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NBA: Who is the most underrated player in league history?

By Aleksi Fraser

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 06: Los Angeles Laker legends pose after the unveiling of a statue of Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers and Hall of Famer, Elgin Baylor, second from left, outside Staples Center on April 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. From Left are Jerry West, Baylor, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, musician Bill Withers, and Shaquille O'Neal. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 06: Los Angeles Laker legends pose after the unveiling of a statue of Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers and Hall of Famer, Elgin Baylor, second from left, outside Staples Center on April 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. From Left are Jerry West, Baylor, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, musician Bill Withers, and Shaquille O'Neal. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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Exploring the most underrated players in NBA history

Athletes not getting the attention they deserve is not something that is only restricted to basketball and the NBA. Sports such as soccer, football, hockey all have their competitors which seem to fly under the radar due to going about their business in a quiet or non-flashy way. It can even be due to playing for a team that fails to receive little attention from the media.

Some players thrive on it and would rather be away from the limelight while with others it eats away at them. So who fits the bill in NBA history as being the most underrated? It’s one of the arguments which could be debated for eons and it’s worth digging further into.

Contributing to the game in multiple ways still applies to this category as just being a scorer or defender isn’t enough to influence the game of basketball or any team sport for that matter.

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The 1980s threw up its fair share of these players and many of which didn’t get a look in championship wise due to the dominance of the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and later on Detroit Pistons.

Dominque Wilkins who was commonly referred to as “the human highlight film” made a career out of leaping out of the arena, but due to being in an era with Larry Bird and Dr. J (both playing in the same position) fell short of more accolades. Still to this day when you think of the Atlanta Hawks he’s the first player that springs to mind.

If you go back 20 years prior to Dominque coming on the scene in the late 1950s, Elgin Baylor was dominating the league behind Wilt Chamberlain. Sometimes becoming lost in the mix of great players it’s precisely why he’s under-rated. Like Wilt, he suffered at the hands of the Bill Russell led Boston Celtics. He was however part of the 1972 Lakers team which beat the New York Knicks.

The argument though is he only played nine games that year, so does that make him an NBA champion? He still contributed to the team that year, so of course, it does.

The Bucks and Mavs teams of the 1980s continually had above average winning seasons. Not having the likes of Magic Johnson or Larry Bird they possessed stars who had they played in an era later might have got a more deserving admiration. Marques Johnson, Sidney Moncrief, and Jack Sikma were all multiple time all-stars. You might look at their numbers and think those numbers don’t jump out of you like some stars today, but the fact is it was much harder to score in that era.

The Mavs in the same era had their own offensive weapon known as Mark Aguirre who the majority of people remember from his days with the Pistons where he won two NBA titles. However, it was in Dallas where he would shine the brightest. As the No. 1 pick in the 1981 draft, he would average 18.7 points as a rookie and then 25.7 points at his best in the 1986-97 season. He was well supplemented by Rolando Blackman who averaged 22.4 points per game, but the Mavs just couldn’t get that elusive NBA title.

The Bulls and his Airness Michael Jordan dominated the 1990s, but it’s fair to say that this era threw up a fair amount of under-rated players. Mookie Blaylock, Rod Strickland, Mitch Richmond, Rik Smits and Kevin Johnson all had numbers which were good in the game. Blaylock although not being an offensive juggernaut was an excellent defensive guard averaging 2.3 steals a game along with his 13.5 points and 6.7 assists per game.

Rod Strickland had a 17-year career and what always amazed me about his play as he didn’t really have a reliable jump shot, but always found his way into the paint and being able to keep the defender on him off balance which resulted in good looks at the basket. Mitch Richmond, Rik Smits, and Kevin Johnson all had all-star numbers in numerous seasons but sometimes are forgotten for what they contributed to the game.

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So who is the most underrated player in NBA history? It’s one that fans have been debating for years and will do so for the future. Appreciation for these stars sometimes goes unnoticed and it shouldn’t.