Top 5 NBA All-Star Snubs Who Never Made an All-Star Team

The NBA All-Star Game is coming up on February 16 (TNT, 8 pm ET). The 74th edition of the NBA’s showcase for its best players is taking place at the Chase Center in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lately the game has been more about the festivities than the competition, but it’s still quite an honor to make it. Being chosen a NBA All-Star in one of the pinnacles for individual success in the NBA and is reserved for the league’s best.

But do the best players always make it? Usually, they do, but sometimes it’s a popularity contest and there have been some glaring snubs over the years. Here are the five most glaring in our book in terms of never making an all-star team once.

1. Rod Strickland, Point Guard (1989-2005)

• Best Season: 1997-1998 (17.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 10.5 apg, 1.7 spg, 2nd Team All-NBA)
• Most Telling Stat: Reached a minimum of 17.2 ppg and 8.8 apg each season between 1994 and 1998 between the ages of 27 and 31.

Why He Didn’t Make It: In our estimation, he’s the best talent to never play in a NBA All-Star Game. Ironically, Strickland is also one of the five biggest McDonald’s All-American snubs ever coming out of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) in 1985 via New York City. He had a bit of an unsavory reputation and it carried over to college and through the NBA.

Regardless, at his peak with the Washington Bullets/Wizards Strickland was easily one of the league’s best guards and it makes little sense he wasn’t named an all-star in 1997-98 when he led the league in assists. He was one of the NBA’s best play-makers and retired with nearly 8,000 dimes in 17 seasons.

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2. Lamar Odom, Small Forward (2000-2013)

• Best Season: 2003-2004 (17.1 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.1 spg)
• Most Telling Stat: He averaged 17.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 5.2 apg and 1.6 bpg in his second season at 21 years old in 2000-01 for the young L.A. Clippers and it seemed he was just scratching the surface of his potential.

Why He Didn’t Make It: He is one of the most talented players we’ve evaluated over the past 30 or so years; he certainly had more talent than many all-stars and even some in the Naismith Hall of Fame. How many left-handers are 6-foot-11 and can handle it and see the floor like a true point guard? Maybe the only other one is Toni Kukoc (who could have made this list).

Odom was never selected because by the time he was ready to representing the Clippers, he got traded to Miami and should have made it in 2003-04. He likely would have made one if he wasn’t traded to the Lakers for Shaquille O’Neal.

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3. Derek Harper, Point Guard (1984-1999)

• Best Season: 1990-1991 (19.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 7.1 apg, 1.9 spg)
• Most Telling Stat: This tough guard improved his scoring average each of his first eight seasons.

Why He Didn’t Make It: The West had Magic Johnson penciled in for one of the guard spots during the 1980s and Harper wasn’t a big personality in a big market. Still, when he was at his peak right after Dallas challenged the Lakers in the West in 1987-88, he should have made it in 1990 or 1991.

Harper was third in NBA Defensive POY honors in 1989 and seventh in 1990 while putting up some gaudy offensive numbers while playing alongside shooting guard Rolando Blackman, who made four all-star games between 1985 and 1990.

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4. Happy Hairston, Power Forward (1965-1975)

• Best Season: 1969-70 (20.6 ppg, .803 FT, 12.5 rpg. 2.0 apg)
• Most Telling Stat: Playing alongside Wilt Chamberlain, the NBA’s all-time leading rebounder, between 1970-1973, Hairston averaged over 13 rpg twice, 12.5 in 1970 and 10.0 in 1971.

Why He Didn’t Make It: Before joining the Lakers during the 1969-70 season, he played up front with Hall of Famers Dave DeBusschere and Walt Bellamy in Detroit and then had to play alongside the Big Dipper, so it was hard for him to get national recognition.

In a tough and rugged era, Hairston was a double-double force but probably wasn’t too happy he didn’t make the all-star game at least once in his prime and to top it off, he averaged 14.5 ppg and 13.5 rpg the season after Wilt retired in 1973-74.

Happy Hairston OBLITERATES Phil Jackson’s ankles

5. John Williamson, Shooting Guard (1974-1981)

• Best Season: 1977-1978 (23.7 ppg, .847 FT, 3.0 rpg, 2.9 apg)
• Most Telling Stat: He scored 4,915 points in 221 games (22.2 ppg) in three seasons between 1977 and 1979 when he played for the Nets and Pacers before being traded back to the Nets, who retired his jersey in 1990.

Why He Didn’t Make It: "Super John" was a colorful character who earned his nickname as a scoring sensation on the playgrounds of New Haven, Conn., and at Wilber Cross High School, and his penchant for shooting carried from New Mexico St. to the ABA.

He helped the Nets win two ABA titles, and could put the ball in the hole when it mattered almost as well as anyone in the league. Super John didn’t make at least one all-star game because he had a reputation as a gunner and a Super John-first mentality, but he deserved it at least once.

Just Missed: Marcus Camby (1997-2013), Andre Miller (2000-2016), Jason Terry (2000-2018)

John Williamson: The Forgotten Elite Shooter Who DOMINATED After Being Cut