Image via Complex Original
The NBA is full of world class athletes. These guys have been the best around since a very young age, blessed with gifts for which most of us would probably do unspeakable things. Guys like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and countless others supplement their talent with a relentless work ethic, pushing themselves to improve 365 days a year. The monster paycheck is simply a fortunate byproduct of their hard work; they don’t quit working hard just because they make eight figures.
But that doesn’t mean that some players won’t try to simply coast on their talent. For every LeBron, there’s a Michael Sweetney, whose offseason regimen was more likely to see him lifting quarter-pounders than dumbbells. For every Kevin Durant, there’s an Antoine Walker, content to drift between the three point lines without ever attempting to break a sweat. The latest baller to profit despite seemingly not having a passion for the game is Andrew Bynum, who signed with the championship contending Indiana Pacers last week.
Whether it’s making too much money, a love of the all-you-can-eat buffet, or simply a bad attitude, brutally sluggish players are a staple of the NBA. All of them had at least some talent, and many of them even made a couple of All-Star teams in their day. As we think about what could have been with almost all of these guys, here’s a look at the 20 Laziest Players in NBA History.
RELATED: The Fattest Players in NBA History
20. Shawn Kemp
Career: 1989-2003
Team(s): Supersonics, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, Magic
Stats: 14.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.6 APG
After the 1996 NBA Finals, any NBA fan would have told you that Shawn Kemp was a superstar who would be in All-Star games throughout his career and could very well end up in the Hall of Fame. Then the lockout happened. When the players finally showed up for their 50-game season, Kemp reported anywhere from 34 to 69 pounds heavier than he had been the previous season. It's gotta be pretty tough to win the dunk contest when you're built like the Michelin Man. While he did put together a couple solid seasons in Cleveland, the ground-bound Kemp quickly fell off and was never the same player.
19. Rasheed Wallace
Career: 1995-2013
Team(s): Bullets, Trail Blazers, Hawks, Pistons, Celtics, Knicks
Stats: 14.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.8 APG
While Rasheed Wallace's antics with the referees were occasionally funny, there was not much to enjoy about his penchant for reporting to camp and simply "playing his way" into shape. While he was never known for his blistering pace on the court or commitment to defense, his time with the Celtics was truly some of his worst work. TNT's Reggie Miller was broadcasting one game and started a sentence with "When Rasheed Wallace gets into game shape..." with the only problem being the game was played in March. He was rarely more than a three-point line-to-three-point line player, especially later in his career, and did not live up to the incredible potential he flashed especially in the post.
18. Baron Davis
Career: 1999-2012
Team(s): Hornets, Warriors, Clippers, Cavaliers, Knicks
Stats: 16.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 7.2 APG
If B. Diddy would've kept himself in shape maybe he wouldn't have gotten injured so often. From 2002 to 2008 Baron Davis was one of the best point guards in the league when healthy, he averaged 19.8 PPG and 7.9 APG during that stretch. When he got going, he was unstoppable. But he was always out of shape and it was head-scratching just like the fact that he only made only two All-Star games.
17. Lamar Odom
Career: 1999-2013
Team(s): Clippers, Heat, Lakers, Mavericks
Stats: 13.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 3.7 APG
Can you believe Lamar Odom never made an All-Star game? The lefty out of Queens could do it all on the court. He was Scottie Pippen with weaker defense but better rebounding skills. He cried when he got caught smoking weed because he was "addicted" to it. Only lazy people get "addicted" to weed. Playing most of his career in L.A. didn't help with his love of ganja. After he left the Clippers, he went to Miami where he and a young Dwyane Wade took the Heat to the playoffs, but he was then dealt to the Lakers for Shaq.
During his time with the Lakers he won two championships, playing a key role in both. However, L.A. traded him to Dallas for a firt rounder and cap space, a move that he wasn't happy about. After giving the Mavs 50 games of uninspired ball they sent him to the Clippers. Now after rumors of a crack problems, a drunken video that leaked, and getting divorced, Lamar is still unemployed. Let's hope he gets his shit together and finishes his career on a strong note.
16. Derrick Coleman
Career: 1990-2005
Team(s): Nets, 76ers, Hornets, Pistons
Stats: 16.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.5 APG
Perhaps the ultimate cautionary tale for paying rookies too much and stunting their growth, Derrick Coleman was an absolute beast at Syracuse and looked like he would be one of the league's preeminent power forwards for years to come. But there was something about the way that Coleman would basically just "get his" and then stop trying that rubbed coaches and fans the wrong way, and this was made even more frustrating due to the fact that Coleman had the skills to be one of the best the game had ever seen. Instead, as Sports Illustrated once put it, he "played just well enough to ensure his next paycheck."
15. Glenn Robinson
Career: 1994-2005
Team(s): Bucks, Hawks, 76ers, Spurs
Stats: 20.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.7 APG
Glenn Robinson developed into a star with the Bucks, but one person who was not a big fan of his was Robinson's coach, George Karl. Karl accused the "Big Dog" of being lazy and too lackadaisical in practice, even suggesting at one point that the better matchup for Robinson would have been against bench players. He never showed any interest in defense despite his jaw-dropping athleticism, and Robinson's 10-year, $68 million rookie contract (still the largest in history for a rookie) is basically the reason the rookie scale exists. If that money wasn't guaranteed, who knows what kind of effort he might have put out on both ends of the floor.
14. Antoine Walker
Career: 1996-2008
Team(s): Celtics, Mavericks, Hawks, Heat, Timberwolves
Stats: 17.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.5 APG
Antoine was a good player (he made three All-Star games), but he was still lazy. Instead of taking his big frame down in the post, he would launch jumpers from everywhere and never had the desire to play defense. Walker was a shooting guard in a power forwards body. He was slow but quick, and would shoot the lights out on some nights. He never shot better than 43 percent from the field and for as many threes as he liked to take, he only shot 32 percent for his career. 'Toine was a frustrating player to watch, perhaps best encapsulated by the quote that sums up his career. When asked why he took so many threes, he responded, "because there are no fours."
13. Tim Thomas
Career: 1997-2010
Team(s): 76ers, Bucks, Knicks, Bulls, Suns, Clippers, Mavericks
Stats: 11.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.5 APG
Ray Allen said, "Tim Thomas could be the best player in the league." I watched Thomas play in high school and it gives me chills just thinking about the way he used to dominate at Paterson Catholic. Then he went to Villanova where he showed that he wasn't just a big man. Tim brought the ball up, shot well from all over the court, and was athletic, all of which helped him be the Big East and Sporting News Freshman of the Year. He had a lot of promise coming into his NBA career, but the money must've made him complacent. With undeniable All-Star talent, Thomas never made an All-Star team and towards the end of his career he became happy with just shooting threes instead of using his athleticism.
12. Andray Blatche
Career: 2005-present
Team(s): Wizards, Nets
Stats: 10.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.4 APG
In the league since 2005, Blatche has yet to realize his full potential. Some nights he looks like one of the best power forwards in the league and other nights he makes you want to bang your head against a wall. And he has a bad attitude to go with his inconsistent play. His time with the Wizards was uneventful and full of what could've been moments. He's with Brooklyn now, and has actually been contributing, shooting .475 percent from the field this season. But being 6'11" and never averaging a double-double or a block a game in his career is pretty sad.
11. Hedo Turkoglu
Career: 2000-present
Team(s): Kings, Spurs, Magic, Raptors, Suns
Stats: 11.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.1 APG
What happened to Hedo? After finally coming into his own following two solid season with the Magic in 2008 and 2009 (18 PPG), he opted out of his contract and decided to sign with Toronto because his wife liked the Turkish population. However, he hated playing there and eventually found his way back to Orlando after a short stint with the Suns. He's fallen off the face of the Earth since. He was once considered a clutch player while he was a member of the Kings and with the Magic-especially their 2009 Finals run-but he's essentially a shell of his former self, playing in just 75 games since 2011-12.
10. Isaiah Rider
Career: 1993-2001
Team(s): Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Hawks, Lakers, Nuggets
Stats: 16.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.7 APG
Nobody ever doubted Isaiah Rider's talent. He won the 1994 Dunk Contest with one of the better dunks ever seen in the competition, and was a member of the All-Rookie team that same season. But that couldn't hide the fact that he had a serious attitude problem that alienated from teammates and management alike, and the shooting guard never played for one team for more than three years. Even Phil Jackson, whose patience for head-cases is well-documented, couldn't stomach more than one year with Rider.
9. Michael Beasley
Career: 2008-present
Team(s): Heat, Timberwolves, Suns
Stats: 13.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.4 APG
After one phenomenal year at Kansas St. where he put up 26 and 12, the Miami Heat took him with the No. 2 pick in the 2008 Draft. Matching his post game and all-around skills with Dwyane Wade seemed like a recipe for success, but that wasn't the case. He struggled with smoking too much weed, and wasn't ready for the NBA lifestyle especially in Miami. Beasley has never averaged 20 points a game even though he's clearly capable of it. He refuses to dominate in the post like he did in college and just settles for low percentage jumpers. It very sad to see a guy with so much talent play with so little drive. Now back in Miami, he's a role player averaging 18 minutes per game. Maybe playing with champions can teach him how to be a true pro.
8. Andrew Bynum
Career: 2005-present
Team(s): Lakers, 76ers, Cavaliers, Pacers
Stats: 11.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.2 APG
The man who's recent behavior inspired this list, we don't know what Andrew Bynum is going to do with himself. After the Sixers traded Andre Iguodala and built their team around him, Bynum missed the 2013 season. Then he signed with the Cavs for the 2014 season, played in 24 games with lackluster numbers (8.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game), then was cut due to conduct detrimental to the team.
He has joined the Pacers as a backup to Roy Hibbert, but sources say that he doesn't like basketball and never really did. He's made questionable decisions during his career like putting playmates on his head, bungee jumping with a bad knee, and postponing a knee surgery to take in the World Cup. We should have seen the writing on the wall last year with his crazy hairstyle choices. He could've been the best center in the league, now his career might be over. What a waste of talent.
7. Andrea Bargnani
Career: 2002-present
Team(s): Raptors, Knicks
Stats: 15.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.2 APG
Soft or lazy? They both go hand-in-hand. Bargz is 7-feet tall and never grabbed more than six boards a game. He also only averaged a block per game three times, including this season. He's certainly skilled and it's not his fault the Raptors took him with the first pick but the way he plays the game is frustrating. We don't think we've ever seen him post up or box someone out. He runs back from playing defense and camps out by the three-point line. Andrea can shoot lights out but he should look at Dirk. Once Nowitzki started being more aggressive in the posts, on defense, and on the glass, the Mavs became serious contenders. He doesn't take up as much space as Dirk but he and his team could benefit from him actually trying out there.
6. Benoit Benjamin
Career: 1985-1999
Team(s): Clippers, Supersonics, Lakers, Nets, Grizzlies, Bucks, Raptors, 76ers, Cavaliers
Stats: 11.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.3 APG
There's no doubt that, coming out of college, Benoit Benjamin had all the talent necessary to become an All-Star. Unfortunately, when you were drafted by the Clippers, things like that didn't matter. The "Clippers' Stink" would get on you, and there was no getting it off. It didn't help Benjamin's case that he was reportedly both lazy and difficult to coach, a pretty damning description for a professional basketball player; it's probably how he ended up playing for nine teams during his 15 seasons in the NBA. Fun fact, though: he was once traded for another massive disappointment, notorious former No. 2 overall pick Sam Bowie.
5. Joe Barry Carroll
Career: 1980-1991
Team(s): Warriors, Rockets, Nets, Nuggets, Suns
Stats: 17.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.8 APG
To be fair to Joe Barry Carroll, he actually enjoyed a couple very productive seasons in Golden State after the Warriors swapped Robert Parish and the draft pick that became Kevin McHale to the Celtics in exchange for the No. 1 pick in the 1980 NBA Draft. Still, if you earn the nickname "Joe Barely Cares," something has gone quite awry. Even before he had played an NBA game, scouts were saying that he "lacked intensity" and that he barely spoke to anyone. He also played a year in Italy rather than play out the final year of his rookie deal without a contract, something that infuriated Warriors fans and contributed to his dubious legacy.
4. Oliver Miller
Career: 1992-2000, 2003-2004
Team(s): Suns, Pistons, Raptors, Mavericks, Kings, Timberwolves
Stats: 7.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.2 APG
Oliver Miller was never what you would call fit. He opened his career at a burly 280 pounds, and from there his weight ballooned to a reported 375 pounds by the time he was done waddling up and down NBA floors. We defy you to find a flattering picture of him, or one that even makes him look even somewhat athletic. He even got released by the Harlem Globetrotters for showing "no appreciation for what it takes mentally and physically to be a Harlem Globetrotter." You mean weighing almost 400 pounds and pistol whipping your friends at barbecues don't show enough character to be on the team? We're shocked.
3. Eddy Curry
Career: 2001-2012
Team(s): Bulls, Knicks, Heat, Mavericks
Stats: 12.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 0.5 APG
To be fair, Eddy has been through a lot. His former driver tried to sue him for sexual harassment and his ex-girlfriend and nine-month-old daughter were murdered. It's hard to be inspired after all that, we don't care how much money you make. He basically said fuck basketball after that. But it wasn't like he was inspired before that. Standing at 7'0", 300 lbs. and decent hops for his size, Curry never averaged more than seven boards a game and never was interested in playing defense. He was all offense and was one of the best post players in the league when he felt like it.
2. Michael Sweetney
Career: 2003-2007
Team(s): Knicks, Bulls
Stats: 6.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 0.6 APG
Sweetney only lasted four years in the L because he couldn't control his weight. What else needs to be said? You get paid millions of dollars and can't stop eating McDonald's? This is just further proof that there is crack in those french fries. He had a decent post game, but when you watched him play you feared that he would pass out from running.
1. Jerome James
Career: 1999, 2001-2009
Team(s): Kings, SuperSonics, Knicks
Stats: 4.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.3 APG
OK, it isn't Jerome James' fault that a few good minutes in the playoffs were enough for Isiah Thomas to offer him a five-year, $30 million contract. What is James' fault is the fact that he turned into a fat mess after signing that contract, barely being able to get himself out on the floor and causing the Knicks to try to get rid of him using a medical exception. Fatness is a disease, apparently. Even Ray Allen, who rarely has a bad thing to say about anyone, said this about his former teammate: "I know Jerome, he has tendencies to be lazy out there on the floor."
