The NBA loves a good story – sometimes more than it loves good basketball.
Over the last decade, a growing number of players have become far more famous than effective, elevated by highlights, memes, crowd chants, and narratives that outpaced their actual impact on winning.
This BasketNews list takes a closer look at former NBA players whose popularity exceeded their on-court value – for better or worse – and examines where they are now, whether enjoying retirement, waiting for another opportunity, or continuing their careers in unexpected places.
Credit AP-Scanpix
Current team: Ningbo Rockets (Chinese Basketball Association)
Last season in the NBA: 2021-22
A fan favorite whose NBA reputation was built far more on spectacle than sustained basketball impact.
Despite rarely playing meaningful minutes, the 7-foot-6 (229 cm) center became one of the league's most recognizable cult figures.
His unprecedented height and wingspan turned every appearance with the Boston Celtics (2019-21) into a show, sparking crowd chants, viral clips, and highlight reels – even as his role remained largely situational.
Fall later spent a brief stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers but never secured a permanent rotation spot.
Across his NBA career, he appeared in just 37 regular-season games (one start), averaging 2.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 6.2 minutes per game – numbers that underline how his popularity far exceeded his on-court role.
After his NBA run, Fall continued overseas, playing in both the CBA and Australia's NBL. This season in China, he is averaging 9.1 points and 6.6 rebounds with Ningbo.
Credit AP - Scanpix
Current team: Free agent
Last season in the NBA: 2024-25
Undersized, electrifying, and massively popular, Kawamura's NBA relevance has so far been driven more by story and fan support than sustained impact.
The Japanese sensation is currently a free agent after being waived by the Chicago Bulls from his two-way contract just before the 2025–26 season.
Kawamura made history as the fourth Japanese-born player to score in an NBA game, but his rookie year with the Memphis Grizzlies offered limited production. He appeared in 22 games, averaging 1.6 points in just 4.2 minutes, reaching double figures only twice.
Before arriving in the U.S., Kawamura was already a star in Japan. At 5-foot-8 (173 cm), he became the shortest active player in the NBA and only the ninth player of that height or shorter since the ABA–NBA merger.
In a league that prioritizes size, length, and physicality — where the average player stands around 6-foot-7 (200 cm) — his physical limitations make it difficult to secure consistent minutes.
Yuki is undeniably boosting jersey sales and social media engagement with every appearance.
But from a basketball perspective, teams may view him more as a marketing spark than a reliable rotation piece.
Offensively, he relies heavily on difficult step-back and side-step threes, without a consistent floater or mid-range game. Defensively, he struggles in pick-and-roll coverage and often commits fouls in isolation.
BasketNews earlier identified three potential landing spots for Kawamura — across three different leagues.
Credit USA TODAY Sports-Scanpix
Current team: KK Ilirija (Adriatic League, Slovenian League)
Last season in the NBA: 2023-24
A lovable presence whose size and personality made him a global favorite, Marjanovic ultimately couldn't remain a viable defensive presence for extended stretches in the modern NBA.
The 7-foot-4 center (224 cm) recently signed with KK Ilirija in Ljubljana, Slovenia, a move facilitated largely by the club's sports director, Sasa Doncic, Luka Doncic's father, and a close friend of Marjanovic.
Boban and Luka were teammates in Dallas from 2019 to 2022.
Now 37, Marjanovic began last season with Fenerbahce in the EuroLeague before moving to the Zhejiang Lions in China.
Prior to returning to Europe, he spent nine seasons in the NBA, playing for San Antonio, Detroit, the Clippers, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Houston.
He appeared in 331 games, averaging 5.5 points and 3.6 rebounds.
Off the court, Marjanovic has built a successful acting résumé, appearing in movies such as John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Hustle, Self Reliance, Happy Gilmore 2, and the new TV series Robin Hood.
Credit Stacy Revere/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix
Current team: PAOK Thessaloniki (FIBA Europe Cup, Greek League)
Last season in the NBA: 2023-24
Defensive reputation, nonstop trash talk, and media presence eventually outweighed Beverley's actual on-court impact late in his career.
The 12-year NBA veteran recently signed with PAOK Thessaloniki on a deal reportedly worth €600,000 – nearly matching the club's entire roster budget from last season.
Now 37, Beverley is in his second consecutive year overseas after parting ways with Hapoel Tel Aviv in February.
Beverley returns to Greece 15 years after previously playing for Olympiacos during the 2009–10 season.
Drafted 42nd overall in 2009, he initially built his career in Europe before breaking through in the NBA with Houston.
He later played for the Clippers, earning All-Defensive honors, and spent time with Minnesota, the Lakers, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee.
Across 666 NBA games, Beverley averaged 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.
Credit AP Photo/Ryan Sun - Scanpix
Current team: Anadolu Efes Istanbul (EuroLeague, Turkish League)
Last season in the NBA: 2024-25
Elite athletic tools and highlight potential were ultimately overshadowed by instability and off-court chaos.
A former first-round pick, Kai Jones saw his NBA trajectory unravel almost as quickly as it rose.
His speed, leaping ability, and versatility generated early excitement in Charlotte. Still, limited basketball IQ, inconsistent effort, and poor feel for the game made it difficult to earn a steady role.
In 2023, Jones became widely known for erratic social media behavior, posting incoherent videos that raised serious concerns about his well-being and professionalism. Charlotte waived him in October, effectively ending his NBA run.
Jones later spent a brief time with the Clippers and Mavericks, finishing his three-year NBA career with averages of 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 107 games.
At 24, he joined Anadolu Efes in September, but his EuroLeague debut has also been difficult, posting just 2.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 15 games.
Credit AP - Scanpix
Current team: Free agent
Last season in the NBA: 2024-25
Rare physical tools and viral highlights never translated into sustained two-way impact.
Selected 44th overall in 2019, Bol Bol spent six seasons across three NBA teams. His combination of size, shot-blocking, ball-handling, and shooting touch made him a social media sensation in Denver despite limited minutes.
Bol's most productive stretch came with the Orlando Magic, where he finally received extended minutes and responded with career-best numbers, averaging 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.
During that run, the hype around him peaked to almost surreal levels, highlighted by Tim Hardaway Sr. publicly claiming that "Bol Bol is better than Victor Wembanyama."
He later joined Phoenix but again struggled to earn consistent minutes due to defensive awareness and reliability issues.
Across his NBA career, Bol averaged 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds, with production coming in flashes rather than sustained runs.
The son of the late Manute Bol, he remains one of the league's biggest "what-if" players and is currently without a club.
Credit AP – Scanpix
Current team: Retired
Last season in the NBA: 2018-19
One extraordinary stretch defined – and ultimately overshadowed – the rest of Jeremy Lin's career.
Lin became an international sensation during the 2011–12 season with the New York Knicks, sparking the global phenomenon known as "Linsanity." His unexpected rise included a career-high 38 points against the Lakers and captured worldwide attention.
Undrafted in 2010, Lin's journey included stints in the G League before breaking through. He became the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA and inspired millions.
In 2019, he became the first Asian-American player to win an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors.
Lin officially retired this past summer at 37 and capped a 15-year career that concluded in China and Taiwan, where he won the TPBL championship in 2025 with the New Taipei Kings.
Credit USA TODAY Sports - Scanpix
Current team: Retired
Last season in the NBA: N/A
Unlike his brothers Lonzo and LaMelo, LiAngelo actually never appeared in an NBA game.
His pro career included stops in Lithuania, Mexico, the G League, and Summer League play, but none led to a guaranteed NBA contract.
While his shooting was serviceable, he lacked the defensive versatility, athleticism, and playmaking needed to stick at the NBA level. Much of his visibility came from the Ball family brand.
Today, LiAngelo has reinvented himself in music. Performing under the name GELO, he has earned platinum certification for his debut single, "Tweaker," and has signed a major deal worth up to $13 million ($8 million guaranteed) with Def Jam and Universal Music Group.
Once labeled the "forgotten Ball brother," LiAngelo's path serves as a reminder: fame may open doors, but getting a chance in the league still requires you to be a decent basketball player.
Pijus Sapetka
Pijus Sapetka began his basketball media career in 2021, building on years of closely following the sport. Since then, he has reported from a variety of basketball events, including the EuroLeague Playoffs, Lithuanian Cups, LKL Finals, EuroCup games, the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and Goran Dragic's Farewell Game. He holds a degree in Journalism & PR.
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