20 NBA stars who were overshadowed by teammates

If you spend the bulk of your career playing with Michael Jordan and win a lot of championships because of it, you're going to live in his shadow. There was an eight-year stretch where he was an All-Star seven times, but he was always MJ's sidekick. We got a flash of Pippen in a lead role when MJ left the league in the 1994 season, and Scottie led the Bulls to a 55-27 record.

As of early 2026, Klay is No. 4 on the all-time list of career made three-pointers, and he's a standout defender. And yet, he may still be historically underrated. It doesn't help that Steph Curry is somehow even better than Klay at his signature ability.

Bosh was the guy in Toronto, a five-time All-Star. When he went to Miami, though, it was an acceptance of a complementary role, behind not just LeBron James, but also Dwyane Wade. The sacrifice limited his personal statistical ceiling, but he was a key part of two Heat championships.

In GOAT conversations, Larry Bird's name is usually brought up at a top-10 guy. Bird's greatness overshadowed the fact that McHale was one of the NBA's best big men for about a decade. In 1987, in fact, McHale was fourth in MVP voting, mere points away from Bird in third.

Worthy was a similar story from the same era, suiting up alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He even made an All-NBA team a couple of times. Still, though, it would have taken a lot to shine as brightly as his decade-defining teammates.

Tim Duncan was a two-time MVP and bajillion-time All-Star, so it's a lot to live up to. His Spurs teams were generally full of selfless players, which perhaps meant some guys didn't get the shine they deserved. Parker was one of his generation's best PGs, but his legacy seems more about being on those Spurs teams than about being Tony Parker.

Ginóbili was in a similar situation. He was one of the NBA's best clutch performers, but he rarely received All-Star recognition, earning just a couple of nods during his career. Teams don't usually get three All-Stars in a season, and Manu was behind Duncan and Parker in line.

By virtue of not being an offensive-minded player, Rodman's star value is frequently underrated. Put him behind Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and it's even easier to see him as a mere supporting piece. His defense and rebounding, though, were enough to land him in the Hall of Fame.

When you think of Celtics centers, you think of Bill Russell. When you think of the best Boston players of the 1980s, it's Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. Parish gets a little lost in the mix there, despite being an All-Star for almost the entire '80s and the starting center on three championship teams.

The fact that Drexler was a shooting guard playing in the same era as Michael Jordan meant he was bound to be overshadowed, despite having three seasons in which he scored over 25 points per game. Even when he joined Houston later in his career, it wasn't to star, but to support Hakeem Olajuwon, even though he remained an All-Star-caliber player during that time.

Allen was firmly the third piece behind Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett on those 2000s and 2010s Celtics teams. This was despite the two best-scoring seasons of his career, with over 25 PPG in both, coming immediately before he headed to Boston. The statistical sacrifices he made to join the Celtics had at least some impact on his perception as a top-level player.

Love was the focal point of the offense in Minnesota and the league's best rebounder before joining LeBron and Kyrie Irving on the Cavaliers. Like Allen, Love's relocation came with great personal statistical sacrifice. Instead of a star, he became a third option.

In league history, Kyrie is one of the most talented ball-handlers and by-the-rim finishers ever. For years, though, he was perceived as LeBron's sidekick. It frustrated Kyrie to the point that he demanded a trade and wound up on the Celtics.

Kevin Durant is probably one of the 15 or so best players ever, and while Westbrook might be in that neighborhood, too, he was No. 2 to KD when they played together. Russ showed his greatness the season after Durant left the Thunder by winning his first MVP trophy.

In his mid 20s, Gasol was an All-Star team leader in Memphis. When he made his way to the Lakers, he took a backseat to Kobe Bryant. While he clearly wasn't running the show anymore, his production actually didn't fall off: his scoring was about the same, and his rebounding numbers improved.

Marion was as versatile as any player of his era. He could defend multiple positions while rebounding and scoring at a high rate. He earned some All-Star recognition, but it was hard to really stand out alongside multi-time MVP Steve Nash in Phoenix.

Brown is one of the NBA's best scorers of the 2020s, but alongside Jayson Tatum, he tends to be relegated to the second option. This has led some to be unsure if Jaylen could be the guy on a team. But with Tatum out due to injury, Brown broke out in the 2026 season, putting up nearly 30 points a night.

Aldridge was something like his era's Tim Duncan: He scored a lot of points and grabbed a lot of rebounds, all without much flash. One big difference was that Aldridge wasn't his team's star. Instead, it was Damian Lillard, one of the most exciting guards of his time, putting Aldridge in the back seat for the few years they played together in Portland.

The defining player of the late '80s and early '90s Pistons team is Isiah Thomas. Dumars was there, too, though, and while he's not as historically remembered as Thomas, he was a star in his own right. He was a six-time All-Star in the '90s and even won Finals MVP in 1989.

Celtics fans remember Sam Jones, but league-wide, his legacy pales in comparison to that of his teammate, Bill Russell. Jones was there, too, though, contributing to a whopping ten championships. His impact was great, too, with multiple All-Star selections and seasons averaging over 20 points a night.