The NBA is full of stars. Guys like Michael Jordan and LeBron James line the walls of NBA history. James has made 22 All-Star appearances. Jordan made the game 14 times. The best of the best have played in the All-Star Game time and time again. It's a symbol of their dominance.
But everyone knows that James has been an All-Star. Same with Jordan. Obviously, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were All-Stars. Even new-school guys like Jalen Brunson, Jayson Tatum, and Luka Doncic are obvious All-Star players. But what about the players whom everyone forgot about? What about those All-Stars?
Over the years, 466 players have been named to NBA All-Star teams. That's 466 different names to remember. How many of them has the public forgotten were All-Stars? These NBA careers reached peaks you didn't know about (or at least forgot about).
1. Andrew Wiggins
Let's start with a recent example. Andrew Wiggins made the All-Star team just a few years ago during the 2021-22 campaign. At the time, he was on the Golden State Warriors and playing some great basketball.
The Warriors enjoyed an impressive start to the season and were one of the best teams in the league at the break. Wiggins was right behind Curry as one of the team's top players. Golden State went on to win a title that year.
Wiggins averaged 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists that season. It wasn't his highest-scoring year, but in terms of impact (especially defensive impact), it was his most impressive. Without him, Golden State would not have won the championship that season.
2. Doc Rivers
Now, let's kick it back a few years. He may be better known for his coaching career, but Doc Rivers also spent 13 years in the league in the 1980s and 1990s.
His lone All-Star appearance came in 1987-88, when he was playing for the Atlanta Hawks. Rivers was one of the best playmakers in the league that year, and Atlanta went on to lose in the second round of the playoffs.
That season was smack in the middle of Rivers' passing prime. The year before, he even finished eighth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He's not just a forgotten All-Star; he's one of the more underrated players of the 1980s.
3. Mehmet Okur
Another situation where a player is better known as a role player: Mehmet Okur was also a one-time All-Star. The 6-foot-11 big man made the team in 2006-07 with the Utah Jazz.
He was a full-time starter that year, playing 35.9 minutes per contest (which surprisingly didn't lead the league). Utah lost in the Western Conference Finals that year.
Okur spent a decade in the NBA, which is a long time, but based on how solid he was at his peak, it feels like it could have been longer. Just four years after his lone All-Star selection, Okur was playing spot minutes, and within two years, he was out of the league.
4. Jameer Nelson
Though he was a crucial part of those Dwight Howard-era Orlando Magic teams, Jameer Nelson may have been even more important than people realize. He was an All-Star.
Nelson made the game one time during the 2008-09 season. That was the best season of that Orlando era. The Magic eventually lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
Nelson, now a front-office member for the 76ers, was one of the more fun guards to watch in the late 2000s. He was a brick house at just six feet tall, and he played like it. Dishing out dimes and draining threes, one All-Star appearance may not have been enough.
5. Christian Laettner
Despite being much more well-known for his legendary collegiate career, Christian Laettner succeeded in the NBA, too. He played in the league for 13 years, earning one All-Star appearance.
He made the All-Star Game with the Hawks during the 1996-97 season. It was the second-best scoring season of his career (18.1 points), behind only his rookie campaign (18.2 points).
If Laettner could have made the All-Star team while playing for the Blue Devils, he would have. And the entire country would have hated him for it. But those years were behind him, and he still managed to carve out a quality NBA career.
6. Chris Kaman
A longtime NBA role player, Chris Kaman enjoyed a cup of coffee as a fringe star, too. And during that time period, he managed to make the All-Star Game one time.
He began his career as a role player with the LA Clippers, but he slowly grew into a larger role, eventually making the All-Star team during the 2009-10 season. Kaman was a monster on the glass, and that year, he scored the ball well, too (18.5 points).
Kaman was probably a better scorer than you realize. Obviously, the defense and rebounding were elite, but he put up double-digit scoring totals for nine straight NBA seasons. And outside of his one All-Star Game, he never received a single other NBA accolade.
7. Juwan Howard
Now a coach, Juwan Howard spent plenty of time as a player, too. He played in the NBA for nearly two decades, logging 19 years. In that time, he made one All-Star Game.
Howard earned his spot in the game in just his second season (1995-96), but he never made it back to that point. He was on the Washington Bullets at the time, and they didn't even end up making the playoffs that year.
In addition to his All-Star appearance, Howard was also an All-NBAer that season, though he never reached those peaks again. In fact, it wasn't until roughly 15 years later that Howard picked up another major NBA accomplishment — a championship with the Miami Heat in 2012.
8. Theo Ratliff
More commonly known for his years as a role player, Theo Ratliff spent a whopping 16 years in the NBA. And before he settled into that role-player status, he earned an All-Star selection.
Ratliff was a one-time All-Star, with that single appearance coming in the 2000-01 season with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged a league-leading 3.7 blocks per game that year, so his defense certainly had something to do with it.
A longtime NBA journeyman, Ratliff never stuck with any of the teams he played for. In fact, his five-year tenure with the Sixers was the longest he spent with any team (and one of the seasons came seven years after his first stint in Philly).
9. Josh Howard
During these types of conversations, Josh Howard's name often pops up. He's often cited as one of the most forgotten-about All-Stars, and at times it feels like his name has been lost to time.
Howard was a great scorer for the Dirk Nowitzki-era Dallas Mavericks in the 2000s. He made the All-Star team during the 2006-07 season. Dallas was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs that year despite being the No. 1 seed. They lost to the "We Believe" Warriors.
For a guy taken 29th in the 2003 NBA Draft, Howard was an absolute steal. He was a bucket, churning out four straight seasons of 15-plus PPG. Unfortunately for him, though, he was traded by Dallas just one year before their magical 2011 championship campaign.
10. Devin Harris
During his time, Devin Harris was one of the most reliable role players in the league. And maybe that's because when he was at his best, he wasn't a role player at all.
Harris made the All-Star team in 2008-09 with the New Jersey Nets. Though he spent most of his career with the Mavericks, Harris' lone appearance came after getting traded away from Dallas. (Though he eventually returned.)
Maybe that trade was what Harris truly needed to become the best version of himself, because once he got to New Jersey, his scoring kicked up a notch. He averaged 20-plus for the first time in his career, though the Nets never made the playoffs with Harris at the helm.
11. Goran Dragic
The Heat's go-to point guard for years. A member of the Phoenix Suns' three-headed point guard monster. Goran Dragic was a one-time All-Star, and he did it in Miami.
Dragic was a member of the 2017-18 All-Star team, though he was an injury replacement for that game. The Heat did make the playoffs that season, but they got bounced in the first round.
Heat Culture took full effect with Dragic. He embodied everything it means, and now, he feels synonymous with that era of Heat basketball. The late 2010s and early 2020s, when the Heat weren't supposed to be great, but somehow, they were.
12. Danny Granger
The Paul George before Paul George. Well, he was the Indiana Pacers' star right before George. Danny Granger was a great player, yet he made only one All-Star team.
That appearance was during the 2008-09 season, obviously, when he was with the Pacers. He was in Indiana for eight and a half of his NBA seasons, and the year he made the All-Star Game, the Pacers didn't even make the playoffs.
This is a weird one, because when you think of Granger, you think of a star because of what he meant for that era of Pacers basketball. But you don't necessarily think All-Star. He only made the game once, which simultaneously feels like too many and not nearly enough.
13. Mike Conley
For years, Mike Conley was known as the guy who never managed to make an All-Star team. During his years with the Memphis Grizzlies, he always came up short.
But after getting traded to the Utah Jazz, Conley finally cracked the roster. He made the All-Star Game during the 2020-21 season, though it was as an injury replacement. That Utah team eventually lost in the second round of the playoffs.
This feels like the Memphis effect. Conley played in a small market, so he never got the recognition he deserved. It always went to the likes of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, when in reality, Conley was the backbone of those Grind City Grizzlies squads.
14. Tyson Chandler
A one-time Defensive Player of the Year, Tyson Chandler is best known for that accolade. For how great he was on the defensive end of the court. But he snuck in a single All-Star selection, too.
Chandler made the team while playing for the New York Knicks during the 2012-13 campaign. He barely averaged 10 points that year, clocking in at just 10.4 for the season. It was one of only five times he averaged double-digit points.
It feels like Chandler was one of the best examples of defense actually being rewarded with an All-Star appearance. Perhaps Rudy Gobert is a more recent example, but considering how little Chandler scored the ball, he might be the best one.
15. Vlade Divac
At this point, most people know Vlade Divac for two things: one, for running the Sacramento Kings during a dreadful era, and two, for being traded for Kobe Bryant during the 1996 NBA Draft.
However, he was also a one-time All-Star. He made the team during the 2000-01 season with the Kings. That year, Sacramento was swept in the second round (by Bryant and the Lakers).
Divac's lone All-Star appearance is actually even funnier than that, though. Not only was Divac swept by Bryant, whom he will always be linked to because of the infamous trade, but he also never made an All-Star team with the Charlotte Hornets: the team that made the deal in the first place. He only spent two years there.
16. Andre Iguodala
These days, Andre Iguodala is best known for his years with the Warriors and his role in helping Curry win four championships. But back in his heyday, he was an All-Star.
That's why the Warriors traded for Iguodala in the first place. He made the All-Star team during the 2011-12 season with the Sixers, just two years before heading to Golden State.
Iguodala was the pre-Process. He was one of the 76ers' franchise guys before they decided to completely tear things down and begin their tanking era. And even though he did make an All-Star team in Philly, his years in Golden State were certainly more rewarding.
17. Andrew Bynum
Though most people probably remember his dangerous on-court antics, at one point in history, Andrew Bynum was an extremely promising young star on the Lakers.
He made the All-Star Game in 2011-12, right before his career took a downward turn. He missed the entire 2012-13 season with an injury, and after that, he never played a full season again.
What's weird about Bynum is that he's still only in his late 30s. He's younger than LeBron, yet he's been out of the league for over a decade now. A guy who once looked like a superstar in the making was gone in the blink of an eye.
18. Kyle Korver & Jeff Teague
Let's pair two one-time All-Stars together. Kyle Korver and Jeff Teague both made the game in 2014-15, and they are paired together on this list for a reason.
Korver and Teague both made the game that year because of how dominant the Hawks were during that regular season. Atlanta got four All-Stars that year, with Al Horford and Paul Millsap joining Korver and Teague.
For Korver, it was the three-point shooting that got the job done. He never averaged 15 PPG, but he's one of the greatest shooters of all time. As for Teague, it was his offensive organization. He led that group on offense, and he was rewarded with an All-Star nod.
19. Dana Barros
After beginning his career with the Seattle SuperSonics, Dana Barros eventually became a very solid role player with the Boston Celtics. But his lone All-Star appearance wasn't with either of those two teams.
Instead, Barros' only All-Star Game nomination came with the Philadelphia 76ers. He made it during the 1994-95 season, in between his stints with the SuperSonics and Celtics.
Barros won the Most Improved Player award the same season he made his only All-Star team. Not only that, but Barros' 20.6 PPG average that year was by far the best of his career. Same with his 7.5 APG. He never averaged more than 15 PPG or 6 APG in any other season of his 14-year NBA career.
20. Derrick Coleman
In the 1990 NBA Draft, Derrick Coleman went first overall, selected by the New Jersey Nets. Unfortunately, he didn't exactly have the career that the Nets probably envisioned for him.
That said, Coleman did make the All-Star team one time, during the 1993-94 campaign. He was a double-double machine back in those days, but during his 15-year career, he only made it out of the first round one time.
Coleman is one of the most intriguing "busts" in NBA history because he actually had a pretty solid career. Multiple double-double seasons. Good scoring numbers. He just never had the star power. He never became the franchise leader the Nets really needed in the 1990s.
21. B.J. Armstrong
A three-time champion with the Jordan- and Scottie Pippen-led Chicago Bulls, B.J. Armstrong was primarily a role player. But he played a few years as a star, too.
During the 1993-94 campaign, Armstrong made the All-Star team with the Bulls. He stepped into a larger role when Jordan left to play baseball, though, obviously, Chicago didn't have the same level of postseason success.
Just two years into his career, Armstrong was tasked with being a crucial bench piece for the first iteration of the three-peat Bulls. Then, he made the All-Star Game when given an elevated role. Unfortunately, his best two statistical seasons came with Jordan on the baseball field, and after that, he was out of Chicago altogether.
22. Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Yes, he was absolutely a bucket, but those buckets he made translated to one All-Star appearance, too. Though Shareef Abdur-Rahim is mostly known for his scoring, he was more than that.
Abdur-Rahim was a great NBA player in his day, and in 2001-02, he made the All-Star Game with the Hawks. And, funnily enough, that wasn't even the best scoring season of his career.
He was a six-time 20 PPG scorer, yet he only made one All-Star team. However, Abdur-Rahim does have another legacy. Because when you think of the OG Vancouver Grizzlies jerseys, his name is usually the one on the back.
23. Danny Ainge
The longtime Boston Celtics GM, who now runs the front office for the Utah Jazz, didn't just randomly pop up in the front-office world. Before that, he was an NBA player. And a pretty good one, at that.
Danny Ainge spent 14 years playing in the NBA, and eight of those were with the Celtics. He made the All-Star Game while in Boston during the 1987-88 campaign.
Ainge made a name for himself as one of the better three-point shooters of the 1980s. He shot over 40 percent from deep four times in his career, and during his lone All-Star campaign, he led the NBA in threes made per game (1.8). It was a different time back then…
24. Brad Miller
Another player known for being a forgotten All-Star, Brad Miller didn't just accomplish the feat once: He was a two-time All-Star during his 14-year NBA career.
Miller made the game in back-to-back seasons during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 campaigns, and he did it with two different teams. First, he made it with the Pacers, then with the Kings.
The early 2000s were such a weird time for All-Stars because the scoring numbers were so low. Miller made his two All-Star teams without cracking the 15 PPG mark. In today's league, that would just never happen. For context, 61 players put up 15 PPG or more in 2025-26.
25. David West
Obviously, David West was always a solid NBA player and not just a one-time All-Star. Many don't remember that he was selected twice, earning both appearances with the New Orleans Hornets.
Before his years with the Pacers and Warriors, West was one of the best players in New Orleans. He made the game, like Miller, in back-to-back years (2007-08 and 2008-09), averaging over 20 points a night both seasons.
West was one of the last of a generation. A dominant inside threat. A 20 PPG scorer who got the job done almost entirely inside the three-point arc. And those Hornets teams were sneakily stacked, too. Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakovic, and David West. That's a fun group.
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