Athletes Who Don't Deserve the Superstar Label Anymore
As sports fans, there are instances where we just need to be honest with ourselves.
For example, when your favorite basketball team has been struggling all season long, it might be time to accept the fact that they aren't going to magically turn things around and flip on a championship switch.
Sure, it happens, but not very often.
The same could be said for some of our favorite athletes, who, although being labeled as superstars, sometimes slip into the "very good but not great" conversation.
And because there have been quite a few of those types of players, I'm giving you some names of guys who should no longer be considered superstars—even if they get paid like one because of their famous name.
Matt Kemp
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To put it bluntly—superstars' teams don't give up on them and trade them to a division rival.
For that reason, along with the drop in his stats, newly acquired San Diego Padres outfielder Matt Kemp can't possibly be considered among the game's elite any longer.
In fact, one can make the case that Kemp should have never received superstar-like money when his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, signed him to an eight-year, $160 contract in 2011; he hadn't yet proved himself to be a consistent enough player, and he's hit more than 30 homers just once in his career, in 2011 when he finished runner-up in the NL MVP race.
Kemp had a solid 2014 by belting 25 homers, driving in 89 runs and helping the Dodgers win the NL West. But those stats don't warrant a payday worth $21 million—which is what he earned last season.
Kevin Love
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As you'll see with another NBA player on this list, Kevin Love's decline in production in his first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers warranted quite the reaction from Grantland's Bill Simmons, who is stunned at just how much the three-time All-Star has fallen off.
And for those who think that K-Love is still a superstar, just look at his player efficiency rating over the past two years, going from third in the league last year to 56th so far in 2014-15.
Cavaliers fans wondered how Love would transition to playing with fellow stars LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, but I don't think they expected such little impact and so many off nights from the talented big man.
Zdeno Chara
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Has Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara ever been a true superstar who was in the conversation for league MVPs and other individual awards? Not like others.
But Chara has always been a solid player and a key to his team's success, acting as the key cog on the Bruins' back line, helping his team reach great heights.
With recent injuries limiting him thanks to his tough playing style, Chara doesn't bring the same type of skill as he once did—and his 2014-15 numbers prove it.
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Ryan Braun
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Following his MVP season in 2011—in which he beat out the aforementioned Matt Kemp—Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun has been a shell of his former self.
While he did lead the NL in home runs in 2012, the stats need to be taken with a grain of salt after news came out in 2013 that Braun was linked to—and eventually suspended for—using PEDs.
Playing in 135 games in 2014, the slugger hit just 19 homers and drove in 81 runs, all while hitting a career-low .266.
Those aren't the type of power numbers one would expect from a guy whose nickname, "The Hebrew Hammer", gives the impression that he is feared at the plate.
Nor are they good enough to justify his $10 million salary from last year—or the $109 million Braun's set to earn over the next six seasons.
Wayne Rooney
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Unlike a few other players on this list, English national team and Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney's numbers aren't the reason why he finds himself on this list.
It's that, for as much credit as Rooney gets for being an icon in English soccer, he hasn't actually done much to earn it.
Sure, he captains the world's most prestigious soccer club, but in the three World Cups he's appeared in for England, Rooney has scored just one goal and failed to get England past the round of 16.
To truly be considered on the same level as players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney needs to be giving more.
Justin Verlander
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It's hard to imagine that Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander was so dominating just a few seasons ago after seeing how he has performed in 2013 and 2014.
Following a four-year stretch in which the righty went 78-31 with a 2.95 ERA, earning him a Cy Young and a league MVP award in 2011, Verlander has lost velocity on his fastball and command on his off-speed stuff, dipping his numbers the past two years to a combined 28-24 with an ERA of 3.99.
Once the most feared pitcher in the game, Verlander hasn't lived up to the the record seven-year, $180 million deal he signed with Detroit prior to the '13 season.
Robert Griffin III
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It sure seems like a long time ago that Robert Griffin was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year and considered to be one of the best young quarterbacks in the league, doesn't it?
Battling his way back from a knee injury he suffered during a Wild Card Round loss in his rookie season, RG3 has had a ton of drama come his way ever since, including a variety of other bumps, bruises and dysfunction with his head coaches.
After being benched in 2014 in favor of journeyman Colt McCoy, Griffin's name isn't often mentioned as the face of the franchise any more—something that drops his superstar-like aura down quite a bit.
Derrick Rose
8 of 15For those wondering what type of season it has been for Derrick Rose so far, look no further than his postgame tirade following a loss to the Cleveland Cavs last week, where the former league MVP cursed his way through everything that was on his mind.
In the past, words from a player of Rose's stature might have been looked at as uplifting.
But given the money he makes in both annual salary and endorsements, along with the injuries and decline in his play, D-Rose wasn't given such benefit of the doubt.
Never playing a full 82-game season in his career, Rose's numbers have dipped dramatically since his MVP season in 2011 and, even more surprising, led to Bill Simmons analyzing what the Bulls would possibly get if they did decide to part ways with the three-time All-Star.
Joe Mauer
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There were so many reasons why the Minnesota Twins signed former AL MVP Joe Mauer to a huge eight-year, $184 million deal during the 2010 season.
He's a hometown kid and, at the time, looked as if he was set to become one of the best hitters in the majors.
Since inking that contract though, Mauer hasn't shown the same type of promise, having a miserable 2014 season that saw him hit a career-low .277 and play in just 120 games. That even prompted Mauer's grandpa to make judgement on the kid's play for how much he's getting paid.
With the Twins struggling in the wins column and Mauer getting paid a hefty salary each year, there might not be anyone who can justify the decision the team made five years ago.
Vincent Lecavalier
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The No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NHL draft, Philadelphia Flyers center Vincent Lecavalier has been a good, if not underwhelming player in his 15-plus years in the league.
While he did win a Stanley Cup title in 2004 and the Maurice Richard Trophy in 2007 as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Lecavalier hasn't shown the same skills in recent seasons as he has battled multiple injuries going all the way back to 2008.
Reading the writing on the wall, the Lightning bought Lecavalier's contract out in 2013, allowing him to sign with the Flyers. He hasn't been able to establish himself as the offensive threat he once was, totaling just 51 points in his two seasons in Philly—even though he's making the seventh-highest salary in the league.
Kobe Bryant
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Of all the players I've listed in this piece, Kobe Bryant's name is the most difficult to include.
Unfortunately, Bryant hasn't been able to put on display the type of championship-level production that helped lead him to such iconic status.
Sure, "The Black Mamba" recently passed Michael Jordan for third on the league's all-time scoring list and plays at a high level individually, but he doesn't have it in him to carry a team like he once did—especially since his supporting cast isn't what it once was.
With another injury that is expected keep him out for the rest of 2015, the question now turns from if Kobe is a superstar anymore to if he will even be an NBA player for much longer.
Dwight Howard
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The Houston Rockets might be paying center Dwight Howard $21.4 million this season—the fifth-highest salary in the league—but D12 hasn't provided the type of production that helped him get that type of money.
Forget the fact that Howard as missed some time this year due to injury and focus on the fact that he isn't the same player he was while with the Orlando Magic several years ago.
Both his scoring and rebounding numbers have declined, and although he was once a feared defensive player, Howard hasn't been as dominant on that end either.
Like others on this list, his name brings heavy bearing, but his numbers don't match the superstar mantra—as his teammate, James Harden, is the bigger star on the Rockets.
Albert Pujols
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Just a few years ago, Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols was hands-down the best hitter the major leagues had.
These days, well, Big Al has handed that title over to his young, reigning AL MVP teammate, Mike Trout.
A three-time MVP himself, Pujols had a stretch where he hit at least 30 homers and drove in over 100 runs in 10 straight seasons, leading him to get a massive contract from the Angels before the 2012 season.
It's too bad he hasn't had the same impactful production though, looking a little bit older and slower with the bat in his three seasons with the Halos.
Larry Fitzgerald
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Like the aforementioned Kobe Bryant, this one actually pains me.
For 11 seasons, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has put up Hall of Fame-worthy stats and been a leader of the franchise since they made him the No. 3 overall pick in 2004.
Unfortunately, Fitz hasn't been the same type of player that his name is often associated with, failing to surpass more than 954 receiving yards in his past three seasons and grabbing a total of 16 touchdowns.
He has had a great career, but Larry Fitzgerald is in the twilight of it at this point.
Carmelo Anthony
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I don't care if he has made seven straight All-Star Game appearances—including his most recent trip as a fan-voted starter in this year's game, which is being played in the Big Apple—New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is not a superstar.
Sure, go ahead and throw out all the stats you want about how he's a top-tier scorer who is capable of going off at any time, I'll shut the argument down.
Unlike bulk scorers from the past like Allen Iverson and, more recently, Kevin Durant, Melo doesn't make his teammates any better—and hasn't reached an NBA Finals like those two players.
Considering many, too often, believe Anthony is a top-10 player in the league right now and that he's getting paid the fourth-highest salary in the NBA, he should be leading at a higher level.
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