Bob Dandridge

Bob Dandridge was one of the most underrated players of the 1970s — a fluid, versatile small forward who contributed at both ends of the floor with an elegance that never attracted the individual statistical spotlight but helped his teams win consistently. Selected in the fourth round of the 1969 draft out of Norfolk State, he was part of Milwaukee's original championship core alongside Kareem and Oscar Robertson. Dandridge averaged 18.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in the 1971 championship season — consistent, multi-dimensional production that provided the third scoring option that championship teams require. The 1971 Bucks were not a one-man team because of Dandridge's ability to take pressure off both Kareem and Robertson. A four-time All-Star (1973, 1975, 1976, 1979), Dandridge continued his career in Washington where he won a second championship in 1978, making him a two-ring winner with the style of someone who made his teammates better on every possession. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012 — a recognition that came decades later than his talent warranted, and which serves as a reminder of how easily excellence without individual ego gets forgotten until history provides its correction.