Why is Larry Nance one of the most underrated players in NBA history?

When it comes to Larry Nance Sr., younger generation basketball fans likely know him best as Larry Nance Jr’s dad, while the old heads are more likely to remember him as one of the greatest dunkers of all-time. In fact, Nance the elder was so revered for his dunking prowess that he carried nicknames like Mr. Slambassador, the High-Atollah of Slamola, and the Flying Sun. There are worse fates than being known as the father of an NBA player and a ferocious dunker, but Nance deserves to be remembered for having one of the most unique skill-sets the NBA has ever seen. 

Nance received sparing honors over the course of his career. He was selected to just three all-star teams, received a single MVP vote in 1989, and was named to an all-defensive team three times. Certainly, from his trophy case alone, Nance does not appear to have the resume of a top-100 player. However, in this instance, beauty is hiding in play sight. Nance was a 6 ’10, stat-sheet stuffing, athletic freak who, in a lot of ways, was the prototype for today’s NBA player. He is the only player in NBA history to have regular season averages of 17+ points, 8+ rebounds, 2.2+ blocks, a .546+ field goal %, and a .750+ free throw %. Although playoff success eluded him, he was equally unique in the postseason. He is the only player in NBA playoff history to average 15+ points, 7.5+ rebounds, 2+ blocks, a .540+ field goal %, and a .740+ free throw %. His career stat line also registers favorably with advanced statistics as he’s well within the top-100 all-time in Win Shares, Player Efficiency Rating (PER), Value Above Replacement Player (VORP), True Shooting Percentage, and Effective Field Goal Percentage. 

Larry Nance is not in the NBA Hall of Fame, nor is it probable that he ever will be. His brilliance has gone unnoticed going on four decades and that is unlikely to change. However, despite playing for middling Phoenix and Cleveland teams, it is clear that his unique career is one of the top-100 in NBA history. Had he played for Los Angeles, Boston, Detroit, or Chicago, Nance would be a household name. Still, given that he carries the only stat line of its kind in NBA history, Nance is an easy inclusion within the top-100 basketball players of all-time.  

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Hi (hopefully) awesome reader! I welcome your comments. However, please be aware that I make all of my arguments using facts, statistics, and logic. Unfortunately, the average comment on a top-100 list goes something like this:

"UR StooPid. (Insert player) is trash. I've watched (pick a sport) for (pick a number of years) and (pick a player) is better than everyone. UR DUMB. HAHA6969."

–Some Jabroni

As cognitively stimulating as this species of comment is, it ends up being a missed opportunity to share a nuanced perspective. I reply to all comments that show even the most basic levels of thought and humility. The people who make the comments like the example above are under the assumption that the three seconds of thought that popped into their brains after reading the list is more than the 1000s of hours that I put into creating and maintaining the lists. I would be happy to defend any placement, or make an adjustment if one is warranted. If you are a jabroni, like the one above, then your comment will die in the lonely void of the unpublished comments section.

For everyone else, I look forward to your comments!

P.S. The theme of this site and the top-100 lists is that athletes from previous generations have historically been grossly overrated by sports publications in a way that is statistically improbable. Click on the "About" dropdown menu to see just how badly the average top-100 list disproportionately favors athletes from older generations when leagues were smaller, race quotas existed, and globalization wasn't a thing. Also, please consider reading "The History" section of the sport you are commenting on.

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