There are some super underrated legends of the game from back in the day. Nique, Jermaine O’Neal, Dennis Johnson, Bernard King, just to name a few.
Who, out of the players active today that are considered superstars (or were at one point), do you think will be mostly forgotten about and underrated for future generations?
I used to have this discussion with my roommate and he always said James Harden, which I thought was a good pick but I figured he’d have a chip by now and I always thought “The Beard” was a memorable… gimmick? Idk. My pick was always Paul George, but now I think he was spot on with James Harden.
I don’t know if he was ever considered a superstar but it seems Joe Johnson has already been quickly forgotten about. Same with Deron Williams, although I wouldn’t count them since they aren’t active anymore.
Who’s your pick?
Yeah, I’m completely with you. I think it’s especially true for people who don’t win anything. Like I could see Haliburton, Maxey, Booker, Brunson, SGA, and Ant all being those kind of guys. It all depends on if they win, or are at least on relevant teams consistently, how long they play at a high level for, etc. Injuries can really derail things and big ones happen all the time. Rose, Hayward, IT, etc. Not to mention that some of the big names now haven’t necessarily been doing it for long. There are plenty of guys who have a couple great seasons and that’s it. There are a lot of factors we can’t know right now.
Winning may be one of the biggest ones, though. Steph would have been remembered no matter what. Is that also true for Klay and Draymond? Maybe, but I’m not so sure. Draymond likely would be at least remembered somewhat as a dirty player, and Klay was a great shooter, but idk if it’d be enough. Jaylen Brown and possibly even Tatum could have been in that category, too. Probably not Tatum, but if they never won, and depending on if this season was the peak of Brown’s career (he could maintain or still be on the rise, or decline, who knows?), he would probably be forgotten. Like Bosh is one of those that people actually do remember, I’d say, but as the 3rd Heatle. If they never won or he never teamed up with Lebron and Wade, he’d be completely forgotten for sure. How much of Nowitzki’s remembrance in the long term is dependent on that 2011 run? Idk, but it sure as heck helps him be remembered by more people, that’s for sure.
Brunson will forever be a legend in New York. The streets will always know SGA for his ultra stylish game. And then Ant will be very memorable for his athleticism and personality, much the same as VC.
Now Booker, Maxey and JB are good shouts. Nothing exceptional or particularly unique about their games and none are are the best players on their respective teams. Tatum could honestly be one of these guys too, depending on if the Celtics become a dynasty or not.