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All time wasted NBA talents ?

infection said:
When people say he was selfish, they aren’t talking about his willingness to pass. But I think that misunderstanding encapsulates the problem: people are viewing this concretely, in the same way people are saying Whiteside is as good, if not better, than Rudy because of his numbers.
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I understand your point in the way he was selfish, but his style of play on the court was just the opposite of selfish. He was always ready to make the extra pass and play for best interests of the team. His selfishness could've been related to his treatment by Sloan and how he prioritized the interests of Deron over AK and how Deron started to freeze out AK and be "the man." It was originally because I took this position here on JF that people started attacking me, so I remember this very well. I think this affected AK's attitude and we all the know the rest of the story. I really believe that it was Deron who caused AK to start leaving practice early and put his energy into video games. And as we later learned, after Deron left, he pissed off a lot of people with the Jazz. Gary Briggs, who I spoke with at a party this summer, said Deron was difficult to deal with though he also said AK was a complainer and soft.
 
gandalfe said:
Bobby Hurley.

College:
NBA:
Points 1,032 (3.8 ppg)
Rebounds 283 (1.1 rpg)
Assists 880 (3.3 apg)
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Bobby Hurley almost died in a car accident that curbed his NBA career. I remember when it happened, they thought he was dead.
 
I'd go with Marvin Barnes. But, it's only a 6 year sample, and not the at least 7-8 years suggested as a sample size. But he belongs on the list of tremendous squandered talent, IMO. Drafted 2nd, behind Bill Walton, by the 76's in 1974. Instead he signed with St. Louis of the ABA, played 2 years, and then just 4 more in the NBA. A young announcer named Bob Costas was the announcer for St. Louis. I can only agree with Costas' opinion. I do believe he could have gone as far as a player as he wanted to go. But, he didn't, and toward the end of his life, he returned to the drugs that had derailed him originally. Marvin "Bad News" Barnes.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/...-what-waste/cSySkkPcHZaswmWuEZSIPL/story.html

"Marvin averaged 24 points and 15 rebounds a game as a rookie, the Spirits games being broadcast by a 22-year-old announcer out of Syracuse named Bob Costas.

“The epitaph on Marvin?” inquires Costas. “Squandered talent. Extraordinary talent. Hall of Fame talent. Maybe — maybe — all-time great talent. I saw him go for 35 and 25 in games against Dr. J and be the best player on the floor.”

He was even more memorable off the court.

“He had a Rolls-Royce,” says Costas. “He would drive around and pick up kids. He would pull up to the arena, maybe having swung by McDonald’s and picked up a quarter-pounder and some fries, swagger into the area 15 minutes before game time with the kids behind him, have the coach look at him ruefully, and get 40.”
 
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Red said:
I'd go with Marvin Barnes. But, it's only a 6 year sample, and not the at least 7-8 years suggested as a sample size. But he belongs on the list of tremendous squanderd talent, IMO. Drafted 2nd, behind Bill Walton, by the 76's in 1974. Instead he signed with St. Louis of the ABA, played 2 years, and then just 4 more in the NBA. A young announcer named Bob Costas was the announcer for St. Louis. I can only agree with Costas' opinion. I do believe he could have gone as far as a player as he wanted to go. But, he didn't, and toward the end of his life, he returned to the drugs that had derailed him originally. Marvin "Bad News" Barnes.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/...-what-waste/cSySkkPcHZaswmWuEZSIPL/story.html

"Marvin averaged 24 points and 15 rebounds a game as a rookie, the Spirits games being broadcast by a 22-year-old announcer out of Syracuse named Bob Costas.

“The epitaph on Marvin?” inquires Costas. “Squandered talent. Extraordinary talent. Hall of Fame talent. Maybe — maybe — all-time great talent. I saw him go for 35 and 25 in games against Dr. J and be the best player on the floor.”

He was even more memorable off the court.

“He had a Rolls-Royce,” says Costas. “He would drive around and pick up kids. He would pull up to the arena, maybe having swung by McDonald’s and picked up a quarter-pounder and some fries, swagger into the area 15 minutes before game time with the kids behind him, have the coach look at him ruefully, and get 40.”
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While he was still playing Barnes also moonlighted as a drug mule for local dealers that he owed money.

Back in the 70's and 80's ABA/NBA players flew commercial but would typically skip security - Barnes usually stuffed his luggage with drugs which he would deliver on to contacts in the city he was playing in.
 
candrew said:
While he was still playing Barnes also moonlighted as a drug mule for local dealers that he owed money.

Back in the 70's and 80's ABA/NBA players flew commercial but would typically skip security - Barnes usually stuffed his luggage with drugs which he would deliver on to contacts in the city he was playing in.
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Yeah, I followed him at Providence. We've always felt that had he not suffered a knee injury in the 73 national semifinal against Memphis State, then Providence and Ernie D and Marvin would have faced off against Walton and UCLA for the title that year.

The thing about Barnes is it was pretty hard not to like him. Of course, fans can only know the side of a player they see, but everyone knew he had a heart of gold. But nobody could stop his fall.

Brings to mine another guy whose career I followed. Insane level of talent. But too many games where his play seemed to say "I really don't feel like playing tonight". Lamar Odom.
And too many drugs, and too many Kardashians.
 
candrew said:
While he was still playing Barnes also moonlighted as a drug mule for local dealers that he owed money.

Back in the 70's and 80's ABA/NBA players flew commercial but would typically skip security - Barnes usually stuffed his luggage with drugs which he would deliver on to contacts in the city he was playing in.
Click to expand...

I've got a story related to Barnes and his influence on others. A friend of mine, actually the younger brother of the star on my high school basketball team was quite a high school phenom and got a scholarship to Providence when Barnes was there. I'm not sure exactly what happened but two years later, David was out of school. Some years after that I ran into David at a bar passed out and gave him a ride to the raunchy apartment where he lived. He talked some about Barnes, how he was the man, etc. I helped him find a job but he was a shell of himself not yet out of his 20s and all drugged up. We played some one-on-one, and I was no Division One player but he couldn't even beat me. Fast forward five or so years later, he died in a fire that he apparently set while smoking and passing out. Kind of reminds you of Delonte West who is now homeless and was recently arrested on the streets after a fight. It's tragic that some people have such great talent that us lesser mortals envy and they just throw it away.
 
Eenie-Meenie said:
I've got a story related to Barnes and his influence on others. A friend of mine, actually the younger brother of the star on my high school basketball team was quite a high school phenom and got a scholarship to Providence when Barnes was there. I'm not sure exactly what happened but two years later, David was out of school. Some years after that I ran into David at a bar passed out and gave him a ride to the raunchy apartment where he lived. He talked some about Barnes, how he was the man, etc. I helped him find a job but he was a shell of himself not yet out of his 20s and all drugged up. We played some one-on-one, and I was no Division One player but he couldn't even beat me. Fast forward five or so years later, he died in a fire that he apparently set while smoking and passing out. Kind of reminds you of Delonte West who is now homeless and was recently arrested on the streets after a fight. It's tragic that some people have such great talent that us lesser mortals envy and they just throw it away.
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Yep - though at the end of the day, as like-able as might have been, Barnes was a junkie.

Delonte West is mentally ill - he's just another victim of this country's resistance to address mental health issues. That video is heartbreaking.
 
rafael-arajo-basketball-82c2c741-baf7-4134-a33f-bc5963af8a4-resize-750.jpeg


No Hoffa, no pain.

Know Hoffa, know pain.
 
How the heck have I never heard of Marvin Barnes? Like ever? I wanna know more.

Was there ever a 30 for 30 on the guy?
 
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