5 Worst In The NBA
Now that the NBA's 50 greatest all-time players have been honored, it is time for another celebration.
The league's 50 all-time worst players should be saluted. They too have made a contribution to the league's lore. They should be recognized, say at halftime of New Jersey's March 6 game at Vancouver.
Hot dogs and Dr Peppers all around.
The guest list?
1. Jim Marsh, forward, Portland. "You see my stats (119 career points) in black and white" Marsh said of the honor. "How can I argue? Put me up near the top. I was cut three times before I finally made the team. I was a small forward in a power forward's body."
2. Geoff Crompton, center, Portland. Asked if he'd ever seen a player as large as 7-foot, 300-pound Crompton, Trail Blazer Coach Jack Ramsay said, "I've never seen any `thing' that big."
3. Dana Lewis, center, Philadelphia. The scouting report on this 1971 first-round pick: "Philadelphia needs a center in the worst way and Dana Lewis is a center in the worst way."
4. Craig Dykema, guard, Seattle. A Sonic official once described Dykema as having "skills not unlike Magic Johnson's." But Dykema's only magic was a disappearing act.
5. "Psychedelic" Eddie Mast, center, New York. In 1971, Mast and Marsh made a pact that they would vote for each other for MVP. Each received one vote.
6. Art Heyman, guard, Cincinnati. An All-American at Duke, he often played solitaire during games at the end of the bench.
7. Frank Oleynick, guard, Seattle. Came to his first press conference wearing a sleeveless T-shirt.
8. Bud Ogden, guard, Philadelphia, Seattle. Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson was called, the "Big O." Ogden nicknamed himself, the "Medium O."
9. Mike Price, guard, Philadelphia. He was the lowest scorer among regulars on Philadelphia's 9-73 team of 1972-73.
10. Dale Schleuter, center, Philadelphia. He was the second-lowest scorer on that Sixers team.
11. George Karl, guard, San Antonio. He nominated himself.
12. Tony Lavelli, forward, Boston. At halftime of a 1951 exhibition game against Cincinnati in Bangor, Maine, Lavelli played "Lady of Spain" on the accordion. Coaches thought it was one of his best on-court performances.
13. Ron Knight, forward, Portland. Scored the first Trail Blazer points. Left Portland to become a Globetrotter.
14. Edgar Jones, center-forward, San Antonio. Former Sonic commentator Jim Marsh once said of Jones, "He has a mouthful of missing teeth."
15. John Thompson, center, Boston. Before he became the coach of a national championship team, he was one a bunch of bad backups to Bill Russell.
16. Pat Riley, guard, San Diego. Before he was a genius, he was a stiff.
17. Brett Szabo, center, Boston.
18. Chris Washburn, center, Golden State. The third overall pick in the 1986 draft. George Karl's folly.
19. Reggie Harding, center, Detroit.
20. LaRue Martin, center, Portland. He was drafted ahead of Bob McAdoo in 1972.
21. Bernie Fryer, guard, Portland. He was so bad he had to become an NBA referee.
22. Walter Berry, forward, San Antonio.
23. Charlie Yelverton, guard, Portland. Once he sat at the foul line in the yoga position during the playing of the national anthem, protesting the waiving of teammate Willie McCarter. Was a college roommate of Trail Blazer Coach P.J. Carlesimo.
24. Stan Love, forward, Baltimore. Brother of Beach Boys' Mike Love. Before games, the three worst players from each team used to play three-on-three game. "Love tore it up," Marsh said.
25. Mike Riordan, guard, New York. He was the league's first designated fouler.
26. Donyell Marshall, guard, Golden State.
27. Doug Smith, forward, Dallas. A lottery bust.
28. Stuart Gray, center, Indiana.
29. Toby Kimball, center, Milwaukee. He was a backup to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
30. Phil Jackson, forward, New York. The luckiest man on earth. He played with Willis Reed, Walt Frazier and Dave DeBusschere, and he coaches Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
31. Jack Haley, center, Chicago. Dennis Rodman's caddie
32. Uwe Blab, center, Dallas.
33. Yinka Dare, center, New Jersey. No assists in his first two seasons.
34. Nate Bowman, center, New York. Averaged 2.9 points as Willis Reeds' backup on Knicks' 1970 championship team.
35. Walter Dukes, center, Detroit. Led the league for four consecutive years in disqualifications.
36. Cory Blackwell, guard-forward, Seattle. Set an unofficial NBA record for most missed layups during 1984-85 season.
37. Gene "Bumper" Tormohlen, St. Louis.
38. Bill Garnett, forward, Dallas. The fourth overall pick in the 1982 draft. And you wonder why the Mavericks stink.
39. Al Henry, center, Philadelphia. In 1970, he was thrilled when the Sixers drafted him. He thought he was the first pick in the 12th round. But he was the 12th pick in the first round. It turned out, Henry was a great self-evaluator.
40. John Tschogl (pronounced SHAY-gul), guard, Philadelphia. When Phoenix came to town with John Wetzel, the Sixers staged a giveaway: Wetzel Pretzel, Tschogl Bagel Night.
41. Mike Smrek, center, Chicago.
42. Johnny Neumann, guard, Los Angeles Clippers. When he first came into the league, rumor has it, he thought players paid writers for interviews.
43. Benoit Benjamin, center, Clippers, Seattle, Lakers, New Jersey, Vancouver, Milwaukee. Trading Benjamin to the Lakers for Sam Perkins remains ex-Sonic President Bob Whitsitt's finest hour.
44. Connie Dierking, center, Cincinnati, Philadelphia. During a nationally televised game in 1971, Dierking and Bud Ogden held up a sign that read, "Bud and Connie say hi to ABC."
45. Clarence Glover, forward, Boston. Even Red Auerbach makes mistakes.
46. Tom Hoover, center, New York. Had a brief career as a standup comic and an even briefer career in the NBA.
47. Ed Manning, forward, Baltimore. Greatest contribution to the game was his son Danny.
48. Jim McDaniels, center-forward, Seattle. Sam Schulman's folly.
49. Kim Hughes, center, New Jersey. Shot free throws worse than Jim McIlvaine.
50. Allen Iverson, guard, Philadelphia. It's called the pass. Learn it.