One of the most commonly argued topics in NBA discourse is if certain players were or weren't snubbed from a spot on the All-Star team. Every year, there are a few players who some fans think deserved a spot in the All-Star Game, while others thought that those players were rightfully left off the team. Throughout the NBA's existence, though, there have been a few players who didn't make the All-Star Game in a particular season that few would argue didn't deserve to be on the All-Star roster. These players certainly had All-Star caliber seasons, but for whatever reason, they were not chosen to make the All-Star Game. The 2024 NBA All-Star reserves are announced at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 1, but we are going to look back at the entirety of the NBA's history to find the biggest single-season NBA All-Star snubs.
HM. Michael Adams: Denver Nuggets, 1990-91
Stats: 26.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 10.5 APG
Michael Adams is a forgotten player in NBA history, and he only had one season where he put up even close to All-Star numbers. That came in 1990-91, when Adams' statistics most definitely jumped off the page. The Nuggets were bad in 1990-91, as they only had 20 wins while trying to stay afloat after the departures of Alex English and Fat Lever. That means Adams' impressive statistics might have been a little empty. Still, he was doing everything for the Nuggets, and 26.5 points and 10.5 assists per game are glaring numbers for someone who didn't make the All-Star Game.
10. Rudy Gobert: Utah Jazz, 2018-19
Stats: 15.9 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 2.0 APG
Most NBA All-Stars put up big scoring numbers, but that is not a set-in-stone standard. Great defensive players also deserve to be in the All-Star Game, and Rudy Gobert's absence in back-to-back seasons caused a lot of controversy. Gobert won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in both 2017-18 and 2018-19, yet he wasn't chosen as an All-Star in either of those seasons. He was especially worthy in the latter of those two years, as his offensive numbers saw an uptick. With an increase in scoring, Gobert was definitely snubbed from the All-Star game in 2018-19, considering he was the best defender in the league at the time, especially when it came to protecting the rim.
9. John Stockton: Utah Jazz, 1987-88
Stats: 14.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 13.8 APG
John Stockton was the ultimate pure point guard, and he was known for racking up assists and steals for the Utah Jazz. He did both of those at an extreme level in 1987-88, yet he was snubbed from making his first All-Star Game. On top of his league-leading 13.8 assists per game, Stockton created a ton of extra possessions with 3.0 steals per game. The Stockton and Karl Malone pairing was just getting started in 1987-88, but it was obvious that Stockton was going to be the engine that made the Jazz's offense work for a long time. After the snubbing, Stockton's scoring saw a slight uptick, which helped him make the next nine All-Star Games.
8. Karl-Anthony Towns: Minnesota Timberwolves, 2016-17
Stats: 25.1 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 2.7 APG
Karl-Anthony Towns has established himself as the greatest three-point shooting center of all time in recent seasons, but fans didn't know that was for sure going to be the case during his early days in the league. Towns came into the league hot, but it usually takes one season of All-Star production before a player actually becomes an All-Star. That was the case for the Minnesota Timberwolves big man in 2016-17, as he was more than deserving of an All-Star nod, but his lack of experience and sustained production in the league at this time meant he got snubbed.
7. World B. Free: San Diego Clippers, 1978-79
Stats: 28.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.4 APG
World B. Free was a much better player than his one All-Star appearance would indicate. One season that he definitely deserved to be labeled an All-Star but wasn't was in 1978-79. World B. Free scored 28.8 points per game in his first year with the San Diego Clippers, which was the second most in the league. World B. Free is definitely one of the biggest NBA All-Star Game snubs ever.
6. Monta Ellis: Golden State Warriors, 2010-11
Stats: 24.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.6 APG
Before Steph Curry became a legend on the Golden State Warriors, Monta Ellis was the entertaining guard who could score in bunches for the team. Ellis was athletic, had a great handle, and was a highlight waiting to happen. In 2010-11, that led to 24.1 points per game. The Western Conference was stacked with talent during Ellis' prime, though, which led to him not making the All-Star Game not only in 2011 but in any year in his career. The season after being snubbed from the All-Star Game, Ellis was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, which paved the way for Steph Curry to embark on a Hall of Fame career.
5. Nate Thurmond: San Francisco Warriors: 1968-69
Stats: 21.5 PPG, 19.7 RPG, 3.6 APG
Elite rebounding was a highly coveted trait during Nate Thurmond's playing days, which makes his snubbing from the 1968-69 All-Star Game all the more surprising. Thurmond had made the previous four All-Star Games, and then he collected 19.7 rebounds per game in 1968-69. Despite this, he was not selected as an All-Star. What makes his snubbing even more surprising is his 21.5 points per game were the second most of his career. Thurmond's 19.7 rebounds per game were the most ever for someone who didn't make the All-Star Game.
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Los Angeles Lakers, 1977-78
Stats: 25.8 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 4.3 APG
Until LeBron James just surpassed him, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was tied for the most All-Star appearances of all time with 19. Seeing the six-time MVP in the All-Star Game was second nature, which made his exclusion from the game in 1977-78 extremely bizarre. In fact, that season was the only time he ever didn't make the All-Star Game, but it was far from his worst season. Abdul-Jabbar had a player efficiency rating of 29.2 and a box plus/minus of 9.0. Both of those stats are great indicators of contributing to winning, and both of the marks that Abdul-Jabbar put up in 1977-78 were the best ever for someone who didn't make the All-Star Game. Abdul-Jabbar ended up playing a resectable 62 games that season, but he missed an extended period of time prior to All-Star weekend, which prevented him from being voted in.
3. Damian Lillard: Portland Trail Blazers, 2016-17
Stats: 27 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 5.9 APG
Damian Lillard is best known for his clutch shooting and ability to score the basketball, but he did a little bit of everything for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2016-17. Lillard was an All-Star in his second and third seasons, but he didn't make it even after his numbers increased in year four. The 2016-17 season was year five for Lillard, and everyone expected him to be back in the All-Star Game. This was justified by his play, too, as Lillard stuffed the stat sheet as a scorer, playmaker, and rebounder. Despite this, Lillard wasn't selected as an All-Star because Steph Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Klay Thompson were also all having monster seasons in the Western Conference at the guard positions. Lillard's previous season could also be considered one of the biggest All-Star snub seasons ever.
2. Nate Archibald: Cincinnati Royals, 1971-72
Stats: 28.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 9.2 APG
When you think of players who changed the game of basketball, names like Steph Curry, Michael Jordan, and Dirk Nowitzki come to mind. Nate “Tiny” Archibald also deserves to be in that conversation because he paved the way for small, but explosive guards to have an impact in the league. He put up massive numbers during his second season in the NBA, but the league was still becoming familiar with his game, and it wasn't until the following season that he made the All-Star Game. That following season, Archibald led the league in both scoring and assists, but his numbers from the season prior – 1971-72 – were nearly as impressive. Archibald was second in scoring and third in assists, yet he didn't make the All-Star Game.
1. Bradley Beal: Washington Wizards, 2019-20
Stats: 30.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.1 APG
The best of the single-season NBA All-Star snubs ever is Bradley Beal. The 30-point per game threshold separates good scorers from great scorers. It is an impressive feat to score more than 30 points per game, as only 79 players have ever done it over the course of an entire season. Beal scored 30.5 points per game over the course of the 2019-20 season, yet he wasn't selected to the All-Star Game. He ended the season with the most points ever for someone who played the majority of the season and didn't make the All-Star Game.
Beal wasn't focusing on just scoring, though, which makes his snubbing all the more extreme. Beal's 4.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists were both solid marks for a shooting guard. With John Wall injured, the Wizards didn't do a lot of winning, and that was the justification for leaving Beal off of the All-Star team. He didn't have a lot of help, though, and his heroics were the only reason Washington stayed afloat.
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