We all know that the NBA has a lot of legends. Players who have left their mark on the league and the sport in general are easily remembered by fans.
However, with so many years of history, there are times when certain names get overlooked. It’s not necessarily that they are forgotten, but rather they don’t receive the recognition they deserve.
In that sense, here are 20 players that can be considered underrated by most NBA fans. However, those who are well immersed in the basketball world know perfectly well that these names are more than important for the history of the league.
Michael Cooper
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Michael Cooper was a baller and one of those guys who sacrificed himself the most for the team’s success. With his teammates Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leading the charge, Cooper inserted himself into the sixth-man role.
He ended up winning five rings and becoming a major piece of that Lakers team. His defensive prowess made him one of the best on that side of the court, and Larry Bird recognized him as the best defender he had ever faced.
Alex English
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After a good year and a half with the Indiana Pacers, Alex English got traded to the Denver Nuggets during the 1979–80 season. Until the 1989–90 season, he always led his team in scoring.
He’s arguably the best player to ever wear a Nuggets uniform and is heavily underrated when it comes to the NBA icons of the 1980s.
Clyde Drexler
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“The Glide” is not only a Hall of Famer but has cemented his legacy in Houston. After a good handful of years balling out in Portland, he got traded to the Rockets.
With Hakeem Olajuwon by his side, they disrupted the Bulls hegemony and won the NBA Finals in 1985. Clyde Drexler is a ten-time All-Star, was an Olympic gold medalist in 1992, and is part of the NBA 75th Anniversary team.
George Gervin
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The “Iceman” was quite talented and ahead of his time. He averaged at least 14 points per game in all 14 of his ABA and NBA seasons and finished his career with an NBA average of 26.2 points per game.
He was a 9-time All-Star, a 5-time All-NBA first-team selection, and won the scoring championship in four different seasons.
Manu Ginobili
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Considered by many as the most underrated NBA player of all time, Manu Ginobili was a true winner.He was a huge piece of that Spurs team with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and coach Gregg Popovich, winning four rings in San Antonio.
A two-time NBA All-Star, Ginóbili didn’t care about individual awards, starting or coming off the bench, or how many touches he got in games; he only wanted to win. He stuck to his role as a sixth man, excelled at it, and is widely considered the NBA’s best sixth man of all time.
Chauncey Billups
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The current Portland Trail Blazers head coach is a basketball genius. The former point guard played for many teams during his career.
However, Chauncey Billups cemented his legacy with the Detroit Pistons. He got his jersey retired in 2016 and earned the nickname “Mr. Big Shot” for his clutch shots in the Motor City.
Ben Wallace
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Arguably the greatest undrafted player in NBA history, Ben Wallace was a fearsome presence in the paint for opposing teams. Wallace was an excellent shot blocker, rebounder, and all-around defender.
He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times, a record he shares with Dikembe Mutombo. Wallace had his jersey retired by the Pistons in 2016.
Nate Thurmond
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“Nate the Great” was a force of nature. His unreal physique and abilities made him a big talent in the 1970s.
A Golden State Warriors legend, Nate Thurmond was a seven-time All-Star and the first player in NBA history to record an official quadruple-double. The Hall of Famer was an excellent rebounder and defender, and his jersey was retired by both the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Scottie Pippen
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Yes, there are many people who rate Scottie Pippen as he should be rated. However, his impact on that Bulls team with Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman is often overlooked.
Besides his six rings with Chicago, Pippen was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team eight consecutive times. He’s a 3x All-Star and got his jersey retired by the Bulls.
Joe Dumars
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Joe Dumars played his entire fourteen-year career with the Detroit Pistons. He was Isiah Thomas’s backcourt sidekick during the 1990s.
After Thomas retired and the Bad Boys era ended, Dumars became the Pistons point guard and shared the backcourt with a young Grant Hill. He won two rings with Detroit, was named to the All-Star team six times, and was labeled by Michael Jordan as the best defender he’s ever faced.
Fat Lever
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One of the best players to ever wear a Denver Nuggets jersey. “Fat” was underrated due to his fierce defense and rebounding, despite being a point guard.
He had 43 triple-doubles during his career (11th among NBA players all-time) and is the second Nugget with the most assists behind Alex English. He’s a two-time All-Star and had his jersey retired by Denver.
Marques Johnson
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A Bucks legend, Marques Johnson isn’t underrated just because of the accolades he got during his career. He was a five-time All-Star, had his jersey retired in Milwaukee, and was an NCAA champion at UCLA.
Johnson is considered the author of the term “point forward”, a position he had to play out of necessity because of point guard injuries. He was the first player to set up the offense from his small forward position, something that is quite common in today’s NBA.
Oscar Robertson
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Before Russell Westbrook had a breakout year in 2016-17, Oscar Robertson was the only player to ever average a triple-double for the entire season. “The Big O” was special: he was the first legitimately oversized guard who could do it all.
The Hall of Famer and 12-time NBA All-Star won a ring with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971. Despite his greatness being well known, Robertson’s incomparable achievements for his time usually go overlooked.
Moses Malone
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Ask your grandfather if he knows who Moses Malone is. He’ll probably tell you he was one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball.
And he wouldn’t be wrong. Malone was named the NBA MVP three times, was a 12-time NBA All-Star, an eight-time All-NBA Team selection, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
Kevin McHale
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Kevin McHale was part of the glorious Boston Celtics of the mid-80s, a team that included Larry Bird and Robert Parish, among others. McHale won three rings with the Celtics, made it seven times to the All-Star team, and got inducted into the Hall of Fame.
He’s mainly considered one of the best low-post players of all time. In fact, when McHale went to the post on offense, they called it “The Torture Chamber”, since he was so hard to guard.
Dominique Wilkins
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The greatest Atlanta Hawks player of all time. The “Human Highlight Film”. Dominique Wilkins isn’t appreciated enough for what he’s done during his career.
Wilkins was a nine-time NBA All-Star and a seven-time All-NBA Team member. His acrobatic dunks are still talked about nowadays.
Grant Hill
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One of the biggest “what if” players in NBA history. Although injuries deprived us of seeing the best of Grant Hill, his career was enough for him to be considered one of the most underrated players of all time.
He could score, pass, rebound, defend, or do whatever the team needed. Hill is a Hall of Famer, a seven-time NBA All-Star, and a five-time All-NBA selection.
Jason Kidd
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There are some people who rate Jason Kidd just fine. However, one of the greatest point guards and passers of all time usually doesn’t get his due.
He was a 10-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA First Team selection, and a nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. To top it off, he won a ring with the Mavericks in 2011 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Jerry West
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People just recognize him as the silhouette behind the NBA logo. However, people sometimes forget what Jerry West did during his career to earn those honors.
“Mr. Clutch” was a 12-time All-NBA member, a 14-time All-Star, and won a ring with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1972. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame and got his jersey retired by the purple and gold.
Bernard King
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One of the most unstoppable scorers of the mid-80s until he broke his leg, Bernard King was a force of nature. King balled out for the New York Knicks, and during his career, he scored over 19,000 points.
Bernard has won an MVP, was voted to four All-Star games, and was selected to four All-NBA teams. It took many years, but he finally got inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.
