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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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Gus Williams
Gus Williams (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame: 10. Gus Williams

If you’re searching for a player who embodies the term, “Overlooked,” then you’re likely to land on Gus Williams. Williams played 12 seasons in the NBA, entering the Association with the Golden State Warriors, thriving with the Seattle SuperSonics, and then finishing out his career with the Washington Bullets and Atlanta Hawks.

During those 12 years, Williams earned a significant number of accolades—including that of NBA champion as the primary scoring option for his team.

One of Williams’ former teammates, Jack Sikma, was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, with the legendary 1978-79 season being a major reason for it. Sikma was certainly spectacular, but it was actually Williams who led Seattle in both points and steals, as well as ranking second on the team in assists, during that championship season.

Williams also led the SuperSonics in scoring during the postseason, putting up 26.7 points per game as the defensive-minded SuperSonics won the first and only championship in franchise history.

That includes an average of 29.0 points per game during the 1979 NBA Finals.

Williams was also the leading scorer when Seattle reached the 1980 Western Conference Finals.

That was the beginning of a rise to superstardom for Williams, who earned an All-NBA Second Team nod in 1979-80 and First Team honors in 1981-82. The other players on the All-NBA First Team that season: Larry Bird, Julius Erving, George Gervin, and Moses Malone.

Williams was also an All-Star in both 1981-82 and 1982-83. Unfortunately, success in 1980-81 was rendered impossible by the fact that he sat out the entire season due to a contract dispute.

Williams won the now-defunct NBA Comeback Player of the Year award in 1981-82, but one can only wonder how much stronger his résumé would look had he not missed the 1980-81 campaign.

Perhaps one of the most overlooked players in NBA history would be appreciated for the star that he was in common conversation. Seriously: How many players can say they were the go-to scorer for a championship team?