Presenting Volume II of Basketball, Listed: Coming up Short, our dedication to the players and teams who couldn’t quite reach their ultimate goal, whether it was accolades, accomplishments, or championships. Chapters were published throughout the ’19-’20 NBA league season.
All previous volumes can be found on our Basketball, Listed Reader, while chapters across all volumes are collected in our full archive.
Second isn’t the best: 22 worst second overall picks in the NBA Draft
Last week we counted down the greatest players ever selected #2 overall, but what about the major misses? Maybe they missed out on a Hall of Famer or maybe they dodged an even bigger bullet, but these are the 22 worst players that teams selected with the second overall pick
Reign of terror: 19 disastrous tenures from NBA general managers
Unconscionable signings, lopsided trades, unexplainable draft picks, and perplexing personnel decisions are the hallmarks of the eras detailed below, where a general manager put together a performance so dreadful, they arguably set the franchise back years of development.
Lights! Camera! Shaq-tion!: 21 films that star (or prominently feature) NBA players
Many of the NBA’s biggest stars have attempted to transfer their talents to the silver screen, with results ranging from better to worst. Mostly worst. With LeBron James’ Space Jam 2 reportedly in the can, we take a look back at 21 of the most prominent examples.
So close and yet so far: 22 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.
Short of the promised land: 22 greatest players who have never reached the NBA Finals
Almost 900 players have taken the court for an NBA Finals game in the last 73 years, but that does not include the legends on this list, who never played on a team that reached the championship round.
Grab the remote, let’s check what else is on: 17 most forgettable NBA Finals series
The 17 most poorly played, dull and otherwise forgettable NBA Finals series in league history. Rankings are based on competitiveness of the series, quality of play, quality of players involved, historical significance and other intangible factors.
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.
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.
Add an asterisk: Five NBA championship teams with questionable legitimacy
As fans and the media debate the legitimacy of the eventual ’19-’20 NBA champion, we take a look back at five other title winners that have faced similar questions regarding their validity.
Far from home: Nine notable NBA games played at a neutral site
The NBA has resumed play, with all games staged at a neutral site on the campus of Walt Disney World. But this hardly the first time that regular season or playoff games have been played at secondary sites, and here are nine notable examples where the home team was actually far from home.
Black lives matter: Eight-plus NBA players who have supported activist causes
As protests expand across the U.S. and the world, and the Black Lives Matter and Defund the Police movements gain steam, we take a look at several NBA players that are especially notable for their commitment to social justice and activism.
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.
Bigger than basketball: 10 events that caused the cancellation or delay of NBA games
The show must and usually does go on for the NBA, but in these 10 examples, outside forces were so significant that it caused the league to take a pause and either postpone games or cancel them altogether.
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.
Oh, the humanity!: Ranking the 30 NBA franchises by torture level of their fans
As the NBA exits its yearly All-Star break, we take stock of the fan bases by ranking them from happiest to most tortured.
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.
Haven’t had the honor: 19 most deserving players never named to an All-Star team
As the NBA once again preps to honor its best and brightest in the yearly All-Star Game, here’s the greatest players in league history that never quite reached that summit of recognition.
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.
King of the hill, top of the heap: 29 greatest players in Knicks franchise history
One of the three original BAA franchises from the league’s 1946 inception that are still active to this day, the Knicks have just seven NBA Finals appearances and two titles over those 75 years, but have certainly produced numerous memorable players, the 29 greatest of which are counted down here.
In memoriam: 16 prominent basketball people who passed away in 2019
An NCAA scoring champion, a coach in the “Greatest Game Ever Played,” the original Sonics center, the inventor of the Dunk Contest, the Hall of Famer affectionately known as “Hondo,” and the first player of color in NBA history are amongst the basketball people we lost in 2019.
No longer home for the holidays: 20 notable NBA transactions that took place in late December
With the season typically about one-third finished, and teams starting to settle into understanding their potential and limits, late December is typically a busy time for trades, releases, free agency signings, and coaching changes.
Start getting real: 20 NBA players with memorable reality television appearances
Sometimes forcefully and sometimes unwittingly, these former (and occasionally current) NBA players subjected themselves to eventful roles in the realm of reality television.
Heavy was the crown: Eight especially weak NBA title defenses
Either injuries, defections, retirements, or just plain apathy doomed these teams from the beginning, in their quest to repeat as champions.
Lettermen of the law: Eight players who have had rules or regulations named after them
In some cases players are so unstoppable that the rule implemented to slow them down is named after them, and in other cases players sign contracts so unfair that their namesake regulation changes free agency forever.
Costs of being the boss: 13 Hall of Fame players who struggled as coaches
With their playing career often fueled by singular talent and ruthless competitiveness, these legendary players found those traits to be mostly a deterrent in their subsequent attempts at coaching in the NBA.
Bulls on parade: Ranking the 30 players who won a championship as Michael Jordan’s Bulls teammate
Michael Jordan was the center of the Bulls dynasty that dominated the ’90s but these 30 teammates all contributed to some extent to that run of success.
Lost in the ’70s: Eight ABA franchises that didn’t make it to the NBA merger
When the Spurs, Nets, Pacers and Nuggets joined the NBA in 1976, the ABA was forced to close up shop forever, leaving behind these unique and colorful teams in the history books.
Adding insult: 16 potential title teams whose season was derailed by an injury
For every glorious moment like Willis Reed coming through the tunnel to spark the Knicks to victory in the 1970 NBA Finals, there are numerous examples of star players getting injured either late in the season or during the playoffs, and their inability to return to play costing their team a potential championship.
Hardwood ceiling: 25 memorable team eras that didn’t include an NBA Finals appearance
Proving that titles aren’t necessarily everything for basketball fans, these are the most talented, successful, beloved, and otherwise notable team eras of all time that never reached the NBA Finals.
Basketball, Listed 