NBA Top 50 Players of All Time

With ESPN’s 10-part Docu-series on the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty called ‘The Last Dance’ premiering over the past month, social media has gone crazy over who the best players in NBA history are. Mostly debating the classic LeBron vs. Jordan, every basketball fan has something to say and it gave me the idea to finally reveal my NBA pyramid that I’ve been constructing over the past several years. I’ve always intended on one day putting it all together in a post and currently with the extended time off we all have due to the Coronavirus, now is a better time than ever. This top 50 is completely based off of my opinion and only mine as I stand strongly by each and every rank shown on this list. So here it is hope you all enjoy and of course I’d love to debate so if anyone disagrees drop a comment below.

Honorable Mentions:

Carmelo Anthony
Small Forward | DEN, NYK, OKC, HOU, POR (2003-Present)

Nate “Tiny” Archibald
Point Guard | CIN, NYN, BUF, BOS, MIL (1970-1984)

Paul Arizin
Small Forward | PHW, CAM (1950-1965)

Adrian Dantley
Small Forward | BUF, IND, LAL, UTA, DET, DAL, MIL (1976-1991)

Dave DeBusschere
Power Forward | DET, NYK (1962-1974)

Alex English
Small Forward | MIL, IND, DEN, DAL (1976-1991)

Pau Gasol
Center | MEM, LAL, CHI, SA, MIL (2001-Present)

Artis Gilmore
Center | KEN (ABA), CHI, SA, BOS (1971-1988)

Manu Ginobili
Shooting Guard | SA (2002-2018)

Dwight Howard
Center | ORL, LAL, HOU, ATL, CHA, WSH (2004-Present)

Sam Jones
Shooting Guard | BOS (1957-1969)

Bob McAdoo
Power Forward | BUF, NYK, BOS, DET, NJ, LAL, PHI (1972-1986)

Kevin McHale
Power Forward | BOS (1980-1993)

George Mikan
Center | CHI, MPL (1946-1956)

Reggie Miller
Shooting Guard | IND (1987-2005)

Dikembe Mutombo
Center | DEN, ATL, PHI, NJ, NYK, HOU (1991-2009)

Robert Parish
Center | GS, BOS, CHA, CHI (1976-1997)

Tony Parker
Point Guard | SA, CHA (2001-2019)

Paul Pierce
Small Forward | BOS, BKN, WSH, LAC (1998-2017)

Dennis Rodman
Power Forward | DET, SA, CHI, LAL, DAL (1986-2000)

---

50. Ray Allen

INFO:
Shooting Guard | 6’5 | 205 lbs
College: Connecticut (1993-1996)
Draft: 1996 Round 1: Pick: 5 selected by Minnesota Timberwolves, traded to Milwaukee Bucks

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
2x NBA Champion (’08 – BOS, ’13 – MIA)
10x NBA All-Star
1x All-NBA 2nd Team
1x All-NBA 3rd Team
NBA All-Rookie 2nd Team (’97)

STATS:
18.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.4 APG, 40% 3P%, 2,973 3PM (#1 All-Time)

Leading off my NBA pyramid we have the #1 3-point shooter all-time in Ray Allen. A product of UConn, Allen made the 2nd team All-Rookie in his first season and by his ’99-’00 season in Milwaukee he would surpass 20 ppg. Ray wouldn’t turn back as he would continue to average 20+ ppg for 9 straight seasons, becoming one of the most lethal scorers in the league. He split this streak between Milwaukee and Seattle when he was traded to the Sonics in the ’02-’03 season. By 2007, Allen was traded to Boston where he would set up a dynamic big 3 with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett that would win him his first NBA title in 2008. After his tenure in Boston expired, he played two seasons in Miami where he would win another title alongside another all-time big 3 in LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, and would surpass Reggie Miller’s record of all-time made 3’s. By the end, Ray went down as the greatest 3-point shooter ever (that is until Stephen Curry showed up) and one of the best all around scorers the game has ever seen.

---

49. Rick Barry

INFO:
Small Forward | 6’7 | 205 lbs
College: Miami (FL) (1962-1965)
Draft: 1965 Round: 1 Pick: 2 selected by San Francisco Warriors

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS
1x NBA Champion (’75 – GS)
1x ABA Champion (’69 – OAK)
NBA Finals MVP (’75)
8x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP
5x All-NBA First Team
1x All-NBA Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’66)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’66)
NBA Scoring Champion (’67)
NBA Steals Leader (’75)
4x ABA All-Star
4x All-ABA First Team
#24 retired by Golden State Warriors

STATS:
24.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.9 APG, 2.0 SPG, 89.3% FT% (#7 All-Time)

One of the most efficient scorers the game has ever seen, coming in at 49 is the legendary Rick Barry. Spending parts of his career in the ABA and NBA, Barry was a legend wherever he went, winning a title in both leagues and being a perennial all-star for whoever he played for. Spending the majority of his career with the San Francisco/ Golden State Warriors, he averaged no less than 21 ppg until his final two seasons in Houston. Barry is also trademarked with his signature under hand free throw, although unconventional, worked wonders for him as he is one of the all-time leaders in free throw percentage just under 90% for his career. His basketball lineage would carry on well after his retirement as his five sons would all end up going pro whether in the NBA or overseas. His sons Brent and Jon had the best careers, where Brent was able to win 2 championships with the Spurs and Jon bounced around as a sharp shooting guard before turning to broadcasting. No matter what, Barry has to be in any NBA Top 50 and his basketball legacy will forever lie with the Warriors where his #24 hangs from the rafters.

---

48. Dolph Schayes

INFO:
Power Forward | 6’8 | 220 lbs
College: NYU (1944-1948)
Draft: 1948 selected by New York Knicks (NBA), Tri-Cities Blackhawks (NBL)

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’55)
12x NBA All-Star
6x All-NBA First Team
6x All-NBA Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’49)
NBA Rebounding Leader (’51)
#4 retired by Philadelphia 76ers

STATS:
18.5 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 85% FT%, 38% FG%

Before there was a 3 point line, and steals and blocks were seen as a “stat”, Dolph Schayes was taking the league by storm for the Syracuse Nationals (better known nowadays as the Philadelphia 76ers). As a 6’8 center, Dolph over powered in the paint, putting up career numbers of 18.5 points and 12.1 boards a game. He spent his entire 15 year career in the Syracuse Nationals organization in the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s of the NBA. By his final year in ’63-’64, the Nationals moved to Philly and became the 76ers where Dolph took over as a player-coach for his final season, followed by two more years as head coach after retirement and a short stint as the play caller for the Buffalo Braves (who later became the Los Angeles Clippers). A product of the Bronx, Dolph played college ball in the 40’s at NYU and settled where his career began in Syracuse where he worked as a real estate agent after his playing days. Yeah the NBA didn’t have the most lucrative contracts during the 50’s and 60’s.

---

47. Willis Reed

INFO:
Center | 6’10 | 235 lbs
College: Grambling State (1960-1964)
Draft: 1964 Round: 2 Pick: 8 selected by New York Knicks

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
2x NBA Champion (’70, ’73)
1x NBA MVP (’70)
2x NBA Finals MVP (’70, ’73)
7x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’70)
1x All-NBA First Team
4x All-NBA Second Team
1x NBA All Defensive First Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’65)
NBA All-Rookie Team (’65)
#19 retired by New York Knicks

STATS:
18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 47.6% FG%

Coming in at number 47 is “The Captain”, Willis Reed. Reed spent his entire 10 year career with the New York Knicks where he won two championships and an MVP. Alongside Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley, Earl Monroe, Dave Debuscherre and many others, Reed was a part of the Knicks greatest run in franchise history where their two banners from the 70’s are still the teams most recent titles. Reed is also the only Knick ever to win MVP and alongside Frazier and Ewing is seen as possibly the greatest Knick of all-time. Reed’s most memorable moment came in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers where he was projected not to play due to a thigh injury. He continued out of the Madison Square Garden tunnel to the shock of fans and helped lead a Knicks team to a win securing their first ever championship. An amazing way to cap off a stellar ’69-’70 campaign where Reed averaged 22 and 14 while playing in 81 of 82 games, winning MVP and an NBA title. Reed goes down as one of the best Centers the game has ever seen.

---

46. Russell Westbrook

INFO:
Point Guard | 6’3 | 200 lbs
College: UCLA (2006-2008)
Draft: 2008 Round: 1 Pick: 4 selected by Seattle Supersonics

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA MVP (’17)
9x NBA All-Star
2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’15, ’16)
2x All-NBA First Team
5x All-NBA Second Team
1x All-NBA Third Team
2x NBA Scoring Champion (’15, ’17)
2x NBA Assists Leader (’18, ’19)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’09)

STATS:
23.2 PPG, 8.3 APG, 7.1 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 43.7% FG%

The first current player to show up on the top 50 is 31-year-old Rockets point guard Russell Westbrook. Since arriving in the league in 2008, Westbrook has been a ferocious scorer with insane rebounding and athletic ability for a point guard. He is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double in 3 straight seasons, eclipsing Oscar Robertson’s record of 2. This came about after Kevin Durant decided to leave Oklahoma City in the summer of 2016, leaving Westbrook as the sole leader of the squad. In the ’16-’17 season, Westbrook exploded averaging 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists a game, winning MVP and a scoring title all in that season. Westbrook is by far already a top 50 player all-time and will definitely be moving up the list as his career continues. The only big milestone he has left to achieve is an NBA title, and by doing so he might even leapfrog into the top 30 of all-time already.

---

45. Dave Cowens

INFO:
Center | 6’9 | 230 lbs
College: Florida State (1967-1970)
Draft: 1970 Round: 1 Pick: 4 selected by Boston Celtics

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
2x NBA Champion (’74, ’76)
1x NBA MVP (’73)
8x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’73)
3x All-NBA Second Team
1x NBA All-Defensive First Team
2x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’71)
NBA All-Rookie Team (’71)
#18 retired by Boston Celtics

STATS:
17.6 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 46% FG%

The first Celtics legend to appear on the list is the great Dave Cowens. Anchoring the 70’s squads for the Celtics, Cowens won two titles and an MVP in his 10 seasons while playing for Boston. Cowens is definitely one of the forgotten Celtics’ greats who was the teams star player in between the Bill Russell and Larry Bird eras. He averaged no less than 16 and 14 in his first eight years in the league and put up an amazing 20.5 and 16.2 in the ’72-’73 season where he won MVP. His first title came in 1974 against the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led Milwaukee Bucks, forcing a Game 7, where Cowens put up 28 points and 14 boards. He is also one of only five players in NBA history (Scottie Pippen, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, and Giannis Antetokounmpo being the others) to lead their team in five major stat categories in an entire season, which was the ’77-’78 season where he averaged 18.6 pts, 14 reb, 4.6 ast, 0.9 blocks, and 1.3 steals. Although one of the more quieter stars in league history, Cowens is for sure a top 50 player while being the anchor and leader of the Celtics’ squad throughout the 70’s.

---

44. Dominique Wilkins

INFO:
Small Forward | 6’7 | 225 lbs
College: Georgia (1979-1982)
Draft: 1982 Round: 1 Pick: 3 selected by Utah Jazz, traded to Atlanta Hawks a few months later

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS
9x NBA All-Star
1x All-NBA First Team
4x All-NBA Second Team
2x All-NBA Third Team
NBA All Rookie First Team (’83)
NBA Scoring Champion (’86)
2x NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion
#21 retired by Atlanta Hawks

STATS:
24.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 46.1% FG%, 26,668 Points (15th All-Time)

Coming in at 44 is “The Human Highlight Reel”, Dominique Wilkins. The Hawk great spent 11 and a half seasons in Atlanta where he put together a hall of fame career as a lethal scorer and all around insane athlete headlined by his iconic dunks. Although Dominique was a perennial all-star he never made it deep into the playoffs, being plagued by playing in a difficult era in the 80’s with the reign of the Celtics and Pistons in the Eastern Conference and not much talent around him in Atlanta. As an all around workhouse, he played in at least 78 games each of his first nine seasons. One of the more underrated all time players in the game, Wilkins will always have a spot in my top 50 of the greatest to ever lace them up.

---

43. Scottie Pippen

INFO:
Small Forward | 6’8 | 225 lbs
College: Central Arkansas (1983-1987)
Draft: 1987 Round: 1 Pick: 5 selected by Seattle Supersonics, traded to Chicago Bulls

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
6x NBA Champion (’91-’93, ’96-’98)
7x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’94)
3x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
2x All-NBA Third Team
8x NBA All-Defensive First Team
2x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Steals Leader (’95)
#33 retired by Chicago Bulls

STATS:
16.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.2 APG, 2 SPG, 47.3% FG%, 2,307 Steals (6th All-Time)

The running mate alongside the great Michael Jordan throughout the Bulls’ dynasty run in the 90’s, Scottie Pippen put together one incredible career for a player seen as second best on an overcrowded team his entire career. As most basketball fans have been seeing throughout this entire series ESPN has been airing on the Chicago Bulls, Pippen came from very little recognition into one of the leagues greats. A lock down defender and an underrated scorer, he easily can be seen in anyone’s NBA Top 50. Many know him as only the Robin to Jordan’s Batman but many don’t remember the year and a half of success he had during Michael Jordan’s first retirement as the leader of the Bulls. In the ’93-’94 season without MJ, Scottie put up 22 pts, 8.7 reb, 5.6 ast, and 2.9 stl. Without a doubt one of the all-around biggest winners in NBA history, Pippen is a Hall of Famer and legend regardless of who he played alongside.

---

42. James Harden

INFO:
Shooting Guard | 6’5 | 220 lbs
College: Arizona State (2007-2009)
Draft: 2009 Round: 1 Pick: 3 selected by Oklahoma City Thunder

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA MVP (’18)
8x NBA All-Star
5x All-NBA First Team
1x All-NBA Third Team
NBA Sixth Man of the Year (’12 – OKC)
2x NBA Scoring Champion (’18, ’19)
NBA Assists Leader (’17)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (’10)

STATS:
25.1 PPG, 6.3 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 36.3% 3P%, 2,296 3PM (5th All-Time)

The second current player to crack the top 50 is The Beard, James Harden. Harden entered the league in 2009 with a lot of raw talent and he spent his entire Oklahoma City tenure as the sixth man on a squad that also featured stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. After losing in the 2012 NBA Finals to the Miami Heat, Harden was dealt prior to the ’12-’13 seasons in one of the worst trades of this century. Becoming the face of the Houston Rockets, Harden shined immediately jumping from 16.8 pts to 25.9 pts in just one year. Since then Harden hasn’t missed a beat, averaging no less than 27 pts a game as well as a consistent mid-30% shooter from downtown. As a player who can fill up the stat sheet in a variety of ways, Harden became the primary Point Guard for the Rockets in ’16-’17 and ended up leading the league in assists with 11.2 a game in his first year at the position. Harden has also won each of the last two scoring titles, averaging 30.4 pts and an incredible 36.1 pts last season. Harden is also on pace to win a third straight as he is currently averaging 34.4 during the pending finish of the ’19-’20 season. An all-around unbelievable and historic offensive force, Harden already cracks the top 50 at age 30 and is well on his way to move much higher up the list by the end of his career.

---

41. Jerry Lucas

INFO:
Power Forward/ Center | 6’8 | 230 lbs
College: Ohio State (1959-1962)
Draft: 1962 Pick: Territorial selected by Cincinnati Royals

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’73)
7x NBA All-Star
NBA All-Star Game MVP (’65)
3x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’64)
NBA All-Rookie Team (’64)

STATS:
17 PPG, 15.6 RPG (#4 All-Time), 3.3 APG, 49.9% FG%

Up next on the list is the great Jerry Lucas, who was one of the greatest low post threats in NBA history. An all-around legendary scorer/rebounder, Jerry was ahead of his time with the ability to shoot from long distance at 6’8, in the days before the 3-point line was implemented. Not very many big men were able to conquer that feat as many smaller guys couldn’t either, in the days where the game was primarily played from mid-range and forward. Lucas also shot 78.3% from the free throw line for his career, another feat that many big men struggled with in the ages before the 2010’s. Lucas cracks 41 on my list based on his innovative shooting, historic rebounding numbers, and being one of the trademark players to roll in the ’60s. Lucas also went two straight seasons averaging 20+ pts and 20+ reb a game, numbers that only he, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain were able to reach at the time. One of the more forgotten legends of the game, and a player commonly left entirely off of many people’s top 50’s, Jerry Lucas was a catalyst to what the game became. His 12,942 career rebounds are 18th all-time, and his 15.6 rebounds per game are 4th all-time.

---

40. Clyde Drexler

INFO:
Shooting Guard | 6’7 | 210 lbs
College: Houston (1980-1983)
Draft: 1983 Round: 1 Pick: 14 selected by Portland Trail Blazers

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’95 – HOU)
10x NBA All-Star
1x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
2x All-NBA Third Team
#22 retired by Portland Trail Blazers
#22 retired by Houston Rockets

STATS:
20.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.6 APG, 2 SPG, 47.2% FG%, 2,207 Steals (9th All-Time)

Next up on the list is Clyde “The Glide” Drexler, nicknamed after his ridiculous athleticism and surging dunks. Besides being a highlight reel, Drexler was an all-around hall of fame player, spending his prime years with the Portland Trail Blazers where his number 22 is retired. Drexler’s offensive ability was being an all around playmaker, averaging 21+ ppg for six straight seasons along with high rebounding and assist numbers. Although Clyde goes down as the greatest Trail Blazer of all-time, he had a difficult time getting over the hump while in Portland. He made it to the finals twice in three years, losing to Isiah Thomas’ Bad Boy Pistons in 1990 and MJ’s Bulls in 1992. After 11 and a half seasons in Portland, Drexler was dealt to his hometown Houston Rockets in 1995 and helped aid a Houston squad along with Hakeem Olajuwon and Kenny Smith to an NBA title in the ’95-’96 season. Clyde spent the last few years in his hometown where he averaged 18 points a game up until his retirement after the ’97-’98 season. Being a catalyst of the teams’ second title of back-to-back’s in Houston in 95, Drexler’s #22 was also retired for his hometown Rockets. After his retirement, Drexler became the head coach for a few seasons at his alma mater the University of Houston. An all-around legend of the game, Drexler is a clear cut top 50 player of all-time.

---

39. Elvin Hayes

INFO:
Power Forward | 6’9 | 235 lbs
College: Houston (1965-1968)
Draft: 1968 Round: 1 Pick: 1 selected by San Diego Rockets

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’78 – WSH)
12x NBA All-Star
3x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
2x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’69)
NBA Scoring Champion (’69)
2x NBA Rebounding Leader (’70 – SD, ’74 – CAP)
#11 retired by Washington Wizards

STATS:
21 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 2 BPG, 1.8 APG, 45.2% FG%, 27,313 Points (12th All-Time)

Leading off the 30’s on the NBA Pyramid is “The Big E”, Elvin Hayes who is one of the most ferocious post players in NBA history. Starting his career for the San Diego Rockets and spending most of his prime on the Bullets, Hayes averaged at least 19 and 11 every year for the first 12 years of his career. Throughout his illustrious career, Elvin led the Bullets to their only NBA title in 1978 when they knocked off the Seattle Supersonics. Throughout those playoffs, The Big E averaged 21.8 points and 13.3 boards in 21 games but lost out on Finals MVP to his teammate Wes Unseld. Throughout the 70’s, Hayes and Unseld set up a dynamic duo in Baltimore/ D.C. for the Bullets that led to a championship among two hall of fame careers. The Big E is by far one of the greatest low post presence’s in league history and one of the greats of his generation.

---

38. Jason Kidd

INFO:
Point Guard | 6’4 | 210 lbs
College: California (1992-1994)
Draft: 1994 Round: 1 Pick: 2 selected by Dallas Mavericks

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’11 – DAL)
10x NBA All-Star
5x All-NBA First Team
1x All-NBA Second Team
4x NBA All-Defensive First Team
5x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Co-Rookie of the Year (’95)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’95)
5x NBA Assists Leader (’99-’01 – PHX, ’03-’04 – NJ)
#5 retired by Brooklyn Nets

STATS:
12.6 PPG, 8.7 APG, 6.3 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 34.9% 3P%, 1,988 3PM (10th All-Time), 12,091 Assists (2nd All-Time), 2,684 Steals (2nd All-Time)

One of the greatest players of my generation Jason Kidd comes in next at #38. Throughout his hall of fame career, Kidd spent portions of his time in Dallas, Phoenix, and New Jersey including a final season for the Knicks. The prime of his career came in a Nets uniform where he was a perennial all-star in the 2000’s as he was one of the best playmakers of all-time. A pass first point guard that was an unbelievable on-ball defender, he helped aid a Nets team to back-to-back Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003 where they would lose both to Kobe and Shaq’s Lakers and Tim Duncan’s Spurs. Kidd though would finally win an NBA championship during his second stint in Dallas in 2011 where the improbable Mavs picked off the Big 3 Miami Heat in the Finals. Kidd led the league in assists for 3 straight seasons while in Phoenix from 1999-2001 and again in 2003 and 2004 for the Nets. The story goes that in the summer of 2003 when Kidd was a free agent and growing tired of losing in back-to-back Finals he was ready to team up with Tim Duncan on the Spurs. But after a fall through, he returned to New Jersey on a six-year deal and ended up having his #5 retired by the organization. Tony Parker later improved into a star point guard and the Spurs were able to cope well without needing Kidd, although Duncan’s 5 rings and Kidd’s 1 ring might have been much more if the signing occurred. Regardless, Kidd was one of the most savvy playmakers of all-time, a true floor general that defined what a point guard was perceived as in the NBA. In the scoring era we’re currently in in the NBA, it’s tough to find a true point guard like Nash or J-Kidd.

---

37. Pete Maravich

INFO:
Shooting Guard | 6’5 | 197 lbs
College: LSU (1967-1970)
Draft: 1970 Round: 1 Pick: 3 selected by Atlanta Hawks

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS
5x NBA All-Star
2x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’71)
NBA Scoring Champion (’77)
#7 retired by Utah Jazz
#7 retired by New Orleans Pelicans
#44 retired by Atlanta Hawks

STATS:
24.2 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 82% FT%

One of the most iconic players to ever play the game, Pistol Pete’s illustrious career began in college at LSU. In only three years for the Tigers, Maravich became D-1’s all-time leading scorer with 3,667 points, a feat that still stands as the record to this day. Pete did this by averaging no less than 43.8 points per game. When he entered the league he did not stop, averaging 22.3 points per game his rookie season and becoming one of the all-around greatest scorers the game has ever seen. He split time between the Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Jazz during his 10 year career with a quick half a season in his final year in Boston. Although Maravich did not have a long career, his legacy goes well beyond the record books as an innovator of the game. Maravich lived, breathed, and ate basketball and sadly passed away in 1988 at the age of 40 during a pickup game at his Church, a death that he creepily predicted. His terrible knee issues are what inevitably shortened his career, injuries that made his early retirement a difficult situation for Maravich to handle as he became recluse for a couple of years after exiting the NBA. He was known for his long range shooting in the days before the three point line and innovative ball handling. Sadly the three point was installed during the last year of Maravich’s career, a part of the game that would’ve elevated his stats to ridiculous levels if he played with it. Although his career was short, Pistol Pete has to be in anyone’s top 50, based on his impact to the game and domination during his shorter tenure.

---

36. Patrick Ewing

INFO:
Center | 7’0 | 255 lbs
College: Georgetown (1981-1985)
Draft: 1985 Round: 1 Pick: 1 selected by New York Knicks

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
11x NBA All-Star
1x All-NBA First Team
6x All-NBA Second Team
3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’86)
NBA All-Rookie Team (’86)
#33 retired by New York Knicks

STATS:
21 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 1.9 APG, 50.4% FG%, 2,894 Blocks (8th All-Time)

Up next is New York Knick legend Patrick Ewing one of the greatest big men to ever play the game. In his 17 seasons in the NBA, Ewing shined in The Mecca of basketball, being the leader of the Knicks’ great 90’s teams. Although the team was never able to get over the top and win a championship, Ewing made two Finals appearances in 94 and 99 where he lost to Hakeem’s Rockets and a young Tim Duncan and The Admiral of the Spurs. With extreme durability and consistency throughout his career, Ewing had 9 straight seasons of averaging at least 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds while playing in no fewer than 76 games from 1989-1998. Plagued by playing in the tough Eastern Conference in the 90’s, the Knicks struggled against the Bulls and Pacers in particular. Throughout all of it, Ewing was the most consistent piece for the Knicks that made them what they were in that era. I see a lot of people having Ewing in the 40’s and even left off entirely of their top 50’s and it’s just not right. A lot of the hate towards Patrick comes since he played in New York and wasn’t able to win it all which is unfair to the legendary player he was. In the star-filled 90’s Pat was a consistent threat and matchup nightmare that goes down as one of, if not the, greatest Knick of all-time.

---

35. Steve Nash

INFO:
Point Guard | 6’3 | 178 lbs
College: Santa Clara (1992-1996)
Draft: 1996 Round: 1 Pick: 15 selected by Phoenix Suns

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
2x NBA MVP (’05, ’06)
8x NBA All-Star
3x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
2x All-NBA Third Team
5x NBA Assists Leader (’05-’07, ’10, ’11 – PHX)
4x 50-40-90 Club

STATS:
14.3 PPG, 8.5 APG, 3 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 42.8% 3P%, 90.4% FT% (2nd All-Time), 10,335 Assists (3rd All-Time)

Another dynamic point guard of my generation, coming in at 35 is the great Steve Nash. Nash’s career was headlined by his shooting efficiency and all-around playmaking skills that won him back-to-back MVP awards in the 2000’s. Starting his career in Phoenix, Nash didn’t see much success until he became the starting point guard in Dallas in the early 2000’s. There, Nash teamed up with the likes of Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley to create a competitive squad for the Mavs. When it was time to test free agency, the Mavs were hesitant to give Nash the money he deserved based on their high salary roll. He re-signed with the Suns where he became an MVP in his first two years back in Phoenix, averaging 16 and 12, and 19 and 11 in those two years. The Suns were very competitive during Nash’s tenure with young stars in Amar’e Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, and Shawn Marion playing alongside him. Although they were never able to make it to the Finals, the team made back-to-back Western Conference Finals in 05 and 06, losing to the Spurs and Mavericks. After his tenure in Phoenix ended, Nash tried creating a big 3 in L.A. alongside Kobe and Dwight Howard, a team that although looked great on paper was never able to make it off the ground. Nash called it quits in 2014 after 18 seasons as one of the best passers and playmakers in the game. He’s the only player ever to reach the 50-40-90 Club (50% FG%, 40% 3P%, 90% FT%) four times in his career and has gone down as not only a pass first PG but a lethal scorer when need be. Easily one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game.

---

34. Gary Payton

INFO:
Point Guard | 6’4 | 180 lbs
College: Oregon State (1986-1990)
Draft: 1990 Round: 1 Pick: 2 selected by Seattle Supersonics

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’06 – MIA)
9x NBA All-Star
2x All-NBA First Team
5x All-NBA Second Team
2x All-NBA Third Team
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (’96)
9x NBA All-Defensive First Team
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (’91)
NBA Steals Leader (’96)

STATS:
16.3 PPG, 6.7 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 8,966 Assists (10th All-Time), 2,445 Steals (4th All-Time)

Up next is Gary “The Glove” Payton, in my opinion the greatest defensive point guard of all-time. Payton spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Supersonics, playing alongside Shawn Kemp for a squad that stayed atop the Western Conference for most of the decade. Although Payton stayed among the leagues great throughout his tenure in Seattle, the team never was able to get over the top, only making it to one Finals appearance in 1996 where they lost MJ’s Bulls. With extreme durability, The Glove played in at least 81 of 82 games in each of his first 8 seasons in the league, making First Team All-Defense 9 straight seasons from 1994-2002 and putting up 7 straight seasons of at least 2.2 steals a game. From 1995-2003, Payton also averaged no less than 19.2 points and 7 assists, along with his unbelievable on-ball and off-ball defense. With an expiring contract in the ’02-’03 season, the Sonics decided to ship Payton off to Milwaukee and when he hit the market in the summer of 2003, he decided to try to create a big 4 in L.A. with an aging Karl Malone to go along with Shaq and Kobe. A team that looked like they were a shooing to win it all, the Lakers beat Garnett and the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals but lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Payton was traded to Boston for a season after and signed with the Heat in 2005 where he finally would win a ring in 2006 with the Heat, a team that included a young Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. Payton called it quits in 2007 after a spectacular career that landed him in Springfield as one of the best two way point guards of all-time.

---

33. Chris Paul

INFO:
Point Guard | 6’1 | 175 lbs
College: Wake Forest (2003-2005)
Draft: 2005 Round: 1 Pick: 4 selected by New Orleans Hornets

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
10x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’13)
4x All-NBA First Team
3x All-NBA Second Team
1x All-NBA Third Team
7x NBA All-Defensive First Team
2x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’06)
NBA All-Rookie Team (’06)
4x NBA Assists Leader (’08, ’09 – NOH, ’14, ’15 – LAC)
6x NBA Steals Leader (’08, ’09, ’11 – NOH, ’12-’14 – LAC)

STATS:
18.5 PPG, 9.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 37% 3P%, 9,607 Assists (7th All-Time), 2,220 Steals (8th All-Time)

Up next we have the great CP3, the third current player to crack the top 50. Throughout Paul’s career he has been nothing but consistent, being one of the best two way point guards across the league since entering in 2005. Paul started his career for the New Orleans Hornets where he bursted onto the scene averaging 21.1, 11.6, and 2.7 and 22.8, 11, and 2.8 in his 3rd and 4th years. He’s led the league in assists 4 times and steals 6 times at only the age of 35 with still a lot left to go. As 2011 was approaching, Paul was growing tired of losing in New Orleans. A trade was in place in December of 2011 to send CP3 to the Lakers to team up with Kobe but was later shut down by the league deeming it unfair since the NBA owned the Hornets at the time. Ironically, LeBron signed with the Heat two summers prior in 2010. Regardless, a few days later the Hornets agreed to send Paul to the Clippers to team up with stars Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan for the other L.A. team. Paul was all in on trying to win with the Clippers although they never were able to make it past the second round. He later tried his luck in Houston alongside James Harden where he played two seasons and made it to the 2018 Western Finals where they lost a Game 7 to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors. This past offseason, Paul was dealt to the Thunder in exchange for Russell Westbrook as OKC looked to enter a rebuild. They held onto CP3 and although looked to be one of the worst teams in all of the NBA this preseason, they currently sit in a playoff spot when/if the season resumes. Paul made the all-star team for the 10th time in his career back in February and if he can ever win a title, he’ll be on the move to leapfrog way past 33 and into even potentially the top 25 ever.

---

32. Bob Pettit

INFO:
Power Forward/ Center | 6’9 | 205 lbs
College: LSU (1951-1954)
Draft: 1954 Round: 1 Pick: 2 selected by Milwaukee Hawks

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’58)
2x NBA MVP (’56, ’59)
11x NBA All-Star
4x NBA All-Star Game MVP
10x All-NBA First Team
1x All-NBA Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’55)
2x NBA Scoring Champion (’56, ’59)
NBA Rebounding Leader (’56)
#9 retired by Atlanta Hawks

STATS:
26.4 PPG (8th All-Time), 16.2 RPG (3rd All-Time), 3 APG, 43.6% FG%

Taking a trip back into the 50’s and 60’s, we have the great Bob Pettit at #32. Pettit’s career was highlighted by his domination in the paint averaging a ridiculous 26 and 16 for his career. His entire 11-year career was played with the St. Louis Hawks, who moved out of Milwaukee and into St. Louis after his Rookie year. There he won an NBA title, was named an all-star all 11 seasons he played, and named to All-NBA First Team 10 out of 11 seasons in the league. In the ’55-’56 season, Pettit’s second year in the league, he averaged 25.7 and 16.2, earning him the league’s first ever MVP award in 1956. He would go on to win another in 1959 and will always be remembered as the first MVP in NBA history. Not too many people reading this list will remember Pettit, but it’s important that he stays among the top of all-time with how much he gave to the game. In my opinion, the key players from the 50’s that need to be included in the 30 and forward range are Bob Pettit, Bill Russell and Bob Cousy. A few players’ whose exceptional talents were beyond the comprehension of the era they played in, absolutely dominant and could not be tamed. The league was definitely very different back then, but there is no doubt in my mind that any three of these guys can dominate no matter what era they’re put in.

---

31. George Gervin

INFO:
Small Forward | 6’8 | 180 lbs
College: Eastern Michigan (1970-1972)
Draft: 1974 Round: 3 Pick: 40 selected by Phoenix Suns

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
9x NBA All-Star
3x ABA All-Star
5x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
2x All-ABA Second Team
4x NBA Scoring Champion (’78-’80, ’82)
ABA All-Rookie First Team (’73)
#44 retired by San Antonio Spurs

STATS:
25.1 PPG (10th All-Time), 5.3 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 50.4% FG%

One of the greatest pure scorers the game has ever seen is George “The Iceman” Gervin. The Iceman started his basketball career in the ABA, after two stellar seasons at Eastern Michigan he joined the ABA’s Virginia Squires. Gervin broke out his second season with the Squires, finishing the year with 23.4 points and 8.4 rebounds while getting traded to the ABA’s San Antonio Spurs. After 1974, The Iceman was eligible for the NBA Draft and was selected by the Phoenix Suns. He soon decided not to sign and returned to the Spurs in the ABA. He would spend two more seasons with the Spurs in the ABA until the NBA-ABA merger made the San Antonio Spurs an NBA team in 1976. Upon joining the NBA, Gervin took the league by storm in the Alamo winning four scoring titles including two seasons averaging over 30 ppg. Although Gervin was great, the team around him was never able to do very much although they were a consistent playoff threat. The closest The Iceman got was losing to the Washington Bullets in the 1979 Eastern Conference Finals. In the 15 seasons The Iceman spent in the ABA and NBA, he averaged no less than 21 ppg 13 years, every year besides his first and last. Gervin was definitely a fan favorite and one of the well respected ex-players in league history.

---

30. Allen Iverson

INFO:
Shooting Guard/ Point Guard | 6’0 | 165 lbs
College: Georgetown (1994-1996)
Draft: 1996 Round: 1 Pick: 1 selected by Philadelphia 76ers

CAREER:

ACHIVEMENTS:
1x NBA MVP (’01)
11x NBA All-Star
2x NBA All-Star Game MVP
3x All-NBA First Team
3x All-NBA Second Team
1x All-NBA Third Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’97)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’97)
4x NBA Scoring Champion (’99, ’01, ’02, ’05)
3x NBA Steals Leader (’01-’03)
#3 retired by Philadelphia 76ers

STATS:
26.7 PPG (7th All-Time), 6.2 APG, 3.7 RPG, 2.2 SPG (10th All-Time)

Up next on my list is one of my all-time favorite player, The Answer, Allen Iverson. Pound for pound one of the best players to ever play in the NBA, a two sport athlete in High School who was more focused on making it to the NFL. In his two years at Georgetown under the great John Thompson, Iverson showed off his ridiculous scoring and playmaking skills, landing himself as the top pick in 1996. Quickly he became one of the league’s young phenoms, in an era of the late 90’s where greats like MJ, Malone, Stockton, Olajuwon, Ewing, Barkley and many more were on their way out. Iverson defined the style of the 2000’s wearing his iconic shooting sleeves and headband, making it popular for kids all across the country. His greatest season came in ’00-’01 where he averaged 31.1 pts and 2.5 stl while winning the 2001 MVP award and leading his 76ers to the NBA Finals, where they were overmatched by Kobe and Shaq’s Lakers. This sadly would be the only Finals A.I. would make in his career as he has gone down as one of the best players in NBA history not to win a championship. When it comes to the top 30 in my NBA Pyramid, there are very few members that have made it and never won a championship, but Iverson was too dynamic to fall too far even without the title. After his illustrious tenure in Philly ended, Iverson tried creating a dynamic duo alongside Carmelo Anthony in Denver, an attempt that failed quickly. He would also spend spirts in Detroit and Memphis before inevitably ending his career where it all started in Philadelphia. Iverson goes down as, in my opinion, the most ruthless scorer in NBA history. A beast at 6’0 tall who had no fear driving to the hoop and scoring from anywhere on the court. A.I. is a legend of the game and one of the most influential players of his generation and an easy pick in the top 30 of all-time.

---

29. Walt Frazier

INFO:
Point Guard | 6’4 | 200 lbs
College: Southern Illinois (1963-1967)
Draft: 1967 Round: 1 Pick: 5 selected by New York Knicks

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
2x NBA Champion (’70, ’73)
7x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP
4x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
7x NBA All-Defensive First Team
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’68)
#10 retired by New York Knicks

STATS:
18.9 PPG, 6.1 APG, 5.9 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 49% FG%

Up next on the list is an all-time great and Knicks icon Walt “Clyde” Frazier. We all know Clyde nowadays as the color commentator for the Knicks, wearing his iconic suits, but back in the 70’s Frazier led a Knicks team to two championships as the leader alongside Willis Reed. A savvy point guard who could score with ease, again in the era without the 3-point line, but was also a very solid rebounder for his size as well as an elite defender. Frazier was a consistent threat, averaging 20.5+ ppg for 6 straight seasons in the era of the Knicks two titles. He was also selected to 7 straight All-Defensive First Team’s from ’69-’75 while being a pest on and off the ball. In my opinion the greatest Knick of all-time, Clyde was a winner and for that reason is one of the most beloved players in New York history. In his 13 career seasons, Frazier spent his 10 prime years on the Knicks and finished it off for the Cavaliers, a tenure that was riddled with injury issues. One of the best two way playmakers to ever play in the NBA, Frazier was a layup for me to add to my top 30.

---

28. Bob Cousy

INFO:
Point Guard | 6’1 | 175 lbs
College: Holy Cross (1946-1950)
Draft: 1950 Round: 1 Pick: 3 selected by Tri-Cities Blackhawks

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
6x NBA Champion (’57, ’59-’63)
1x NBA MVP (’59)
13x NBA All-Star
2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’54, ’57)
10x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
8x NBA Assists Leader (’53–’60)
#14 retired by Boston Celtics

STATS:
18.4 PPG, 7.5 APG, 5.2 RPG

No top 30 is complete without one of the innovators of the game we love, The Houdini of the Hardwood, Bob Cousy. Cousy was an all-around star in his era in the 50’s and 60’s in the early NBA, leading a Boston Celtics team to 5 straight titles from 1959 to 1963 and 6 in total. He was much different than any other player in his era, a product of New York City, Cousy brought a streetball attitude and up-tempo type play to the game. An innovator of the great flashy passes and handles we see of the great point guards today, Cousy was difficult to stop in the young days of basketball. He led the league in assists in 8 straight seasons as well as hovering around the 20 ppg mark for all of those years. He put together a combination of playmaking and scoring that no one in his time was able to keep up with. He won the second ever MVP award in the ’56-’57 season while averaging 20.6 points and 7.5 assists a game. He created one of the greatest duo’s ever alongside the great Bill Russell that helped the Celtics win 5 straight championships until Cousy’s retirement in 1963. After his 13 seasons with the Celtics, Cousy left to become the Head Coach at Boston College until he decided to come out of retirement as a coach/player for the Cincinnati Royals in the ’69-’70 season. One of the most iconic figure in basketball history, Bob Cousy helped shape the game into what we know it as today and defined the standards of what a true point guard was held to for years to come.

---

27. Dwyane Wade

INFO:
Shooting Guard | 6’4 | 220 lbs
College: Marquette (2001-2003)
Draft: 2003 Round: 1 Pick: 5 selected by Miami Heat

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
3x NBA Champion (’06, ’12, ’13)
1x NBA Finals MVP (’06)
13x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’10)
2x All-NBA First Team
3x All-NBA Second Team
3x All-NBA Third Team
3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Scoring Champion (’09)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’04)
#3 retired by Miami Heat

STATS:
22 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.7 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 48% FG%

Up next we have one of the greatest SG’s to ever take the floor, the Flash, Dwyane Wade. Wade entered the league in the illustrious 2003 draft class, becoming an all-star and franchise cornerstone immediately for the Miami Heat. Easily the greatest Heat of all-time, in just his third season Wade averaged 27.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 1.9 steals, in route to winning his first NBA title as well as the first for the franchise alongside Shaq in Miami. Wade went on to put up consistently dominant years both on the offensive and defensive end. His greatest year came in the 08-09 campaign where he put up 30.2 points, 7.5 assists, 5 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks, winning the scoring title and finished in third in the MVP race. Wade’s unbelievable scoring, playmaking, defense, and shot blocking at only 6’4 are what headlined his game the most. Wade holds the record for most blocks by a shooting guard and was really a slept on star talent who never won MVP and only made two All-NBA First Team’s although definitely deserving of much more. In the summer of 2010, Wade’s good friend LeBron James joined the Heat to team up with him and Chris Bosh and became an NBA powerhouse. In their four seasons together, they won two championships, beating the Thunder and Spurs in 2012 and 2013. Later on in his career D-Wade joined his hometown Chicago Bulls, a tenure that lasted only one season and led to him reuniting with James in Cleveland the following year. After half of a season there, Wade headed back to Miami to finish out his career with a farewell tour last season. Easily one of the most dominant players I have ever seen, D-Wade goes down as a guard who could do it all, being capable of filling up the stat sheet in any category. One of the icons of this generation, Wade is an easy pick in the 25-30 range all-time.

---

26. Dirk Nowitzki

INFO:
Power Forward | 7’0 | 245 lbs
Prior to the NBA: DJK Wurzburg (Germany)
Draft: 1998 Round: 1 Pick: 9 selected by Milwaukee Bucks, traded to Dallas Mavericks

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’11)
1x NBA Finals MVP (’11)
1x NBA MVP (’07)
14x NBA All-Star
4x All-NBA First Team
5x All-NBA Second Team
3x All-NBA Third Team
1x 50-40-90 Club (’07)
NBA Three-Point Contest Champion (’06)

STATS:
20.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 38% 3P%, 87.9% FT%, 31,560 Points (6th All-Time), 7,240 FT Made (7th All-Time)

The first European born player to be featured on the list and my all-time favorite player at #26 is Dirk Nowitzki. Drafted in 1998, Dirk’s illustrious career was headlined by his insane scoring ability from anywhere on the floor at 7’0 tall. His vintage fade away jumper has been an icon for basketball all through my lifetime and by the end, Dirk finished 6th place all-time in scoring. His numbers speak for themselves, making the 50-40-90 club in his MVP season of ’06-’07 and shooting 38% lifetime from three and 88% from the free throw line. Dirk became a staple of the Mavericks franchise early on in his career, scoring no less than 21 points a game for 12 straight seasons from 2000 to 2012. Dirk played with many greats in his time in Dallas, featuring Steve Nash in the early 2000’s, Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, and several others. Dirk brought the Mavs to the playoffs consistently starting in 2000, a franchise that was not known as a winner before Dirk’s tenure. He made it to the NBA Finals in 2006 although inevitably losing to a Heat squad with Shaq and D-Wade. Dirk would make it back to the Finals in 2011, facing off against the Big 3 Heat in a matchup that looked as though the Mavs would be huge underdogs. He outplayed everyone in that entire series, even playing through flu-like symptoms in the first couple of games of the series. He averaged 28 and 8 in those playoffs and won Dallas their first ever NBA Championship. I truly believe the 2011 NBA Finals was Dirk’s career defining moment, leading an older Mavs team past one of the greatest teams of all-time with LeBron, Wade, and Bosh in Miami. Without that title, Dirk’s legacy would always be hall of fame and top 50 worthy, but this is what got him into the top 30 of all-time. Dirk Nowitzki was one of the most lethal scorers the game has ever seen and deeply changed basketball. I give his career not only a top 30 pick, but a slight edge as well over the likes of Dwyane Wade whom he faced in both his Finals appearances.

---

25. Kevin Garnett

INFO:
Power Forward | 6’11 | 240 lbs
High School: Farragut Academy (Chicago, IL)
Draft: 1995 Round: 1 Pick: 5 selected by Minnesota Timberwolves

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’08 – BOS)
1x NBA MVP (’04 – MIN)
15x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’03 – MIN)
4x All-NBA First Team
3x All-NBA Second Team
2x All-NBA Third Team
1x NBA Defensive Player of the Year (’08 – BOS)
9x NBA All-Defensive First Team
3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (’96)
4x NBA Rebounding Leader (’04–’07 – MIN)

STATS:
17.8 PPG, 10 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.4 BPG, 1.3 SPG, 14,662 Rebounds (10th All-Time)

Leading off the top 25 on my pyramid is one of the most dominant PF’s to ever play the game, Kevin Garnett. Garnett started his career right out of High School, a move that was not necessarily common until Moses Malone began it in the 80’s and KG resurrected it in 1995. This led the way for Kobe Bryant to jump right out of High School in 1996 and thus began the prep-to-pro generation that followed the next 10 years before the league demanded a player to be one year out of High School before they could enter the draft. But Garnett was for sure ready for the league as he dominated the minute he arrived in Minnesota. His greatest years started in the ’98-’99 season where KG would average at least 21 and 10 for 9 straight years in Minnesota, including four rebounding titles in that time frame. There was no doubt Garnett, alongside Tim Duncan, were the top 4’s in the league in the 2000’s. By ’03-’04, Garnett would win MVP in his greatest season to date, averaging 24.2 ppg, 13.9 rpg, 5 apg, 2.2 bpg, and 1.5 spg and make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals where the Wolves lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. After 2004 though, the Timberwolves went on a playoff drought, despite Garnett’s consistent dominant play. Growing tired of losing, KG was considering ways out and in the summer of 2007, he was traded to Boston where he teamed up with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen creating one of the league’s most iconic Big 3’s. In Boston, KG’s numbers were never the ridiculous ones he put up in Minnesota but still consistently all-star worthy averaging no less than 14 and 7 in his 6 seasons for the Celtics. In their first season together in ’07-’08, KG won Defensive Player of the Year and helped the Celtics beat the Lakers to win the 2008 Finals. The Big 3 never won another after that and after Ray Allen left for the Heat, KG and Pierce tried creating a contender in Brooklyn, a plan that did not work well. Garnett spent his final season back in Minnesota and retired in 2016. One of the most dominant players of my generation, KG is a perfect fit in the top 25 of all-time and a top 6 Power Forward in league history.

---

24. Moses Malone

STATS:
Center | 6’10 | 215 lbs
High School: Petersburg High School (Petersburg, VA)
Draft: 1974 ABA Draft Round: 3 selected by Utah Stars

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’83 – PHI)
1x NBA Finals MVP (’83 – PHI)
3x NBA MVP (’79, ’82 – HOU, ’83 – PHI)
12x NBA All-Star
1x ABA All-Star
4x All-NBA First Team
4x All-NBA Second Team
1x NBA All-Defensive First Team
1x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
ABA All-Rookie Team (’75)
6x NBA Rebounding Leader (’79, ’81, ’82 – HOU, ’83-’85 – PHI)
#2 retired by Philadelphia 76ers
#24 retired by Houston Rockets

STATS:
20.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.3 BPG, 49.5% FG%, 29,580 Points (9th All-Time), 17,834 Rebounds (3rd All-Time)

The first player ever to skip college and go straight to the league out of High School at #24 is Moses Malone. One of the greatest rebounding and scoring threats in the history of the game, Malone began his career in the ABA in 1974. He was selected in the 3rd round of the ABA Draft out of High School and played a year plus for the Utah Stars before they folded 16 games into the ’75-’76 season. He then signed with the Spirits of St. Louis where he finished up his second year in the ABA. In 1976 the ABA-NBA merger occurred and the Spirits of St. Louis did not make the cut to be added to the NBA. Malone was selected by the Trail Blazers in the dispersal draft and soon after traded to the Buffalo Braves. He began his NBA career on the bench, and after two games with the Braves was traded to the Rockets where he never looked back. Malone started alongside Rudy Tomjanovich for the Rockets and created one of the best big men duo in the league. From 78-85 between the Rockets and 76ers, Malone averaged no worse than 23 points and 13 rebounds a game, winning 3 MVP awards, 6 rebounding titles, and an NBA Championship in 1983 with the 76ers. Malone’s prime seemed endless as after he left the 76ers he played 2 years with the Bullets and 3 with the Hawks, averaging no worse than 19 points and 10 rebounds from ’86-’90. He finished his career with the Spurs in the 94-95 season, recording a career total of 17,834 rebounds which would rank as the 3rd most all-time behind the great Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. He also finished with 29,580 career points, which was 4th all-time at his retirement and currently sits 9th. Moses sadly passed away at the age of 60 in 2015, leaving behind one of the greatest NBA legacy’s ever.

---

23. David Robinson

INFO:
Center | 7’1 | 235 lbs
College: Navy (1983-1987)
Draft: 1987 Round: 1 Pick: 1 selected by San Antonio Spurs

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
2x NBA Champion (’99, ’03)
1x NBA MVP (’95)
10x NBA All-Star
4x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
4x All-NBA Third Team
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (’92)
4x NBA All-Defensive First Team
4x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Scoring Champion (’94)
NBA Rebounding Leader (’91)
NBA Blocks Leader (’92)
NBA Rookie of the Year (’90)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’90)
#50 retired by San Antonio Spurs

STATS:
21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3 BPG (4th All-Time), 1.4 SPG, 51.8% FG%, 2,954 Blocks (7th All-Time)

Up next at #23 we have Spurs legend “The Admiral” David Robinson. Robinson’s illustrious career began at the Naval Academy where he played for four years, winning National Player of the Year in his Senior season in 1987. He was selected 1st overall by the Spurs in the 1987 NBA Draft and sat out the next two seasons while serving in the Navy after graduation. He made his debut in the 89-90 season where he proved to be a star from the first game, averaging 24.3 points, 12 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks in all 82 games his Rookie season. He would go on to consistently put up 20+, 10+, and 3+ block seasons for the first 7 years of his career. He would go on to win the 1995 MVP award, a scoring title, a rebounding title, and a blocks title when he averaged an insane 4.5 bpg in ’91-’92. The streak was snapped in the ’96-’97 season when a usually durable Robinson injured his back and later broke his foot, missing all but 6 games, as questions began to surface if The Admiral would ever win anything if he stays in San Antonio. The season was a wash for the Spurs without Robinson and they tanked finishing 20-62. An inexperienced Head Coach took over halfway through the season named Gregg Popovich and although the team was not good they decided to keep Pop around (solid choice on their end). They landed the 1st overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft where they took Tim Duncan. And the rest was history. Robinson came back fully healthy and alongside Duncan became possibly the greatest PF/C duo in league history. The Spurs would beat the Knicks in the 1999 NBA Finals, the first ring for both Robinson and the franchise. As The Admiral started getting older his numbers decreased although he maintained a starting role. In his final season in ’02-’03 alongside a now stellar Tim Duncan and a young PG named Tony Parker, the Spurs beat the Nets winning the 2003 NBA Finals, closing out an all-time great career from “The Admiral”. He now ranks 7th all-time in blocks and, in my opinion, the 23rd best player in league history.

---

22. Charles Barkley

INFO:
Power Forward | 6’6 | 252 lbs
College: Auburn (1981-1984)
Draft: 1984 Round: 1 Pick: 5 selected by Philadelphia 76ers

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA MVP (’93 – PHX)
11x NBA All-Star
NBA All-Star Game MVP (’91 – PHI)
5x All-NBA First Team
5x All-NBA Second Team
1x All-NBA Third Team
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’85)
NBA Rebounding Leader (’87 – PHI)
#34 retired by Philadelphia 76ers

STATS:
22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 54.1% FG%

Up next we have Sir Chuck, The Round Mound of Rebound, Charles Barkley. Barkley entered the league through the star filled 1984 Draft, along with other legends John Stockton, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Michael Jordan (all three who will be coming up very soon on the list). He went 5th overall to the Sixers and played the longest tenure of his career in Philadelphia from 1984-1992. Barkley’s consistency was what made him the player he is, a scoring/rebounding nightmare at only 6’6 with solid off-ball defensive skills and a good playmaking mind. As a 6’6 Power Forward Barkley could really do it all, with the ability to handle the ball, score in the post, grab 11+ rebounds a night and even step out and hit a three if need be. He averaged no less than 20 and 10 for 12 straight seasons from 1985-1996 in Philadelphia and Phoenix. But the greatest one of all looked to be his ’92-’93 season in Phoenix. He won MVP in 1993 while averaging 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals while leading the Suns to a Western Conference Title and a matchup against Jordan’s Bulls in the 1993 NBA Finals. The Suns couldn’t get over the top and lost to Jordan in 6 games for his 2nd title. Sadly this would be the only NBA Finals Barkley would make in his career, going down as one of the greatest players to never win a ring. At the end of his career, Barkley tried making one last run in Houston teaming up alongside Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon. The plan didn’t work well as the furthest they made it was the 1997 Western Conference Finals where they lost to the Jazz. This generation definitely knows of Barkley more from his antics on Inside the NBA on TNT, but Chuck was an all-around star player in his day and, in my opinion, the 22nd best player in league history.

---

21. Elgin Baylor

INFO:
Small Forward | 6’5 | 225 lbs
College: Seattle (1956-1958)
Draft: 1958 Round: 1 Pick: 1 selected by Minneapolis Lakers

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
11x NBA All-Star
NBA All-Star Game MVP (’59)
10x All-NBA First Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’59)
#22 retired by Los Angeles Lakers

STATS:
27.4 PPG (3rd All-Time), 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 43.1% FG%

At #21 we have the great Elgin Baylor of the Los Angeles Lakers. Baylor, known for his elite scoring ability in the early days of the NBA in the ’60s had an extremely interesting career to say the least. Baylor spent 14 seasons in the league, all with the Lakers who moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles after his sophomore season. Although Baylor was consistently dominant in the playoffs, he never won a championship although making it to many. Baylor went an insane 0/8 in the NBA Finals in his career, losing to the Bill Russell led Celtics in ’59, ’62, ’63, ’65, ’66, ’68, ’69, and the Knicks in ’70. Baylor’s extreme misfortune in the playoffs is a record many players can’t imagine. The talent alongside him in LA also wasn’t the worst, with the great Wilt Chamberlain joining him in 1968 and Jerry West playing alongside him from 1960 to his retirement. Individually though, Baylor was a dominant force among the league, averaging at least 24 and 12 for 11 out of his first 12 seasons. This included an incredible 38.3 points and 18.6 rebounds he averaged in the 61-62 season. Somehow even averaging these numbers, Baylor never won a scoring title or an MVP, being plagued with playing in the Western Conference with soon to be teammate Wilt Chamberlain. With bad knee issues, Baylor only played in 11 total games his final two seasons, and retired during the ’71-’72 season. Ironically, the Lakers won the NBA Title in 1972 and although Baylor isn’t credited with a championship, he was awarded a ring by the organization. A strange career that ended even weirder, Elgin Baylor regardless is still an easy top 25 pick of all-time.

---

20. John Havlicek

INFO:
Small Forward | 6’5 | 203 lbs
College: Ohio State (1959-1962)
Draft: 1962 Round: 1 Pick: 7 selected by Boston Celtics

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
8x NBA Champion (’63-’66, ’68, ’69, ’74, ’76)
1x NBA Finals MVP (’74)
13x NBA All-Star
4x All-NBA First Team
7x All-NBA Second Team
5x NBA All-Defensive First Team
3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’63)
#17 retired by Boston Celtics

STATS:
20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.2 SPG

Leading off the top 20 portion of the pyramid is one of the NBA’s all-time greatest winners, John Havlicek. In his 16 seasons in the league, Hondo won 8 championships as a key member of the dynamic 60’s and 70’s Celtics. The main scorer for the bunch and sidekick of Bill Russell, Havlicek put together an all-around star studded career. As we just looked in depth at the career of Elgin Baylor, Havlicek is one of the main reasons he never won a ring, beating the great Elgin 5 times in the Finals. At this time one of the greatest rivalries in sports began with the Lakers vs. Celtics. From the Bird vs. Magic era to the Kobe vs KG era, this intense NBA Championship matchup was born in the 60’s when West, Baylor, and Chamberlain faced off against Havlicek, Russell, and Jones. Now, based on this being the most heated rivalry in NBA history it created some great careers. Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell all will be featured up ahead in the top 20. But Havlicek was as dominant as anyone, playing in at least 80 games and putting up no worse than 21 points and 7 rebounds from 1966-1973. Extreme durability and scoring ability at ease, Hondo is one of the greatest players to be birthed from the great Celtics franchise.

---

19. Julius Erving

INFO:
Small Forward | 6’7 | 210 lbs
College: Massachusetts (1969-1971)
Draft: 1972 Round: 1 Pick: 12 selected by Milwaukee Bucks

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’83)
2x ABA Champion (’74, ’76 – NYN)
2x ABA Playoffs MVP (’74, ’76)
1x NBA MVP (’81)
3x ABA MVP (’74-’76 – NYN)
11x NBA All-Star
2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’77, ’83)
5x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
5x ABA All-Star
4x All-ABA First Team
1x All-ABA Second Team
1x ABA All-Defensive First Team
ABA All-Rookie First Team (’72)
ABA Slam Dunk Champion (’76)
#32 retired by Brooklyn Nets
#6 retired by Philadelphia 76ers

STATS:
24.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 4.2 APG, 2 SPG, 1.7 BPG, 30,026 Points (8th All-Time), 2,272 Steals (7th All-Time)

An all-around superb player, known as the MJ before MJ, leading off the teens section of the pyramid is Julius Erving. Dr. J played 16 seasons between the ABA and NBA, playing for the Squires and Nets in the ABA and the 76ers after the merger in the NBA. Erving left UMass after three years to sign a contract to play with the Virginia Squires in the ABA. He put up ridiculous numbers from the start, averaging 27.3 and 15.7 his rookie year and 31.9 and 12.2 his second year. After his Rookie season in the ABA, Dr. J became eligible for the NBA Draft in 1972 where he was selected in the 1st round by the Milwaukee Bucks. All set to join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson and take the leap to the NBA in Milwaukee, some disputes came up. Before the draft, Erving signed a contract with the Hawks in the NBA after the Squires wouldn’t renegotiate his contract. The Bucks, Hawks, and Squires all fought for him and he soon joined Pete Maravich at training camp for the Hawks. The commissioner soon stepped in and ruled the Bucks had control over Erving and the Hawks were fined. A judge got involved and he was forced back to the Squires for another season. The Squires soon traded Erving to the Nets, where his best years would come. He won MVP all three years for the Nets and two ABA titles in 1974 and 1976. After his title in 1976, the NBA-ABA merger occurred and the Nets made the cut to be added to the NBA. When moving to the NBA, the Nets had to pay their league fee and were soon hit with a fine by the New York Knicks for invading their territory (I know, very strange). This left the Nets with little room to move and Erving demanded a trade. He was dealt to the 76ers and the Nets were left struggling for years to come. He became a star in Philly, averaging no worse than 20 points and 7 boards from 1976-1985 for the Sixers. He also won an NBA title in 1983 and the NBA MVP in the 80-81 season averaging 24.6 points, 8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks. Headlined by his insane athletic ability, which aided him in scoring and rebounding at his size, Dr. J was also an elite defender ranked 7th all-time in steals. One of the greatest to ever do it, Dr. J became an icon and a fan favorite among NBA fans in the 70’s and 80’s.

---

18. Kevin Durant

INFO:
Small Forward | 6’10 | 240 lbs
College: Texas (2006-2007)
Draft: 2007 Round: 1 Pick: 2 selected by Seattle Supersonics

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
2x NBA Champion (’17, ’18)
2x NBA Finals MVP (’17, ’18)
1x NBA MVP (’14 – OKC)
10x NBA All-Star
2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’12 – OKC, ’19 – GS)
6x All-NBA First Team
3x All-NBA Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’08)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’08)
4x NBA Scoring Champion (’10-’12, ’14 – OKC)
1x 50-40-90 Club (’13)

STATS:
27 PPG (6th All-Time), 7.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 38.1% 3P%, 49.3% FG%

At #18, as well as 1 of 3 current players to make the top 20 (I’m sure you can guess the other two), is the great Kevin Durant. An absolute star all-around, Durant is not only the best scorer of my generation, but one of the greatest to ever play the game. He’s made some interesting choices throughout his career, some to the dislike of many basketball fans. But regardless, the player KD is can’t be denied or kept out of the top all-time players. Since entering the league in 2007, KD has averaged no less than 20 ppg a single year of his 12 year career. Beginning in Seattle, after his rookie year Durant followed the Sonics to OKC where they became the Thunder. With a couple of bad seasons, OKC was able to add Russell Westbrook and James Harden in upcoming drafts and became a Western Conference powerhouse. The squad made it to their first Conference Finals in 2011 where they lost to the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks. The next year, KD and the squad made it through the West to the 2012 NBA Finals where they lost to the Big 3 Heat. The following season, James Harden was traded in one of the worst deals of the decade, a move that ultimately led to the downfall of the Thunder. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook now led the team and the Thunder had trouble reaching the Finals again until 2016 when they went up 3-1 on the Warriors in the WCF. The 73-9 Warriors moved past the 72-10 Bulls for best record in NBA history although the deficit they fell in made a Championship look bleak. The Warriors won the next 3 games and headed to the NBA Finals, a blown lead that drew the line for KD. A free agent that summer, Durant shocked the basketball world and headed to the team that beat him in Golden State. In his 3 seasons in Golden State, Durant beat LeBron and the Cavs twice for his first 2 NBA Titles, as he won Finals MVP in both. They would lose to the Raptors in the following Finals when Durant tore his ACL after trying to return too quickly from injury. This past offseason, Durant decided to join the Brooklyn Nets alongside good friend Kyrie Irving. Although a ton of negativity surrounds Durant’s career, some stuff he might never live down, he’s still one of the greatest to ever step on a basketball court. At only 31 years old, I’m excited to see what else KD accomplishes and how much higher he might move up this list by the time he calls it quits.

---

17. John Stockton

INFO:
Point Guard | 6’1 | 175 lbs
College: Gonzaga (1980-1984)
Draft: 1984 Round: 1 Pick: 16 selected by Utah Jazz

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
10x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’93)
2x All-NBA First Team
6x All-NBA Second Team
3x All-NBA Third Team
5x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
9x NBA Assists Leader (’88-’96)
2x NBA Steals Leader (’89, ’92)
#12 retired by Utah Jazz

STATS:
13.1 PPG, 10.5 APG (2nd All-Time), 2.7 RPG, 2.2 SPG (9th All-Time), 51.5% FG%, 15,806 Assists (1st All-Time), 3,265 Steals (1st All-Time)

The greatest pass-first point guard in league history, at #17 we have John Stockton. Stockton’s career was riddled with crazy feats, establishing himself as the greatest pure playmaker the game has ever seen. Not needing to score the ball to be effective, Stockton led the league in assists for 9 straight seasons where he averaged no less than 11 a game from 1987-1996. He also was one of the most durable players in NBA history, going 7 straight seasons of playing all 82 games from 1990-1997. Stockton played in all 82 games in 16 out of his 19 career seasons. On top of this and the 7 straight full seasons he played in the middle of his career, he played 5 straight full seasons to start his career and 4 straight to end it. The kind of durability that made it possible to put up ridiculous numbers that he was able to. His 15,806 assists and 3,265 steals still rank 1st all-time and with a pretty big gap in front of 2nd place. But looking at his team success, Stockton sadly never won a ring staying true to his Jazz upbringing in the league playing his entire career there. He made two NBA Finals back-to-back in 1996 and 1997, and as we saw in the Michael Jordan documentary, he would lose both to MJ’s Bulls. Stockton’s career paved the way for the next generation of playmaking point guards like Jason Kidd and Steve Nash who’s games imitated the Jazz star immensely. Although he wasn’t a 25-30 ppg scorer or known for lethal shooting, Stockton has to be on anyone’s top 20 with the insane feats he accomplished as a pass-first playmaker.

---

16. Isiah Thomas

INFO:
Point Guard | 6’1 | 180 lbs
College: Indiana (1979-1981)
Draft: 1981 Round: 1 Pick: 2 selected by Detroit Pistons

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
2x NBA Champion (’89, ’90)
1x NBA Finals MVP (’90)
12x NBA All-Star
2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’84, ’86)
3x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’82)
NBA Assists Leader (’85)
#11 retired by Detroit Pistons

STATS:
19.2 PPG, 9.3 APG (5th All-Time), 3.6 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 9,061 Assists (9th All-Time)

Up next on the list we have another all-time great point guard, 2-time champion Isiah Thomas. Thomas’ career is another that was riddled with negativity and reasons why fans had a tough time rooting for them. Thomas was the leader of “The Bad Boy” Pistons of the 80’s and 90’s, a team who’s streetball mindset and hardcore way of playing led the Eastern Conference at the time. The primary teams the Pistons faced off against in the East were Larry Bird’s Celtics in the 80’s and MJ’s Bulls in the 80’s and 90’s. The rest of the team consisted of some great players in Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, Adrian Dantley, John Salley, Mark Aguirre, and others who’s captain and leader was Thomas. Thomas was an all-around beast who can do it all, his best season came in ’84-’85 where he averaged 21.2 points, 13.9 assists, and 2.3 steals running the point for Detroit. Although he always had high assist numbers, Thomas was easily a score first point guard who averaged no worse than 21 ppg for 5 straight seasons. Thomas’ most notable moments came when he won back-to-back Finals in ’89 and ’90, beating Magic’s Lakers and Clyde’s Trail Blazers. By the time the 90’s came, Jordan’s Bulls became too big of a force and won three straight in ’91-’93, ending the Pistons reign of dominance in the East. We also saw a soured relationship between Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan, leading to Thomas being kept off the 1992 USA Dream Team for the Olympics. No matter what your opinion of Thomas is, there’s no denying he’s one of the greatest and clutch players to ever suit up in the league.

---

15. Stephen Curry

INFO:
Point Guard | 6’3 | 185 lbs
College: Davidson (2006-2009)
Draft: 2009 Round: 1 Pick: 7 selected by Golden State Warriors

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
3x NBA Champion (’15, ’17, ’18)
2x NBA MVP (’15, ’16)
6x NBA All-Star
3x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
1x All-NBA Third Team
NBA Scoring Champion (’16)
NBA Steals Leader (’16)
1x 50-40-90 Club (’16)
NBA Three Point Contest Champion (’15)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’10)

STATS:
23.5 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 43.5% 3P% (6th All-Time), 90.6% FT% (1st All-Time), 2,495 3PM (3rd All-Time)

The greatest shooter to ever touch a basketball, we have at #15 Stephen Curry. All basketball fans my age have witnessed the incredible reign of dominance Curry and the Warriors have casted upon the rest of the league throughout this past decade. Curry entered the league in 2009 after a historic college run at Davidson and immediately showed himself as one of the premier knock down shooters in the game. It wasn’t really until the ’13-’14 season that he started showing he was one of the best all around players in the league, on a Warriors squad that was becoming a powerhouse in the West. In ’14-’15 he won his first MVP award, averaging 23.8 points, 7.7 assists, and 2 steals en route to leading the Warriors to an NBA Title defeating LeBron’s Cavs. In ’15-’16, Curry followed up with his greatest season winning a second straight MVP while averaging 30.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.1 steals, winning a scoring title, a steals title and 50-40-90 club while making an NBA record 402 3-pointers on the season. He also led the Warriors to the greatest record in league history at 73-9, although they would lose a re-match in the Finals to LeBron’s Cavs. The following season, Kevin Durant decided to sign with the squad and joined Steph, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala as the best team in the league. They easily won back-to-back Titles in 2017 and 2018, dominating the rest of the league and becoming one of the most unstoppable squads in league history. In only 11 career seasons, it might be tough for some to wonder why Curry is ranked at #15 already all-time. I rank him here because of what he meant to the game, easily the greatest shooter of all-time and with already 3 titles, 2 MVPs, and not a single season shooting under 41% from 3-point he has achieved feats that the all-time greatest never could have. Curry also changed the game in the way we look at what a “bad shot” is. For generations, if a player pulled up from 5-10 feet behind the 3-point line without an expiring shot clock, a coach would’ve been furious no matter who the player is. Curry’s unlimited range made it seem alright to show off a deeper 3 than usual as he would often take a few steps beyond half court and bury it. This paved the way for players like Trae Young and Damian Lillard, sharp shooters who often pull up from way beyond the 3-point line as well. Curry’s shooting range is, to say the least, historic and is an all-around cultural icon of not only the basketball world but celebrity status as well. At only 32, Curry is in my mind a top 15 player all-time already and well on his way to continue moving up my list for years to come.

---

14. Karl Malone

INFO:
Power Forward | 6’9 | 250 lbs
College: Louisiana Tech (1982-1985)
Draft: 1985 Round: 1 Pick: 13 selected by Utah Jazz

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
2x NBA MVP (’97, ’99)
14x NBA All-Star
2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’89, ’93)
11x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
1x All-NBA Third Team
3x NBA All-Defensive First Team
1x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’86)
#32 retired by Utah Jazz

STATS:
25 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 51.6% FG%, 36,928 Points (2nd All-Time), 14,968 Rebounds (8th All-Time), 9,787 FTM (1st All-Time)

At #14 and in my mind the greatest player to never win a championship is Karl Malone. All-around one of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen, Malone’s 36,928 points still rank 2nd all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Malone’s incredible durability helped him play 18 seasons in the league, 17 with the Jazz as he played at least 80/82 games in each of his first 13 seasons. Just like his teammate and fellow great John Stockton, Malone was almost never injured also playing at least 80/82 games in 15 out of his 17 seasons (16 out of 17 considering he played in 49/50 in ’98-’99). Sadly, although the Jazz were very competitive they never were able to make it over the top, losing in the Finals twice to the Bulls in the Stockton-Malone era. His NBA legacy goes well beyond championships as Stockton and Malone created one of the greatest PG-PF combos the game has ever seen. The iconic term “Stockton to Malone” led to John Stockton becoming the all-time NBA assists leader and Malone becoming 2nd all-time in scoring. Malone was ferocious, scoring at least 21 ppg in 15 straight seasons from 1986-2003. He also averaged no less than 21 ppg and 10 rpg for 9 straight seasons from 1986-1995. Malone won two MVP awards, in the ’96-’97 season when he averaged 27.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals, and the ’98-’99 season when he averaged 23.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in a lockout shortened season where he played in 49/50 games for the Jazz. Shockingly, Malone never won a scoring title, being plagued with playing in the same era as Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and several other all-time great scorers. At the end of his illustrious career in Utah, a 40-year-old Malone decided to try one last shot at a Title and joined a stacked Lakers squad along with Gary Payton, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant in the ’03-’04 season. The Lakers rolled through the West and made it to the 2004 NBA Finals where they lost in 5 games to the Detroit Pistons. Malone called it quits after that, accepting the fact he never won a Title although being one of the best to ever play. Sometimes Championships don’t mean anything, and sometimes they mean a lot, I believe if Malone had won even one Title he’d be top 10 all-time hands down. Regardless, the player Malone was can’t be held out of the top 15, and ranks at #14 for me.

---

13. Oscar Robertson

INFO:
Point Guard | 6’5 | 205 lbs
College: Cincinnati (1957-1960)
Draft: 1960 Round: 1 Pick: 1 selected by Cincinnati Royals

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’71 – MIL)
1x NBA MVP (’64 – CIN)
12x NBA All-Star
3x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’61, ’64, ’69 – CIN)
9x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’61)
6x NBA Assists Leader (’61, ’62, ’64-’66, ’69 – CIN)
#14 retired by Sacramento Kings
#1 retired by Milwaukee Bucks

STATS:
25.7 PPG (9th All-Time), 9.5 APG (3rd All-Time), 7.5 RPG, 9,887 Assists (6th All-Time)

Up next on the list at lucky 13 we have “The Big O”, Oscar Robertson. One of the most iconic players in league history, Robertson was a problem in every aspect of the game. As a 6’5 point guard, he scored like crazy, was a tremendous ball handler and playmaker, and a revolutionary rebounder for his position. Robertson had 6 30+ ppg seasons, while playing the majority of his career with the Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) and later years with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Big O averaged 30.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 9.7 assists his rookie year and followed up averaging 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists in ’61-’62, becoming the only player in league history to average a triple-double for a season until Russell Westbrook in ’16-’17. He is also the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles with 181 in his career, although Westbrook is hot on his trail at #2. Robertson’s 10 years in Cincinnati were filled with many individual honors but not much team success. Although he won an MVP, 6 assists titles, and put up his best stats, the Royals didn’t make it any further than the Eastern Division Finals during Oscar’s tenure including several missed chances at the playoffs altogether. With little success in sight, Robertson was traded from the Royals to the Bucks in 1970 where he was paired with another all-time great in a young Lou Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Together, Robertson and Alcindor won a title in their first season in ’70-’71, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in the Finals. They made it again to the Finals in Oscar’s final season in 1974 where they lost in 7 games to Dave Cowens’ Celtics. The Big O called it quits after 1974 putting together 14 incredible seasons in the league. In days before the 3-point line, Robertson still managed to score 30+ a game for several seasons and is known as Mr. Triple Double being a multi-talented guard who could fill the stat sheet any way needed.

---

12. Jerry West

INFO:
Point Guard/ Shooting Guard | 6’3 | 195 lbs
College: West Virginia (1957-1960)
Draft: 1960 Round: 1 Pick: 2 selected by Los Angeles Lakers

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
1x NBA Champion (’72)
1x NBA Finals MVP (’69)
14x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’72)
10x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
4x NBA All-Defensive First Team
1x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Scoring Champion (’70)
NBA Assists Leader (’72)
#44 retired by Los Angeles Lakers

STATS:
27 PPG (5th All-Time), 6.7 APG, 5.8 RPG, 47.4% FG%, 7,160 FTM (8th All-Time)

Up next at #12 we have “The Logo”, all-time great scorer and playmaker Jerry West. West was one of the early stars of the game, setting the 60’s on fire with his elite scoring ability and long range jumper in the days before the 3-point line. West is known as “The Logo” due to his likeness being the base of the official NBA logo. He was an all-around star and student of the game, making jump shots and long range 2’s popular during an age where there was no extra benefit for shooting long distance. Averaging 27 ppg for his career, it’s crazy to think of the numbers he would’ve put up with a 3-point line. He played all 14 seasons of his career for the Lakers, playing alongside Elgin Baylor and later Wilt Chamberlain in the era where the Celtics seemed to run the NBA. Similar to Baylor, West went an insane 1-8 in the NBA Finals, although unlike Baylor, he was a part of the ’71-’72 Lakers team that was able to get over the top and win it all. Year after year, the Lakers couldn’t seem to defeat Bill Russell and the Celtics until the arrival of Wilt Chamberlain created an insane duo alongside Jerry West. West was the clear leader of the Lakers squad throughout the 60’s, even while playing alongside Baylor and Chamberlain. West had 4 30+ ppg seasons in his 14 years, to go along with a scoring title and an assists title in that time. West kept his basketball lineage going well after his retirement in 1974. He became the Head Coach of the Lakers from 1976-1979 and served as general manager for the team from 1982 until 2000, where he helped win 6 championships as well as making several notable moves including the 1996 draft day trade for Kobe Bryant, the 1996 free agent signing of Shaquille O’Neal, and the signing of Head Coach Phil Jackson. In 2002, he took over as general manager for the Memphis Grizzlies until 2007 where he kept the squad somewhat competitive in the 00’s Western Conference. In 2011, he became a board member for the Golden State Warriors, helping them win 2 championships in 2015 and 2017. He joined the board for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017 where he currently sits at 82-years-old. West is a lifer of the game, and an easy choice at #12.

---

11. Bill Russell

INFO:
Center | 6’10 | 215 lbs
College: San Francisco (1953-1956)
Draft: 1956 Round: 1 Pick: 2 selected by St. Louis Hawks, traded to Boston Celtics

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
11x NBA Champion (’57, ’59-’66, ’68, ’69)
5x NBA MVP (’58, ’61-’63, ’65)
12x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’63)
3x All-NBA First Team
8x All-NBA Second Team
1x NBA All-Defensive First Team
4x NBA Rebounding Leader (’58, ’59, ’64, ’65)
#6 retired by Boston Celtics

STATS:
15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG (2nd All-Time), 4.3 APG, 21,620 Rebounds (2nd All-Time)

The winningest player in NBA history and one of the biggest icons the sport has to offer at #11 is the great Bill Russell. With 11 NBA Championships, Russell has become the pinnacle of league dominance, aiding the Celtics in an insane run in the 60’s including a record 8 straight Titles from 1959-1966. Throughout this entire historic run by Boston, Russell served as the team’s captain and leader under Head Coach Red Auerbach. Although John Havlicek was usually the go-to scorer, Russell was the force down low, becoming statistically the second greatest rebounder of all-time. In his 13 career seasons in Boston, Russell averaged no less than 21 rpg in 10 out of those 13 years, an incredible feat that will probably never be reached again. In any other era, Russell would probably have led the league in rebounds all 13 years of his career with his worst season being 18.6 a game. He was plagued with playing against Wilt Chamberlain, statistically the greatest rebounder of all-time, although Russell still managed to win 6 rebounding titles in this time. He would also undoubtedly be one of the all-time shot block leaders, a stat that wasn’t recorded by the NBA until a few years after Russell’s retirement. Russell’s signature shot block was the tip block, where he would volley the ball to himself rather than smacking it three rows deep into the crowd, leading to a quicker fast break and easier basket for the team in transition. The most impressive part of Bill Russell’s game, in my opinion, is how he did not need to be the one scoring to make an impact. The rest of my top 10 greatest players are all score first stars, a part of the game that usually defines a players dominance. Russell averaged no more than 19 ppg in his career, not needing to be the main scorer on a team filled with valuable scoring pieces in John Havlicek, Sam Jones, and K.C. Jones. Many people definitely have Russell higher on their NBA pyramid’s than I do at 11, although I have also seen several that have him lower. I think Russell can definitely be squeezed into the top 10 in some situations, but in my board I think the dominance factor between him and my top 10’s are slightly different. Also, as we’ve seen a lot of old Celtics throughout this list, you might be wondering about the creepy logo they had in the 60’s. Well it was designed by Red Auerbach’s brother and was changed to a form of the leprechaun we know now by 1968. Definitely not one of my favorite logos but it fits the theme of strange and creepy logos around the league in the 50’s and 60’s as we’ve seen with some of the other players.

---

10. Hakeem Olajuwon

INFO:
Center | 7’0 | 255 lbs
College: Houston (1981-1984)
Draft: 1984 Round: 1 Pick: 1 selected by Houston Rockets

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
2x NBA Champion (’94, ’95)
2x NBA Finals MVP (’94, ’95)
1x NBA MVP (’94)
12x NBA All-Star
6x All-NBA First Team
3x All-NBA Second Team
3x All-NBA Third Team
2x NBA Defensive Player of the Year (’93, ’94)
5x NBA All-Defensive First Team
4x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’85)
2x NBA Rebounding Leader (’89, ’90)
3x NBA Blocks Leader (’90, ’91, ’93)
#34 retired by Houston Rockets

STATS:
21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 3.1 BPG (3rd All-Time), 1.7 SPG, 51.2% FG%, 3,830 Blocks (1st All-Time), 2,162 Steals (10th All-Time)

And this is where the fun begins, leading off the top 10 on the pyramid is the great Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon. Olajuwon’s career was all-around dynamic becoming one of the best back-to-basket scorers the game has ever seen. Along with scoring, Hakeem was an elite rim protector, still holding the record for most blocks all-time while averaging just over 11 rpg for his career. He began his career at the University of Houston, leading the Cougars to three Final Four appearances in his three years. He was drafted first overall in the all-time great 1984 NBA Draft, where Jordan would be selected 3rd and Stockton and Barkley selected later. He did not disappoint right out of the gate for the Rockets, averaging 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks his rookie season. He would go on to average no less than 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks for the first 11 seasons of his career. In his sophomore season, Hakeem led the Rockets to the 1986 NBA Finals after upsetting Magic’s Lakers in the WCF. They would go on to lose to Larry Bird’s Celtics, a loss that came expected although the Rockets pushed the series to 6 games. Olajuwon formed a dynamic duo with teammate Ralph Sampson early in his career, dubbing the nickname “Twin Towers” for the two in the paint. Sampson was traded after a couple of years and Hakeem became the face of the franchise. The Rockets didn’t make a push in the playoffs again until Michael Jordan announced his first retirement just before the ’93-’94 season. This opened a huge window for the Rockets to become a legitimate contender and that’s just what they did. Olajuwon would go on to win MVP that season averaging 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks. He led the Rockets to the 1994 NBA Finals where they beat the New York Knicks in 7 games, a series many believed the Knicks should have won. The following year, Jordan decided to return in the middle of the season but the Bulls were not able to make it far. The Rockets made a second straight Finals in 1995 where the swept the Orlando Magic with a young Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway. After his two championship runs, Hakeem began to deplete at age 33, where he tried teaming up with Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler later in his career in Houston to no success. Olajuwon retired after the 2002 season where he played a year with the Raptors and went down as one of the greatest big men the game has ever seen. Blessed with great footwork and extreme athleticism at 7’0 tall, Hakeem’s “Dream Shake” is a move many big men have tried imitating in the paint for years after his retirement. In my opinion, the 4th greatest Center of all-time, Olajuwon is a must pick for anyone’s top 10.

---

9. Wilt Chamberlain

INFO:
Center | 7’1 | 275 lbs
College: Kansas (1956-1958)
Draft: 1959 Round: 1 Territorial selected by Philadelphia Warriors

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
2x NBA Champion (’67 – PHI, ’72 – LAL)
1x NBA Finals MVP (’72 – LAL)
4x NBA MVP (’60 – PHW, ’66-’68 – PHI)
13x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’60 – PHW)
7x All-NBA First Team
3x All-NBA Second Team
2x NBA All-Defensive First Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’60)
7x NBA Scoring Champion (’60-’64 – PHW/SF, ’65-’66 – PHI)
11x NBA Rebounding Leader (’60-’63 – PHW/SF, ’66-’68 – PHI, ’69, ’71-’73 – LAL)
NBA Assists Leader (’68 – PHI)
#13 retired by Golden State Warriors
#13 retired by Philadelphia 76ers
#13 retired by Los Angeles Lakers

STATS:
30.1 PPG (2nd All-Time), 22.9 RPG (1st All-Time), 4.4 APG, 54% FG%, 31,419 Points (7th All-Time), 23,924 Rebounds (1st All-Time)

At #9 cracking the top 10 we have the legend Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain. Wilt was way ahead of his time at 7’1 he over-powered all the rest of the competition throughout the 60’s and 70’s, putting up stats that look like video game numbers. Averaging 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds a game for his career, Chamberlain retired as #1 all-time in scoring (now #7) and #1 all-time in rebounding. He began his career with the Harlem Globetrotters after two seasons at Kansas, playing for the famous squad that has toured the country entertaining fans with their street style of play. He was drafted in 1959 by the Philadelphia Warriors, making his impact felt right away averaging an insane 37 points and 27 rebounds his Rookie year, winning the MVP. Wilt would win 6 scoring titles in the first 6 years of his career, with his best season for the Warriors in ’61-’62 when he averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds. Chamberlain averaged at least 34 points and 22 rebounds each of his first 7 seasons, and although his greatest individual seasons came with the Warriors, Wilt was not able to win much with the squad. In his 5th season in ’63-’64 Wilt averaged 36.9 points and 22.3 rebounds leading the Warriors to his first NBA Finals where he lost to Bill Russell’s Celtics. In ’64-’65 after getting off to a bad start, Wilt was shipped from the Warriors to the Philadelphia 76ers. In ’66-’67, he made it back to the Finals, now with the 76ers, and faced off against his old squad the San Francisco Warriors. The Sixers won the series and Wilt won his first championship in 1967. After the 1967 season, Wilt’s numbers began to slightly taper off, although still great to the standards of most players. He was traded to the Lakers before the ’68-’69 season where he teamed up with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. In his 5 seasons in L.A., Wilt made the Finals 4 times, losing to the Celtics in ’69, Knicks in ’70 and ’73, and beat the Knicks in ’72. Chamberlain called it quits after the ’72-’73 season, capping off a 14-year career that was the most dominant tenure the game has ever seen. Wilt still holds the record for most points in a game when he scored 100 against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962, a performance that is yet to be replicated and might never be. As if his scoring and rebounding ability wasn’t a problem enough, Wilt also managed to lead the league in assists in 1968 with 8.6 a game. Chamberlain is a choice that should appear in everyone’s top 10’s based on shear dominance. Wilt’s numbers were historic and quite honestly will probably never be reached again in league history.

---

8. Kobe Bryant

INFO:
Shooting Guard | 6’6 | 212 lbs
High School: Lower Merion High School (Ardmore, PA)
Draft: 1996 Round: 1 Pick: 13 selected by Charlotte Hornets, traded to Los Angeles Lakers

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
5x NBA Champion (’00-’02, ’09, ’10)
2x NBA Finals MVP (’09, ’10)
1x NBA MVP (’08)
18x NBA All-Star
4x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’02, ’07, ’09, ’11)
11x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
2x All-NBA Third Team
9x NBA All-Defensive First Team
3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (’97)
2x NBA Scoring Champion (’06, ’07)
NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion (’97)
#8 and #24 retired by Los Angeles Lakers

STATS:
25 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 44.7% FG% 33,643 Points (4th All-Time)

Up next at #8, a spot I’m sure several people might be upset with, is the great Kobe Bryant. Bryant is one of the greatest players of my generation and a true gem to watch growing up as I’ve been blessed to be able to watch his prime years in my early days of being a die-hard basketball fan. Kobe was an elite scorer, the 4th greatest of all-time who emulated his game after Michael Jordan. Bryant entered the league out of High School in 1996, the son of a former pro he followed Kevin Garnett’s track a year later from High School to the pro’s. Kobe was an insane talent out of High School that many thought could be the next big thing. He was drafted by the Hornets and quickly traded to the Lakers, a place he preferred to play in so he can pursue a career off the court as well in Cali. He teamed up with newly acquired free agent Shaquille O’Neal to try to make a push for the first time since the Magic era for the Lake Show. Kobe’s first two seasons weren’t promising, being a piece off the bench and struggled to get anything going. By his third year, the 20-year-old Bryant slotted into the rotation for the Lakers in a shortened 98-99 season and never looked back. The following year, Phil Jackson became the Head Coach of the Lakers and Kobe averaged 22.5 ppg and 6.2 rpg in his 4th season and helped lead L.A. to the 2000 NBA Finals where they beat the Indiana Pacers throughout an injury filled series for Kobe. This began a 3-peat for the great duo of Shaq and Kobe who would also defeat the 76ers in 2001 and the Nets in 2002. The following seasons grew to be drama-filled for the Lakers resulting in a couple of early playoff exits and a blown 2004 NBA Finals with a super-team featuring Gary Payton and Karl Malone. Heading into free agency in 2004, many questions swirled around who the real leader of the team was, Shaq or Kobe. Kobe had an expiring contract and as his and Shaq’s relationship turned sour, he demanded Shaq be gone in order to re-sign. Shaq was dealt to the Heat that offseason and Kobe re-signed on a 7-year deal. It was after Shaq left that Bryant began putting up his best seasons as the clear leader of the team. He won two scoring titles in ’06 and ’07 and his sole MVP award in 2008. He also scored 81 points in a game against the Raptors in 2006, still the second best performance behind Wilt. It wasn’t until ’08-’09 and the emergence of Pau Gasol via trade from Memphis that brought Kobe back to the top. They beat the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals and would defeat the Big 3 Boston Celtics in 2010 to secure his 5th ring. Kobe continued averaging at least 25 a game until injuries slowed his career down in 2013 leading to his official retirement after the ’15-’16 season. Kobe is seen as many to be a top 5 player all-time, and some even consider him to be the greatest ever or in the top tier with LeBron and Jordan. I always appreciated Kobe’s game but never thought he was in the conversation with the likes of those guys. I know this might be an unpopular opinion but through my many years of growing up around the game, I believe there are several players whose careers can be put ahead of his. Tim Duncan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird being a few who I think had more impactful all-around games than the great Kobe. Again, I know this might be an unpopular opinion but then again this is the sports world according to me, isn’t it?

---

7. Larry Bird

INFO:
Small Forward/ Power Forward | 6’9 | 220 lbs
College: Indiana State (1976-1979)
Draft: 1978 Round: 1 Pick: 6 selected by Boston Celtics

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
3x NBA Champion (’81, ’84, ’86)
2x NBA Finals MVP (’84, ’86)
3x NBA MVP (’84-’86)
12x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’82)
9x All-NBA First Team
1x All-NBA Second Team
3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’80)
NBA All-Rookie Team (’80)
2x 50-40-90 Club (’87, ’88)
3x NBA Three Point Contest Champion (’86-’88)
#33 retired by Boston Celtics

STATS:
24.3 PPG, 10 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 37.6% 3P%, 88.6% FT%

Up next on the list at #7 we have the great Larry Bird. Bird’s career was flat out historic, the greatest Celtic of all-time and one of the smartest players the game has ever seen. As a 6’9 forward, Bird’s I.Q. helped him make up for his lack of ridiculous athleticism, headlining his game as a knock down shooter, smart passer, and very solid rebounder. His career was highlighted with his legendary rivalry with the great Magic Johnson and the Lakers in the 80’s, duels which made the Celtics vs. Lakers rivalry just that much bigger. Bird entered the league in 1979 after 3 incredible years at his hometown Indiana State, winning National Player of the Year and helping lead the Sycamores to the National Championship where they lost to Magic’s Michigan State Spartans, a matchup that previewed years to follow. Bird was drafted in 1978 by the Celtics but decided to return to college for another year and begin his Rookie year in 1979, a route that was soon abolished by the NBA and known as the Bird Collegiate Rule. He did not disappoint entering the league, averaging 21.3 ppg and 10.4 rpg his Rookie year, followed by 21.2 ppg and 10.9 rpg the following season helping lead the Celtics to the 1981 NBA Finals where they beat the Houston Rockets. By ’83-’84, Bird won the first of his 3 straight MVP awards, averaging 24.2 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 6.6 apg, and 1.8 spg leading the Celtics to the 1984 NBA Finals and his first bout against Magic’s Lakers. Bird won his 2nd NBA Title, and a rematch ensued in the 1985 Finals that Magic and the Lakers took that time around. In the ’85-’86 season the Celtics had what many people refer to as the best team in league history, with the likes of Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Bill Walton, Dennis Johnson and Bird. He won his 3rd straight MVP award that season and led the Celtics to the 1986 NBA Finals where they defeated the Houston Rockets for Bird’s 3rd and final ring. The next few seasons were great for Bird although he began to decline a bit due to back injuries that followed him through the end of his career. In 1987, Bird made it to his last Finals, facing off yet again against Magic and the Lakers. The Lakers took the crown and Bird and Magic finished the 80’s with 8 Titles combined, 5 for Magic and 3 for Bird. After the ’91-’92 season, Bird’s back issues became too much and decided to call it quits ending his 13-year NBA career. He joined the 1992 USA Dream Team in the Olympics that summer after retirement but did not return to the NBA. Bird became the Head Coach for the Indiana Pacers from 1997-2000, and has stayed very relevant in the game today, forming a close friendship with former rival Magic Johnson. Bird’s consistent dominant play throughout his 13 years and the success he achieved in his short time leads me to add him in my top 7, one notch ahead of Kobe. Bird had a talent for the game that many didn’t, and led the way with his incredible IQ, always knowing where his teammates were and never fazed by any situation. A true leader of the game, #7 is a perfect spot for Larry Bird.

---

6. Tim Duncan

INFO:
Power Forward/ Center | 6’11 | 250 lbs
College: Wake Forest (1993-1997)
Draft: 1997 Round: 1 Pick: 1 selected by San Antonio Spurs

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
5x NBA Champion (’99, ’03, ’05, ’07, ’14)
3x NBA Finals MVP (’99, ’03, ’05)
2x NBA MVP (’02, ’03)
15x NBA All-Star
1x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’00)
10x All-NBA First Team
3x All-NBA Second Team
2x All-NBA Third Team
8x NBA All-Defensive First Team
7x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’98)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’98)
#21 retired by San Antonio Spurs

STATS:
19 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3 APG, 2.2 BPG, 15,091 Rebounds (7th All-Time), 3,020 Blocks (6th All-Time)

Coming at #6 we have The Big Fundamental, the great Tim Duncan. A choice that will have many people disagreeing with I’m sure, I do believe Duncan’s career is ahead of Kobe as an all-time great. Duncan became a product under the great Gregg Popovich, Playing for one coach and one organization for his entire 19-year career. He came into the league in 1997 after a tremendous career at Wake Forest, pairing up with fellow top 50 legend David Robinson in the front court. Duncan made his presence felt early, averaging 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks while starting in all 82 games his Rookie year. His sophomore season during a lockout shortened campaign, Duncan led the Spurs to the 1999 NBA Finals where they defeated the New York Knicks for his first ring. As a perennial shot blocker and rebounder along with scoring, Duncan began racking up consistent All-Defensive honors as well as All-NBA Teams. He averaged at least 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks each of his first 10 seasons in the league, becoming a face of the NBA in the 00’s. In ’01-’02, Duncan won his first of back-to-back MVP awards, averaging 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks. In ’02-’03, winning his second MVP, he averaged 23.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks, leading the Spurs to a 60-22 record and defeating the Nets in the 2003 NBA Finals for his 2nd ring. After the championship run in 2003, David Robinson retired and Tim Duncan became the face of the franchise, along with a young newcomer named Manu Ginobili and a young point guard in Tony Parker. The three would run the NBA over the next decade, beating the Pistons in the 2005 NBA Finals, the Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals, and the Heat in the 2014 NBA Finals. The only loss he would take was in 2013 when the Big 3 Heat defeated them, giving Duncan a 5-1 record in the Finals for his career. Duncan was a quiet star and did not play in a powerhouse or media capital of the country, and it should not count against him as being a top pick all-time. I believe a lot of the credit gets given to Kobe over Duncan because of the market he played in, becoming a fan favorite for a team loved across the country like the Lakers. Duncan put the Spurs on the map, becoming one of the most consistent franchises of my lifetime after a long history of doing nothing. When it comes to scoring Kobe was far superior but that’s not always the name of the game. Duncan is one of the best paint defenders in league history, earning 15 All-Defensive nods in his 19 seasons. He played along some other solid scorers in Bruce Bowen, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and others, making it easier for him not to need to score to be effective. Although when the time came down to it, Duncan hit any big shot, big free throw, or made any big defensive play that was needed in order to win. Kobe was a winner, Duncan was a winner, they’re both top 10 all-time hands down, so I believe many can argue the two being interchanged all-time. I have to give it to Duncan, he was one of the best I’ve ever seen and on my list the 6th greatest ever.

---

5. Shaquille O’Neal

INFO:
Center | 7’1 | 325 lbs
College: LSU (1989-1992)
Draft: 1992 Round: 1 Pick: 1 selected by Orlando Magic

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
4x NBA Champion (’00-’02 – LAL, ’06 – MIA)
3x NBA Finals MVP (’00-’02)
1x NBA MVP (’00)
15x NBA All-Star
3x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’00, ’04 – LAL, ’09 – PHX)
8x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
4x All-NBA Third Team
3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’93)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’93)
2x NBA Scoring Champion (’95 – ORL, ’00 – LAL)
#34 retired by Los Angeles Lakers
#32 retired by Miami Heat

STATS:
23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.3 BPG, 58.2% FG% (6th All-Time), 28,596 Points (10th All-Time), 2,732 Blocks (9th All-Time)

At #5 we have one of the most iconic players in sports history, “The Diesel” Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq was by far in my opinion the most dominant force in NBA history, at 7’1 and 325 lbs, not too many players were able to physically keep up with Shaq’s strength. He entered the league in 1992 out of LSU, drafted with the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic and soon became a dominant force alongside Penny Hardaway on one of the league’s newest expansion teams. With his elite back-to-basket scoring ability along with overpowering rebounding, he averaged no less than 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks each of his first 13 years in the league. Along with Penny, Shaq began putting the Magic on the map in the Eastern Conference that was led by MJ’s Bulls throughout the 90’s. Shaq put up 23.4 ppg, 13.9 rpg, and 3.5 bpg his Rookie year, followed by 29.3 ppg, 13.2 rpg, and 2.9 bpg his second season. By his third year in ’94-’95, O’Neal led the league in scoring with 29.3 ppg during Jordan’s first retirement. He led the Magic to their first ever NBA Finals appearance in 1995 where they lost to the Houston Rockets. ’95-’96 was an injury riddled season for the Diesel and led to him only playing in 54 games while still having solid numbers. In the summer of 1996, Shaq became a free agent and demanded a big contract, something the Magic were hesitant to give him. A falling out also began as Penny Hardaway saw himself as the star of the team, making Shaq feel he needed out. He signed a 7-year, $121 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, bringing him in along with a teenage Kobe Bryant through the draft. Shaq became the star of L.A. especially in his first couple of seasons, and as Kobe became a budding superstar, the duo ran the NBA by ’98-’99. Shaq averaged 29.7 ppg, 13.6 rpg, and 3 bpg in the ’99-’00 season, en route to a second scoring title and his sole MVP award. That year, alongside Kobe he led the Lakers to the 2000 NBA Finals, where they would defeat the Indiana Pacers for their first of three straight Titles, with Shaq winning Finals MVP in all three. After the championship in ’02, the Lakers missed the Finals in ’03 and were defeated by the Pistons in ’04. A falling out between Kobe and Shaq began to ensue as the two believed they were the best players on the team amongst several other disputes. Shaq was traded to the Heat in 2004 and paired up with a young Dwyane Wade in Miami. Shaq’s numbers stayed dominant and he averaged 20 ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 1.8 bpg in ’05-’06, helping the Heat defeat the Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals for his 4th ring. By 2008, O’Neal was traded at the deadline to the Suns where he entertained one more great season in Phoenix, averaging 17.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg, and 1.4 bpg in ’08-’09. He spent a year in Cleveland and a year in Boston before calling it quits in 2011 after a 19-year career. Shaq immediately went down as one of the fiercest forces the game has ever seen, through his ridiculous size and extreme athleticism, he was a matchup nightmare. Kobe and Shaq, although having a falling out when playing, reunited their friendship post-career and referred to each other as the best duo in league history. O’Neal, to me, ranks as the 5th best player of all-time and the second best Center of all-time. Not too many people have Shaq outside of their top 10’s and quite honestly shouldn’t be outside of the top 5 either.

---

4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

INFO:
Center | 7’2 | 225 lbs
College: UCLA (1966-1969)
Draft: 1969 Round: 1 Pick: 1 selected by Milwaukee Bucks

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
6x NBA Champion (’71 – MIL, ’80, ’82, ’85, ’87, ’88 – LAL)
2x NBA Finals MVP (’71 – MIL, ’85 – LAL)
6x NBA MVP (’71, ’72, ’74 – MIL, ’76, ’77, ’80 – LAL)
19x NBA All-Star
10x All-NBA First Team
5x All-NBA Second Team
5x NBA All-Defensive First Team
6x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’70)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’70)
2x NBA Scoring Champion (’71, ’72 – MIL)
1x NBA Rebounding Leader (’76 – LAL)
4x NBA Blocks Leader (’75 – MIL, ’76, ’79, ’80 – LAL)
#33 retired by Milwaukee Bucks
#33 retired by Los Angeles Lakers

STATS:
24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 2.6 BPG (8th All-Time), 55.9% FG%, 38,387 Points (1st All-Time), 17,440 Rebounds (4th All-Time), 3,189 Blocks (3rd All-Time), 1,560 Games Played (2nd All-Time)

Up next at #4 we have the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and the greatest Center in league history. Kareem dominated the league through the 70’s and 80’s, playing 6 seasons for the Bucks and 14 seasons for the Lakers in his 20-year career. He entered the league after a tremendous run at UCLA, being drafted 1st overall by the Bucks in 1969. At the time, Kareem went by his legal name Lew Alcindor before adopting his Muslim name in 1971. Upon entering the league he didn’t miss a step, averaging 28.8 points and 14.5 rebounds his Rookie year, beginning a streak of averaging no less than 24 points and 10 rebounds each of his first 12 years in the league. He also went on to average over 20 ppg each of his first 17 years, averaging less in his last 3. Prior to his sophomore season, the Bucks acquired Oscar Robertson forming a dynamic duo in Milwaukee. Kareem averaged 31.7 points and 16 rebounds in ’70-’71, winning a scoring title, MVP, and leading the Bucks to his first ring. He won his second MVP and scoring title the next season in ’71-’72, and helped lead the Bucks back to the Finals in 1974 where they lost to the Boston Celtics. Kareem grew tired of Milwaukee after that season and looked for a bigger market, requesting a trade to either the Lakers or his hometown Knicks. He was traded to the Lakers in 1975, and won his 4th MVP award in ’75-’76 while averaging 27.7 points, 16.9 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks. He won his 5th MVP the following year in ’76-’77 while averaging 26.2 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks. By 1979, the Lakers acquired the 1st overall pick, drafting Magic Johnson and creating one of the best duos of all-time. The Lakers continued to run the 80’s, consistently making the Finals with Magic and Kareem. They won 5 championships together (’80, ’82, ’85, ’87, ’89) and lost 3 (’83, ’84, ’88). Abdul-Jabbar called it quits after the 1989 championship at 41 years-old, winning 6 titles, 6 MVPs, being named an all-star 19 out of 20 years, and 2 scoring titles. At the time of his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar led the NBA in scoring, rebounding, and blocks, and still ranks 1st in scoring, now 4th in rebounding, and 3rd in blocks. To me, Kareem’s most incredible feats were how durable he was throughout his 20-year career. While staying a consistent scorer and rebounder while almost never getting hurt, it’ll be tough for anyone to reach the 38,387 points he scored. In his 20 years, Kareem only played less than 74 games once in a season, while playing 11 seasons of at least 80 games. Along with this, the first 4 years of his career, the NBA did not recognize blocks as a stat, and based on this, don’t have data on 4 out of his 20 seasons of blocks. Still, he ranks 3rd all-time in blocks and probably would still be #1 if the league kept track early on. Some consider Kareem the greatest player ever, whether you think that or not he is hands down top 5 and most people recognize him as the best big man ever. Everything you wish to see from a big man Kareem did well, while also inventing the most lethal shot that was nearly unguardable, the sky hook. Kareem changed the game more than any big man ever did, and for that he is #4 on my all-time list.

---

3. Magic Johnson

INFO:
Point Guard | 6’9 | 220 lbs
College: Michigan State (1977-1979)
Draft: 1979 Round: 1 Pick: 1 selected by Los Angeles Lakers

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
5x NBA Champion (’80, ’82, ’85, ’87, ’88)
3x NBA Finals MVP (’80, ’82, ’87)
3x NBA MVP (’87, ’89, ’90)
12x NBA All-Star
2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’90, ’92)
9x All-NBA First Team
1x All-NBA Second Team
NBA All-Rookie Team (’80)
4x NBA Assists Leader (’83, ’84, ’86, ’87)
2x NBA Steals Leader (’81, ’82)
#32 retired by Los Angeles Lakers

STATS:
19.5 PPG, 11.2 APG (1st All-Time), 7.2 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 52% FG%, 10,141 Assists (5th All-Time)

In at #3 we have the greatest point guard to ever play the game, the Magic Man, Magic Johnson. Johnson’s career was purely dynamic, beginning to end, although it wasn’t as long as others he achieved more than most while being the best player in the league for many years before the Jordan era began. Magic was drafted 1st overall in 1979 and was teamed up alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in L.A. Magic’s all-around game was stellar, averaging 18 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 2.4 steals while helping to lead the Lakers to the NBA Finals in 1980. They teamed up against Dr. J and the Sixers and as Abdul-Jabbar went down with an injury in Game 5, Magic, a rookie point guard, was slated to start Game 6 at Center. He scored 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists leading the Lakers to his first Title and winning Finals MVP all in his rookie campaign. Johnson was injured for the majority of the following season but averaged nearly a triple-double his third year while leading the Lakers back to the Finals defeating the Sixers once again. Magic went on to average no less than 17 points and 11 assists the next 9 seasons from 1982-1991, leading the league in assists 4 times. The Lakers knew exactly what they had was rare early on and after the ’80-’81 season, agreed to a 25-year, $25 million contract with Magic, at the time the biggest in sports history. In ’82-’83, the Lakers made it back to the Finals against the Sixers for Round 3, this time Moses Malone and Dr. J got the upper hand. By ’83-’84, the Lakers would begin their rivalry with Larry Bird’s Celtics, meeting them in the Finals 3 out of the next 4 years. The Lakers would win 2 out of those 3, including a superb ’86-’87 campaign for Magic where he won MVP, Finals MVP, and the Title while averaging 23.9 points, 12.2 assists, and 6.3 rebounds on the year. The Lakers defeated the Pistons in ’88 and rematched them in ’89 where they lost despite Magic winning MVP of the season. Magic only made the Finals one more time in his career, in the ’90-’91 season where they were defeated by Jordan’s Bulls for his first ring. Magic averaged 19.2 points, 12.5 assists, and 7 rebounds that year in his age 31 season, not knowing what lies ahead would strike a forceful end to his career. As Magic began preparing for the ’91-’92 season, he tested positive for HIV, a disease still without a cure and was especially feared in the 90’s by many people. The diagnosis forced Johnson to call it quits at the age of 32. While he still had several prime years left and no one knows what else Magic could’ve accomplished had he continued playing, he still accumulated 5 rings and 3 MVP’s in his 12 prime seasons in the league. A career that seemed to come to a sad end, Magic sat out that season and continued to play in the 1992 Olympics for the Dream Team. He always intended on returning and after sitting out for 4 years, made a return to the Lakers in ’95-’96. Johnson returned mid-season and came off the bench, playing in 32 games averaging 14.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds at the age of 36. Regardless of the shorter length of Magic’s career, the feats he accomplished in that time are remarkable and the pure dominance he had over the league was by far the best run we’ve seen by any point guard. For these reasons, I rank Magic just outside of my top 2 and the 3rd best to play the game.

---

2. LeBron James

INFO:
Small Forward | 6’9 | 250 lbs
High School: St. Vincent-St. Mary’s (Akron, OH)
Draft: 2003 Round: 1 Pick: 1 selected by Cleveland Cavaliers

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
3x NBA Champion (’12, ’13 – MIA, ’16 – CLE)
3x NBA Finals MVP (’12, ’13, ’16)
4x NBA MVP (’09, ’10 – CLE, ’12, ’13 – MIA)
16x NBA All-Star
3x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’06, ’08, ’18 – CLE)
12x All-NBA First Team
2x All-NBA Second Team
1x All-NBA Third Team
5x NBA All-Defensive First Team
1x NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’04)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’04)
1x NBA Scoring Champion (’08 – CLE)

STATS:
27.1 PPG (4th All-Time), 7.4 APG, 7.4 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 50.4% FG%, 34,087 Points (3rd All-Time), 9,298 Assists (8th All-Time)

Now for the section of the pyramid everyone has been waiting for and the biggest question you might’ve been wondering, LeBron or MJ at number one? Anyone who knows me personally already saw this coming as MJ has always been my #1. With this documentary that aired on ESPN about Jordan’s final year with the Bulls, all NBA fans have been quite vocal on who their greatest is, MJ or LeBron, with a few Kobe fans in the mix and even the occasional Kareem argument. At the point LeBron James has made it to in his career, in my eyes he has surpassed everyone besides MJ on pure dominance, ridiculous stats, and all-around skill in the game of basketball. I’ll give a quick summary although I won’t need to go too in depth with either star as most people know their journeys through the league more than other stars. James was drafted in 2003 by his hometown Cavaliers, an insane product out of High School he was nicknamed “The King”, and was slated to be the heir to Michael Jordan in basketball greatness. LeBron has been a ridiculous scorer and durable star throughout his 17-year career, seeming to just get better with age and the rare ability to play every position. A point forward throughout his career, as a small forward James has been a primary playmaker and ball handler while being a great rebounder at his size. He can basically do it all as I’m saying, and has rarely ever been hurt doing so, a pure freak of nature and stud of the game. Throughout his career, Bron has scored at least 25 ppg all but his rookie season, he’s averaged at least 7 assists all but 4 seasons, and 7 rebounds all but 2 seasons, while playing in at least 75 games in all but 2 seasons (excluding this year). During his first tenure in Cleveland, LeBron stayed dominant without being able to get very far in the playoffs, taking the league by storm while only making 1 Finals appearance in 2007 when he lost to the Spurs. Set to test free agency in 2010, LeBron considered a number of teams but ultimately chose to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, a move that questioned his leadership by many fans. This started a streak of 8 straight Finals appearances for James from 2010-2018, where he won two in Miami (vs. Thunder and Spurs), won one in Cleveland (vs. Warriors), and lost 5, bringing his career Finals record to 3-6. He signed with the Lakers after a 4-year return in Cleveland as the team struggled last year but dominated alongside newly acquired Anthony Davis this season. As the season is slated to resume, we might see a 10th Finals appearance from James and it’s going to be exciting to watch. Through LeBron’s 17 seasons in the league, he has implemented himself as a top 2 all-time dominant force, being the most highly anticipated prospect out of High School ever in my opinion. It’s the age old debate that will last well past LeBron’s career, similar to 2pac or Biggie, or whether players caught taking steroids should be allowed in the Hall of Fame in baseball, LeBron vs. Jordan is going to be a topic many agree and disagree on. At this day and age, my opinion lies with LeBron at #2.

---

1. Michael Jordan

INFO:
Shooting Guard | 6’6 | 195 lbs
College: North Carolina (1981-1984)
Draft: 1984 Round: 1 Pick: 3 selected by Chicago Bulls

CAREER:

ACHIEVEMENTS:
6x NBA Champion (’91-’93, ’96-’98)
6x NBA Finals MVP (’91-’93, ’96-’98)
5x NBA MVP (’88, ’91, ’92, ’96, ’98)
14x NBA All-Star
3x NBA All-Star Game MVP (’88, ’96, ’98)
10x All-NBA First Team
1x All-NBA Second Team
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (’88)
9x NBA All-Defensive First Team
NBA Rookie of the Year (’85)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (’85)
10x NBA Scoring Champion (’87-’93, ’96-’98)
3x NBA Steals Leader (’88, ’90, ’93)
2x NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion (’87, ’88)
#23 retired by Chicago Bulls
#23 retired by Miami Heat

STATS:
30.1 PPG (1st All-Time), 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.3 SPG (4th All-Time), 49.7% FG%, 83.5% FT%, 32,292 Points (5th All-Time), 2,514 Steals (3rd All-Time), 7,327 FTM (6th All-Time), 12,192 FGM (5th All-Time)

Here we go and at number 1, THE GREATEST player to ever play the game, Michael Jordan. Throughout my time as a die-hard basketball fan since I was probably 5-years-old around 2002, I have witnessed some great players come and go from the league. I have been fortunate enough to witness every step of LeBron, D-Wade, Dwight Howard, Durant, Kyrie, Lillard, Westbrook, Harden, Love, Carmelo, and so many other careers, I have without a doubt been spoiled with greats. Throughout these years of witnessing the game in the 2000’s and on, I have done so much research as well on the history of the game, watching countless hours of throwback games, highlights, interviews, etc. I’ve stood by this opinion for about 10 years and don’t plan on changing, no player has ever dominated the game of basketball like the great Michael Jordan. On both the offensive and defensive end, in every aspect of the game Jordan always was a step ahead of anyone else. Watching this documentary made me realize several things that I haven’t always considered in a greatest player ever. Not only does it take a ridiculous amount of talent, it also takes a certain mindset that most people are not born with that Jordan possessed. Jordan had a mindset that I have never seen with any player in any sport, he lived the game and was not happy until he not only won, but destroyed you. One example I always look back on is the “Flu game”. Many players miss games due to a variety of pain which is absolutely justified, but in Jordan’s case he was throwing up all night, had chills, could barely get out of bed the entire day, and still set his mind that he wasn’t missing the game no matter what. He continued to score 38 points in a Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. Now whether he had the flu, food poisoning, or whatever it was, think about the kind of toll any of those illnesses take on your body over the span of a week, let alone a day. There are very few people in this world, let alone athletes, that had that type of mental toughness to continue and absolutely dominate. That’s one example that especially stuck in my brain, as I’ve always considered him the best regardless. We all know the history of M.J. for the most part especially if you watched the 10-part documentary so I’ll keep it brief. Just like all the other greats, Jordan’s durability was unmatched. Besides his injury riddled sophomore season in ’85-’86 and his ’94-’95 campaign where he returned at the end of the year after his first retirement, MJ played at least 80 games for 10 years, including 8 full 82 game seasons. Jordan was a star from the start but his breakout year came in ’86-’87 where he averaged 37.1 ppg, following up with an ’87-’88 campaign where he averaged 35 ppg, 5.9 apg, 5.5 rpg, and 3.2 spg, while winning his first MVP, a scoring title, and Defensive Player of the Year. I mean a scoring title AND Defensive Player of the Year, a player can’t possibly dominate a season any better than that. He won 7 straight scoring titles before his first retirement, averaging no less than 30 ppg and another 3 from 1995-1998 during his second three-peat. Jordan won in bunches, winning 3 straight Titles in ’91, ’92, and ’93, retiring to pursue a baseball career missing a season and a half, and winning another 3 straight in ’96, ’97, and ’98 before calling it quits a second time. Olajuwon and the Rockets would capitalize on the time without Jordan in ’94 and ’95 winning back-to-back, and honestly if Jordan hadn’t retired he very well could’ve won 8 straight in my opinion, or at least 7 in that time frame. When I look at Jordan compared to all the other greats to play the game I base it off a mix of stats, era they played in, achievements, and their pure dominance across the league. I never have thought that any single player dominated the game the way Jordan had, not even LeBron who is in my opinion the second best and the greatest of my era hands down. Jordan was a flat out winner in every aspect of the game, a lock down defender, a lethal scorer, a clutch scorer, basketball I.Q. through the roof, and the mindset to never be phased by any moment (He also had the nicest shoes of any player too but I don’t put that into effect).