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Many NBA players have had successful careers, but not all have achieved as much as they could have. Some of them have stumbled in the playoffs and failed to win a championship, despite being among the best players in the league.
The list of the NBA players who didn't live up to their promise includes some of the best basketball players of all time. It's important to note, however, that these are not bad players. They simply aren't as good as fans or media thought they would be.
#1 - Carmelo Anthony
During his prime, Carmelo Anthony was almost an unstoppable scorer. However, his offensive arsenal was pretty much all that he had. Melo didn't play good defense, nor was he efficient.
He was capable of catching fire and scoring 50 points, yet the biggest success he's had was winning two games in the conference finals.
#2 - Karl Malone
Calling Karl Malone one of the most overrated NBA players is somewhat controversial. Unlike Anthony, Malone was not just a beast on offense but also on defense. He currently ranks third on the league's all-time scoring list.
Despite his impressive career, the Utah Jazz legend didn't win a championship ring. In the end, Malone was simply a fantastic regular-season player who failed to achieve the most important goal.
#3 - Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson is only 33, yet he's already won four championship rings. He's also had many big scoring games and has been a big part of the Golden State Warriors dynasty.
Despite his impact, Thompson is mostly a one-trick pony. He hasn't been an elite defender for a few seasons and has disappeared in several big games. Klay is great, but he's been among the most overrated NBA players for a while.
#4 - Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant is another player on the list of overrated NBA players that has won multiple championships. He was one of the best players in the league for over a decade and was also fantastic on defense.
While the LA Lakers legend was a hard worker who became an all-time great, many fans consider him one of the top five players in the league's history. Kobe was incredible, but not as incredible as some other all-time great players.
#5 - John Starks
John Starks was a fantastic player who played with a lot of heart. He was a fierce competitor on both ends of the floor but couldn't win a championship with the New York Knicks.
While there is no doubt that Starks fought hard, the truth is that he was quite inefficient and inconsistent. He was a solid player but wasn't as good as many fans claim he was.
#6 - Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce was another fantastic competitor who played well on both ends of the floor. However, the Boston Celtics legend is mainly considered one of the top forward in the league's history, yet he's nowhere near that.
In 19 years in the NBA, Pierce won only one championship. Even then, he needed to team up with other fantastic players, such as Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
#7 - Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh was a beast with the Toronto Raptors and a double-double machine. However, his role drastically decreased when he teamed up with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami.
The Heat likely wouldn't have been successful if Bosh demanded the ball more, which is why his role with the team was perfect. He would have been a fantastic player in today's NBA, but Bosh was forced to retire early at the age of 32.
#8 - DeMarcus Cousins
Many overrated NBA players were very skilled but lacked maturity. DeMarcus Cousins is a great example of this, as he was a fantastic all-around player. However, Cousins was very immature and also didn't go far in the playoffs.
The big man played for the Sacramento Kings for seven years, yet he didn't advance to the postseason once. Cousins later joined the Warriors, hoping to win it all, but to no avail.
#9 - Kyrie Irving
The list of overrated NBA players contains one of the best point guards in recent years. Kyrie Irving is another highly talented player who lacks maturity, which is why he hasn't been able to win anything on his own.
Ever since he left the Cleveland Cavaliers, Irving has been controversial and has won only 12 playoff games in six years. Many fans believe that Kyrie is one of the greatest guards of all time, but he's certainly still far from it.
#10 - Tracy McGrady
Tracy McGrady led the league in scoring for two straight years before he was traded to the Houston Rockets. He was paired with Yao Ming but couldn't achieve significant results in the playoffs.
Another thing that makes T-Mac one of the most overrated NBA players of all time is his potential on defense. He had what it took to be a great defender, but his effort was inconsistent.
#11 - Blake Griffin
During his prime, Blake Griffin was one of the most entertaining basketball players. His high-flying dunks were impressive and he gained a lot of recognition and popularity thanks to them.
While watching the power forward poster his opponents was fun, the truth is that Griffin was below-average in every other aspect of basketball. He had no post game and his defense was awful. Due to this, it's no surprise that he's never advanced beyond the second round.
#12 - Stephon Marbury
Similar to John Starks, Stephon Marbury wasn't as great as many fans claim. He played for five different teams in the league yet was quite inefficient and had no success in the playoffs.
While Marbury was fun to watch, another reason why he's one of the most overrated NBA players is his early departure from the league. He left the NBA when he was 32 and moved to China.
#13 - Anfernee Hardaway
Anfernee Hardaway was a very efficient scorer. Standing at 6-7, the swingman was capable of scoring from just about any spot on the floor. However, his career was cut short due to injuries.
Hardaway is sometimes talked about as one of the best players of his generation, but the truth is that he appeared in more than 70 games in only five out of 14 seasons in his career. In four seasons, he played in fewer than 20 games.
#14 - DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan is a great scorer who's shown the ability to adapt to different teams and systems. While he's a good player, his style of play is not all that great for the modern NBA.
The NBA veteran is a mid-range monster and can be unstoppable when attacking the rim, yet he hasn't developed a consistent three-point shot. DeRozan hasn't had a lot of success in the postseason either.
#15 - Allen Iverson
Putting Allen Iverson on the list of the most overrated NBA players might be wrong, but he certainly wasn't as great as many fans believe. Iverson was a great scorer, despite his size, but there is a reason why he never won the championship.
The Philadelphia 76ers legend spent 14 years in the league, earning 11 All-Star selections. However, despite being the league's leading scorer in four seasons, AI was quite inefficient. He is an icon, but his biggest success was winning one game of the NBA Finals.
#16 - Bradley Beal
Bradley Beal is one of the most gifted scorers in the NBA. Unfortunately for the Washington Wizards, that's all that he can do. The shooting guard is a bad defender and doesn't contribute much to winning.
Beal could be a great second or third option on a championship team, but he's not good enough to be the first option. He's one of the most overrated NBA players simply because he's a one-trick pony.
#17 - Mitch Richmond
Mitch Richmond was another impressive scorer who earned several All-Star selections. However, his stats were mostly inflated by playing for the Sacramento Kings, who were awful at the time.
Shortly after they got rid of Richmond, the Kings became competitive and were among the championship contenders in the West. The shooting guard was inducted into the Hall of Fame, but many fans believe he didn't deserve it.
#18 - Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard was a beast in his prime. He was great on both ends of the floor and even led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals appearance in 2009. However, he was also very inconsistent.
Furthermore, the big man never adapted his game to the modern NBA. The lack of a consistent jump shot hurt his career once the league started focusing on shooting.
#19 - Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis is an impressive player on both ends of the floor. While he has enough potential to become one of the all-time great big men, he's simply too inconsistent to get there.
Davis' injury history, combined with his inconsistencies, makes him one of the most overrated NBA players of all time. It feels that he can easily dominate his opponents, yet he often fails to meet his expectations.
#20 - Gilbert Arenas
Bradley Beal is not the only Washington Wizards star on the list of the most overrated NBA players. Gilbert Arenas was another fantastic scorer, yet he couldn't do much more than that.
You may be interested in reading: 10 Most Arrogant NBA Players: Which Ballers Think They're Above Everyone Else?
In a way, Arenas was a poor man's Steph Curry. However, his lack of defense and maturity problems were too much for the NBA. The sharpshooter was out of the league by the time he turned 30.
Guess the Lakers players!
