Top Ten worst NBA All-Stars

At its best, the NBA All-Star game defines why so many people love the game of basketball. The world’s premier athletes throw behind-the-back passes, drain long distance threes, put down reverse dunks and (occasionally) play aggressive defense for 48 minutes, usually with a smile on their face the entire time. At its worst…well, that’s what this list is all about. Here are ten players who have disgraced the NBA’s mid-season classic the past 15 years, ranking from best players to worst.

10: Brad Miller

The only two-time All-Star on this list, Miller played for the East in 2003 and the West in ’04. In the two games, he combined to score 13 points. The former Bull has always been a solid player, but if somebody were to make a list of the top 30 players of this decade, does Miller even make the honorable mention?

9: Anthony Mason

While nobody would say Mason was a bad player for the Knicks, Hornets, Heat and Bucks over the course of his career, would anybody call the 2001 All-Star a good player? 11 points and eight rebounds a game of the course of a career is solid, but there’s a reason he played 20 minutes and didn’t score a single point in that ’01 ASG.

8: Wally Szczerbiak

Szczerbiak is proof that being just a jump-shooter can get you pretty far in the Association. An All-Star in 2002 playing for Minnesota, Wally has been on three teams since then, and is rumored to be dealt again because of his $12 million/year salary. Then again, his seven points a game coming off the bench for Cleveland has made a huge impact this year.

7: BJ Armstrong

Bulls fans remember BJ as the baby-faced sharp shooter who came off the bench during the first three title runs. But an All-Star? And even more so, an All-Star starter? Yes, in 1994, Armstrong was voted to the starting five for the East squad. He finished that year averaging 15 points a game, a career high. Armstrong is currently the agent for another baby-faced Bulls point guard: Derrick Rose.

6: Vlade Divac

The Dean of the Basketball Flopping Institute, Divac was always a talented passer and reliable scorer. But despite playing in the 2001 game, he was not an All-Star caliber player. In fact, Divac’s most noteworthy accomplishments- other than his academic achievements listed previously- was being traded straight up for Kobe Bryant on draft day 1996 and being the subject of this rap.

5: Dale Davis

Either 2000 was a real down year for Eastern Conference centers or David Stern wanted the All-Star game to highlight slow, physical big men, because other than that, there’s no reason Davis should have earned an invitation. Nothing against the man, but when you average eight points and eight rebounds a game for a career, you’re not really All-Star worthy. Actually, the only reason he’s on here instead of former Pacer teammate Antonio Davis (2001 ASG) is because I was afraid that if I insulted Antonio, he would find me in a crowd and try to beat me up.

4: Christian Laettner

Laettner sank the most famous shot in the history of college basketball and was the 12th man on the most dominant Olympic team of all time. Yet it’s still a shock to learn that once upon a time, as in 1997, that he was an NBA All-Star. That ’97 season was his best year as a pro, as he put up 18 points and eight boards a game for the Hawks. But like most former Duke stars, his pro career was mostly a disappointment.

3: Tyrone Hill

Outside of being the number six scorer on the 2001 76ers team that lost in the NBA Finals, did Tyrone Hill do anything noteworthy his entire career? Apparently yes, since he made the 1995 All-Star team while on the Cavaliers. During that season, Hill averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds a game, which both registered as career highs for the 14-year vet.

2: Chris Gatling

How good was Gatling during his All-Star season of 1997? He started a total of one game all year. Still, despite being a bench player for the Mavericks, he averaged 19 points and eight rebounds a contest. A week after playing in the All-Star game for the West, Gatling was traded east to New Jersey. It wouldn’t be the last time he packed his bags though. By the time his 11 year career in the NBA was over, Gatling had suited up for eight teams.

1: Dana Barros

Pretty much all of the players you see on this list, with the exception of Armstrong and Szczerbiak, are big men. It seems that when it comes time to filling out the All-Star roster, there is often a lack of quality power forwards and centers, and the NBA gets desperate. Sort of makes sense. Five-eleven point guard Dana Barros of the Boston Celtics on the 1995 Eastern Conference All-Star team? Now that makes no sense. Barros did have a solid year in ’95- 21 points and eight assists a game- a reason he won Most Improved Player following that season. But seeing his name listed next to fellow All-Star guards Penny Hardaway, Reggie Miller and Joe Dumars just is wrong.