His powerful and graceful dunks earned him the nickname “Human Highlight Film” and his prolific scoring earned him endless accolades
FEATURED LISTS
Flying high: Ranking the 34 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contests
Always a bridesmaid: 15 players who have finished second in NBA MVP voting but never won
Short of the promised land: 26 greatest players who have never reached the NBA Finals
Sibling rivalry: 10 lesser-known NBA playing brothers of star players
All-Star Saturday to Sunday pipeline: Ranking the careers of the 31 Slam Dunk Contest winners
INDEX
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- As brother of Gerald Wilkins
- As Slam Dunk Contest winner
- Ending career with the Magic
- Finished second in NBA league MVP voting but never won
- In the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest
- In the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest
- In the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest
- In the 1990 Slam Dunk Contest
- Never played for U.S. Olympic team
- Never played in the NBA Finals
- Never played in the NCAA Tournament
- Nicknamed “Human Highlight Film”
- One of the greatest players of the ’80s
- Refusing to play for the Jazz
FULL archive
Short of the promised land: 26 greatest players who have never reached the NBA Finals
Over 900 players have taken the court for an NBA Finals game in the last 80 years, but that does not include the 26 legends on this list.
You’re the best around: 80 greatest NBA players of the 1980s
We conclude our Totally ’80s series by ranking the 80 greatest players of the decade, based solely on statistics, accolades, and awards compiled between the ’80-’81 and ’88-’89 seasons.
All-Star Saturday to Sunday pipeline: Ranking the careers of the 31 Slam Dunk Contest winners
In the 38th edition of the Slam Dunk Contest, Mac McClung became the 31st player to take home the crown and the first to do so without appearing in an NBA game during the regular season (thus far). For those previous 30 winners, how did the rest of their career go?
Second acts: 22 franchise legends who ended their career with a brief stop on an unfamiliar team
The star players on this list are indelibly linked with a single franchise where they built their legend, but closed out their career looking not-quite-right in a different jersey.
Noms de plume: 75 greatest NBA and ABA player nicknames
From the iconic to the cool to the slightly derisive, we count down the 75 greatest player nicknames in NBA history.
Listed legends: 75 players to track for the NBA 75th anniversary team
The NBA is about to announce its list of 75 Greatest Players, as voted on by players, coaches, executives, and members of the media. This is a follow-up to its list of the 50 Greatest Players that was released in 1996. Today, we go through the players whose names are the most intriguing to keep in mind for the new list.
Sibling rivalry: 10 lesser-known NBA playing brothers of star players
Though some were pretty great players in their own right, these siblings got lost in the shuffle of their more famous brothers’ NBA success.
Draft dodgers: Eight NBA players who refused to suit up for the team that drafted them
Whether it was the locale, the franchise’s recent history, the roster makeup, the contract offer, or all of the above plus myriad other supposed reasons (just ask Steve Francis), these eight players disavowed the NBA teams that drafted them, with varied results.
Always a bridesmaid: 15 players who have finished second in NBA MVP voting but never won
Some of the greatest players in NBA history have been denied winning the MVP trophy, and many of them finished as close as possible without being first.
I can’t dance: 15 greatest NBA players who (played in Division I but) never reached the NCAA Tournament
Several likely 2020 lottery picks, like Obi Toppen, Cole Anthony, and Vernon Carey, were denied an opportunity to experience March Madness before reaching the NBA when the 2020 NCAA Tournament was cancelled. At least they’ll be in good company, joining these 15 NBA superstars who played Division I college basketball but never in the ultimate postseason.
American dream deferred: 15 greatest American players who have not participated in the NBA Olympics era
With the finalists announced for the 2020 U.S. Olympic team, we take a look at the greatest players that have been eligible to participate since the 1992 Dream Team, but have not been selected.
Flying high: Ranking the 34 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contests
From Jordan and ‘Nique to Zach LaVine, Vinsanity, and everybody in between, it’s the best and worst of the NBA’s All-Star Slam Dunk Contest.