The NBA has always been a star-driven league, drawing viewers mostly from the big names. In the 1980s, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird sparked a legendary rivalry that continues to this day. Similar to how LeBron James was in the 2010s, Michael Jordan was the only big star of the 1990s. Many stars also emerged during the significant decade that separated the reigns of what are undoubtedly the two greatest of all time. Yes, the 2000s saw the ascent to fame of Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and numerous more athletes.
However, there were a handful of exceptional players who emerged later and lacked the fairy tale ending, in contrast to many of the other names already mentioned. Bryant scored 60 points and made the game-winning shot in his most recent outing. The home crowd gave Duncan a standing ovation as his final game in San Antonio came to a conclusion. The league’s supporters will be happy to hear that Nowitzki is set to start his retirement tour shortly. Unfortunately, not every tale has a happy ending. We’ll look at a few well-known figures from the 2000s who are scarcely mentioned today. These are fifteen excellent NBA players from the 2000s who are no longer in the public eye.
Deron Williams’s career is a tragic tale that ended far sooner than anyone could have predicted. Up until the 2000s, Williams was among the NBA’s top point guards. Fans tried to decide between Chris Paul and Williams in a heated debate. This is obviously absurd now, with Paul carrying on with his renowned career at a high level and Williams becoming a footnote.
Williams’s tenure with the Utah Jazz was largely successful. He was a top four guard in the league, as evidenced by his three All-Star selections and two selections to the All-NBA Second Team. After Williams became agitated in Utah, the Brooklyn Nets made a huge trade to acquire him.
Regretfully, the decision to designate him as the franchise’s face was a complete failure.
Williams’s injuries caused his physique to crumble, and some of his colleagues began to doubt his work ethic. Williams most recently participated in the 2017 NBA Finals for the Cleveland Cavaliers, when he scored zero points in each of the team’s four losses against the Golden State Warriors. This past season, no team wanted to sign him because it was obvious that he was washed. Williams is probably done playing hoops because he now hosts an obscure MMA podcast.
