Once scolded, but now the whole league is afraid! These 5 people are so competitive

The NBA has never lacked talent, let alone doubts. Not being favored during rookie times, being scolded as a squad, having poor physical test scores, low draft picks... These may become "jokes" in others' mouths. But some people just refuse to admit defeat, step by step, and turn ridicule into applause and question into honor.

Fifth place: Pascal Siakam

Career data: Average 17.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, shooting percentage 48.6%

Career honors: 1 All-Star, 1 Championship, 2019 MIP (Fastest Progressive Player)

Siakam was just a 27-pin small forward in the draft, and no one took him seriously. But he exchanged crazy efforts for leapfrog growth, from playing as a substitute to starting the Raptors, and then to averaging 19.8 points and a shooting percentage of 54.6% in the 2019 Finals. G1 scored 32 points to beat the Warriors' defense. His turn and breakthrough and fast break propulsion have become extremely lethal. Siakam is not only the core of the team, but has also been selected as the All-Star many times. Once ridiculed as "G League level", it has now become a force that cannot be ignored in the Eastern Conference.

4th place: Fred Van Vlitter

Career data: Average of 14.6 points, 5.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 40.2% from the field, Career Honors: 1 All-Star, 2019 championship, one of the most expensive undrafts in NBA history

Van Vlitter did not even make the draft at the beginning - he was a complete "no one wanted it". But he became famous in the Raptors with a calm mind and a stable three-pointer. In the 2019 Finals against the Warriors, his shooting percentage was ridiculously high in key games, and G6 even scored 22 points and hit a three-pointer that secured the championship. From "Who are you" to "Champion puzzle", to the Rockets' billion-dollar contract, Van Vreet is the most perfect template for a lapsed draft counterattack. His story proves that it is not only talent that can be based in the NBA, but also hard strength + brain can turn things around!

3rd place: Jimmy Butler

Career data: Average of 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, shooting percentage of 47.0%

Career honors: 6 All-Stars, 5 Best Defensive Team, 2 Eastern Conference Championships, 2 Finals

Butler's growth path is simply a movie--there is no position in high school, no one pays attention to freshman year, only entering a second-rate school in college, and it is also predicted to be the "bench ceiling". But with his perverted training intensity and stubborn mentality, he became the top card in the league step by step. Especially during the Heat, he led the team to the finals one after another, competed with James in 2020, and reached the finals from the play-offs in 2023, with averaging 30+ points per game. The guy who used to be optimistic about has now become one of the toughest big brothers in the entire league.

Second place: Nikola Jokic

Career data: Average 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 55.6% shooting percentage

Career honors: 2 MVPs, 1 championship + FMVP, 6 All-Stars

Do you remember what happened in the Jokic draft? ESPN is broadcasting ads, no one cares about the Nuggets picking him, and he is even ranked 41st and has nothing to do with Lotto. But what about now? He became the most unpredictable center in the league. In the 2023 playoffs, he led the Nuggets to sweep the championship by 16 wins and 4 losses, and averaged 30+ triple-double per game. He used passes, back shots, three-pointers, and mid-range to break all traditional imaginations of center forwards. From "the most powerful" to "the strongest brain", Jokic slapped everyone in the face with his strength.

No. 1: Stephen Curry

Career data: Average 24.8 points, 6.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 47.4% shooting percentage, 42.7% three-point shooting percentage

Career honors: 4 championships, 2 MVPs (1 unanimous vote), 10 All-Stars, NBA history three-point champion

No one wants Curry in high school, college is just a member of Davidson's primary school, and was rated as "good shooting but too thin" in the draft. He was still suffering from injuries in the early stages of entering the league, and was once considered "not able to last for three years." But Curry relied on his shooting talent and unremitting efforts to build himself into one of the most influential players in NBA history. He not only changed the pace of the game, but also brought about a small ball revolution. From the "thin point guard" back then to the current third-quarter god, Curry is almost the spokesperson who has "underrated by the world".