The 5 most undeserving players to win NBA championships

Honorable mention – Mengke Bateer, the first Chinese player to win a championship (Spurs, 2003)The one common thing that every NBA champion will tell you in the post-win interview is “This was a team effort and everybody did their bit. We couldn’t have done it without each other.” But what they’re really thinking is “I wish that #@%& gets traded in the next 30 seconds because he didn’t do #@%&!”.Universal truth - team wins are quite often the efforts of a strong core of players rather than every single member of the roster. The number of fifth wheels in the best basketball league in the world might surprise you, but there are more than a few who have some bling on their fingers just by virtue of being in the right place at the right time.With that, we dive into this collection of the seven guys whose luck would even make leprechauns jealous. They are the opposite of those poor souls from the “Final Destination” movies.

#1 Darko Milicic - 2004, Detroit Pistons

The youngest foreign player in the league, circa 2003, was the second overall pick in that year’s Draft, after, wait for it, LeBron James! Meaning he chosen was ahead of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony!!

At 7’0” tall, 125 Kgs, the Pistons’ front office must have been counting their chickens when they handed the young Serb the #31 jersey. And they hatched, just not from the basket they were hoping from.

Milicic averaged 6 PPG, 0.9 APG and 4.2 RPG which the Pistons withstood and parlayed Joe Dumars’ alchemy and their impregnable defense into their first NBA title since 1990, sweeping the mighty Lakers 4-1 in the Finals.

Milicic attempted to jump start his career by wading into pro-kickboxing, but that was rapidly scuttled as he lost his first (and only) match to a much smaller, much better fighter.

#2 Brian Scalabrine - 2008, Boston Celtics

“The White Mamba” is probably the most well-regarded of this motley crew. Not because of his numbers (3.1 PPG, 0.8 APG, 2 RPG), but the fact that he was one of the most relatable players in the league; Scalabrine looked out of his depth in the NBA, but his big mouth and conviviality made him a fan-favorite, a member of the junta amongst the elite.

After winning a championship with the Celtics, Scalabrine moved to the Bulls, where he made himself more valuable than he had ever been on the floor. Being a close disciple of Tom Thibodeau, who had drawn the Head Coach assignment in Chicago after steering the Celtics to their 17^th championship, Scalabrine was a reliable mentor to future Bulls mainstays Derrick Rose and Joachim Noah.

Whenever the blooming stars would stall in their execution of Thibodeau’ schemes, Scala would be their to give them a pointer or two. So despite the NBA ring he earned as a player , the more meaty contributions came when he was on the bench, with a different team.

#3 Adam Morrison - 2009 and 2010, Los Angeles Lakers

Morrison’s career never reached the heights it promised

One of many to ride the Lakers wagon to NBA rings, Morrison, in star-crossed similarity to certain others of this ilk, was a much-hyped debutant in the NBA. Being the recipient of the 2006 Player of the Year award, Morrison was a high school and college basketball superstar.

Being the 3^rd overall pick in the 2006 Draft and more importantly, hand-picked by none other than Michael Jordan for a starting spot on the Bobcats’ roster, Morrison looked bound for glory. He scored consistently in his debut season, including a career high 30 points against the Pacers in December of that year.

In storybook ill-fated fashion, it was all downhill from there. Morrison severely tore his ACL in 2006, and would miss the remainder of that season and the next. But where one door closes, another opens, in Morrison’s case, to dreamland, as he went to the Lakers and was freebied two NBA championships rings.

Morrison made up for his unremarkable NBA career (7.5 PPG,1.4 APG, 2.1 RPG) by turning spokesperson for children with diabetes. Having been hounded with troubles brought on by type-1 diabetes, Morrison narrated his own struggle and coping methods with children, to help them deal with the disease.

#4 Gabe Pruitt - 2008, Boston Celtics

Gabe Pruitt made it to the NBA and then went on to ignominiously spend more time in the D-League

‘Smilin’ Gabe Pruitt has a lot to show for, considering that he was the Celtics’ 4^th string Point Guard behind Rajon Rondo, Eddie House and Sam Cassell. He averaged an impressive 8 MPG and received an NBA championship ring for his troubles, and was flashing his pearly whites all through it, earning him his nickname.

Pruitt averaged 2 PPG, 0.8 APG and 0.8 RPG in his stint with the NBA, before being shooed away to the D-League. He played for three teams in the NBA’s finishing school – the LA D-Fenders, the Utah Flash and the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He now plays for Panionios in the Greek League.

#5 Luke Walton - 2009 and 2010, Los Angeles Lakers

Growing up in the shadow of a famous father is hard for anyone, more so for NBA players, given the pageantry, spotlight and the accompanying pressure. But Luke Walton bore it all and matched (narrowly academically, at least) his dear old dad, NBA Hall of Famer, Bill Walton.

The elder Walton was the magic potion that turned the pushover 1977 Portland Trailblazers into NBA champions. Luke was another of the numerous who were part of the Lakers’ 2009 and 2010 bandwagon.

Luke averaged 4.7 PPG, 2.3 APG and 2.8 RPG in his NBA career, but more importantly, warmed a spot on the Lakers bench, which was enough for two embellishments. He is now interim Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors, and has helmed them to the best start to a season by any team