Lou Williams Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
The NBA All-Star Weekend is the best of all the major sports. No other sport can offer the combination of the game itself — especially with its revamped Elam-ending competition last season — and the secondary events, from the Dunk Contest to the 3-Point, Skills and even Rising Stars contest.
Basketball benefits from its relatively small rosters and the intimacy of watching the players on the court. There are no helmets, hats or facemasks involved and the camera comes in close. That helps its stars shine and make a personal connection with fans.
Every year, 24 players are named All-Stars, sometimes with an extra player or two as injury replacements. The number of All-Stars has not changed since 1968: five starters and seven reserves for each conference. As the league has expanded, the rosters have stayed the same; while the brightest stars make the game, that has resulted in some deserving players being left off.
Year-to-year that is simply a piece of history, but where it makes the biggest impact is for players who “just miss out” every time, and never end up with a single All-Star nod. Over time, the vast majority of deserving players still make the cut at least once, but not always. 21 players have totaled at least 70 career win shares without making an All-Star Game; three have cracked 100.
There are a variety of reasons this happens. A player could be balling out but on a bad team. Conversely, they could be contributing towards winning, but on a loaded roster. Many great players missed out on All-Star appearances over the last 20 years in a stacked Western Conference. The most common type of player to miss out are elite defenders who have middling offensive contributions.
These players still deserve recognition, and they are getting it here. Taking into account a player’s peak, total career, two-way impact and postseason success, who are the 25 best NBA players to never make an All-Star game?
The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 25. Lou Williams
Some of the hardest-working players in the league are those chosen outside of the lottery, not gifted a spot in the rotation or in the team’s marketing. These players fight constantly not just to improve, but to stay ahead of the cut line. Sometimes those players break through to become well-known and important to a team’s success.
Lou Williams was one such player, selected 45th overall in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft. His rookie season he scored 56 points total over 30 appearances; a few years back he dropped 50 points in a single game. He has established himself as one of the craftiest scorers in the league, the classic offensive sixth man.
Over the course of fifteen seasons he has started just 121 of his 1033 games, yet has averaged 20.9 points per-36 minutes. After becoming a fan favorite in Philadelphia and Atlanta, he had a breakout season for the Toronto Raptors, then pinged his way to the LA Clippers. Under head coach Doc Rivers he grew into the league’s best bench scorer, winning Sixth Man of the Year three times.
Closest Call: In the 2017-18 NBA season Williams was balling out for a club that had recently moved on from their “Lob City” core of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. When the All-Star reserves were announced in January of 2018, he had put up 30-plus points a whopping 14 times, and led the Western Conference in scoring in the fourth quarter. Unofficially, he was likely one of the two or three players in the mix for the injury replacement slot that ultimately went to Paul George.
NBA All-Star Weekend is the best of all the major sports. No other sport can offer the combination of the game itself — especially with its revamped Elam-ending competition last season — and the secondary events, from the Dunk Contest to the 3-Point, Skills and even Rising Stars contest.</p>
<p>Basketball benefits from its relatively small rosters and the intimacy of watching the players on the court. There are no helmets, hats or facemasks involved and the camera comes in close. That helps its stars shine and make a personal connection with fans.</p>
<p>Every year, 24 players are named All-Stars, sometimes with an extra player or two as injury replacements. The number of All-Stars has not changed since 1968: five starters and seven reserves for each conference. As the league has expanded, the rosters have stayed the same; while the brightest stars make the game, that has resulted in some deserving players being left off.</p>
<p>Year-to-year that is simply a piece of history, but where it makes the biggest impact is for players who “just miss out” every time, and never end up with a single All-Star nod. Over time, the vast majority of deserving players still make the cut at least once, but not always. 21 players have totaled at least 70 career win shares without making an All-Star Game; three have cracked 100.</p>
<p>There are a variety of reasons this happens. A player could be balling out but on a bad team. Conversely, they could be contributing towards winning, but on a loaded roster. Many great players missed out on All-Star appearances over the last 20 years in a stacked Western Conference. The most common type of player to miss out are elite defenders who have middling offensive contributions.</p>
<p>These players still deserve recognition, and they are getting it here. Taking into account a player’s peak, total career, two-way impact and postseason success, who are the 25 best NBA players to never make an All-Star game?</p>
<p><span style="color: inherit;font-size: 20px;font-style: italic;font-weight: bold">The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 25. Lou Williams</span></p>
<p>Some of the hardest-working players in the league are those chosen outside of the lottery, not gifted a spot in the rotation or in the team’s marketing. These players fight constantly not just to improve, but to stay ahead of the cut line. Sometimes those players break through to become well-known and important to a team’s success.</p>
<p>Lou Williams was one such player, selected 45th overall in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft. His rookie season he scored 56 points total over 30 appearances; a few years back he dropped 50 points in a single game. He has established himself as one of the craftiest scorers in the league, the classic offensive sixth man.</p>
<p>Over the course of fifteen seasons he has started just 121 of his 1033 games, yet has averaged 20.9 points per-36 minutes. After becoming a fan favorite in Philadelphia and Atlanta, he had a breakout season for the Toronto Raptors, then pinged his way to the LA Clippers. Under head coach Doc Rivers he grew into the league’s best bench scorer, winning Sixth Man of the Year three times.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call</strong>: In the 2017-18 NBA season Williams was balling out for a club that had recently moved on from their “Lob City” core of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. When the All-Star reserves were announced in January of 2018, he had put up 30-plus points a whopping 14 times, and led the Western Conference in scoring in the fourth quarter. Unofficially, he was likely one of the two or three players in the mix for the injury replacement slot that ultimately went to Paul George.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 24 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-423697 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F623252472.jpeg" alt="J.J. Redick" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/623252472.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/623252472-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">J.J. Redick Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 24. J.J. Redick</h2>
<p>J.J. Redick was the best player in college basketball his senior season at Duke but faced a very different reality when he entered the NBA. With a “minus” wingspan (shorter than his height) and middling athleticism, Redick had to reinvent himself. Not destined to be a team’s primary offensive creator, Redick became one of the league’s best off-ball players and worked hard to be at the very least, an average defender.</p>
<p>Redick never stops working on offense, racing around the court to shake defenders and get open for a shot. He is a career 41.5 percent 3-point shooter, a number that rises to 42.7 percent over the last eight seasons. After a reserve role for years with the Orlando Magic, he joined the LA Clippers in 2013-14 and immediately became a key starter for a winning team.</p>
<p>From 2013-14 to 2019-20 Redick averaged at least 15 points per game. He was an absolute sniper for the “Lob City” Clippers and later, rising star Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. While never a defensive stopper, Redick worked hard to hold up on that end of the court. As the 3-point revolution took over the league, Redick was at the center of successful basketball and a vital piece for the teams he played for.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> In the 2018-19 NBA season, Redick began his campaign on-fire, playing a vital role for a 76ers team that needed spacing around its interior-focused star duo. Redick was up to the challenge, and over the course of the entire year averaged 18.1 points per game, a career-best. At the age of 34, he became the oldest player in league history to set a new career-best in scoring. Despite <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://www.vice.com/en/article/pa5ndk/jj-redick-philadelphia-76ers-all-star-candidate">writers and fans making a strong case for Redick, he was left off the 2019 All-Star roster.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 23 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-423698 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F81250536.jpeg" alt="Brent Barry" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/81250536.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/81250536-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Brent Barry Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 23. Brent Barry</h2>
<p>The son of Hall of Fame forward Rick Barry, Brent “Bones” Barry was a versatile player who made an impact on the league in multiple ways. Drafted in 1995 out of Oregon State, the 6’6″ wing was a gifted passer and an efficient scorer, with underrated athleticism and a commitment to growing his game year-by-year.</p>
<p>Highlighting his versatility as a player is key. Barry was an early sharpshooter from outside, a career 40.5 percent 3-point shooter who made 1,395 3-pointers over the course of his career. When he retired, that was the 13th-most in league history. He was also an athletic finisher inside, and his pizazz earned him a berth in the 1996 Slam Dunk Contest. In 2000-01, he led the league in 3-point percentage; in 2001-02, he led it in 2-point percentage.</p>
<p>Barry bounced around the league early on in his career, before catching on with the Seattle SuperSonics and playing five seasons as Gary Payton’s backcourt-mate and eventual successor. Then he became a member of the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/san-antonio-spurs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">San Antonio Spurs</a>, where he won two titles</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> Barry was no stranger to the NBA All-Star Weekend, taking part in both the Dunk Contest and the 3-point Contest over the years. His best season, and best shot at an All-Star berth, came in the 2001-02 season with Seattle. Barry led the league in 2-point and effective field goal percentage, hit 164 3-pointers (eighth in the league) and was a key member of a playoff team. “Close” was never all that close for Barry, though, whose positive contributions were not as flashy as many of his peers.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 22 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-398053 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2440,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F04%2F461845154.jpeg" alt="Tom Sanders" width="3200" height="2440" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/04/461845154.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/04/461845154-768x586.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Tom Sanders Photo by Robert Riger/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 22. Tom Sanders</h2>
<p>Thomas “Satch” Sanders is a part of a talented group of players who were primarily cast in supporting roles that helped their teams win, but reduced their statistics and kept them out of the spotlight. Recent examples would be Andre Iguodala on the Golden State Warriors or Tayshaun Prince on the no-star Detroit Pistons. Multiple other entries on this list fit the bill as well.</p>
<p>Sanders is one of the more extreme examples, along with the to-be-named Don Nelson, as they were talented role players on the nigh-unbeatable Bill Russell Boston Celtics of the 1960s. Drafted by the Celtics in 1960, Sanders made the leap in his second season, ranking fourth on the team in minutes played. For the next decade, he was a key part of eight championship teams.</p>
<p>An elite defender, Sanders and Russell formed the stoutest frontcourt in the league, denying all takers. Hindered by the lack of defensive counting stats while he played, Sanders nonetheless made his impact on the best defensive team of the 60s; nine times in ten seasons they were the best defense by net rating in the league.</p>
<p>Sander retired in 1973 after 13 seasons, with eight titles to his name; only Bill Russell and K.C. Jones have won more in league history. It’s hard to separate Sanders’ worth from those teams’ success, and he never scored enough to get into the All-Star conversation, but he deserves recognition for his defense and role on a number of dominant squads.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> In the 1968-69 season, the Boston Celtics yet again finished with the league’s top defense, and Sanders was finally formally recognized for his work, earning All-Defensive Team honors. The Eastern Conference All-Star roster was loaded that year, but Sanders deserved to be right in-the-mix for consideration.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-423699 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F109401185.jpeg" alt="Al Jefferson" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/109401185.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/109401185-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Al Jefferson Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 21. Al Jefferson</h2>
<p>In his 2019 book, “Sprawball” a basketball cartographer uses Al Jefferson as his metaphor for the NBA dinosaur, a player who has been legislated from relevance by rules and trends maximizing the 3-pointer and minimizing the post resident. The evidence is compelling, and it is true that there are relatively few players in the league today that are most at home operating on the block.</p>
<p>What this recognition of the current basketball climate ignores is that for years, Jefferson was post royalty, destroying defenders who tried to stop him from scoring down low. Jefferson hit just eight total 3-pointers across 915 career games. Instead, thriving down low with an array of pivots, back-downs and deft touch around the rim.</p>
<p>Jefferson averaged at least 16 points and nine rebounds per game in eight straight seasons from 2006-07 to 2013-14. He maintained this consistency despite bouncing around the league, playing for four different franchises during that run. In the 2013-14 NBA season he even earned a spot on the All-NBA team, a nod to his offensive excellence.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> That aforementioned 2013-14 season is glaring with the absence of Al Jefferson, who put up strong numbers en route to the All-NBA nod. Even more surprising is his omission from the 2008-09 All-Star rosters. Jefferson became a part of the Minnesota Effect, where if you play basketball in Minnesota, it’s that-much-harder to earn awards despite strong play. Jefferson averaged 23.1 points and 11 rebounds per game that season but was not an All-Star. The only other player in the last 40 years to average those numbers and not be named an All-Star? Fellow Minnesota big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who since has made multiple All-Star rosters.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 20 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-423700 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1070,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F2909096.jpeg" alt="Mike Bibby" width="1600" height="1070" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/2909096.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/2909096-768x514.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Mike Bibby Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 20. Mike Bibby</h2>
<p>Many players on this list missed out on an All-Star appearance because they put up great stats but on bad teams. Others were on great teams, taking a hit to their overall statistics to drive winning basketball. Mike Bibby doesn’t fit in either of those categories.</p>
<p>For years he was the point guard on incredibly strong Sacramento Kings teams that annually challenged for the Western Conference crown. While Kobe Bryant headlined the Western Conference guard pool, there were openings behind him for Bibby to find a spot. Somehow he missed out year after year.</p>
<p>Bibby was a lethal shooter who stretched the floor for the Kings, an off-ball guard who fought on defense and hit big shots in big games. Yet while guards with similar stats on worse teams made the All-Star game – Steve Francis, Sam Cassell – Bibby was left out in the cold. He eventually moved on to the Atlanta Hawks in the later stages of his career but at that point, the All-Star ship had sailed.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> In the 2003-04 season, Bibby was the lead guard on a 55 win Kings team. He put up solid numbers, averaging 18.4 points and 5.4 assists per game, and was 10th in the league in offensive win shares: numbers plus driving success. Yet on an All-Star roster flooded with forwards (just four guards) he barely missed out.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 19 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-209972 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1600,w_1898/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F08%2F51603933-the-cleveland-cavaliers-johnny-newman-tries-to-ta.jpg" alt="Toni Kukoc" width="1898" height="1600" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/08/51603933-the-cleveland-cavaliers-johnny-newman-tries-to-ta.jpg 1898w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/08/51603933-the-cleveland-cavaliers-johnny-newman-tries-to-ta-768x647.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1898px) 100vw, 1898px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1898px;">Toni Kukoc, JOHN ZICH/AFP/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 19. Toni Kukoč</h2>
<p>Toni Kukoč has one of the craziest NBA stories you will find, in part because it begins well before he ever makes it to the league. Drafted in 1990 by the Chicago Bulls, three years go by as general manager Jerry Krause talks up this young Croatian wing, leveraging his coming in contract negotiations and alienating current players. This famously led to Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan absolutely destroying Kukoč and Croatia in the 1992 Summer Olympics.</p>
<p>When Kukoč does make it to the NBA and the Bulls, his rookie season comes during Jordan’s first retirement season. He immediately fills a role, averaging 10.9 points per game off the bench and hitting a game-winning shot in the playoffs while Pippen sat on the bench. The next season that increased to 15.7 points per game as he showed his offensive worth.</p>
<p>What kept Kukoč back from truly soaring was that Jordan returned, and he went back to a smaller role for the next three seasons. The league at large recognized his impact – he was awarded the 1995-96 Sixth man of the Year award – but with three other All-Stars on the roster, he wasn’t able to distinguish himself further. When Jordan retired again he stepped up and averaged 18.8 points per game in 1998-99, but injuries and frequent team changes eroded his chances to consistently establish himself.</p>
<p>Kukoč was a great player who could do spectacular things with the ball in his hands, but he was relegated to the fourth-option on some of the most stacked teams in NBA history. He likely would have been a multi-time All-Star in a different setting.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> The 1998-99 Chicago Bulls were an encapsulation of this list. Their three leading scorers all show up in this docket (Kukoč, Ron Harper, Brent Barry) in a season where the All-Star game was canceled. Kukoč lead the team with 18.8 points per game, good for seventh in the Eastern Conference. Would his team-leading numbers have risen above the Bulls’ abysmal record to get him in? We will never know.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-423701 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2181,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F694334560.jpeg" alt="Richard Jefferson" width="3200" height="2181" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/694334560.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/694334560-768x523.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Richard Jefferson Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 18. Richard Jefferson</h2>
<p>Younger fans of the NBA may remember Richard Jefferson as the sage veteran presence who joined LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers and helped bring a title to Ohio. Years beforehand, Jefferson was an All-Star candidate on the New Jersey Nets, a team that made the playoffs six-straight years from 2001-02 to 2006-07.</p>
<p>After slowly carving out a role as a rookie in 2001-02, Jefferson made the leap in his sophomore season, showing his scoring ability as a traditional small forward. In that second season, he started every game in the postseason for a Nets team that made the NBA Finals in 2003.</p>
<p>Later in his career, Jefferson joined the San Antonio Spurs, the team that beat the Nets in ’03, and filled the role of two-way wing before the team drafted Kawhi Leonard. In the 2015-16 season, he teamed up with the aforementioned LeBron James and was a key locker room voice on back-to-back NBA Finals teams. He often played crunch time minutes for the Cavaliers team that upset the 73-win Golden State Warriors in 2016.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> The 2005-06 Nets were a strong playoff team, winning their division and making it to the second round of the playoffs. Jefferson led the team in win shares as he teamed with Vince Carter and Jason Kidd. The Detroit Pistons dominated the game with four All-Stars, squeezing out spots for players such as Jefferson.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-396218 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1072,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F52627548.jpeg" alt="P.J. Brown" width="1600" height="1072" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/52627548.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/52627548-768x515.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">P.J. Brown Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 17. P.J. Brown</h2>
<p>Louisiana native P.J. Brown entered the league in 1992, drafted 29th overall by the New Jersey Nets. The 6’11” big man was likely doomed from the start to never make an All-Star game; he lacked the pedigree and the offensive skill to amass the necessary counting stats.</p>
<p>What Brown did do was carve out a 15-year career as an elite defensive force, a true rim protector who could bang inside with post-up bigs and step out to challenge midrange jumpers. That skill set, while less useful in the 2010s, was the ideal makeup for a low-usage defensive big in the 1990s and 2000s.</p>
<p>He established himself as a vital piece on 11 different playoff teams in his 15 seasons, starting 990 of his career 1089 games. No player has more career starts without an All-Star appearance. Brown was a three-time All-Defensive Team selection, and ranks 53rd all-time in defensive win shares; only Marcus Camby has more among players without an All-Star appearance.</p>
<p>At the tail end of a long career, Brown signed with the Boston Celtics late in the 2007-08 season. He became a key part of their dominant postseason run and eventually celebrated a title along with them, a fitting end to a hard-fought career.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> While he put forth elite defensive campaigns during his career, his best shot was likely during his strongest offensive season. In 2002-03, Brown’s first with the New Orleans Hornets, he led the league in offensive rating as he combined efficient finishing with high-percentage free-throw shooting. The Hornets won 47 games that year, and a relatively weak Eastern Conference All-Star field may have had room for him.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-192458 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2406,w_3634/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F03%2F1199371-mavericks-v-lakers.jpg" alt="Byron Scott" width="3634" height="2406" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/03/1199371-mavericks-v-lakers.jpg 3634w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/03/1199371-mavericks-v-lakers-768x508.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3634px) 100vw, 3634px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3634px;">Byron Scott, Photo by Mike Powell /Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 16. Byron Scott</h2>
<p>Before he was an NBA head coach who reached the NBA Finals twice and won Coach of the Year in 2008, Byron Scott was a key rotation player on one of the greatest teams to ever play, the “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s. Drafted fourth overall in the 1983 NBA Draft, Scott was immediately traded to the Lakers and never looked back.</p>
<p>Despite playing for a stacked team fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals, Scott started 49 games as a rookie for the Lakers. Beginning the following season in 1984-85, the first of three championship seasons for Scott and the Lakers, he would start 122 straight postseason games for the Lakers, the off-guard to the dynamic Magic Johnson.</p>
<p>Scott was an offensive weapon whose jump shot allowed him and the Lakers to punish teams that packed the paint against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Johnson inside. He averaged 16 points per game in his second season, and as many as 21.7 points per game in 1987-88, another title season. Despite the firepower of his teammates, Scott demonstrated he was not only a winning player but every bit capable of hanging in the biggest games with the best of opponents.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> The 1987-88 Lakers were shifting touches away from the aging Abdul-Jabbar (now in his forties) and Scott was the beneficiary. He led the team in scoring at 21.7 points per game, ahead of both Magic and Worthy. He ranked 11th in the league in points scored, was in the top-20 in 3-point percentage, and was eighth in the league in win shares at 10.7. Amazingly, perhaps doomed with the shadows of his Hall of Fame teammates, he was outside of the top-10 in All-Star voting for Western Conference guards, behind players such as Sleepy Floyd and Rolando Blackman. Scott should have received an All-Star spot this season.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-214506 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1246,w_1737/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F08%2F51543375-portland-trailblazers-arvydas-sabonis-l-locks-ar.jpg" alt="Arvydas Sabonis" width="1737" height="1246" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/08/51543375-portland-trailblazers-arvydas-sabonis-l-locks-ar.jpg 1737w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/08/51543375-portland-trailblazers-arvydas-sabonis-l-locks-ar-768x551.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1737px) 100vw, 1737px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1737px;">Arvydas Sabonis Photo credit should read DAN LEVINE/AFP/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 15. Arvydas Sabonis</h2>
<p>Arvydas Sabonis was drafted initially in the 1985 NBA Draft, and then again in the 1986 draft (he was too young to be legally drafted in ’85), ultimately by the Portland Trail Blazers. If he had come to the NBA that year, he wouldn’t be on this list at all; he would surely have been a multi-time All-Star. Sabonis would not join the Blazers officially until 1995, after a distinguished European career where he won multiple individual awards and national medals.</p>
<p>By the time he made his NBA debut, he was a fully developed fearsome center, with savvy inside scoring moves and a frame that both protected and cleared the rim. Significant lower body injuries delayed both his coming to the NBA and his availability while there, but when he did take the court, he was one of the league’s most impactful players.</p>
<p>Sabonis drove winning like few others, ranking among the league leaders in Box Plus/Minus in all but one (injury-riddled) of his seven campaigns. Portland also qualified for the postseason in all seven seasons, including two trips to the Western Conference Finals. Of all players (minimum 200 games played) to never make an All-Star Game, Sabonis leads them all in Box Plus/Minus and win shares-per 48 minutes.</p>
<p>On a per-minute or per-game impact, Sabonis would rank among the top 5 players on this list. Yet he also played just seven seasons, 470 regular season games in total. Threading the needle between availability and quality, he lands in the middle of our ranking.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> Sabonis’ best year was the 1997-98 season, his third in the NBA at the age of 34. No good reason outside of poor name recognition exists for why he didn’t make the team. On a Portland team trying to assemble a conference contender to challenge the rising Lakers, Sabonis was their best player and deserved a spot over players such as Nick Van Exel or Eddie Jones, who rode the coattails of Shaquille O’Neal and their gold uniforms to an All-Star berth.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-396507 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1200534500.jpeg" alt="Serge Ibaka" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1200534500.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1200534500-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Serge Ibaka Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 14. Serge Ibaka</h2>
<p>Of the four active players on this list, <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://hoopshabit.com/?s=Ibaka+%22>Serge Ibaka</a> had the latest debut, entering the league in the 2010 NBA Draft. A raw shot-blocking forward out of the Republic of the Congo, Ibaka developed over the years into a versatile two-way player, one who finally earned a championship with the 2018-19 Toronto Raptors.</p>
<p>Ibaka began his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the lower-usage big man anchor of the Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden offensive trio. Ibaka’s best skill as a prospect has continued to be his best as a pro – he is a terror around the rim, blocking shots with abandon. Four times he led the league in total blocks (twice in blocks per game) and already ranks 29th in career blocks, closing in on the likes of Elvin Hayes and Jermaine O’Neal at the time of writing. He is behind only Dwight Howard in active players.</p>
<p>Far from a one-trick pony, Ibaka has the athleticism and foot speed to defend all across the court. When paired with a more traditional center, he can switch out onto the perimeter, and when slotted in at the five, he is an elite rim protector, both on-ball and on the weakside. Three times he made the All-Defensive First Team, all in a row from 2011-12 to 2013-14.<br>
Offensively, Ibaka grew into a reliable shooter, first mastering the baseline jumper before extending to the corner and now around the arc. A career 36 percent shooter from outside, he has increased his volume to shoot more than three per game over the past five seasons.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> The 2012-13 season was the best cross-section of his offensive and defensive impacts. He was a First Team All Defensive team selection while also ranking 12th in offensive rating. He finished with 9.4 win shares, 15th in the league, and was eighth in voting for Western Conference frontcourt players. He had a case to make it over David Lee or Zach Randolph, but it was certainly a crowded field.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-423702 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1120,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F95675127.jpeg" alt="Shane Battier" width="1600" height="1120" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/95675127.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/95675127-768x538.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Shane Battier Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 13. Shane Battier</h2>
<p>Shane Battier was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001, the sixth player off the board. In his rookie season for the Grizzlies, he would average 14.4 points per game. That number would prove to be a career-best; he would never again come within even four points of that mark.</p>
<p>Battier would make his mark on the league not by scoring, but by becoming a defensive stopper par excellence. He studied endless hours of tape on his opponents, learning their tendencies, their favorite moves, their weaknesses. He could mirror a ballhandler almost perfectly, beating them to the spot. When they rose for a shot, his arm extended with them.</p>
<p>While his lack of offensive production held him back from serious All-Star consideration, he was recognized for his defensive chops. He was named to the All Defense team in both 2007-08 and 2008-09, both with the Houston Rockets. Later in his career, his ability to guard up and down the lineup unlocked unstoppable lineups with the Miami Heat. Battier would win two titles with the Heat before retiring in 2014.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> In the 2006-07 season, Battier started all 82 games for a 52-win Houston Rockets team. While he averaged just 10.1 points per game, he did so highly efficiently, including 42.1 percent from the 3-point line. Battier’s wing defense was a key part of the Rockets’ success, but it’s hard to quantify and not particularly fun for an exhibition game.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-423703 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1241,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F74528254.jpeg" alt="Robert Horry" width="1600" height="1241" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/74528254.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/74528254-768x596.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Robert Horry Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 12. Robert Horry</h2>
<p>It’s barely worth mentioning the regular season for Robert Horry. The Alabama native was selected with the 11th pick in the 1992 NBA Draft and never averaged more than 12.0 points per game over the course of his 16-year career. What he did was hit some of the most clutch shots in NBA history.</p>
<p>“Big Shot Rob” went to the postseason in each of his 16 seasons, and his teams always won at least one series. Seven times, for three different franchises, he was a part of the group hoisting the championship trophy. Only players on the 1960s Boston Celtics have won more.</p>
<p>Horry hit big shots for the Rockets in their run from sixth-seed to the title, including a game-winner in the Western Conference Finals. With the Los Angeles Lakers, he famously picked up a loose ball and drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win a decisive Game 4 against the Sacramento Kings in 2002. After winning three titles with the Lakers, he helped the San Antonio Spurs win two more. That included scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter and overtime of Game 5 in the 2005 NBA Finals, with a game-winning 3-pointer as the cherry on top.</p>
<p>Horry played solid defense and always elevated his game in the postseason. He may not have been the most talented player on this list, but no one had the kind of championship impact that Horry did.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> Honestly, this doesn’t really apply to Horry. The All-Star Game recognized excellence in the first half of the NBA regular season. Horry always showed up at the end of the season when the games mattered the most.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-393949 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2117,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F226911.jpeg" alt="Ron Harper" width="1600" height="2117" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/226911.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/226911-768x1016.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Ron Harper (Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport)</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 11. Ron Harper</h2>
<p>Miami of Ohio has had two alumni make an NBA All-Star game. One is Wayne Embry, a five-time All-Star in the early 1960s. The other is Wally Szczerbiak, who had a standout season in 2002. Somehow, Ron Harper, the RedHawks’ career leader in points and rebounds and five-time champion, never made it to the All-Star Game.</p>
<p>For the first eight seasons of his career, Harper was a prolific scoring off-guard. He averaged 22.9 points per game as a rookie in 1986-87. Never much of an outside shooter, Harper buttered his bread closer to the basket.</p>
<p>In 1994-95 Harper changed career arcs, becoming a gritty low-usage point guard for a pair of contenders. He won three titles starting alongside Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls, then another two with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. He became the perfect fit for both franchises, someone content in his role and hungry to win.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> The 1988-89 Cleveland Cavaliers won 57 games, led in scoring by a young Ron Harper. He was likewise a terror on the defensive end, ranking eighth in the league in steals per game, eighth in defensive rating and sixth in defensive win shares. He finished fourth among Eastern Conference guards in All-Star voting, yet somehow missed the team.</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 10. Cedric Maxwell</h2>
<p>In the 1980s, Kevin McHale twice won Sixth Man of the Year before ascending to the starting lineup as a future Hall of Fame power forward. The reason that it took him so long to start was that the Boston Celtics had the talented and productive Cedric Maxwell already starting alongside Larry Bird.</p>
<p>After a light role in his rookie season, Maxwell exploded as a second-year player, averaging 19 points per game on a fast-paced Celtics team waiting for Bird to finish his college career. Then he settled in as the number two option, starting for two championship teams in Boston during the 1980s.</p>
<p>Eventually, Maxwell would be moved to clear space for McHale, and he played three more seasons for the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets. His best years, however, came with the Celtics. It is said the late-80s Celtics had the best frontcourt in NBA history with Robert Parish, McHale and Bird; Mr. Maxwell would like to submit an incredibly stout front line from the early 80s as well.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> Maxwell was a monster in his second and third seasons, and either one was a worthy All-Star candidate. His best year overall was the latter, 1980-81, as he topped it all with a sublime performance in the NBA postseason. He led all postseason players in true shooting, amassed 2.5 playoff win shares and won Finals MVP as the Celtics brought home the hardware.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-416924 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2174,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1213519720.jpeg" alt="Don Nelson" width="3200" height="2174" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1213519720.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1213519720-768x522.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Don Nelson (Photo By Ross Lewis/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 9. Don Nelson</h2>
<p>While famous for his demeanor and offensive innovation as an NBA head coach, Don Nelson first made his mark as a forward on the dynastic Boston Celtics of the 1960s and 70s. Drafted by the Chicago Zephyrs in 1962 (a very-early precursor to today’s Washington Wizards), he bounced around the league before joining the Celtics in 1965.</p>
<p>Nelson would go on to win five championships with the franchise, along with John Havlicek serving as a bridge player from the Bill Russell title teams and the Havlicek – Dave Cowens teams, which won two titles in the 1970s. An offensively gifted forward, Nelson was something of a super-sub during his time in Boston.</p>
<p>In the wake of Russell’s retirement after the 1968-69 season, Nelson took on a greater role in the offense. He finished second to Havlicek in scoring in 1969-70 and averaged double-digit points eight straight seasons. After retiring in 1976, he went on to become a Hall of Fame coach, pioneering the concept of the “point forward” and winning 1,335 games – the most all-time.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> While Nelson’s numbers were generally deflated by the quality of his teammates and his role, he had his best season in 1969-70. With the Eastern Conference in a brief moment of opportunity before an influx of talent, Nelson had a shot, but lesser second-options on other teams made the cut as the Celtics sent only Havlicek to the game.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-360666 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2160,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F923154930.jpeg" alt="Michael Cooper" width="3200" height="2160" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/923154930.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/923154930-768x518.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Michael Cooper Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 8. Michael Cooper</h2>
<p>This may be the most surprising entry, both for making the list and for ranking ninth. Michael Cooper’s career scoring average is 8.9 points, he played just 12 career seasons (and just three games as a rookie) and was never seriously considered for an All-Star game. He wasn’t, at the core, a “star” player.</p>
<p>Instead, he erased stars. Michael Cooper was the quintessential 3-and-D wing before the league knew what to do with one of those. Offensively, that meant low-usage roles where he occasionally spotted up beyond the arc, and occasionally inside. He was top-5 in the league in 3-pointers in three different seasons despite his limited role. He ran in transition — everyone on the Showtime Lakers did — and could rise up for athletic finishes at the rim. Yet defense was his calling card.</p>
<p>Cooper was a lockdown defender, a true wing stopper, with the strength to fight through screens and defend larger players inside, and the foot speed to halt opposing guards. Playing alongside Magic Johnson and late-prime Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Cooper had to be a defensive anchor from the wing. He absolutely was and by and large, was recognized for it.</p>
<p>Eight times Michael Cooper was named to an All-Defensive team, five times to the first team. In 1986-87 he was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year award, one of only a handful of wings to bring home that honor. He won because of his overall defensive impact, but in large part, it was because he could do what no other defender in the 1980s could do: he could guard Larry Bird, and guard him well.</p>
<p>The Boston Celtics were a powerhouse in the 80s, winning three titles. They likely would have won two more, were it not for Cooper. He consistently held Bird to inefficient shooting lines, game after game after game. Bird himself called Cooper “the best defensive player he ever faced.” Cooper took on the decade’s best scorer and, more often than not, won. He was a crucial part of five title teams with the Lakers.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> The 1986-87 season saw Cooper, at the height of his defensive powers, bring home the Defensive Player of the Year award. Cooper appeared in all 82 regular season games, averaging 10.5 points per game and a career-best 1.1 3-pointers per game on 38.5 percent shooting. Cooper’s 89 total 3-pointers was just one behind Bird’s league-leading mark. The Lakers won a league-leading 65 games and took down Bird and the Celtics in the NBA Finals.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-423686 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1722,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F51588374.jpeg" alt="Andre Miller" width="1600" height="1722" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/51588374.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/51588374-768x827.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Andre Miller DAVID MAXWELL/AFP via Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 7. Andre Miller</h2>
<p>The most important ingredients to an All-Star berth are strong counting stats and team success, all wrapped in a “have you been an All-Star before” tortilla. For Andre Miller, a 6’3″ point guard drafted in 1999 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, he quickly began racking up the counting stats as he ran the Cavaliers’ offense in his second and third years.</p>
<p>As a second-year player, Miller finished sixth in the league in assists per game, and the following year, led all players with 10.9 per contest. Paired with his 16.5 points per game, he had the numbers to be in the All-Star mix. Yet he did not have the track record, and he played on an abysmal Cavaliers team.</p>
<p>The mix never came together for Miller after that. He bounced around the league, scoring and passing but never earning top honors. He would play on a number of good teams, making the playoffs 11 times over the course of a 17 year career, a steady hand at the point. No player has more career assists than Miller without an All-Star berth, his 8,524 ranking 11th all-time in league history.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> The aforementioned 2001-02 season was likely Miller’s best bet as he had the statistical marker of leading the league in assists. However, his small market team did not propel him into the national spotlight; he was not even among the top-10 Eastern Conference guards in fan voting.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-423685 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2161,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F112283510.jpeg" alt="Lamar Odom" width="3200" height="2161" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/112283510.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/112283510-768x519.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Lamar Odom Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 6. Lamar Odom</h2>
<p>The All-Star Game is filled with players who fit into generally accepted categories. The league’s elite scorers, players who got hot to start the season and put up crazy numbers, and second-and-third options on dominant teams. Then, often a few players get in on name value, former All-Stars still approximating their production from earlier in their career.</p>
<p>Lamar Odom was one of the most unique and versatile players of his generation, a fact occasionally obscured by team dysfunction and off-court turmoil. He ultimately saw his versatility maximized under head coach Phil Jackson on the Los Angeles Lakers, and he was a key part of the team’s two titles in 2009 and 2010. He won Sixth Man of the Year in 2010-11 in recognition of his contributions.</p>
<p>But that versatility didn’t translate into an All-Star berth. His numbers were, perhaps, too unique. He began his season with the Los Angeles Clippers, and his rookie year averaged 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. That’s a lot of numbers — and that’s the point. Odom contributed across the board, doing a little bit of everything. Only a dozen times in league history has a player ever put up those averages and not been an All-Star, and Odom did that as a rookie.</p>
<p>The next decade of his career was more of the same; Odom scored, rebounded, passed and defended, but never led the league in any specific category. He racked up a dozen triple doubles, in the top-50 all-time. With the Lakers, he was frequently in the top-10 in defensive rating, his ability to guard up-and-down the lineup key to their success. Odom did it all, even if he never had the honor of being an All-Star.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> While Odom’s best seasons were with the Lakers in the second half of his career, Odom’s best shot at an All-Star berth likely came in the 2003-04 season. He signed with the Miami Heat as a free agent and had a career year, averaging 17.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists for a playoff team just breaking in a rookie Dwayne Wade. Players such as Jamaal Magloire were questionable additions to an All-Star roster that likely should have included Odom instead.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-423684 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2118,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1296537.jpeg" alt="Derek Harper" width="3200" height="2118" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1296537.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1296537-768x508.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Derek Harper Photo by: Mike Powell/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 5. Derek Harper</h2>
<p>The talent in the NBA is not perfectly dispersed at all times; rather, it ebbs and flows. Sometimes the league is flush with bigs; at other times, wings. During the 1990s, the league was a combination of elite big men and a few talented wing scorers. In the 2000s, it was power forwards packing the All-NBA teams. Back in the 1980s, the league had a glut of dynamic offensive point guards.</p>
<p>Magic Johnson is the poster child, and everyone likely knows Isiah Thomas. Terry Porter, John Stockton, Mo Cheeks and Doc Rivers were all running teams as well. Plying his trade alongside them was the two-way Derek Harper, who took pride in his effort on defense while directing the offense on the other end.</p>
<p>Harper played the first 10 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, and for a five-year stretch averaged at least 16 points and seven assists per game. The Mavericks could never find reliable frontcourt help, but they still made the postseason in six of his ten seasons with them. In 1993 he joined the New York Knicks and was a part of some beloved, hard-nosed teams that got close to a title.</p>
<p>No player in league history has more career steals without an All-Star appearance than Harper, whose total of 1,957 ranks 16th all-time. His Dallas teams were perennially overshadowed by the more talented Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns. If his team could have pushed through in the postseason, he may have earned the respect needed to get an All-Star nod the following year.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> In the 1989-90 season, Harper finished third among all Western Conference guards in fan voting, just behind Johnson and Stockton. He would finish the season on the All-Defensive team, all while averaging 18.0 points, 7.4 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Yet somehow he missed the final cut, with his offensively-minded backcourt partner Rolando Blackman named to the team over him.<br>
That season, Harper had a +8.0 net rating, while Blackman was a net zero. Blackman’s Box Plus-Minus was just positive at 0.9; Harper graded out at 4.7, a top-15 mark in the league. Harper shot better, defended better and passed better. The reason Blackman was chosen above him? He scored 19.4 points per game to Harper’s 18.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-423683 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1094,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1395719.jpeg" alt="Sam Perkins" width="1600" height="1094" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1395719.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1395719-768x525.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Sam Perkins – Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 4. Sam Perkins</h2>
<p>We have already covered one member of the late-1980s Dallas Mavericks, and we go back to the well with big man Sam Perkins. First starring at the University of North Carolina alongside Michael Jordan, Perkins was drafted fourth overall in the 1984 NBA Draft. He played six seasons in Dallas and two with the Los Angeles Lakers before joining the Seattle SuperSonics and becoming a key part of their postseason success throughout the heart of the 90s.</p>
<p>Perkins’ place on this list is less due to his peak, and more due to his longevity. He logged 82 games his rookie season and amassed 5.8 win shares, and then never brought in fewer than 6.4 for the next 12 seasons. He had a 17 year career that took him to within a few weeks of his 40th birthday. He began as an inside scorer who grew his offensive portfolio to finally become something of a stretch-big later in his career.</p>
<p>Perkins was no empty calories player, either. His teams made the postseason in 15 of his 17 seasons, and he reached the NBA Finals three times with three different teams. His career highlight moment was hitting a game-winning buzzer-beating 3-pointer for the Lakers in Game 1 of the 1991 NBA Finals.</p>
<p>Over the course of his 17 seasons, Perkins accumulated 105.4 win shares, the most ever by a player never named to an All-Star game. He ranks 77th among all players all-time in career win shares; only three players in the top 100 in that statistic never made an All-Star appearance.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> Following the retirement of Magic Johnson, Perkins stepped up in his absence and averaged a career-best 16.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, behind only an off-injured James Worthy on the team in scoring. He was the Lakers’ best player that season and should have made it over Worthy — and especially over Magic, who didn’t even play a minute that season.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-423682 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F115544865.jpeg" alt="Jason Terry" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/115544865.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/115544865-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Jason Terry Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 3. Jason Terry</h2>
<p>The league has been gifted with a number of prolific scorers over the years, and the vast majority of them have made the All-Star Game. Players who score a lot of points tend to get recognized for that accomplishment. Of the league’s top 100 career scorers, 97 of them have made at least one All-Star Game.</p>
<p>The common thread of those three players — Jamal Crawford, Eddie Johnson and Jason Terry — is that they all primarily came off the bench during their primes. All three won at least one Sixth Man of the Year award. Of the three, Terry was by far the most accomplished. He came off the bench, but he drove winning with his combination of on-ball scoring and quick hands on defense.</p>
<p>Terry was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 1999 and played five seasons there before joining the Dallas Mavericks in 2004, where he would distinguish himself as one of the all-time greatest bench players. The Mavericks made the playoffs all eight seasons he was there, including two trips to the NBA Finals and a title in 2011. The Mavericks found success starting facilitating point guard Jason Kidd and a defensive 2-guard during much of Terry’s time there, bringing “The Jet” off the bench to punish opposing second-units, before often closing games with Terry.</p>
<p>From 2007-08 to 2011-12, Terry played 424 games (regular and postseason) with the Mavericks but started just 73 of them (17.2%). That did not stop him from putting up numbers, as he averaged at least 15 points per game each of those five seasons, and his 19.6 per-game average in 2008-09 won him the Sixth Man of the Year award. He was specifically a great shooter both off-the-dribble and off-the-catch, and he ranks seventh all-time in made 3-pointers.</p>
<p>Terry coming off the bench should not have prevented him from making an All-Star Game. He ranks 66th in career points scored, 27th in minutes played and 10th in games, yet he never made an All-Star game despite being on successful teams in Dallas. Even if you have the all-powerful points-per-game on your side, coming off the bench appears to be a death sentence for your All-Star chances.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> The Dallas Mavericks won 50 games in the 2008-09 season, and Terry was a driving force with nearly 20 points per game. It’s possible he would have broken through even with the bench stigma, but he was stymied by an explosion of offensive players in a packed Western Conference. Terry was clearly a deserving All-Star on a good team, but so was every other player named to the team ahead of him. In the East, Terry would have easily made it.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-422135 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1087,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2021%2F02%2F367706.jpeg" alt="Rod Strickland" width="1600" height="1087" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2021/02/367706.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2021/02/367706-768x522.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Rod Strickland (Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport)</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 2. Rod Strickland</h2>
<p>14 times in the history of the NBA has a player made an All-NBA team after not making the All-Star roster earlier in said season. The math holds up — only 15 players are named to an All-NBA team, while 24 plus injury replacements make the All-Star rosters. Generally, this happened when a player had a strong close to the season after a middling start.</p>
<p>Of those 14, nine would make an All-Star game in another season. Two more had their careers cut short (Drazen Petrovic and Phil Ford). Two more were centers, which sometimes were shoehorned in as All-NBA selections because of the positional requirements of that list.</p>
<p>The final player is Rod Strickland, a distributing point guard who spent his career locked into good-but-not-great teams. He made the playoffs 11 times in a 17 year career, but only advanced past the first round twice. His best seasons in terms of team success came alongside David Robinson on the San Antonio Spurs early in his career. As he became a more prolific passer and scorer, the quality of his teammates dropped off and he struggled to win at a high level. In the 1994-95 season with the Portland Trail Blazers, he put up 23.3 points and 12.3 assists per game in the postseason, only to be swept in the first round by the Phoenix Suns.</p>
<p>He was a willing passer, setting up teammates as he knifed inside. Seven times Strickland ranked in the top-five in assists per game, including a league-leading 10.5 per game in the 1997-98 season. For his career, he is 12th in total assists, joining Andre Miller as the only players in the top 20 without an All-Star nod.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> In the 1997-98 season, Strickland was at the peak of his prime, putting up per-game averages of 17.8 points, a league-leading 10.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game; he even pulled in a career-best 5.3 rebounds per game. At the end of the season, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team. Yet, somehow he was a complete after-thought in All-Star voting (not even placing in the top-10 in voting at his position) and missed out on the game entirely.</p>
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<img class="wp-image-424364 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/14/nba-25-best-nba-players-never-make-star-game/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F95881163.jpeg" alt="Marcus Camby" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/95881163.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/95881163-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Marcus Camby Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>The 25 best NBA players never to make an All-Star game — 1. Marcus Camby</h2>
<p>Some of the greatest players in NBA history played just for a single franchise their entire career. Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, John Stockton, Dirk Nowitzki and Bill Russell all fit this bill. Stephen Curry looks poised to join that club. On the other end of the spectrum stands Marcus Camby, one of the greatest rim protectors in league history.</p>
<p>Throughout his journeyman career Camby was something of a “Blocks for Hire” mercenary. He changed teams seven times, starting and ending his career with the New York Knicks while otherwise touring the Western Conference.</p>
<p>Four separate times in his career Camby led the entire league in blocks per game, and he ranks 13th in career blocks and ninth in block percentage. He ranks second only to the great Dikembe Mutombo in blocks with the Denver Nuggets, with whom he spent six of his 17 seasons.</p>
<p>Camby was not much of an offensive player. His bag of tricks almost exclusively resided on the defensive side of the ball. He also wasn’t simply an empty-calories blocker; Camby gobbled up rebounds at a tremendous rate, and he led the entire league in defensive plus/minus three times in his career as well.</p>
<p>In addition to being a four-time block champion, Camby made four All Defense teams. In 2006-07 he was named the Defensive Player of the Year for his work with the Nuggets. Among all players never named to an All-Star roster, Camby ranks first in defensive win shares, blocks (total and per-game) and rebounds.</p>
<p><strong>Closest Call:</strong> The 2006-07 season was probably Camby’s best, as he averaged a wild 3.3 blocks per game to go along with 11.2 points and 11.7 rebounds. At the end of the year, he was crowned Defensive Player of the Year. Camby was foiled by the big man depth in the Western Conference, where he played the majority of his prime. He should have made the team over Josh Howard or Mehmet Okur, both named as injury replacements over Camby.</p>
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