Highlight Moments from Underrated Sports Stars
Fans tend to flock to handpicked favorites and worship their every move. When it comes to less flashy stars not verified as sports icons, memorable moments somehow fall by the wayside.
If Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady or Derek Jeter does something special, the sporting community talks about it nonstop. Even though Jeremy Giambi was safe. If someone with less celebrity cachet accomplishes an even greater feat, it's news for a few days instead of a few years.
This division isn't limited to stars and scrubs. Most of the highlighted players have legitimate Hall of Fame cases, but they weren't quite MVP contributors. Perhaps more importantly to garnering an underrated label, they didn't or don't play in major media markets.
They made a living excelling under the radar, until they all momentarily broke free with a landmark performance. Yet none went down as immortalized classics. Instead, those not too recent to judge from a longevity standpoint fall under the "Oh yeah, I remember that" column.
Let's stroll down memory lane to recall signature moments from some of sports' most underrated stars.
Bobby Abreu: 2005 Home Run Derby
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MLB's Home Run Derby is not intended for mortals. The All-Star event showcases behemoth men using superhuman power to repeatedly direct baseballs into other dimensions.
Giancarlo Stanton, who shattered the all-time record with 61 Derby dingers this year, is the perfect specimen for a tournament touting feats of strength. The previous record holder, Bobby Abreu, is not the hitter who would typically come to mind.
The outfielder retired with 288 home runs and a career high of 31 in 2001. He finished 2005 with 24 long balls, which many observers have dubiously blamed on his Home Run Derby participation. (After going yard 18 times in the first half, he would have regressed to the mean regardless.)
Although not one of the pure sluggers who ran rampant during his playing times, Abreu displayed excellent gap power. His line-drive swing produced a batting-practice masterpiece at Comerica Park, where he belted a record 41 Derby homers, including 24 in the opening round.
Shortly after Derek Jeter's 2014 farewell tour concluded, Abreu quietly slipped away with a higher OPS. He went out sporting a stellar .291/.395/.475 slash line.
Adrian Beltre: 3 Home Runs in 2011 ALDS Game
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Fun fact: Adrian Beltre is one of four players in MLB history who hit for the cycle three times. Yet this is not the ultimate offensive accomplishment. After all, who wouldn't take two home runs, a triple and a double instead?
Or how about three home runs? Yes, three dingers sounds far sweeter than one single, double, triple and homer. In 2011, he spent less time on the bases in favor of a memorable postseason moment.
In Game 4 of the 2011 American League Division Series, the Texas Rangers third baseman took the Tampa Bay Rays deep three times. He joined Babe Ruth, Bob Robertson, Reggie Jackson, George Brett and Adam Kennedy as the only players to accomplish this in a playoff contest.
Those solo shots led the Rangers to a series-clinching 4-3 victory. They fell short to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, but Beltre did his part with two more long balls.
The 37-year-old isn't appreciated enough for his baseball brilliance. After enjoying another magnificent season with Texas, he's a career .286/.338/.480 hitter with 445 home runs, 81.3 FanGraphs WAR and a spot waiting for him in Cooperstown.
Elton Brand: 2006 Conference Semifinals
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Days before the 2016-17 NBA season started, Elton Brand quietly retired to little fanfare. There was no farewell tour where he hogged the ball and stifled an entire franchise's growth. When mourning a departing generation of stars, nobody tossed him in with Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.
Of course, Brand didn't occupy the same status as those all-time greats. That's not to discredit an All-Star who averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in four separate seasons.
During a 17-year career with five different teams, the power forward never reached the conference finals. At the height of his prowess 10 years ago, he nearly willed the Los Angeles Clippers there with a star-cementing semifinals showing.
After averaging a career-high 24.7 points per game in 2005-06, he encountered the high-octane Phoenix Suns in the second round. The 27-year-old played at least 42 minutes in all seven games, including 55 of 58 possible minutes in Game 5's double-overtime loss.
He tallied 30.9 points per game with a 59.1 field-goal percentage. Brand reached 30 in each of the final four contests, accruing 36 in a Game 7 loss without taking a breather. The Clippers couldn't contain the Suns' explosive offense, but he kept a limited roster competitive against one of the best groups to never win a title.
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DeMarcus Cousins: 56-Point Explosion (2016 vs. Hornets)
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It's cruelly fitting that DeMarcus Cousins' signature moment occurred in defeat.
On Jan. 26, the big man scored 56 points with the benefit of double overtime. The extra basketball certainly helped, but he made the most of his 46 minutes by going 21-of-30 from the floor and converting 13 of his 16 free-throw attempts.
The Sacramento Kings still lost, 129-128, to the Charlotte Hornets.
This game encapsulates the brilliance and imperfection of Boogie, a dominant big man who would be revered if not for a negative perception of his off-court personality. Playing for a Kings organization teammate Rudy Gay called "basketball hell" hasn't helped either.
No NBA center can impose his will more on the post, especially when facing a team starting Spencer Hawes. Games like that led him to finish fourth in scoring behind Stephen Curry, James Harden and Kevin Durant.
Then again, Cousins continued a common pattern by coughing up seven turnovers during his scoring outburst. Only four players—all high-usage, ball-dominant guards—surrendered more giveaways per game last season than his 3.8.
Is Cousins padding his stats on a abysmal team or floundering away on a franchise failing him? There's no way of knowing for sure until his circumstances change, but he's one of the NBA's top stars either way.
Roy Halladay: 2010 NLDS No-Hitter
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In three years, Roy Halladay will spark intense debates on whichever social media platforms still exist. Like Curt Schilling and Mike Mussina now, the starting pitcher is slated for uncertain Hall of Fame consideration.
Because of injuries early and late in his career, he may fall short without enough longevity. At his peak, however, he was the best pitcher in baseball.
From 2005 to 2011, Halladay led all qualified starters with a 2.87 ERA and 38.1 WAR, per FanGraphs. Having hurled at least 220 innings in each of those six seasons, the two-time Cy Young Award winner also amassed more innings (1,412.1) than anyone during that window.
The pinnacle of his special run, he threw MLB's second postseason no-hitter in 2010. Starting the National League Division Series showdown with the Cincinnati Reds, he yielded just one walk over an economical 104 pitches.
Roughly four months earlier, he threw a perfect game.
Why isn't this momentous moment brought up every year? Halladay's teammates cost him immortality by losing in the next round to the San Francisco Giants, whose even-year monopoly was finally halted this year.
He never had the wicked stuff or high strikeout rates to garner national attention, but if Halladay isn't a Hall of Famer, what modern pitcher besides Clayton Kershaw is?
Andre Iguodala: 2015 NBA Finals MVP
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Andre Iguodala sacrificed a starting spotlight to instead shine on the Golden State Warriors' bench. Formerly an underappreciated fringe All-Star on the Philadelphia 76ers, the forward found his niche as the ultimate role player.
He hasn't averaged double-digit points since joining Golden State in 2013, and he'll operate as a reserve for the third straight season. As a 32-year-old, he's tasked with doing the dirty work while the marquee stars make the highlight plays.
In 2015, the Warriors needed more from him to overcome the Cleveland Cavaliers. During a stellar NBA Finals showcase, Iguodala reminded everyone that he'd still serve as an average team's third-best player instead of a superteam's sixth man.
Down 2-1—yes, the Cavaliers blew a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals—Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted the veteran into the starting lineup. Iguodala averaged 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists over those three victories. When he guarded LeBron James, the superstar mustered a 33.0 field-goal percentage throughout the entire series.
Although now the team's clear fifth fiddle, he's a year removed from winning 2015 Finals MVP. For all their offensive firepower, the Warriors wouldn't have won without Iguodala's all-around brilliance against the Cavaliers.
Andre Johnson: 273 Receiving Yards (2012 vs. Jaguars)
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Andre Johnson has never recorded double-digit touchdowns in a season. Stuck on the expansion Houston Texans, he didn't make his first playoff appearance until turning 30.
The wide receiver also ranks No. 9 in all-time receptions (1,062) and No. 10 with 14,185 receiving yards. Considering he spent the majority of his career catching footballs from David Carr and Matt Schaub, that's not too shabby.
On Nov. 18, 2012, the star wideout led Schaub to a career day of 527 passing yards and five touchdowns against the listless Jacksonville Jaguars. Johnson tallied 273 of those yards and a game-winning 48-yard touchdown grab to cement the 43-37 overtime win.
"When I caught the ball, and I saw how open I was, I was looking around like, 'Where are the defenders at?'" Johnson said of the screen pass turned into a score, per an Associated Press report via USA Today. "I took off running, I kept looking. I thought the cornerback would come from the outside, but he wasn't there."
His monster outing saved the Texans from an ugly upset, and they finished with a franchise-best 12-4 record. Johnson tallied a career-high 1,598 receiving yards on 112 receptions.
Angelique Kerber: 2016 Australian Open Title
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Serena Williams possessed the throne for so long that nobody envisioned her ever abdicating the seat. Angelique Kerber changed that, commencing a tremendous year with an Australian Open finals victory over the icon.
To be the woman, you got to beat the woman. Kerber passed that test in Melbourne, Australia, besting the top-seeded star to earn her first Grand Slam title. While Williams gained revenge in a finals rematch at Wimbledon, the 28-year-old has since reclaimed the upper hand.
Last month, the German tennis star won the U.S. Open. In doing so, she became the first woman other than Williams to win two majors in the same year since Justine Henin captured the French Open and U.S. Open in 2007.
Kerber also ended Williams' 186-week run wielding the No. 1 ranking. Only Williams and Maria Sharapova have cracked the code of receiving mainstream notoriety, but the new top-ranked star deserves recognition for at least halting a dynasty.
Corey Kluber: 2016 Postseason
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When pondering the top pantheon of MLB starting pitchers, casual fans don't usually think of Corey Kluber. That will change after his dominant October.
With Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar sidelined, the Cleveland Indians' three-headed rotation monster has turned into a one-man show. The reserved 30-year-old has mowed down the opposition this postseason, exiting three of his four starts without surrendering a run.
That's all the more impressive considering he faced the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs, who respectively ranked No. 1, 9 and 3 in runs scored this season.
On Tuesday night, he stifled the Cubs to four hits over six stellar frames, collecting a playoff-high nine strikeouts without issuing a walk. He set a World Series record by recording eight of those punchouts during the opening three innings.
Andrew Miller—the American League Championship Series MVP who has yet to allow a run in Cleveland's bullpen—praised Kluber after Game 1's 6-0 victory, per the Chicago Tribune's Colleen Kane.
"Every young pitcher, every professional pitcher should watch him pitch—it's just a treat," Miller said. "We're really lucky to have him on our side because he's our horse. I'm glad he was able to go out there and set the tone for this series, because that's big."
Much like Chicago's Kyle Hendricks this season, Kluber went from a solid, unheralded starter to a front-line stud en route to winning the 2014 AL Cy Young Award. He's a candidate to win again this season, but he may have to settle for World Series MVP if a strong Game 4 (and potential Game 7) start helps Cleveland close the deal.
Tony Romo: 506-Yard, 5-TD Loss (2013 vs. Broncos)
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Years from now, a young NFL fan will study Tony Romo's career and wonder how a great quarterback became reduced to memes and scorching hot takes about faltering in clutch situations.
The best way to explain the enigma that is Romo: On Oct. 6, 2013, he accumulated 506 yards and five passing touchdowns against the Denver Broncos. His Dallas Cowboys lost a 51-48 shootout, and everyone ignored the passer's brilliant performance to instead ridicule the one costly interception.
An NFL.com headline read "Tony Romo's pick sinks Dallas Cowboys vs. Broncos." USA Today's choice of words: "Brilliant Romo reverts to old Romo vs. Broncos in end." The Cowboys surrendered 48 points before the quarterback's singular mistake put Denver in field-goal range, but don't let logic interfere with a fun narrative.
Per Pro-Football-Reference, old Romo (now 36) has the same career interception percentage (2.7) as Peyton Manning, Cam Newton and Ben Roethlisberger. He's not exactly Ryan Fitzpatrick or Mark Sanchez in terms of giveaways.
Also, he threw for 506 yards and five touchdowns! After this game, it grew abundantly clear that critics would not drop their confirmation bias against a great quarterback for anything short of a Super Bowl victory during which he completed every pass.
Now that Dallas has an elite offensive line and running game alongside a solid defense, he may have to sit and watch rookie Dak Prescott guide a strong supporting cast to the playoffs.
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