Who Is the Worst NBA Player of All Time? Full List of the Worst Basketball Players in NBA History - RantSports

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You know, we don't really talk often about the terrible basketball players in the NBA. Rather it is the GOATS like LeBron, Jordan and Steph Curry that usually occupy the conversations. Not many can hit those levels that the legends attained and maintained. However, there are others who have reached new heights or lows, depending on the way you look at it. It does sound oddly funny, interesting and true at the same time.

Who is the worst basketball player in the NBA right now and who is the worst NBA player of all time? Let's go through the list to find out.

There are a number of bad basketball players that have been seen in the NBA. Several of these bad NBA players came out all guns blazing, expecting to be top of the pyramid. Unfortunately, while some seemed to show promise, others seemed to fizzle out almost as soon as the smoke started.

When Greg Oden entered the NBA, he was surrounded by immense expectations and excitement for great things. The 2007 NBA Draft is still one of the most talked-about in sports history, and the Portland Trail Blazers, despite the presence of future talent Kevin Durant, made the bold call to select Oden as the first overall pick. At the time, they had no idea this choice would end as one of the most regrettable in the franchise's history.

In the course of Oden's brief seven-season career, he battled recurring knee injuries that limited him to just 105 games on the court. Every time he played, he gave glimpses of potential, however, those flashes of promise were overshadowed by the disappointment of his persistent injuries, preventing him from becoming the superstar he was projected to become.

Oden's legacy portrays the unpredictability of professional sports. His career is often considered one of the most heartbreaking narratives in NBA history. This, unfortunately, earns him a spot in the discussions of the worst NBA players of all time.

Cherokee Park's potential at the onset of his run in professional sports made us believe that he'd be at the very least a solid player in the NBA after his impressive run at college basketball powerhouse Duke. But unfortunately for him, after being the 12th overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft, he plummeted downwards to the first in a long line of Blue Devil alums who disappointed and Parks was worse than most.

His play was so bad that he lasted only one season in Dallas before being sold to the Timberwolves. Although he kept playing in the league for nine seasons, he peaked at just over seven points and five rebounds a game in his third year in the association. This is why he is among the very worst basketball players ever.

When Gonzaga's star Adam Morrison entered the league in 2006, he looked like he was going to be the second coming of Larry Bird. He was a typical scoring machine in the college ranks and had an aura that endeared him to basketball fans. But unfortunately for him, none of that spirit transferred over to his next level and he went into an immediate decline, becoming one of the weakest NBA players.

His best season in the league is surprisingly his rookie season when he averaged just under 12 points per game. He never attained close to that feat again as he battled persistent injuries and inner demons in an NBA career that only lasted three seasons.

Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and David West were the future NBA stars that the Detroit Pistons passed on to take Darko Milicic, the European player, in the 2003 NBA Draft. If LeBron James hadn't been in that class, the Serbian might have been the No. 1 overall pick instead of No. 2.

Although he spent a decade in the league, Milicic was never able to average double-digit points in a season, with his highest rebounding average being just 6.1 in 2007-2008. He isn't the worst selection the Pistons have ever made, but he is definitely one of the worst NBA players ever.

Javaris Crittenton, a former star at Georgia high school, had a bright future ahead of him when he was selected as the No. 19 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. But unfortunately, his story is one filled with ups and downs as he never attained his full potential.

In his brief four-year career, Javaris played two seasons in the NBA and just 22 games with the Los Angeles Lakers. But sadly, he is best recognized for confronting teammate Gilbert Arenas, his then-Washington Wizards teammate, with a gun in the locker room after a card game went south. Crittenton, one of who's the worst basketball player of all time, never played the court again.

As the seventh pick overall of the Toronto Raptors in the 2004 NBA draft, Rafael didn't quite measure up to the expectations that a lot of experts thought this 6-foot-11 big Brazilian man was to be. PRob Babcock, the then-Raptors front office head, wanted to pitch him with Chris Bosh and Vince Carter to form a formidable elite team.

The plan was never actualized as Rafael Araújo played just two seasons with the Toronto Raptors, averaging all of 2.9 points and 3.0 rebounds on 41% shooting. That's remarkably bad. What makes things even more unfortunate for Toronto and upsetting to fans is the fact that three-time NBA champion and NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala went one pick behind him as the eighth overall pick. He's another, unfortunately in the "who is the worst player in the NBA" list.

Widely recognized as a legend in China (four-time CBA Player of the Year), Mengke Bateer unfortunately never came close to shining in the NBA. He was initially playing with the Denver Nuggets during training camp in 2002, but he was let go in short order.

Bateer ended up playing a total of 46 games with the Nuggets, Spurs, and the Raptors in his career. Averaging just 3.4 points and 2.5 rebounds on 39% shooting, he unfortunately is one of worst player in NBA history.

Among the top 5 worst NBA players of all time, this stands out. In one of the most infamous decisions in NBA draft history, the Golden State Warriors opted to select Todd Fuller, a player from North Carolina State, over future legends Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash during the 1996 NBA Draft.

Fuller's NBA career was far from memorable; he averaged a mere 4.0 points across 132 games. His journey in professional basketball took an even more downward turn when he was traded to the Utah Jazz after just three seasons. Even with this change of scenery, he continued to struggle, and ultimately in just five seasons, he washed out of the league.

Nikoloz Tskitishvili, is a native of the Republic of Georgia, who stepped onto the NBA stage with great anticipation as the fifth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, for him, his time on the court didn't measure up to the expectations set by his early selection. Over the course of two seasons with the Denver Nuggets, he struggled to find his rhythm, posting a modest average of just 3.2 points per game while shooting a mere 30%.

Eventually traded to the Golden State Warriors, Tskitishvili continued to face challenges, culminating in his final two seasons where he averaged a disheartening 1.7 points per game. Tskitishvili is among the players considered as one who is the worst NBA player ever.

Yao Ming's talent most definitely put China on the NBA radar, and he remains to this day the only impactful player to emerge from one of the world's most populous nations. Because of a rare scout like Ming, the Los Angeles Lakers were convinced that they had found a player who could deliver when they used a draft pick in 2007 on Sun Yue.

However, after 10 games in the NBA league, the team realized that Yue was not going to be worth a spot in the NBA. He simply wasn't cut out for professional play. He averaged less than a point in his really short career at the top basketball league in the world. Yue is amongst one who's the worst NBA player of all time.

Michael Ruffin, the former second-round draft pick of the Chicago Bulls, was selected 32nd overall, a position that we consider an unfortunate beginning to an NBA career. Despite his modest scoring average of 1.7 points per game and a shooting percentage of 41%, Ruffin managed to stay in the league for nine seasons.

At the end of his career in the 2008-09 season with the Portland Trail Blazers, he averaged 0.5 points per game while shooting only 29%. He is often perceived as one of the least accomplished players in NBA history and among the worst basketball player ever.

The 2013 NBA Draft is often regarded as one of the weakest drafts in modern basketball history. The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick, a choice that ultimately backfired. Several other top-10 picks, including Cody Zeller, Alex Len, Nerlens Noel, and Ben McLemore, failed to meet the expectations of their rankings. In stark contrast, Giannis Antetokounmpo was chosen 15th overall and is now a two-time league MVP.

Bennett takes the cake as one who was the worst NBA player ever among them. The former UNLV star averaged 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds on 39% shooting in four NBA seasons. Unfortunate for him, but good news for Cleveland, he was part of the trade that brought Kevin Love before the 2014-15 season, helping LeBron lead the team to its first title.

The University of Connecticut stands out as one of the most prestigious institutions known for its remarkable college basketball programs. However, in certain instances, these promising athletes have struggled to translate their college success into professional triumph in the NBA. An example of this happening is Hasheem Thabeet, who was selected as the second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Standing at an impressive 7 feet 3 inches, this towering athlete from Tanzania was thought to be the new Dikembe Mutombo. However, his professional journey with the Memphis Grizzlies turned out to be far less triumphant than anticipated, and finds himself on the list of worst players in the NBA.

Who's the worst player in the NBA? Selected as the No. 8 pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, this towering 7-foot center entered the league with high hopes and significant expectations. We had envisioned that he'd be a crucial asset, complementing the raw talent of a young LeBron James. However, the anticipated collaboration never materialized into anything impactful.

Throughout his career, Diop managed over 11 seasons despite his modest statistical contributions. Averaging just 2.0 points and 14 minutes per game, he became known more for his presence than his scoring ability.

When Bismack Biyombo was selected as the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, there was a glimmer of hope that he would develop into one of the league's big men. But, like many previous selections by the franchise, that promise faded quickly, and Biyombo soon earned the unwelcome label of a draft bust.

Biyombo has carved himself as a reliable bench player over his 13-year career in the NBA. Throughout his journey in professional basketball, he has averaged a modest five points and four rebounds per game, a record no greater among terrible NBA players.

When Robert Traylor was brought into the scene in 1998, expectations were sky-high following his standout performances at the University of Michigan. The Milwaukee Bucks, were drawn by his size and potential, and so made the momentous decision to select him as the sixth overall pick in the NBA Draft.

However, it didn't take long for the franchise to realize that they had allowed a player who would ultimately fall short of their lofty expectations - and fall into the whos the worst player in the NBA list.

Throughout his seven seasons in the league, Traylor's physical presence was undeniable, yet his contributions on the court were far less impressive. Unlike several athletes who battle injuries, Traylor enjoyed relative health during his tenure, but his statistics told a different story. Averaging a mere five points and four rebounds per game, his performance often left fans and analysts disappointed.

Lazar Hayward had a standout college career at Marquette University. Later selected as the 30th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, his professional performance fell short. Over parts of three seasons, he averaged a mere 2.9 points per game, shooting at a disappointing 35% from the field, despite playing all 72 games in a season.

In a surprising twist, Hayward's journey after his athletic run took an ironic turn when he was apprehended in September 2021 as he attempted to enter Hawaii with a forged negative COVID-19 test result. His actions add to the merit of the "worst NBA player in history" tag.

Madsen was a prominent figure on the Stanford Cardinal basketball team in the early 1990s,. Over his collegiate career, he propelled the team to four NCAA Tournament appearances. How then did he get into the "who is the worst basketball player in the NBA" list?

In 2000, the Los Angeles Lakers, under the guidance of the renowned coach Phil Jackson, saw potential in Madsen and selected him in the first round of the NBA Draft with hopes that he would seamlessly transition into the professional arena. However, Madsen struggled to find his footing in the NBA. Over the course of three seasons, he averaged a modest 2.6 points per game.

He continued his career with the Timberwolves for six seasons, where he managed to average 0.4 points in his last two campaigns. Despite his unremarkable statistics, Madsen holds a unique distinction, often regarded as the least accomplished player in NBA history, to have garnered two championship titles.

Keith Closs sparked a lot of excitement at the beginning of his career. During his rookie season, he averaged 4.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.

Why he drops into the mentions of who is the worst NBA player of all time is this: After being drafted by the NBA, he faced challenges in making a name in the league. In his last two seasons, he averaged 3.8 points and 2.8 rebounds, but those stats didn't meet what many had hoped for. He retired from professional basketball sooner than expected and transitioned into a career in coaching

Michael Olowokandi, known as the "Kandi Man," was the center of attention at the 1998 NBA Draft, where he was selected first overall by the Los Angeles Clippers. Hailed by many, Olowokandi had the physique and presence that seemed to promise a bright future in the league. However, when it came to clashing with the elite big men of the NBA, he often found himself overmatched and outplayed.

Originally a native of Nigeria, he spent a significant part of his life in the United Kingdom. His nine-year career ultimately peaked during the 2002-03 season, averaging a modest 12 points and nearly nine rebounds per game.

Despite the initial excitement surrounding his selection, his time on the court often fell short of the lofty expectations that accompanied him. He is one of the worst NBA players of all time.

Several names have been mentioned and some more might have still dropped into our list of terrible basketball players. Being more recent in personnel and stats, Alex Len, Jordan Hawkins and Patrick Williams names surface as some of the weakest NBA players today. But, who is the worst NBA player right now? Even though he's still a rookie, Bronny James has the second worst field goal percentage in all the league.

BPM = Box Plus/Minus, PER = Player Efficiency Rating

All stats approximate based on current season (as of September 2025)

To be clear, there is no stand-out person who is the worst NBA player ever outrightly. But based on past and present stats, we put together those individuals that fall into the worst players in the NBA. Let us know, who's the worst basketball player basketball player of all time? Who do you think should be added to the worst basketball players list? Engage us below in the comments.

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