There will always be controversies concerning who should be rated where and how, especially when the NBA’s Best Players of All-Time is the topic. However, perhaps the most difficult discussions are not the most obvious ones. The best NBA players have frequently altered the league’s past or the course of individual organizations. Some have a reputation for winning championships, while others have advanced to new heights just by talent. The list is endless, and naming all will be quite tasking.
It wasn’t easy to decide if LeBron should have been placed higher than Michael Jordan or why Tim Duncan should have been rated top instead of Kevin Garnett and Kevin Durant, for example. When choosing how to rank Shaq and Kobe appropriately and the number of point guards on the list of the best NBA players, the politicking and personal jabs at one another’s basketball knowledge become hot. How much more credit do you give Bryant for winning more championships and earning legitimate comparisons to Michael Jordan?
Well, This piece will surely make die-hard basketball fans emotional and argumentative.
This article pays homage to some influential stars who have altered the course of the game through their contributions and influence and doesn’t rank any above the others except for the most obvious. So, Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
Allen Iverson
It’s disturbing that some people could be surprised to learn Allen Iverson is on this list. Indeed, among the best 30 NBA players of all time is AI. Just have a peek at the awards. NBA All-Star for 11 years. NFL MVP. NBA first-team selection three times. NBA scoring champion four times. A member of the 75th anniversary NBA team. The list goes on, but Iverson’s cultural influence on the present and upcoming NBA player generations is more significant than his performance on the court. He has been hailed as the finest ever, pound for pound, by LeBron James.
According to Dwyane Wade, wearing No. 3 throughout his career was partly due to AI. NBA players from the past and present could go on and on about why they think Iverson is so incredible and how much he means to them. NBA die-hards won’t soon forget the first game of the 2001 NBA Finals. That remains one of the most incredible individual basketball court performances. It’s unbelievable for a man of his size to go out and score 48 points on the road against the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Call it an overreaction if you must, but Greek Freak deserves to be on this list, given all the praises and the company he currently keeps due to his incredible run in the 2021 NBA Finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a two-time regular-season MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, and he recently won his first Finals MVP award after putting on arguably the best close-out game we’ve ever witnessed. While some older people might cringe at the idea of a 26-year-old, after only eight seasons, up here over a number of deserving legends.
He has played on four All-NBA teams, made five All-NBA teams, is an All-Star MVP, was voted the Most Improved Player of the Year in 2017, and was selected for the league’s 75th-anniversary team. He has also been named to one of the NBA’s All-Defense teams. Someone this young should have fewer achievements on his resume, especially considering how much of a project he was when he first entered the league. But Antetokounmpo has entered rarefied air now that he’s won his first championship. His game is flawed, and critics of the Bucks will argue that their title run was relatively easy. Who gives a damn? There is no denying the Greek Freak’s dominance as an offensive force in the paint, his tremendous development as a defender, and his inspirational journey from a skinny kid in Athens to an NBA superstar to millions of basketball fans.
This season, despite falling to the Boston Celtics in the second round, Giannis set an NBA record by recording 200 points, 100 rebounds, and 50 assists in a single series. At this time, he’s undoubtedly the best player in the NBA. Few players in the NBA have had as much of an impact on the game as Antetokounmpo, even though his 3-point shooting is still a work in progress. You can knock all you want, but you can rest assured that Antetokounmpo belongs here as a brand-new NBA legend.
Dirk Nowitzki
It is not unexpected that Dirk Nowitzki is among the top 20 NBA players ever. As the best player in Dallas Mavericks history, Nowitzki averaged 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game throughout 21 seasons. The big forward has also been selected to the NBA First Team four times and has been an All-Star 14 times. The championship and the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) award went to Nowitzki in 2011. After defeating the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals over the “Big 3,” the 2007 MVP award winner joined the elite club by earning all three significant honors.
Julius Erving
Julius Erving is most recognized for being one of the athletes who contributed to the NBA’s legitimacy when it merged with the ABA during the 1976 season. In his 16-year career, 11 spent in the NBA, Erving averaged 24.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 50.6% from the field. He was a dynamic athlete. Erving is the only player in history to win MVP awards in both the ABA and NBA. He is a three-time champion. The electrifying forward is one of the all-time great dunkers, but his influence on the NBA when the merger took place might be one of his most outstanding achievements. Both Erving’s plays and career statistics are exceptional. Additionally, he led 11 NBA All-Star teams, won three MVP awards across the NBA and ABA, and made the 75th-anniversary team. Dr. J is the godfather of the modern NBA.
Karl Malone
Karl Malone joins the long list of excellent 1990s players who Michael Jordan and the Bulls ultimately eclipsed. Of course, it didn’t help that they suffered two Finals losses at the hands of MJ and the Bulls. Malone averaged 25.0 PPG throughout his 19 NBA seasons, making him the No. 2 scorer in NBA history. He won the NBA MVP award twice, participated in 14 All-Star contests, was named to the first team of the NBA 11 times, and is a member of the 75th-anniversary team. According to the statistics, Malone comfortably ranks among the top 20 NBA players in history. Malone’s career will always be associated with his inability to claim a championship ring, but his productivity was never lacking.
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is one of the top NBA players of the present generation, and he keeps moving up the rankings thanks to his performance. With a field goal percentage of 49.7% over the course of his career, Durant, also known as the “Slim Reaper,” has averaged 27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. The forward constantly improves as he helps the Brooklyn Nets win another championship. Two championships, one MVP, and two NBA Finals MVP honors have all been won by Durant. Given that he has played up to his 16th season, the 12-time NBA All-Star can go up this list. Durant is still one of the top NBA players in the game right now, and he still has time to become one of the all-time greats.
Stephen Curry
The point guard Shaq. The Mike D’Antoni 3-point concept is taken up a notch by Steph, who extends defenses as opposed to the Diesel’s collapsed ones. His handling and elusiveness make it challenging to remain up on him full-court. From there, he will pull up and make the shot 43.5 percent of the time. After surpassing all other shooters in career 3-point attempts, he is, without a doubt, the best shooter of all time. However, Curry started more slowly than most men on this list. Early in his career, he struggled with his ankles, which made us wait to witness the magnificence we saw during his time in college at Davidson. Warriors supporters jeered then-new owner Joe Lacob during Chris Mullin Night because he gave the team to Steph after trading fan favorite Monta Ellis for Andrew Bogut.
Three years later, Golden State won their first championship in forty years. He now holds four rings in addition to another MVP and is the first unanimous MVP in league history (which is ridiculous). After a strong performance against the Boston Celtics, he finally crossed Finals MVP off his bucket list with his most recent victory. Steph ranks in our top 10 list because he has nothing to accomplish. As young players launch from beyond the arc earlier than ever in their careers, and as NBA clubs abandon the mid-range shot in favor of the 3-pointer, we can already see Steph’s influence on basketball. Curry, a part of the league’s 75th-anniversary team, is undoubtedly one of the most influential players to lace them up.
Hakeem Olajuwon
There is no need to explain why Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon’s inclusion on this list. He is among the most incredible big men ever. You may argue that Olajuwon only won his two NBA championships while Michael Jordan was still active, but if you do, you don’t get how difficult it is to capture a trophy. The NBA’s all-time leader in blocks with 3,830, Olajuwon was not only the MVP for each of those trips to the NBA Finals; he also won the league MVP award in 1994, participated in 12 All-Star games, and is a part of the league’s 75th-anniversary team.
Watching old footage and seeing how effortlessly Olajuwon moved in the paint for a man his size is still mind-boggling. He was a truly dominant force on both sides of the ball. The fact that Olajuwon accomplished all of this during a time when big guys (apart from Michael Jordan) ruled the NBA is even more astounding in the context of his career. Fans will always be grateful to Hakeem Olajuwon for creating one of the most famous maneuvers in NBA history, the Dream Shake.
Tim Duncan
If you are familiar with The Big Fundamental’s past, you know it is absurd to think he may one day rank among the game’s top power forwards. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Duncan was raised. As a teenager, he was a swimmer who later took up basketball. However, after four years at Wake Forest, he developed into a generational talent that every lousy team in the 1996–1997 season aspired to acquire so he could single-handedly turn around their fortunes.
Timmy was a lucky pick for the Spurs, who then almost established a dynasty. Duncan played all 19 seasons in San Antonio and consistently put up numbers like he was a robot—with the personality, as portrayed by the media, to match. He was an NBA 75 honoree, a five-time champion, a three-time MVP of the Finals, a two-time MVP of the regular season, a 15-time All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA, and a selection to the All-Defensive team. Duncan profited significantly from playing with future Hall of Famers Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, Pau Gasol, Kawhi Leonard, and the icon David Robinson. But besides Leonard, Duncan will stand out more than all the other great Spurs players—and pretty much every additional power forward in NBA history—because of how steadfast and sturdy he was. He ranks in the top 10 for defensive win shares, rebounds, and blocks. His final few seasons were cut short by injuries, but Duncan could double-double from his Rookie of the Year effort in the 1997–98 season through the 2009–10 season. He had a 19.9 PPG and 11.0 RPG average in 251 postseason games.
Thanks to his postseason dominance, Duncan has put above other modern power forwards with more significant physical and athletic prowess, like Karl Malone and Kevin Garnett. The most admiration has, however, been shown for his subdued dignity. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said it best when the team retired Duncan’s jersey. In some ways, he is mysterious. After hashing things out, Pop often lets Duncan have his way.
“He’s an enigma in some ways. You think Kawhi Leonard doesn’t talk much,” Popovich said. “When Timmy first got here, it was like telepathy. I would say something to him, and he would stare. I wasn’t sure if he was paying attention…finally, I realized he understood everything I was saying. Probably agreed with half of it but was so respectful he wouldn’t say anything until later.”
Wilt Chamberlain
Given that another player will never surpass several of his records, Wilt Chamberlain was unquestionably one of the best NBA players ever. The statistics performances of Chamberlain are astounding. Throughout his 15-year career in the league, “Wilt the Stilt” averaged 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. Two titles, four MVP awards, and one NBA Finals MVP award were all won by Chamberlain. The Big Center is the only player to average between 40 and 50 points per game and owns numerous records, including the best scoring effort in a single game (100 points).
Chamberlain will always be remembered in the NBA’s annals of statistics. Who else will have a season-long average of 50.4 points per game as Wilt did in 1961–1962? Will anyone else have a career average of 22.9 RPG like Wilt? No one will ever surpass Wilt’s feat of 100 points in a game. Will someone beat Wilt’s 13-season NBA average of 45.8 minutes played per game? Nobody will ever reach his 23,924 career rebounds, either.
Despite playing five more seasons than the illustrious Lothario, Tim Duncan, the best rebounder the game has seen since Moses Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, they have finished 9,000 boards behind Chamberlain. Haters would retort that Wilt played against many stiffs in the 1960s and 1970s when comic books were the only place you could find a 7’1″ center who might be the most athletic player on the court. The NBA did its best to contain The Big Dipper, who justifiably earned a berth on the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team when competitors couldn’t, but you can only crush the opposition in front of you.
Because of Chamberlain’s dominance, the league changed the definition of offensive goaltending, widened the lane, forbade players from rebounding missed free throws before the ball touched the rim, and prohibited inbounds passes over the basket because Wilt would consistently score on an alley-oop.
Larry Bird
Nobody was as deadly a scorer or as crucial after games as Larry Legend, even though Boston has more than its fair share of Hall of Famers pass through the old Boston Garden. Bird, a three-time champion who made the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team and won three consecutive MVP awards in the middle of the 1980s, liked ripping out his opponents’ hearts while uttering some of the most unappreciated trash. So the back injury Bird suffered during the summer of 1985 while paving his mother’s driveway is one of the biggest What Ifs in the history of the NBA. Given that Bird was never quite the same, it is mind-boggling to consider what more he may have accomplished if he wasn’t Mr. DIY, who hobbled his final few years in the league. But it didn’t stop him from averaging 24.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG for his 13 seasons.
Bird was always a winner who made incredible passes, had a gift for anticipating events on the court seconds before anybody else, and always made the crucial play that either sealed the deal or launched a game-changing run. Despite filling up a box score, the Bird was only somewhat a stats man. Instead, he was just a winner who made ridiculous passes. Because of this, although unable to play at the end of his final season, Bird was one of the most renowned players of the illustrious Dream Team. The best small forward the sport has ever seen could not be left off of the finest basketball team. Unfortunately, Bird has been replaced by someone else on that fabled list, but the Hick from French Lick is forever a Legend.
Shaquille O’Neal
The most dominant personality ever. Shaq’s career seems to be best summarized by the word “dominant.” One of the finest big men to ever pick up a basketball is Shaq, who is undoubtedly a member of the NBA 75 team. We’ve all seen the footage of Shaq destroying Michael Jordan in a one-on-one matchup before the All-Star Game. The fantastic thing about Shaq’s supremacy is that even though you could see his impending drop step in the post after just two dribbles, you still wouldn’t be able to stop it. A foul or a bucket was the only option. Shaq was a 7’1 “, 365-pound big who may have been the most explosive, athletic, and quick player we have ever seen. He was genuinely unique and was very easy to like. He was one of the most entertaining players the NBA has ever seen on and off the court. There will never be another Shaq.
Over the course of his career, O’Neal won four titles, one MVP award, and three NBA Finals MVP honors. One of only three players to earn the MVP title, NBA All-Star MVP award, and NBA Finals MVP honor in the same season is the 15-time NBA All-Star. O’Neal is unquestionably among the best centers in league history.
Kobe Bryant
First, this is not a choice made in response to Kobe Bryant’s death. It is slandering not to rank Kobe Bean Bryant among the best five players. After Kobe retired, Magic and Shaq declared him the greatest Laker ever. That should tell you something. We can discuss Kobe’s influence on the game and basketball culture. Nonetheless, it shouldn’t be a quality measure -Kobe was THAT GOOD.
Numerous achievements are evident, including NBA MVP, five championships, two Finals MVP selections, 18 All-Star selections, nine selections to the All-Defensive First Team, and the current fourth-leading scorer. Despite his successes, critics attempt to discredit him using technical numbers like utilization rate and efficiency. That is utterly absurd to me, coming from a man who won as many titles as Bird, LeBron, Wilt, Magic, and Shaq, if not more. Did you honestly spend 20 years watching NBA 75th-Anniversary team member Kobe Bryant and think, “Well, he’s not that efficient, so I don’t think he’s great as he’s portrayed”? Please don’t believe the crap that Bryant wasn’t as good as advertised on social media. RIP Mamba.
Bill Russell
Bill Russell is among the best NBA players in history simply because no one will likely ever surpass his record of 11 titles in this era of basketball. Throughout their rivalry, Russell concluded his 14-year career with 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 44% from the field.
Russell won five MVP honors in addition to the 11 championships mentioned above. The Hall of Famer made a significant impact off the court and was a civil rights pioneer. After Russell’s passing in 2022, the NBA retired the No. 6 jersey across the board, making him the only player in the league’s illustrious history to receive this honor.
Magic Johnson
It is not surprising that Magic Johnson is among the top five NBA players of all time because he is the best point guard ever. Throughout 13 seasons, Johnson averaged 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 11.2 assists, and 1.9 steals. Incredibly, the point guard had eight seasons in his career where he averaged at least 11 assists per game. Johnson received three MVP awards, three NBA Finals MVP honors, and five championships. Due to his bouts with Bird, he is still regarded as one of the most notable players from the 1980s. The Boston vs. Los Angeles rivalry still exists, even though it peaked with Johnson during the NBA’s Golden Age.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the all-time greatest scorer in the NBA and creator of the most dangerous shot in the league’s history, sky-hooked his way to a career total of 38,387 points. LeBron James may overtake him in another four or five seasons. Still, it will take a titanic effort on The King’s side to unseat the best center in basketball history, whose longevity is virtually unmatched. Abdul-Jabbar defied expectations by winning NBA Finals MVP honors 14 years apart. He received nearly all the awards a superstar can, including six MVP awards (one more than Russell and Jordan combined). He remains the only player in league history to receive an MVP award, even if his team did not advance to the postseason. So he naturally made the NBA 75 team.
Abdul-Jabbar split his tenure between the Bucks and the Lakers, winning three MVP awards with each team and five of his six rings in Los Angeles. We won’t bore you with a rundown of his accomplishments since you would spend hours browsing through this excellent piece of #content. However, he was a 19-time All-Star and 15 times placed in the top 5 of the MVP voting. There is no question about Abdul-Jabbar being the best center; that is all you need to know. Wilt Chamberlain may have held all those unbreakable records, and Bill Russell may have won more championships. Still, Abdul-Jabbar excelled offensively in ways Russell never did and retired as the league leader in nine statistical categories due to a remarkable perseverance Chamberlain couldn’t match. Although Abdul-Jabbar didn’t possess the same physical dominance as Wilt or Shaquille O’Neal, his fluidity was exceptional for someone of his enormous height.
LeBron James
Because Lebron has accomplished so much in the game, writing about his accomplishments will undoubtedly be a monumental endeavor. Undoubtedly, LeBron James is among the best NBA players ever to step foot on a court. James has played for 20 seasons and has a career average of 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while shooting 50.4% from the field. No player in NBA history has ever regularly dominated the game the way he does.
LeBron improved in 2016, going from dropping 41 in back-to-back games to the block in Game 7. He was a part of the league’s 75th-anniversary team and has long since attained a level of basketball brilliance that only he and Michael Jordan can claim. It’s okay that they breathe different air than the rest of us. Don’t forget that LeBron needs 1,326 more points to surpass Kareem and become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Ironically, despite his numbers, LeBron has not received much attention for his ability to score for most of his career.
James had one of the most successful careers in the league’s history, having won four championships, four MVP awards, four NBA Finals MVP honors, and many more. James is still as good as ever in his 20th NBA season and is vying with Abdul-Jabbar for the record for most career points.
Michael Jordan
Do you really need all this explanation? Michael Jordan is the best.
This player was one of the oldest to average 20 points per game and score 40 or more. He had previously won three straight games, left to play baseball, returned to win three consecutive games once more, and then returned. Without a doubt, the GOAT. But I’ll still point out that despite making six appearances, he never took part in a Finals Game 7 and was nominated to the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team in addition to winning the 1988 Defensive Player of the Year award, five MVP awards, and six Finals MVP awards.
He excelled on both ends of the court and, like Bill Russell before him, knew exactly what to do to support his team’s success every single day. For better or worse, Jordan was a madman who never missed a game. When my friend realized how crazed he had been toward his teammates, it made him cry. The Last Dance on ESPN attempted to capture Michael Jordan’s grip on the basketball world, but it fell short. Seeing him at the top of everyone’s list supports his case that no guard has ever dominated the league as he did. Never will another Michael Jordan exist. The accolades, the promotions, the footwear, the legacy. He did it all and made sure you knew about it along the way, all with a smile on his face.
There is no disputing that Michael Jordan is the best NBA player ever. Jordan transformed the game on and off the court, setting the bar for all players who came after him. The best basketball player of all time played in 15 seasons and averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals while shooting 49.7% from the field. In addition, Jordan had one of the most successful careers anybody could have in 15 years, winning six titles in six appearances, five MVP awards, six MVP honors in the NBA Finals, and more.
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