NBA Power Rankings: A Look at the NBA's 10 Best Teammates
NBA players are often criticized for having large egos, getting paid significantly more than they are worth and not giving their best capable effort.
Often times they are perceived negatively for partying, gambling and breaking the law.
Yet there is another group of players who do not get as much attention. This group is often overshadowed by the actions of a few bad apples.
There are good guys in the NBA who have a positive impact both on and off the floor.
Statistics matter, but there are other variables that makes a great teammate such as the ability to make others around them better and contributions to society.
These players deserve just as much attention as the ones who are involved in altercations outside a nightclub on a Friday night.
They are The Top 10 NBA teammates.
No. 10: Kwame Brown
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Why on earth would arguably the biggest bust in the NBA make the best teammate list?
The answer is in the question. His "biggest bust" status is an asset to other teammates.
As a teammate, no matter what you do, you will never be criticized as much as Kwame and that is great news.
They claimed he might have been the best high-school player in the country in 2001, but he has had a career filled with disappointments, injuries and he will always be known as one of Michael Jordan's biggest mistakes after being drafted first overall in the 2001 NBA draft.
The Wizards took a gamble on him and it never paid off.
It is one thing to not live up to expectations but he has had a string of off court issues. He once skipped practice because of a stomach ailment, only to be seen at a Chinese restaurant on the same day.
He once threw a cake at a person and agreed to buy them dinner in an effort to end the predicament.
Kwame is such a bad teammate that he makes every other player on the roster seem invaluable, thus he should be regarded as a great teammate.
No. 9: Kendrick Perkins
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The Enforcer.
During the 2009-10 NBA season, Kendrick Perkins contributed a career high 10.1ppg and shot an astonishing .601 from the field. However these solid stats are not the reason as to why Perkins is an outstanding teammate.
He is scary.
Kendrick Perkins is not the guy you want to mess with if you are playing against him and you better not mess with his teammates.
This 280 pound center has no problem retaliating for a hard foul and will provide justice when the referees miss a hard foul.
Perkins is ferocious, physical and gives 100 percent every time he is out on the floor.
The Celtics miss him and if he were your teammate, you would miss him too.
No. 8: Shaquille O'Neal
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If you ask Kobe Bryant who his best teammate was, rest assured the answer will never be Shaq. Yet the Big Diesel is the type of player anyone would want as a teammate.
He's hilarious, he is freakishly gigantic and thus intimidating and his statistics speak for themselves.
This future Pro Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee has been double and often triple-teamed throughout his illustrious career. Many teammates were able to inflate stats because Shaq was on the floor, just ask Jason Kapono.
Shaq made everyone around him better. However it should also be noted that the big man from Lousiana State University has also made significant contributions outside the court.
He paid for the funeral for five-year old Shaniya Davis who was abducted and killed in North Carolina.
Shaq states: "I was sitting at home watching it on the news and the story brought a tear to my eye."
The big man has a big heart.
No. 7: Ryan Gomes
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As a forward from Providence you wouldn't expect much from Ryan Gomes, the 50th pick overall in the 2005 NBA Draft.
Yet Gomes has been an NBA starter for 307 of the 374 career games he has played.
He has averaged a solid 11.5 ppg and 5.1rpb during his career. However Ryan Gomes has made a much larger contribution off the court.
Gomes witnessed the death of former high-school teammate Greg Moyer, who suffered cardiac arrest during halftime of a varsity game in Pennsylvania. A death which might have been prevented had a defibrillator been found at the gym.
Gomes has made it his mission to use his fame for a good cause. He started Hoops for Heart, a charitable organization whose main goal is to raise awareness for sudden cardiac arrest in student-athletes.
Gomes has donated defibrillators to numerous schools, and to this day continues to visit various schools in an effort to raise awareness.
He states his mission is to have a defibrillator present in every gym across America.
Slowly but surely, he is completing this mission.
No. 6: Donte Greene
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Though he has only averaged 6.5 ppg in his career thus far, Donte Greene should be considered a phenomenal teammate based on an incident off the court.
During 2009 Memorial Day weekend Donte and his friends hit the water for some boating activities.
There was a woman on another boat who was trying to untie a ladder when she suddenly slipped and fell into the water. She couldn't swim.
Greene, without hesitation, jumped right in the water and saved her life. He risked his own life to help a stranger.
For his heroic act, Donte Greene would be appreciated in every NBA locker room.
You can't buy heroism.
No. 5: Ray Allen
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The NBA all-time leader in three-point field-goals made, Ray Allen has a resume athletes often dream about having.
The 10-time NBA All-Star has everything you would want in a teammate. He avoids trouble, has a phenomenal work ethic and does great charitable work.
Allen founded "Ray of Hope" a foundation which assists charities in various communities.
He arrives three hours before every game and practices by taking over 200 shots an hour.
This type of work ethic is infectious and Ray Allen has been an asset to every team he has ever played for and has a very likable personality.
He got game.
No. 4: Joakim Noah
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Averaging 10 points and 11 rebounds per game, it is clear that Joakim Noah is a solid contributor on the court.
The Bulls have increasingly gotten better every year since Noah has entered the NBA and his physicality and effort has been a tremendous asset to the Bulls.
He hustles, he is not afraid to speak his mind and he does not quit on any plays.
His colorful, humorous personality is also great for building team chemistry. For all he does on the court, Noah is an excellent teammate.
No.3: Corey Maggette, Marko Jaric, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand
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After Clippers owner Donald Sterling rejected a medical bill from assistant coach Kim Hughes, Hughes was left to ponder where he would get the money to pay for his cancer treatments.
Hughes was diagnosed with prostate cancer and eventually discovered that the Clippers front office was not going to pay the medical bills which amounted to $70,000.
That is when four teammates: Corey Maggette, Marko Jaric, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand stepped up to the plate.
These four teammates all chipped in and paid for the life-saving surgery of their assistant coach.
The Clippers went 28-54 during the 2003-04 NBA season but these four will always be remembered for saving their assistant coach's life, an act far greater than any NBA championship could bring.
For their heroic actions, these four players would be an asset to any NBA locker room.
No. 2: Derrick Rose
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Derrick is considered the "floor general."
He is in the midst of a MVP-type season and is making everyone around him look better.
He is in the top 15 in the league when it comes to assists, as he is averaging nearly eight a game, and he is also contributing 24.9 points per game.
The result? The Chicago Bulls are a stunning 53-20 and have legitimized their position at contending for a NBA championship.
Derrick Rose's increasingly phenomenal play has significantly contributed to the success of the Chicago Bulls.
He is a soft spoken, athletic leader who lets his game do all the talking.
Every basketball team in every league in the world would love the opportunity to have a Derrick Rose.
No. 1: Steve Nash
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Who knew the Canadian kid from Santa Clara University would have such a tremendous impact on his team.
He simply makes everyone better: the ball boy, the fans, the broadcasters, his coaches but most importantly, the players.
His awareness on the court is transcendental. His shooting abilities are spectacular. His effectiveness off every pick and roll makes him unstoppable.
Nash's contribution to the Phoenix Suns is incalculable.
He finds players open all the time, he is quick, agile and his precise passing often proves troublesome for defenders.
This two-time MVP is not only known for his own statistics and making his teammates better, he has made significant contributions off the court as well.
He founded the Steve Nash Foundation, a foundation whose main purpose is to maintain health in kids and raise awareness to world issues such as poverty.
He is the sponsor of the Steve Nash Youth Basketball League in his home province of British Columbia, which has seen over 10,000 participants.
In 2006, Time Magazine named him one of the most 100 influential people in the world.
Simply amazing.
