Who is the most surprisingly amazing player in NBA history?

[Fan from VT]

Paul Milsap
Boozer
Louis Williams (who'd heard of him?)
Kevin Martin
Mo Williams
Perkins
Scola
Turkoglu
Granger (don't think many thought he'd be as good as he is)
Stephen Jackson (deep 2nd round to key player on champ team to head case to veteran leader)

[2short]

stockton came to mind but how about scott skiles
slow, small pg who had a nice career

[stoyko]

Mark Eaton. Worked as an auto mechanic for 3 years after HS, got spotted, played CC ball for 2 years, was very unimpressive at UCLA (played all of 42 minutes senior year) and Jazz took a chance on him (4th rd pick). With Jazz became 2 time Defensive player of the year and is still NBA career leader in blocks per game.


Also Bill Russell. Cut from a junior high squad, got only 1 scholarship offer. Became GOAT.

[soap07]

Gerald Green.


Just wait, someday you'll be surprised.

[BballTim]

Gerald Green.


Just wait, someday you'll be surprised.

  He's right! Just seeing his name in this thread was surprising.

[bMunch]

muggsy bogues.

all 5'3" of him during his 14 year career.

[thirstyboots18]

In general, I don't know...but Bob Cousy surprised Red the most, 

[Celtics18]

Rondo.  I just think the phrase "surprisingly amazing" perfectly describes my constant reaction to watching this young man play. 

[OmarSekou]

I'm not sure how we're defining "surprisingly amazing" but my vote goes for Robert Horry.

He's the winningest player in the modern era. He was valuable on every team he was a part of, and you can make the case that all of his teams needed him to win.

He's been the league's biggest swing factor in deciding championships throughout his career. He was never the skilled, the most talented, or the most interesting, but he was the most surprising. Whenever the time came he would pull a big shot or big game out of his magician's bag, win a championship, and then fade back into the picture until it came time to win another ring.

[the_Bird]

I'll vote for Rondo, too.  Does things that are absolutely mind-bending, and drafted at #21.

I was actually a little surprised at something.  Took a look at this list of "The 20 Best Undrafted NBA Players"

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/410608-the-20-best-undrafted-players-in-nba-history

Figured that somewhere along the line, there would have been some superstar-type that had slipped through the cracks.  Lots of great players on the list, but mostly "Uber-Role Players," like Bruce Bowen and Ben Wallace and Udonis Haslem.  Maybe I'm just used to the NFL, where it seems that there's ALWAYS someone who went undrafted that becomes one of the best players at their position.  

EDIT: I'll have to save Ginoboli.  Almost went undrafted (#57), and when healthy he's a helluva player.

[GKC]

Easily Charles Barkley. To be 6'6 (and listed as 6'4 in some places), under the tutelage of Moses Malone, to come out and dominate the PF position (in the late 80's to 90's era, one can argue that nobody was better except Karl Malone, who had much better guards feeding him) is simply amazing.

[kofanis0880]

Brent Barry...

I'm still confused as to how he won that Dunk Contest with Finley Stackhouse and Darrell Armstrong in the field

[zerophase]

Brent Barry...

I'm still confused as to how he won that Dunk Contest with Finley Stackhouse and Darrell Armstrong in the field

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiXVIFuQnQM

mad hops?

[kofanis0880]

His dad stuffed the ballot...

[nba is the worst]

Spud Webb - Amazing hops!