Basketball is a team sport, especially on a high-level stage like the NBA. How far a team can go depends on many decisive factors. Not only the starting five players, but the bench is also crucial. In addition to superstars, those teams that eventually win the championship will also have outstanding role players. The best bench players in the league will win the Best Sixth Man trophy. They are all the best on the bench. Three of them have gone from being the best sixth man to becoming a superstar.
McHale
Refrigerator is one of the most famous sixth men in the NBA. He is a Celtics star and has played for the Celtics for 13 years of his career. He, Bird and Parish formed the Big Three, and they were the rulers of the league at their peak. As a power forward, McHale is 2.08 meters tall and has a wingspan of over 2.4 meters. He has top low-post offensive skills. In his prime, he was a superstar averaging 26 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. He was more than just a substitute.
However, in order to balance the firepower of the starters and substitutes, McHale has been assigned to play as a substitute for many years. He was elected Sixth Man of the Year in both 1984 and 1985. At that time, he averaged 19.8 points, 9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He helped the Celtics win three championships, became a starter after reaching his peak, and was selected to the best team. This growth trajectory is legendary.
Ginobili
Ginobili is also a representative figure of one man, one city. His career starting point is very low. In 1999, he was only the 28th pick in the second round. Therefore, after entering the NBA, it was inevitable for Ginobili to play as a substitute. In his rookie year, he averaged 7 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists per game, which was average. But since then, Ginobili has shone in the international arena, leading the team to overturn the Dream Team and showing extraordinary strength. After returning to the NBA stage, although he still serves as a substitute, he has become the core of the Spurs.
Yao Dao was an indispensable member of the GDP combination at its peak, and the saying "look at Manu in desperate situations" was also widely circulated. Ginobili was the Sixth Man of the Year in the 2007-08 season. At that time, he averaged 19.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, and his performance was also very good. Since then, he has maintained a good condition and won 4 championships in 16 years of his career. He is an absolute Hall of Fame star.
Harden
There are many super sixth men in the league today. Lou Williams, Gordon, Harrell, JR and others are all well-known. However, the most successful ones are It has to be Harden. When he played for the Thunder, Harden was the team's substitute. In his third grade, he averaged 17+4+4 per game. He helped the team reach the finals. He was a standard bench gangster and actually won the Best Sixth Man trophy. Well deserved. But at that time, no one was optimistic about him becoming a super giant. After that, the Thunder was not even willing to renew his contract with a high salary.
After joining the Rockets, Harden had a stage to display his talents. He became the team boss, had unlimited firepower, and continued to improve every year. Now, he has not only won the MVP trophy, but also has the honor of three scoring champions and six best teams. He is already a historical scorer.