20 forgotten NBA stars from the Jordan era

Resume: 1x All-NBA, 4x All Star, 1x All-Defense

Latrell Sprewell's career was somewhat derailed by immaturity, but when he was rolling, there weren't many wings who were better than him. His one All-NBA team was a First-Team All-NBA selection during his sophomore season. And his fifth season the NBA was his greatest statistical year as he averaged 24.2 PPG and dished out 6.3 APG with 45-35-84 shooting splits for the Warriors. Unfortunately, at a practice early in the next season, he choked his coach P.J. Carlesimo in an ugly incident and spent the rest of his career trying to rehab his image and channel his aggression. He would go on to play a key part in the Knicks' Finals run in 1999 and similarly help Kevin Garnett and the T'Wolves make a Conference Finals run in 2004. He averaged 18.3 PPG for his career.

Resume: 3x All-NBA, 4x All Star

Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway was LeBron before LeBron, and was the only guard of his era to stare Michael Jordan in the face and come out victorious in a playoff series. In his first four seasons, he averaged 19.7 PPG, 6.7 APG, 4.6 RPG and 1.9 SPG. In just his second season, he and Shaquille O'Neal took the Eastern Conference title by storm, taking down Jordan and the Bulls and Reggie Miller and the Pacers. Though they lost to Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in the Finals, Penny and Shaq were primed to dominate the next decade in Orlando. Unfortunately, that 1994-95 season was the best things would get, as Shaq soon left for the bright lights of Los Angeles and Penny's knees began to betray him. In the end, Hardaway played 14 total seasons, but his career had a clear line of demarcation between future-Hall of Fame player (pre-knee injury) and solid role player (post-knee surgery).

Resume: 2x All-NBA, 2x All Star

Stephon Marbury, nicknamed "Starbury" was a shooting star early in his career who appeared destined to be a part of one of the NBA's top duos (alongside a young Kevin Garnett) and top point guards of his generation. However, a decision to demand a trade from the Timberwolves during his third season sent his career on a detour that resulted in some individual success and not much else. Despite averaging 19.9 PPG and 7.9 APG from 1997 to 2007, Marbury typically wore his welcome out after a couple of seasons and played for four different teams (T'Wolves, Nets, Suns, Knicks) during those years. He also rarely made the playoffs during that period of time and never made it beyond the first round when he did until much later in his career as a backup on the 2008-09 Celtics. Marbury's story had a happy ending though, as he went to China to finish his basketball playing career and became an idol there, even getting his own statue after winning three CBA championships.

Resume: Hall of Fame, 3x All-NBA, 1x Scoring Champion, 8x All Star

Here's a trivia question to impress your friends with: Who was the NBA's leading scoring in the 1980s? It wasn't Michael Jordan. It wasn't Larry Bird. It wasn't Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, either. It was Alex English! From 1980 to 1990, English averaged 25.2 PPG while playing no fewer than 78 games per season. English clearly benefitted from his team's (Denver Nuggets) run-and-gun, high-scoring style of play, but he was a baller nonetheless, as seen by his performances whenever Denver made deep runs into the playoffs. In 24 playoff games between 1985 and 1986, English scored an absurd 29 PPG despite only attempting two(!) three-pointers over the course of those two postseasons.

Resume: 2x NBA Champion, 3x All Star

Mark Aguirre was a star for the Mavericks early in his career, averaging 24.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 3.7 APG from 1982 to 1989. He experienced moderate postseason success during that time, scoring 23 PPG, grabbing 6.7 RPG and dishing out 3.7 APG, and even helped the Mavs push the eventual champion-Lakers to the brink in the 1988 Western Conference Finals. Aguirre's career then had a second act as he was the missing piece for the Detroit Pistons — an unselfish player who was able to set aside his ego and even come off the bench at times during the Pistons' back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990. He's probably remembered more for his time with the Pistons, but he was a star in the NBA for much of his career.

Resume: 2x All-NBA, 2x All Star, 1982-83 ROY

Terry Cummings is a guy that you probably recognize, but had no idea (a) how long he played (18 seasons); and (b) how prolific of a scorer and rebounder he was for the fist 10 seasons of his career (21.3 PPG and 8.7 RPG). And it wasn't just regular season production — he was a beast in the playoffs too during that same stretch, averaging 22.4 PPG and 8.9 RPG in 61 playoff games from 1985 to 1992. Cummings had some nice accolades early in his career as well, winning the 1982-83 Rookie of the Year and making All-NBA teams twice. Considering the Basketball Hall of Fame's relatively low threshold for entry, it wouldn't be surprising to see Cummings inducted at some point in the next decade or two.

Resume: Hall of Fame, 1x All-NBA, 4x All Star, 1983-84 ROY, 1x All Star Game MVP

By now, you have assuredly heard about Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-5 French big man with Kevin Durant's bag on offense and Rudy Gobert's rim protection skills on defense who was the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Well, Ralph Sampson was the Wembanyama before Wembanyama. Sampson — a 7-foot-4 center with a face-up game and a jump shot — was a three-time AP Player of the Year at Virginia. He then proceeded to be drafted with the top pick by the Rockets, win the 1983-84 Rookie of the Year, lead the NBA in rebounding his rookie year (16.6 RPG) make the All Star team in his first four seasons and, along with the other of Houston's "Twin Towers", Hakeem Olajuwon, lead the Rockets to a way-earlier-than-expected NBA Finals run in 1986. Sadly, Sampson suffered major knee and back injuries, became a shell of his former self and eventually had to call it quits at only age 31. Had he stayed healthy, he had the potential to be one of the greatest players of his generation. In fact, for those that watched him, it was a bit of a shock that he didn't end up being mentioned in the same breath as great big men like Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell and Bill Walton.

Resume: Hall of Fame, 5x All-NBA, 2x DPOY, 5x All Star, 5x All-Defense

Despite having a relatively short career for a star player — his tenure essentially lasted 10 years — Sidney Moncrief makes this list because he was a dominant two-way force for the entire 1980s. In addition to making the Hall of Fame, Moncrief was an All-NBA selection for half of his career and the Defensive Player of the Year twice. His defense was so strong that he was recognized as the league's premier defender despite not having elite defensive statistics — his career-high in SPG was only 1.7 and BPG was only 0.5. Though he never won a title, having Moncrief on your team meant you were — at the very least — making the playoffs, as he made the postseason in every season of his career. 

Resume: Hall of Fame, 1x NBA Champion, 4x All Star, 5x All-Defense

Like Sidney Moncrief, Maurice Cheeks was a stud on defense and made his mark in the league as a great all-around player. Cheeks spent the majority of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers and averaged an efficient 12.2 PPG, 7.3 APG and 2.2 SPG on 52.8 percent shooting from 1979 to 1989. He was an even better player when it counted too, averaging 15 PPG, 7 APG and 2.3 SPG in 115 playoff games during that same time. He was a pivotal player for the Sixers in their 1983 championship run — a season that is often remembered as one of the best single seasons in NBA history.

Resume: Hall of Fame, 2x Scoring Champ, 2x All-NBA, 6x All Star, 1976-77 ROY

Despite being an undersized 6-foot-5 small forward, Adrian Dantley was put on this planet to do one thing: Get buckets. And that's just what he did, averaging 24.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 3 APG for his career while shooting a blistering 54 percent from the field. Dantley averaged over 30 PPG in four consecutive seasons — all with the Utah Jazz — from 1980 to 1984. Dantley, in part to due Bird's steal and Dennis Johnson's aforementioned layup, is somewhat forgotten because he was a member of the early Bad Boy Pistons, but was traded for Mark Aguirre during the 1988-89 season, and therefore, missed out on the back-to-back Pistons championships.

Resume: 2x All-NBA, 4x All Star, 1x ASG MVP

If you recognize Tom Chambers, it's likely because you've seen his famous posterizing dunk over Mark Jackson. And while I'm sure Chambers is proud of that moment, he should be remembered for so much more. From 1982 to 1991, Chambers averaged 21 PPG and 6.8 RPG for the Clippers, Sonics and Suns. In his first two years with the Suns, he averaged 26.5 PPG and 7.7 RPG and kicked butt in the playoffs those years as well. Lastly, Chambers had 34 points in one of the best random All Star Game MVP performances ever in a 154-149 OT win by the Western Conference — a game that featured Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkins, Isiah Thomas, Charles Barkley, Kevin McHale, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and James Worthy!

Resume: Hall of Fame, 5x All-NBA, 5x All Star

Next, we have the Run TMC guys from the early-'90s Golden State Warriors: Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Hardaway, who before his knee injury in 1993 was one of the quickest dribblers in NBA history, had excellent stints with both the Warriors and the Miami Heat. In his four seasons before his knee injury (ages 23 to 26), his game was more about getting to the basket as he averaged 20.6 PPG, 9.7 APG, 2.1 SPG and attempted 4.6 free throw attempts per game, with only 3.3 three-point attempts per game. The post-injury portion of his prime (28 to 34), most of which was in Miami, was a little more perimeter-oriented, but efficient nonetheless. He averaged 17.3 PPG, 7.9 APG and only 3.6 free throw attempts per game, but improved his three-point shooting greatly, attempting 6.1 per game and making 36 percent of them (as compared to only 34.2 percent on the aforementioned 3.3 attempts per game). 

Resume: Hall of Fame, 5x All-NBA, 1x Champion, 5x All Star, 1x ASG MVP, 1988-89 ROY

From his rookie season in 1988-89 to his 11th season in 1998-99, Mitch Richmond was an absolute bucket and averaged no less than 19.7 PPG during that stretch. Over those first 11 seasons, he averaged 22.9 PPG on blistering 46-39-85 shooting splits. Richmond was a prototypical shooting guard for the '90s and one of the first players to really start to emphasize the three-pointer, shooting over 40 percent from three in three separate seasons on decent volume. 

Resume: Hall of Fame, 4x All-NBA, 5x All Star

Chris Mullin had an excellent 16-season career, averaging 18.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 3.5 APG with 51-38-87 shooting splits. He was basically the ideal NBA wing for the majority of his career. He also had an incredible five-year run during his prime from 1988-89 to 1992-93 where he put up 25.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.1 APG and 1.9 SPG while playing 39.3 MPG with 52-35-87 shooting splits. Mullin is one of those players that, if he played today, might have been even better because he was such a great shooter, but played in an era that did not emphasize that skill as effectively as today's NBA does.

Resume: 5x All-NBA, 3x All Star, 1988-89 MIP

Speaking of players that would have excelled in today's NBA, Kevin Johnson would have thrived in the wide-open style of modern basketball. Johnson was an explosive 6-foot-1 point guard who was impossible to stay in front of, could hammer dunks on even the greatest of shot-blockers and also had the court vision to average double-digit assists. During his prime (1989-97), he averaged 19.8 PPG and 10 APG on a talented Suns team that was routinely in the mix at the top of the Western Conference during the early-'90s. 

Resume: 4x All-NBA, 4x All Star

You want efficient point-guard play? Look no further than Cavaliers' great Mark Price. For his career, he shot 47.2 percent from the field, 40.2 percent from three and 90.4 percent from the free-throw line. Put differently, he was close to being a 50-40-90 guy for his entire career! During his prime, from 1988 to 1995, he scored 17.6 PPG and handed out 7.8 APG with insane 48-41-91 shooting splits. If it weren't for the fact that he and the Cavs kept running into Michael Jordan and the Bulls seemingly every postseason, he may have even hung a banner in Cleveland. 

Resume: 2x All-NBA, 1x Champion, 3x All Star, 1996-97 ASG MVP

Another crazy-efficient scorer from this era was Glen Rice, whose career shooting splits were 46-40-85. But for his son's brief NBA career or joke about a certain former vice-presidential candidate, Rice is a mostly forgotten player despite having been good enough to make two All-NBA teams during the mid-90s. From 1992 to 1998, Rice averaged 22.2 PPG and 4.8 RPG with 47-41-85 shooting splits for the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets. He also showed the ability to star in his role later in his career as a third wheel for the Lakers' championship in 2000.

Resume: 1x All Star

If you are unfamiliar with Reggie Lewis, you are probably wondering what he's doing on this list given his limited accolades in comparison to the others in this group. Tragically, Lewis passed away at age 27 due to a heart condition right as he started to enter his prime. Lewis was starting to become the face of the Celtics during the post-Larry Bird era and had averaged 19.2 PPG from 1989 to 1993 and had even been named an All Star in 1991-92. With a chiseled 6-foot-7, 195-pound frame, Lewis would have likely been a strong player for the rest of his 20s and likely his early 30s and would have been a well-known star, so he deserves a spot here. 

Resume: Hall of Fame; 1x All-NBA

Another downer here. Drazen Petrovic also tragically passed away right as his NBA career was starting to take off. Petrovic, who was born in Croatia and spent his early-20s playing in Europe, came to the NBA as a 25-year-old for the Portland Trail Blazers. However, because the Blazers were deep at the guard position, he didn't get enough minutes during his first season and a half before he was dealt to the New Jersey Nets. In his two full seasons with the Nets, he scored 21.4 PPG with blistering shooting splits of 51-45-84 and was part of a young Nets core with Kenny Anderson and Derrick Coleman that seemed poised to be a major player in the Eastern Conference for years to come. Sadly, in the 1993 offseason, Petrovic died in a car accident in Germany. All of the great European players frequently point to Petrovic as an inspiration to them, so he unquestionably belongs on this list. 

Resume: 1x Champion, 2x All Star

Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson was the no. 1 overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft after a stellar career at Purdue, and went on to become a very good player in the NBA. While he didn't reach the lofty heights in his career that some top picks reach, he was a star nonetheless and was some questionable refereeing in 2001 away from helping the Bucks reach the NBA Finals. Big Dog was a 6-foot-7, 225-pound small forward who could score with the best of them. For his career, he averaged 20.7 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 11 seasons. Nine of those seasons were spent in Milwaukee, with his best coming in 2000-01 when him, Ray Allen and Sam Cassell lost 4-3 in a back-and-forth seven-game series that had Bucks players and coaches claiming the NBA was rigged based upon certain calls that were made in favor of the Allen Iverson-led 76ers. Robinson was an All Star that season and averaged 22 PPG.