The main goal of every NBA player is to be on the last team standing and hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy. However, individual accolades are a huge honor for any NBA athlete. The NBA All-Star game is one of the most prestigious honors for a basketball player and has featured some of the greatest players gracing its stage. However, there have been some unbelievable snubs throughout the game’s existence.
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Here’s a look at some of the biggest NBA All-Star snubs throughout basketball history.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1978)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the few players who were an All-Star in every season of his career. However, there was one season that ruined his perfect streak of All-Star appearances. In the 1977-78 season, voters shockingly didn’t name Abdul-Jabbar an All-Star, but his performance didn’t affect that decision.
Two minutes into the first game of the season, Abdul-Jabbar got into a heated altercation with Bucks rookie Kent Benson. Their dispute didn’t end with just words as the two exchanged blows. However, none were more devastating than Kareem punching Benson’s face, and knocking him to the ground. His actions earned him a 20-game suspension from the league.
Abdul-Jabbar still managed to play 29 games before the All-Star game but it wasn’t deemed enough. In hindsight, it is considered one of the biggest snubs ever since Kareem finished fourth in MVP voting that season and earned All-NBA second-team honors.
Charles Barkley (1986)
There are many instances where a player deserves an All-Star nod but their competition is a bit too great. The same circumstances applied to Charles Barkley in the 1985-86 season. ‘The Round Mound of Rebound’ rose to stardom in his sophomore season in the league.
His efforts for the Sixers were certainly enough to earn an All-Star appearance. However, he didn’t earn a selection to the prestigious game but rivals in his position were chosen above him. At the time, the frontcourt position in the Eastern Conference was stacked. Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Moses Malone, and Robert Parish were all players Barkley couldn’t surpass for an All-Star nod.
Leading into the All-Star break, Barkley averaged 18.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.6 blocks on a 32-17 Sixers team. Although he didn’t make the All-Star team, he didn’t let that affect his production. He finished the season with All-NBA second-team honors and dominated during the Sixers’ playoff run.
John Stockton (1988)
Lost among the shuffle of the greatest point guards of all time is John Stockton. The NBA’s all-time assists and steals leader holds a case for one of the biggest snubs in league history. In the 1987-88 season, Stockton officially busted onto the scene as a star, but his talents weren’t recognized with an All-Star appearance.
Stockon emerged as a stellar playmaker, leading the league with 13.8 assists along with contributing 14.7 points per game. His efforts weren’t completely ignored as he finished top 10 in MVP voting and earned All-NBA second-team honors.
He didn’t let his All-Star snub derail the second half of the season. Stockon led the Jazz to an intense semifinal series against the Lakers, which went to seven games. They ultimately fell short and LA went on to win the NBA title.
Dirk Nowitzki (2001)
There were plenty of questions surrounding whether Dirk Nowitzki could live up to the expectations the Mavericks organization placed upon him. In his third season in the NBA, he displayed to the world that he is on pace to exceed those expectations. In the 2000-01 season, Nowitzki officially stamped his way into stardom but wasn’t rewarded with an All-Star appearance.
Nowitzki averaged 21. points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game on 47.4% shooting from the field. However, he earned All-NBA third-team honors at the conclusion of the season. The inexplicable snub caused great controversy, but Nowitzki made sure it didn’t happen again as he established his status as a superstar in the following seasons.
Karl-Anthony Towns (2017)
At one point, Karl-Anthony Towns was the most sought-after prospect in the NBA, and for great reason. In his sophomore season, he exploded as a star averaging a ridiculous 25.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. However, he somehow didn’t earn an All-Star appearance for his historic season.
The decision to snub Towns from the All-Star game wasn’t to discredit his individual season. Instead, it was a testament to how badly the Timberwolves were performing in 2016-17. Minnesota finished the year with a 31-51 record, which was 13th in the loaded Western Conference.
Voters were able to redeem themselves as Towns earned his first All-Star appearance in the following season along with an All-NBA third-team nod.
Damian Lillard (2017)
Damian Lillard is one of the top 75 players in NBA history, but the NBA snubbed him in the All-Star game during the best season of his career at the time.
In the 2016-17 season, Lillard joined Towns as one of the biggest snubs in NBA history. The Western Conference was extremely deep at all positions, especially guards. Lillard was outstanding for the Blazers finishing the season with averages of 27.0 points, 5.9 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game on 44.4% shooting from the field.
Unfortunately for Lillard, he had to compete against players like Stephen Curry, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. He eventually cracked his way into the upper echelon of guards earning All-Star nods each season but this remains one of the biggest snubs of all time.
Rudy Gobert (2019)
It is easy for fans to make jokes about Rudy Gobert, but one thing that isn’t deniable is his impact on defense. The French star won two Defensive Player of the Year awards before he earned his first All-Star selection. He spearheaded the Jazz’s tremendous defense but failed to earn All-Star honors.
Gobert averaged a career-high 15.9 points along with 12.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. Despite the All-Star snub, he helped lead Utah to a 50-32 record. After the season the league recognized him for his efforts awarding him All-NBA third-team honors. It also marked the first season he earned an MVP vote.
Bradley Beal (2020)
In the 2019-20 season, Bradley Beal had seemingly mastered the art of scoring. He finished the league second in scoring averaging 30.5 points per game, which marked the first year he eclipsed the 30-point-per-game total. However, the NBA didn’t reward him with an All-Star selection.
The decision came as a surprise but Beal’s lack of team success was the reason for his absence in the prestigious game. The Wizards were never in playoff contention throughout the season finishing with a 25-47 record. However, the East was so bad that season that they were still the ninth seed.
In the following season, Beal upped his scoring averages to 31.3 points per game, which the league couldn’t ignore. He earned the All-Star appearance that he should’ve received the season before.
