With the NBA season still suspended indefinitely, May is frivolity month here at Basketball Lists. We continue with a ranking of the original rosters of NBA Jam, which changed video games forever when it first hit arcades in February of 1993.
Editor's note: Rankings are based on talent level of the actual players, not necessarily their video game equivalent skills and/or novelty.
27) Bucks: Blue Edwards and Brad Lohaus
Yikes! After remaining an entertaining title contender throughout the '80s with innovative offensive and defensive schemes, the Bucks fell apart immediately in the early '90s with the retirement of Sidney Moncrief. The '92-'93 Bucks finished 12th in the East under new head coach Mike Dunleavy with longtime role player Edwards as their leading scorer, with a career high 16.9 points per game. Lohaus was also putting up career best numbers thanks to the paltry roster creating opportunities, but had no business in NBA Jam. He rightly had decent three-point shooting for a big man, but was one of the game's lowest ranked players in speed and dunking.
Snubbed: Frank Brickowski was no All-Star or anything, but was certainly a more talented post player than Lohaus. He was also a poor outside shooter, which likely was why Lohaus got the nod over him.
26) Mavericks: Derek Harper and Mike Iuzzolino
Dallas was the worst team in the NBA in '92-'93. In fact, they became just the third team in history to lose 71 or more games. They did have one solid player in Harper, although the veteran point guard was starting the downswing of his career. There was also a star rookie on the roster in Jim Jackson, but the fourth overall pick was left off the arcade version of the game due to a lengthy contract holdout that rendered him ineligible for his likeness being used (he was later added to the Sega and Nintendo versions). Instead, it was pint sized point guard Iuzzolino, who was arguably the worst player in the game and likely was just included for his decent three-point shooting ability. This left the Mavericks as not only one of the worst teams but also one of the smallest.
Snubbed: As mentioned, this was the worst team in the NBA in '92-'93, so there's not a lot of great options here. But surely center Terry Davis, who had a decent short jumper and was a solid rebounder, would have been a better option than Iuzzolino.
25) Bullets: Harvey Grant and Tom Gugliotta
NBA Jam unfortunately came out in arguably the worst stretch in Washington's history, right in the middle of a six-year streak of 50+ losses (the fact that we have to use the qualifier "arguably" tells a lot about their franchise history). There were signs of hope in '92-'93 with the drafting of Gugliotta, who would soon earn 1st-Team All-Rookie honors. He was a solid asset for NBA Jam as a big man who could hit from long distance, though the game wildly overestimated his defensive prowess. Meanwhile, Grant was undoubtedly the Bullets' best player at that moment, but not a natural fit. His dunking and speed were decent but he couldn't hit a jumper to save his life. He did become, along with his brother, Horace, the only siblings to ever appear together in the same NBA Jam edition.
Snubbed: Standing just 5'10" and possessing some of the most unique jump shot mechanics in NBA history, Michael Adams would have been an entertaining addition, albeit one without much dunking ability.
24) Kings: Wayman Tisdale and Spud Webb
He would later appear in all the console versions and was one of the best players in the Tournament Edition sequel, but Mitch Richmond was not in the original arcade version of NBA Jam, even though he was far-and-away the best player on the Kings at the time. Instead, you had Webb, who was fun to dunk with, we'll give him that, and Tisdale, a great player who was unfortunately never the same after his 1991 foot injury. As was standard in the team's first decade or so after moving to Sacramento, the Kings were garbage in '92-'93, losing 57 games and finishing in last place in the Pacific by nine games.
Snubbed: Richmond is the obvious answer here and was already mentioned above, so we'll go with Lionel Simmons, who by '92-'93 had already become a younger, more reliable version of Tisdale in the rotation.
23) Timberwolves: Christian Laettner and Chuck Person
His career as a whole obviously didn't live up to expectations, but Laettner did have a solid rookie year for Minnesota in '92-'93. He was second on the team in scoring (18.2 per game) and their rebounding leader (8.7 per game), and was named 1st-Team All-Rookie. Person was their other big acquisition in the 1992 offseason, as they traded away Sam Mitchell for the sharpshooting Pacers veteran. Neither of these moves did much to improve the Timberwolves, who went from 67 losses in '91-'92 to 63 in '92-'93.
Snubbed: Though Laettner and Person were the big names on the roster in '92-'93, Doug West was Minnesota's leading scorer that season. A former second round pick in the Timberwolves' first draft class in 1989, West had developed into a solid scorer seemingly just by sheer will, and averaged a career high 19.3 points per game in '92-'93. He was also a terrific dunker, having participated in the Slam Dunk Contest in 1992.
22) 76ers: Hersey Hawkins and Jeff Hornacek
Both of these players would find success later on in the '90s as tertiary scorers for Western Conference title contenders (Hawkins on the Sonics and Hornacek on the Jazz), but in '92-'93 they were essentially the entire offense on a bad Philly team. Hawkins was the team's leading scorer that season with 20.3 points per game. It his fifth season in Philadelphia after the team drafted him sixth overall in 1988 and when he failed to reach superstar level in the wake of Charles Barkley's departure, he was traded in the summer of 1993 to the Hornets. Hornacek had come to the 76ers in 1992 as the centerpiece of the return package from Phoenix for Barkley. He was solid in '92-'93, with 19.1 points and 6.9 assists per game, but was traded soon after to Utah. This was one of the teams you picked if you were just looking for solid three-point shooting and had no interest in big dunks.
Snubbed: Console editions of the game added in Clarence Weatherspoon for Hawkins. A rookie power forward out of the deep south with a powerful post game, rebounding prowess, and soft shooting touch, Weatherspoon obviously reminded Sixers fans of their departed superstar, so much so that he earned the nickname "Baby Barkley."
21) Lakers: James Worthy and Vlade Divac
If NBA Jam had been released at any point during the '80s, then the Lakers would been the most popular team to pick. Its 1993 release instead coincided with a rough year for the storied franchise, as aging Showtime holdouts like Worthy, Byron Scott, and A.C. Green struggled to stay competitive. In fact, it was their first losing season in 17 years, though they still managed to reach the playoffs as a #8 seed with 43 losses. Worthy was able to play all 82 games in '92-'93 despite his creaky knees, but put up the worst stats since his rookie season and though he was once one of the league's best dunkers, that had degenerated considerably. Divac, then in his third season, was showing some promise with 12.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game but we would soon after learn that this was essentially his peak as a solid but unspectacular center. His shot blocking was at least a decent asset against "on fire" opponents.
Snubbed: A career journeyman that the Lakers had landed for a couple second round picks in the wake of Magic Johnson's 1991 retirement, Sedale Threatt quickly became a fan favorite in Los Angeles as an unlikely point guard hero. He led the Lakers in scoring in '92-'93 and put up a terrific performance in the playoffs, almost leading them to a first round upset over the Suns.
20) Heat: Glen Rice and Rony Seikaly
Though they've been a relatively consistent contender for the last quarter century, the Heat started off like most expansion teams in the late '80s and early '90s, struggling to build and maintain success. Their biggest star in the early days was undoubtedly Rice, whom they selected with the fourth overall pick in 1989. He was also an ideal NBA Jam avatar thanks to his outside shooting but later console versions swapped him out for 1993 Slam Dunk Contest winner Harold Miner. It's especially shocking that Rice was dropped in favor of Seikaly being retained. No knock on Seikaly, who was a solid power forward that had a career year in '92-'93, with 17.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, but he lacked the star power or transportable skills of Rice.
Snubbed: Named 1st-Team All-Rookie in '91-'92 after the Heat drafted him in the lottery, Steve Smith seemed primed for a breakout year in '92-'93 before knee surgery sidelined him for the last half of the season. Though he lacked the dunking pedigree, Smith also would have been a fine selection over Miner in later editions.
19) Hornets: Larry Johnson and Kendall Gill
Unlike their fellow young franchise counterparts in Minnesota and Miami, the Hornets were already experiencing some success by '92-'93. Thanks to 1991 #1 overall pick Johnson plus 1992 #2 overall pick Alonzo Mourning, Charlotte made its first playoff appearance in 1993 and won its first playoff series, toppling the Celtics in round one. But instead of Mourning, who would soon finish second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Shaquille O'Neal, NBA Jam went with long range bomber Gill in the second spot alongside Johnson. Perhaps they were looking to avoid pairing two paint-minded players but they got over the notion soon enough, adding Mourning to all subsequent console editions.
Snubbed: Obviously, Mourning is the pick here, and it makes no sense that fellow rookies Shaquille O'Neal and Christian Laettner made the rosters when he didn't. If Mourning was truly unavailable, then the next best selection behind Gill would be Dell Curry, a two-time All-Star Three-Point Contest contestant.
18) SuperSonics: Benoit Benjamin and Shawn Kemp
It's probably shocking to not see Gary Payton's name up there. He's arguably the second biggest star in the NBA in 1993 to not be included in NBA Jam and it's for the same reason that the biggest star was missing. Just like Michael Jordan, Payton was encouraged by his sponsor Nike to opt out of the NBA Players Association shared licensing agreement. It still makes no sense that Benjamin was chosen to be paired with Kemp. With a combined height of 13 feet and 10 inches, they were the tallest pairing in the original game and while Benjamin was once a consistent double-double machine, the veteran center was aging and oft-injured by '92-'93. Kemp, of course, was emerging as one of the league's premier players already but wasn't enough to overcome Benjamin's shortcomings here.
Snubbed: Unlike Jordan, who successfully marketed himself for years as an individual license, Payton immediately considered his decision a mistake once NBA Jam became a sensation. He supposedly called up Midway and begged them to add him into the game, which they did, first as an easter egg in some arcade editions and later as a standard player in the Tournament Edition sequel. Beyond Payton, the Sonics also had superior selections over Benjamin in Derrick McKey, Ricky Pierce, and Eddie Johnson.
17) Celtics: Reggie Lewis and Kevin McHale
About a year after its arcade release, NBA Jam was ported over to the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo systems. Many of the rosters had updates to one player, but the Celtics were the only team with both players no longer available to use. McHale's disappearance was due to his retirement after the '92-'93 season had ended. Circumstances were more tragic for Lewis, who passed away in July of 1993 due to a degenerative heart defect. Before his passing, Lewis was a rising star in '92-'93, leading the Celtics to the #4 seed in the East with 20.3 points per game. McHale was obviously not the same player as he had been in his prime but was still a decent post scorer at age 35. Neither player was much of a dunker or three-point shooter, which really hampered the Celtics in NBA Jam play.
Snubbed: The initial replacements for McHale and Lewis in 1994 were former Slam Dunk Contest winner Dee Brown and the ageless wonder Robert Parish. They likely would have been the best back-up choices as well in 1993, though it would have been enjoyable to see Xavier McDaniel's bald held capture in 16-bit pixelation.
16) Nuggets: LaPhonso Ellis and Dikembe Mutombo
If you loved heating up from beyond the arc, this was definitely not the team for you. But man, could they defend inside. Mutombo and Ellis was certainly one of the tallest pairings in NBA Jam history, and one of the most inexperienced. Mutombo was in just his second season in the NBA in '92-'93, though he was already 26 years old by the time NBA Jam was released. Ellis was a rookie, selected fifth overall by the Nuggets out of Notre Dame. The pair would soon lead Denver to a historic first round upset of the Sonics in the 1994 playoffs, but in '92-'93 they lost 46 games and finished well outside the postseason standings.
Snubbed: He was Denver's leading scorer in '92-'93 and second on the team in assists, but Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was also struggling to market himself in the wake of his 1991 decision to convert to Islam and change his name from Chris Jackson. He would eventually get added to some console editions alongside Mutombo, providing a more balanced and dynamic guard-center lineup for Nuggets fans.
15) Pistons: Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer
Just two years prior to the release of NBA Jam, this would have been a much higher duo on the list. But in 1993 it was a bit of a head scratcher, as both players were on the wrong side of 30 and a shell of their former selves. Laimbeer was especially struggling by '92-'93, platooning at the starting center position with Olden Polynice and averaging career lows in scoring and rebounding. Perhaps his inclusion was just a nod to his storied pixelated past, as Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball is considered one of the most notorious entries in basketball video game canon. Thomas was still solid in '92-'93, a year away from his career-ending Achilles' tear, but not posting nearly the numbers he had in his prime. His high speed rating in NBA Jam looks a little silly in retrospect.
Snubbed: While Thomas and Laimbeer were the biggest household names for the Pistons in the early '90s, they had two other All-Stars that were arguably better choices for NBA Jam. Joe Dumars was their leading scorer in '92-'93 and MVP of the 1989 NBA Finals and would eventually be included on some of the home console editions. Meanwhile, Dennis Rodman was one of the best rebounders and defenders in the NBA, but couldn't really dunk or shoot so his NBA Jam snub certainly makes some sense.
14) Clippers: Ron Harper and Danny Manning
From the late '70s, when the team first moved to Southern California, to the early '10s, when Chris Paul first teamed up with Blake Griffin, Manning and Harper was arguably the best duo the Clippers had over that 40 year stretch. Harper had joined the team via trade in 1989 while Manning was their #1 overall pick in the 1988 draft, and the pairing led the Clippers to their first playoff appearance in 16 years in 1992. They repeated the feat again in '92-'93, reaching the postseason as a #7 seed and almost upsetting Houston in the first round. Manning made his first All-Star appearance that season but less than a year later was traded away to Atlanta and his career began to crater. Meanwhile, Harper was still an effective scorer at this point, but was struggling with the fallout from a torn ACL he had suffered in 1990. Manning also, appropriately, got one of the worst defensive ratings in NBA Jam.
Snubbed: Amongst the non-title contending teams, this was one of the easiest duos to pick for the NBA Jam creators. Mark Jackson was the Clippers' third best player at the time, but his lack of size and long distance shooting would have been serious liabilities.
13) Magic: Shaquille O'Neal and Scott Skiles
His name looks silly on this list compared to the numerous All-Stars that were in the game, but 1993 Skiles was one of the best three-point shooters in NBA Jam history. It didn't make a lot of sense either, as he was a decent long range shooter in real life but rarely amongst the three-pointer percentage or field goal leaderboards, and never even competed in the All-Star Three-Point Contest. One thing the actual Skiles did extremely well was pass the ball (he's still the NBA's all-time leader in assists in a single game, with 30), and his alley-oops to O'Neal were exhilarating in both real and pixelated form. Shaq was just a rookie when the original NBA Jam was released but was already one of the league's best players and biggest stars. He was also an early mega-fan of NBA Jam, who owned several versions of the arcade cabinet and had them personally shipped to hotels for him to play during road trips. Despite his fandom, O'Neal went the Michael Jordan route with future ported editions, withholding his likeness after pulling out of the NBPA shared licensing agreement.
Snubbed: When O'Neal was pulled from the home console editions of NBA Jam, Nick Anderson replaced him. Anderson arguably should have been on the original edition alongside him as well, as he was certainly a better overall scorer, defender, and dunker than Skiles.
12) Hawks: Stacey Augmon and Dominique Wilkins
Though he couldn't quite dunk like he used to by '92-'93, due to an Achilles' tendon tear suffered the year before, Wilkins was still one of the best pure scorers in the NBA at age 33. He averaged 29.9 points per game that season, good for second in the league, and was named an All-Star for the eighth straight time. Augmon was a solid shooter and defender but was still in only his second season in the NBA at the time and hadn't quite hit his peak yet. This was Atlanta's final season before the legendary Lenny Wilkens took over as coach and they struggled, finishing 43-39 and getting swept by Chicago in the first round of the playoffs.
Snubbed: Kevin Willis was arguably the second best player on Atlanta in '92-'93 but the power forward had a style play that wouldn't translate well to NBA Jam. Mookie Blaylock would have made a fine choice as well, but likely missed the cut because he was traded to the Hawks from the Nets right before the season started.
11) Pacers: Reggie Miller and Detlef Schrempf
In '93-'94, the Pacers kicked off a streak of reaching at least the Conference Finals seven times in a nine-year stretch, but in '92-'93 they were still a borderline playoff team in the East and a perennial first round loser. Miller led the team in scoring for the fourth consecutive season and led the NBA in three-point field goals (though his three-point shooting ranking in NBA Jam was surprisingly low). This was also a peak for the late-blooming Schrempf, who was named an All-Star in '92-'93 for the first time at age 30, and averaged a then career high 19.1 points per game. A few months after the release of the original NBA Jam, Schrempf was traded to the Sonics for Derrick McKey, and the two also swapped representing their respective teams in the ensuing ported video game editions.
Snubbed: The "Dunking Dutchman" Rik Smits was still only the third scoring option for the Pacers in '92-'93 but took on additional offensive responsibility in the wake of Schrempf's departure and was eventually included in the Game Boy version of NBA Jam.
10) Nets: Derrick Coleman and Drazen Petrovic
Just like Clippers fans, Nets devotees benefitted from their typically moribund franchise enjoying a brief stretch of success at the time NBA Jam was released. And just like Celtics fans, their original NBA Jam lineup would have a tragically short timeline. Under new coach Chuck Daly, New Jersey made a second consecutive playoff appearance in 1993 after a five year drought, and they almost upset Cleveland in the first round. Their under-the-radar trade for Petrovic in 1991 was beginning to pay off, as the Croatian star was becoming one of the NBA's top pure scorers. Meanwhile, the mercurial Coleman, a former #1 overall pick, was finally putting it all together, averaging 20.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game in '92-'93. Sadly, this pairing didn't last long, as Petrovic passed away in a car crash in June of 1993 while Coleman struggled with injuries and apathy for the remainder of his career.
Snubbed: You can't say Kenny Anderson was necessarily snubbed from this team, as Petrovic and Coleman were the obvious and correct selections. You can correctly state that Anderson, the #2 overall pick in 1991, would have been the next best choice and indeed he did take over for the deceased Petrovic in later ported editions of the game.
9) Cavaliers: Brad Daugherty and Mark Price
Maybe the most underrated of the original NBA Jam duos, Price was the reigning Three-Point Shootout champion at the time of the game's release and Daugherty was a perennial All-Star at center. In fact, they were the only Eastern Conference NBA Jam team to feature two 1993 All-Stars, though their ratings in the game didn't necessarily reflect that (Price was notably rated too low on three-point shooting). Of course, they were also an injury prone pair and '92-'93 would prove to be Daugherty's second-to-last season due to lingering foot and back issues. The Cavs finished with the #3 seed in the East that season but as usual ran into a buzzsaw named Michael Jordan in the playoffs, losing to the Bulls in a second round sweep.
Snubbed: There was a third Cavalier on the Eastern Conference All-Star roster in 1993, and that was Larry Nance. He was nine years removed from his Slam Dunk Contest title but still effective in '92-'93, averaging 16.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
8) Knicks: Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley
Oakley was no doubt a fun player to use as a defensive enforcer in NBA Jam, but his inclusion did seem a little strange. It left the Knicks as one of four teams to feature a forward and a center and this pair attempted a combined seven three-pointers in the entire '92-'93 season. It was also an off year for Oak, who averaged just 6.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game that season, after averaging a double-double in five of his first six campaigns. Ewing was still one of the league's best players at this point, even at age 30, as he finished fourth in MVP voting while leading the Knicks to the top seed in the East (they would lose to Chicago in the 1993 Conference Finals).
Snubbed: It was probably difficult for the game programmers to anticipate at the time, but '92-'93 was a real breakout year for John Starks, who took over as New York's secondary scorer and top perimeter defensive stopper. He was also a more natural fit with Ewing in the two-man contest, and was added to all console versions of NBA Jam going forward.
7) Trail Blazers: Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter
Another underrated pair in NBA Jam, Drexler and Porter were a little past their primes but arguably the best back court in the NBA in '92-'93 until hamstring and knee injuries caught up to Drexler late in the season. Though these two guards would obviously struggle with rebounding and defending bigger players, they were a terrific balance offensively, with Drexler's driving and dunking opening up the long range shooting of Porter, who participated in the Three-Point Shootout in 1993 for the second time. Both were also All-Stars in 1993, with Drexler voted as a starter and Porter named as an injury replacement for Mitch Richmond.
Snubbed: Drexler's longtime Portland wingman Jerome Kersey would have been an obvious pick a couple years prior, but his game wasn't well-suited to the NBA Jam style, especially after he started to lose his explosiveness in the early '90s. The more obvious choice here was Clifford Robinson, who could add some size opposite Drexler and was a terrific long range shooter for a center.
6) Spurs: Sean Elliott and David Robinson
This was one of the easiest rosters to predict, as Robinson and Elliott were by far the two best players on the Spurs for several seasons leading up to Tim Duncan getting drafted. Robinson's 23.4 points and 11.7 rebounds per game both led San Antonio in '92-'93 and he was the reigning Defensive Player of the Year when the game was designed, while Elliott made his first All-Star appearance in 1993 while averaging 17.2 points per game. After a rocky start under coach Jerry Tarkanian, the '92-'93 Spurs turned things around and reached the second round of the playoffs, where they lost a tough six game series to the Suns. In the world of NBA Jam, Robinson could really only be touched by Ewing and Olajuwon in terms of shot blocking ability.
Snubbed: While Elliott was easily the second best player and scorer on San Antonio, their best outside shooter was actually the veteran Dale Ellis, who won the Three-Point Contest in 1989. He did get added to some of the console versions, while others kept Elliott with Robinson.
5) Warriors: Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin
We've talked at length on this site previously on how overrated the Run-T.M.C. Warriors were in terms of team results, but there's no denying that a duo of just Hardaway and Mullin would have ranked amongst the league's best in 1993. As usual, it didn't translate in the actual NBA standings as the '92-'93 Warriors struggled with injuries and missed the playoffs with 48 losses. Mullin was especially hard hit, missing 36 games due to a torn thumb ligament, a disappointing follow-up to his triumphant 1992 tour of duty with the Dream Team. He did lead Golden State in scoring with 25.9 points per game, while Hardaway, who missed 16 games, hit a statistical peak with 21.5 points and 10.6 assists per game. Though neither was much of a dunker, they were still a popular pick in arcades across the country, with Hardaway's speed and defense meshing well with Mullin's outside shooting.
Snubbed: There's no one here who truly deserves consideration but we'll give honorable mentions to Sarunas Marciulionis, a solid scorer who suffered a severe leg injury during the '92-'93 that effectively ended his career, and a rookie Latrell Sprewell, who was included on many of the console versions released in 1994 due to Hardaway missing the entire '93-'94 season with a knee injury.
4) Bulls: Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen
It's pretty impressive that the Bulls could be lacking the greatest player in NBA history but still make it this high on the list. Pippen and Grant may have been the two most underrated players in the league in '92-'93, both having played their entire careers in Michael Jordan's shadow. They're the only duo in NBA Jam that were both named to the All-Defensive team in '92-'93 and it reflected in their reputation as the toughest defensive match-up in the virtual game. Both players took a major step up in '93-'94 after Jordan's retirement, with Grant getting named to his first All-Star team while Pippen finished third in MVP voting. Oh, and by the way: the Bulls also won their third consecutive championship in 1993.
Snubbed: We've mentioned already that Jordan's likeness wasn't available because of his NBPA opt-out. One other player beyond Grant and Pippen who stepped up his game with more spotlight on him in '93-'94 was B.J. Armstrong, a two-time Three-Point Contest participant who appeared on the Sega CD version of NBA Jam, replacing Grant.
3) Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon and Kenny Smith
He was still a year away from truly taking over as the dominant force in the NBA, but Olajuwon was as good as ever in '92-'93, averaging 26.1 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 4.6 blocks per game and finishing second in MVP voting. Meanwhile, Smith was an ideal secondary NBA Jam option, one of the rare players able to participate in both the Slam Dunk Contest and Three-Point Contest. The Rockets won 55 games in '92-'93 and entered the playoffs as the #2 seed, but lost a close seven game series to the Sonics in the second round of the playoffs.
Snubbed: Though he lacked Smith's dunking skills that translated so well to NBA Jam, Vernon Maxwell was the second scoring option on the Rockets and almost as good of a three-point shooter. He did take over alongside Olajuwon in all ported console versions of the game.
2) Suns: Charles Barkley and Dan Majerle
Here is your '92-'93 MVP, and the team that represented the West in the 1993 NBA Finals. With Michael Jordan not participating, that made Barkley and the Suns the best overall player and team in NBA Jam, on paper. If you think having Majerle as the second player over Kevin Johnson seems suspect, you're not alone, but consider that Majerle was the second leading scorer on Phoenix in '92-'93, with 16.9 points per game, and a good enough long-range shooter to participate in the 1993 Three-Point Contest during All-Star weekend.
Snubbed: Another knock against Johnson was his injury woes and '92-'93 was no different, as he missed 33 games due to various ailments, including a hernia. But he was a two-time All-Star already by 1992 and had been named 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, denoting his status as one of the league's best point guards. He probably deserved this spot over the better shooting Majerle and did get included in all console editions. Johnson and Barkley was an option only on Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, as Barkley dropped out of the general likeness agreement to develop his own video game, leaving Johnson and Majerle as the Phoenix duo on Game Boy, Game Gear, etc.
1) Jazz: Karl Malone and John Stockton
No duo in NBA history played more games together, compiled more wins together, and scored more total points together than Stockton and Malone. Their names are just synonymous with '90s basketball, making them the perfect pairing on the ultimate '90s video game. Just as they did on the real court for two decades, they complemented each other perfectly in NBA Jam, with Stockton's speed and shooting mingling with Malone's dunking and blocked shots. They were also both terrific defensively, both in real life and pixelated form. As it turns out, '92-'93 was actually an off year for the Jazz, the only season over a 12-year stretch in which they failed to win 50 games and it ended with a rare first round postseason loss.
Snubbed: Obviously no one would make a serious argument here that either Stockton and Malone should be replaced on this team. They would have represented the Jazz if NBA Jam first came out as early as 1987 or as late as 2003. If you had to pick one player in event of emergency or something, the choice in 1993 was Jeff Malone, a solid outside shooter who finished second on the team in scoring in '92-'93 with 18.1 points per game.