Earning an All-Star spot is a career feat that typically goes noticed, always. Only the best of the best make it, but these 20 players make us question that
Ahhh, the All-Star game. Where the best players in the NBA juke it out in a dream showcase, pairing enemies together to make do in a nationally televised matchup. While the meaning of the All-Star game has almost fizzled away recently (Except for the 2020 match, that was good), like-minded fans always determine the legitimacy of a player’s skills based on their All-Star count.
It’s a good way of understanding how great a player is, and how popular they truly are. Rightfully so, if you’re an All-Star, you have proven yourself to be in that upper echelon of the NBA.
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But the NBA doesn’t always get it right. We’ve seen so many snubs from the All-Star game, making us, the fans, question how the league determines their All-Stars. The most recent one was Bradley Beal, who wasn’t able to make the cut, even after averaging 30.5 points per game. But we’ve seen guys with some illustrious careers, who haven’t had a sniff at an All-Star spot. Guys like Rod Strickland, Lamar Odom, Ron Harper and Cedric Maxwell have all never made the All-Star game.
But, there always seems to be an unfortunate case of obscurity within the All-Star selections. Most obviously, players who, despite their fantastic talents, don’t strike you as All-Star caliber players.
These guys are both undeserving and deserving in a way. Some of these players made the All-Star game and then disappeared, while some of them weren’t playing the best and still made it. The majority of these guys are one-time All-Stars, who obviously had a good enough season. We’re also looking for guys that make you go ‘Oh he made the All-Star game THAT season?’.
So, in no particular order, let’s take a look at 20 of the most obscure NBA All-Star seasons in recent memory.