The best NBA Players to never make an All-Star appearance

The National Basketball Association has had some great players step onto the court in its 75-year history. Some outstanding players have been left off the All-Star team each season in the NBA. Many of these names get snubbed year after year, and others made their names off big moments but probably should have been named to at least one All-Star team. Here are the first, second, and third teams of players that should have been NBA All-Stars.

The second overall pick in 1996, Camby went on to have a long career known mainly as a defensive stopper in the middle. Marcus led the league in blocks four times, made four All-Defensive teams, and was Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 when he averaged 3.3 bpg. Camby averaged 3.3 bpg or more four times during his career.

Odom was a significant contributor on a couple of Lakers championship teams in the late 2000s. He won the NBA’s sixth-man award in 2011 and averaged double-digit points in 12 of his 14 NBA campaigns. Odom was known for his versatility on the floor, where he could legitimately play all three frontcourt positions when called upon. Odom also is known for dating Khloe Kardashian. Now that I think about it, maybe that should’ve kept him off the list.

One of the forgotten members of the second Chicago Bulls three-peat, Kukoc had a knack for hitting big shots and was named Sixth Man of the Year for the 1995-96 season. Kukoc also is one of the few Hall of Famers on our list.

Harper is primarily remembered as the fourth wheel of the Bulls’ three-peat from ’95-98. Still, before going to Chicago to play alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman, Harper was known as a lethal scoring weapon that could get you 20-plus points on any night. Ron wasn’t just a scorer but also a damn good defender even though he never made an All-Defensive team.

The only time you really hear Rod Strickland’s name these days is concerning him being Kyrie Irving’s godfather. In the ’90s, Strickland had the sickest handle in basketball and was even named All-NBA in 1998 with the Wizards. Rod also led the league in assists one year, but none of that was enough to make him an All-Star.

While Ibaka is no longer in his prime, it feels like a crime that he hasn’t made at least one All-Star appearance. (Younger players like CJ McCollum were not included as they still have a chance to make it.) Serge “Iblaka” is a two-time NBA Blocks champion, three-time All-Defensive team player, and was part of the Toronto Raptors only NBA championship in 2019 when they beat the Golden State Warriors.

During the prime of John Williamson’s career in the ’70s, he could be penciled in for 20 plus points every night. Williamson was a legit scorer in the NBA and ABA for the New York/New Jersey Nets. He was a part of two championship teams in the ABA but never an All-Star Game.

People forget that Larry Bird didn’t take home the MVP award in his first NBA Finals. That honor went to Cedric Maxwell, better known by his nickname, Cornbread. In the 1981 Finals, Maxwell shot nearly 57 percent from the field, scored 17.7 ppg, and pulled down 9.5 rpg. Cornbread took that series over and had a fine career overall but was never selected to an All-Star team.

Drafted in 1983, Byron Scott was dropped right into the middle of one of the biggest rivalries in sports history. Scott took All-Rookie honors and was a major piece to the puzzle for three titles in LA. The Lakers and Celtics were in the midst of trading titles back and forth when Scott came along, but he settled right in on the Lakers roster and, by his second year, was averaging 16 ppg. Scott was able to do this on a team with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy already taking most of the shots.

The “real Jet,” as he’s known on TNT by the Inside the NBA crew, Terry’s game was built around speed, especially in his early NBA days. You don’t get a name like “the Jet” by lumbering up and down the court. Terry’s crowning moment came during the 2011 Finals, when he helped the underdog Dallas Mavericks defeat the big three Miami Heat in six games to win the title. Terry averaged 18 points per game during the Finals and shot 49 percent from the field and 39 percent behind the arc.

Had Arvydas Sabonis come to the NBA in the mid-’80s when he was initially drafted, I’m confident he wouldn’t be on any of these teams. Sabonis would have made at least one All-Star appearance, one would assume. Stories of Sabonis’ talent level in his 20s playing in Europe are legendary to this day. By the time he got to the Portland Trail Blazers in 1995, Sabonis was still a good big man but nowhere near the player he’d been a couple years earlier. Although Sabonis was never an NBA All-Star, he is in the basketball Hall of Fame for his overall contribution to the game.

Big Shot Bob won seven titles across three franchises (Rockets, Lakers, and Spurs) and became known as a player that always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Horry was never the star of any team, but he was one of the most clutch playoff performers of the ’90s-00s era of the NBA. The nickname says it all. Let’s be honest, Horry has some of the most iconic postseason moments in the league’s history. That’s why he makes this list.

Eddie Johnson was a terrific scorer in the era of Magic, Bird and Jordan. Johnson took home the Sixth Man award for the 1988-89 season when he averaged 21.5 ppg, shot 51 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range. Johnson’s best days were with the Kansas City/Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns.

Lou Williams isn’t always accustomed to being in the starting lineup, but he’s earned this honor over a career that’s spanned parts of three decades. During his time in the NBA, Lou has been known for getting buckets off the bench. So much so that he’s a three-time Sixth Man of the Year award winner. Williams helped make it popular to come off the bench and wreck shop.

Another three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner, Crawford, is known as one of the best bench players in NBA history, along with Lou Williams. They are the only two players to win the award three times. Crawford and Williams are at the peak of the mountain for sixth man GOAT. It’s hard to argue for another bench player over this duo.