The Martlet

Fame is fleeting — just ask Ja Rule, any member of Celebrity Rehab and whoever sung the Macarena. The same holds true for NBA players. Without a mask to hide their emotions, players’ every reaction gets held up to the scrutiny of millions, whether it’s an aggravated pinkie sprain or a Lakers cheerleader who’s piqued someone’s interest.

If you own a jersey from one of the following players, you might want to sell it on Craigslist. Here’s a list of the five biggest collapses in NBA popularity among active players.

5 - Ben Gordon

Popularity can sink for an NBA player, even at the tender age of 25. Nearly four years ago in the playoffs, fans cheered “Air Gordon” while the diminutive combo guard torched the Washington Wizards with an array of three-pointers. Yet after the Gordon hangover wore off, Bulls fans realised that the DUI-prone commentator Charles Barkley was right when he called Gordon a “black hole” — once the ball gets to him, it never comes out. The shot-happy guard has continued to rack up the points, but his role in Chicago’s future has been supplanted by rookie darling Derrick Rose.

4 - Vince Carter

You could easily make a case for Carter coming in at the number-one spot. The veteran shooting guard, currently playing with the New Jersey Nets, quickly became the league’s hottest commodity in the post-Michael Jordan era with the Toronto Raptors. For the better part of seven seasons, Carter led the Raptors behind a deadly mix of outside shooting and vicious dunks. A perennial vote-in all-star, Carter became the whipping boy in Toronto when he quit on his team, whined after every nick and sprain and proved that behind the flash was little winning pedigree. The only insane thing about the man known as Vinsanity is the ridiculously close relationship he has with his mother.

3 - Shawn Marion

While Steve Nash racked up a couple MVPs and led the Phoenix Suns to deep post-season runs, Shawn Marion held them together with hustle, defence and an explosive vertical. The unsung hero flew under the radar — that is until he used the media as a sounding board for his discontent. Throughout his tenure with the Suns, Marion requested more shots, more points and even bigger money. Now that he plays with the Miami Heat, his stats have plummeted and those Marion jerseys aren’t exactly flying off the rack. Looks like he needed Nash more than he realized.

2 - Steve Francis

For those of you who are confused, Steve Francis is still a professional basketball player. The once-loved Stevie Franchise started multiple all-star contests alongside former Houston Rockets teammate Yao Ming and won over fans with his cross-over and high-flying dunks. Once the advertising face of Reebok, Francis’ career took an immediate downturn when he joined the Isaiah Thomas-helmed New York Knicks. Back in 1999, the Vancouver Grizzlies drafted Francis out of college, who later refused to play in Canada. Just think of his recent struggles as retribution for those Grizzlies fans — all six of them.

1 - Ben Wallace

Long considered to be the heart and soul of the Detroit Pistons tough-nosed defence, this undrafted and under-sized centre jumped out to a mid-career renaissance behind hustle, muscle and a killer afro. But after bolting Detroit for a $60 million contract with the Chicago Bulls, Wallace’s trademark blue-collar approach to basketball faded under the security of eight-digit annual incomes. Now a centre with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his popularity has taken a nosedive. Once a vote-in all-star, this season Wallace trails most centres on early voting returns — including the Wizards’ Brendan Haywood, who hasn’t even played this year. Don’t forget that his jump shot is about as solid as your six-year-old nephew’s. Well, at least he has sweet hair.