The Dream Shake will forever be one of the most iconic moves in NBA history and for that, we will always be thankful for Hakeem Olajuwon. This list is, naturally, incredibly subjective, and shouldnt be taken too seriously. But other than potentially Leonard, Duncan will shine brighter than all the other great players who have ever played for the Spursand just about every other power forward in NBA historybecause of how rock steady solid he was. Malone is third in the NBA all-time point leaders behind LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. NBA/ABA. LosingtwoFinals defeats at the hands of MJ and company certainly didnt help. Active players are listed in bold * Indicates member of the Hall of Fame. While Kareem put up a whopping 38,387 points during his playing days, I cant look past the fact that he spent a good chunk of his career receiving passes from Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson, the two greatest point guards of all time. Cant argue with the results. Hell then pull-upfrom halfcourt and make it 43.5 percent of the time. * Indicates member of the Hall of Fame. Thediscourse never diesand were here for it. Hakeem Olajuwon 13. Do you have a sports website? Stats: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG in 15 seasons with Chicago Bulls (1984-85 to 1992-93; 1994-95 to 1997-98) and Washington Wizards (2001-02 to 2002-03); NBA's career leader in points per game. Plus, he was hilarious in Airplane! Chuck played bigger than he was and was way more athletic than he was perceived. Accomplishments: 19.5 points, 11.2 assists, 7.2 rebounds, 11-time All-Star, three-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP, five-time NBA Champion, Hall of Fame Class of 2002. All-Time Points Leaders. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. He helped revolutionize the power forward position even more so than Tim Duncan did (hes a center! His hybrid play, like Magic Johnsons, was way ahead of its time. To me, thats absolutely silly for a guy who still managed to win just as many or more titles than Bird, LeBron, Wilt, Magic, and Shaq. Despite going to nine NBA Finals with the Lakers, West won only one title in 1972. Stats: 19.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.5 APG in 19 seasons with Boston Celtics (1998-99 to 2012-13), Brooklyn Nets (2013-14), Washington Wizards (2014-15) and LA Clippers (2015-16 to 2016-17). So for better or worse, here are the best30 players in NBA history, assiduously ranked. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, 1958-59 Rookie of the Year, 1959 All-Star MVP. We can talk about the way Kobe impacted the game and the culture of basketball but that shouldnt even be a measurement. He can shoot from anywhere on the court, he can get to the rim at will, and if you end up contesting his shotit probably wont matter because he can shoot over you with ease. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. List of Best NBA Players: 1) Michael Jordan A name that revitalized Basketball in the world, Michael is perhaps the most recognizable face of Basketball excellence. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Knock us all you want, but well rest easy knowing Antetokounmpo belongs here as a newly minted. Theres virtually no formula to stop him. AD, Karl Malone falls into a long list of players from the 90s who were really good but ultimately overshadowed by Michael Jordan and theBulls. In April 2022, The Eagles signed Jalen Hurts to a massive 5-year deal worth up to $255 million dollars with approximately $180 million in guarantees. The best rebuttal for that would be that he was the best player on the Warriors during his tenure, winning two Finals MVPs. Stats: 10.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG in 13 seasons with Baltimore/Capitol/Washington Bullets. As he told us in arecent interview, you cant talk basketball without mentioning the king of Miami-Dade County. 11-time NBA All-Star. He was innovative offensively, the first player in NBA history to pour in 70 points in a game, and inarguably will go down as one of the games best forwards. 10. There isnt an NBA player that has the same skillset as Durant. Stats: 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG in 14 seasons with Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors (1959-60 to 1964-65), Philadelphia 76ers (1964-65 to 1967-68) and Los Angeles Lakers (1968-69 to 1972-73). Still, Malone is the No. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, 1995 NBA champion. Karl Malone* 36928: 4. Accomplishments: 27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 12-time All-Star, 2007-08 Rookie of the Year, 2013-14 MVP, two-time Finals MVP, two-time NBA Champion. ESPNs The Last Dance tried its best to encapsulate MJs stranglehold on the basketball world and still didnt do it justice. Even despite losing in the second round to the Boston Celtics this season, Giannis became the first NBA player in history, Few guys in the league have everaffected the game in all facets like Antetokounmpo does, even if that 3-point shot forever remains a work in progress. NBA75: Meet the best players in league history, Green ejected for Sabonis stomp; Dubs down 0-2, Doc's talk prompts 'unbelievable' Sixers response, Grizzlies' Jackson second-youngest DPOY winner, Sources: Ex-ND coach Brey to join Hawks staff, Giannis MRI clean; Bucks optimistic about status, 'In jeopardy': Grizzlies' Morant may miss Game 2, Pate signs with NBA's G League Ignite program, How 'light the beam' became a Sacramento Kings rallying cry, Overreaction Monday: What we learned from Game 1s, 2023 NBA playoffs: First-round series, Finals, MVP odds, The 25 best players in the 2023 NBA playoffs. 37 Dirk Nowitzki. An average male aged 20 or older in the United State stands just 5'9.5"whilethe typical height of an NBA athlete is usually around 6'7", but varies year to year. 1. Who is the tallest NBA player of all time? I would say something to him and he would stare. Who cares? Stats: 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5 APG in 14 seasons with Boston Celtics (1950-51 to 1962-63) and Cincinnati Royals (1969-70). Its guaranteed to get hardcore basketball fans in their feelings and, in our humble opinion, do a much better job than some of those other rankings floating around the interwebs that shall remain nameless. Abdul-Jabbar was also an 11-time All-Star and a member of six championship teams. David Robinson is a true generational talent comes in at No. A member of the NBA 75 team, people forget that he dominated for years as a 66 power forward. Stats: 17.6 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.8 APG in 11 seasons with Boston Celtics (1970-71 to 1979-80) and Milwaukee Bucks (1982-83). Oscar Robertson 12. But he was so much more than a dazzling smile. Players dont choose the era they play in, all we can do is look at who dominated it. Larry Bird. Shaquille O'Neal is widely known around the NBA and outside the NBA as the most dominant player and athlete. There should be no shock that Dwyane Wade lands on this list. For you guys, know theres still never been a player quite like him. His signature play of tapping the ball to a teammate helped him invent the fast break. But one of the greatest guards ever made the All-Star team each of his 14 seasons in Los Angeles, made 12 All-NBA squads,was a five-time All-Defense selection, and a no-brainer to make the NBAs 75th anniversary team. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 2012-13 scoring champ. LeBron James overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBAs leading scorer in February 2023. Nor did we particularly labor over why Tim Duncan, for instance, deserved top 10 status over Kevin Garnett and Kevin Durant (for now). Larry Bird 7. Stats: 18.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.9 APG in 13 seasons with Baltimore Bullets (1967-68 to 1971-72) and New York Knicks (1971-72 to 1979-80). They breath different air than the rest of us and thats ok. Lets not forget LeBronis only 1,326 points away from passing Kareemto become the No. LeBron James has called him the pound-for-pound best ever. Seriously, they made rules to try and limit his dominance since he owns records no player now or in the future will ever come close to eclipsing. Accomplishments: 11-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 1980-81 MVP, two-time NBA All-Star MVP, 1983 NBA champion. 3 left fans in awe. He has the full offensive package with no weaknesses. He was also named to the NBA All-Star Game seven times and won the NBA All-Star Game MVP award in 1970. NBA Players. 4 overall and for good reason. RIP Mamba. Sure, his game has holes, and Bucks haters will say their run to the title wasnt the hardest. Like Magic Johnson before him, Garnett raised the bar as to what a man of his sizecould do on the court. Sometimes I watch his reverse layup during the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the 1980 Finals against the Lakers andtry to figure out how the hell he was able to stay in the air that long. AC, Some of us are willing to die on the Wilt Chamberlain Belongs on the NBAs Mt. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 6. Some just stand out more than others. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 1950-51 Rookie of the Year, 1952 All-Star MVP, two-time scoring champ, 1956 NBA champion. The three-time MVP and 1983 Finals MVP was a 13-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA selection, member of the NBAs 75th anniversary team, and a rebounding machine practically unrivaled during the 70s and 80s. Stats: 18.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 9.4 APG in 16 seasons with New Orleans Hornets (2005-06 to 2010-11), LA Clippers (2011-12 to 2016-17), Houston Rockets (2017-18 to 2018-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20) and Phoenix Suns (2020-21)*. Stats: 27.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.7 APG in 14 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1960-61 to 1973-74). Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 1985-86 scoring champ. His unstoppable, patented skyhook,. And while he will forever live in the shadow of MJ, real ones know Jordan doesnt ascend to Zeus status without Pippen doing all the dirty work and turning out to be the perfect complementary player. And, frankly, its sort of fun tweaking all the Chicagoans who are surprisingly defensive about their sporting accomplishments. He never did anything as good as Jordanexcept, that is, defend. He did it all and made sure you knew about it along the way. ZO, Call it an overreaction if you foolishly insist, but with all the accolades and the company he now keeps after that epic run through the 2021 NBA Finals, Greek Freak absolutely belongs on thislist. NO. Spin wheel Random wheel. Theres a reason why theFinals MVP awardis named after him. Shaquille ONeal is widely known around the NBA and outside the NBA as the most dominant player and athlete. NBA Table; Rank Player PTS; 1. But he didnt earn his place on this list though some sort of vague, ethereal winningness. Russell was one of the fiercest defenders of all time and he redefined the value of blocking shots, in addition to averaging an incredible 22.5 rebounds per game over his career. To this day that is still one of the most amazing individual performances on a basketball court that Ive ever seen. Dr. J floated through the air as his lanky limbs cut to the rim and his hair blew in the wind. LeBron James 1. Technically, Baylor earned one since he was part of the 1971-72 Lakers squad that won it all, but he only played 9 games that season, retiring well before the playoffs started because of a nagging knee injury at age 37. During halftime of the 1997 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland, 47 of the 50 members of that team were honored in person. B Centers were also awarded 22 of the NBA's first 28 MVP awards. 6. Height: 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) Weight: 135 lb (61 kg) [Haynes] DeMar DeRozan's daughter, Diar, was escorted out of Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday by Bulls' security and led to team bus with her father after NBA notified team of severe online threats directed at the nine-year-old, sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport. A two-timechampion,MVP, 10-time All-Star,Defensive Player of the Year, four-time first team All-NBA guy cant crack the top 20. sports Basketball. Bird filled up a box score but he was never strictly a numbers guyhe was just a winner who made ridiculous passes, had a knack for seeing everything unfold seconds before anyone else on the court, and always made the key play that either sealed the deal or keyed a game-defining run. Oh my, yes. Magic Johnson Magic Johnson. In that series, Magic played center in Game Six for the injured Abdul-Jabbar and finished with 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists. Sure, Duncan benefited greatly from playing alongside the legend David Robinson and future Hall of Famers Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, Pau Gasol, and Kawhi Leonard. Stats: 20.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.6 APG in 15 seasons with Portland Trail Blazers (1983-84 to 1994-95) and Houston Rockets (1994-95 to 1997-98). Almost up until deadline, we debated whether Shaquille ONeal, inarguably one of the best big men in NBA history and a true disruptor on the court, deserved to be ranked higher than the late, great Kobe Bryant. Hes a three-timeNBA champion with aFinals MVP, a 13-timeAll-Star, a seven-time All-NBA member, three-time All-Defensive team members,has one NBA scoring title, and a spot on the 75th anniversary teamsomething Wade told us he still cant believe. Olajuwon was the best center in the 1990s and is the only player in NBA history with an MVP, DPOY, and Finals MVP in the same season. Hes still in the top five in assists (he averaged 13.9 apg in 85) and still gets under MJs skin. 1 - Hakeem Olajuwon Country: Nigeria NBA Career: 1984-2002 NBA Teams: Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors Topping my list of the best international NBA players of all time is Hakeem Olajuwon. As a result of a tie in the voting, the 75th anniversary team includes 76 players. The list goes on, but Iversons cultural impact on the current, and even future,generationof NBA players are more meaningful thanhis numbers on the court. Achievements: Six NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, six MVPs, 10 All-NBA 1st Team selections, 19 All-Stars, five All-Defensive 1st Team selections. As each individual involved in this incredibly difficult and necessary endeavor lobbied for the player they thought deserved proper billing, we quickly realized it was going to be hellacious coming to a consensus. Durants biggest criticism was going to Golden State after the Warriors won 73 games the previous season. His numbers and accoladeslook unreal in 2020. During his 14 years in the NBA so far, he is averaging 13PTS, 2RB and 2AST. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, 1963-64 Rookie of the Year, 1965 All-Star MVP, 1973 NBA champion. Related: did you know that the 2013 Seattle Seahawks had the best defense in NFL history? Clutch. Kobe Bryant 9. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. ZO, The Shaq of point guards. We may never see a 71, 365-poundbig that was as explosive, athletic, and quick as Shaq. While he was at Duke in 2003-06, he averaged 20PPG. Tim Duncan (1997-2016) Points: 931 15x NBA All-star, 10x all NBA 1st team, 3x all NBA 2nd team, 2x NBA MVP (2002-03),. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, two-time MVP, four-time All-Star MVP, two-time scoring champ, 1958 NBA champion. Yes, they played the kind of slow-paced ball that put most fans to sleep by the third quarter, but there was often a thing of pure beauty hidden among the tire-fire of a 7871 final score: Tim Duncans bank shot. Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most dominating players of his generation, perhaps even of all time. ONeal was physically and statistically unlike any center the NBA has seen. Nobody could.AC, The Admiral. 21 on our list. He won a league title in all but two of his 13 seasons as a member of the Boston Celtics. Defenses have to stay up on him full-court, which his handles and elusiveness make impossible to do. Duncan also made it hard to hate the man with how he approached the sport. He is followed by Anthony Davis in second place, while Jaren Jackson Jr. is third. 1 spot on this list when his career is over. And though this isnt all that important, Dirk was able to do it with the same franchise for his entire career. Stats: 18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG in 10 seasons with New York Knicks (1964-65 to 1973-74). ZO, Lets get this out the way first:this isnt a reactionary decision to Kobe Bryantspassing. In 251 playoff games, he averaged 19.9 PPG and 11.0 RPG. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, five-time All-Defensive team, nine-time assists champ, two-time steals champ, 1993 All-Star MVP. Stats: 24.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.4 APG in 10 seasons with Atlanta Hawks (1970-71 to 1973-74), New Orleans/Utah Jazz (1974-75 to 1979-80) and Boston Celtics (1979-80). Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, two-time Finals MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, 2020 All-Star MVP, 2014-15 steals champ, two-time NBA champion. He averaged 30 or more seven times, including a preposterous 40.6 per over 11 games in 1965. For perspective, only eight NBA players can claim over 200 win shares in their career. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 10-time All-Defensive team, 1994 All-Star MVP, 1994-95 steals champ, six-time NBA champion. His staggering total of 38,387 points has looked unbreakable for decades. Now just look at the NBA today. Stats: 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG in 13 seasons with Boston Celtics (1979-80 to 1991-92). That really shows you how hard it is to rank these guys. *All stats/accomplishments for active players are entering the 2021-22 season. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, two-time NBA champion. When you think of LeBron James, youthink of greatness. He was a swimmer and didnt start playing basketball until later as a teen. AD, If you know The Big Fundamentals backstory then you know the idea that he would become one of basketballs greatest power forwards is preposterous. The greatest power forward of all time. Stats: 18.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG in 18 seasons with Indiana Pacers (1987-88 to 2004-05). All you really need to know is that Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest center and its not even a debate. AD, To me, Kevin Durant is the most skilled offensive player ever to play the game. Height and Wingspan for every player in the NBA. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, 1969-70 All-Defensive team, 1969-70 NBA MVP, 1964-65 Rookie of the Year, 1970 All-Star MVP, two-time Finals MVP, two-time NBA champion. Jerry West 14. (12 reps is the combine average for big men.) K G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 G10 G11 G12 Vocational/Technical Education University Special Ed P.E. He is currently a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, where he plays both power forward and center alongside LeBron James. Bill Russell is grossly disrespected when talking about the greats. AD, HakeemThe Dream Olajuwons inclusion in this part of the list needs noexplanation. The 1964 NBA MVP, the 1961 Rookie of the Year, a 12-time All-Star,an 11-time All-NBA selection, NBA 75 I can keep going. Rushmore hill because nobody changed the game like Wilt the Stilt did. The gigantic Romanian professional basketball player is the all-time tallest player in the NBA at 7 feet, 7.5 inches. Stats: 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG in 16 seasons with Philadelphia 76ers (1984-85 to 1991-92), Phoenix Suns (1992-93 to 1995-96) and Houston Rockets (1996-97 to 1999-00). Karl Malone 16. He and Larry Bird literally saved the league in the 80s and while they couldnt have been more different stylistically theres no argument whose influence on the game of basketball was greater. Bill Russell 11. Players All Players Player Stats Player Traits Player Roles Compare Players. But if you hold being a third or fourth option in the Spurs system against him, you also have to consider the other sidewhat if he got the keys to a team earlier than he did? Most. Thats flat out impressive. Yes, the man many fans (ignorantly) consider the most overrated choke artist in the league is actually the best player to ever set foot on a court. Instead, the politicking and petty attacks on each others basketball intelligence got really heated, over multiple Zoom calls and text threads, when we tried to properly rank Shaq and Kobe and a bunch of point guards toward the bottom of our30 Best NBA Players of All Time list. Bird is a former basketball player who is considered one of the prime players of all time. Stats: 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.3 BPG in 19 seasons with Orlando Magic (1992-93 to 1995-96), Los Angeles Lakers (1996-97 to 2003-04), Miami Heat (2004-05 to 2007-08), Phoenix Suns (2007-08 to 2008-09), Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-10) and Boston Celtics (2010-11). Stats: 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG in 19 seasons with Dallas Mavericks (1994-95 to 1996-97; 2007-08 to 2011-12), Phoenix Suns (1996-97 to 2000-01), New Jersey Nets (2001-02 to 2007-08) and New York Knicks (2012-13). Even with all those accomplishments people try to tear him down with advanced statistics like usage rate and efficiency. Point guards werent supposed to be 65 scoring machines that could get a bucket from anywhere on the court like The Big O could. The 69 Johnson (making him the NBAs tallest point guard) not only posted the best assists-per-game mark in league history (11.2) but had a tremendous all-around game, as well. He played all five positions in the game and led the Lakers to their first title in nearly a decade. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, 1950-51 rebounding champ, 1955 NBA champion. 3 during his career. Stats: 24.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.6 APG in nine seasons with Portland Trail Blazers (2012-13 to 2020-21)*. But only Westbrook has put up the seasonal averages (three times) to match Robertsons brilliance and Russ isnt anywhere near the offensive juggernaut Robertson was. Best ever us all you want, but well rest easy knowing Antetokounmpo here. 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Robinson is a former basketball player who is considered one of the NBA & # x27 ; Neal one... The same skillset as Durant 18.2 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG in 18 seasons with Indiana (. First title in all but two of his 13 seasons with Portland Trail Blazers 2012-13!, 6.6 APG in 18 seasons with Indiana Pacers ( 1987-88 to 2004-05 ) needs noexplanation two-time steals,!

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