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It seems unfair to signal out any pro baller who made it past the draft and into the daunting gladiator pit of the big leagues. The NBA is undeniably the toughest basketball league on the planet. Still, we can’t help but think about the worst NBA players ever.
We tried to include a mix of players in this list, including individuals who struggled to adapt to the college ranks, NBA draft flops, and players who had a lot of bad luck off the court. Most basketball fanatics will name who they think their worst-ever player is immediately. Their decisions come from sour basketball bets or players who did not live up to the media hype. We will be as neutral as possible to avoid making the same mistakes. We weighed up all the figures and stats before tarnishing their entire career. There’s a process to this, you know.
For the sake of balance, we’ll cite our reasons, back them up with stats, and add our two cents about why these names deserve the unfortunate title of being among the top ten worst NBA players ever to grace the league. You may disagree with some names on our list, and we’re aware there are several notable absences, but we’ve decided on our top ten.
10. Mark Madsen
It might seem reductive and misplaced to include a player on this list who won two titles during his NBA career, especially when we’ve kept Greg Kite off the list for the same reason. Madsen was part of a sensational LA Lakers team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. When we ranked the best NBA teams of all time, this LA Lakers squad was number four.
Owners, coaches, and players often say that no players are more significant than the franchise, but Shaq and Kobe were. Likewise, coaches will say no player is dependable, but some of them are. Madsen was one of them. The Lakers are one of the most recognizable teams in American sports history. Their influence stretches far beyond basketball. The team that Madsen was part of played a pivotal role in cementing their legacy amongst an entirely new generation of basketball fans.
Got beat out by Mark Madsen 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/mKk4KjbZUF
— Jacob Lane (@JacobLane08) April 27, 2024
In Madsen’s defence, Shaq said that he was the only player who controlled him defensively and used to beat him up in practice. However, this wasn’t what transpired on the court, and we’re not convinced until video evidence emerges. While Madsen was a respectable 29th pick in the draft, he quickly became better known for entertaining dances in victory parades. He was more of a comical figure who kept spirits up in the dressing room rather than reaching the heights he did when playing college basketball.
Perhaps he would have avoided this list if he hadn’t had such a stellar college career. But given that he had such a promising early career, to retire in 2009 at 33 is a real bummer. With an average of 2.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in 11.8 minutes played per game, we’re sorry Mark, but you’re the first name on our list. At least you’re not the worst!
9. Hasheem Thabeet
While the modern-day NBA landscape is awash with phenomenal international talent, when Hasheem Thabeet emerged on the scene, it was a different picture, still very American-centric. They drafted him ahead of Stephen Curry, one of the top 10 greatest players in NBA history. Without a doubt, one of the best 3-point merchants and undeniably one of the greatest draft picks.
Hasheem, a towering 7-foot-3 Tanzanian, was an unknown quantity when drafted. American talent was still the primary foundation of the NBA, and Hasheem and the Memphis Grizzlies hoped to buck this trend. So, could he become the flag bearer for international players in the same way Giannis Antetokounmpo has over the last decade? Well, the short answer is no. The slightly longer answer is nope.
Within two seasons, Hasheem was in the NBA Development League, not where you want to end up just two years after the draft. After being banded about the fringes of other franchises, he left the NBA, never to return. He bowed out with an average of 2.2 points and 2.7 rebounds. Uninspiring subsequent spells in Taiwan, his native Tanzania, and the NBA G-League didn’t do enough to keep him off this list.
8. Brian Scalabrine
Brian finds himself dragged into this conversation often. For a player who played in the NBA for over a decade, you might think it’s unfair that he’s on the list. We disagree. The ex-Celtics, Bulls, and Nets power forward, picked up the nickname “The White Mamba” in response to “The Black Mamba”. The nickname belonged to one of the best NBA players of all time, Kobe Bryant. The two were similar in name only. Brian was a fan favourite for his positive attitude, which always bodes well. He would generate a collegial atmosphere in the changing room, too.
Unfortunately, this is where the flattery ends. His skill set did not evoke the same level of positivity as his amiable presence, as far as basketball is concerned. Six points per game and shooting 39% from the field are not stats any player aims for in the NBA. Once you throw in an additional statistic of 2 rebounds and a brief stint in Italian basketball to bring his career to an end, it doesn’t look great on paper.
For the record, Brian, alongside all the guys on our list today, are not awful basketball players. Anybody who makes it to the NBA is a great player, and they’d all make us look foolish out on the court. Brian said he’s “closer to LeBron than you are to me” in response to fans who would besmirch him for being a constant feature on the bench. While it’s hard to make a case to keep Brian off this list, there are more deserving names ahead of him.
7. Rashad Vaughn
Although Rashad Vaughn has a long list of injuries that certainly didn’t help him grow as a player, his actual attributes on the court earned him his place on today’s list of the worst NBA players. We could have put him slightly higher, but Rashad has redeemed himself by playing in Europe. He showed he still has some elements of skill that led to the Milwaukee Bucks picking him as their 17th draft pick back in 2015.
Given that Rashad is still playing and is only 27 years old, he has some time to remove himself from our list. But it’s not looking promising. Realistically, it’d probably only take a handful of good games to remove anybody from this list entirely. The bar is that low.
Shooting less than 31% from the field and averaging 3 points per game in your rookie season are the stats that will bring you to our attention for this coveted list. Rashad made headlines in his rookie season. It’s one of the worst rookie seasons in NBA history, not something you want to have attached to your name as a pro basketball player.
Emmanuel Mudiay & Rashad Vaughn
Reebok Breakout (2013) pic.twitter.com/Ch3KmRLVbv
— Hoop Fiends 🏀💉 (@hoopfiends) February 21, 2024
Rashad spent several seasons in Ukraine before appearing in the G-League with the Cleveland Charge. The Charge, unperturbed by his presence or skill, quickly sent him to the Greek league. He did not enjoy the Greek league, and they replaced him within 8 weeks. So yeah, unless there’s a significant turnaround and he returns to the big leagues, it looks like he’s cemented his name on this list.
6. Anthony Bennett
As part of the cursed 2013 NBA Draft, Anthony Bennett was initially touted as one of the key players to watch in his rookie season. As it stands, Bennett is still the only Canadian to be drafted as a number one pick. We’re not sure what was going on back in 2013, but Bennett certainly wasn’t alone. There was a raft of flops, a couple of which did well to stay off this list.
However, the fact Bennett came in with such high expectations and ended up plying his trade in the Turkish basketball league just four years later highlights how spectacular this fall from grace was. The Cavaliers probably still rue the decision to this day. Although they offloaded the Canadian as part of a deal that led to a chain of events that saw LeBron return and a title come to the Cavs, it was an expensive decision. Plus, when you consider Giannis Antetokounmpo was drafted in 15th, it was a woeful decision.
Bennett is the best-case example of how the curse of having a first-draft pick can backfire spectacularly. Granted, this isn’t something that happens every season, and there are always exceptions to this rule who end up miles down the list and become big stars. Anthony has the unfortunate distinction of being one player who started with a huge promise and became arguably the biggest NBA flop ever. He averaged 4 points and three rebounds in his entire career in the big leagues and 26% from the 3-point line.
5. Darko Miličic
The enormous 7-foot Serbian Darko Miličić can dine out on the fact they drafted him ahead of Dwayne Wade and at number two behind LeBron James. However, few players can boast such poor stats after being so promising in their draft pick. Yes, we understand Bennett is behind Darko here. If we’re being honest, they’re interchangeable. They’re two of the biggest NBA draft flops of all time.
Darko Miličić averaged 1.2 rebounds and 1.6 points per game in three seasons with the Detroit Pistons. Yes, you read that correctly. His 34% shooting success rate is also amongst the lowest for any player the Pistons have ever had on their roster, never mind a number two draft pick.
Darko announced his shock retirement from the NBA at 28. Many fans could not believe that he didn’t announce it sooner. He was playing for the Boston Celtics, and we’re sure there aren’t any fans out there who had sleepless nights following the announcement.
After seven years out from basketball, Darko Milicic has played first official game for Serbian team from Novi Sad "I came to play".
The 2nd pick of the 2003 NBA draft scored 2 points in a win against Futog before he suffered a minor shoulder injury. pic.twitter.com/l2n6JWyKRF
— NBA Serbia (@NBASrbija) October 7, 2019
Again, Darko is an example of a player with a lot of skill early on. But to make it in the NBA, there needs to be a much higher level of application, and clearly, something wasn’t clicking for him. Perhaps he struggled to adapt to an American culture vastly different from his native Serbia. Or maybe injuries didn’t help him find his feet in the NBA. Either way, we can’t imagine any of his former teams have plans for a statue anytime soon.
4. Adam Morrison
The LA Lakers team of the late 2000s was arguably one of the greatest in skill disparity. No other team can boast a combination of some of the best NBA players in history playing alongside some of the worst. Kobe Bryant has defended Morrison in the past, proclaiming he was an unselfish individual who kept team morale high. All elite teams require players who can act as middlemen and create harmony, especially if big egos bounce off each other in a high-stakes environment.
Adam also suffered because of his health and got to the NBA despite being diagnosed with diabetes at a young age. It feels unfair to include him in this list, given that they picked him third in the 2006 draft, even with such disadvantages. However, if we’re boiling it down to sheer numbers, the only fair measuring stick, Morrison deserves his place on this list.
Kobe Bryant really won back to back championships with this roster pic.twitter.com/stwAbsyk25
— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) April 30, 2024
In his rookie season, he had a shooting average of 37%. In his second season, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament. Morrison’s third season was at the Lakers, where he would never be a regular feature, barring a miracle. While some fans are jealous of any player who can sit on the bench and collect a big cheque, it doesn’t help you avoid our list of the worst NBA players of all time.
He was kicked to the NBA curb before the regular season following a brief training period with the Washington Wizards. Adam played sporadically across Turkey and Serbia before retiring at 28.
3. Rafael Araújo
NBA fans love an underdog story, so when a player comes from an unknown country, and is a relatively unknown quantity, people want to check him out and see what they offer. Does he have what it takes to make it in the big leagues?
Travelling North from the tropics of Brazil, Araújo was a 6 foot 11 Center looking to make his mark on the most elite basketball league on the planet. Given that he’s third on our list, he made his mark, just not in the way he or the Raptors would’ve liked.
Rafael rose to prominence before the internet became a force in basketball highlights and scouting. In his college years, he impressed scouts, and if he didn’t have something about him, the Toronto Raptors wouldn’t have drafted him as the eighth overall pick. Another question is whether the scouts watched the same player we saw in the NBA. Araújo averaged 2.9 points per game at the Raptors, and his shooting conversion rate of 41% was weak.
While there are worse players in the sport, Araújo dropped out of the NBA after three seasons. In Rafael’s defence, he suffered severely from knee injuries, but he played marginally better after his injuries, so it’s probably not a strong case.
Although he embarked on a tour of obscure leagues once he left the NBA, including scooping up a championship in his native Brazil and spending a season at Spartak Saint Petersburg, his actual NBA performances left much to be desired.
2. Michael Ruffin
Mike, you nearly took home the big prize today. While many players could fight it out for this crown and make a convincing argument, Ruffin comes in at number two.
Pound-for-pound, Ruffin has a strong case as one of the worst NBA players. We have video evidence to support this unfortunate claim we’re throwing his way. During a 2007 season game, the then-Washington Wizards Center was part of a team protecting a precious, three-point lead against the Toronto Raptors with a handful of seconds left.
Instead of sending the ball up the court, he looped it into the opposition’s hands. Although Mo Peterson pulled off an incredible shot to send the game into overtime, it’s widely regarded as one of the worst plays of that decade. It was one of the most costly, considering they lost the game in overtime.
To compound Ruffin’s misery, the numbers he posted towards the end of his NBA career are eye-opening, and not in a good way. Although even talented players tail off toward the end, his 0.5% PPG average and 29% shot success rate at Portland in 2008/09 are among the lowest in the league’s history.
These two arguments put him in the mix as one of the most unfortunate players to grace the league. While he avoided ending up at the top of this unwanted podium, there’s not much in it.
1. Sun Yue
Yue may have been an unfortunate aftereffect of the seismic wave caused by Yao Ming’s arrival in the NBA. Yao created such hysteria in the NBA that many scouts and franchises scrambled to find the next big Chinese basketball talent. Although they drafted Sun 40th by the Lakers, some were optimistic that he would be a great addition to the team. Unfortunately, this optimism quickly turned sour.
You could have had any of the top three players at number one, and nobody would argue with it. We appreciate we haven’t steeped the players mentioned today in any glory. The fact Sun achieved an NBA Championship winning medal despite averaging 0.6% points on a 27% shooting success rate gives him the number one spot. We had to double-check these stats on several websites.
This horrific form did not go unnoticed. His lack of ability became even more apparent, given he was playing in a team with the iconic, late legend Kobe Bryant. It also didn’t help that he amassed more fouls than points in his stint at the LA Lakers. Within a season, Yue had found himself relegated to the D-Fenders. It didn’t help that his time on the West Coast was plagued by mononucleosis and ankle sprains. When he was match-fit, he looked as though he was still exhibiting symptoms of both, in all honesty.
Sun has had a decorated career in Chinese basketball. However, to have such a bad standalone NBA season and disappear into obscurity with such frightening numbers – we’re giving him the crown. Sun Yue is the worst NBA player ever.
We’re sure you’d like to add your two cents about why your pick is worse than Sun Yue. Reach out via our social channels and see who has a better list of the worst NBA players of all time.
