Cold comfort: 18 NBA Coach of the Year winners whose team made an early playoff exit
1) Mike Brown, Kings, ’22-’23 First awarded to Harry Gallatin following the ’62-’63 season, NBA Coach of the Year has maintained a nebulous definition up to today. In recent years, it’s been traditionally handed out to coaches of whatever team had the biggest improvement in a given season, as was the case in ’22-’23 with Brown and the Kings. In his first year as Sacramento coach, not only did Brown lead a 17-win turnaround from the prior season, he also broke the longest playoff drought in NBA history, which dated back to 2006. Unfortunately for Brown, on the day that…
Moral support: 26 notable NBA champions who were not on the playoff roster
Not all of them earned (or accepted) a ring for their efforts, but these 26 players contributed to an eventual champion, though only in the regular season.
Short and sweet: 16 greatest post-merger players whose NBA career lasted 10 seasons or fewer
Injuries, suspensions, late career starts, and sadly tragic deaths played a factor in the shortened careers of these 16 NBA stars
You still work here?: 16 worst NBA players whose career lasted 10 or more seasons
They were never a star and hardly ever a starter, but these players made themselves useful enough to hang around the NBA for 10 or more seasons
![Can’t get in without a ticket [UPDATED]: 27 greatest eligible players not yet in the Naismith Hall of Fame](https://basketballlisted.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/19.png?w=640)
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.
Welcome to the big leagues: Ranking the NBA careers of the 52 Naismith Award winners
Handed out yearly since 1969, the Naismith Award represents the best of college basketball but not always the best pro prospects
Adding insult: 13 NBA players who suffered unusual off-court injuries
Whether is was due to carelessness, recklessness, or just some freak accident, these 14 NBA players missed time for unique reasons
Advanced wizardry: Ranking the pro careers of the 23 NBA players who played at UCLA under John Wooden
The greatest coach in college basketball history, John Wooden guided UCLA to 10 NCAA championships in a 12-year stretch. On the 60th anniversary of his first title, we rank the NBA careers of the 23 players from his program who reached the pro ranks.
Which side are you on?: A history of the NBA in 16 labor disputes
As much so as the games, players, and teams themselves, the history of basketball is a history of American labor politics
Head of the class: 18 greatest Naismith Hall of Fame NBA induction classes
There’s no doubt the 2020 Naismith Hall of Fame class was star studded but does it truly go down as the greatest of all time? We examine that with a ranking of the 16 greatest classes in the institution’s history.
Studying abroad: 24 notable American players with successful careers in Europe
When their time in the NBA was either proving unrealistic or had come to an unceremonious end, these 24 Americans took their talents overseas, finding success in one of the various European leagues.
Separated laundry: 18 NBA players with a jersey retired by multiple franchises
It’s honor enough to have your jersey retired by an NBA franchise but how about two? Or even three? These 18 players have their number hanging in the rafter of multiple arenas.
First quarter check in: 101 greatest NBA players of the 21st century (so far)
We’re already finished with 25% of this century so let’s take stock of the best players to take part in the NBA during this time
In memoriam: 21 prominent basketball people who passed away in 2025
A Bosnian legend, a clown prince of the NBA, a Knicks champion, a former Jazz owner, a basketball “Wizard” and an all-time winningest NBA coach are amongst those we lost in 2025
Player hater’s ball: Eight players who have antagonized an city’s entire fan base
Being beloved by your hometown faithful is the goal of most basketball players, but some took a special pride in the pure hatred they inspired in opposing fan bases.
Dead air: Eight legendary NBA players who struggled as television broadcasters
Playing on television in front of millions is one thing when you’re on the court, but for these eight NBA legends, talking into the camera was the real challenge.
Ode to an athlete dying young: 11 NBA or ABA players who passed away during active careers
These players had varying degrees of skill, success and experience in the NBA or ABA, but all had one thing in common: they were taken from us too soon.
Loyal foot soldiers: 10 role players who spent their entire NBA career with one team
A tribute to some role players who took the Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan route, spending their entire careers with a single franchise.
Thanks for your service, we got it from here: 13 NBA coaches fired mid-season with a winning record
The pressure is on more than ever for NBA coaches, even successful ones, but the habit of firings during winning seasons is hardly new, as can be attested by the coaches on this list
Tough act to follow: 23 (mostly) forgotten NBA players who replaced departing legends
Everyone remembers the franchise legends but when those great ones departed, either to retire or join a different team, who were the unsung heroes taking their place in the lineup?
Mamba’s den mates: Ranking the 31 players who won a title as Kobe Bryant’s Lakers teammate
Kobe Bryant helped revive the dormant Lakers franchise in the ’00s, winning five championships along the way. Today, we rank the 31 players who were part of those championship runs with Bryant, based on their overall career (not just their time with the Lakers).
From downtown: 13 great long distance shooters who played before the three-point line era
Long before modern analytics incentivized three-point shooting, these star players were bombing away from long distance, even though it counted the same as a lay-up.
Foundational pieces: 30 notable NBA expansion draft picks
Utilized to seed the roster of new franchises, expansion drafts have been staged 11 times in NBA history, starting with the Chicago Packers in 1961 and most recently with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004. These are the most notable selections in expansion draft history, from flops to revivals to impending franchise cornerstones.
Honorary decree: Seven people with retired NBA jerseys who never played or coached
What does it take to get your jersey hanging in the rafters amongst the legends of the sport? For these seven people, actual talent in basketball wasn’t a requisite.
500 greatest players in NBA/ABA history, 2025 edition
It’s our annual list of the 500 greatest players in NBA and ABA history, updated to reflect stats, awards, and accomplishments in the ’24-’25 NBA season.
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