Being a basketball competitor and one day making the NBA is every player’s dream. From the very first second a player learns how to dribble a basketball before anything else, taking his talent to the brightest basketball stage of them all is nothing but a dream he hopes to turn into a reality. After all, the NBA has intense competition, and very few players have a chance to make it to the league every year. We certainly should have more respect for any NBA player, whether they are All-Stars or not.
Certainly, making the NBA is one of the most demanding goals to achieve. Sadly, even when players make it to the big boy’s league, they are never guaranteed a long career filled with success, monetary gains, and worldwide credit. Rather, some players did not even get a chance to make an impact on the basketball court due to a quick end to their playing time. It is time to discover the shortest NBA careers of all time, where players did not get a chance to show what they can do for a variety of factors. It will be amazing to see how short some of these players’ careers were, and we have to shine a light on them.
Steven Hill – 2 Minutes, 26 Seconds
Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Steven Hill was a 7-footer who actually was not taken by the Portland Trail Blazers to compete at the center spot. Hill lacked enough physical skills to compete at the center and had to settle for the power forward spot, although his skills were not heralded at any point. He went undrafted in 2008, and the Blazers signed him to a non-guaranteed deal but waived it almost immediately. After all, the team did not like what they saw from the undrafted rookie.
At 23 years old, he had the chance to be on the court with the Oklahoma City Thunder for 2 minutes and 26 seconds. He scored 2 points, went perfect from the field (1-1 FG), and grabbed 1 rebound in his limited time before being waived again. Steven Hill would go on to play in the G-League and never had a shot to return to the NBA since.
Matt Walsh – 2 Minutes, 15 Seconds
Matt Walsh went to college in Florida, the University of Florida, so it makes sense the Miami Heat would take a chance on him as a free agent who went undrafted. The 6’6” shooting guard flew heavily under the radar, and not much was expected of him as a professional player. Well, he scored 2 points and had 1 turnover in the 2:15 minutes of playing time that he got with the Miami Heat.
Walsh only managed one month in the Miami Heat locker room before he was waived. With fewer seconds of playing time than Steven Hill, the guard was able to have a short-lived career that nobody will remember. At least Walsh went 1-1 from the field for a 100% FG percentage, although his -2.4 PER might signal that his single make did not mean too much for Miami.
Gani Lawal – 1 Minute, 56 Seconds
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Unlike the two players before him, Gani Lawal was actually drafted into the NBA. The 6’9″ power forward weighed 234 lbs and was mainly drafted because of his size and potential as an enforcer. Well, that did not work out. Lawal was taken No. 46 overall in the 2010 NBA Draft, and at 22 years old, he had his first shot to be on an NBA court.
Being on a 2011 Phoenix Suns team that had Steve Nash leading an elite offense might have been fun to watch, but it wasn’t that much fun when Lawal get on the court for the first time. The forward managed 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, and 0 blocks but did manage 1 foul in the time he got on the floor. With a -9.1 PER, Lawal’s debut could have been better.
Ade Murkey – 1 Minute, 28 Seconds
Credit: Fadeaway World
After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, Murkey signed a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, although he was shortly waived on December 19, after one preseason appearance. Much like other players on this list, Murkey would end up becoming a player in the G-League, where he tried his best to sign with an NBA team once and for all.
Murkey did end up signing with an NBA team, the Sacramento Kings, as he was acquired on a 10-day contract in the 2022 season. The 6’5”, 200 lb shooting guard made his debut that same day, posting 0 points in 1 minute and 28 seconds of action. Against the Los Angeles Clippers, Murkey did not do a single thing on the court, and we have not seen the guard since.
Trey McKinney-Jones – 1 Minute, 14 Seconds
Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Trey McKinney-Jones was undrafted in the NBA, and to nobody’s surprise, he hardly got a chance on the NBA court because of that. With only 1 minute and 14 seconds of experience in the NBA, the 6’5” shooting guard knew his NBA goal was not going to work out and decided to call it quits after competing in the G-League for a while. In his debut with the Indiana Pacers, McKinney-Jones posted zero statistics and had a 0.0 PER.
That’s why Trey McKinney-Jones rathered just take his talents overseas. He’s been bouncing around multiple teams and leagues in Japan and is currently balling for the Gunma Crane Thunders of the B.League. Talk about a change of scenery because McKinney-Jones has not been in the NBA since his 1 minute and 14 seconds of fame.
Tyler Davis – 58 Seconds
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Tyler Davis went undrafted in 2018 as his athleticism and scoring ability caught the eye of the Oklahoma City Thunder. They signed him to a two-way contract and had a pretty good stint in their G-League affiliate Oklahoma City Blue. Unfortunately, Davis never had a chance to impact the NBA court as he only got 54 seconds in the National Basketball Association.
To be fair, how can a player prove he can be a valuable professional with under 1 minute of play? Davis got the chance to be on the court for 58 seconds before being waived, and he managed 1 offensive rebound in his limited time. He’s now playing for the Jeonju KCC Egis of the Korean Basketball League and is unlikely to ever play in the NBA again.
Ahmad Caver – 50 Seconds
Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Ahmad Caver tried his best to get into an NBA rotation, as he was prepared before the 2019 NBA Draft to make a name for himself. Instead, he was signed and later cut by the Memphis Grizzlies before being a full-time player for the G-League’s Memphis Hustle. The Grizzlies signed him again, only to waive him before the player could make his debut.
Caver’s debut finally came with the Indiana Pacers thanks to the hardship exception, which allowed the team to bring the 6’2” shooting guard on board. Caver actually scored 2 points in the game, doing so in under 1 minute of action. The guard never had a chance to be in the NBA long enough, but at least he has a 2.0 PPG career average which beats some guys on this list.
Andy Panko – 33 Seconds
Credit: Wikipedia/Andy Panko
Andy Panko is another example of a player who played under 1 minute in the NBA and hardly did a thing on the NBA court. Actually, he did not do anything in a game with the Atlanta Hawks, as he did not record a single point or a single rebound. Luckily, Panko proved to be a solid basketball professional as he became a star in Spain.
Amazingly, the 6’9”, 222 lb big man led the league in scoring three times as he was named the Spanish ACB League MVP in 2012 while playing with San Sebastián Gipuzkoa. Sometimes, the NBA does not always prove to be the best league for players, and the overseas market is always looking for talented players to bring their skills to them. Luckily for Panko, he fits in that mold after only getting 33 seconds in the NBA.
Alex Scales – 9 Seconds
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Alex Scales was the ultimate journeyman. He played in Italy, China, Spain, and had multiple stints in the G-League. Sadly, he was never given the chance to showcase his talents at the ultimate stage despite being a scoring combo guard who seemed to understand the offensive side of the game.
At 6’4” and 185 lbs, Scales was perhaps undersized and not athletic enough to deal with bigger combo guards. Scales was signed and waived multiple times and only appeared in 9 seconds for the San Antonio Spurs in the 2005-06 season. If there is one thing the guard can take away from his NBA experience, it is sharing a locker room with Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich.
JamesOn Curry – 3.9 Seconds
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No doubt, the most fascinating and shortest NBA career came courtesy of JamesOn Curry, a 6’3” point guard who was taken 51st overall in the 2007 NBA Draft. Off-court issues greatly affected Curry’s stock coming into the NBA Draft, and many wondered if the guard could ever regroup and actually have a solid playing career in the league. Instead, Curry only managed 3.9 seconds in an NBA game which is the shortest career of any player.
On January 22, 2010, Curry was signed by the Los Angeles Clippers from the Springfield Armor, as he averaged over 16 PPG and 7 APG for them. Finally, Curry was able to get into an NBA game on January 24, 2010, playing just 3.9 seconds. This was the only time Curry would ever play in an NBA game, and is the shortest NBA career in terms of time played as he would be released shortly after.
Source: fadeawayworld
