The 90s. A decade that featured iconic moments such as the release of Space Jam, The Dream Team, multiple Jordan championships, a Chicago Bulls dynasty, a couple of Houston Championship years, and the worst MVP upset of all time. But these are the easy-to-remember moments. Let's look at some players who fell through the cracks in NBA history.

Despite what others may claim, this is a subjective list. These are solely my thoughts on the matter, as there is no way to prove one player is more overrated than the other. However, by looking at awards, statistics, hype, and many other variables, we can begin to discuss why some players might be seen as overrated under specific criteria. Lots of these players weren't the best players on championship teams. Many don't have NBA titles or championships. These guys aren't Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, or Tim Duncan. These players are overlooked when discussing the lesser-known teams of 90s hoops.

Who are the ten most underrated NBA players of the 90s?

11. Latrell Sprewell

Latrell Sprewell was a great player. He was an entertaining player, scorer, and consistent all-star-level talent in the 90s. Unfortunately, but very reasonably, he will also be remembered for one incident above any other when he choked his coach P.J Carlesimo. Sprewell was suspended from the NBA for an entire season after playing for the Golden State Warriors for 14 games. If you check out his Basketball Reference, you'll see that he started only 13 of the 14 games played. This is because he got benched by his coach for being late to practice which led to tempers eventually boiling over, causing the choking incident.

Latrell is a relic of an old NBA. A player that was highly temperamental and a bit of a selfish gunner. His 1994-95 all-star season saw him average 20-3-4 on an abysmal 26% from 3 while shooting five per game.

Whatever you want to say about Latrell, the fact remains that for the rest of human history, his name will appear alongside Scottie Pipper, Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, and John Stockton on the 1993-94 All-NBA First-Team. And when a first-teamer is lost in the annals of history, that satisfies the underrated criteria for me.

10. Rik Smits

Reggie Miller is a hero of Indiana. And rightfully so. When you look at Indiana Pacers' all-time lists, his name appears quite a lot. But when we look deeper, we can conclude that Miller was overrated. Only 5x All-Star appearances and zero All-NBA selections—showing us that at no point was he a top-15 player in the league—means that we can say the team around him was pretty damn good. And no player showed that more than the giant Rik Smits.

Smits was an incredible roleplayer. He was not great at one particular aspect of the game, but the good part was that he wasn't bad, either. The only sore spot would be his less-than-stellar career average of 6 rebounds per game despite being 7'4″. He was a capable scorer down low, which allowed the Pacers to have an interior presence to set up Miller for the long bombs. Altogether he fell into a great place on a decent team that set him up for success. And like some other players, he could have failed even given that test, but he stood up to the challenge and played perfectly mediocre. Honestly, some players can only dream of doing it.

9. Dale Ellis

An early pioneer of the long bomb, Dale Ellis brought a shooting touch from behind the line that was rarely seen in the NBA of the 80s and 90s. His best season came in 1988-89 when he scored 27.5 points per game while shooting .478 from behind the 3pt line. Entering the decade in his 30's, Dale was moved to multiple teams, including Seattle, Milwaukee, San Antonio, and Denver. His best season saw him selected for the All-Star game and make Third-Team All-NBA. That means for one year of his career; Dale Ellis was considered a top-15 player in the NBA. Unfortunately, he would never appear in either group again, especially with the obscene talent at the guard position during the 1990s.

His best stretch of seasons in the 90s saw him average 14.6 points per game from 1992-98, including one year in the end that saw a sharp decrease in points per game. However, at that time, he was a knockdown shooter, shooting a league-leading 46% from 3pt land.

Before Reggie Miller came along, Dale held the record for most career 3-pointers in the history of the NBA. When he retired, he was second behind Miller and now comes in an absurd 28th on the list. You can see how much 3-point shooting has impacted the game, but Dale was one of the pioneers for players like Kyle Korver, Ray Allen, and others who made their mark as long-range assassins.

8. Derrick Coleman

This is a tough choice, but I'll explain it. No list of the underrated players of the 90s should continue without acknowledging Derrick Coleman, who was selected first in the 1990 NBA draft. He would go on to win Rookie of the Year, and players and media around the league praised him as a future star.

So what happened? Injuries and attitude played a more significant role in his career. An arrest in 1994 for assault signals the start of a career spiral. Over the rest of the decade, Coleman only managed to get on the floor for 294 games. This was only two more than his first four seasons combined.

The issue with Coleman is that he was an extremely hyped-up prospect coming into the league. Compared to the likes of Charles Barkley and Karl Malone, many felt he should mirror the statistics of those legendary power forwards. Even further, pundits assumed he would be better with his ability to shoot 3pt shots that weren't a part of Barkley or Malone's game. However, his work ethic became a concern, and with injuries piling up, he never reached his full potential. But the narrative on Coleman skips over his impact on the court when he did play.

He's a tough addition to this list, but even though he fell short of what others thought he might be, the scales have tilted too far into underrating the size, skill, and force that Coleman showcased during his early dominance of the 90s. Enough so that he has earned a spot on this list.

7. Mitch Richmond

Another guard got enveloped by the power over Jordan. Being a shooting guard during the 90s was challenging for many, but Mitch Richmond is passed over more than most when reminiscing over this era.

Richmond was a member of RUN TMC, the early Golden State Warriors that featured Mitch Richmond, Chris Mullin, and Tim Hardaway playing a high-tempo run-and-gun style that was league-wide entertainment. But Richmond's actual run of excellence began as a member of the Sacramento Kings, taking the reigns as the franchise star for a mediocre team. From 1992-98, Richmond made six All-Star games in a row. He was also selected for five All-NBA teams. The Second Team All-NBA three times, and the Third team twice. It's fantastic that Richmond was a top-4 guard in the NBA and a member of the RUN TMC group but is not brought up that much when discussing the 90s NBA.

My take? The lack of playoff success hurt Richmond historically. In Richmond's six-year all-star span, the team made the playoffs only once, losing in the first round. In a league dominated by Jordan, it was common for guards to be compared to the top of the totem pole, and Michael Jordan was marching his way to NBA Finals appearances and playoff heroics. Richmond? Not so much.

6. Vin Baker

Vin Baker is a name you don't hear all that much. He was the 8th selection by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1993 draft and came into a league brimming with big-man talent. It's no wonder he got lost in the fray, as many centers and power forwards from that era have been lost to history, but for four years, Baker was one of the best.

A four-year stretch from 1994-1998 saw Baker put up all-star seasons. He averaged 19-9-3, playing for Milwaukee and the Seattle Supersonics.

Vin Baker fell off through the later parts of the 90s and the early 2000s because of a struggle with addiction. He details it years later in this Spectrum1 News Article, mentioning how he credits his sobriety with saving his life. Sadly, tragic circumstances befall many players and keep them from reaching their true potential. But luckily for Vin, he managed to succeed for an extended stretch in the NBA, earning a spot on this list.

5. Detlef Schrempf

Drafted by Dallas with the 8th overall pick in 1985, Detlef Schrempf didn't find his footing in the NBA until the 90s. He wasn't the impact player in Dallas, but when he was traded to the Indiana Pacers in 1989, he blossomed into a high-impact player and one of the most underrated players in the league. Over the decade playing for the Indiana Pacers (1989-93) and the Seattle Supersonics (1993-1999), he averaged 17-7-4. This got him selected for 3 All-Star games, won him the Sixth Man of the Year award twice (in consecutive seasons), and even a 3rd Team All-NBA selection in 1994-95.

He was one of three players in Seattle, including Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, to make it on an All-NBA Team. Surprising for a team that got eliminated in the first round, but that's another story. The following year, however, he was an important reason behind Seattle's march to the NBA finals against Jordan and the Bulls. He averaged 16-5-3 in the series, which Seattle lost 4-2.

4. Mookie Blaylock

Mookie was the unheralded point guard of a competitive Atlanta Hawks that hit their stride in the mid-90s. Drafted 12th overall by the New Jersey Nets, he was traded with Roy Hinson to the Atlanta Hawks before the 1992–93 season for Rumeal Robinson and began to thrive under coach Lenny Wilkins.

During his time in Atlanta, he made six All-Defensive teams, two firsts and four seconds. He was a menace on the defensive end, with many calling him the best defender in the league at the time. His best season came in 1993-94, posting a 14-5-10 to go with two steals a game earning him his lone All-Star appearance. He helped the Atlanta Hawks sit atop the Eastern Conference, passing the Chicago Bulls, who were going through the first year of Michael Jordan's baseball retirement. Mookie “The Thief” Blaylock made his mark on the defensive end, setting the pace for the steals race in 1996-97 and 1997-98, averaging 2.7 and 2.6, respectively.

3. Terry Porter

Terry Porter is another name that isn't remembered despite his impact on the history of the NBA. Many will remember the Blazers falling to Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the NBA Finals, with much of the comparison and discussion centered on Portlands shooting guard Clyde Drexler. Despite the popularity Jordan brings to this series, the Trailblazers were making their second trip to the NBA Finals three years after making it in 1989-90. And who led the team in scoring over those playoffs? None other than Terry Porter.

Terry Porter was one of the best point guards of the 90s. Maybe Porter is forgotten because you can see a picture of him and think, “hey, there's Clyde Drexler,” or perhaps it's because he wasn't as much a part of the late 90s basketball as the early 90s, but whatever the case Porter was an incredible player. Over five years, from 1988-1993, Porter averaged 17-3-7 from the point guard position. He made two All-Star games over those five seasons.

Porter will be remembered for captaining the Blazers teams to deep playoff runs early in the 90s and for upping his game when it counted most, increasing his stats across the board regarding playoff basketball.

2. Mark Price

Mark Price was like a less explosive, better-shooting Kevin Johnson. So, they were completely different players but ended their careers with similar accomplishments and career averages. What Mark has over KJ is his lone appearance on an All-NBA first-team in 1993-94 while on the Cleveland Cavaliers, taking over the spot Magic Johnson had on lock for the better part of a decade. This was his best season, but he also compiled three other 3rd team All-NBA's in his career.

Mark is one of many players who lived under the shadow of Jordan, constantly foiled in the playoffs by the Bulls and the GOAT. His best consecutive stretch, 1989-1995, saw averages of 18-3-8 with 40% three-point shooting. He also struggled with injuries, never playing a full 82 games in his career and managing only 48 games before being traded to the Washington Bullets, where his career went into a free fall. Another high mark, the highest in the league three times in his career, was his incredible free throw shooting. His best season saw him finish at 95%. He was an incredibly underrated 90s guard, but he was never a better player than the next guy on our list.