No. 9: Hot Rod Hundley
The No. 1 pick of the 1957 NBA draft, Hot Rod had a tremendous college career, averaging 24.5 points per game and unveiling a flamboyant playing style that was probably ahead of his time. As a pro, however, he was hampered by a knee injury which limited him to just six NBA seasons and was unable to live up to his prolific billing or to display much of his showmanship.
He played half of his career in Minneapolis, then his final three years in L.A. where his backcourt mate was often perennial All-Star Jerry West, who succeeded Hundley as an All-American for West Virginia University. Both have their numbers retired at the school, and each was honored with a statue outside the basketball arena.
In Hundley’s day, there was less distinction than today between shooting guard and point guard. He actually played both positions, but alongside West, he was at least nominally the PG.
Hot Rod only averaged in double figures points in two seasons, but he made the All-Star team both times. Overall, he scored 8.4 points per game, and also averaged 3.4 assists.