Image: Wiki Commons by Keith Allison
About This Quiz
It's draft night in the NBA, and the names are called one by one. The first overall pick is usually known weeks if not months before the draft even happens. The next few picks are also pretty solid, especially after the experts make their predictions based off what they're hearing around the league. After that, everything starts to get a little more complicated, as some teams take chances on players who fit their team while others pass on stars because they are undersized or lack leadership qualities.Â
The players who are overlooked in the draft all have one thing on their mind: make every NBA team that didn't select them regret their decision. It takes a special talent to accomplish this goal, though. Sure, there are plenty of late-round picks who become contributors on championship teams, but only a few of those late-round picks actually become stars in the league.
Are you familiar with the NBA players who went on to become stars in the league even though they weren't selected in the top 10? Some of these stars won multiple championships, while others hold records that might not ever be broken.
When you're ready, get started and find out if you'd make a good NBA general manager by identifying all the talent in this quiz.
Nikola Jokic
With touch and court vision, Nikola Jokic has been one of the most unique players on the basketball court since he entered the NBA in 2016 as a second-round draft pick. His talents really shone through in the 2018-19 season when he made his first All-Star Game and was selected to the All-NBA First Team.
Steve Nash
Manu Ginobili
Pau Gasol
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Al Horford
Hakeem Olajuwon
Giannis Antetokounmpo
With the ability to go from the three-point arc to the basket in two steps, Giannis Antetokounmpo has earned his nickname "The Greek Freak." The NBA community honored his gifts in 2019 by naming him the league MVP after he averaged 27.7 points and 12.5 rebounds throughout the season.
Dikembe Mutombo
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Solomon Hill
Rudy Gobert
Despite his 7-foot, 8-inch wingspan, Rudy Gobert slipped to the 27th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft when he was selected by the Denver Nuggets. However, before ever playing a game for the Nuggets, Gobert was traded to the Utah Jazz, where he has been a leader on defense ever since.
Dennis Schroder
Andre Roberson
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Jae Crowder
Austin Rivers
Khris Middleton
Draymond Green
With the ability to push the ball up the court almost as well as a point guard, Draymond Green has allowed the Golden State Warriors to play position-less basketball. This style of basketball changed the NBA, as every team around the league now looks for a player like Green at the top of the draft.
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Klay Thompson
Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler is the perfect representation of how hard work leads to success. After being selected 30th overall in 2011, it took Butler two years to become a full-time starter in the NBA. Once he became a starter, his scoring increased each season with the Chicago Bulls, as he put himself in the All-Star category.
Marcus Morris
Reggie Jackson
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Chris Singleton
Tobias Harris
Zach LaVine
Kawhi Leonard
Considering Kawhi Leonard is a two-time Finals MVP, it's hard to believe that he was once a mid-round draft pick who averaged less than eight points his first season in the league. However, the three-time All-Star relied on his defense in his early years until he shaped himself into one of the most balanced stars in the NBA.
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Steph Curry
Damian Lillard
Klay Thompson
Since entering the league, Klay Thompson has rarely received the recognition he deserves, even after winning three NBA titles and making five All-Star Games. Even without the recognition, Thompson continues to shoot lights out on the court, averaging over 40 percent from the three-point arc.
James Harden
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Jrue Holiday
Jrue Holiday's biggest problem is his ability to stay healthy, as he has struggled to play over 70 games since he joined the New Orleans Pelicans. However, once he's on the court, Holiday is one of the best two-way players at the point guard position, earning recognitions on both sides of the ball.
DeMar DeRozan
Tyreke Evans
Brandon Jennings
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Anthony Randolph
Roy Hibbert
DeAndre Jordan
Without a jump shot, DeAndre Jordan has struggled to assert himself as a high-volume scorer, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been one of the most valuable stars in the NBA. Not only can he pull down over 10 rebounds per game, but Jordan also has a .669 field goal percentage, which is currently the best all time.
Serge Ibaka
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Joakim Noah
Jason Smith
Sean Williams
Marc Gasol
A second-round draft pick, Marc Gasol made a name for himself by grinding against tough competition, leading a Memphis Grizzlies' team that relied heavily on defense for years. However, he never reached the NBA Finals until he was traded to the Toronto Raptors, where Gasol won the only title of his career.
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Brandon Roy
Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo was the young star on a Boston Celtics team that won the NBA championship in 2008 by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. Rondo was a few years away from his prime, but he did play well in the Finals, particularly when it came to distributing the ball, as he averaged nearly seven assists per game.
Rudy Gay
Paul Millsap
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Kyle Lowry
In his first five seasons in the NBA, Kyle Lowry only started 30 games during the regular season and averaged no more than nine points per game. However, when he became a regular starter in 2010, all of his stats went up, particularly his scoring and assist totals.
Steph Curry
James Harden
Damian Lillard
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David Lee
James Jones
Josh Howard
Kyle Korver
Kyle Korver was in his 30s before he made his first All-Star Game in 2015. The main reason was that he was never a high-volume shooter, but Korver was always money when he did shoot, holding a .429 career three-point average.
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Carlos Boozer
While playing for the Chicago Bulls, Carlos Boozer had some wars with the Miami Heat, led by LeBron James, in the NBA Playoffs between 2011 and 2014. In 2011, the Bulls met the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals but went down in five games.
Caron Butler
Jay Williams
Joe Johnson
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Tyson Chandler
Kwame Brown
Zach Randolph
For a player drafted near the end of the first round, Zach Randolph has had a lengthy NBA career, which began in 2001. He didn't see any action playing for the Sacramento Kings in the 2018-19 season, but the last time he was on the court, Randolph averaged 14.5 points per game.
Shane Battier
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Tim Duncan
Tony Parker
As "The Admiral" David Robinson aged, the San Antonio Spurs needed a new star to pair with Tim Duncan if they wanted to stay in championship contention, and that's exactly what they found in Tony Parker. Parker won four NBA titles with the Spurs, three of which came in his first six seasons.
Manu Ginobili
David Robinson
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Elton Brand
Baron Davis
Ron Artest
Ron Artest was as tough as they come on the basketball court, willing to go toe to toe with any player in the league. His ferocity earned him two NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards, as he proved there was value in signing a defensive star.
Lamar Odom
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Jason Terry
Manu Ginobili
The best place for Manu Ginobili was coming off the bench for the San Antonio Spurs, and it wasn't because of his second-round draft status. Ginobili added a spark anytime he stepped on the court and proved there was value in being a sixth man for a championship team.
Andre Miller
James Posey
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Kobe Bryant
There was nothing Kobe Bryant didn't accomplish in the NBA, as he dominated the league with his "mamba" mentality. Mirroring his game off Michael Jordan, Bryant outworked all of his peers to become arguably a top 10 player all time.
Allen Iverson
Ray Allen
Stephon Marbury
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Dirk Nowitzki
Pau Gasol
Doron Sheffer
Peja Stojakovic
Before the modern era of three-pointers began, Peja Stojakovic was a star from the three-point line. He utilized his shooting ability to win two NBA Three-Point Shootout championships during the 2002 and 2003 All-Star weekends.
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John Stockton
Steve Nash
Steve Nash's career exploded when he teamed up with Mike D'Antoni in Phoenix, where D'Antoni put Nash in an up-tempo style offense. Nash's assist total was through the roof during this time, as he led the league in that category for five separate seasons.
Jason Kidd
Jerry West
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Theo Ratliff
Theo Ratliff made it tough for any offensive player to score, swatting ball after ball that came his way. During his best season, Ratliff averaged 4.4 blocks per game, leading the league while also earning a spot on the All-Defensive Team.
Manute Bol
Hakeem Olajuwon
Alonzo Mourning
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Mookie Blaylock
Sean Elliott
Glen Rice
Tim Hardaway
For a player drafted outside the top 10, Tim Hardaway came into the NBA ready to play. In his first four seasons, Hardaway made three All-Star Games as a starter for the Golden State Warriors. He then struggled to stay healthy for a few seasons but returned to All-Star form when he joined the Miami Heat in 1996.
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Dana Barros
B.J. Armstrong
Shawn Kemp
While playing for the Seattle SuperSonics, Shawn Kemp met the Chicago Bulls in the 1996 NBA Finals. The Bulls had won an NBA record 72 games that season, but the SuperSonics were able to take them to six games before losing the NBA title. Kemp led his team in scoring and rebounds during the series.
Cliff Robinson
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Dan Majerle
Dan Majerle earned the nickname "Thunder Dan" because of his ability to slam the ball on a dunk. However, Majerle's game was very well rounded, as he not only dunked but shot the ball well and played tough defense.
Bob Cousy
Mark Bryant
Jeff Grayer
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Muggsy Bogues
Scottie Pippen
Horace Grant
Reggie Miller
Few players were as cold-blooded on the court as Reggie Miller, who once scored eight points in only nine seconds in a playoff game against the New York Knicks. Miller had a long-running rivalry with the Knicks, knocking them out of the playoffs on several occasions.
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Reggie Lewis
Kevin Johnson
Mark Jackson
Undersized, Mark Jackson relied on his wit and determination to become a star in the NBA. He used these qualities when he became the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, where he took the team to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons before being fired in 2014.
Kenny Smith
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Dirk Nowitzki
Arvydas Sabonis
Arvydas Sabonis spent the prime of his career playing overseas, not joining the NBA until nine years after he was drafted. Even in his later years, Sabonis was an excellent player who could dish out assists, score and pull down rebounds.
Vlade Divac
Luol Deng
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Kevin Duckworth
Jeff Hornacek
John Stockton
Mark Price
Mark Price spent the best years of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he became the starter in only his second season. Price earned the starting role as a crafty point guard who was willing to score when the moment called for it.
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Scottie Pippen
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman was the perfect teammate for a player who wanted to score like Michael Jordan. That's because Rodman didn't care about his points, but instead he went out to dominate the boards while playing stout defense, which always gave his team a chance to win.
Ron Harper
Gary Payton
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Walter Berry
Johnny Rogers
Jeff Hornacek
It took Jeff Hornacek a few seasons to come into his own, but after some up-and-down performances, he became a lights-out shooter, particularly beyond the arc. Hornacek, who played shooting guard, shot .403 from the three-point line and had a .496 overall field goal percentage.
Keith Smith
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Karl Malone
A two-time NBA MVP, Karl Malone was a walking double-double who rarely missed a game. By the time he retired, Malone had started an NBA record 1,471 games, almost all with the Utah Jazz.
Charles Oakley
Patrick Ewing
Xavier McDaniel
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Isiah Thomas
Joe Dumars
Joe Dumars was an integral part of the Detroit Pistons when they won back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990. He was named the Finals MVP in 1989 after putting up 27.3 points and six rebounds per game in the series.
Vinnie Johnson
Ben Wallace
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Ben Wallace
Considering NBA fans only recognize offensive production, Ben Wallace never gets the credit he deserves for what he accomplished on the basketball court. Not only did he win a record four Defensive Player of the Year awards, but he's also an NBA champion, a title he earned by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers.
Chauncey Billups
Rasheed Wallace
Richard Hamilton
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Joe Kleine
Xavier McDaniel
A.C. Green
A.C. Green played in two different eras for the Los Angeles Lakers, winning NBA titles alongside some of the greatest Lakers to ever take the court. However, since he played beside these legends, Green's contributions are often overlooked.
Kenny Smith
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Chris Mullin
Bill Laimbeer
Jason Kidd
John Stockton
If NBA executives knew exactly how good John Stockton was going to be, he probably would have gone higher in the NBA draft. Stockton does hold the all-time record for both assists and steals, after all, making him one of the top players the game has ever seen.
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Dale Ellis
Jeff Malone
Clyde Drexler
Clyde "The Glide" Drexler was drafted a year before his college teammate, Hakeem Olajuwon, became the first overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. The two stars teamed up in Houston in the 1994-95 season, winning an NBA title against the Orlando Magic.
Rod Foster
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Adrian Dantley
Mark Aguirre
Richard Hamilton
Doc Rivers
After leaving the NBA as a player, Doc Rivers became one of the most valuable coaches in the league. He took the Boston Celtics to the 2008 NBA Finals, winning the series in six games by beating Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Larry Nance
Without much of a jump shot, Larry Nance relied on his athleticism and dunking ability to get easy points under the basket. This style of play worked for the big man, who finished his career with a .546 field goal percentage.
Steve Johnson
Tom Chambers
Kelly Tripucka
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Mike Mitchell
Maurice Cheeks
A four-time All-Star, Maurice Cheeks was the defensive leader for the Philadelphia 76ers when they won an NBA title in 1983. Though there were bigger stars on the team like Moses Malone and Julius Erving, Cheeks was the perfect third option, as he made his presence felt in ways besides scoring.
Reggie Theus
Butch Lee
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You Got:
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