Throughout the years, the NBA has seen a massive amount of talent. We have seen solid role players contribute on championship teams, Most Improved Players of the Year go on to become superstars and superstars leave a legacy in the league. However, like any sport, there are legends from the past who sometimes do not get the credit they deserve. Sometimes it is because they played in the same era as other legendary players, they were on a team with not as much talent and were the only star or a combination of both. Today, we will delve into three extraordinary NBA players who are often overlooked in the pantheon of greats.
Three Underrated NBA Legends
NBA Legend #1: Wes Unseld
Wes Unseld was the master of the outlet pass before Kevin Love was even born. He has a strong argument as the Washington Bullets’ best player in their franchise’s history and Unseld could even hold his own with the likes of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. For his career, Unseld averaged an impressive 14 rebounds per game coupled with 10.8 points per game.
Not to mention, Unseld also tallied a solid defensive rating of 96, which happens to a bit better than the great Tim Duncan‘s career defensive rating of 99. Keep in mind, Duncan is a 15-time All-Defensive player. Unseld would go on to become a five-time All-Star, a one-time champion, one-time rebounding champion, one-time All-NBA, one-time MVP, a Finals MVP, and a Rookie of the Year. As a result, this netted Unseld a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame. It is a shame that not many young NBA fans nowadays know of the great Wes Unseld and his outstanding outlet passing.
NBA Legend #2: Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor was one of the first true high flyers in NBA history to go along with the likes of David Thompson, and Julius Erving. He was one of the great Los Angeles Lakers, but he unfortunately never won a ring. His athleticism was off the charts for his time. As a result, he still would go on to have a stellar career.
Baylor finished his career averaging 27.4 points per game, 4.3 assists per game, and an incredible 13.5 rebounds per game. Baylor’s resume was also good enough to get him into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Baylor would finish his career as an 11-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA player, an All-Star Game MVP, and a Rookie of the Year. He is not only one of the most underrated Lakers in history, but of all time as well.
Legend #3: Alex English
Of course, I (a die-hard Nuggets fan) had to include the greatest Denver Nugget of all time on this list! Can you guess who was the highest scorer of the 1980s? Larry Bird? Nope. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? No. Magic Johnson? Wrong. The answer is actually Alex English, a fact that not many fans actually know. English helped revolutionize the mid-range jump-shot. In a way, from a scoring perspective, he was Denver’s Carmelo Anthony before Melo was even a thought.
English would go on to average 21.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, and a field goal percentage of 50.7 percent for his career. He would make the Hall of Fame with a resume consisting of eight All-Star appearances, a scoring title, and three All-NBA Team appearances. English may not be the most recognizable name in terms of NBA legends, but he was truly one of the all-time greats.
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