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NBA: 50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame

By Maxwell Ogden

AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Piston celebrates with the fans after the Pistons defeated the Lakers 100-87 to win the 2004 NBA championship final, in Auburn Hills, MI, 15 June 2004. The Pistons won the best-of-seven NBA championship series 5-1 and Billups was the series MVP. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Piston celebrates with the fans after the Pistons defeated the Lakers 100-87 to win the 2004 NBA championship final, in Auburn Hills, MI, 15 June 2004. The Pistons won the best-of-seven NBA championship series 5-1 and Billups was the series MVP. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell (Photo by: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame: 48. Sam Cassell

There are few players who commanded the respect of their peers quite like Sam Cassell was able to. A 15-year veteran as a player turned revered assistant coach with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers, Cassell has been winning since his very first season—literally.

Cassell won championships in each of his first two NBA seasons, added another in his final campaign, and managed a level of play that earned him both All-Star and All-NBA honors.

Some would argue that those accolades were long overdue.

Between 1997 and 2006, Cassell averaged 18.4 points, 7.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 46.4 percent shooting from the field. He only earned one All-Star Game appearance during the time, but he’s the perfect example of a player who didn’t need the accolades to earn the respect.

That doesn’t even include his time with the Houston Rockets, for what it’s worth, when he was arguably the best distributor on teams that went back-to-back as NBA champions.

Cassell appeared in 136 career playoff games, starting 60. In addition to being a key contributor to the Rockets teams that went back-to-back, he helped the Milwaukee Bucks reach the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals. Cassell also ran point as the Minnesota Timberwolves reached the 2004 Western Conference Finals and helped the 2005-06 Los Angeles Clippers win their first playoff series since 1976.

To close out his career in true Cassell fashion, he was a veteran presence as the Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship in 2007-08, thus helping Doc Rivers and company end a 22-year championship drought.

It’s difficult to understate just how valuable Cassell was to winning during his NBA career. Whether or not he ultimately ends up in the Hall of Fame, he deserves to be remembered by fans and players alike.