It's Practically Impossible To Name These NBA Stars Of The 90s
- by Robert Marvi
- – on
- in Sports
Many people look at the decade of the 90s and consider it to be the golden age for the NBA. It was when the league was the hottest sport in the nation, and when stars started marketing themselves and getting million dollar sneaker deals and other types of endorsement contracts that made them into household names outside of the sport. The game itself was also tougher and more physical back then, so the NBA of the 90s definitely wasn't a league for the faint of heart.
The decade was dominated by Michael Jordan, who is still considered by most to be the greatest basketball player of all time (sorry Lebron). He ended his time in the NBA with five regular season MVP awards and he led the league in scoring average a record 10 times, including seven years in a row. He led his Chicago Bulls to three consecutive NBA World Championships in the early part of the decade, then took a year and a half off to experiment with playing minor league baseball. He made a comeback in 1995, and quickly drove the Bulls to another three straight championships before retiring again in 1999.
In doing all that, Jordan became a huge cultural phenomenon. So it's easy to forget that throughout the 90s, many other stars shined throughout the NBA.
Who is this NBA star?
This man broke into the NBA in the 1988-89 season as the fifth overall pick in the draft, and made six NBA All-Star teams and averaged 21 points a game over his 14-year stint. In the early 90s he formed part of Golden State's "Run-TMC" trio that made them a popular and high scoring playoff team, and for the rest of the decade he starred for the Sacramento Kings. Despite playing for mediocre teams for most of his career, his story had a happy ending, as he won an NBA World Championship in his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001-02.
Who is this NBA star?
He was an unheralded player at Central Michigan, and when the Phoenix Suns drafted him in 1988, many fans didn't like the fact they went with him instead of someone more hyped. But thanks to a strong work ethic, he became a great three-point shooter and defender, and he emerged into an integral part of the Suns team that went to the NBA Finals in 1993. In the late 90s he was an important role player for the Miami Heat, and he wrapped up his NBA tenure by returning to Phoenix for his last season. In addition to hitting threes and playing strong defense, he was known for throwing down dunks on the fast break.
Who is this NBA star?
Drafted in 1989, he broke out in his second season with the Seattle Supersonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder), thanks in part to his rim-rattling dunks that routinely made the highlight reels. He was nicknamed the "Reign Man" by Supersonics announcer Kevin Calabro, and in the 1992-93 season he made his first of six straight NBA All-Star teams as the Supersonics got to the Western Conference Finals. He helped lead Seattle to the NBA Finals in 1996, only to lose to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. In the 1997-98 season he was traded to Cleveland, and he later closed things out by playing in Portland and finally Orlando.
Who is this NBA star?
Nicknamed the "Round Mound of Rebound", he was drafted in 1984 by a Philadelphia 76ers team that featured legends Julius Erving and Moses Malone. After Erving and Malone left a few years later, this man blossomed into a bona fide superstar. He was traded to Phoenix in 1992, where he won the league MVP and led his new team to the NBA Finals in his first season there. For his lifetime, he averaged 22.1 points and 11.7 rebounds a game, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. He is a loquacious fellow who can now be seen on TNTs show Inside The NBA.
Who is this NBA star?
This big man starred at Georgetown University in the mid 80's, leading them to an NCAA national championship in 1984 over the University of Houston. He was then drafted number one overall by the New York Knicks in the 1985 NBA Draft, and was considered the next transcendent center in the league. Over the next 15 seasons he was "the man" in New York City, as he made 11 NBA All-Star teams and helped the Knicks reach the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999. He had lifetime averages of 21 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots per game and made it to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Who is this NBA star?
He was drafted 16th overall in the 1984 NBA Draft by Utah, but within a couple years he proved to be better than your average 16th overall pick. He would go on to make 10 NBA All-Star teams, including nine in a row, and he led the league in assists for nine straight years. In fact, he retired in 2003 as the NBA's all-time career leader in assists. Thanks to his leadership, the Utah Jazz reached the NBA Finals in both 1997 and 1998. He was also one of the better pure shooters in the game, putting up lifetime averages of 38.4 percent from three point range.
Who is this NBA star?
After getting his education at the United States Naval Academy and then serving a two-year stint on active duty in the Navy, he broke into the NBA in 1989 and was an instant star sensation. He averaged 21.1 points and 10.6 rebounds a game over his 14-year tenure, and won the league MVP in 1995. Along the way, he became known for his rim-rattling highlight dunks and all-around floor game despite standing at 7-foot-1. He played his whole time with the San Antonio Spurs, and finally won his first NBA title with them in 1999. He wrapped things up by winning another championship in 2002-03, his final season.
Who is this NBA star?
He starred at UCLA in the mid-80's, then was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 1987 and played all of his 18-years in the NBA there. He was known as not only one of the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history with a lifetime 39.5 percent shooting percentage from downtown, but also as one of the greatest clutch shooters in basketball history. Along the way, he helped Indiana forge a fierce rivalry with the New York Knicks, and in 2000 his Pacers finally got past the Knicks and advanced to the NBA Finals, only to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Who is this NBA star?
Drafted by the Utah Jazz in 1985, he quickly became one of the league's best players, winning two regular season MVP awards in 1997 and 1999. He was nicknamed "The Mailman" because he always seemed to deliver a basket when the Jazz needed it. He was a difficult player who was just as likely to deliver an in-your-face slam dunk as he was to throw an elbow. He led the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, and he later made a third appearance in the championship series in 2003, this time with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Who is this NBA star?
He started out with the Golden State Warriors in the 1989-90 season, and formed part of their "Run TMC" trio that helped them become a playoff team. Later in the decade he moved to the Miami Heat, where he also played a big role in that team becoming a legit contender. This floor general is known as an innovator of the "crossover" move, which became commonplace throughout the league by the latter part of the 90s. For his lifetime he averaged 17.7 points and 8.2 assists a game. He now has a son who plays for the New York Knicks.
Who is this NBA star?
As the number one overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, he was one of the most popular and hyped rookies of all time. In just his second season he averaged 29.3 points and 13.2 rebounds per game, and the season after that he led the Magic to the NBA Finals. His glory years would come later though, as he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996, and along with Kobe Bryant led them to three straight NBA World Championships in the early 2000s. He would later win a fourth championship with the Miami Heat in 2006.
Who is this NBA star?
This gentle giant hailed from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and was a standout at Georgetown University. He was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft, and instantly became one of the greatest defensive centers of all time, winning the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award four times. Later, he would help the Philadelphia 76ers reach the NBA Finals in 2001. In all, he played 18 seasons and averaged 10.3 rebounds a game. He was a great shot blocker, averaging 2.8 blocks per game, and his trademark was wagging his finger at his opponent after rejecting his shot.
Who is this NBA star?
He teamed with Hakeem Olajuwon at the University of Houston to form the famed "Phi Slama Jama" group that made the NCAA's Final Four in each of his last two seasons there. He then got drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1983 and made 10 NBA All-Star teams while leading Portland to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992. He was reunited with Olajuwon in 1995 by getting traded to the Houston Rockets, and together they won the NBA World Championship that very same year. After retiring in 1998, he went back to the University of Houston to become their head coach.
Who is the NBA star on the left?
He grew up in the Netherlands, then came to the States to attend Marist College in New York State where he proved he had a future as a star center. He played a dozen seasons in the NBA, all of them with the Indiana Pacers, and averaged 14.8 points a game for his lifetime while being named to the NBA All-Star team in 1998. He helped the Pacers become perennial contenders throughout the decade, which culminated with an NBA Finals appearance in 2000. His nickname was the "Dunking Dutchman", and his biggest highlight was making the game-winning shot in Game 4 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals.
Who is this NBA star?
For a brief period of time when Michael Jordan tried his hand at playing minor league baseball (and didn't do so well), this gentle giant was the best basketball player in the world. He was originally from Nigeria, and didn't start playing basketball until his late teens. He led his team to two straight NBA World Championships in 1994 and 1995, while winning the regular season MVP award in 1994. He was named to an amazing 12 NBA All-Star teams throughout his lifetime, and was nicknamed "The Dream". In all, he averaged 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocked shots per game.
Who is this NBA star?
Drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1987, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in his rookie season, which is where he played almost his entire career. He made three NBA All-Star teams and averaged 17.9 points and 9.1 assists a game for his lifetime while helping the Suns reach the 1993 NBA Finals. He was known for his quickness and ability to easily get to the basket, not to mention occasionally throw down a thunderous dunk despite being just 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. After retirement, he went into public service and was the mayor of Sacramento, California for eight years.
Who is this NBA star?
One of the best pure shooters of the decade, this marksman grew up in New York City and starred at St. John's University. Drafted in 1985 by the Golden State Warriors with the seventh overall pick, he played 16 seasons and averaged 18.2 points per game while shooting 38.4 percent from three-point range for his lifetime. He made five NBA All-Star teams, and as a member of the Indiana Pacers, he made it to the NBA Finals in 2000, only to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers. He did win two Olympic Gold Medals for the United States in 1984 and 1992, and in 2011 he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Who is this NBA star?
The first overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, he was a standout at Syracuse University, and he then played his first five years in the NBA with the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets and was named to the NBA All-Star team in the 1993-94 season. While in Jersey, he averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds a game for three straight seasons, putting him in some select company. In 1995 he traveled across the Delaware River and became a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, where he continued to produce. He then closed out his NBA stint with Detroit in 2005.
Who is this NBA star?
He was the first overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft, and after averaging 19.2 points and 11 rebounds a game in his first season, he was named the league's Rookie of the Year. He was named to the All-Star team twice in his first four seasons, then got traded to the New York Knicks in 1996, where he had several more productive seasons. He also starred in some classic commercials for Converse (with whom he had a sneaker deal) where he portrayed an elderly woman, which led to him being nicknamed "Grandmama". In the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals he hit a famous clutch three pointer while getting fouled to help the Knicks win that series.
Who is this NBA star?
Drafted by the Miami Heat in 1989 just one year after they entered the league as an expansion team, this sharpshooter became one of the best pure shooters in the game. In 1995 he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, where he blossomed, making the NBA All-Star team the next three seasons in a row. In 1999 he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and one year later he finally won the NBA World Championship that had thus far eluded him. For his lifetime he averaged 18.3 points a game and shot an impressive 40 percent from three point range.
Who is this NBA star?
A native of the borough of Queens, this star point guard first starred at Georgia Tech University where he was twice named to the All-America team. He then got to return to the New York City area when he was drafted by the New Jersey Nets with the second pick in the 1991 NBA Draft. He made the All-Star team in the 1993-94 season, and was one of the best passers and assist leaders in the early to mid-90s. In the 1995-96 season he was traded to Charlotte, and he played for seven other teams before calling it quits in 2005.
Who is this NBA star?
This high flyer was drafted in 1982 by the Utah Jazz with the third overall pick, but was still at the top of his flashy game in the early 90s. He made the All-Star team nine straight years and won a scoring title while being the heart and soul of the Atlanta Hawks. Unfortunately, he tore his Achilles tendon in the 1991-92 season, but he came back and continued to play well. He was nicknamed "The Human Highlight Film" and is still considered one of the greatest in-game dunkers ever. Throughout his 17 seasons he averaged 24.8 points a game and led the NBA in scoring once.
Who is this NBA star?
You don't need to be an NBA fan to recognize this one-of-a kind character! He started out with the Detroit Pistons in the 1986-87 season, where he later won back-to-back NBA World Championships. In 1995 he joined Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, and instantly added three more championships to his jewelry collection. Speaking of jewelry, he was well known off the court for his many piercings, his dyed hair, wearing wedding dresses in public and being married to actress Carmen Electra for a minute.
Who is this NBA star?
This point guard's time in the NBA started off quietly. He was the 25th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, and was immediately traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he averaged just 6.9 points a game as a rookie. Starting in his second season, he established himself as one of the game's best at his position, making four All-Star teams and helping Cleveland become a perennial playoff team in the early 90s. If it weren't for a certain bald-headed superstar in Chicago, this guy might've won an NBA title at some point.
Who is this NBA star?
Drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1987, he languished on the bench in his rookie season behind his famous Hall of Fame-bound teammates. As the Celts starting coming apart at the seams at the turn of the decade due to injuries and old age, he got a chance to play and made the most of it. His peak was in 1991-92, when he put up 20.8 points a game and was named to the NBA All-Star game. Unfortunately, his career ended in 1993 when he passed away due to sudden cardiac arrest.
Who is this NBA star?
Like his teammate Michael Jordan, this man also won six NBA World Championships during the 90s. He was drafted in 1987 and took a few years to blossom, but once he did, he became a regular on the NBA All-Star team. He was one of the better all-around players of all time, and was one of the greatest defensive players ever, being named to the All-Defensive team for 10 consecutive seasons. He also became something of a metaphor for a sidekick or second banana.
Who is this NBA star?
Drafted in 1985, he was a starter and key member of the Detroit Pistons' back-to-back NBA World Championship teams of the late 80's. But his prime years extended well into the 90s, where he continued to star for the Pistons even as they fell on hard times and started rebuilding in the mid 90s. He was named to six NBA All-Star games, was elected into the Hall of Fame and later became the team's executive, building a new championship team in Detroit in 2004.
Who is this NBA star?
He entered the NBA in the 1985-86 season, and by the start of the 90s he had become one of the league's better point guards. In 1990 and 1992 he helped lead his Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals, and was named to two All-Star teams in the early 90s. He made it to the new millennium, as he ended his time in the NBA by playing three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs from 1999-2002, although he never won a championship ring.
Who is this NBA star?
He was best known as the point guard for the Seattle Supersonics throughout the 90s and early 2000's, helping them to the NBA Finals in 1996. He was also well known as one of the best trash talkers in the league, and he was nicknamed "The Glove" for his prowess on the defensive end. In 2003 he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he made a second trip to the finals. He finally got his championship ring in 2006 as a member of the Miami Heat.
Who is this NBA star?
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, he played his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors, then made his way to the Big Apple as a member of the Knicks in 1990-91. In his eight seasons in the borough of Manhattan, he helped New York become perennial title contenders, as they reached the NBA Finals in 1994, only to lose to the Houston Rockets in a knock-down, drag-out seven game series. Indeed, 1994 was his zenith, as he averaged 19 points and 5.9 assists a game and was named an All-Star.
Who is this NBA star?
He was something of an unsung hero on Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls teams of the early 90s, but he was good enough to be a starter every year and a key member of three straight championship teams from 1991-93. He signed with the Orlando Magic in 1994 where he went back to the NBA Finals in 1995, then won his fourth NBA World Championship in 2001 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He had a twin brother named Harvey who also played in the NBA.
Who is this NBA star?
In his first four seasons he played with the Phoenix Suns and was overshadowed by his more established teammates. But in 1994 he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he broke out, averaging 21.7 points and 8 rebounds a game in 1994-95 and was named to the NBA All-Star team. He was an active player, as the ball seemed to find him, to the point where commentators praised him for being able to score points in bunches without needing to have plays run for him. He may have been best known, however, for winning the 1992 Slam Dunk Contest by throwing down a dunk while being blindfolded.
Who is this NBA star?
The co-rookie of the year in the 1994-95 season along with Glen Rice, he started his NBA stint strong. He resuscitated a once-proud Detroit Pistons franchise, and became a fan favorite by starring in commercials for McDonald's and Fila. He was named to the All-Star team in each of his first four seasons, and was one of a handful of players to consistently average over 20 points, five rebounds and five assists a game. A severe ankle issue almost derailed his professional life, but in the mid to late 2000's he played several more seasons with the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns.
Who is this NBA star?
He was a college star at Michigan as part of their "Fab Five" squad. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1993-94 with the Golden State Warriors, then moved on to the Washington Bullets the next season. At 6-foot-9, he had skills usually found in smaller players, as he could handle the ball and even run the fast break. In 1998 he was traded to the Sacramento Kings, where he made them into championship contenders at the start of the new millennium. For his lifetime he put up strong averages of 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
Who is this NBA star?
He was the second overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, and had a strong rookie season in Charlotte, averaging 21 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots per game. He was known as a fierce defensive player, leading the league in blocked shots in back to back seasons and winning two Defensive Player of the Year awards. After several years in Miami in the mid and late 90s, he stuck around deep into the next decade, playing a supporting role on the Miami Heats first NBA World Championship team during the 2005-06 season while playing alongside superstar Dwyane Wade.