Most Surprising NBA Players Who Hold Records
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Although the big names hold many of the NBA records, there are some players throughout the years who have surprisingly found their way into the record books. For these players, one big game, or even one big quarter, helped them achieve NBA history. Let's take a look at the 10 most surprising players who still hold an NBA record.
10. Ernie DiGregorio
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10. Ernie DiGregorio
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Ernie DiGregorio was the third overall pick in the 1973 NBA Draft. After winning the Rookie of the Year Award, DiGregorio's career took a turn for the worst after suffering a severe knee injury. However, to this day, DiGregorio is tied with Nate McMillan for the most assists by a rookie in one game with 25.
9. Scott Skiles
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9. Scott Skiles
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Scott Skiles, who never averaged more than nine assists in one season during his NBA career, holds the NBA record for most assists in one game with 30 dimes. Skiles, the 20th overall pick in the 1986 Draft, was a solid NBA contributor, but his almost unfathomable assist-record is seemingly unbreakable.
8. Nate McMillan
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8. Nate McMillan
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McMillan, the 30th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, tied DiGregorio's rookie record, positing 25 assists in one game. McMillan averaged over eight assists per game in his first three years in the NBA, but those numbers dropped off dramatically in later seasons. Still, he finished with an average of 6.1 assists per game in his career.
7. Donyell Marshall
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7. Donyell Marshall
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Donyell Marshall, the fourth overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, was a very streaky player from season to season over the span of his NBA career. Marshall, a career 35 percent three-point shooter, was a solid but not great perimeter big man. Still, he is currently tied with Kobe Bryant, making 11 shots from behind the arc in one game.
6. Chandler Parsons
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6. Chandler Parsons
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In college, Chandler Parsons was a decent three-point shooter for the Florida Gators. Drafted 38th overall, the Houston Rockets were certainly surprised as Parsons scorched the Memphis Grizzlies from deep in the second half of a recent NBA game. In the half, Parsons converted 10 three-point attempts, the most ever in one half.
5. Jose Calderon
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5. Jose Calderon
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Jose Calderon went undrafted in the 2003 NBA Draft, so his record is certainly one of the most surprising. Always known to be a solid NBA shooter, Jose Calderon defied all odds in the 2008-09 NBA season, missing only three free throw attempts during the season. His 98.1 percent mark during that season is the best free throw percentage in one season by a convincing margin.
4. Rudy Fernandez
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4. Rudy Fernandez
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Rudy Fernandez, who recently left the NBA to play overseas, has a career field goal percentage of under 40 percent. Despite his inefficiencies, Fernandez broke an NBA rookie record with the Portland Trailblazers, making at least one three-point field goal in 33 consecutive games. This record is quite surprising for Fernandez, who shot only 36 percent in his four-year stint in the NBA.
3. Erick Dampier
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3. Erick Dampier
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Although Erick Dampier was the 10th overall pick, he never really panned out, averaging 7.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in his NBA career. Although Dampier's career average of 1.4 blocks per game is not very impressive for a big man, he holds the record for blocking the most shots in one quarter as he sent away eight attempts in 12 minutes.
2. Brent Price
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2. Brent Price
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Brent Price was never a very respectable NBA player, having never averaged over 10 points per game in one season. Even worse, in his nine-year NBA career, Price shot under 42 percent from the field six different times. Although Brent Price was a career 38.7 percent three-point shooter, it is still surprising that he owns the record for most consecutive three-point field goals made at 13.
1. Nat Hickey
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1. Nat Hickey
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As the story goes, Nat Hickey, head coach of the Providence Steamrollers, decided to activate himself for one NBA game in the 1947-48 season. In this game, Hickey attempted six field goals, making zero. With this appearance, the 45-year-old became the oldest player to ever play in a game, a record that still stands today.
Nicholas Sciria is a San Antonio Spurs writer for www.RantSports.com . Follow him on Twitter @Nick_Sciria, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
Nick Sciria is a writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.