Top 20 NBA Players of All Time

Baylor is credited as being the league’s first ever franchise player. Playing for the Lakers, which at the time were an ailing franchise on the verge of bankruptcy, drafted him with the first pick in the 1958 NBA draft. His arrival breathed new life into the team, transforming them into one of the most important and storied sports teams on the planet. In fact, the NBA as a whole would not be the league it is now without Baylor. His acrobatic style of play and ability to play above the rime helped shape the game we know and love today.

Beginning his career as a member of the ABA’s Utah Stars, Moses later joined the NBA later during the merger, where he quickly made his mark as a rebounder. Malone’s play on both sides of the court helped earn him his first MVP award in 1979 with the Rockets. He would replicate that feat in 1982 while also taking the Rockets to the finals and receive the honor a third time the following year as a member of the 76ers. After that dominant regular season, Moses led that stellar Sixers team on a playoff run that saw them go 12-1 culminating in a sweep of the Lakers earning Moses a finals MVP.

The Round Mound of Rebound, Sir Charles, Chuck, or whatever you’d like to call him, came out of arguably one of the greatest draft classes ever in 1984. In fact, he’s considered not only one of the greatest basketball players to never win a championship, but one of the greatest athletes in all of professional sports to not accomplish the feat period. Despite losing to Micheal Jordan’s Bulls in his lone finals appearance in 1993, he still finished as that year’s regular season MVP. Barkley truly excelled in almost every aspect of the sport. In fact, he was only the fourth player to ever finish his career with; 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 4,000 assists.

KG broke the mold in a number of ways, starting with his decision to jump straight from high school to the pros. At the time, pundits deemed this a controversial and foolish move which no player had even attempted in twenty years. However Garnett soon proved his doubters wrong and immediately made an impact on the Minnesota Timberwolves. In his second year, Garnett propelled the T’Wolves to the playoffs for the first time in their history. They would reach the playoffs in each of the next 7 seasons. However, Garnett would soon grow dissatisfied with the supporting cast and was shipped to the Boston Celtics, where he formed one of the NBA’s first “Big 3” superteams alongside Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Soonafter joining the Celtics, Garnett was finally able to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy.

This point guard fundamentally revolutionized three point shooting in basketball. While the NBA has had its share of three point specialists throughout the years, the concept behind shooting threes were generally seen as novelty shots or employed in emergency buzzer beater situations. That all changed with Curry. Since Curry and his Golden State Warriors won the NBA finals in 2015, teams across the league have put more emphasis on outside shooting. But the fact of the matter is that no one can shoot like Steph. His playing ability has cemented him as the greatest shooter of all time while also being a key contributor in turning the Warriors into a dynasty.

At nearly 7’ with a 7’5” wingspan, KD combines the great shooting and off the dribble quickness of a much smaller player with the reach of a big man. His ability to effortlessly drive the lane or shoot from essentially anywhere on the court makes him nearly unguardable. Best of all, he’s only gotten better over the years. What’s also impressive about Durant is how he can seamlessly fit into a number of different systems with ease. A notable example of this was when he joined the Golden State Warriors in 2016. With his skillset and playing alongside the likes of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, he won back to back titles and finals MVPs with the team.

It takes someone truly special to become the literal logo for the NBA. Of course there was more to Jerry West than just iconography. Drafted by the freshly relocated Lakers, West spent his entire fourteen year career in LA, making it to the finals an incredible nine times. He even took home the first ever NBA finals MVP, which gave him the unfortunate honor of being the only player to win it while losing the series. For a time, West’s teams were unable to clear the final hurdle, but they were finally able to get over the hump in 1972 when the Lakers defeated the Knicks.

Throughout the years, more and more players outside of the United States have left their mark in the NBA. One such player is Hakeem Olajuwan. Raised in Nigeria, he helped set a blueprint for overseas players to achieve success in basketball. Some of his most notable accolades include becoming the first non-American to become an All-Star and an MVP. Olajuwan quickly established himself as one of the best big men in the NBA’s history and would go on to win back to back championships with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995. As of the time of writing, Olajuwan is also one of only four men to ever record a quadruple-double and is the all time leader in blocks.

Legendary for different reasons off the court, Chamberlain was possibly the most dominant center to ever play the game. A two time NBA Champion with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers, Chamberlain measured in at 7 feet 1 inches and weighed between 275 and 300 pounds. Wilt held several NBA records in scoring and rebounding and won several titles for both, due to his being the only player to obtain an average of 30 points and 20 rebounds a game, while also scoring the most points ever in a single game with 100.

One of the greatest centers ever, Russell played his entire career with the Boston Celtics, and was instrumental in maintaining the Celtics dominant dynasty during the 60s. As a 5-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Russell was known for his excellent defense and shot-blocking. For four different seasons, he led the entire league in rebounds. To this day, he remains the second best of all time when it comes to both rebounds per game and total rebounds. He is also one of just seven players in history to have an NBA Championship, NCAA Championship, and a gold medal from the Olympics. That’s quite the exclusive club.

Playing his entire career with the Celtics, The Bird is probably the best forward ever. Along with Magic Johnson, and later Michael Jordan, Larry was instrumental in bringing the NBA into the national spotlight. The rivalry between Larry’s Celtics and Magic’s Lakers was legendary. Bird was named an NBA All-Star 12 times and the NBA league’s Most Valuable Player for three consecutive seasons. He was also a part of the U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” and won three NBA Championships. But more than that, Larry Bird was known as a defensive force and one of the league’s toughest players.

The greatest point guard ever, Magic led the Showtime Lakers from 1979 to 1991. In his first NBA season, he won both an NBA Championship and an MVP. Over his playing career, the NBA awarded him three MVPs, twelve All-Star appearances, and ten total All-NBA First and Second team nominations. He was a member of the Olympic “Dream Team” and won 5 NBA championships in total. In 1991, he abruptly retired after announcing he had contracted HIV, leaving many to wonder how great Magic could have been if he hadn’t retired so early.

The Big Fundamental left the league the same way he entered it; humbly and quietly. Often called the greatest power forward of all time, Tim Duncan was selected to both All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams in each of his first 13 seasons. With the Spurs, he won 5 NBA championships and was a three-time Finals MVP and two-time league MVP. Impressively, he accomplished all this during the Kobe and then LeBron eras. Or maybe it was the Tim Duncan era this whole time.

Making his debut in the 60s, the NBA and its fans had yet to see anyone like Oscar Robertson. Talented all around, he was an incredible shooter, rebounder, and playmaker. With this impressive and diverse skillset, he would average a triple double during the 1961-62 regular season, something that wouldn’t be replicated for 55 years. That stat becomes even more impressive when you realize assists were more stringent and the three point line wouldn’t be instituted till after his retirement. He is often credited for paving the way for “big guards” in the decades to come and even popularizing the head fake and fadeaway jumper.

Although well renowned in the ABA, Dr. J unquestionably made his mark in the NBA as well. He went on to play in the sixteen NBA seasons and each one saw his team reach the playoffs. In that time, he helped popularize one of the most recognizable ways to score in basketball, the slam dunk. He brought a combination of finesse, power, and raw intimidation to the move that hadn’t been seen before, most notably on display when he posterized Bill Walton in the ‘77 finals and also when he “rocked the baby.”

Originally drafted by the Orlando Magic, Shaq rose to championship level dominance with the Los Angeles Lakers. As part of one of the greatest duos of all time, along with Kobe Bryant, O’Neal would win 3 straight NBA championships. All 3 times he was the Finals MVP. He was also selected to 15 All-Star Games, where he picked up 3 All-Star MVPs as well. After a rift developed between him and Laker’s management, he was traded to Miami where he won another Championship. Many wonder how many more he could have won if he had stayed in L.A. with The Black Mamba, but our guess is: all of them.

Kobe was legendary for his work ethic and intensity; several players of the era were known to wilt under the pressure and expectations Kobe put on his teammates. Playing his entire career with the Lakers, he won 5 NBA championships, an MVP, and scored over 33,000 points. His will to win and dominate his opponents was legendary. Oh, and he once scored 81 points, putting him right behind Wilt Chamberlain for most points scored in one game. Put Kobe on a team with any other player besides Jordan, and there will be no question who the king of the court is.

In a league full of great centers, Kareem was maybe the best. Originally drafted by Milwaukee, he won one championship with the Bucks and then went on to win 5 more with Magic and the Showtime Lakers. He was the arch nemesis of Wilt Chamberlain and his legendary skyhook was nearly un-blockable. When he retired, he was the league’s all-time leader in scoring with 38,387 points. He was also an all-time leader in minutes played, made field goals, blocks, and rebounds. Outside of Jordan and Bryant, there aren’t many players who come close to his level of greatness.

LeBron James came to the NBA as perhaps one of the most hyped players ever, and he lived up to the hype and went on to be one of the most physically gifted athletes to ever play as a small forward. But, James put himself at the center of controversy when he decided to leave his hometown team and join Dwyane Wade’s Miami Heat to form a super team. It's a move that resulted in two championships, and LeBron would win a third after returning to Cleveland and then a fourth upon joining the Lakers. As of the time of writing, James has also played for 19 NBA All-Star teams, while earning three All-Star MVPs, in addition to his 4 NBA MVPs, and 4 Finals MVPs.

Were you really expecting anyone else? His Airness was a member of 6 championship teams, achieved two three-peats, and won 5 MVP awards. He was a 10-time All-NBA First Team, 9-time All Defensive First Team, and a 14-time All-Star selection. He briefly retired in 1994 to try his hand at baseball, but returned in 1995 and won three more titles with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan led his Bulls to a then-record 72 regular season wins. He also holds the NBA’s record for all time regular season scoring percentage and highest career playoff scoring average. Air Jordan is easily the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball.

Let us know in the comments below who you think is the GOAT.