A dynamic dunker and relentless scorer who took the NBA by storm straight out of high school and became a Sonics franchise legend, but stalled out amidst contract disputes and weight issues
FEATURED LISTS
Smells like teen spirit: Ranking the 42 players who were drafted into the NBA straight from high school
So close and yet so far: 26 greatest players who played in an NBA Finals but never won a title
Boomshakalaka!: Ranking the 27 rosters from the original NBA Jam (1993 arcade edition)
Sonic boom: Ranking the 23 greatest players in Seattle SuperSonics history
index
Click here for index
related topics
FULL archive
So close and yet so far: 26 greatest players who played in an NBA Finals but never won a title
We previously ran down the list of greatest players without an NBA Finals appearance. Now we tackle the players that made it at least once to the deciding series for the Larry O’Brien trophy, but weren’t victorious.
Can’t get in without a ticket [UPDATED]: 27 greatest eligible players not yet in the Naismith Hall of Fame
With the 2026 Naismith Hall of Fame class set to be announced in early April, we take a look at the 27 greatest NBA and ABA players who are currently eligible but have yet to be enshrined.
Boomshakalaka!: Ranking the 27 rosters from the original NBA Jam (1993 arcade edition)
Let’s grab our roll of quarters and call dibs on next game, because we’re traveling back in time to 1993 to rank the rosters from the original arcade version of NBA Jam, on the 30th anniversary of its initial release.
Smells like teen spirit: Ranking the 42 players who were drafted into the NBA straight from high school
With the days seemingly numbered for the current NBA draft age limit, we take a look back at the careers of the 42 players who were drafted by an NBA team straight from high school before that practice was eliminated in 2006.
Us against the world: Ranking the 18 U.S. FIBA World Cup teams
First contested in 1950 and formerly called the FIBA World Championships, the quadrennial World Cup of basketball has hosted many of the greatest American players of all time, though the U.S. team has earned the gold medal just five times in 18 tries. With the latest edition coming up later this summer, we rank those previous U.S. World Cup teams, from worst to best, based on both talent level and results.
Testing the waters and creating a ripple: 15 free agency signings that changed the NBA
With the 2023 free agency period about to began, we take a look back at the most notable free agent signings that had a major effect on the player, the teams, and/or the league itself.
Sonic boom: Ranking the 23 greatest players in Seattle SuperSonics history
While their history is officially retained by the Oklahoma City Thunder according to the NBA record books, they’re still the Seattle SuperSonics to us and we examine the 23 greatest players that suited up for them between their founding in 1967 and their departure from the city in 2008.
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.
Inauspicious debuts: 18 greatest players who weren’t named to the NBA All-Rookie team
Any first year player in ’19-’20 who doesn’t make the All-Rookie team should take heart. Not all the best players have their greatness apparent from the beginning, and some miss out on accolades altogether in their rookie season. Here are the 18 greatest that weren’t considered great enough to be All-Rookie.
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.
Missed connections: 19 blockbuster NBA trades that almost happened but fell through
Some of the greatest “what if” scenarios in NBA history have been trades that were rumored, agreed to in principle, and maybe even finalized then vetoed, but never happened. Here, we detail 19 of them that would have certainly changed the destiny of the franchises involved, if not the entire league.