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Going undrafted in the NBA Draft is not something we normally see on the resumes of the greatest players in league history, but there have been some great players whose careers started with a snub. Here, we will rank the five greatest undrafted players in NBA history.
NBA Draft: All-time top 5 undrafted players in league history
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Some talented players in the current NBA went undrafted in their respective NBA Draft night. Fred VanVleet is arguably the best undrafted player in today's era, while JJ Barea and Wesley Matthews are solid pros and are well-respected throughout the league.
This article will take a look at the all-time top 5 undrafted players in league history. Without further ado, let us start.
#5 Wesley Matthews
Undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft
He might not be the best undrafted player in today's NBA, but Wesley Matthews' career has proven that executives from the 2009 NBA Draft were wrong about his potential.
Matthews made the league with the Utah Jazz and averaged nine points per game in 48 starts (82 appearances overall). In his 11-year NBA career, Matthews averages 13 points per game on 38% from the three-point line.
Among the players who entered the league at the same time as him, Matthews ranks third among made threes (1,663), behind Stephen Curry (2,495) and James Harden (2,324). He ranks fifth among his rookie class in total points, behind Harden, DeMar DeRozan, Curry, and Jrue Holiday.
#4 Avery Johnson
Undrafted in the 1988 NBA Draft
Avery Johnson is one of two solid NBA guards who went undrafted during the 1988 NBA Draft, but his career left draft night in the shadows.
Johnson entered the league in 1988 with the Seattle Supersonics and bounced around the league until 1992. Though he could not establish himself in the league during his first four seasons, Johnson played in 233 games, which helped him develop his game.
He found his place in the San Antonio Spurs, and he elevated his game. Johnson played 10 seasons in San Antonio, and averaged 10 points and seven assists per game.
He won the 1999 NBA championship, which was the first in franchise history, and he even made the game-winning shot in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to finish the series.
Johnson played 1054 regular-season games and 90 playoff games, averaging 11 points and six assists in the postseason.
#3 John Starks
Undrafted in the 1988 NBA Draft
John Starks was a solid pro in the 1990s NBA picture and a recurrent image in the NBA Playoffs as a member of the New York Knicks.
Though he played 23 games in his rookie year (1988-89) with the Golden State Warriors, Starks was out of the league the following year after getting released by the team.
Starks then signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks in 1990 and returned to the NBA. In eight seasons in the Big Apple, Starks averaged 14 points and four assists per game in the regular season.
He had the same averages in 96 games in the NBA Playoffs, and made one All-Star game, made one All-Defense team, and won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. All after not being considered among the 75 players selected in the 1988 NBA Draft.
#2 Connie Hawkins
Undrafted in the 1964 NBA Draft
Connie Hawkins' story is probably one of the most iconic among undrafted NBA players.
Though he eventually became a great NBA player and a member of the Hall of Fame, Hawkins' career started by being blackballed in the 1964 NBA Draft because he got expelled from the University of Iowa for being named in a point-shaving scandal.
He went undrafted in 1964 and then was officially banned from the NBA in 1966. After Hawkins filed a lawsuit against the NBA for being banned without substantial evidence, the league eventually settled and allowed him to play.
And play he did.
Hawkins had won the ABA Most Valuable Player award in his first season, averaging 26 points and 13 rebounds. He had career averages of 19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists per game in seven NBA seasons with the Phoenix Suns, the LA Lakers, and the Atlanta Hawks.
He was a four-time NBA All-Star and earned one All-NBA selection. In 1992, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
#1 Ben Wallace
Undrafted in the 1996 NBA Draft
Ben Wallace is the best undrafted player in the history of the NBA. Of course, when you see the rookie class of the 1996 NBA Draft, led by Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, and Steve Nash, you can understand Wallace not making it.
However, as many as three centers selected in that NBA Draft did not play a single game in the league while Wallace was left out.
Still, Big Ben became one of the greatest defensive players in the league's history and was the most important piece of one of the greatest defensive teams in NBA history, the 2004 NBA champions, Detroit Pistons.
Wallace also won a record four NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award (tied with Dikembe Mutombo) and made four All-Star teams, five All-NBA teams, and six All-Defense teams.
He also led the league twice in rebounding and ranked in the all-time top-20 in Defensive Win Shares ahead of Mutombo, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, and many other great defenders. Wallace was simply another great player from the 1996 rookie class, regardless of whether he was part of the NBA Draft or not.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: 5 teams that need to add a center to their lineups in the 2020 off-season
