). The Sixers retired his #6 (and the Nets his #32).

* '''Jameer Nelson''' was a point guard selected #20 overall in 2004 by the Magic (via the Nuggets) who had already selected Dwight Howard with the #1 pick. A college star who set virtually every career 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 (during which their friendship took a hit when Howard publicly stated that he wanted to go to a team with "a superstar point guard like Chris Paul", a clear shot at Nelson) 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.

* '''Jeremy Lin''', a point guard who has been with ''eight'' teams in the NBA alone, is listed with the Knicks because that's where he took the national stage--even though he spent only the 2010–11 season in Manhattan. The first Harvard graduate to play in the NBA in 60 years, and also the first Asian American ever in the league, Lin went undrafted and was cut from two NBA teams (one of which he didn't even play for during the regular season) before landing with New York. Once injuries to Carmelo and Amar'e allowed him to play, Lin unexpectedly dominated on offense, scoring a combined 136 points in his first five career starts, the most by ''any'' player since the NBA-ABA merger. He led the Knicks to a seven-game winning streak, sparking a huge cultural phenomenon known as "Linsanity" and became the focus of the American sports media. Just prior to the playoffs, Lin suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee, and the resulting surgery [[DroppedABridgeOnHim forced him to miss out on the postseason]]. As a restricted free agent, Lin signed an offer sheet from the Rockets (the same team that cut him before he landed on New York), a three-year, $25 million deal, which the Knicks chose ''not'' to match. Most likely, they did it because they didn't want to risk paying ''$15,000,000'' for him in his final year, which would have cost them more than $25 million ''on top of that'' due to new salary cap/luxury tax rules that took effect in 2013–14. Since that move, he has bounced all around the NBA, CBA, and most recently the Taiwanese league, never serving as a full-season starter after his first year in Houston, though he ''did'' manage to pick up a ring in his last year of the NBA on the Raptors' bench.
* '''Tyson Chandler''' was a longtime journeyman who spent the arguable peak of his individual career with the Knicks. A solid defensive center drafted #2 overall in 2001 straight out of high school by the Bulls, Chandler bounced around the rosters of the Hornets and Bobcats before winning a ring with the Mavericks. With that championship success, Chandler became a desirable free agent and signed a lucrative deal with the Knicks in 2011. Chandler became the team's defensive weapon in New York's early 2010s resurgence, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2012 (the same year he won Olympic gold) and his only All-Star nod the next year. Unfortunately, injuries and illness ended his time in New York in 2014; he returned to Dallas, then posted stints with the Suns, Lakers, and Rockets before calling it a career in 2020.

* '''Kevin Durant''' is nominally a forward (though with many guard skills) widely considered one of the best players of the 2010s, if not all of NBA history. Known for his ''extremely'' lanky build (which earned him nicknames like "The Slim Reaper" and "The Durantula"), he was drafted #2 overall in 2007 by the Seattle [=SuperSonics=] after a stellar college season at Texas.[[note]]The Trail Blazers' pick before him, Greg Oden, is now considered one of the biggest busts in NBA history.[[/note]] After winning Rookie of the Year in his first season, the teenager stayed with the team for another eight after it became the Thunder and quickly became a superstar. The youngest PPG single-season leader in NBA history, he was widely praised for his sharpshooting accuracy and scoring efficiency, becoming the franchise leader in 3-pointers, and led the league in scoring three straight seasons (2010-12). His prowess was a major reason the Thunder [[TookALevelInBadass took a major leap forward]], along with his then-teammates in Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka; Durant and Westbrook were largely seen as a RedOniBlueOni dynamic, with Durant as Blue and Westbrook as Red. Durant joined the 50-40-90 club in '13 and was named league MVP in '14 after claiming his fourth scoring title. However, his talents couldn't get the Thunder to a championship, and when he became a free agent in '16, he took a page from [=LeBron's=] book and left to join a proven winner with the Golden State Warriors. Much like [=LeBron's=] move to Miami, this briefly made Durant the league's designated villain, ''especially'' to OKC fans. He took away some of the spotlight from Steph and Company upon his arrival, not that it really mattered to them; the Dubs won the title in both of KD's first two seasons, with KD claiming Finals MVP both times. During the final season of his Golden State contract in 2018–19, he struggled with a calf injury late in the season, missed the first four games of the Finals, and [[FromBadToWorse tore his Achilles]] when he returned, ruling him out until 2020 (missing his first All-Star game since 2010 during that absence). While off the court, he signed with the Brooklyn Nets and became one of the few players to recover from an Achilles injury with nary an impact on his performance; though his attempts to replicate his success at Golden State faltered, he led Team USA to his third gold in the 2020 Olympics (tying Carmelo Anthony's record). When the Nets' "superteam" fell apart in the 2022-23 season, Durant forced a trade to the Suns; despite the trade and injuries causing him to miss almost half the year, he became the sole member of the ''55''-40-90 club. He wore the #35 for the majority of his career as a tribute to his AAU[[note]]i.e., youth basketball--the AAU, or Amateur Athletic Union, organizes major summer competitions, outside of the high school season[[/note]] coach, who was murdered prior to seeing Durant drafted to the NBA. He has been featured on the covers for ''VideoGame/NBA2K 13'', ''15'', and the "75th Anniversary Edition" of ''22'', as well as ''NBA Elite 11''.
* '''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.[[/note]]) 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 and also 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''.
* '''Serge Ibaka''', a Congolese/Spanish power forward, made his name as the fourth-wheel-turned-third for the Thunder, who drafted him #24 overall in 2008. He's most famous for his frequent shot blocks, leading the NBA in 2012 and '13 and becoming the franchise's all-time leader. With Ibaka becoming a restricted free agent in 2016, and with the possibility of losing Durant (which in the end happened), the Thunder decided to trade him to the Magic to help restock their roster. The Magic then traded him to the Raptors, where he became an integral part of the team off the bench in 2019, winning his first championship. He has continued to bounce around the league ever since, moving to the [=EuroLeague=] in 2023.

* '''Dwight Howard''' holds the Magic's franchise records for points, rebounds, and blocks, and the NBA record for career dunks. The 6'11" (2.11 m) center was one of the best in the business before injuries and (allegedly) attitude caught up with him. Drafted #1 overall by the Magic in 2004 straight out of high school, he was heir apparent to Shaquille O'Neal (tall, prominent centers who dominate the paint at will, started their careers with the Magic, continued onward with the Lakers, are large goofballs off the court, had a knack for bricking free throws, and claimed the moniker of being the NBA's [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Man of Steel]]). Howard capitalized on the association during the 2008 and 2009 All-Star slam dunk contest when he donned a Superman costume (which Shaq did not take lightly, accusing Howard of [[JustForFun/OneMarioLimit "stealing" his nickname and identity]]). Howard was a dominant defender, winning Olympic Gold in 2008 and Defensive Player of the Year three straight years (2009-11). In the first two of those seasons, he led the league in blocks and rebounds (he led the NBA in the latter category five times in total) and took the Magic to the Conference Finals, winning the first to take the team to their second (and most recent) Finals appearance. Howard was the talk of ''many'' possible trades for the 2011-12 NBA season but decided to stay in Orlando for at least one more season... which was dubbed the "Dwightmare", as he was lambasted by the media for unsportsmanlike behavior (such as sitting out on a huddle during a game despite being the captain), had a feud with coach Stan Van Gundy as he again felt like he should leave, and ultimately sustained an injury that required back surgery and cost him a spot in the playoffs. Even after Van Gundy and the GM were fired, Howard ''still'' wanted out, so they dealt him to the Lakers after months of trade rumors. An underwhelming season led Howard to play shop again in 2013, signing with the Rockets and becoming the first star player to ''leave'' the Lakers in his prime through free agency. The eight-time All-Star has since bounced around the league, playing few games due to persistent injuries, before returning to LA as a bench player and experiencing a "less is more" CareerResurrection. After finally getting a championship ring in LA, he signed with the Sixers for a season before returning to the Lakers. He stayed there through the 2021–22 season, drew no NBA interest as a free agent, and signed with a team in Taiwan's top league. Howard was featured on the cover of ''NBA Live 10''.

* '''Zion Williamson''' is a power forward from Duke drafted by the 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 "[[https://www.sbnation.com/2018/11/6/18008724/basketball-mixtape-history-and1-zion-williamson 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 even in losses 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 ''VideoGame/NBA2K 21'', but he wound up sitting out most of the 2021-22 season with a foot injury, further cementing his GlassCannon reputation.

* '''Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton''' was [[JackieRobinsonStory one of four Black players to integrate the NBA in 1950]] and arguably saw the most success of any of them on the court. Clifton was 27 years old by the time he signed with the Knicks in 1950, having served three years in the Army during WWII after his college career at Xavier (Louisiana), then played several years in the Negro leagues and with the Harlem Globetrotters. His ball handling gained notice from the NBA, and after signing with New York, Clifton helped lead the Knicks to Finals appearances in his first three seasons and earn an All-Star nod in 1957. He was traded to the Pistons after that season, retired a year later, and briefly attempted a comeback in the short-lived ABL in 1961 at the age of 40. He died in 1990, and the Hall of Fame posthumously inducted him in 2014. He was portrayed by Everett Osborne in a 2023 {{Biopic}} simply titled ''Sweetwater''.

* '''Walt Frazier''' was a Hall of Fame point guard, the Knicks' all-time leader in assists, and the co-leader with Willis Reed for their pair of championships in the early '70s. Drafted #5 overall in 1967 out of Southern Illinois, he stepped in to lead the team to their 1970 title after Reed was knocked out by injury with one of the greatest Game 7 performances in NBA history. He continued to stand out as a dominant performer for several years before being traded to the Cavs in 1977, holding most of the Knicks' career records until Ewing swept them away; the seven-time All-Star retired after just over two seasons in Cleveland, and the Knicks promptly retired his #10. Off the court, Frazier was most famous for his [[TheDandy extravagant and colorful style]], which earned him the nickname [[Film/BonnieAndClyde "Clyde"]]. Following his retirement from play, he entered into broadcasting and landed back in the Knicks' booth, where he has called games for decades.

* '''Dave [=DeBusschere=]''' was a Hall of Fame forward for the Knicks during their championship years, though he started his career with the Detroit Pistons, who took him with their territorial draft pick in 1962 out of the University of Detroit (decades before it became Detroit Mercy). Besides earning four All-Star nods, [=DeBusschere's=] time with his hometown team was notable for a few reasons. First, he was one of only a handful of NBA players to simultaneously play in MLB, pitching for the Chicago White Sox for two seasons. Second, he was named the team's player-coach in 1964 at the age of 24, making him by far the youngest head coach in NBA history. However, [=DeBusschere=] was not at all successful at turning the team into winners, and he was demoted two seasons later and traded the following year to the Knicks. Surrounded by a much better cast, he earned another four All-Star nods and six All-Defensive team positions, his physical defense playing a key role in the Knicks' '70 and '73 titles. He retired still on the top of his game in 1974 to take a front office job across town with the ABA's Nets; he was appointed the ABA's commissioner in its final season, helping to negotiate the merger with the NBA, then returned to the Knicks as director of basketball operations, where he drafted Patrick Ewing. [=DeBusschere=] died of a heart attack in 2003; the Knicks have retired his #22.

* '''Bernard King''' was a Hall of Fame small forward who started his career with the Nets, who drafted him #7 overall out of Tennessee in 1977. King started out as a strong scorer from the very start, but he was dealt to the Jazz after just two seasons and dramatically flamed out in just a year due to cocaine abuse and numerous legal issues. After hitting rock bottom, King quickly began to rehabilitate his image and his play, winning Comeback Player of the Year in his first of two seasons with Golden State before landing with the Knicks in 1982. King became New York's star in the pre-Ewing years, earning his first of four total All-Star nods and leading the NBA in scoring in 1985. Unfortunately, late in that scoring title season, King suffered a devastating GameBreakingInjury to his leg that took him out for almost a full year and robbed him of much of his explosiveness. The Knicks released him in 1987, but he regained some of his earlier success in a four-year stretch with the Washington Bullets. That was ended by another knee injury; he would attempt one more comeback with his original team in the 1992-93 season before calling it a career.
* '''Patrick Ewing''' was the #1 pick in the 1985 Draft, taken by the Knicks as the starting center after winning a national championship at Georgetown. He was the first player ever to be chosen under the NBA draft lottery, leading to one of the most enduring conspiracy theories in sports.[[note]]Many fans claim to this day (with no evidence backing them up) that the NBA rigged the lottery to give the Knicks the first pick that enabled them to select Ewing. The most popular theory is the "frozen envelope", claiming that the envelope containing the Knicks logo had been frozen shortly before it was placed in the hopper, allowing league commissioner David Stern to distinguish it from the others when he reached into the hopper to pull out the first one.[[/note]] A Rookie of the Year and 11-time All-Star, the seven-foot giant was an extremely well-rounded player and still holds almost every one of the Knicks' major statistical records (save for assists--he was ''not'' generally a facilitator). He won Olympic gold in '84 as an amateur and '92 as part of the Dream Team and led the Knicks through several ''vicious'' playoff series against Miami, Chicago, and Indiana (many of those matchups went to the full seven game format), even taking the Knicks to two NBA Finals appearance in '94 and '99. Despite his accolades, however, the Hall of Famer remains one of those ring-less greats, in the same vein as Reggie Miller and Charles Barkley. He was also president of the NBPA from 1997-2001, ending his tenure between forgettable one-season stints with the Sonics and Magic; the Knicks retired his #33. He later returned to his alma mater as head coach from 2017-23 and failed to come close to duplicating his college success.

* '''Anthony Mason''' was a point forward out of Tennessee State drafted by Portland in 1988, cut afterward, and ended up playing on various international teams and leagues until signing a deal with the Knicks in 1991. He quickly made himself known as a sixth man and later made the starting lineup of the Knicks due to his blue-collar play and ball handling, winning Sixth Man of the Year in 1995. After being traded to Charlotte, he ended up on several teams before finishing his career with Milwaukee in 2003. He died in 2015 due to congestive heart failure.

* '''Jerome James''' was a center whose career known as one of the worst free agent signings in NBA history. Originally drafted by the Kings in the 2nd round of the 1998 draft out HBCU Florida A&M, the massive 7'1", 285 pounder detoured to the Harlem Globetrotters as well as stops in the Serbian, Montenegrin, and French leagues before returning to the NBA with the Supersonics in 2001. He became a starter in 2004, tallied career best numbers, and most notably, put up a monster performance in the first round of the playoffs. The Knicks signed him that offseason as a free agent to a massive five-year, $30 million deal, but he showed up to training camp out of shape (gaining nearly ''40 pounds'' in the offseason according to some reports), battled a multitude of injuries, and played miserably in just 90 games over the life of the deal (including just four in his final two seasons in New York) before he was traded to Chicago, never playing a minute there; his signing was another major stain on the reputation of GM Isiah Thomas. After a few more seasons in Puerto Rico, he retired in 2015.

* '''Carmelo Anthony''' is a native New Yorker (though raised in UsefulNotes/{{Baltimore}}) who plays small forward. After spending one season at Syracuse, where he led the then-Orangemen to their first national title, he went #3 overall in the 2003 Draft to the Denver Nuggets. While he spent more of his career with the Nuggets than the Knicks (8 seasons to 6), he had most of his best years in the Big Apple, the pinnacle of which was earning a scoring title in 2013. Largely seen as TheRival to [=LeBron=] James, and not just for their frequent, physical [[http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/article/media_slots/photos/000/422/314/143966544_crop_650x440.jpg?1336428971 on-court duels]] during game. They parallel one another rather eerily - both were drafted (among the top three) in the same year, were the go-to All-Star rookies of their time, garnered controversy regarding trade deals, and propelled their rookie-year mediocre teams into playoff contenders that couldn't win actual championships. After coming into conflict with his coaches in Denver (in part due to his admittedly poor defensive play), he was traded to the Knicks in the middle of the 2010-11 season. He continued his prolific scoring in New York until 2017, when the team unloaded him to OKC to attempt a rebuild around a younger core. Melo subsequently bounced around to the Hawks and Blazers before signing with the Lakers in 2021, uniting him with [=LeBron=], though he only lasted a season and officially retired in 2023. Despite all of his individual accolades (10x All-Star, 6x All-NBA, the scoring title, and cover spots on ''[[VideoGame/EASportsStreet NBA Steet Homecourt]]'' and ''NBA Live 2005''), he was [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut never successful in the playoffs]], only winning three postseason series and getting out of the first round twice. On a more positive note, Anthony was named the NBA's inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion in 2021 for his activism in that sphere. Also, despite his struggles in the NBA playoffs, Anthony has won the most Olympic medals of any men's basketball player, winning bronze in 2004 and gold in the next three Games.

* '''Giannis Antetokounmpo'''[[note]]Rough pronunciation: YAH-nis ah-day-toh-KOON-boh. In the standard Greek-to-English transliteration system, "nt" represents the "d" sound, and "mp" represents the "b" sound. In 2013, he and his family legally changed their last names to Antetokounmpo after becoming official citizens of Greece that year.[[/note]], also known as the "Greek Freak", is one of the biggest stars of the NBA's current era and arguably the greatest player in Bucks history, holding the franchise records for points, games, minutes, assists, and blocks. The son of Nigerian immigrants was born and raised in UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} and was drafted #15 overall by the Bucks in 2013 while still a teenager after working his way up through his nation's clubs. His flashy and extremely versatile style allowed him to play well at almost every position, and his life story and winning personality soon made him a fan favorite even when the team was losing. His star continued to rise once the Bucks started winning the following year as his game and body steadily developed, and during the 2016–17 season, the now-7 foot Giannis took a quantum leap into the league's elite, winning Most Improved Player after becoming the first player in NBA history to finish a season in the league's top 20 in total [[MasterOfAll points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks]], and one of only five (at the time) to lead his team in the same statistics in a single season. He didn't stop there, going on to win MVP in '19 and following it up with being named MVP ''and'' Defensive Player of the Year in '20, joining the rarefied club of NBA players instantly identifiable by their {{first name|Basis}}s. In 2020, Giannis signed a 5-year, $228 million "supermax" contract extension that then ranked as the richest in NBA history in terms of total salary[[note]]first surpassed by Nikola Jokić's deal that kicks in for 2023–24, in turn being leapfrogged by Jaylen Brown's deal that starts in 2024–25[[/note]], agreeing to stay with the small-market team rather than follow the trend of joining a star-studded "super team" in a bigger market. This choice paid off for both him and the Bucks: while Giannis did not win season MVP the following season, he ''did'' win Finals MVP after leading the Bucks to their first championship title in half a century. The following year, he became the youngest player named to the league's 75th Anniversary Team. Giannis was also featured on the cover of ''VideoGame/NBA2K 19'', and his life story was adapted into the Creator/DisneyPlus {{Biopic}} ''Rise''. Giannis' brothers Thanasis, Kostas, and Alex all play in the NBA or G League, though none has approached their brother's on-court success.
** While he is well-liked across the fan spectrum for his jovial demeanor and rags-to-riches story, and his accomplishments make him a surefire Hall of Famer even if he retired today, he has a somewhat "one-sided" playstyle - he is a mediocre mid-range shooter and downright bad at free throws and three-pointers (with career averages below 70 and 30 percent respectively), doing almost all his damage from the paint. This was famously invoked by 2019 MVP runner-up James Harden, who said in an interview that "he wished he was 7 feet tall and could just run and dunk", but he "had to have actual skill in order to succeed", in what was quite clearly a jab at Giannis.

* '''Kevin Garnett''' is an extremely versatile seven-foot power forward who played ten years for the Timberwolves and holds almost every major franchise record, though he was [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut almost always defeated in the first round of the playoffs]] while he was with them. The Timbs drafted him #5 overall in 1995 as the first player taken straight out of high school in two decades; his success paved the way for other prep-to-pro prospects like Kobe Bryant and [=LeBron=] James.[[note]]He wasn't the first, though: Reggie Harding in the '60s, Moses Malone in 1974, and Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby in 1975 all leapfrogged college first.[[/note]] When younger, he was famous for his [[IShallTauntYou trash-talking]] and his [[MoneyDearBoy huge contract]] which forbade his General Manager to pay other good players. The "Big Ticket" won Olympic gold in 2000 and was the league MVP in '04, the year he took the T-Wolves to their sole Conference Final appearance in franchise history and the first of four straight seasons he led the league in rebounds. However, he lacked a ring until he went to Boston in '07; in his first season in Boston, he was named Defensive Player of the Year and helped bring the team their first title in two decades. He was considered TheHeart for the Celtics, with his emotional leadership and contagious energy left a very lasting impact on the team and their fans. The 15-time All-Star was traded to the Nets as part of the Celtics' '13 fire sale and later returned to Minnesota in a '15 trade-deadline deal; still, when Garnett returned to Boston with the T-Wolves for what proved to be his last visit as a player, Celtics coach Brad Stevens called a timeout with less than a minute left to give fans a chance to honor him with [[http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/12/22/10647500/celtics-fans-honor-kevin-garnett-video-nba-timberwolves a standing ovation]]. Garnett retired in 2016, tying the marks of Robert Parish and Kevin Willis for [[LongRunner most seasons in the NBA at 21]] (since surpassed by Vince Carter). He received his inevitable Hall of Fame call in 2020, and the Celtics retired his #5 (the T-Wolves have yet to retire his jersey due to a personal conflict he had with ownership on the way out). He also memorably [[AsHimself played himself]] in ''Film/UncutGems'' and was featured on the covers of ''NBA Live 2001'' and ''VideoGame/NBA2K 9''.
* '''Sam Cassell''' was a point guard who played for eight teams during his [[LongRunner 16-year career]], and though he spent more time with others and had greater team success, is listed here for having his greatest individual season with the T-Wolves during the franchise's greatest season to date. Selected #24 overall in 1993 out of Florida State by the Rockets, he was a backup point guard and clutch sixth man during Houston's two straight championship-winning seasons in his first two years in the league. He was traded repeatedly over the next eight years, first to the Suns in '96 as part of the deal that brought Charles Barkley to Houston, then mid-season to the Mavericks ('96), the Nets ('97), and Bucks ('99), always a solid if unspectacular starter wherever he ended up. Yet another trade in 2003 sent him to Minnesota, where he broke out as the #2 behind Kevin Garnett and earned his sole career All-Star appearance as the team reached the Conference Finals for the only team in franchise history. However, Cassell injured his back in the second round and was severely limited, contributing to the T-Wolves defeat. He missed much of the next season with an injury and was traded to the Clippers in '05 where he helped the long-struggling team win its first ever playoff series. In 2008, as an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, he reunited with Kevin Garnett on the Celtics and became a key bench player as they won the championship that season. Cassell retired after the season, [[{{Bookends}} bookending]] his lengthy career with championships, and moved into coaching, mostly as an assistant under Doc Rivers.
* '''Kevin Love''' started his NBA career in Minnesota but has played the longest and gained the most team success with the Cleveland Cavaliers; see their folder for his full entry.
* '''Ricky Rubio''' is 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 T-Wolves (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 to 2023, 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), the other being...

* '''Karl-Anthony Towns''' is a center/power-forward drafted #1 overall in 2015 by the 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 in the succeeding seasons, 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.

** '''Pau Gasol''', older by about 4 years, was developed in the youth system of FC Barcelona's basketball section.[[note]]Like its eternal rival Real Madrid (discussed with regard to Luka Dončić), FC Barcelona is also a multi-sport club that fields teams in a wide range of sports. And as with Real, only the equally legendary soccer team is well-known in the States.[[/note]] He played with the Barça senior side for three seasons, leading them to the ACB[[note]]the top Spanish league, then as now generally considered the world's second-best domestic league after the NBA[[/note]] and Spanish Cup titles in his final season there in 2000–01. Immediately after that season, he left for the NBA after the Grizzlies drafted him #3 overall (via the Hawks). The 7'1" power forward won Rookie of the Year and established himself as an outrageously skilled player for his size, combining strong inside play, an even stronger midrange game, and very good interior defense. He moved to the Lakers in 2008 and had even greater success, with two championships. Pau declined somewhat due to age and the Lakers' collapse in the 2010s, moved to the Bulls in 2014, and had something of a resurrection there, earning his last two of six All-Star selections. Injuries led him to bounce around to the Spurs and Bucks before he returned home during the 2020–21 season, signing with Barça in hopes of one last Olympic appearance for Spain; he eventually made the team for the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, during which he was elected to a seat on the International Olympic Committee for a term that ends at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Gasol announced his retirement that October, the Lakers retired his #16, and he entered the Hall of Fame in 2023. Pau is also known as one of the more cultured players in the league's history; he speaks five languages (two of which he taught himself), deeply enjoys classical music and opera, and originally wanted to be a doctor, going so far as to start medical studies in Barcelona before basketball got in the way.
** '''Marc Gasol''' arrived in the US at the same time as Pau; his parents moved from Barcelona to Memphis, bringing Marc and their younger brother[[note]]Adrià, who himself grew to 6'9"/2.06 m, and played at UCLA for a season before returning to Spain[[/note]] along. Marc graduated from high school in Memphis, after which he returned to Spain to play professionally, first at Barça and later at Girona. After being named ACB MVP in 2008 season, he returned to Memphis at the same time Pau left for the Lakers. Marc developed into one of the league's better big men, being named Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 (despite NOT being named to the All-Defensive first team), first-team All-NBA in 2015, and an All-Star thrice. He began his NBA career as more of a pure inside player than Pau, but later developed a decent three-point shot, becoming one of an increasing number of "stretch fives"[[note]]much like the "stretch four", except nominally a center instead of a power forward[[/note]] in the league. He remained in Memphis until the 2019 trade deadline, when the Grizzlies decided to blow up their roster and deal their all-time leader in minutes, rebounds, and blocks to the Raptors, where he got his own championship ring. He returned to the Lakers in 2020 as a free-agent signee, and in 2021 returned to Spain to play for Bàsquet Girona, the successor to the now-defunct club that he played for before joining the Grizzlies.

* '''Alonzo Mourning''' was a legendary center for the Heat. Originally drafted at #2 overall in 1992 out of Georgetown by the Hornets, he forced a trade to Miami in 1995. Paired with Tim Hardaway, his tenacity on defense twice earned him back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1999-2000 (he led the NBA in blocks both years) and 7 All-Star appearances. He was the centerpiece of the Pat Riley-coached Heat, averaging close to 20 points and 10 rebounds per game and dominating the paint with his intimidating shot-blocking; he holds the franchise record for blocks for both the Hornets and Heat. Known for his intensity and standoffish demeanor, "Zo" was viewed as a {{Heel}} by many and was TheRival to Larry Johnson, his former teammate in Charlotte. Shortly after winning Olympic gold in 2000, Mourning was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a rare kidney disease, which derailed his career and led to a him briefly signing with the Nets. Mourning was close to retirement before a kidney transplant allowed him to return to the game even as he was reduced to a backup role. In 2005, at the twilight of his career, he made his way back to Miami just in time to win his only ring with the Heat. After his retirement in 2008, his #33 jersey was the first that the team chose to retire (his teammate below was the second).
* '''Tim Hardaway''' was a point guard most famous for playing with the Heat from 1996-2001; his #10 jersey has been retired by the team. Originally a member of the Golden State Warriors, who drafted him #14 overall in 1989 out of UTEP. Hardaway was responsible for leading the fast break, displaying his excellent passing and one-on-one skills to complement Mitch Richmond's slashing and Chris Mullin's shooting (the trio was nicknamed [[Music/RunDMC Run-TMC]]). A five-time All-Star, Hardaway reached 5,000 points and 2,500 assists faster than any player in NBA history at the time besides Oscar Robertson. Joining Miami in 1996, Hardaway formed a power-duo with Alonzo Mourning and, in many ways, was the Stockton to Mourning's Karl Malone, winning Olympic gold with him in 2000. He was the Heat's all-time leader in assists and, together with Alonzo, led the Heat to some of the franchise's best seasons. In 2001, he was traded to the Mavericks, then bounced around to the Nuggets and Pacers before retiring in 2003; [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut he never won a ring]]. Hardaway was featured on the cover of ''NBA Live 98''. His son Tim Jr. was drafted by the Knicks in 2013.
** Hardaway went through a surprising amount of CharacterDevelopment regarding his homophobia - he went from publicly saying that he hates gays, to [[HeelRealization admitting that he didn't know he hurt a lot of people with that statement]]. He's now working with The Trevor Project and The YES Institute, which he has done to educate himself on gay, lesbian, and transgendered issues. In 2019, he publicly expressed his belief that his former homophobia kept him out of the Hall of Fame... at least until 2022, when he finally got in.

* '''Udonis Haslem''' was a LongRunner who played ''20 seasons'' (2003-23) with the Heat. Only Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant had comparable tenures with a single team length-wise, and while Haslem's numbers don't come close to matching their Hall of Fame careers (he barely saw the court after 2015, averaging well under ten minutes a game), that longevity is unprecedented for an undrafted player.[[note]]At least in terms of seasons. Ben Wallace, though playing in "only" 16 seasons to Haslem's 20, appeared in over 200 games more than Haslem.[[/note]] A Miami native who played college ball at Florida, Haslem initially couldn't make an NBA roster in 2002, played a year in France, landed a spot on his hometown team the following year, and stuck around for two decades. His rebounding talents made him an important piece of all three Heat championship teams, and he holds the franchise record for that stat. That said, his biggest contribution was his locker-room leadership, which the Heat valued enough to keep him on the roster even after having long passed his prime. He wrapped his NBA career with a 24-point game, [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative the most of any]] [[CoolOldGuy 42-year-old]]. Haslem soon moved into a position in the Heat's front office, and the team retired his #40.

* '''Chris Bosh''' is a power forward and center who last played for the Heat, [[MemeticMutation famous]] for his resemblance to an ostrich or a [[Film/{{Avatar}} Na'vi]] and his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0RVcOKdX9Q weird]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HNE2bdTOcU&feature=related on]]-[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxgv66ErBao court]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOiSAYKfgd8 antics]]. He was drafted #4 overall by the Toronto Raptors out of Georgia Tech in 2003, right behind [=LeBron=] James and Carmelo Anthony but before Dwyane Wade. Quickly emerging as one of the league's premier players, he became the face and leader of the Raptors; he remains Toronto's all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, double-doubles, free throws, and minutes. A seven-time NBA All-Star and an Olympic gold medalist in 2008, Bosh led the Raptors to their first division title in 2007, but they never made it past the first round of the playoffs even as they overhauled the roster, prompting Bosh to sign with the Heat in 2010, with whom he won two championships. During his early career with the Heat, Bosh was often viewed as little more than "That Third Guy" (the Big 2 and a half, it was once called), due to people considering him to be "soft", but he soon proved his importance to the team. As a player, Bosh was particularly noted for his ability to drive to the basket and finish strong or get to the free throw line, but he was also deadly with his trademark jump shot, thereby forcing opposing players to double-team (while with Toronto) or spread the floor (leaving Wade and James open) in response. Sadly, his career was cut short when he was found to have a blood-clot disorder during the 2015–16 season. After an NBA doctor deemed Bosh's condition career-ending in 2017, the Heat released him in the offseason, though he fought to play again until 2019, the same year they retired his jersey. The 11-time All-Star was part of the Hall of Fame class of 2021.

* '''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. became the Wizards' head coach the following year.

* '''Bradley Beal''' was the second-in-command to John Wall back when they were first teammates with each other due to Beal being selected #3 overall in the 2012 Draft out of Florida. After Wall ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and Russell Westbrook]]) left Washington, he became their scoring general and a regular All-Star while setting the Wizards franchise record for 3-pointers. After many years of the Wizards languishing in mediocrity, Beal was traded to the Suns in 2023.

* '''Gail Goodrich''' was the Lakers' territorial pick in 1965 after he led UCLA to back-to-back NCAA championships. The shooting guard was nicknamed "Stumpy" for his relatively short height (6'1") and was taken away from the Lakers in 1968 by the Phoenix Suns' expansion draft. He emerged in Arizona as a dominant scorer, but was still traded ''back'' to the Lakers in 1970 for center Mel Counts. This proved to be a massive mistake; while Counts proved to be a mere footnote in NBA history, Goodrich emerged as the Lakers' leading scorer on their legendary 1971-72 squad that put up a 33-win streak and championship. The five-time All-Star and Hall of Famer put up several more excellent years in L.A. and retired in 1979 after a few years with the Jazz. The Lakers retired his #25.

* '''Lamar Odom''' was a combo forward for the 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.[[/note]], 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 ''Series/KeepingUpWithTheKardashians'', even spinning off into their own show for two seasons with ''Series/KhloeAndLamar'' 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 ''[[Series/BigBrother Celebrity Big Brother]]''.

* '''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 out of West Virginia shortly after winning Olympic gold, the point guard was a ten-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA Defensive Team member, and led the league in scoring in 1970 and assists in 1972. Despite all of his individual accomplishments and leading the Lakers to nine NBA Finals appearances, he [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut only won a single championship]] late in his career (1972) due to having to [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter 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, Wilt Chamberlain, and Michael 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, but 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. UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump 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 Creator/JasonClarke in the HB series ''Series/WinningTime'', a depiction as a foul-mouthed and temperamental figure that infuriated the real West.

* '''David Robinson''' is one of the greatest and most respected centers in NBA history. He's 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 Team member, 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 FourStarBadass 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 MyGreatestSecondChance; 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.

* '''Shaun Livingston''' was an oversized (listed at 6'7") combo guard drafted by the Clippers #4 overall in 2004 straight out of high school. He established himself as a starter by his third season but suffered one of the most gruesome injuries ever seen on an NBA court in 2007 when his knee "snapped laterally" while coming down from a layup resulting in multiple torn ligaments, a dislocation, and a meniscus tear. Narrowly avoiding amputation, Livingston would miss the next 1.5 years recovering, during which his Clippers contract expired. He spent time with the Heat and Thunder, as well as in the D League, but wouldn't play a full season until four years after the injury with the Bobcats. While he went down as a draft bust and the Clippers missed out on four All-Stars, Livingston at least had a happy ending to his career: he became a key role player on the Warriors during their dynastic run, being part of their first three championship teams of that era before retiring in 2019.
* '''[=DeAndre=] Jordan''' was a center drafted in the second round by the Clippers in 2008 out of Texas A&M. While not as flashy a player in some of the later names in this folder, Jordan was a critical piece for the Clippers finally emerging as a regular contender, playing the next decade for the organization and becoming its all-time leader in games, blocks, and rebounds. Jordan led the NBA in rebounds in '14 and '15, won Olympic gold in '16, earned his sole All-Star nod in '17, and holds the all-time NBA record for career field goal percentage. He has moved all around the NBA since 2018, settling in as a veteran role player, and picked up a ring with the Nuggets in '23.

* '''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[[/note]]. He quickly emerged as a star in New Orleans, winning Rookie of the Year, being featured on the cover of ''VideoGame/NBA2K 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[[/note]], he was sent to the 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 [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere 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 2019–20 season, 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 [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut 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 [[CelebrityEndorsement numerous commercials]] (most notably State Farm Insurance), and won Olympic gold in '08 and '12.

* '''Kawhi Leonard''' has been the face of the Clippers since coming over to his native Los Angeles in 2019, sustaining the rise of the franchise from their Lob City years and leading them to their first ever Western Conference Finals appearance in 2021. He has spent more time in San Antonio so far, so you can see his full entry under the Spurs folder.

* '''Kenny Smith''', nicknamed "The Jet", was drafted #6 overall by the Kings in 1987. After successful play in high school (as an All-American) and college (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 Houston. With the 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. Over time, wear and injuries took their toll, and after the Rockets released him, Smith bounced around three teams in a single season before retiring. Smith landed a role on the desk of ''Series/InsideTheNBA'' in 1998 and immediately found his niche; he has served as a regular analyst on the most popular basketball analysis show [[LongRunner 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.

* '''James Harden''' is a highly accomplished--and ''very'' well-traveled--shooting guard. He was the first player ever drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder, going to them #3 overall in 2009 out of Arizona State. He started out as the third wheel of the OKC Big 3 next to Durant and Westbrook, generally coming off the bench to reinforce his teammates; he was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2012, the same year he won Olympic gold. Harden quickly improved his play around the period he ''literally'' [[GrowingTheBeard grew his iconic thick, bushy beard]]. His style of play reflected the increasingly analytic nature of the league, primarily taking shots from beyond the arc and in the lane (in the 2021-22 regular season, he took all of ''22'' midrange shots) while drawing many free throw attempts (goading so many that new shooting foul rules were implemented largely due to him). This style has drawn frequent criticisms, though Harden gives as good as he gets, being vocally critical of both the media and even other NBA players. Despite his offensive prowess, Harden was traded to the Rockets in 2012 so he could get a max contract and start while the Thunder reinforced their bench after their loss in the Finals. Now a full-time starter, he ''immediately'' cemented his status as one of the greatest scorers in the league, landed on the cover of ''VideoGame/NBA2K 16'' and ''NBA Live 18'', led the league in assists in '17, and was named MVP in '18 after winning the first of three straight scoring titles and taking the Rockets to the league's best regular-season record, making him only the second player to be named Sixth Man of the Year and MVP (in the reverse chronological order of Bill Walton). For all of his individual success, becoming the Rockets all-time leader in 3-pointers and assists, Harden [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut was never able to get the Rockets past two Conference Finals appearances]]. Seeking the chance for a ring, he forced a trade to the Nets in 2021, reuniting with KD in a massive four-team megadeal. When that trade failed to produce the desired results for such a "superteam" in part due to Harden's apparent physical regression, he was traded again to the Sixers in a deal that involved Ben Simmons as a centerpiece. He rebounded in Philly, settling in as a facilitator for Joel Embiid and again leading the NBA in assists in 2023... only to ''again'' force a trade over dissatisfaction with his contract, landing with the Clippers.

* '''Roger Brown''' was the original Indiana Pacer. Like Connie Hawkins (under "Suns"), he was a New York high school star who was banned by the NBA for his association with notorious basketball fixer Jack Molinas (and as with Hawkins, there was never any real evidence of wrongdoing on Brown's part). When the ABA was formed in 1967, he was working in a GM plant and was the first player the Pacers management sought out and signed. He won the playoff MVP award when the Pacers won their first championship in 1970, scoring out of his mind in the final three games against the L.A. Stars. He led the team to their second championship in '72 against the Nets, outscoring Rick Barry, then took them to a third championship in 1973. The NBA later lifted his ban, but he preferred to remain with the Pacers and the ABA before retiring in 1975, one year before the Pacers were placated to move to the NBA. Brown even went into local politics, serving on the UsefulNotes/{{Indianapolis}} city–county council for four years ''during his playing career''. The Pacers retired his #35 in 1985. Sadly, he didn't live to see his 2013 Hall of Fame induction, dying of colon cancer in 1997. Later Pacers legend Reggie Miller considers him the best player who never played in the NBA.

* '''Reggie Miller''' was the face of the Indiana Pacers during TheNineties and early 2000s and one of the greatest [[LongRangeFighter three-point scorers]] in the history of the league. A five-time All-Star, the former league leader in three-pointers, and a Hall of Famer, he spent his entire 18-year career with the Pacers and is widely regarded as the franchise's all-time greatest player; his #31 jersey was retired by the team, and he holds the Pacers records for points, games, minutes, assists, and steals. Drafted #11 overall out of UCLA in 1987, he was famous for his perimeter sharpshooting that came in useful in sealing games. He was accurate from all ranges, leading the league in free throw percentage in five seasons and joining the 50-40-90 club in 1994. Miller earned the nickname "Knick Killer" for his classic game-winners against New York and even posted game-winners over ''Michael Jordan'', taking the Bulls to the full seven games in the '98 conference finals, one of six he played in. However, he [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut only actually made it to the 2000 Finals and never won a championship]] (though he did win Olympic gold in 1996). Noted for his frequent taunting of film director Creator/SpikeLee, a Knick fan and owner, most notably by flashing him the choke sign; also notable for being right in the middle of the "Malice at the Palace" between the Pacers and the Pistons (see Ron Artest/Metta World Peace's entry below), which only got him suspended for one game. With major suspensions to his teammates, Miller averaged nearly 20 points per game for stretches of the season, including 39 points at the ''age'' of 39 against the Lakers. When he was taken out in his final game, Reggie was given a standing ovation, even by the referees and ''the opposing Pistons players''. He and his older sister Cheryl, a college basketball legend who played about a decade before the WNBA started, are the only sibling pair inducted as players into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[[note]]The other sibling pair in the Hall, Dick and Al [=McGuire=], were inducted respectively as a player and a coach.[[/note]] He has served as a commentator on TNT since his retirement in 2005.
* '''Jermaine O'Neal''' was a star with the 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 by Indiana fans, 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 [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut never won a title]], being cut from the Heat the year before [=LeBron's=] arrival and being cut from the Warriors in 2014 right before the start of their dynasty; he never officially retired after that, but it turned out to be his final NBA season.
* '''Ron Artest''' is a rather controversial figure who spent the peak of his individual career with the Pacers. Originally drafted #16 overall in 1999 out of St. John's by the Bulls, the defensive-oriented small forward was traded to Indiana in the middle of the 2001-02 season. While successful on the court, winning Defensive Player of the Year and his sole All-Star nod in 2004, he quickly became infamous for his tendency towards profanity and violence and being a general CloudCuckooLander, most especially in the infamous [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Malice_at_the_Palace "Malice at the Palace"]] in which he ''jumped onto the stands and sucker-punched a Pistons fan'', leading to a massive fight. In the aftermath, he was suspended for the whole season and became an unapologetic loudmouth while out of action. He became a pariah in Detroit and was traded around to the Kings, Rockets, and Lakers, winning a ring in the final spot with a game-winning three-pointer in 2010. He eventually got into anger management therapy, which helped mellow him out and led to him renaming himself '''Metta World Peace''', but he kept his temper, leading to him elbowing James Harden in the neck during a regular season game. Amnestied by the Lakers after 2013 to clear his salary from the books, he then signed with the Knicks for a year, couldn't catch on with an NBA team, and left for stints in China and Italy. He returned to the Lakers in 2015 and played for another two years before retiring. Now going by the name '''Metta Sandiford-Artest''', he has become one of the NBA's most vocal advocates of mental health awareness, which might end up being his most lasting legacy in the sport.
* '''Paul George''' was the #10 overall pick of the 2010 Draft out of Fresno State. After two solid years, "PG-13" broke out out in his third season following an injury to Danny Granger. The swingman made the All-Star game, the All-NBA team, and broke Reggie Miller's franchise record for most three-pointers in a game on his way to win the 2013 Most Improved Player award. However, he suffered a gruesome broken leg while preparing for the 2014 Basketball World Cup and didn't return until the last month of the 2014–15 regular season. He eventually returned to close to his pre-injury self, remaining a regular All-Star, winning Olympic gold in 2016, and making the cover of ''VideoGame/NBA2K 17''. He was traded in 2017 to the Thunder, mainly so the Pacers would get something in return for him before he became a free agent. Despite leading the NBA in steals in 2019, PG being dealt after the season to the Clippers to join fellow L.A.-area native Kawhi Leonard.

* '''[=JaVale McGee=]''' is a journeyman now with the Mavericks, his ninth team (preceded by the Wizards, Nuggets, Sixers, Mavs, Dubs, Lakers, Cavaliers, the Nuggets again, and the Suns). Though he played the longest for Washington, which drafted him #18 overall in 2008 out of Nevada, he's listed with Golden State because he flipped the script on his lackluster career once joining the team at the same time as Durant, winning two rings and going from serviceable backup to part-time starter. He moved up to a full-time starter at center with the Lakers, where he won a third ring. However, [=McGee=] is perhaps most notable for his parentage: his mother Pamela was a Hall of Famer who played in the early WNBA late in her career, making [=JaVale=] the first NBA player with a WNBA parent; when he won a gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he and Pamela also became the first mother-son duo to win Olympic gold for their respective careers.

* '''Moses Malone''', Hall of Fame center-forward, was the first great "prep-to-pro" player, having been drafted out of Petersburg High (not far from Virginia's capital of UsefulNotes/{{Richmond|Virginia}}) by the ABA's Utah Stars in 1974 and going on to a 21-year pro career. Nicknamed "The Chairman of the Boards", he still holds the records for offensive rebounds in both a single season (587) and career (7,382 total, 6,731 NBA)[[note]]Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, the only players with more ''total'' rebounds, played before there were separate categories for offensive and defensive boards.[[/note]] and led the league in the category six times, including five straight seasons (1981-85). Fittingly, he bounced around a lot, first landing with the Spirits of St. Louis pre-merger, briefly joining the Buffalo Braves after the merger in 1976, and settled in with the Rockets after a few weeks. Malone won MVP twice with the Rockets ('79 and '82) and led them to their first Finals appearance in 1981. During his time with the team he also personally tutored Hakeem Olajuwan, then with the University of Houston. He landed with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1982, immediately winning another MVP ''and'' Finals MVP after taking the Sixers to another championship. During this run, he famously predicted [[BadassBoast would sweep every opponent 4-0]] ("Fo', fo', fo'") and turned out to be only off by one, as Philly swept the Knicks, closed out Milwaukee in five games[[note]]Milwaukee's only win was in Game 4, to give you a good idea on how close Malone's prediction was to coming true.[[/note]] and swept the Lakers in the Finals. After 1986, Malone bounced around the league with stints with the Bullets, Hawks, Bucks, Sixers (again), and Spurs; by the time the 12-time All-Star retired in 1995, he was the last former ABA player still active in the NBA. He died of a heart attack in 2015 at 60 years old.

* '''Hakeem Olajuwon''', a legendary Hall of Fame center who holds the Rockets' records for points, games, minutes, rebounds, steals, and blocks, was drafted #1 overall in 1984, the same draft that included UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan, 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 MasterOfAll who could defend and score with equal ease, especially when he broke out his "Dream Shake" SignatureMove. 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, losing in six to Larry Bird's Celtics. 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 against Ewing's Knicks and Shaq's Magic, 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 awards 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 ''VideoGame/NBAJam Extreme''.

* '''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 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 [[SignatureMove spin move]]). However, his solo talents weren't enough to elevate the team to a great number of wins, a trend that would continue when he transitioned to a long coaching career after retiring from play in 1964 (see the main NBA page under "Coaches" for more).

* '''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 HairTriggerTemper, his rambunctious competitiveness, his [[IShallTauntYou 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 against the Lakers (avenging their defeat in the prior season) and Trail Blazers; 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 [[CareerEndingInjury 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 [[ThePeterPrinciple 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 (see Celtics folder).

* '''Grant Hill''' was a small forward drafted #3 overall by the Pistons in 1994 out of Duke, where he had gained acclaim as one of the greatest college ball players ever after leading the Blue Devils to consecutive national championships. He made an immediate impact in the pros, becoming the first rookie ever to lead All-Star Game fan balloting (though admittedly during MJ's first retirement) and the first Piston since Bing to be the league's Rookie of the Year (though he had to share honors with Jason Kidd). Hill made five All-Star teams in his first six years in the league and won Olympic Gold in 1996. Illustrating his versatility, he was also only the third player to lead his team in points, rebounds, and assists in more than one season, doing so three times.[[note]]Wilt Chamberlain (also three times) and Elgin Baylor (twice) preceded him, and Russell Westbrook and Giannis Antetokounmpo (twice each) have since joined the club.[[/note]] However, despite his great individual talent, the Pistons [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut struggled in the playoffs]] during his tenure, being knocked out in the first round in each of the team's four visits. With free agency looming in 2000, he went to the Orlando Magic in a sign-and-trade deal. Sadly, an ankle injury that he had suffered near the end of his final regular season in Detroit and aggravated in that season's playoffs turned into injury hell. He played a total of 47 games in his first three seasons in Orlando, and after ''that'' missed the entire 2003–04 season after a major ankle surgery followed by a life-threatening MRSA[[note]]drug-resistant[[/note]] infection. He finally got to play something approaching a full season in 2004–05, though hampered by an unrelated injury, and became an All-Star for the final time. Hill remained an effective though [[GlassCannon injury-prone]] player with the Magic, Suns, and Clippers until retiring in 2013 to the broadcast booth. Also notable as one of the [[NiceGuy nicest men]] in the sport, winning the NBA Sportsmanship Award three times. Now a minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks and part of the Hall of Fame's Class of 2018. His father [[UsefulNotes/NFLOffensivePlayers Calvin]] was a Pro Bowl NFL running back.

* '''Chauncey Billups''' was drafted #3 overall in 1997 out of Colorado by the Celtics, but he had a bumpy start to his career; Boston coaches didn't know whether to position him as a shooting or point guard and traded him before the end of the season, leading to him bouncing around multiple teams and being labeled a draft bust before joining the Pistons in 2002. Once there, he settled in as a point guard and completely turned his career trajectory around, becoming a respected player that led the Pistons to six straight conference finals and the 2004 title as Finals MVP. After being traded to his hometown Nuggets in 2008 and reaching yet another Conference Final (making him the only non-Celtics or Lakers player to get there seven years in a row), the five-time All-Star was traded against his wishes to the Knicks with Carmelo Anthony in 2011. He soon became injury-prone, but he still helped the Clippers' emergence after signing with them for the next season. He returned to the Pistons in 2013 and retired at the end of the season, with the team retiring his #1. After a few years in broadcasting, he returned to the court in 2020 as an assistant for the Clippers, moving from there to become head coach of the Blazers in 2021.

* '''Andre Drummond''' was drafted by the Pistons #9 overall in 2012 out of [=UConn=]. The highly touted center prospect was, in some ways, the much-less-successful 2010s version of Ben Wallace: an excellent rebounder (leading the league in 2016 and 2018-20) who struggled at scoring himself, particularly from the free throw line, with a sub-.500 percentage and a NBA record ''23'' missed free throws in a single game. The two-time All-Star failed to elevate the Pistons to consistent contention; he was traded to Cleveland in 2020 and has since bounced around four other teams, currently sitting with the Bulls.

* '''Paul Arizin''' was a Hall of Fame small forward for the Warriors in their early years in Philadelphia. A Philly native who didn't even make the cut for his high school team, Arizin managed to make the team at Villanova and emerged as a dominant scoring force renowned for his jump shots. "Pitchin' Paul" was picked up as the Warriors' territorial pick in 1950, won Rookie of the Year, and led the league in scoring and minutes played in his second season. He then proceeded to serve with the Marines in the Korean War for the next two years. When he came back to the Warriors, his play hadn't regressed one bit; he led the team to a championship in 1956, still leading the league in minutes, and led the league in scoring again the next year. Arizin was named an All-Star every season he played in the NBA, with his career in the league only ending in 1962 when the Warriors moved across the country and he wanted to remain in his hometown. He still loved basketball and was happy to play another three years for the minor league Camden Bullets based right across the river; he won their league MVP and a championship as well. Arizin passed away in 2006.

* '''Al Attles''' is a Hall of Fame point guard who has been on the Warriors' payroll [[LongRunner for over six decades]], stretching back to their time in Philadelphia when he was drafted in the fifth round out of North Carolina A&T in 1960. Despite being overshadowed by the scoring proficiency of his fellow Warriors through the next decade, Attles quickly gained the reputation as one of the NBA's most feared defenders, gaining the nickname [[RedBaron "The Destroyer"]]. Attles transitioned into a coaching role later in his playing career, becoming the team's HC one year before hanging up his jersey in 1971. One of the NBA's first Black head coaches, Attles held onto the position until 1983, guiding the team to three Conference Finals and a championship in 1975; he remains their longest-tenured coach. After coaching, he moved into the team's front office and remains an ambassador for the franchise, which retired his #16.
* '''Tom Meschery''' was a power forward drafted #7 overall by the Philadelphia Warriors in 1961. The St. Mary's product is perhaps most notable for being the first foreign-born player to be named an All-Star; the son of Russian emigrants who fled the October Revolution, he was born in Manchuria and spent part of his childhood in a Tokyo internment camp before making it to the U.S. after World War II. Meschery was taken by the Seattle [=SuperSonics=] in the 1967 expansion draft, retired in 1971, and briefly coached in the ABA before choosing a career as a teacher, author, and poet. The Warriors retired his #14.

* '''Latrell Sprewell''' was a wing drafted #24 overall in 1992 out of Alabama by the 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 a key player in helping New York become the first #8 seed to ever reach the NBA Finals (though they fell to the Spurs) 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.

* '''Jason Kidd''' was a Hall of Fame point guard who played for four different teams throughout his [[LongRunner 19-year career]] but is most associated with the Mavericks and Nets. Drafted by the Mavs in 1994 #2 overall out of Cal, he was named Rookie of the Year along with Grant Hill (who entered the Hall of Fame alongside him in 2018) and played there for three seasons until he was traded to the Suns, where his point guard skills truly blossomed (with Steve Nash as his backup). When he landed with the New Jersey Nets in 2001, Kidd established himself as a team leader and NBA legend, leading the league in assists five times, turning the once woeful Nets to playoff contenders every season, and reaching the Finals twice in a row (only to lose to the Lakers and Spurs, respectively). He returned to the Mavs in 2008 and won his first ring with them in 2011 after 17 years of coming up short. Kidd signed on with the Knicks in 2012 but retired at the end of the season and was immediately named the new head coach of the Nets, who retired his #5. However, after a playoff berth in his first season as a head coach, he left to become head coach for the Bucks, with the Nets getting two future second-round picks as compensation. Kidd remained in that job until being fired during the 2017–18 season. In 2019, he was hired as an assistant for the Lakers, where he won a title in his first year. A year later, [[HesBack the Mavericks signed Kidd]] to replace long-time head coach Rick Carlisle. The ten-time All-Star also won Olympic gold in 2000 and '08, and he stands behind only John Stockton in career steals and assists, leading the latter category in five separate seasons. Kidd was featured on the cover of ''NBA Live 2003''.

* '''Shawn Bradley''' was a massive (listed at 7'6") center most famous for his time with the Mavericks from '97-'05. A MilitaryBrat born at a US military hospital in UsefulNotes/WestGermany (he would later represent the reunified UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} in international play) with an American father and German mother, the "Stormin' UsefulNotes/{{Mormon|ism}}" grew up a multi-sport star in Utah and played collegiately at BYU. After a two-year Mormon mission, he was selected #2 overall in 1993 by the 76ers but was initially seen as a bust and traded to the Nets during his third season. He started living up to his promise there, leading the league in blocks in '96-'97, but was traded to Dallas mid-season as part of a salary dump when the Nets changed team leadership. He became a fixture for the Mavs, including being one of the few players in league history to score 20+ points, grab 20+ rebounds, and block 10+ shots in a game while setting the franchise season record for blocks (which he later broke himself while leading the league in blocks again in '00-'01). He paired well with the more versatile Dirk Nowitzki (the two also played together on the German national team) as the team made the playoffs each year from 2000-05. Bradley retired in 2005 and had a brief political career, but suffered a spinal cord injury in a bicycle accident that made him a quadriplegic in 2021.
* '''Dirk Nowitzki''' is a German-born player who spent his entire LongRunner NBA career in Dallas, 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 [[UndyingLoyalty most seasons with a single NBA team (21)]]. His other is his unorthodox style of playing; [[LongRangeFighter he was one of the few power forwards who scored better from distance rather than by driving the paint]], and with his [[UnblockableAttack unblockable fadeaway jumpshot]] - with a height of [[OhCrap 7 foot flat and a high jump of 13 inches]] [[SignatureMove 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 the shot. His incredible career included 14 All-Star appearances, being named league 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 ''VideoGame/NBA2K 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 team's arena.

* '''Luka Dončić''' is a swingman from Slovenia by way of Real Madrid,[[note]]a multi-sport club that fields teams in a wide range of sports, though the only one that most people are familiar with, especially in the US, is the legendary [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball football/soccer]] team[[/note]] picked #3 overall in 2018 by the Hawks but immediately traded to the Mavs (with the Hawks receiving #5 pick Trae Young and a first-round pick, see above). Dončić emerged as a potential star of the future at [=EuroBasket=] 2017, when he played a major role in leading Slovenia to a surprise championship, and followed it up the next season by being named the youngest MVP in the history of the [=EuroLeague=] at just ''19'' years old, all the while being a starter in Madrid for years. In his first season in the NBA, which turned out to be Nowitzki's last, he picked up the torch of "Dallas' European superstar" and became only the fifth player to average 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists as a rookie.[[note]]The others? Only some guys named Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and [=LeBron=] James. [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg And Tyreke Evans.]][[/note]] Dončić ended the season as Rookie of the Year and very quickly setting a host of "youngest ever" and even ''franchise'' records [[YoungConqueror while being too young to drink in the U.S.]]. He went on to make the All-NBA first team every season since, becoming the first player since Kevin Durant (and only the fourth overall) to make three All-NBA first teams before his 24th birthday. His production took the Mavs to their first Conference Finals appearance in over a decade in 2022. He has cemented himself in the Olympics as well, scoring 48 points in his '''debut''' in 2021 (against Argentina), the second-highest single-game performance in Olympic history. His success landed him on the cover of ''VideoGame/NBA2K 22'', and he has remained one of the most prolific scorers in the game, including posting a 73-point performance in 2024.

* '''Dan Issel''' is a Hall of Fame forward–center who played most of his career with the Denver Nuggets in both the ABA and NBA. He arrived in the ABA in 1970 after a storied career at Kentucky which saw him leave as the Wildcats' all-time leading scorer, a distinction he holds to this day (on the men's side). Issel began his pro career just down Interstate 64 in Louisville with the Kentucky Colonels, leading the ABA in scoring ''as a rookie''. He was named an ABA All-Star in all five of his Colonels seasons and capped off his Kentucky career with a league title in 1975 alongside fellow former Wildcat Louie Dampier and the aforementioned Artis Gilmore (see Bulls folder). After the title season, he was traded to the Baltimore Claws, which folded before playing a game, and then went to Denver. He made two more All-Star Games with the Nuggets (one ABA, one NBA), continued as a very productive player who helped lead Denver to a Finals appearance in his first season, and became an icon in the Mile High City even after retiring as a player in 1985 with a combined ABA–NBA point total behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Julius Erving. Issel went on to serve on the Nuggets' broadcast team, then had two stints as head coach (1992-94, 1999-2001) and one as general manager (1998-99). The team retired his #44.

* '''David Thompson''' was a small forward and shooting guard nicknamed "The Skywalker"[[note]]preceding ''Franchise/StarWars''[[/note]] 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 Denver 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 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 [[WhatCouldHaveBeen had the potential to be even greater]], but persistent problems with substance abuse and [[CareerEndingInjury 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 people 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.

* '''Nikola Jokić''' is the current face of the Nuggets and has the resume to claim to be the greatest player in franchise history. The center from Serbia was picked by the team in the ''second round'' of the 2014 Draft (his selection was never televised due to it happening during a commercial break!) but stayed in Europe for another year, being named MVP of the Adriatic League[[note]]basically covering the former Yugoslavia[[/note]] in 2015 before coming to the States. [[FanNickname "Joker"]] was immediately seen as a future star, making the All-Rookie team in 2016 (the same year he led Serbia to an Olympic silver medal) and improving his per-game totals in points, rebounds, ''and'' assists in each of the next three seasons, becoming an annual All-Star by 2019. While the 7-foot Jokić has the body of a typical inside banger--or at least ''did'' until he dropped a noticeable amount of weight during the league's COVID-19 hiatus--his greatest skill is his passing, and he's now seen as a strong candidate for the best passing big man ever. His tremendous one-handed passes (which share more in common with those of water polo than traditional basketball), coupled with his large size and excellent fadeaway, have made him one of the NBA's greatest triple-double machines. The Nuggets run their offense through him at least as much as any of their guards, and Jokić even served as ''point guard'' in the Nuggets' half-court offensive sets in 2021–22 with Jamal Murray out injured for most of that season. After leading the Nuggets to the Conference Finals in the 2020 bubble, Jokić cemented himself as one of the league's elite in '21 when he was named league MVP, becoming both the first center in two decades and the lowest drafted player ''ever'' to win the award. He arguably topped this performance the following season when he became the first NBA player ever to (1) lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, and field-goal percentage, and (2) collect [[MasterOfAll 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists]] in a season.[[note]]Stats nerds will note that this is the best single-season "player efficiency rating" in NBA history, shattering a record held by Wilt Chamberlain for six decades.[[/note]] That was more than enough to earn Joker his second straight MVP. After signing a "supermax" contract[[labelnote:Explanation]]The NBA's 2017 collective bargaining agreement allows elite players who meet defined criteria for excellence, are entering their eighth or ninth season in the league, and have played with the same team since the end of their rookie contracts to sign extensions with that team that provide salaries that otherwise would not be allowed until they've been in the league 10 years.[[/labelnote]] that was at the time the richest in league history by both total and average annual pay, he remained the main engine of the Nuggets' success. In 2023, after being [[AwardSnub arguably snubbed]] for his third straight regular season MVP and putting up a historically dominant playoff run (smashing the NBA record for most triple-doubles in a single postseason and becoming the first in NBA playoff history to lead all players in points, rebounds, and assists), Jokić led the franchise to its first Finals berth and championship after over half a century of postseason ineptitude and became the lowest drafted player to be named Finals MVP. He has already surpassed Alex English as the franchise's all-time leader in assists.

* '''Brook Lopez''' is the Nets' all-time leader in points and blocks. The center was drafted #10 overall in 2008 out of Stanford (five picks ahead of his teammate and twin brother '''Robin Lopez''', who has also had a long NBA career as a journeyman) and played well for the team for the next nine seasons despite occassional struggles with injuries. Lopez was traded to the Lakers in 2017 and signed the following year with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he has played a critical role on defense and contributed significantly to their 2021 championship.

* '''Muggsy Bogues''', listed at 5'3", is the [[PintsizedPowerhouse shortest player ever in the NBA]] - and in his rookie year with the Washington Bullets (who drafted him #12 overall out of Wake Forest in 1987), [[http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/0908/nba.cbk.remember.when.hoops.style/images/manute-bol-muggsy-bogues.jpg played along with the tallest ever, Manute Bol.]] His short stature led him to become something of a secret weapon for the teams he played on. He also once pulled a basketball out of the hands of the much taller Patrick Ewing while the Knicks legend was preparing for a shot, thereby giving Bogues one of the few "blocked shots" he is credited for in his career. After the Hornets brought in Bogues during the Expansion Draft, he became one of the faces of the popularizing team for the next ten seasons, and he remains the Hornets franchise leader in both steals and assists. He exited the NBA in 2001 after stints with the Warriors and Raptors, and later had a disastrous stint as coach of the WNBA's short-lived Charlotte team.

* '''Emeka Okafor''' was the Bobcats' first draft pick, 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 played well while being 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.

* '''[=LaMelo=] Ball''', currently the Hornets' most popular player, had a very unique path into the NBA as the youngest of the '''Ball Brothers'''. The brothers (Lonzo, [=LiAngelo=], and [=LaMelo=]) first gained popularity when they took part in an undefeated Chino Hills High School team in California when [=LaMelo=] was a freshman. They received nearly unprecedented media coverage for high school players in part to their success and in part to their very apt name, though the biggest contribution to their fame likely was the incessent and grandiose promotion of their father [=LaVar=], whose constant promotion of his family and "Big Baller" brand became the subject of parody of the SportsDad trope on shows like ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''. While Lonzo went on to success at UCLA, [=LaMelo=] dropped out of Chino Hills in 2018 to be homeschooled by his father after [=LiAngelo=] attracted international controversy for shoplifting while in China. The two began to play professionally, first in Lithuania and then his father's special basketball league for young talents, the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Junior Basketball Association]]. While [=LiAngelo=] went undrafted that year, [=LaMelo=] returned to high school in Ohio for his senior year before going back to the pros a year later in Australia. His previously fluctuating draft status solidified back into a top caliber player, and he was drafted #3 overall in 2020 (one spot lower than Lonzo in 2017, despite some outlets viewing [=LaMelo=] as the best choice for the #1 pick that year). He almost instantly gave the Hornets more respect, becoming the youngest player to ever record a triple-double in a game and winning Rookie of the Year. [=LaMelo=] thus holds an interesting distinction of being the only player to win Rookie of the Year both in Australia and in the NBA (in back-to-back seasons).

* '''Jay Williams''' was a point guard selected by the Bulls #2 overall in 2002 out of Duke where he was a star on their 2001 NCAA Championship-winning team. 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, [[GameBreakingInjury 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.

* '''Luol Deng''' was a 6'7" small forward from what's now South Sudan by way of Egypt, UsefulNotes/{{London}}, and Duke. Deng played for four teams in his career but is best known for his first ten seasons with the Bulls (2004–14), who selected him #7 overall (via the Suns). During his time in Chicago, he helped bring the team back to competition for the first time since MJ's departure, though it took him until 2012 to obtain the first of two All-Star nods; he was the first Bull since Jordan to lead the league in minutes per game. He was traded to the Cavaliers during the 2013–14 season, signed with the Heat in 2014, moved to the Lakers in 2016, and retired in 2019. Also noted as being the unwitting trigger for the 2015 sale of the Atlanta Hawks.[[labelnote:Explanation]]In the 2014 offseason, several Hawks executives held a conference call regarding potential free agent signees. During the call, GM Danny Ferry read from a background report in which a scout used racial stereotypes in reference to Deng. This launched an internal investigation that uncovered an email in which principal owner Bruce Levenson made several racial comments, most notably expressing concern that white fans might be scared away by black fans. The Levenson email emerged in the middle of the Donald Sterling controversy; Levenson saw the writing on the wall and put his majority stake in the team up for sale before the NBA could force him to sell out. His other ([[WeAREStrugglingTogether often-squabbling]]) partners sold their stakes as well.[[/labelnote]]

* '''Paul Pierce''' helped lead the 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 LightningBruiser credentials, earning him the nickname "The Truth" from Shaq himself. His remarkable career began with tragedy: In 2000, Pierce was [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill 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 [[HandicappedBadass 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 PottyFailure rather than an actual injury.[[/note]]; he made it to a rematch in 2010, where Kobe won instead. Seen as TheRival to [=LeBron=] James through much of his early career, he's known for [[AwesomeEgo being rather cocky]]: in his words, "[[BadassBoast I'm the best player]]. There's a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. I don't cross that line, but I have a lot of confidence in myself." The ten-time All-Star was traded to Brooklyn in 2013 and retired in 2017 after a stint with 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. Prior to being drafted by the Celtics, Pierce actually grew up as a devoted ''Lakers'' fan (being from the Los Angeles area) and hated the Celtics [[note]]Pierce even admitted he wanted to get drafted by the Lakers leading up to the draft[[/note]], because of the fact he played and won a championship with his hated ArchEnemy, he actively roots for the Celtics.
* '''Rajon Rondo''' last played for the Cavaliers but was a generational point guard for the Celtics, who selected him #21 overall (via the Suns) in 2006 out of Kentucky. While Pierce, Allen, and Garnett were touted as Boston's Big 3, it was Rondo that regularly coordinated their plays during games, leading the league in assists three times. His contributions were made especially evident during 2010, when he led the league in steals and the Celtics defied expectations to meet the Lakers in the Finals. 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 is noted for his [[http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1163528-rajon-rondo-does-weird-things-after-tip-off-stays-awesome weird on-court antics]], [[CloudCuckooLander off-court quirkiness]] (arriving to Chicago in the 2009 playoffs in a ''Red Bull NASCAR car''), and relative HairTriggerTemper. Boston traded him out of town in 2014, and he has since played for 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 holds the record for the longest gap between championships (he won his last ring before 2020 in 2008... against the Lakers).
* '''Kevin Garnett''' was a legendary Celtic whose number was retired by the franchise after he led them to their 2008 championship... but his entry is below with the Minnesota Timberwolves, because he spent more years there and is the greatest player in the team's history (and they need ''something'').

* '''Isaiah Thomas''', not to be confused with Hall of Fame guard and Hall of Shame executive Isiah Thomas (see the "Detroit Pistons" folder below), is now on his sixth NBA team but made his name with the 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 2017, breaking a number of franchise records. Unfortunately, Thomas turned out to be something of a OneHitWonder as a hip injury derailed his career; he was sent out of Boston and has since bounced around seven different teams.

* '''Jaylen Brown''' is one of the current stars of the Celtics, who selected him #3 overall in 2016 (via Brooklyn[[note]]with one of the multiple high draft picks the Nets sent in exchange for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett years prior[[/note]]) out of California. Initially a small forward, he kicked out to shooting guard when the Celtics acquired Jayson Tatum in 2017, becoming one of the larger guards in the league and the #2 star on the team behind Tatum. He made his first All-Star appearance in 2021 (and holds the career record for PPG in All-Star games) and has been a major component of Boston's success in the years since. He has also developed [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut a reputation for fading in key playoff series]], though that didn't stop the Celtics from resigning him to a supermax deal in 2023, currently the largest in NBA history. A GeniusBruiser, he was infamously derided as "too smart to play in the NBA" by some scouts prior to the draft, became an MIT Lab Fellow while an active player, and was voted the NBAPA's youngest ever vice president at just 22. Jaylen's father is former boxing champion Marselles Brown.
* '''Jayson Tatum''' is Boston's current main star, a small forward drafted #3 overall in 2017 (via the 76ers after Boston traded down from the #1 pick) 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.

* '''Dražen Petrović''' was a shooting guard from Croatia and a tragic example of WhatCouldHaveBeen. 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[[/note]]. He once scored ''112'' points[[note]]40/60 FG, 10/20 3P, 22/22 FT[[/note]] in a Yugoslavian League game when he was 20 years old. He led UsefulNotes/{{Yugoslavia}} to bronze and silver medals in the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics before leading a newly independent UsefulNotes/{{Croatia}} to silver after losing to the Dream Team in 1992, 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 Nets in 1991 and began to emerge as an American star. However, at just 28 years old, his life and career were 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.

* '''Keith Van Horn''' was the #2 overall pick in 1997 out of Utah by the Nets (via the 76ers). 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 ''VideoGame/NBAJam '99'' and he helped the team to their first Finals appearance before being traded out of town for Dikembe Mutombo. He bounced around the league until retiring in 2006.
* '''Jason Kidd''' was a Hall of Fame point guard who spent the arguable peak of his career with the Nets (2001-08), taking the franchise to their only Finals appearances, becoming the franchise's leader in assists and steals, having his #5 retired by the team, and even serving as their head coach for a season. However, he narrowly spent more time in Dallas, where he won his only title and currently coaches, so you can find his full entry under the Mavericks folder.

* '''Dave Cowens''' was a Hall of Fame center (often called undersized for the position at 6'9"), drafted #4 overall by the Celtics out of Florida State in 1971 at the behest of Bill Russell. Although largely overlooked because of who's listed below him, Cowens was named Rookie of the Year, the 1973 regular season MVP, an eight-time All-Star, and a two-time champion ('74, '76). Cowens' playing credo was all-out intensity at both ends of the court, a style that never wavered during his ten years in Boston. As a testament to his all-around ability, in 1977-78 Cowens became the first of only five players in league history to lead his team in all five major statistical categories for a season: points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. (The other four are Scottie Pippen, Kevin Garnett, [=LeBron=] James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.) He was also a bit of a BunnyEarsLawyer - Cowens once took a leave of absence from the Celtics and worked as a cab driver for one night, claiming he needed to clear his head after suffering from burnout. During the 1978-79 season, he was the last player-coach in NBA history; it didn't go well. After retiring in 1980, he [[TenMinuteRetirement attempted a comeback]] in 1982-83 with the Bucks before calling it a playing career. His short stint coaching the Hornets in the '90s was somewhat promising, his time with the Warriors and a disastrous year with the WNBA's Sky ended his tenure as a HC. His #18 jersey (sound familiar?) was retired by the Celtics.

* '''Larry Bird''' was a Hall of Fame forward who played with the Celtics in the '80s and another candidate for the greatest figure in the history of the sport. Drafted #6 overall out of Indiana State in 1978, he decided to stay in college another year, taking the school on a nearly undefeated run that came one game short in the championship against Magic Johnson's Michigan State, laying the groundwork for [[TheRival a historic rivalry]] as they would meet in three more Finals.[[note]]Incidentally, this prompted the league to enact the so-called "Larry Bird Rule" that said teams can't do that; they have to wait until a player officially declares himself eligible for the draft or completes his college eligibility, whichever comes first.[[/note]] When he did come to Boston, "Larry Legend" won Rookie of the Year and soon became leader of a dominant "Big Three" with Kevin [=McHale=] and Robert Parish, becoming one of the most popular figures in Boston sports history and a master of IShallTauntYou. Bird threepeated as MVP (1984-86), was a 12-time All-Star, and took Boston to three titles ('81, '84, '86), winning Finals MVP in the latter two; he also reached two other Finals, losing both to the Lakers. Generally considered one of the game's great shooters, maybe ''the'' greatest, he also played very unselfishly and averaged better than six assists a game for his career (though he did get sixty points in one game). In another game, he was a single steal away from a ''quadruple''-double, but sat out the entire fourth quarter because he just didn't care. Bird was exceptionally accurate, leading the league in free throws four times and becoming the first member of the exclusive 50-40-90 club[[note]]50% from the field, 40% past the arc, 90% free throws[[/note]] and is one of only three players to make it in more than one season. He won a gold medal with the Dream Team at the '92 Barcelona Olympics but retired shortly thereafter due to lingering back injuries; his #33 was retired by the Celtics. However, he continued to be very involved in the NBA; despite having no coaching experience, he returned to his home state to become HC of the Indiana Pacers in 1997, with the promise that he would only coach for three years. He held true to that promise despite winning Coach of the Year in his first season, taking the Pacers to the conference finals in all three, and [[HistoryRepeats losing to the Lakers in the Finals in his final season]]. He soon returned to the organization as team president, where he won Executive of the Year in 2012 shortly before a TenMinuteRetirement and stepped down for good in 2017. As a result, Bird is the only individual ever to be named MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year[[note]]...let alone all those ''plus'' Rookie of the Year, Finals MVP, and All-Star MVP[[/note]]. The Eastern Conference Finals MVP award is named in his honor, he was featured on some special edition covers of ''VideoGame/NBA2K 12'', and the Website/{{Twitter}} logo [[IncrediblyLamePun is named Larry in his honor]].
* '''Kevin [=McHale=]''' was a Hall of Fame forward. Drafted at #3 overall in 1980 out of Minnesota, he was a three-time champion, a seven-time All-Star, and two-time Sixth Man of the Year. [=McHale=] was particularly frustrating to play against, out-leaping, out-spinning, and out-maneuvering defender after defender throughout his career in what he called the "torture chamber". (Charles Barkley has called him the toughest defender he ever played against.) During the 1981 playoff series versus the Sixers, [=McHale=] helped save the Celtics' series-clinching Game 6 win by blocking Andrew Toney's shot and corralling the rebound with 16 seconds left to protect the Celtics' one-point lead. In the 1984 Finals versus the Lakers, [=McHale=] famously flung Kurt Rambis down by his throat as the Lakers' forward raced to the basket. The physical play touched off a bench-clearing scuffle; Boston later won the series in seven. Despite all his defensive prowess, he was also an excellent scorer, coming up just behind Bird in many franchise scoring records (and setting one of his own for most points in a two-game span). Following his retirement in 1993, [=McHale=] was hired by the Minnesota Timberwolves, first as a TV commentator but soon as vice president, GM, and sometimes head coach; he was notably responsible for both drafting Kevin Garnett (granting the T-Wolves their greatest streak of relevancy) ''and'' trading him away to the Celtics (where KG brought [=McHale's=] old team another title). He was fired after 2009 but later moved to become HC with the Rockets in 2011; despite generally solid results, he was fired early in the 2015-16 season after a slow start. His #32 is retired by the Celtics.
* '''Robert Parish''' was the NBA's ultimate LongRunner, 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 [[HonorBeforeReason 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 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 SignatureMove was his high release jump shot, which traversed a very high arc before falling. He was also known as TheQuietOne and TheStoic, earning him the nickname of "Chief" after the mute character from ''Film/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest''. 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 at ''[[CoolOldGuy 43]]'' (and third oldest to play ''period'') before retiring on top.
* '''Danny Ainge''' has had one of the more unique NBA careers ever. While a star shooting guard at BYU, Ainge simultaneously played major league baseball with the Toronto Blue Jays. His rare dual-sport ability caused his draft stock to drop to the second round in 1981, where Boston scooped him up. After somewhat struggling to see the field in his first three seasons, he soon emerged as a regular contributor known for [[IShallTauntYou getting under opponents' skins]] and claimed two rings with the franchise. After his sole All-Star year in 1988, the Celtics traded him to the Kings, where he had his best individual performances as the feature player but won far fewer games. Ainge continued to bounce around the league to Portland and Phoenix (visiting the Finals with both teams and losing to Michael Jordan both times). After retiring from play in 1995, Ainge became the Suns' HC for 3.5 successful seasons before abruptly retiring. After a few years in broadcasting, he returned to Boston in 2003 to serve as the Celtics' GM. While initially something of a controversial figure for his propensity for swing-and-miss trades (leading to the "Trader Danny" moniker), he largely turned that reputation around in 2008 after assembling the "Big 3" by joining Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen with Paul Pierce. This helped the Celtics to win the 2008 title, breaking a long drought, and earned him Executive of the Year honors. He served many more years in Boston before "retiring" in 2021, only to immediately take a similar role with the Utah Jazz, where he quickly proceeded to disassemble the existing roster in pursuit of new draft picks.
* '''Dennis Johnson''' started his career as a slam-dunking shooting guard for the Seattle [=SuperSonics=], who drafted him in the second round in 1976 out of Pepperdine. Instantly recognizable by his freckles and reddish hair, "DJ" quickly broke out as a star, winning Finals MVP after leading the team to their sole championship in 1979. However, he frequently clashed with coaching staffs, leading to him being traded to Phoenix in 1980 before landing with the Celtics in 1983, where he finally settled in. Lauded for his versatility, "DJ" was a defensive stopper (he was half the reason Magic lost the '84 Finals), an accomplished sharpshooter (scoring 32 points during the '79 Finals), and all-around clutch performer (converted a last-second layup in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals after a Bird steal) known for his "rocket launcher legs", which enabled him to jump high to grab rebounds against taller opponents. He won two more titles with the Celtics in 1984 and 1986, and his #3 was retired after he ended his playing career in 1990. The five-time All-Star and nine-time All-Defensive player was regularly lauded by his teammates as one of the best players they had ever seen, but his clashes with coaches and off-field legal issues potentially delayed his induction into the Hall of Fame and kept him from his goal of becoming a NBA HC outside of a short interim stint with the Clippers in 2003. At just 52 years old, Johnson died of an unexpected heart attack in 2007 while coaching the Development League's Austin Toros, and he was posthumously inducted into the Hall.

* '''Joe Ingles''' is an Australian swingman who made his way to the NBA as an undrafted player after winning championships in his home country, Spain, and Israel. He played for the Jazz from 2014-22 as a capable role player, setting the standing franchise record for three-pointers before moving on to stints with the Bucks and Magic.

* '''Bill Russell''' was perhaps the greatest [[StoneWall defensive player]] ever and [[TheAce another major contender in the "best ever" debates]]. Russell was arguably the greatest ''winner'' in the history of American pro sports--not just basketball, the whole thing. In his thirteen seasons, he led the Celtics to a record '''eleven''' championships (losing to the eventual champions in both years he didn't get a ring), was named MVP five times ('58, '61-'63, '65), was an 12-time All-Star, won gold in the 1956 Olympics, and, from high school onwards, never lost a winner-take-all championship game. Russell's talent and immense arm span made him a literal GameBreaker even in his college days: he led his team in San Francisco to back-to-back championships and forced the NCAA to rewrite multiple defensive rules. Drafted at #2 overall in 1956 by the Hawks, Celtics coach Red Auerbach traded two players to secure his rights, a bold move that established a dynasty in Boston practically unmatched in all pro sports. His on-court wars with UsefulNotes/WiltChamberlain were legendary; he remains behind only Chamberlain in most career rebound statistics, and while the stat wasn't counted during his career, he was regarded as the greatest shot blocker of his era (if not all time). Arguably the NBA's first Black player to truly become a superstar (he was the first to be named MVP), Russell was active in the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement of the '60s, once leading a boycott of Black players from a 1961 preseason game to protest racism and segregation. He also became the first Black coach in NBA history, succeeding Auerbach after he retired from active coaching; he coached the team for his last three years and two championships with Boston while still playing.
** Off the court, Russell was renowned not just for his talents but for his intelligence, character, and [[TheHyena distinctive laugh]]. However, he had a strained relationship with the city of Boston for many decades due to the racism he encountered during his career. He left the team abruptly after his final championship in '69 and often was labeled as cold and aloof for denying autographs for children and refusing to attend team events after he left Boston, even including the retirement of his own #6. This tension cooled towards the end of his life; the Celtics "re"-retired his number in the '90s so he could receive an ovation, and when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach in 2021, it was widely seen as a chance to make up for him skipping his first-ballot induction as a player in 1975 (his post-Celtics coaching stints with Seattle and Sacramento were generally unspectacular). For his unmatched success in the finals, he is the current namesake for the Finals MVP award. For his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Russell passed away in 2022. Shortly afterwards, his #6 was retired league-wide by the NBA, making him only the third player in major American sports to receive the honor, after MLB's UsefulNotes/JackieRobinson and the NHL's UsefulNotes/WayneGretzky.

* '''Aaron Brooks'''[[note]]not to be confused with the former NFL QB of the same name[[/note]] was an undersized point guard selected #26 overall in 2007 out of Oregon where he was a four-year starter and is one of the biggest [[OneHitWonder One-Hit Wonders]] in NBA history. He moved into the starting line up in his second season and broke out in his third, nearly doubling his previous points and assists per game while hitting just under 40% of his threes. He won Most Improved Player and looked to be a burgeoning star... but never came close to those numbers again as he battled injuries, bounced between teams, and spent stints in both China and Australia before before retiring in 2019 and entering coaching in 2020.

* '''Larry Sanders'''[[note]]Not to be confused with ''Series/TheLarrySandersShow''[[/note]] was a C/PF selected by the Bucks #15 overall in 2010 out of VCU where he was one of the stars of the Rams two NCAA tournament appearances and goes down a major NBA OneHitWonder. A strong defensive presence, he was sent to the D-League to improve his scoring and was called up halfway through his rookie season. He became a full-time starter in his third year where he broke out, nearly averaging a double-double, finishing second in the league in blocks per game, and was a finalist for Most Improved Player while starring for the Bucks during their playoff appearance. His performance earned him a four year, $44 million extension... and he didn't even reach the first year before running afoul of the NBA's marijuana policy and some other off-court legal troubles. He appeared in just 55 more games for the Bucks, fell out of the starting lineup, got hit with another marijuana policy suspension, and had his contract bought out after just two seasons. After a final year in Cleveland, Sanders announced his retirement and has since moved into a career as a music producer.

* '''Jerome James''' was a center whose career goes down as a major OneHitWonder and is one of the worst free agent signings in NBA history. Originally drafted by the Kings in the 2nd round of the 1998 draft out HBCU Florida A&M, the massive 7'1", 285 pounder detoured to the Harlem Globetrotters as well as stops in the Serbian, Montenegrin, and French leagues before returning to the NBA with the Supersonics in 2001. He became a starter in 2004, tallied career best numbers, and most notably, put up a monster performance in the first round of the playoffs with 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. The Knicks signed him that offseason as a free agent to a massive five-year, $30 million deal, but he showed up to training camp out of shape (gaining nearly ''40 pounds'' in the offseason according to some reports), battled a multitude of injuries, and played miserably in just 90 games over the life of the deal (including just four in final two seasons in New York) before he was traded to Chicago (never playing a minute there). After a few more seasons in Puerto Rico, he retired in 2015.

* '''Mike James''' was a journeyman point guard undrafted out of Duquesne who played for 11 different NBA teams over his 13 year career but is most notable as a OneHitWonder with the Raptors and one of the worst free agent signings in NBA history. [[RedBaron Nicknamed]] "[[Film/TheAmityvilleHorror1979 The Amityville Scorer]]"[[note]]His hometown is Amityville, New York[[/note]], James started off in some lower tier North American leagues, as well as stints in Austria and France, before becoming a bench player in the NBA for his first four seasons, even winning a championship with Detroit in 2004. He joined the Raptors in 2005 and had a break out season, putting up 20.3 points (double his career average) and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 44.2% from three point range, top five in the league. He signed a big money free agent deal the following offseason with Minnesota, but he regressed and his albatross of a contract was traded around between three different teams over the next three seasons, averaging just 7.1 PPG for the rest of his career.

* '''Larry Sanders''' was a C/PF selected by the Bucks #15 overall in 2010 out of VCU where he was one of the stars of the Rams two NCAA tournament appearances and goes down a major NBA OneHitWonder. A strong defensive presence, he was sent to the D-League to improve his scoring and was called up halfway through his rookie season. He became a full-time starter in his third year where he broke out, nearly averaging a double-double, finishing second in the league in blocks per game, and was a finalist for Most Improved Player while starring for the Bucks during their playoff appearance. His performance earned him a four year, $44 million extension... and he didn't even reach the first year before running afoul of the NBA's marijuana policy and some other off-court legal troubles. He appeared in just 55 more games for the Bucks, fell out of the starting lineup, got hit with another marijuana policy suspension, and had his contract bought out after just two seasons. After a final year in Cleveland, Sanders announced his retirement and has since moved into a career as a music producer.

* '''Mike James''' was a journeyman point guard undrafted out of Duquesne who played for 11 different NBA teams over his 13 year career but is most notable as a OneHitWonder with the Raptors and one of the worst free agent signings in NBA history. After starting off in some lower tier North American leagues as well as stints in Austria and France, James become a bench player in the NBA for his first four seasons, even winning a championship with Detroit in 2004. He joined the Raptors in 2005 and had a break out season, putting up 20.3 points (double his career average) and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 44.2% from three point range, top five in the league. He signed a big money free agent deal the following offseason with Minnesota, but he regressed and his albatross of a contract was traded around between three different teams over the next three seasons, averaging just 7.1 PPG for the rest of his career.