The 23 best NBA players with exactly one All-Star appearance

The NBA is a league built on the backs of its stars. Every now and then, players in the NBA raise their play to All-Star level, and sometimes that run lasts only one season. These are the best NBA players with just one career All-Star appearance.

For much of his near-20-year career, Conley was consistently one of the league's great players. He could score, pass, and play defense (he made an All-Defense team in 2013) all at a high level. And yet, for one reason or another, he managed to get an All-Star nod only one year, in 2021.

Younger NBA fans might know Iguodala as a role player for the Warriors (albeit one who picked up a Finals MVP trophy in 2015. He had a whole NBA life before that, though, as more of a leader in Philadelphia. His lone All-Star selection game in 2013, with averages of about 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists a game.

For a while, Metta (formerly Ron Artest) seemed to be on his way to becoming a star in the NBA. After winning Defensive Player Of The Year and making the All-Star game in 2004, he started the 2005 campaign by averaging over 24 points a night over the first seven games. Infamously, though, that season ended early for him after the Malice At The Palace incident.

Lopez is a prime example of how adaptability can extend your career. In the first half of his NBA life, he was a one-time All-Star as one of the league's best low-post scorers and shot-blockers. As the game evolved, though, Lopez worked to become a productive three-point shooter, making him a valuable stretch big into his late 30s.

Teams didn't count on Chandler for his offense: He averaged double-digit points per game just a handful of times. In fact, over his 19-season career, he averaged more rebounds than points. That's where he thrived, and also as a rim protector, all of which landed him an All-Star selection in 2013.

Hayward was the victim of some awful luck. His career in Utah was off to a promising start, as he developed into an All-Star. The next season, he was set to lead an exciting new Celtics team alongside Kyrie Irving, only to suffer a horrific, season-ending leg injury minutes into his first game. He managed to return and play some productive basketball, but ultimately, he reached his ceiling in Utah.

Kirilenko is one of the NBA's most well-rounded players ever; He's one of only a handful of players with multiple career five-by-five games, meaning he logged five each of points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. This regularly put him on the fringe of All-Star consideration, but he got over the hump just once, in his third season in 2004.

The Knicks thought they had a franchise cornerstone when they drafted Porziņģis. It looked like it might have been working out that way when he made his first All-Star team in his third season. After an injury, though, Porziņģis moved around the league and played well, including helping the Celtics win a title in 2024, but he was cast in supporting roles.

VanVleet worked his way up from the bottom in Toronto. He got minimal playing time his rookie year, then gradually increased his output and playing time. He made his first All-Star team in his sixth season, although given his decreased production in recent seasons (and the fact he's missing likely all of the 2026 campaign with an ACL tear), it's unclear if he'll ever be back at an All-Star level.

Korver is one of the best pure shooters the NBA has ever seen. He's not usually the focal point of a team's offense, though. But the near-unstoppable 2015 Hawks are famous for having sent four players to the All-Star game, with Korver among them.

DeAndre has received plenty of award recognition, making multiple All-Defense and All-NBA teams and getting some regular DPOY conversation for a few years. As far as All-Star appearances, though, all that only translated to one, in the 2017 season.

Coming into the league, there were expectations that Wiggins could be one of the NBA's biggest stars. He has so far had a nice career, but he's not in conversations about the league's top-tier players. While playing a supporting role on the 2022 Warriors, though, Wiggins managed to make a surprise All-Star appearance.

Jameer was consistently rock-solid for the Magic for about a decade. He went above and beyond in 2009, averaging 16 points and 5 assists a game, powering Orlando to one of the NBA's best records. That landed him at the All-Star game alongside Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis.

Okur was a stretch big in the 2000s, before that skillset essentially became a requirement in the modern game. He and the '07 Jazz were pretty good, making it all the way to the conference finals. Before that, though, Okur made his first and only career All-Star game.

Granger seemed to be on a star trajectory in the 2000s, though it ended up being more of a flash in the pan. It was quite the flash, though: He was the Most Improved Player in 2009 and averaged a hair under 26 points a game.

It has seemed at times that Russell was poised to be a star in the NBA. In 2019, he averaged 21 points and 7 assists per game, making his first All-Star team. For one reason or another, though, he bounced around the league and never quite reached that next level.

Smits enjoyed a great career over the course of about a decade, putting up decent scoring and rebounding numbers while being disruptive on defense with his 7'4" frame. He was fundamentally sound, making it easy for Indiana to keep him around for his entire career. Towards the very end of it, in 1998, Smits made an All-Star team, alongside teammate Reggie Miller.

In 2014, Dragić made an All-NBA team after failing to make the All-Star game. For years, he was one of those guys who was right on the cusp. He finally did it in 2018, as the standout player on a middling Heat team.

Today, Ainge is best known, perhaps especially among younger fans, for his work constructing competitive Celtics teams. Back in the day, though, he was a key part of Boston's success in the '80s as a starting guard. In 1988, his final full season with the Celtics, he made his first All-Star team, alongside Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.

Before injury derailed Bynum's career, he was looking like the center of the future for the Lakers. He was an All-Star in 2012 with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game. Then he got hurt and was ultimately never the same player again.

LeBron was the tide that raised all ships in Cleveland. The 2009 Cavs were too good to just have one All-Star, so it was Williams who got the invite. He was solid that season, scoring 18 a game as the team's second option.

The 2022 Cavs faltered after the All-Star break, but they had a real strong start to the season. That probably helped Allen's case to make the All-Star team that season, as did his 16 points and 11 rebounds a game. Since then, his production has dipped, making it less likely that he'll get another nod in the future.

Teague was part of that aforementioned 2015 batch of Hawks All-Stars. He had a pretty strong season, putting up 16 points and 7 assists a game. He peppered in some similarly productive years throughout his career, but that was the only one that landed him at All-Star Weekend.