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Not all NBA players manage to reach the heights expected of them. Some even show early signs of promise only to be tagged as “overrated” after not quite living up to lofty expectations set by fans and media. This isn’t always a reflection of their lack of skill but rather how public perception can sometime cast a shadow over actual performance. Here, we delve into a list of players who, despite their undeniable talent, are considered to be some of the most overrated players in league history:
Robert Horry
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Horry might be one of the luckiest players in NBA history. A seven-time NBA champion. That’s right, seven times. Yet, Horry averaged only 7.0 points during his 16-year career and was more of a role player after his first four campaigns. Horry was more than serviceable and considered a great teammate, but perhaps he was luckier than really good.
Eddy Curry
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To be fair to Curry, he did manage to play in parts of 11 NBA seasons with four teams. He also won an NBA title with Miami in 2012, but hardly contributed to the championship run. The fourth overall pick in 2001, the burly 7-footer was drafted out of high school by his hometown Chicago Bulls. Curry was labeled a bust with the Bulls, but managed some serviceable time with the New York Knicks. Overall, Curry averaged 12.9 points and 5.2 rebounds for his career.
John Starks
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New York Knicks fans love Starks. He was an agitator who had a few good seasons during the early-to-mid 1990s. However, for all the love Starks got for being a supposed clutch player, the streaky shooting guard only averaged 12.5 points for his career and finished his 13-year NBA run as a 41.2-percent shooter. He earned just one All-Star nod (1994) and never won an NBA championship.
Ben Simmons
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Ben Simmons has been in the NBA for eight years now. Despite All-Star selections and some positive showings in 2023 with the Nets, injuries continue to dog him. When healthy, he can clearly be a great player. The guy is a 56-percent career shooter, so he can certainly perform at a high level. But, we’re also still waiting to see what kind of player he can truly be.
Carmelo Anthony
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Carmelo’s offensive game was almost perfect. He could score from anywhere and give defenders nightmares. He was also incredible on the international stage, exemplified by him having the 2nd most points overall for Team USA. His lack of titles in the NBA, however, is what makes him rank on this list. Having only appeared in the conference finals once (ultimately losing to the Lakers), he would have been regarded much more highly had he secured a more consistent playoff record.
Deron Williams
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Williams was a great college player at Illinois and enjoyed some strong seasons with Utah. The versatile and physical point guard was a three-time All-Star during his 12-year career. Maybe it wasn’t all Williams fault that he did not blossom into an NBA superstar for someone who was the third overall pick in 2005. In reality, and in no fault of his own, Williams was probably over-valued throughout his career. When what he turned out to be – a 16.3-point career scorer averaging 8.1 assists – was enough to make anybody proud.
J.R. Smith
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Smith was a streaky performer, especially when it came to shooting the basketball (41 percent career shooter). However, he’s also inconsistent, sometimes lazy, and often didn’t seem motivated on a nightly basis. Yet, Smith has managed to parlay it all into a 16-year NBA career that includes two NBA titles with Cleveland in 2016, and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway
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For those who still have their “Lil’ Penny” action figure, don’t throw it away. Hardaway will go down as one of the most popular players in league history. He was a four-time All-Star and got his shot at an NBA title. Penny averaged 15.2 points and was fun to watch, but there was a lot of inconsistency to his game and his leadership was questioned at times.
O.J. Mayo
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Expectations were high for Mayo when he was taken with the third overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Mayo, though, seemed like a guy without a true backcourt position. He wasn’t a good enough ball-handler to play the point consistently and could not knock shots down at an ample clip. After eight seasons and plenty of hype, Mayo’s NBA career was done. He finished averaging a career 13.8 points and shooting 42.9 percent from the field.
Jalen Rose
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The outspoken Rose has enjoyed a very successful post-basketball career as an analyst and TV/radio host. On the court, Rose probably thought he was better than he actually was. The former Fab Five star enjoyed a couple of special seasons with Indiana, and he also had his moments with Toronto. Overall, though, Rose was a step above serviceable but made it last for a lengthy NBA career.
Antoine Walker
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There are plenty of Boston Celtics fans who have no trouble praising Walker, the sixth overall pick in the 1996 draft. He averaged at least 20 points five times for the Celtics during the late 1990s and into the 2000s. Yet, he was often branded as lazy and only shot 41.4 percent for his career. Walker did win a title with Miami in 2006. However, it seemed those years in Boston were wasted time.
Russell Westbrook
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Really? The league’s resident triple-double machine tabbed overrated? Sure. Westbrook is 16 seasons into a career that has featured nine All-Star selections and an MVP Award (2017). Still, Westbrook is often appointment viewing, but he’s yet to get it done in the postseason. Westbrook is also shooting roughly 43 percent from the field and 30 percent from the 3-point arc for his career. Will that title ever come?
Shawn Kemp
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Kemp was a freak of an athlete. Especially when attacking the rim. Kemp, though, enjoyed stardom because he was also surrounded by some great players in Seattle – like Gary Payton and Detlef Schrempf. For six seasons with the Sonics, Kemp averaged a double-double. However, he was never able to get his teams over the championship hump while being named to six NBA All-Star teams.
Tracy McGrady
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Let’s get this out of the way. McGrady made a ton of money in the NBA, and there’s an argument to be made that he was not worth much of it. Of course, overpaying athletes is what pro sports is all about. Like that six-year, $67.5 million deal to sign with Orlando after making a name for himself in Toronto. McGrady was a seven-time All-Star, who averaged 32.1 points for the Magic in 2002-03. But he never won an NBA title. So, was all the money worth it?
Joe Smith
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Smith was the No. 1 overall pick in 1995, and perhaps the only thing that kept him from being a total bust was the fact he played 16 seasons in the NBA. That’s worth celebrating, but in terms of living up to his early hype, Smith was not as good as advertised. He never blossomed into the dominant player many felt he should have been. He averaged a career-high 18.7 points during his second season with Golden State in ’97.
Dominique Wilkins
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Wilkins was sure fun to watch – especially when he was playing above the rim. And, yes, ‘Nique was a nine-time All-Star, enjoying most of his success with the Atlanta Hawks. However, he was an All-NBA first-team selection just once (1986) and won only a single scoring title. Perhaps most importantly, Wilkins never won an NBA title which might be the most notable accomplishment missing from a rather solid resume.
Glenn Robinson
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The “Big Dog” was the No. 1 overall pick in 1994 by the Milwaukee Bucks. Robinson averaged 20.7 points for his career. Not bad. So why is he on this list? Through most of his career, critics felt Robinson should have been a more complete player. Now, he was rewarded with an NBA title as a member of the San Antonio Spurs in 2005. Yet, the idea that Robinson underachieved seemed prevalent.
Joe Johnson
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For 17 seasons, Johnson was employed in the NBA. With his best years coming in Atlanta, beginning in the middle 2000s. Pure and simple, Johnson was a scorer – five straight seasons of averaging at least 20 PPG. He was a seven-time All-Star and we already touched on his longevity. But like many on this list, Johnson was overpaid late in his career (when going to the Brooklyn Nets) and never won a title.
Bill Laimbeer
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He might have been the baddest of the Bad Boys. Now, Laimbeer has retired as both a player and a coach. A two-time NBA champion and four-time All-Star with Detroit, Laimbeer was as physical as they come. Having great players around him in Detroit helped, but maybe Laimbeer received more praise than he really deserved.
Latrell Sprewell
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When Sprewell was focused on basketball, he was one of the best. However, his attitude, volatility and inconsistency, especially with the New York Knicks, kept him from being truly great. And, that’s not even bringing up the whole P.J. Carlesimo incident. Sprewell was a four-time All-Star, and was a media magnet for many reasons. Maybe he always wasn’t worth the attention.
Steve Francis
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“Stevie Franchise” was a star with the Houston Rockets at the beginning of the 2000s. He averaged 18.1 points, 6.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds during his nine-year career. That all sounds good, and Francis got paid handsomely. The kicker: Francis played in just five postseason games, and in only two seasons did his teams reach the playoffs. Maybe that’s why we have him so high on this list.
Amar’e Stoudemire
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Stoudemire certainly had some impressive credentials. That includes six All-Star nods and a Rookie of the Year Award. However, well-documented knee issues plagued Stoudemire for most of the second half of his career while with the Knicks. The talent was obviously there (18.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg), but his health and the attention surrounding it all that made many wonder if Stoudemire was really worth it all.
Joe Barry Carroll
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The No. 1 overall pick in 1980, Carroll was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for averaging 18.9 points and a career-high 9.3 boards for Golden State. The 7-footer played 10 seasons, but made just one All-Star team. Carroll never really managed to fulfill the hype that he earned for a following collegiate career at Purdue. Carroll never became the franchise player the Warriors thought he could be.
Ralph Sampson
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Nobody will deny that Sampson is one of the greatest college basketball players off all time. However, that dominance did not really translate to the NBA level, even though he was the No. 1 overall pick in 1983. The 7-foot-4 Sampson averaged 15.4 points and just 8.8 rebounds during his nine-season NBA career. Sampson was a four-time All-Star and an All-Star Game MVP (1985), but he was never able to lead the Houston Rockets to an NBA title.
Stephon Marbury
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Is it possible for a guy who had his own talk show and was also a basketball star in China, to be considered the most overrated player in NBA history? We think so. Marbury was certainly a talented point guard, but while he had plenty of flash, his substance was inconsistent. The two-time All-Star averaged 19.3 points during a career that lasted 13 seasons and covered five teams. Yet, he never won a title and was not considered a great leader.
