The NBA's All-Time Greatest: Worst Seasons Of Their Careers

The players herein are probably 13 of the 15 greatest players of all time.

They have had some amazing seasons, like when Wilt averaged over 50 and scored 100 or when Jordan had 200 steals and 100 blocks (twice he did that) and was named Defensive Player of the Year (1988) and also led the league in scoring or the year Kobe scored 81 or when Shaq was unstoppable for three years straight or when The Big O averaged a triple double.

But they each had at least one bad season whether it be due to injury (Jordan's second season), or youth (Bryant's first two seasons) or whether it be to old age ,which many fell prey to, except maybe Jordan who only was bad when compared to himself at age 40 on the Wizards.

These are the great players and their worst seasons.

13. George Gervin 1985-86 Chicago Bulls

In Gervin's last season he was only 33 years old but he had come to the Bulls after nine seasons with San Antonio.

In SA, he became a four time scoring champion who shot better than probably anyone I have ever seen.

This guy would average 40 points per game in the NBA 2011. He averaged 26.2 ppg over his 10-year NBA career and never won a title.

His first, last and only season in Chicago was needed by the Bulls who lost Jordan to a broken foot in Game 3 of the season. It was Jordan's second season. They needed a scorer for the entire season until Jordan came back with 15 games left.

Gervin served adequately as a scorer for the Bulls but put up by far his lowest scoring season ever. He played in all 82 games but only played 25.2 minutes per night and shot a career-low 47.2% from the field. Gervin averaged 16.2 ppg that year.

Actually, that is pretty damn good for a player's worst season!  

12. John Havlicek: 1962-63 Boston Celtics

Havlicek was a 22-year-old rookie in 62-63 but his team still won the title and they used him a lot, for a rookie.

He averaged 27.5 minutes per night and scored 14.3 points per game. He didn't shoot exceptionally well (44.5% from the field and 72.8% from the line), but he grabbed a lot of boards at 6.7 per game and dished off 2.2 assists per game.

His career averages and achievements eclipsed what was a good rookie year, but his worst individual season.

Havlicek went on to win eight NBA championship rings! One of the most underrated players ever, but only by today's young NBA fans, because they just don't know.

11. Kobe Bryant: 1996-97 L.A. Lakers

Kobe came in at 18 and unlike LeBron at 18, wasn't immediately effective. He was immediately exciting, but not truly a guy you would give the team to or anything. The veterans on that team were better and he learned from them. 

His career average ppg is 25.3 but in his first season he averaged 7.6 points in 15.5 minutes. His career FG% is 45.5%, but in his first season he shot 41.7%. In his next season he moved up to 26 minutes and 15.4 ppg, so the progression was on. In his third year he went up to 19.9 ppg.

Kobe got better over the years, and many fans think Kobe only averaged 7.6 because he was not played enough.

He wasn't played enough for good reason: he hadn't proven he was worth the minutes yet. He was the classic rookie.

The 1996-97 Lakers had Shaq, Cedric Ceballos, Derek Fisher, Robert Horry, Eddie Jones, Jerome Kersey, George McCloud, Nick Van Exel and Byron Scott -THINK ABOUT IT

10. Moses Malone: 1992-93 Milwaukee Bucks

Moses Malone was one of the most dominant big men ever. He is a three-time NBA MVP and he scored over 20 ppg for 11 straight seasons from 1979 to 1989. In 1982 and before, the 76ers couldn't win it all, so they picked up Malone in 1983 and they won the title. He averaged 24.5 pts and 15.3 rebs that year.

Even at age 36, he was doing good for Milwaukee when he put in 15.6 pts and 9.1 boards in only 30 minutes a night. Then he was injured.

The next season, at age 37, the man who once averaged 31.1 points per game in 1982, only played 11 games in the 1992-93 season. He only played 9.5 minutes in those games and only scored 4.5 pts per night on 31% shooting.

Damn, he was REEEAALLY injured. Still one of the greatest ever who today's fans know almost nothing about. It's sad actually.

9. Oscar Robertson: 1973-74 Milwaukee Bucks

The Big O had already averaged a triple double in a season, already scored over 30 points per game in six of his first seven seasons (including his rookie year!) and even won an NBA title in 1971 by the time he entered what would be his last season at age 35.

In 1973-74 the Big O played 35.4 minutes per game but shot only 43.8% from the field. His overall numbers went down as he aged, but he still managed to put in 12.7 points per game along with 4 rebs, 6.4 assists and 1.1 steals.

Seemed like a good time to retire for one of the greatest players ever to grace the hardwood; and probably one of the most underrated ever, too.  

8. Bill Russell: 1966-67 Boston Celtics

Bill Russell is the winningest player in NBA history by far. He came in as a rookie in 1956-57 and his team won the title.

In his second season, Russell averaged 16.ppg and 22.7 rebs but his team didn't win the title. They lost to Bob Pettit and the St. Louis Hawks in the Finals.

Yes, even Russell lost in the finals (Jordan never did). But I still don't think that was his worst season. He was a second-year player at only 23 and he didn't know his team was about to win eight straight titles.

That is why I believe Russell's worst season was in 1967 when they could have won nine straight but didn't even make it to the Finals. That must have felt weird for him.

In that season he averaged only 13.3 ppg on 45.4% shooting and he only shot 61% from the line. And Wilt finally got the best of the league.

The next season Russell and the Celtics won it again and then again and then he retired.

His statistically worst season was his last. He was 34 years old and only scored 9.9 ppg and 19.3 rebs. But his team won the title. For Bill, his worst season wasn't statistical it was whether he won or not.

The Celtics had to wait five years after he retired to win the title again. 

7. Hakeem Olajuwon: 2001-02 Toronto Raptors

I do not know about you, but for me it was weird and kind of sad to see Olajuwon in a Toronto jersey. He had been with Houston for 17 seasons and then at age 39 he was on the Raptors.

He actually looked cool in the jersey but he was so old that they only played him 22.6 minutes a night. He averaged by far a career-low 7.1 ppg and 6 rebs per game and 1.5 blocks. He was still good.

Before that he had won two titles and was named Finals MVP both times. He averaged over 20 ppg for 13 straight seasons too! Most players can't even do that once.

The modern NBA fan truly does not realize how amazing Hakeem really was and the glamour players are considered better. There is not a player in the NBA today who is better than Hakeem was in his best season. No way.

In 1989, for example, Olajuwon averaged 24.8 ppg, 13.5 rebs, 2.6 steals and 3.4 blocks per game. What the....?  

6. Larry Bird: 1988-89 Boston Celtics

You know Larry had a bad back late in his career, but do you know it was so bad that in 1988-89 he only played six games? The Celtics sucked obviously, well, compared to themselves. That's how it was without Bird.

In those six games, Bird only played 31.5 minutes per game at age 32. He shot only 47.1% from the field, which was really bad for him, but he grabbed 6.2 rebs per and dished 4.8 assists per game.

This was Bird's career-low scoring season with "ONLY" 19.3 ppg. Two years later, he scored 19.4 ppg in 60 games, his second lowest.

That's how good he was. Bird was the man.

5. Magic Johnson: 1995-96 L.A. Lakers

After missing five seasons of NBA action, Magic came back and just wasn't the same at age 36. Did he think he was like Mike?

He wasn't.

The greatest point guard ever only played 32 games before figuring he was potentially hurting the team. It was fun to see him play against MJ that year, and the Lakers lost by 20 to the Bulls. Jordan said he would not give Magic a chance and sicked Rodman on him too.

In that season Magic played 29.9 minutes per game and dished off for a career low 6.9 assists and a career-low 14.6 points and a career-low 4.5 rebounds per game, which is actually pretty good.

I remember when he came back. It was weird to see him out there with all those fast kids.

4. Shaquille O'Neal: 2007-08 Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns

2011 may be Shaq's worst and last statistical season only because he's now the oldest player in the NBA at age 38. But back in 2007-08, he had his worst season due to injuries and a mid-season trade that sent him to Phoenix.

He is one of the most dominant players ever and literally could not be stopped from age 20 to 33. He was big, strong, mean and smart.

In 2007-08 he was obviously old. He was 35 and played in only 61 total games. He averaged 28.7 minutes per game and scored 13.6 ppg.

He did shoot 59.3% from the field though. He also grabbed 9 rebs per game that year and 1.4 blocks per game. Still good, for sure.

That's what happens when you are old and as big as a bus, but he will always be one of the greatest and most unstoppable players ever!   

3. Kareem Abdul Jabbar: 1988-89 L.A. Lakers

Kareem played 20 seasons in the NBA!!!

In his 20th season he was 41 years old!!!

At age 41 he still played in 74 of 82 games and scored 10.1 points per game in 22.9 minutes. He shot a career low 47.5% from the field and only averaged 4.5 rebs and 1.1 blocks.

His last season was a season after the Lakers had repeated and he won his fifth and sixth titles! Young fans nowadays do not realize who he was and how he played when they say Kobe is the first or second best Laker ever, after Magic.

They are wrong. Kareem is the best player the Lakers EVER had; but you just do not know. It is so sad and disrespectful to say such a thing. He was greater than they will ever want to know or admit.

2. Wilt Chamberlain: 1972-73 L.A. Lakers

Wilt was the most dominant individual player ever; that is until he got to the Lakers at age 32. He was still amazing and he helped them win the title in 1972 at age 35.

In his last ever season 'The Stilt' averaged an amazing 43.2 minutes per game but only scored 13.2 ppg on an astonishing 72.7% from the field.

He also grabbed 18.6 rebs per game and dished off for 4.5 assists per. This is how amazing the man that many consider the greatest ever was. This was his worst season!!!

But the Lakers did lose in the Finals vs. New York and Wilt retired. Maybe he should have scored more or forced the Finals win. That was always his problem. He said he could do it, but he didn't.

Nevertheless, the things he did while in Philadelphia will never be matched again: 50.4 ppg, 25.7 rpg and 100 points in one game in 1961-62. That's just sickeningly unfathomable.

Fans now just do not know, but they better start recognizing! He would dominate the NBA today.

1. Michael Jordan: 1985-86

After one of the most amazing rookie years ever, Michael Jordan broke his foot only three games into his second season.

In his first season he put in 28.2 ppg, 6.5 rebs, 5.9 assists, 2.4 steals and he shot 51.5% from the field, single-handedly taking the Bulls to the playoffs and starting his legend.

I know many people think his worst season was in Washington, but I don't. He wasn't as good as when he was younger but he averaged 22.9 points per game and 5.7 rebs and 5.2 assists at age 39 and then at age 40 he scored 20.0 ppg (his lowest ever!) at age 40 and he added 6.1 rebs, 3.8 asists and 1.5 steals per game.

He scored 51 at age 38 (oldest player ever to score 50) and he is the only player ever over 40 to score over 40 points. That is freaking awesome, so I go with the one season he was injured as his worst.

In his second season, he came back with 15 games left and terrorized the league and then went on to score an all-time high (still) 63 points in the playoffs, but they did lose in the first round to Boston.

In Jordan's worst season he scored an all-time playoff high. The ONLY time he had a bad season is when he didn't suit up. The greatest player of all time never had a bad season!