Listing the 5 most unexpected All-Stars in NBA history

Modified Nov 08, 2022 11:44 GMT

Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors was finally named an NBA All-Star this season. In addition to receiving a ton of fan votes, Wiggins was also voted as an All-Star starter by coaches and the media. Despite having a great season, fans certainly did not expect Wiggins to be an All-Star starter this year.

As per The Ringer, Wiggins has more Win Shares than Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Luka Doncic and Zach LaVine in the 2021-22 campaign. The Warriors star really deserves the nod, but there are players from past All-Star Games that were totally unexpected.

Let's take a look at five of the most unexpected NBA All-Stars in history.

#5 Jamaal Magloire (2004)

Jamaal Magloire. (Photo: Courtesy of Pelicans Debrief).

Jamaal Magloire played in the NBA for 12 seasons, earning his lone All-Star nod in 2004 as a member of the New Orleans Hornets. Magloire averaged 13.6 points and 10.3 rebounds during that season, both career highs. It was a toss-up between Magloire and Tyrone Hill, who was an All-Star in 1995.

It should also be noted that New Orleans was still in the Eastern Conference at the time. The center position in the East back then was weak, with Ben Wallace as the only elite center back in 2004. Nevertheless, Magloire did put up big numbers in his lone All-Star appearance, leading the East with 19 points.

#4 Theo Ratliff (2001)

Theo Ratliff. (Photo: Courtesy of USA Today).

Another center enters our list at number four, Theo Ratliff in 2001. Ratliff was never a household name in the NBA, but he was one of the best shot blockers in the league during his peak. He was selected to play in the All-Star game in 2001 although he ended up missing it due to injury.

Ratliff averaged 12.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.7 blocks for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 season. It was the peak of his career as he never tallied those stats ever again. To add to the unexpected, the Sixers traded Ratliff to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Dikembe Mutombo before the deadline.

#3 B.J. Armstrong (1994)

Michael Jordan and B.J. Armstrong (Photo: Courtesy of Sky Sports)

B.J. Armstrong is known for winning three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. Armstrong was one of the key role players in the Bulls' first three-peat. But when Jordan retired after the 1993 season, Armstrong became one of the most unexpected All-Stars in NBA history.

The 6-foot-2 guard averaged a career high 14.8 points per game in 1994. Armstrong was third in scoring for the Bulls that season, but it was the fans who voted him in as a starter. He even received more fan votes than Scottie Pippen, who was having an MVP season.

#2 Chris Gatling (1997)

Chris Gatling was an NBA journeyman, spending his 11 seasons playing for eight different teams. In the 1996-97 season, He was named an All-Star for his play for the Dallas Mavericks. He was averaging a career-high 19.1 points, while serving as the Mavs' sixth man.

But as stated earlier, Gatling was a journeyman. Days after making his lone All-Star appearance, the Mavericks ended up trading him to the New Jersey Nets. Gatling's All-Star selection was totally unexpected, but his trade was not.

#1 James Donaldson (1988)

James Donaldson. (Photo: Courtesy of The Guardian).

There have been a handful of unexpected All-Stars in NBA history, but not as unexpected as James Donaldson back in 1988. Donaldson was averaging just 7.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks that season for the Dallas Mavericks when he was named an All-Star injury replacement.

Donaldson was a solid center, but it was totally surprising to make him an All-Star in 1988. He had better averages of 10.8 points and 11.9 boards per the previous season. Donaldson's selection was so bad that the New York Daily News named him as the worst All-Star player ever.