Basketball Lists: 500 all-time greatest players (2019 edition): #400 to #351

Every year we rank the 500 greatest players in NBA (and ABA) history based on various tranches of empirical data and historical context (breakdown of ranking criteria can be found here). The following is numbers 400 through 351 for the year 2019.

The full list for 2019 can be found here as just a list, and here with full player bios. Last year's full list can be found here.

400) Mike Newlin, G, 1971-1982

Part of the Rockets’ first draft class after it moved to Houston in 1971, and half of arguably its all-time greatest back court duo with Calvin Murphy

In his second season through his fifth season, he averaged 17.1 points and 5.1 assists per game, and endeared himself to fans with his trademark dives to the floor chasing loose balls

Moved to be bench for Houston in ’76-’77 to make room for John Lucas, but remained a key player for several more years

Peaked in scoring after a trade to the Nets, with 21.4 points per game in ’80-’81

Shot 86.9% from the free throw line in his career, and finished in the NBA top ten in that category nine different seasons

399) Hot Rod Williams, F, 1986-1999

Though nicknamed “Hot Rod” (due to his childhood predilection for making car engine noises while playing), played more like a workhorse truck than a flashy racecar

Indicted as part of a point shaving scandal at Tulane (he was eventually acquitted of all charges), he spent one season in the USBL before joining Cleveland’s franchise-altering rookie class in ’86-’87 with Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, and Ron Harper

Played three positions off the bench and was renowned for his shot blocking, rebounding, and defensive enforcement

Could also contribute offense when needed, especially in ’89-’90 when he averaged 16.8 points per game to help compensate for a rash of Cavs injuries

Despite never being an All-Star, received the then largest contract in sports history from the Cavs in 1990 and could never live up to the expectations from that agreement, which signaled the beginning of the end for that era of Cavs history

398) David Lee, F, 2005-2017

Made the All-Star team twice, in 2010 with the Knicks and in 2013 with the Warriors

Before Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson blossomed into their current state, he was Golden State’s biggest star for several years, averaging 18.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in his first four seasons with the team

Lost his starting job to Green due to an injury during the preseason in 2014, and played only limited minutes off the bench during the postseason as the Warriors won the 2015 title

Had his best overall season as the starting center for the Knicks in ’09-’10, with 20.2 points and 11.7 rebounds per game

Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in rebounding four different times

Retired in 2017 after playing with the Spurs against his former Warriors teammates in the Conference Finals

397) Antonio Davis, F/C, 1993-2006

Maybe the most eclectic pro career of his era, from inauspicious beginnings in Greece to tough guy stints with Indiana and New York (that inexplicably included a Slam Dunk Contest appearance) to a star turn with Toronto

Started with Panathinaikos of the Greek League in 1990 after falling to the second round of the NBA Draft

Wound up with the Pacers in 1993 and spent several years as a bruising and versatile sixth man and sometime starter

Played on all four Pacers Conference Finals appearances in the ‘90s, but wasn’t there for the 2000 NBA Finals run as he had been traded to Toronto

Shifted from power forward to center with the Raptors and blossomed into a star at age 31, averaging 13.3 points and 9.3 rebounds over the next four seasons and playing in the 2001 All-Star Game

396) Corey Maggette, F, 1999-2013

Spent his best years with the Clippers, who were building an island of young misfit toys that also included Elton Brand and Quentin Richardson

Led the team in scoring twice, peaking at 22.2 points per game in ’04-‘05

Missed the majority of the Clippers’ ’05-’06 season due to injury, but returned on time for the franchise’s first playoff series win in Los Angeles, contributing a team-high 23 points in the series clinching win over Denver

Like so many other young players, he eventually fell out of favor with coach Mike Dunleavy and ditched town to sign with Golden State in 2008, showing occasional scoring outbursts over his final few seasons while dealing with various injuries

Thanks to his slashing style of play, led the NBA in total free throws made in ’03-’04 despite missing nine games due to injury

395) Calvin Natt, F, 1979-1990

Drafted by the Nets but traded to the Blazers in his rookie year, he averaged 20.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game down the stretch of his rookie season

Became one of the team’s biggest stars in the wake of Bill Walton’s departure, popular amongst coaches, teammates, and fans for his scoring, rebounding, and bone-shattering screens

Traded to the Nuggets in 1984, where his stats got a boost from coach Doug Moe’s up-tempo system

Averaged a career high 23.3 points per game for Denver in ’84-’85, was named to the All-Star team, and helped the Nuggets make a surprise run to the Conference Finals

Spent some time late in his career with the Pacers and Spurs, and holds a distinction as the only NBA player to log playing time for all four former ABA franchises

394) Leroy Ellis, C, 1962-1976

His most famous stint was as the original Blazers center, even though he spent just one season with the team

That season was ’70-’71, right in the middle of his career, and he scored 15 points and 22 rebounds in Portland’s debut game, a win over Cleveland

Originally drafted by the Lakers to back up Rudy LaRusso, he played in the NBA Finals in 1963, 1965, and 1966, all losses to Boston

Started at center for two seasons for the Bullets, averaging a double-double during that time

Eventually returned to the Lakers again as a backup, this time behind Wilt Chamberlain, as the team finally won the championship in 1972

Holds the distinction of playing on one of the greatest teams of all time (the ’71-’72 Lakers who won 33 straight) and then, due to a trade, immediately playing on one of the worst teams of all time (the ’72-’73 Sixers who finished 9-73)

393) Rudy Gay, F, 2006-Active (2018 rank: #405)

Controversy seems to always follow him, starting with his freshman year at Connecticut when the NCAA investigated his recruitment but ultimately found no wrongdoing

Selected eighth by the Rockets in the 2006 Draft, but immediately traded to the Grizzlies, where he became a high-scoring star for six-plus seasons whose individual successes never seemed to translate to team success, and they made the playoffs just once in 2012

Averaged 18+ points per game in each of his full seasons with Memphis, and is still in the top five all-time in franchise history in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks

After a short stop in Toronto, wound up on another moribund team in Sacramento, where he averaged a career high 21.4 points per game in ’14-'15

Finally joined a decent team in ’17-’18 as the third leading scorer on the Spurs, making just his second and third career playoff appearances in 2018 and 2019

392) Brook Lopez, C, 2008-Active (2018 rank: #404)

Starred at Stanford alongside his twin brother, Robin
Has had a long and productive NBA career, albeit an injury-plagued one where he always seemed to be falling just short of stardom level
Made one All-Star team in 2013 while playing for the Nets, but even that was a controversial decision, as he was surprisingly added to the roster by commissioner David Stern after Rajon Rondo pulled out with an injury
Averaged 20+ points per game in four separate seasons, but has always struggled with rebounding and defense for a man of his size, and his teams have reached the playoffs just three times in 11 seasons
After signing a huge contract with Brooklyn in 2015 and not living up to it, was eventually unloaded on the Lakers with whom he slogged through another difficult season for a bad team in '17-'18
Finally played for a contender in '18-'19, as the starting center for the Bucks team that reached the Conference Finals

391) Derrick McKey, F, 1987-2002

A dignitary for fans amongst two franchises, the Sonics and the Pacers
Drafted by Seattle in 1987 and contributed immediately on the frontline with Xavier McDaniel and Michael Cage
Averaged 15.4 points over five years as a starter for the Sonics, helping them reach as far as game seven of the Conference Finals against Phoenix in 1993
Traded to Indiana for Detlef Schrempf in 1993, and concentrated more on his defensive skills, and was named All-Defensive twice
Never put up big numbers for the Pacers and struggled with injuries, but was a part of their Conference Finals runs in 1994, 1995, 1998, and 1999, and their NBA Finals appearance in 2000
Extremely versatile, he mostly played at small forward but guarded every position on the floor

390) Chuck Person, F, 1986-2000

Nicknamed “The Rifleman” not for his long range shooting accuracy, but actually because of his mother’s love of the ‘50s TV series starring Chuck Connors
Spent most of his prime on the wing with Reggie Miller in Indiana as a premier shooting and trash talking combo
Won Rookie of the Year in ’86-’87, then averaged 27.0 points per game in Indiana’s first round playoff series loss that year to Atlanta
Averaged 19.0 points per game in his six seasons with the Pacers, but right before the team starting consistently reaching Conference Finals he was traded to the Timberwolves
Became a vital bench player late in his career for the Spurs, helping them reach the 1995 Conference Finals, but getting traded right before their ’98-’99 championship season
Was a teammate of Charles Barkley at Auburn

389) Lou Williams, G, 2005-Active (2018 rank: #446)

A bench specialist extraordinaire, he’s started in just 109 of his 861 career games

Won Sixth Man of the Year for the Raptors in ’14-’15 and for the Clippers in ’17-‘18

A rare prep-to-pro player that fell to the second round of the draft but still found NBA success; he originally committed to play at Georgia but declared for the draft at the last minute instead

Averaged 15.5 points per game in ’14-’15, which was then a career high, but has since had his best scoring seasons past the age of 30, with 17.5 in ’16-’17 (split between the Lakers and Rockets) and 22.6 in ’17-’18 for the Clippers

Led the Clippers in scoring in ’17-’18 despite coming off the bench in 60 of 79 games

Has only made it as far as the second round of the playoffs, in 2012 with the 76ers and in 2017 with the Rockets

388) Don Buse, G, 1972-1985

A steady presence on the Pacers during their late ABA and early NBA years, and quietly one of the best perimeter defenders of the ‘70s
Signed with the Pacers in the ABA in 1972 after starring at nearby Evansville but falling to the fourth round of the NBA Draft, and was instantly one of the league’s best ball handlers and defenders
Helped lead Indiana to the ABA title in his rookie season
Led the ABA in assists and steals in ’75-’76, then led the NBA in the same two categories in ‘76-’77; was named 1st-Team All-Defensive in his first four NBA seasons
Despite his success in both leagues he plugged away in relative anonymity, with opponents often considering him unmemorable or just plain unknown and he used that disrespect to surprise opposing players with his quick hands on defense leading to a bevy of steals

387) James Silas, G, 1972-1982

Nicknamed “Captain Late” for his fourth quarter heroics and “The Snake” for his explosiveness towards the basket

Waived by the Rockets his rookie year before signing with Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA (who eventually became San Antonio Spurs)

Led the ABA in true shooting percentage and offensive rating in ’75-’76; was named 1st-Team All-ABA the same season

Played on a torn MCL in his first NBA season and never recovered his athleticism, but still averaged 14.2 points per game in six NBA seasons

First player in Spurs history to have his jersey retired

386) Ray Williams, G, 1977-1987

Returned to his hometown of New York when the Knicks drafted him 10th overall in 1977 after a stellar college stint at Minnesota
Was thrust immediately into the starting point guard position in his rookie year after the Knicks traded away Walt Frazier
Had a three-year peak with the Knicks and Nets from 1979 to 1982, averaging 20.4 points and 5.9 assists per game, but seemingly fell off a cliff after a 1982 trade to the Kings
Set a Nets franchise record for points in one game (52) that stood for almost three decades
Fell into severe financial trouble after retiring from basketball and was eventually left homeless, sleeping out of his car in Florida, when several former teammates heard about his troubles and chipped in to help him out

385) Thurl Bailey, F, 1983-1999

Was the leading scorer and rebounder on the ’82-’83 NC State team that made a shocking run to the NCAA title under coach Jim Valvano
Though he never lived up to expectations as the seventh overall pick in 1983, he became beloved in Utah for his durability, clutch scoring, and bespectacled look
Averaged as many as 19.6 points per game in ’87-’88, but was mostly a complementary forward to Karl Malone
After several seasons in NBA purgatory with the Timberwolves, then some time playing professionally in Greece, he made a comeback with the Jazz in ’98-’99 at the age of 38
After retirement he’s found several second acts as an R&B singer, a conservative religious ambassador, and a community service leader

384) Cedric Ceballos, F, 1990-2001

First became a household name with a controversial victory in the 1992 Slam Dunk Contest, winning with a blindfolded dunk, the veracity of which many still dispute
Had a brief but spectacular three-year prime with the Suns and Lakers, starting in ’93-’94, averaging 20.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game over that span
Named to the 1995 All-Star team
Led the NBA in field goal percentage in ’92-’93, the last non-center to do so
Los Angeles’ leading scorer for two straight seasons before getting traded back to the Suns for Robert Horry
Mostly came off the bench for the Suns during the 1993 playoffs as they reached the NBA Finals
His NBA career ended after getting waived by the Nuggets in 2001, but he stayed actively professionally for another decade after that, including time in Israel, Russia, and the Philippines

383) Jameer Nelson, G, 2004-2018

Won essentially every collegiate award possible during his time at St. Joseph’s, but fell to the #20 pick of the 2004 NBA Draft
Spent the first 10 seasons of his career with Orlando, where he was functional and consistent, albeit unspectacularly; annihilated the franchise record for total assists and is top five for the Magic all-time in total points, steals, and field goals
Named to one All-Star team in 2009, but tore his shoulder right before the break and missed the rest of the regular season and most of the playoffs; did return on time for Orlando’s Finals appearance against the Lakers, but played limited minutes off the bench
Was the second best Magic player on the team that reached the 2010 Conference Finals, averaging a career-high 19 points per game during the playoffs
Has transitioned in a journeyman late his career, including stops with the Mavericks, Celtics, Pelicans, Nuggets, and most recently the Pistons

382) Shareef Abdur-Rahim, F, 1996-2008

Played in 830 regular season NBA games but just one playoff series, which is the all-time record
Was instantly the best player on the Grizzlies team that drafted him third overall, and in five seasons in Vancouver averaged 20.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game
Named to the All-Star team in 2002 while playing for Atlanta
Possibly his greatest asset was his ability to stay on the floor; he appeared in 95% or more of his team’s regular season games in nine out of his 13 seasons in the NBA, but a knee injury forced him to retire in 2008 at the age of 31
Finally made his first playoff appearance in 2006 after 11 seasons, and his Kings lost in the first round to the Spurs

381) Andre Drummond, C, 2012-Active (2018 rank: #489)

He was the #1 recruit in the country coming out of his Connecticut high school in 2011, but eventually fell to the ninth pick of the NBA Draft in 2012 due to his struggles with shooting
Has led the NBA in rebounds per game three times, with 14.8 in ’15-’16, 16.0 in ’17-’18 (which was the highest single-season average since Dennis Rodman had 16.1 per game in ’96-'97), and 15.6 in '18-'19
Also led the league in total rebounds the last four seasons, with over 1,100 rebounds each year, another total that puts him in territory last occupied by Dennis Rodman in the mid ‘90s
Played on the All-Star team in 2016 and 2018
Finally improved his free throw shooting in ’17-’18 to 60.5% after historically bad performances the three prior years
Has made just two playoff appearances in his seven seasons with Detroit, both first round sweeps

380) Doug Christie, G, 1992-2007

After several seasons riding the pine for the Lakers and Knicks, finally broke out with the Raptors in ’96-’97 as an elite perimeter defender and occasional scoring threat
Was traded to the Kings in 2000, where his versatility and high basketball IQ were assets on the freewheeling roster
Doubled down on his defensive intensity in Sacramento and was named to the All-Defensive team four straight years while also leading the NBA in steals in ’00-‘01
Initially a fan favorite, he later fell out of favor as his athleticism faded and his off-court tabloid lifestyle with wife Jackie seemingly became a distraction
Became a journeyman late in his career, including stops with the Magic, Mavericks, and Clippers

379) Christian Laettner, F, 1993-2005

Amassed a solid 13-year NBA career that many lambast as a flop due to comparisons to his incredible NCAA years
Won every conceivable NCAA award during his time at Duke, led the school to back-to-back national titles, and played on the U.S. Olympic Dream Team in 1992
Selected third overall by the Timberwolves, and averaged 17.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in his first three seasons
Traded to Atlanta in 1996 after the T-Wolves drafted Kevin Garnett, and had his best statistical season in ’96-’97, with 18.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while being named to the All-Star team
Lost his starting job in ’97-’98 and started to really slip from there due mainly to injuries, struggling in later stints with the Pistons, Wizards, and Heat before retiring
Finally reached the Conference Finals at the end of his career, as a deep bench forward/center for the Heat in 2005

378) Dick Van Arsdale, G, 1965-1977

Drafted 10th overall by the Knicks in 1965, one spot before his identical twin brother Tom went to the Pistons
Spent three seasons with New York before getting selected by the Suns in the 1968 expansion draft
Became Phoenix’s first star player and earned the nickname “Original Sun” with three straight All-Star nods while leading the franchise to its first playoff appearance in 1970 and its first NBA Finals appearance in 1976
Averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game over his first five seasons with the Suns before starting to struggle with injuries
Reunited with his brother on the Suns in ’76-’77, the final NBA season for both of them

377) Doug Collins, G, 1973-1981

He was the last non-center white player to be drafted with the first overall pick
Had a rough start to his career, playing for a Sixers team coming off a historically terrible 9-73 season, and broke his foot in training camp
Struggled to recover from that foot injury and it ultimately cut his career short, but his four year prime was nonetheless impressive
Over the course of a four stretch with the Sixers he was named to four All-Star teams while averaging 19.6 points per game, and was the second leading scorer behind Julius Erving on the team that reached the 1977 NBA Finals
Broke his foot again late in the ’78-’79 season, which was the beginning of the end
Retired in 1981 having played just 415 games over eight NBA seasons, all of them with the 76ers

376) Mickey Johnson, F, 1974-1986

A late round pick from Aurora, a tiny Chicago-area college, he joined the Bulls right at the tail end of the Chet Walker/Bob Love/Jerry Sloan era
Was the last man off the bench in his rookie season in '74-'75 when Chicago came within one game of reaching the NBA Finals
Became the centerpiece of the team after Walker retired, as they rebuilt around his scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in a two-year stretch
Would have a career high in scoring years later with the Pacers, averaging 19.1 points per game in ’79-’80; finished his career with over 12,000 total points
Played mostly for subpar teams in Chicago, Indiana, Milwaukee, New Jersey, and Golden State, and never advanced past the first round of the playoffs again after his rookie season
Returned to his native Chicago after retirement, where he’s been a college coach, a county sheriff, a pest control company owner, and a candidate for city alderman

375) Rick Fox, F, 1991-2004

Born in Canada where his mother, a former Olympic track athlete hailed from, and raised in the Bahamas, his father's native country, before playing under Dean Smith at North Carolina
Became the first rookie to start on opening day for the Celtics since the man he replaced in the lineup due to injury, Larry Bird
Vacillated between the starting lineup and bench in his six seasons in Boston, averaging a career high 15.4 points per game in ’96-‘97
Signed as a free agent with the Lakers and remade himself as a role player contributing mostly defense and passing
Played in four NBA Finals with the Lakers, including back-to-back-to-back championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002
Came up with big playoff games for Los Angeles from time to time, including 13 points and 14 rebounds in the infamous game seven win over Sacramento in the 2002 Conference Finals

374) J.R. Smith, G, 2004-Active (2018 rank: #375)

Seemed like his NBA career may have reached a premature end when he signed with a Chinese pro team during the 2011 lockout, but instead has had an astounding, though sometimes frustrating, second act since his return
Won Sixth Man of the Year for the Knicks in ’12-’13, while averaging career highs with 18.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game
Early in his career with the Nuggets he was often erratic, but shockingly consistent in terms of stats, averaging 13.7 points per game in five seasons
Just as his time with the Knicks was stalling out (including a drug suspension, knee surgery, and a bizarre habit of untying opponent’s shoes at the free throw line), a trade to Cleveland in 2014 revived his career, and he played in four consecutive NBA Finals with the Cavs
The starting shooting guard and fourth on the team in playoff scoring for the ’15-’16 Cavs title team

373) Josh Howard, F, 2003-2013

Supremely talented but often found his off-court actions and interviews detrimental to his career
Slipped to the end of the first round in the 2003 Draft, where Dallas stole him with the 29th pick and he immediately contributed to a title contender with his lockdown defensive skills
Eventually became the Mavs’ second scoring option after Dirk Nowitzki, and helped the team reach the 2006 Finals
Made the All-Star team in ’07-’08 while averaging career highs in scoring (19.9 per game) and rebounding (7.0 per game)
Eventually was deemed too much of a distraction for missing practices and advocating offseason marijuana use and was traded in 2009 to Washington
Tore his ACL just four games into his time with the Wizards, and played just 72 stunted games over his final three seasons before retiring

372) Ron Boone, G, 1968-1981

The 147th pick of the 1968 NBA Draft out of Idaho State, he opted to instead sign with the Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA
Played in all eight ABA seasons with just three franchises: the Chaparrals, the Utah Stars, and the Spirits of St. Louis
Was named to four ABA All-Star teams, finished in the top five in MVP voting in ’72-’73, and was 1st-Team All-ABA in ’74-’75 while averaging a career high 25.5 points per game
Led the stars to the 1971 ABA title and an appearance in the 1974 ABA Finals
Selected by the Kansas City Kings in the ABA dispersal draft, and was their leading scorer for two seasons before finishing out his career as a role player for the Lakers and Jazz
Sits third on the all-time ABA leaderboard in total points (behind only Louie Dampier and Dan Issel) and sixth in assists

371) Steve Francis, G, 1999-2008

Immediately balked at playing in Vancouver when they selected him second overall in 1999, even citing “God’s will” as a reason he wasn’t meant to play there
Was quickly traded to the Rockets and won co-Rookie of the Year with Elton Brand
A three-time All-Star with the Rockets, in 2002, 2003, and 2004
Averaged 20+ points per game in three different seasons, peaking at 21.6 in ’01-’02 while also averaging 7.0 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game
Suffered with migraines and injuries throughout his career, and also seemed to be constantly clashing with coaches, starting with Stan Van Gundy in Houston and later with Brian Hill in Orlando
Teamed up with Stephon Marbury on the Knicks in ’06-’07 in arguably the most overpaid back court in NBA history
Finished his career with over 10,000 points despite playing in just 576 total games

370) Larry Hughes, G, 1998-2012

Played a full slate of 82 games just once, in ’99-’00, and played for eight franchises in 14 seasons
A combo guard who could handle the rock, score at will, and be an elite defender when he was engaged, he peaked in ’04-’05 with the Wizards with 22.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and a league-leading 2.9 steals per game (he was named 1st-Team All-Defensive)
Second leading scorer on the Cavs behind LeBron James in ’06-’07 as they reached the NBA Finals, but otherwise mostly played on bad teams
Was drafted by the Sixers as a lottery pick in 1998, but was frequently in coach Larry Brown’s dog house and lasted less than two seasons in Philadelphia
Managed to total over 10,000 points for his career

369) Sleepy Floyd, G, 1982-1995

One of John Thompson’s first big-time recruits at Georgetown, he eventually became a legend at the school after he and Patrick Ewing led them to their first Final Four in 1982
His NBA legacy is focused mainly on one quarter of play, when he scored 29 points in the fourth quarter (still an NBA record) for the Warriors in a 1987 second round playoff series game against the Lakers, helping them to an upset victory (they would eventually lose the series)
Played a full 82 game slate five times, and typically finished at the top of the assist leaderboard (his 10.3 assists per game in ’86-’87 was second in the NBA behind only Magic Johnson)
Named to the All-Star team in 1987
Traded to the Rockets in 1987 as part of the blockbuster Ralph Sampson deal, and held down the fort at point guard for several years before losing his job to Kenny Smith

368) Terry Dischinger, F, 1962-1973

Won Rookie of the Year in ’62-’63 while averaging a career high 25.5 points per game for the Chicago Zephyrs

Was named to the All-Star team in each of his first three seasons, one with the Zephyrs, one after they moved to Baltimore and became the Bullets, and one with the Pistons; averaged 21.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game over this stretch

Took off two years in his prime to serve in the U.S. Army

Lasted six more seasons in the NBA upon his return in ’67-’68, but was never the same star player again, taking on more of a role player position with the Pistons

Reached the playoffs just once in his career, a first round loss with the Pistons in 1968

Started at small forward for the 1960 U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Rome, despite being the youngest member at age 19

367) K.C. Jones, G, 1958-1967

Played on the Celtics with Bill Russell for all nine seasons of his career, and won a title in the first eight
Also a teammate of Russell at San Francisco (where Red Auerbach spotted him while recruiting Russell), winning the NCAA title in 1955 and 1956, and on the 1965 U.S. Olympic team, winning gold in Melbourne
Drafted in 1956 but delayed his basketball career to serve a tour of duty in the Army, and attempt to make the Los Angeles Rams roster as a cornerback (he suffered a knee injury during the preseason)
Backed up Bob Cousy at point guard for the Celtics for five seasons, then held the starting job for the rest of his career
Never averaged more than 10 points or seven assists per game in a season, but contributed with his leadership, toughness, and defensive skills

366) Cazzie Russell, F, 1966-1978

Was such an imperative force at Michigan that the school’s home venue built right after his departure (the Crisler Center) was dubbed “The House That Cazzie Built”
Almost joined his hometown Pistons, but Detroit lost a coin flip to the Knicks, who selected him first overall in 1966
Was named 1st-Team All-Rookie and helped the Knicks reach the playoffs for first time in eight years
Won a title with the Knicks in 1970 as the first player off the bench, backing up Dave DeBusschere and Bill Bradley at the forward positions
Traded to the Warriors in 1971, and averaged a career high 21.4 points per game for them in ’71-’72 while making his only All-Star appearance
After three years as Golden State’s best player, lost his starting job again, this time to Rick Barry, and was traded to the Lakers before the Warriors’ ’74-’75 title season

365) Billy Knight, F, 1974-1985

Known to most fans now as a failed general manager in Atlanta, he was once a star player for the Pacers
Helped lead the Pacers to the ABA Finals in 1975, then was 1st-Team All-ABA and an All-Star in ’75-’76
Had an incredible first NBA season after the merger in ’76-‘77, averaging 26.6 points per game (good for second in the league) plus 7.5 rebounds per game, and being named to the All-Star team
Averaged 22.9 points per game for Buffalo in ’77-’78 after a trade, but became more of a secondary scorer upon returning to the Pacers in 1979
Helped lead the Pacers to their first NBA playoff appearance in 1981, but never played for a team that advanced past the first round of the NBA postseason
Third all-time in Pacers franchise history in total points, behind only Reggie Miller and Rik Smits

364) Lonnie Shelton, F, 1976-1986

At 6’8” and 240 pounds, he was once described as so large and wide that he could "set a pick on the sun"
Signed his first pro contract with the Memphis Sounds of the ABA, but claimed he was induced by Sounds star Marvin Barnes getting him drunk and returned for his senior season at Oregon State instead
Drafted by the Knicks but had his best years with the Sonics as a brutal paint presence for the team that won the 1979 title and then as all-around star by the team he made the All-Star team in 1982 (he was also 2nd-Team All-Defensive that season)
An epitome of consistency in his prime between 1977 and 1983, averaging 12-to-15 points and six-to-eight rebounds each season

363) Damon Stoudamire, G, 1995-2008

Stood only 5’10” but packed so much strength into that tiny frame that he was nicknamed “Mighty Mouse” (and has an arm tattoo to match the moniker)
Was the face of the newly formed Raptors as their first draft pick (seventh overall) in 1995 and won Rookie of the Year in a landslide (became the shortest ever player to win the award) while setting the rookie record for three-pointers made
Peaked statistically in his first two seasons, with 19.6 points and 9.0 assists per game
Traded to the Blazers in 1998 and had an erratic prime of his career in Portland, including several arrests for marijuana possession that eventually caused the team to attempt to void his contract
Scored 54 points in one game in 2005, setting the Portland franchise record (it was later broken by Damian Lillard)

362) Brian Winters, G, 1974-1983

Averaged 11.7 points per game in his rookie year with the Lakers, but the team opted to completely rebuild and traded him away in 1975; became one of four answers to the trivia question "who did the Lakers trade to Milwaukee for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar"?
Finished second on the Bucks in scoring and assists in ’75-’76 as the team made an unlikely run to the playoffs
Was an All-Star in 1976 and 1978 for the Bucks
Led the Bucks with a career high 19.9 points per game in ’77-’78, relying mainly on his accurate long range shooting
Played 10 seasons with Milwaukee before retiring in 1983 and had his jersey retired by the franchise; still in the top five all-time in Bucks history in assists and steals

361) Nick Anderson, G, 1989-2002

Shooter of maybe the most famous errant free throws in NBA history, four straight missed in the waning moments of game one of the 1995 NBA Finals that headlined a Magic collapse and eventual sweep at the hands of Houston
Those misses essentially broke his confidence and spiraled his career, but he’s still an endearing and popular figure amongst Orlando fans
The Magic’s first ever draft pick in 1989 (11th overall) after an All-American career at Illinois
Led the team in scoring in ’91-’92 with a career high 19.9 points per game, and was second on the team in rebounding from the shooting guard position
Ultimately spent the entire ‘90s with the Magic, and currently works for the franchise as a TV analyst and community outreach ambassador

360) Kelly Tripucka, F, 1981-1991

Matriculated at Notre Dame, where he followed in the footsteps of his father, Frank, who was a legendary quarterback for the Irish
Drafted #12 overall by the Pistons in 1981, 10 spots after they selected Isiah Thomas
Averaged 21.6 points per game in his rookie season, joining fellow rookie Thomas on the All-Star team, and led the Pistons in scoring in ’82-’83, including a 56 point outburst against Chicago
Lost playing time and scoring opportunities after Chuck Daly took over as coach and was eventually traded to Utah in 1986 for Adrian Dantley
Struggled in his brief time with the Jazz, but returned to star status with the expansion Hornets in ’88-’89, leading the team with 22.6 points per game

359) Mahdi Abdul-Rahman (Walt Hazzard), G, 1964-1974

Born Walt Hazzard in 1942, he officially changed his name to Mahdi Abdul-Rahman in the late ‘60s after converting to Islam, a decision that undoubtedly cost him opportunities
Efficient on offense, he led the expansion Sonics with 24.0 points per game in ’67-’68, but could also be a pass-first playmaker, as he was in his later years with the Hawks
After playing on the first John Wooden championship team at UCLA in 1964, he was a territorial selection of the Lakers and helped them reach the Finals in 1965 and 1966
Endured years of confusion and sometimes outright hatred from fans and opponents, and retired in 1974 at the age of 30

358) Jeff Teague, G, 2009-Active (2018 rank: #365)

The last player at Wake Forest to be an All-American, honored as such back in 2009
Drafted by the Hawks and spent his first seven seasons with the franchise, slowly taking over the starting point guard job
Averaged 14+ points and six-plus assists per game for six straight seasons, peaking in scoring in ’13-’14 (16.5 points per game) and assists in ’16-’17 (7.8 per game)
An All-Star for Atlanta in 2015
Led the Hawks in playoff scoring and assists in ’14-’15, as the team made its first Conference Finals appearance in 45 years
Now the starting point guard for the Timberwolves but struggled with injuries in '18-'19 and seems to have peaked statistically

357) Danny Manning, F, 1988-2003

Definitely on the short list of greatest college careers of all time, but his pro career was marked by injuries, bad luck, and the Clippers curse

Selected first overall by the Clippers in 1988 back when they were still the definitive worst franchise in the NBA by leaps and bounds

Tore his ACL during his rookie season but came back strong a year later, eventually reaching All-Star status in ’92-’93 while averaging 22.8 points per game and leading L.A. to the playoffs

Unhappy with the departure of coach Larry Brown and his contract situation, he sparred with management during the ’93-’94 season and was traded to Atlanta

Was named to a third All-Star team in 1994 but that turned to be his peak as various knee injuries affected the remainder of his career

Settled into a solid bench role in the last half of his career, and won Sixth Man of the Year in 1998 while playing for Phoenix

356) Dale Davis, F, 1991-2007

Lasted 16 seasons in the NBA, most of it spent as a consistent force of nature in the paint

Started his career out of Clemson with the Pacers, starting almost immediately at power forward and averaging nearly a double-double (10.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game) during his four year prime

Played on all five Pacers teams that reached the Conference Finals in the Reggie Miller era, including the NBA Finals appearance in 2000, a season in which he was named to the All-Star team

Traded to Portland in 2000 and his stats quickly started to slip even though he lasted another seven seasons

Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in offensive rebound percentage for 11 consecutive seasons

355) Monta Ellis, G, 2005-2017

One of the better pure scorers in the NBA during his prime, finishing in the top ten in scoring in ’09-’10 (25.5 points per game) and ’10-’11 (24.1 points per game)
Also finished in the top five in the NBA in steals per game three different times
Won Most Improved Player in ’06-’07 for the Warriors in his second season after being lightly regarded as a second round pick in 2005 straight out of high school (the final draft of the prep-to-pro era)
Was an inconsistent but nonetheless important piece of the “We Believe” Warriors team that shocked Dallas in the first round of the 2007 playoffs as a #8 seed
That turned out to be Ellis’ only second round playoff appearance of his 12-year career, with five other appearances with the Bucks, Mavericks, and Pacers ending in round one
Missed most of the ’08-’09 season right in his prime after tearing a ligament in his ankle in a moped accident

354) Hedo Turkoglu, F, 2000-2015

The first Turkish player in NBA history, he led a great generation of players from his home country into the league, including Mehmet Okur and Ersan Ilyasova
Started his career as part of the renowned Kings bench crew, with his utility and three-point shooting serving as assets for a perennial contender
His prime eventually came in Orlando, where he teamed up with Rashard Lewis as a dangerous, oversized forward duo, peaking in ’07-’08 with 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game en route to winning the Most Improved Player award
Helped the Magic to a surprise NBA Finals appearance in 2009 when his size and shooting created severe matchup issues in the Conference Finals for Cleveland
Crumbled under the pressure of a huge contract granted by the Raptors in 2009, and his later career was defined by near constant injuries and a surprise steroid suspension

353) Jim Paxson, G, 1979-1990

He may not be #1 overall on this list, but he does claim the top spot amongst members of the Paxson family, beating out his father, Jim, Sr., and his brother, John
Was arguably the best Blazers player in the immediate years after Bill Walton’s departure, up until he lost his starting job to a young Clyde Drexler
Was named to two All-Star teams, in 1983 and 1984, while averaging 21+ points per game each of those seasons; was also 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’83-‘84
As an oversized (6’6”) guard, would regularly post up smaller opponents to rack up points
As much as he’s memorialized for his best years with Portland, he’s almost just as reviled for his brief stint in Boston where he called out Larry Bird to the media for his poor relationship with coach Jimmy Rodgers

352) Trevor Ariza, F, 2004-Active (2018 rank: #374)

Fifth all-time amongst active players in career steals with 1,515, and moved up to 44th all-time in NBA history in '18-'19
Always more of a defensive specialist, but has averaged 12+ points per game in four different seasons, peaking at 14.9 per game for the Rockets in '09-'10
A second round pick of the Knicks, his time in New York and with Orlando was uneventful, but he found his niche after getting traded to the Lakers in 2007
Played in back-to-back NBA Finals with the Lakers in 2008 and 2009, and was the starting small forward and fourth in scoring, fourth in rebounding, and second in steals on the ’08-’09 title team
Something of a journeyman, his '19-'20 season with the Kings will mark 10 franchises played for in 16 NBA seasons, including two separate stints with the Rockets

351) Tyson Chandler, C, 2001-Active (2018 rank: #363)

A prep star in Compton, he spurned numerous scholarship offers to declare for the infamous 2001 Draft, where he was taken second overall, in between Kwame Brown and Eddy Curry
Traded on draft day from the Clippers to the Bulls, where he teamed up with Curry as a young front court duo
Finally had his breakout season with the Hornets in ’06-’07, averaging a career high 12.4 rebounds per game
Defensive Player of the Year for the ’11-’12 season, has been named to the All-Defensive team three times, was 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’11-’12, and an All-Star in 2013
Led the NBA in offense rating four times and field goal percentage once
Won an NBA championship as the starting center for the Mavericks in ’10-‘11
Made the roster for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team that won gold in London

Oct 24, 2019

500 all-time greatest players (2019 edition): #400 to #351