Dahntay is the greatest, sort of.

[miramar]

According to the Washington Post,

The least distinguished careers in NBA history
Who’s done the least with the most seasons played?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/sports/worst-nba-careers/?hpid=hp_hp-visual-stories-desktop_no-name%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

[devildeac]

According to the Washington Post,

The least distinguished careers in NBA history
Who’s done the least with the most seasons played?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/sports/worst-nba-careers/?hpid=hp_hp-visual-stories-desktop_no-name%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

At least we still have Joe Wolf to kick around, too. :p

[Duke95]

You now what else Dahntay Jones has? An NBA ring.

I'm a fan.

[Truth&Justise]

Take it as an honor. The NBA is a cut-throat meritocracy--there's always another guy in the D-League (or G-League) or Europe who's working his tail off to make the NBA, and then you get a new crop of rookies every year. If you can bring a particular talent and refine it such that NBA teams want to employ you for nine seasons? You're a obviously doing something right.

Congrats to NBA champion Dahntay Jones. Hope he can sign up somewhere for one more season.

[flyingdutchdevil]

You now what else Dahntay Jones has? An NBA ring.

I'm a fan.

But so does James McAdoo (actually, he has two of them). I'm not sure this argument holds a lot of water...

[CrazyNotCrazie]

But so does James McAdoo (actually, he has two of them). I'm not sure this argument holds a lot of water...

As does Mark Madsen. And Chuck Nevitt has one...

[wilson]

Boy, do I wish I could have had a "crappy" career at the pinnacle of my profession, to the tune of $18 million over 13 years.
The entire premise of the column is asinine.

[BoiseDevil]

Of the several billion people who have played basketball, he is currently among the 500 best in the world.

How would you rank in your chosen profession worldwide?

Entertaining article, but there is ZERO shame in being a 10+ NBA veteran.

Dante is a winner in life.

[duke79]

Take it as an honor. The NBA is a cut-throat meritocracy--there's always another guy in the D-League (or G-League) or Europe who's working his tail off to make the NBA, and then you get a new crop of rookies every year. If you can bring a particular talent and refine it such that NBA teams want to employ you for nine seasons? You're a obviously doing something right.

Congrats to NBA champion Dahntay Jones. Hope he can sign up somewhere for one more season.


Of the several billion people who have played basketball, he is currently among the 500 best in the world.

How would you rank in your chosen profession worldwide?

Entertaining article, but there is ZERO shame in being a 10+ NBA veteran.

Dante is a winner in life.

My thoughts exactly. It may not seem like much of an "honor" at first but he deserves a lot of credit for scraping and hustling to keep his NBA career going for quite a long time. Plus, he has made a decent pile of money along the way. All the more power to him!

[sagegrouse]

Of the several billion people who have played basketball, he is currently among the 500 best in the world.

How would you rank in your chosen profession worldwide?

Entertaining article, but there is ZERO shame in being a 10+ NBA veteran.

Dante is a winner in life.

I would be careful to define my "profession" so precisely that there would be fewer than 500 people in it -- then I could claim "top 500."

[sagegrouse]

Of the several billion people who have played basketball, he is currently among the 500 best in the world.

How would you rank in your chosen profession worldwide?

Entertaining article, but there is ZERO shame in being a 10+ NBA veteran.

Dante is a winner in life.

I appreciate the article and the care and detail the author went into. But -- maybe this is just me -- but looking at the list from 1 to 20 -- I couldn't tell if #1 or #20 was the "worst of the worst" of the "best of the worst."

I did note that 7-5 Chuck Nevitt played only 826 minutes in nine seasons (although some were apparently less than full seasons).

[JasonEvans]

Randy Livingston is high up on that list (2.3 win shares in 11 seasons). Every time I see his name I think of what he could have been. He was one of the greatest high school point guards ever, ranked as the #1 player in his class.

In high school he was the kid who could do anything he wanted on the floor. If his team needed scoring, he was a lethal shooter and had the hops to get to the rim and finish over much taller players. If the opposition double or triple teamed him, he was a savant passing the ball, expertly finding teammates with passes they could barely see coming but which led to easy buckets. He was a psychic on defense, picking pockets or intercepting passes with ease.

Like I said, he was the #1 player in his class... a class that included Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse, Jacque Vaughn, and other great players.

And then he blew out his knee while playing pick up basketball over the summer and he was never the same. Not even close. The fact that he scraped out a 10+ year NBA career is a miracle given how bad his knee injury was.

-Jason "what might have been... I saw Livingston play in high school once... and it was simply unreal" Evans

[budwom]

WaPo won't let me read the article, but our almost Blue Devil, one Adonal Foyle, must be on the list, right (not that I really know what the list represents...).

Thirteen years in the league, I'd say by comparison Dahntay was a superstar*. (edit: foyle average 4.1ppg, dahntay 5.4, in your face, Adonal!)

*ok, i exaggerated.

[JasonEvans]

What is Nazr Mohammed doing on that list? He had several years where he was a very useful NBA player. He was a starting center for much of his career (350+ starts) who did a decent job grabbing rebounds (5+ rpg in 7 seasons) and protecting the rim (8 seasons with a strong 3.5%+ block percentage).

His win shares per season only looks really low because he stuck around a while late in his career doing next to nothing. He had 5 seasons where his win shares were higher than 3.5. By comparison, Avery Bradley (3.1), Dwayne Wade (3.4), Derrick Favors (2.7), Rodney Hood (2.6), Willie Cauley-Stein (2.9), Nick Young (3.2), Devin Booker (2.0) and plenty of other very solid NBA players had less than 3.5 win shares last season.

-Jason "the more I look at that article, the more silly it seems" Evans

[FerryFor50]

I appreciate the article and the care and detail the author went into. But -- maybe this is just me -- but looking at the list from 1 to 20 -- I couldn't tell if #1 or #20 was the "worst of the worst" of the "best of the worst."

I did note that 7-5 Chuck Nevitt played only 826 minutes in nine seasons (although some were apparently less than full seasons).

Chuck Nevitt currently works where I work. I see him walking around now and then.

Where is Damien Wilkins on this list? 13 seasons, 12.2 WS, 6.3 ppg.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/wilkida02.html

[miramar]

At least we still have Joe Wolf to kick around, too. :p

Unfortunately, his buddy Dave Popson didn't even make the list.

There are other players from the 1987 NBA draft whom we have seen over the years, including Billy Donovan and Rickie Winslow.

[JasonEvans]

Where is Damien Wilkins on this list? 13 seasons, 12.2 WS, 6.3 ppg.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/wilkida02.html

It is like the folks who wrote that article barely did any research.

Alan Anderson - 7.4 WS in 8 seasons
Randy Foye - 23.5 WS in 11 seasons
Joel Anthony - 15.3 WS in 10 seasons
Jamal Tinsley - 17.2 WS in 11 seasons
Mike James - 22.3 WS in 13 seasons
But they all pale in comparison to Melvin Ely... 4.0 WS in 9 seasons. That's impressive.

[Reilly]

I would be careful to define my "profession" so precisely that there would be fewer than 500 people in it -- then I could claim "top 500."

I doubt 500 people have as many sporks as you do, so just run with that.

[Duke95]

But so does James McAdoo (actually, he has two of them). I'm not sure this argument holds a lot of water...

What argument? I'm just pointing out that he may have the least distinguished career, but he has a ring as consolation.

[PackMan97]

So he's kinda like Chucky Brown (holds the record for most different NBA teams played for)...12 teams (with twice in Charlotte and Cleavland)...and is the second player to win an NBA title and CBA title in the same season!

Chucky Brown sports an impressive 19.0 WS.

[Reilly]

... Chucky Brown ... is the second player to win an NBA title and CBA title in the same season! ...

Don't leave us hanging -- who was the first?

[weezie]

You now what else Dahntay Jones has? An NBA ring.

I'm a fan.

Me, too.
Reuben Fisherbaum reads like a dope. A bunch of tortured, and at the same time, exhaustingly obvious columns. Gosh, I sure do hate the wapo.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Me, too.
Reuben Fisherbaum reads like a dope. A bunch of tortured, and at the same time, exhaustingly obvious columns. Gosh, I sure do hate the wapo.

weezie, you have an NBA ring???

[weezie]

weezie, you have an NBA ring???

Sorry, no. But I have held the Stanley Cup. Maybe I won that?

[cato]

Dahntay is the greatest. No one will ever top the spontaneous pushups after a dunk. Anyone else who tries is just copying him.

https://youtu.be/jDd7tK5c6S0

ETA: I love Shelden going over to Dahntay to pick him up

[PackMan97]

Don't leave us hanging -- who was the first?

Wouldn't you like to know....LOL! I have no idea.

[BD80]

Sorry, no. But I have held the Stanley Cup. ...

I hope you were wearing gloves. Do you know where that thing has been?

[elvis14]

Chuck Nevitt currently works where I work. I see him walking around now and then.




Of the several billion people who have played basketball, he is currently among the 500 best in the world.

How would you rank in your chosen profession worldwide?

Entertaining article, but there is ZERO shame in being a 10+ NBA veteran.

Dante is a winner in life.

Worldwide? I don't think I'm in the top 500 right here at work (and that includes being ranked well behind FerryFor50 who is 1 floor below me and and Chuck Nevitt who's 1 building away and really really tall).

Dahntay stayed in the league because he could play defense and he had a little Nate James Badass in him.

[budwom]

I still haven't read the article, but it seems that the essence of it lacks logic....ANY guy who can hang around the league for 10 or more years (competing for a roster spot year after year against lots and lots of talent)
has to be bringing something important to the team....generally things like attitude, leadership and defense.

[superdave]

But so does James McAdoo (actually, he has two of them). I'm not sure this argument holds a lot of water...

I'd take a ring. Imagine the local car commercials you could do wearing that thing.

Sad to see Jack Haley miss this list. 9 seasons, 2.9 win shares. Confidant to The Worm.

[FerryFor50]

It is like the folks who wrote that article barely did any research.

Alan Anderson - 7.4 WS in 8 seasons
Randy Foye - 23.5 WS in 11 seasons
Joel Anthony - 15.3 WS in 10 seasons
Jamal Tinsley - 17.2 WS in 11 seasons
Mike James - 22.3 WS in 13 seasons
But they all pale in comparison to Melvin Ely... 4.0 WS in 9 seasons. That's impressive.

I feel like the thought process was:

"Man, I don't like Dahntay Jones. Remember when we were UVA undergrads and he did those push ups after a dunk? How is he still in the NBA?"

"Yea let's write an article about how crappy he is."

"How should we do it?"

"Let's include some random guys we picked out of a hat."

"Deal."

[-jk]

I still haven't read the article, but it seems that the essence of it lacks logic...ANY guy who can hang around the league for 10 or more years (competing for a roster spot year after year against lots and lots of talent)
has to be bringing something important to the team...generally things like attitude, leadership and defense.

They did recognize Dahntay brings something to the game that's kept him around.

-jk

[DevilFalcon]

Dante's agent should probably get a raise.