Getting voted as an All-Star at least once continues to be a goal for many aspiring NBA stars. However, the experience remains elusive for plenty of them, especially those who don't have the stats to attract the votes of fans and coaches.
Still, some players got the opportunity to suit up in the midseason showcase despite averaging fewer than 10 points per game in the same campaign they achieved the feat. In fact, there were four who did it at least twice: Dick McGuire , Ben Wallace, Dennis Rodman, and Slater Martin.
The floor generals
Some might say that the only reason McGuire and Martin became All-Stars was because there was less competition for slots in the exhibition game. That was hardly the case because both point guards were two of the best in their position in the 1950s.
McGuire was a seven-time All-Star despite never eclipsing the 10-ppg mark in any of his seasons in the Association. His strength laid in distributing the rock, as he was regularly among the league leaders in assists.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks legend's peer, Martin, was also a playmaker who made a name for himself on the defensive end. Also a seven-time All-Star, he served as a reliable anchor for George Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers, which won four championships.
Martin then teamed up with another iconic big man, Bob Pettit, on the St. Louis Hawks to add one more ring to his collection.
Related: "That's not a goal I want to achieve. That's not something I think I'll be good at" - Allen Iverson on why he would never want to be a coach
The defense ministers
Decades later, a pair of big men joined McGuire and Martin on the list by securing All-Star berths despite not putting too much focus on putting the ball in the basket.
Dennis Rodman even went out of his way to avoid scoring , said his former teammate Steve Kerr. According to the retired Chicago Bulls sharpshooter, "The Worm" would rather pass after getting an offensive rebound even if he had a clear layup. That way, he would get more opportunities to crash the board.
Defense was also Rodman's calling card, which helped him make two All-Star Games despite averaging 8.8 and 9.8 points per contest, respectively. Interestingly, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year is the only player to record fewer than five points while grabbing at least 20 rebounds in more than 22 games.
Like Rodman, Ben Wallace emphasized defense and rebounding. He even has a worse career scoring average than Rodman, putting up 5.7 points per contest, which is 1.6 fewer than that of the seven-time rebounding champion.
The Detroit Pistons legend, though, was his team's most valuable player during the four seasons he made it to the All-Star Game. The same cannot be said about McGuire, Martin, and Rodman.
Related: Ben Wallace named the toughest players he had to defend: "Shaq, because of his size, and I'd probably have to go with Tim Duncan or KG"
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