"You know, people talk about Kevin Durant..." - Kevin Johnson names the first true unicorn in the NBA

Yahoo

20-07-2025

"You know, people talk about Kevin Durant..." - Kevin Johnson names the first true unicorn in the NBA originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Throughout the NBA history, a lot of big men have gotten their due for changing the game. Guys like Bill Russell, who anchored the game through the defense in the 1960s and legends like Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who basically scored at will around the rim. However, Tom Chambers was never put in that category, as he remains one of the most underappreciated big men of his era.
Moreover, Chamber was such a self-sufficient scorer for his former teammate Kevin Johnson, who, in many ways, served as a forerunner to modern-day greats like Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki.
Johnson held massive praise for Chambers
Johnson witnessed Chambers at his most versatile. When Chambers arrived in Phoenix in 1988, both he and Johnson earned All-NBA Second Team honors by averaging 25.7 and 20.4 points per game, respectively. This duo not only made the franchise win 55 games in their first season together but also led them to the Western Conference finals. Furthermore, in the following years, both players maintained their All-NBA Second Team statuses.
Even when Charles Barkley took command of the Suns, Chambers willingly embraced a role off the bench and adapted his game even when his minutes were reduced to just about 23 per game, shooting at a career-high 39.3 percent from the three-point line as Phoenix reached the championship round.
"You know, people talk about Kevin Durant, who is a great player. Dirk Nowitzki? Some really-really good players. But Tom was the first of that type," Johnson said with a lot of confidence.
"You know, 6'10", 6'11" can run up and down the court, can shoot, athletic, can pass and can play defense when he wanted to," he pointed out.Durant and Nowitzki added more finesse
What stood out most to Johnson wasn't just Chambers' ability to embrace new roles but his unique skill set, particularly for a big man of that era. Chambers could create space to shoot inside the paint, beat defenders off the dribble and knock down pull-up jumpers, skills that were rare among centers of his time and were even frowned upon as traditional big men of that era needed to operate in the paint.
If he had played in the post-2000s, Chambers would probably have gotten more respect, as his game was way ahead of his time, so he can be considered a unicorn like Dirk and KD were.
Thus, it's not that Chambers lacked impact during his era; his playing style never quite captured the imagination of an entire generation. So, while those who witnessed his great play on the court truly appreciated him wholeheartedly, he never became a media darling. By contrast, KD's smooth jumper and Dirk's iconic one-legged fadeaway added a sense of finesse and spectacle, which solidified their fame and particular moves. Social media played its part here, too.
Nevertheless, at least for his former partner in crime - Johnson, Chambers made a special place through his dedicated work rate and hard work. So, while modern-day fans might never truly understand the kind of dominance that Chambers held in the league for a brief amount of time, those who witnessed him beast-play on both ends of the court knew just how talented he was.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.