Shoulda Woulda Coulda Of NBA History (Very Long Read)

Frederic Weis: When you are primarily known for being dunked over by Vince Carter in the Olympics (Yes, we ALL remember that dunk), you are not off to a good start. However, Weis did have NBA potential beforehand when he was the 15th pick by the Knicks in the 1999 NBA Draft, angering the Knick faithful because hometown player Ron Artest was still available (Could you have imagined Artest home in New York?). His 7’2” 260 lb. frame intrigued NBA teams, but like Vazquez above him, he never made it over to the NBA. In the grand scheme of things, it might be a good thing for him when he could’ve become the next Shawn Bradley in terms of being posterized all the time.
You All Know The Dunk

God Shammgod: For those that watched college basketball in the mid-1990s saw a player with amazing dribbling and passing ability that put on a small show at the McDonald’s All-American Game before helping send Providence to the Elite Eight in 1997, where he put up 23 points again Mike Bibby in the loss. For those that weren’t around then, his NBA career only lasted 20 games, but his legacy lives on with his personal move, The Shammgod. For a guy that didn’t come close to a full NBA season, he has made a decent impact with players still trying to perfect his move.
McDonald's Highlights

Grant Hill: Before the “Kobe is the next Jordan” and “LeBron is the next Jordan” thought processes started up, there was someone else that was getting that claim well before those other two. A two-time NCAA Champion at Duke, Hill was the 3rd pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, only behind Glenn Robinson and Jason Kidd. Hill wasted no time in making his mark in the NBA, becoming co-Rookie of the Year and making three straight All-Star games. So why great NBA aficionado would he even be in this article? Hill suffered an ankle injury in the 2000 Playoffs and was constantly nagged by it the rest of his career. Despite the injury, he was still able to turn in a 19-year NBA career. Those who saw him in Detroit though know what could have been with the premier player.
Highlights

Greg Oden: With his name coming back up in free agency talks, now is as good a time to talk about him than any other right now. The 7’0” 285 lb. behemoth had legendary status written all over him when he went to Ohio State, where he helped send them all the way to the 2007 NCAA Championship game, where he had 25 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks in a losing effort to Florida. Oden became the first overall pick in the 2007 Draft and a microfracture surgery in September of that year became the first of many. Despite starting only 60 games in his two NBA seasons, he still showed the ability that he had but could never shake the injury/surgery bug. Oden is trying to make a comeback after not playing since the 2009-10 season, but still has teams lined up hoping he can return to form.
Highlights

Gus Johnson: No, not the always-excited sports announcer of NCAA Tourney fame. Honeycomb as he was nicknamed played above the rim before it was cool to do so. In his lone season at Idaho, he averaged 19 PPG and 20.3 RPG, yet was the 10th pick of the 2nd round in the 1963 NBA Draft. While he averaged 16.2 PPG and 12.1 RPG over his 10-year career, injuries hampered his potential to become even better and his ability was never fully appreciated at the time by fans. He was reported to have broken 3 backboards in his career and has the legendary story of the Corner Club nail.
Highlights (I highly suggest subscribing to his channel if you haven't. A ton of classic player highlights)


Hank Gathers: While already briefly discussed earlier above in Bo Kimble, Gathers deserves being in this a lot more than Kimble does. Gathers lit the NCAA world on fire when he used his strong 6’7” 210 lb. frame to lead the country in scoring with 32.7 PPG and rebounding with 13.7 RPG in the 1988-89 season. Gathers collapsed once before the fateful day on March 4, 1990, when he collapsed during the WCC quarterfinal and was declared shortly thereafter at the young age of 23. Hank would have more than likely been a high lottery pick in that Draft and anyone could guess what he would have done at the next level.
UNLV vs. LMU (Gathers, Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony)

Harold Miner: Despite being known as the two-time NBA Dunk Contest champion, Miner was a big-time scorer during his days at USC, where he was named the College Basketball Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated, beating Christian Laettner and Shaquille O’Neal, after averaging 26.3 PPG and 7 RPG. He was taken with the 12th pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Heat, but never truly got the opportunity to get starting minutes, playing in only 200 games in his 4-year NBA career.
Highlights

Isaiah “J.R.” Rider: Like his dunking counterpart right above him here, J.R. continued the impressive lineage of premier athletes for the Runnin’ Rebels, averaging 29.1 PPG and 8.9 RPG in his sophomore season there. Rider became the 5th pick of the 1993 Draft by the Timberwolves and fared well through his 3 years in Minnesota and his first year in Portland. However, drug problems and other off-the-court issues played a part in ending his nine-year career at the age of only 30. He will always be remembered for The Eastbay Bay Funk, becoming the first person to go between his legs in a dunk to win the 1994 Slam Dunk Contest.
Highlights(NSFW: Language)
The East Bay Funk

Jamal Mashburn: Monster Mash started his NBA career off strong after being the 4th pick in the 1993 NBA Draft by the Mavericks, following a career at Kentucky that ended with being named the SEC Player of the Year. However, injuries quickly hampered his days in Dallas and he toiled around for awhile in Miami. He had a resurgence with the Hornets for two seasons, but the knee injuries struck again and he was out of the league by 31, never quite fully living out his potential All-Star career.
Highlights
50 Point Game 1
50 Point Game 2

James White: “Flight” White may be the best dunker to never win a significant dunk contest. Upset at the McDonald’s Dunk Contest by David Lee as a high school senior, White never made it in the NBA long enough to qualify for one, until the 2012-13 season with the Knicks. By then though, he was 30 years old and didn’t quite have the spring he had in his prime. He did average 16.3 PPG and 5.1 RPG in his senior year at Cincinnati. Also one more fun fact: White is actually an NBA Champion with the Spurs.
Dunk Highlights(Sorry for the music)

Lester Earl: No, not the poster that frequents this board. The 6’8”, 235 lb. McDonald’s All-American forward appeared to be the next star player at LSU since Shaq after finishing his high school career with 2,763 points and 1,915 rebounds. . Scored 26 points and 7 rebounds in his college debut at LSU, but his time there would be short lived. An investigation on a payment to Earl from a booster ended his and Dale Brown’s tenures at LSU. He then transferred to Kansas, where he had a solid sophomore season coming off the bench behind All-Americans Paul Pierce and Raef LaFrentz (It pains me to say that about him). A surgery to repair tissue damage in his knee and angle took away most of his athleticism and he was never the same following the surgery. The NBA never came calling and the much-hyped player out of high school became a distant memory of Kansas fans and a haunting memory for the Tigers.
High School Highlights

Malik Sealy: A McDonald’s All-American, the 6’8” guard headed to St. John’s, where he averaged over 20 PPG in his junior and senior seasons. His impressive scoring ability led to him being the 14th pick in the 1992 Draft by the Pacers. He was traded to the Clippers where he made his biggest impact, averaging double digits in points in all three seasons there. A year in Detroit was a quick trip before he teamed with Kevin Garnett with the Timberwolves. Unfortunately, his career would be ended after only 8 seasons when he was killed in a head-on crash by a drunk driver going the wrong way. The death deeply hurt Garnett, a close friend of his and Sealy was heading home following Garnett’s birthday party. Sealy appeared to have been turning the corner, but it would remain unseen as to what he could have done.
Highlights
Garnett Remembers His Friend Sealy

Marcus Fizer: Fizer used his 6’9” 262 lb. frame to torment the Big 12 following his freshman season at Iowa State. Winning many accolades and taking Iowa State to the Elite 8 in his junior season, where he averaged 22.8 PPG and 7.7 RPG, he decided to forgo his senior season and make the jump to the NBA. After becoming the 4th selection in the 2000 Draft to the Chicago Bulls, he never fully came to grasp the fact he couldn’t bully players like he did in college. Fizer averaged double digits in points in only two seasons and a torn ACL in 2003 helped end his career after 5 seasons and a 3-game stint in 2005-06.
Overseas Highlights

Maurice Stokes: Stokes came into the NBA on fire using his large-for-the-time 6’7” 232 lb. frame to dominate in his rookie season in route to the 1956 Rookie of the Year, averaging 16.8 PPG and 16.3 RPG. He would basically replicate those two averages for the next two seasons until an incident in the last regular season game of his third year. Lucas struck his head on the court after drawing a foul and lost consciousness. He was awoken with smelling salts and finished the game. Three days later following a 12-point, 15-rebound performance, he had a seizure, fell into a coma and was left permanently paralyzed. The three-time All-Star’s career was over at the age of 24.
Teammate and Friend Jack Twyman on Stokes

Mel Daniels: Daniels may be the best player to never leave the ABA (albeit an 11 game experiment with the Nets at the age of 32). The 1967-68 ABA Rookie of the Year, 7-time ABA All-Star two-time ABA MVP and three-time ABA Champion was a double-double machine. So why is a player with such accolades on this list? Well, he went with the ABA and never got the chance to make the switch to the NBA when they merged in 1976 until it was too late in his career. Regardless, he still put together a solid ABA career and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame just last year.
Career Retrospective

Michael Olowokandi: Who can be a first overall pick? And become a bust? The Kandi man can. Okay, sorry about the cheesiness. To Michael’s credit, it was beginning to look like he was starting to see his potential in his fifth year, averaging 12.3 PPG, 9.1 RPG and 2.2 BPG during his 2002-03 season with the Clippers. However, that season would be cut short after suffering a hernia and knee injury. Those injuries would severely limit him the rest of the way between stops in Minnesota and Boston and would see his last start at the age of 30.
Dunked On By Amare

Michael Redd: The sharpshooting Redd came into the league as the 6th man for the Milwaukee Bucks, sitting behind another marksman in Ray Allen. When Allen was dealt to Seattle, the keys of the car were handed to Redd and he took off at 100 MPH. Redd rattled off six 20+ PPG seasons from 2003-04 to 2008-09. Unfortunately, that car spun out of control when he tore his ACL and MCL in his left knee during that 2008-09 season. He made a return the following season, but that only lasted 18 games when he tore the same ACL and MCL. He had one more year of coming off the bench for the Suns, but it was over for him at the age of 32. A fun fact before taking off: Redd averaged EXACTLY 20 PPG in his 11 seasons with the Bucks.
Highlights

Micheal Ray Richardson: “Sugar” Ray Richardson was deemed by many to be the next Walt Frazier, so it was only fitting that the Knicks selected him with the 4th pick in the 1978 Draft following a successful career at Montana (Yes, the University of Montana. You’ll catch the irony soon). Richardson became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in assists and steals in the same season when he did it in the 1979-1980 season. He continued to find success, but the rising drug problem in New York caught up to him, he was suspended three times for violating the drug policy and his career was over at the age of 30. Impressively, he went overseas where he continued to play until he was 47. Yes, that is correct, 47 years old.
Highlights
36 Points On Night Bernard King Scored 50

Miles Simon: In one of the most impressive runs in NCAA Tourney history, Simon propelled Arizona to defeat THREE #1 seed teams on their way to the 1997 NCAA National Championship and the Most Outstanding Player award. The 30-point performance in that Final would be the last time we really heard from Simon. He was the 42nd pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, played garbage time for the Magic in 5 games and that was that. While the NBA tenure was brief, Simon will always be remembered in NCAA basketball lore.
Game Winner Vs. Cincinnati For Lute's 500th Win

Ndudi Ebi: The Timberwolves were looking to make a splash with their 2003 first round selection after their three previous first rounders were forfeited due to their illegal deal with Joe Smith. At the 26th selection, they saw an athletic high school prospect from Texas that averaged 22.7 PPG, 11.6 RPG and 3.4 BPG in his senior season of high school. The Timberwolves poor management continued when they tried to send him down to the NBADL in his third season, but were not allowed to due to the league’s requirement of only up to two years of experience. He was soon cut by Minnesota and his NBA career quickly came to an end.

Ronnie Fields: When people think of the top dunkers, the usual NBA names tend to come up: Jordan, LeBron, Kobe, Wilkins, Erving, Kemp, etc. But former high school teammate Kevin Garnett may tell you that Ronnie Fields would be the best dunker, and he may have a solid case. Fields was reported to have a 50-inch vertical and was constantly throwing down highlight-reel dunks at Farragut Academy. With Garnett gone, Fields averaged a video game statline his senior year in high school: 32.4 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 5.1 APG, 4.5 BPG, 4 SPG and 4.5 DPG (dunks per game). It looked like he had the potential to being a top-tier player until he was involved in a car accident before his city playoffs that senior year and broke his neck. Surgery to repair a fractured bone in his neck would prove detrimental especially after he was denied admission to DePaul after being ruled academically ineligible. He went undrafted in the 1998 NBA Draft and would begin his playing all around the world.
High School Highlights (NSFW: Language)

Roy Tarpley: The two-time third team All-American at Michigan used his long, 6’11” frame to be a double-double machine at the college level, where he averaged 15.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG and 2.9 BPG his senior year. He became the 7th pick of the Mavericks in the 1987 Draft and quickly started averaging double doubles by his second year in the league. He picked up his first DWI suspension in the 1989-90 season, picked up his second in the 1990-91 season, and picked up his third strike a few months later and that was that for his NBA career at the age of 26. He came back at the age of 30, but another alcohol incident had him permanently banned. The sky was the limit for a player that wound up never coming close to it due to his alcoholism.
Mavericks Highlights
Overseas Highlights

Sam Bowie: When you think of all-time NBA Draft busts, Sam Bowie is normally the first name that comes out of any fan’s voice. Unfortunately for him, he gets the blame for Portland’s mistake. Despite being a 3rd team All-American during the 1980-81 season and a 2nd team All-American during the 1983-84 season, Bowie missed the two seasons in between them with shin and leg injuries that would later derail his career. They still took him ahead of Michael Jordan after taking Drexler the year before and things did not go well from the beginning. After a solid rookie season, Bowie would go on to break his left and right legs in consecutive seasons, and after one more broken leg during the preseason before the 1987-88 season was enough and he was sent to the Nets. While having three fairly decent seasons, he was 28 when he joined the Nets and Jordan was closing in on his first of many titles, leaving Portland fans wondering “What if?”
That Fateful Day

Sean Williams: Regarded as one of the top shot blockers in ACC history, blocking 193 shots in 69 games and only averaged 20.5 MPG over his career at Boston College. Unfortunately, trouble followed him and he was suspended twice from the team, including being kicked off the team following his second suspension after only 15 games in his junior season. Despite playing only 15 games, he set a school record with 75 blocks in those games and a 5 BPG average. He entered the NBA Draft and became the 17th selection of the Nets in 2007. His troubles off the court continued and has only seen action in 137 games in his 4 years in the league. The athleticism and shot blocking was always there, but his head never was.
Highlights

Sebastian Telfair: The pride of Coney Island, Telfair was on Sports Illustrated covers, was competing with Dwight Howard for the #1 2004 recruit and was one of the most-hyped recruits of all time. He spurned an opportunity to play at Louisville and Rick Pintino to enter the NBA Draft, where he was the 13th selection by the Trail Blazers, and would have that wind up being his biggest mistake. His playmaking abilities struggled to translate into the NBA, and while still in the league, Telfair has never been able to average double-digits and points and has yet to average 6 APG in his 8 seasons. Telfair quickly became one of many poor decisions from the front office in Portland.
Highlights

Sergio Rodriguez: Rodriguez was regarded as one of the best foreign passers before Ricky Rubio even came along. His court vision and leadership abilities grew as a young player over in Spain. He would become the 27th pick of the 2006 NBA Draft by the Suns but would be a draft-day trade to Portland (figures right?). Despite that solid passing ability, Sergio could never break into the starting lineup, starting only 14 games during his three seasons in Portland and saw his career end a year later at the age of 23. He wound up going back to Spain to play, where he is playing with Real Madrid, but Ricky Rubio would soon show who the better playmaker would be between the two.
Highlights (NSFW: Language)

Shammond Williams: By the time the 6’1” Williams left North Carolina, he was one of the most prolific scorers in school history. In his senior season, when he was teamed up with Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison and Ed Cota, he averaged 16.7 PPG and 4.2 APG. He set five school records, all around free throws and three-pointers, yet it wasn’t enough to impress NBA teams when he was the 34th pick in the 1998 NBA Draft. Shammond wound up having only one season where he averaged above 20 MPG and wound up just being a bench scorer for his whole career, basically ending at the age of 28.
Highlights (NSFW: Language)

Shaun Livingston: One of the most gruesome injuries ever seen in sports history destroyed all of the potential from one of the most intriguing point guard prospects to come along in a long time. The co-MVP of the 2004 McDonald’s All-American Game, Livingston enticed many teams with his 6’7” height with supreme point guard abilities. His athleticism combined with his passing ability. The Clippers used their 4th selection in the 2004 Draft on him, and he quickly showed his potential. By his third season, Livingston was averaging 9.3 PPG and 5.1 APG in 29.8 MPG until that fateful night during the 2006-07 season. Livingston landed awkwardly following a layup and his left knee would never be the same. The incident tore his ACL, PCL and lateral meniscus, badly spraining the MCL, and dislocated his patella and tibia-femoral joint. He missed the whole next season rehabbing all of the injuries, but his game would never come close to being the same. While he still remains in the league, recently signing a deal with the Nets, his numbers dropped significantly and has left fans remembering the brief glimpse of potential they saw with him.
Highlights

Dude you need to get out more

Okay, done, feel free to post now

And to answer your question, I worked on it a little bit every day, more during the weekend, for about a month

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feel free to add your own players to this

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Shawn Respert

Todd Lichti

Tl;dr





Nice work

I think it was the most fun and toughest part just to watch the highlights of these guys who never got that shot like watching Hank Gathers go down on the court

Acie Law...it seems like just yesterday he was a sure things. Great list and a lot of good names. Very good read. I

acie law is a count