1) Hank Finkel, ’69-’70 Celtics (Bill Russell)
In the one season between Russell’s Hall of Fame career ending and Dave Cowens’ rookie campaign, Finkel kept the seat warm at center in Boston. Facing adversity and stepping into a difficult position were nothing new for the seven footer, who had dropped out of his New Jersey high school to earn money as a sandblaster after his father passed away from cancer. Finkel certainly wasn’t bad in ’69-’70, averaging 9.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, but he was also an easy target for Celtics fans’ angst, especially as the team slumped late in the season and missed the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. Ready to retire that summer at age 28 rather than face the wrath of Boston fans and media again, Finkel was lured back in by Red Auerbach’s promise of reinforcements. Finkel wound up playing five more seasons as Cowen’s backup, getting rewarded with a championship in 1974.
2) Carlos Arroyo, ’03-’04 Jazz (John Stockton)
The ’02-’03 Jazz were arguably the greatest apprenticeship position possible for a young point guard. A 23-year-old Arroyo served as a third-stringer behind the all-time assists leader, John Stockton, and the man in second on that list, Mark Jackson. But in the summer of 2003, Stockton retired, Jackson signed with the Rockets, and Arroyo essentially fell into the starting point guard position. He played decent enough, averaging career highs in points (12.6), assists (5.0), and rebounds (2.6) per game in ’03-’04, and led the Jazz to a surprise 42 wins. But later clashes with coach Jerry Sloan got Arroyo first benched in ’04-’05, then traded at the deadline to the Pistons. He lasted six more seasons in the NBA as a back-up point guard, then remained professionally active for another decade, with stints in Turkey, Israel, Spain, the Big 3, and his native Puerto Rico.
3) John Gianelli, ’74-’75 Knicks (Willis Reed)
4) Ray Williams, ’77-’78 Knicks (Walt Frazier)
It was the end of an era when a valiant but short-handed Knicks team lost in the 1974 Conference Finals. Four load-bearing foundations of their 1970 and 1973 title runs retired that summer: Dave DeBusschere, Jerry Lucas, Dick Barnett, and Reed, leaving the back court of Frazier and Earl Monroe to carry the torch. Gianelli had been New York’s starting center for most of ’73-’74 anyway, as Reed was nursing shaky knees, and filled in seamlessly if unspectacularly in ’74-’75 as the full-time starter, averaging 10.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. But New York’s fall from grace was swift, with a first round playoff exit in 1975 followed by missing the postseason altogether in 1976 and 1977. A second exodus followed, with Frazier getting traded to the Cavaliers, Bill Bradley retiring, and Red Holzman stepping down as coach (replaced by Reed). The rookie Williams injected some youthful energy into the Knicks back court but also chaos, with a reckless style that would eventually earn him the nickname “The Big Apple Turnover.” He remained the starting point guard for four seasons before losing the job to Micheal Ray Richardson.
5) Kelvin Cato, ’01-’02 Rockets (Hakeem Olajuwon)
When the Rockets missed the playoffs for a second straight season in ’00-’01, their stalwart center decided it was time to play for a contender again. Olajuwon asked for a trade and got it, leaving Houston’s starting center position up for grabs for the first time since 1984. Cato got the gig somewhat by default and Rockets fans were less than pleased. The veteran center was already perceived as brooding, overpaid, and underwhelming, and stepping in to fill Olajuwon’s shoes didn’t help his reputation. Starting 73 games at center in ’01-’02, Cato was serviceable, with 6.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, which were actually pretty similar numbers to what Olajuwon gave the Raptors that season. But it wasn’t nearly enough for Houston fans or their front office, who responded by drafting Yao Ming first overall in 2002. Cato stayed on the Houston roster for two more seasons before getting traded to Orlando.
6) Andre Roberson, ’16-’17 Thunder (Kevin Durant)
Not only did the loss of Durant to the Warriors cause a major talent drop-off at small forward for the Thunder in ’16-’17, it also shifted the position’s strategic focus. Whereas Durant was an elite scorer for Oklahoma City, Roberson was a defensive specialist. This was especially relevant after the Thunder traded Serge Ibaka that summer in exchange for some offensive firepower in Victor Oladipo. Roberson made the All-Defensive team for the first time in ’16-’17, while additionally finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. But the fall off was just too steep from Durant’s 28.2 points per game in ’15-’16 to Roberson’s 6.6 in ’16-’17, which was a career high. It’s likely Roberson, then still just 25 years old, would have continued to develop along on both ends of the floor if not for a ruptured patellar tendon suffered during the ’16-’17 season, effectively ending his career just as it was getting started.
7) Jim McMillian, ’71-’72 Lakers (Elgin Baylor)
A rare case on this list where the replacement player was an immediate improvement on the legend he usurped. Baylor had been a cornerstone of the Lakers franchise ever since he carried them to the 1959 NBA Finals as a rookie. But his production steady declining after a devastating 1965 knee injury, and it was no secret that McMillian had been drafted in 1970 to replace him. During the 33-game win streak that immediately followed Baylor’s retirement, McMillian averaged 20.1 points per game, including a 41-point outburst against the 76ers, and compiled seven double-doubles. He finished the season third on the Lakers in scoring, then averaged 19.1 points per game in the postseason as a dominant Los Angeles team won the title. Yet, when the Lakers were looking to rebuild in 1973 following Wilt Chamberlain’s retirement, McMillian was shipped off to Buffalo in exchange for Elmore Smith.
8) Brent Barry, ’98-’99 Bulls (Michael Jordan)
9) Brent Barry, ’02-’03 SuperSonics (Gary Payton)
The three-time defending champion Bulls had a vastly different roster after the dust settled on the 1999 lockout. The most glaring difference was obviously at shooting guard, with the journeyman Barry taking over for Michael Jordan. The surprise champion of the 1996 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, Barry possessed some solid offensive skills but struggled defensively. He tallied 13 points before fouling out in his Bulls debut, a loss to the Jazz that portended how the rest of the season would go. Barry averaged only 11.1 points per game that season as the Bulls slumped to the bottom of the standings, Chicago wasted no time trading Barry away in the summer of 1999 to the Sonics. When Gary Payton was traded in 2003 to the Bucks, Barry shifted to point guard for the remainder of the season. In his first game in the new role, Barry set a career high in assists with 16 but ultimately averaged just 5.8 per game while struggling at times with turnovers. Barry did hold his job as starting point guard for most of the ’03-’04 season before returning to his more natural bench swing man role in later stints with the Spurs and Rockets
10) Tim McCormick, ’86-’87 76ers (Moses Malone)
With Julius Erving rapidly aging, a young Charles Barkley blossoming into stardom, and the #1 pick in hand thanks to a fortuitous draft lottery, the 76ers attempted to rebuild on the fly in 1986. They traded that pick for Roy Hinson and dealt Malone to the Bullets in exchange for Jeff Ruland. But the two-time All-Star Ruland suffered a lateral meniscus tear just two games into the ’86-’87 season, effectively ending his career and leaving a gaping hole at center. Enter McCormick, whom the Sixers had acquired in the prior offseason but trading away another first round pick. He put up respectable numbers, averaging 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, but got dominated by Jack Sikma in a first round playoff loss to the Bucks. Erving retired in the subsequent offseason, McCormick was traded to the Nets, and the Sixers missed the playoffs entirely in 1988.
11) Rasho Nesterovic, ’03-’04 Spurs (David Robinson)
Robinson’s 2003 retirement was certainly no surprise for the Spurs. The real stunner was their nonchalant attitude about it. With a 40-year-old Kevin Willis as the only center under contract, the Spurs attempted to sign Alonzo Mourning, failed, and decided that Nesterovic was their guy. It made some sense. The Slovenian center had spent the prior four seasons on the Timberwolves, meaning that this was not only an addition for San Antonio but also a significant subtraction for one of their biggest rivals. Nesterovic proved to be a steady presence for the Spurs in ’03-’04, averaging 8.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, though the season ended in a disappointing second round playoff exit. When the Spurs returned to championship glory in ’04-’05, Nesterovic was still on the roster but had lost his starting job to the recently acquired Nazr Mohammed.
12) Fred Hetzel, ’67-’68 Warriors (Rick Barry)
13) Sonny Parker, ’78-’79 Warriors (Rick Barry)
Thanks to an idiosyncratic set of circumstances, the Warriors wound up with the #1 and #2 picks in the 1965 NBA Draft. They made the curious decision to use those picks on two small forwards, nabbing Hetzel #1 and Barry #2. But the Warriors looked crazy like a fox two years later, when Barry jumped ship for the ABA and his replacement was already in place. But while Hetzel had been the bigger collegiate star, it was patently obvious by 1967 that Barry was a far better player, destined for legendary status. Not that Hetzel played poorly in ’67-’68, averaging a career high 19.0 points per game. He played one more solid season with the Warriors before getting picked up by the Bucks in their expansion draft. Barry returned to the Warriors in ’72-’73 for a second stint that included a title run in 1975, before signing as a free agent with the Rockets in 1978. He was once again replaced by his backup, this time Parker, who was entering his third season in the league. Parker was also decent but even less effective than Hetzel, and two years later was replaced by trade acquisition Bernard King.
“Following the most shocking retirement in NBA history, the ’91-’92 Lakers found themselves transitioning from the legendary Magic Johnson as floor leader to a sixth round pick journeyman, who had mostly spent his career playing shooting guard”
14) Anthony Parker, ’10-’11 Cavaliers (LeBron James)
15) Cedi Osman, ’18-’19 Cavaliers (LeBron James)
Did Parker inherit the most thankless job in NBA history? Cavs fans weren’t expecting much after James took his talents to South Beach, but replacing the hometown legend and best player in the NBA would have been a task too big for any player, let alone a 35-year-old career journeyman. Add in a switch from Parker’s natural shooting guard position and, well, good luck. Parker certainly didn’t add enough scoring or defense to make Cavs fans even begin to forget about The King. But he did provide arguably the season’s biggest highlight, leading the way with 20 points in a shocking upset of James and the Heat. Parker played one more season in Cleveland before retiring in 2012 and two years later James was back, this time leading the Cavaliers to four NBA Finals and a 2016 title. The talent cupboard wasn’t left quite as bare the second time James left, in 2018 for the Lakers, but it was certainly another shock to the system. A second year player out of North Macedonia, Osman spent his rookie season bouncing between the Cavs bench and their G-League affiliate, but was thrust into the starting lineup in ’18-’19. He averaged a respectable 13.0 points per game, as the Cavs expectedly dropped to the bottom of the standings. Osman spent three more seasons in Cleveland before returning to Europe to continue his career.
16) Lindsey Hunter, ’93-’94 Pistons (Isiah Thomas)
As the final vestiges of the Bad Boy era were retiring or departing for other teams, the Pistons drafted a pair of guards in the first round in 1993 as their back court of the future. While Allan Houston, the heir apparent at shooting guard, never got a chance to replace Joe Dumars, Hunter was pressed into service sooner than expected. Late in Hunter’s rookie season, Thomas suffered an Achilles’ tear that ended his career. Hunter filled in admirably and was named 2nd-Team All-Rookie for his efforts, but struggled over the next few years due to injuries and inconsistencies. He vacillated between the starting lineup and bench almost constantly up until the Pistons traded him in 2000. Hunter eventually wound up winning a chqmpionship with the Lakers in 2002, then returned to Detroit in 2004 and came off the bench behind Chauncey Billups in that season’s title run
17) Rony Seikaly, ’96-’97 Magic (Shaquille O’Neal)
18) Chris Mihm, ’04-’05 Lakers (Shaquille O’Neal)
O’Neal impressed with 12 points, 18 rebounds, and three blocks in his NBA debut, a Magic win over the Heat. The opposing center that night was Seikaly, who afterwards compared defending O’Neal to “having a house fall on you.” Four years later, O’Neal was a member of the Lakers and Seikaly his replacement, calling it a “dream come true.” The Lebanese center actually played quite well in the ’96-’97 regular season, averaging a career high 17.3 points per game at age 31. He was traded to the Nets in 1998 and played in just 18 more games before retiring due to a broken foot. O’Neal went on to earn three Finals MVPs with the Lakers, before they were forced to trade him to the Heat in 2004. L.A. knew there was no viable replacement for the “Big Diesel” so they went with a stopgap solution in Mihm, acquired from the Celtics via trade. The Mihm era in Los Angeles went about as poorly as you would expect. The veteran center averaged 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in his first two years with the Lakers, then suffered an ankle injury that cost him nearly two full seasons, during which he was replaced by Pau Gasol.
19) Bill Bridges, ’65-’66 Hawks (Bob Pettit)
It was hard enough replacing the legendary Pettit in St. Louis without also being a Black man playing for a notoriously racist fan base. Not that this was anything new for Bridges, who was overlooked in the 1961 NBA Draft due to the ongoing, unspoken Black player quota. Bridges averaged 14.5 points and 13.9 rebounds per game in his first five seasons as the Hawks’ starting center, making three All-Star appearances but winning over only a small percentage of St. Louis fans. He was traded to the 76ers in 1971, kicking off a second career act as a journeyman. That included stints as the starting power forward for the ’72-’73 Lakers that reached the NBA Finals, and coming off the bench for the Warriors as they won the 1975 title. Bridges remains second in Hawks franchise in total rebounds, trailing only Pettit.
20) Kevin Gamble, ’92-’93 Celtics (Larry Bird)
Needing essentially a warm body at small forward after an Achilles’ surgery ended Bird’s season, the Celtics turned to Gamble, who was erstwhile dominating the CBA as a member of the Quad City Thunder. It was his second chance with Boston, after ’90-’91 when coach Chris Ford inserted Gamble into a small ball starting five with Bird, Lewis, Brian Shaw, and Robert Parish. The youngster blossomed, averaging what would turn out to be a career high 15.6 points per game. When Bird officially retired after the ’91-’92 season, Gamble retained his spot and helped the Celtics keep their streak of 14 consecutive playoff appearances alive. Tragedy then struck with Lewis’ untimely death and in ’93-’94, Gamble lost playing time to a young Rick Fox as Boston shifted into full rebuilding mode. He signed that summer with the Heat, but found scant playing time in Miami or a later stint in Sacramento before retiring in 1997.
21) Elmore Smith, ’73-’74 Lakers (Wilt Chamberlain)
22) Elmore Smith, ’75-’76 Bucks (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
Considering Chamberlain’s obsession with stats, there’s some irony to be found in his Lakers replacement becoming the inaugural league leader in the newly instituted blocks per game statistic. A double-double machine early in his career with the Buffalo Braves, Smith arrived in Los Angeles via trade in 1973 and basically pick up where he left off. His 4.85 blocks per game in ’73-’74 not only led the league but also still stands as the third highest single season mark in NBA history. When Jerry West followed Chamberlain out the door in 1974 and the Lakers floundered in the standings, Smith was part of the package sent to the Bucks in exchange for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Thus, for the second time in his career, Smith took on the thankless job of replacing a starting center who was arguably the greatest of all time. The ’75-’76 Bucks remained competitive with Smith manning the middle, and he averaged a double-double for the fifth straight season. But he was replaced early in ’76-’77 by ABA alumnus Swen Nater and traded to the Cavaliers, where Smith played out his final three seasons backing up Jim Chones.
23) Sedale Threatt, ’91-’92 Lakers (Magic Johnson)
Following the most shocking retirement in NBA history, the ’91-’92 Lakers found themselves transitioning from the legendary Magic Johnson as floor leader to a sixth round pick journeyman, who had mostly spent his career playing shooting guard. Los Angeles was Threatt’s fourth team in his then eight year career and quickly became his most lucrative gig. Inserted into the starting lineup on the eve of the regular season, Threatt set career highs in scoring (15.1 points per game), assists (7.2 per game), and rebounds (3.1 per game), starting all 82 games as the shell-shocked Lakers managed to reach the playoffs. After putting up similar numbers as a starter in ’92-’93, Threatt returned to the bench in ’93-’94 in favor of dynamic rookie Nick Van Exel and two years later the Lakers released him. Threatt is a bit of a footnote in Lakers history but still remembered fondly by fans, especially for his performance in their near first round upset of the Suns in 1993.
Next up in Retirements and Comebacks
Going out on top: 17 notable NBA players who retired as champions
Moral support: 26 notable NBA champions who were not on the playoff roster
Short and sweet: 16 greatest post-merger players whose NBA career lasted 10 seasons or fewer
Adding insult: 14 NBA players who suffered unusual off-court injuries
Loyal foot soldiers: 10 role players who spent their entire NBA career with one team
One and done: 17 greatest players who spent just one season in the NBA
Over the hill and on the court: 31 NBA players who stayed active into their 40s
Nothing to show for it: 20 notable players who were teammates with Magic Johnson or Larry Bird but didn’t win a title
All the commissioner’s men: Nine enduring NBA conspiracy theories
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss: 22 NBA coaches who had multiple stints with the same franchise
Line of succession: 20 NCAA coaches who replaced departing legends
