Modest beginnings can still lead to grand endings.

In the fall of 2010, Scottie Pippen was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame. That capped a 17-year NBA career where he was a seven-time all-star and six-time world champion.

But as a rookie, Pippen, who was selected fifth overall in the 1987 NBA draft, came off the bench. Then Bulls coach, Doug Collins, opted to start Brad Sellers ahead of Pippen. Sellers was a high draft pick as well, selected ninth overall a year earlier. However, unlike Pippen, Sellers' NBA career wasn't memorable and didn't have longevity. He played six seasons and had a career average of 6.3 points per game.

Still, Sellers can say he was an NBA starter alongside Michael Jordan. He can also say that for a year Scottie Pippen was his backup.