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One-hit wonders aren't strictly confined to the music industry. The one-season wonder is definitely one of the most fascinating phenomena in sports. A player who plays significantly over their abilities for one season or during a stretch of a season. There have been many examples of one-season wonders in sports, like for example, the NFL.
The NBA is also no stranger to these types of players. There have been many times that a player looked poised for a career breakthrough after a successful season, but fell back down to earth in the following years.
With that in mind, this article will look at some of the most prominent one-season wonders in NBA history. Players who suffered major injuries or dealt with other career-threatening issues won't be on this list.
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#5. Jeremy Lin (PG, Knicks, 2011-12)
We all knew he'd be coming, so let's get him out of the way first. Lin was born to a family of Taiwanese immigrants, who weren't blessed with athletic skills. However, seeing Lin grow so tall caused his parents to push him to pursue basketball. Lin resisted initially, but he slowly began to love the game. He had a great career at Palo Alto High School, leading them to a 32-1 record in his senior year.
Lin faced many doubters early on, possibly caused by the racist stereotypes against Asian athletes. Lin was recruited to Harvard, and struggled mightily in his freshman year, averaging just 4.8 points. Lin would rebound and become a star, as he set many school records during his senior season including highest PER, Win Shares per 48, and Offensive Win Shares in a season by a Harvard player. Despite going undrafted, he impressed as part of the Mavs' Summer League team, but he passed up a chance to play for the eventual 2011 NBA champs to sign a two-year deal with his hometown Warriors.
Jeremy Lin dropping almost 40 after getting disrespected by Kobe the night before doesn’t get talked about nearly enough pic.twitter.com/uPj1fJlC96
— jw (@jwmedia12) December 25, 2021
Making his debut during the Warriors' Asian Heritage Night, Lin became the only Harvard player to play in the NBA since 1951, and the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to ever play in the league. He saw minimal action in his first year but gained a cult following. He was waived in the lockout offseason because the team wanted to hand out an offer sheet to RFA DeAndre Jordan. He'd then join the Knicks, initially as the fourth-string PG, but we all know what happened next.
Lin would average 19 points and eight assists a night in the "Linsanity" period before tearing his meniscus. He was one of the most popular athletes in New York history, however, he wasn't brought back after the Rockets offered him a "poison pill" contract (60% of his contract in his final year). He'd go on to become a respectable NBA player, even winning a championship in his final year in the league, but he'd never come close to replicating his superstar play in the Big Apple.
#4. Mike James (PG, Raptors, 2005-06)
Not much was ever expected from Mike James, the young point guard from Duquesne University. He had a solid career there, and although he never led the school to many wins, he did get his jersey retired. After leaving the Dukes to declare for the draft, James went undrafted and had to play in the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association, and in Europe.
James did get a chance with the Heat though, and after 15 games in his rookie year at the age of 26, he became a solid contributor in his second year. He was asked by Pat Riley, the Heat’s coach and president, to stay as he offered James a two-year deal. However, James declined as he later stated "I just believed he never really believed in me.” He went to Boston, showing some promise before getting dealt to Detroit midseason, winning an NBA championship. That would not be the highlight of his career.
It was in Detroit where he earned the nickname "Pit Bull" alongside fellow reserve guard Lindsey Hunter, due to their aggressiveness on defense. The two were determined to earn a starting spot and would constantly challenge Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups. It got to the point that Hamilton would create a mixtape of all of James' bloopers and blocked shots and show it to James before their playoff run, causing him to back off.
This lit a fire inside of James, as after solid stints in Milwaukee and Houston, he exploded in 2005-06 with his new team, the Toronto Raptors. He led an exciting offense with the young Chris Bosh and averaged 20.3 points a night with 47/44/84 shooting splits. The Wolves would give him a big four-year, $23.5 million deal, but he would never reach those heights again and retired as a respected veteran.
#3. Aaron Brooks (PG, Rockets, 2009-10)
Aaron Brooks quickly established himself as one of the best PGs in the country as a high schooler. He committed to the Oregon Ducks and slowly worked his way up to become the team's starter in his sophomore season. He was good as a sophomore, however, after a slump in his junior season, his NBA draft status was put into serious jeopardy.
Brooks responded to the doubters by producing an amazing senior season, leading his squad to a 29-8 record despite questionable talent around him. He led the Ducks all the way to the Midwest Regional Final in the NCAA tournament, losing to the eventual NCAA champions, Al Horford's Florida Gators.
That season reinforced the belief that Brooks was a natural floor general, however, his first-round draft status was still in doubt. Most mock drafts from 2007 did not have Brooks drafted in the first round, as he was still viewed as a second-round prospect.
No Tracy McGrady, no Yao Ming, Aaron Brooks steps up with 34 PTS to led the Rockets to the win against the Lakers in the 2009 Western Conference Semi-Finals pic.twitter.com/lDa6uIqZTx
— ᵂᴵᴸᴸ (@BiasedHouston) August 6, 2022
The Houston Rockets decided to take a chance on Brooks, picking him in the first round, 26th overall. Just like in college, he had to work his way up to becoming the team's starter. He started the last 28 games of his second season, showing off his shooting skills (39% from deep) and playing great in the playoffs, giving Kobe Bryant and the Lakers a massive scare by averaging 26.3 PPG in three wins against LA. He followed that up with a monster 2009-10 season, averaging 19.6 points per game while shooting 39.8% from three.
He was named the 2010 Most Improved Player but suffered an ankle sprain which kept him out for a bit. During that time, a young Kyle Lowry filled in for Brooks, and when Brooks returned he battled Lowry all year long. In the end, Lowry won the job for good, averaging 19.3 points on elite shooting with an 11-5 record to end the season. Brooks would bounce around the league shortly afterward, becoming a role player. He's now the two-way players' coach for the Knicks.
#2. Willie Burton (SF, 76ers, 1994-95)
Okay, this is where things get crazy. Two one-season wonders, both on the same 24-58 team. The 76ers are no strangers to tanking, but these mid-90s squads after Charles Barkley and before Allen Iverson were appalling. Let's start with Willie Burton, who is one of the greatest players in the history of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He scored exactly 1,800 points in four seasons there, finishing as the school's second all-time leading scorer, behind Klay Thompson's father Mychal (though he has slipped to fourth as of the time of writing).
He showed that he was a high-volume scorer in college because according to himself, he "hated missing more than actually making shots". He was drafted ninth overall by the Heat. He showed promise early on, making the All-Rookie Second Team in 1991. He was solid again in 1992, but the team slowly shifted their focus from Burton to developing the young Harold Miner.
Miner was a high-flying, bald shooting guard nicknamed "Baby Jordan", so you could see why the Heat were excited. His contract was not extended by the Heat, and he was signed by the Sixers just one day before their season opener. He started the season off hot and had only one thing in mind when the Heat visited the Sixers on December 13, 1994: Revenge.
He dropped 53 points on just 19 shots compared to just four points from Miner, as the Sixers cruised to a blowout win. He averaged 15.3 points to finish the season, but NBA teams thought he was just padding his stats in Philly so he spent one year in Milan. When he returned to the NBA in 1996, he was a shell of his former self and would only play 40 more games in the league.
#1. Dana Barros (PG, 76ers, 1994-95)
The other tank commander on that awful Sixers team, and the only person on this list who managed to get an All-Star appearance out of their "wonder season", Dana Barros had one incredible thing going for him, a deadly three-point shot. Barros is Boston born and raised and went to Boston College, where he retired as the school's all-time leader in points (now third).
Barros was considered to be a tweener, as he possessed the height of a point guard, but the skillset of a shooting guard. He was definitely before his time and could have been a star today. Despite concerns about his size, Barros was picked 19th overall by the Sonics to be their PG of the future but was quickly replaced by Gary Payton. He'd then join Philly, where he had a solid first season before exploding in year two.
Playing 40.5 minutes a night, Barros went off and averaged absurd numbers. 20.6 points, 7.5 assists, and 1.8 steals while shooting 49% from the field and 46.4% from three. He shot 89.9% from the foul line, meaning that he was incredibly close to having a 50-40-90 season. Unlike everyone else on this list, Barros became an NBA All-Star, dropping five points in 11 minutes in the All-Star game.
Barros also had a monster 50-point game against the Rockets and set the NBA record with consecutive games with a three, which was later broken by Kyle Korver. Barros got a massive six-year, $21 million offer from his hometown Celtics, which was a dream come true for Dana. He had some solid years in Boston, never approaching star status but always being a reliable sniper from deep. After five years in Boston, he went to Detroit before playing his last regular season and playoff game for the Celtics.
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