Examples of Athletes with talent but no work ethic?

Stanley Roberts

 

Kenny Anderson
Barkley

 

Oliver Miller was a great talent in College but never could stop eating long enough to play NBA Ball....

Len Bias...had to go the drug rout...ended everything

 

As I stated originally, Larry Bird was an inherently good passer which was partly attributable to his court vision. However, the rest of his game was due to hard work. He was not a natural shooter.

Bird was always at the gym shooting hundreds of shots per day, everyday.

His "feel for the game" was also greatly enhanced by his tremendous love to play. If he wasn't playing, he was studying tape, etc. - Thats all part of his work ethic.


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/1998/bird/flashbacks/1981flash.html

 

Stanley Roberts is a great one. I submit to you a fellow LSU Tiger (like Stanley) in John "Hot Plate" Williams.

 

Roy Tarpley

 

I hate KARL MALONE and ANY utah jazzhole.

 

Charles Barkley....

early and late in his career, he just couldn't hit crucial free throws.

 

I really think there should be a separate topic for guys who wasted their career, like Tarpley and Kemp. Kemp had 6 or 7 very productive years, was an all-star, and was arguably the best power forward in the league for a couple of seasons in a league that featured Barkley and Malone. Did he screw it all up, yes. But while he played it would seem that if you are one of the best in your sport you have a pretty good work ethic

 

Chris Washburn - a 6-11 center from NC State picked #3 in 1986. He played a total of 72 games in his career. Entered a game with his shoes untied. And my favorite - he brought 2 left shoes to an away game and had to cut the toes out of a players right shoe to play. Believe it or not, he had a drug problem that helped end his career and later became homeless. How sad is that?

 

Brian Cardinal has no talent other than hustle and hard work. He is 6-8 and I am not even sure he can dunk, he is neither fast nor quick. However, he is working extreamely hard on his game and plays all out all the game and got a nice contract as a reward.

 

Thomas Hamilton

 

And what was his talent again besides eating?

 

Isaiah Rider

 

Derrick Coleman wins this hands down.

He could have been one of the three greatest PFs of all time if he had any ounce of work ethic and a better attitude.

 

Joe Smith also comes to mind.

Wasn't he a #1 draft pick by the GS Warriors?

What a waste of height.

 

I second Robert Horry. This is blasphemy because of the titles, and because of his "playoff heroics" with the Lakers, but I've always considered his career a disappointment.

After the Rockets won the second title, he decided that he was a 3-point shooter. He stopped slashing to the hoop. He loitered around the 3-point line, practically munching on Snickers bars.

Imagine if he had the heart of a Scottie Brooks or a Mario Elie. He would have been a perenial All-Star.

 

Man he was HUGE. I remember one game against the Jazz where he literally dunked on the entire squad they had out there.

With that kind of size alone, if he worked hard he could've been a poor man's Shaq.

 

Whatever happened to Rider? I know he last played for the Nugz, but what did he do after that?