Shaq was a physical specimen and one of the greatest centers of all-time. His free-throw shooting, on the other hand…. Indeedy. Young Wade was one of the greatest scorers ever. At the opposite end of the “attractive play” spectrum from Duncan is Shaquille O’Neal. Even after his death on January 26, 2020, Kobe remains our all-timer ranking tenth on our list of Most Popular And The Greatest Basketball Players Ever. But he didn’t 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. He was amazing, but he had a lot of help, at least more than the last guy on this list. Got it? email. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these TERMS OF USE and UPDATED PRIVACY POLICY. 41. While Kareem put up a whopping 38,387 points during his playing days, I can’t 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. Arizona Basketball: Top 25 Wildcat Players of All Time 0 of 25 From the mid-1980s until 2009, the Wildcats made it to the NCAA Tournament 25 consecutive seasons. Where Timmy would work his way around an opponent in the post with his superb footwork, Shaq would often use his extraordinary bulk (7’1” and 315 pounds) to bully his way to the basket. 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 78–71 final score: Tim Duncan’s bank shot. has been obsessively watching sports for nearly three decades and arguing about them with friends for nearly as long. Nothing I can say here will change your mind about where Kobe stands as an all-timer. 25. As most of you might have noticed, most of the players included in this list are already retired and are NBA Hall of Famers. James Jordan was a mechanic and Deloris Jordan was a bank teller. USA Olympic Basketball Team Rosters and Stats; SLAM 500 Greatest NBA Players of All Time. Dies geschah im Grand Hyatt Hotel, welches am Standort des ehemalig… Jonas Valanciunas. Olajuwon had kind of an odd career, peaking as an all-around player in his 30s. If Robinson is the most underrated player in basketball, Robertson is the most overlooked. Johnson’s otherworldly passing set the stage for the “Showtime” L.A. Lakers teams that captured five championships during his 13 years with the franchise. The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Payton was a nine-time All-Defensive Team player, and the cherry on top is that he goes down as arguably the greatest trash talker to ever step on an NBA court. Ervin Johnson of the Minnesota Timberwolves fouling Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers during a game in the 2003–04 season. Inside the top 10, we're really splitting hairs. Once there, he would finish with an emphatic dunk, a foolproof strategy that helped O’Neal lead the NBA in field-goal percentage 10 times in his career. The most notable of his scoring feats came on March 2, 1962, when he put up an astounding 100 points in a game, an NBA record that will likely never be broken. The Celtics had played for 10 seasons before Russell joined the team, never once reaching a championship series in that time. But O’Neal wasn’t just pure physicality—he was surprisingly graceful for such a massive man and he had a deft touch with his close-range jump shots. The all-time leading scorer is famous for his longevity and all the records that came with a storied career. But, well, he played alongside another top-25 talent in Scottie Pippen and was coached by the strategic genius Phil Jackson during his most productive years. I used to have Russell in my top three. Pretty much all you can ask for from the best ever, no? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been one of the league’s top players for years. He was one of the greatest college basketball players in the country by the time he was a senior, sporting averages of 24.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in his final season with the Jayhawks. If everything else is equal, dominance matters to me above everything else. Duncan defined one of basketball's most successful franchises for almost 20 years. His reign as the best-shooting big man of all-time solidifies his standing. He was the fourth of five children born to James and Deloris. Bill Russell The achievement of one of the best athletes of the 20th century may not be recognized for what it is. Proof LeBron James is the Greatest of All Time. Good. Plus his 30.1 points per game is the NBA’s highest career scoring average. The list includes players from both the LA Lakers and the Minneapolis Lakers. One of the most ebullient personalities to ever play in the NBA, Johnson’s charm was a major factor in the massive increase in the league’s popularity during the 1980s. Top 25 European Basketball Players Of All-Time. Oh jeez, this guy. Yes, I penalize Bird for not taking more 3s. We’re not technically a sports website, but this editor (hi!) We’re ranking the best NBA players of all time. During the 1961–62 season, “The Big O” averaged a triple-double with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game. Nevertheless, he was an awesome force who dominated the sport for two decades and perfected the sky hook, one of the most gorgeous shots the game has ever seen. Dwyane Wade's recent comments that LeBron James can never surpass Michael Jordan as the NBA's greatest player of all-time got us thinking. He was 6,10 ft tall and weighted about 98 Kg and he was the captain of the US team . twitter. LeBron James just does things that shouldn’t be humanly possible. It seems absurd to say right now, but LeBron might end up making 10 straight Finals appearances. #4 Jerry West. Scoring leaders. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29105801/ranking-top-74-nba-players- To current greats like Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and Lebron James. But he was so much more than a dazzling smile. All-Time #NBArank 46-50: Iverson, Westbrook land in Top 50 All-Time #NBArank 41-45: Payton, Pierce and Nique All-Time #NBArank 36-40: Clyde The Glide, Frazier and Cousy Oh, and while this has nothing to do with his ranking on this list, it’s still incredibly awesome and noteworthy that he has successfully fought off HIV for over two decades, helped de-stigmatize AIDS through his high-profile advocacy, and launched a second career as an entrepreneur who opens businesses predominantly in poverty-stricken areas in efforts to spur urban revitalization. As I briefly mentioned in ranking Elgin Baylor, your competition matters when we're talking about dominance. Help | Viewer Feedback | Press | Advertise With Us | Jobs | FOX Cincy | RSS | Site Map Maybe the most underrated player in NBA history. Let's just move on. This article will cover some advanced statistics and situational comparisons of LeBron and Michael Jordan. 500 Players. I firmly believe that these talented players made a greater impact in the sport compared to most basketball stars today. So, yeah, Magic Johnson—neat guy. No one has ever come close to combining his dominance, versatility, and intelligence into one package. Yeah, probably. Basketball-Related Articles. During his senior year, Everett’s regular-season game against Jay Vincent and … Top 15 players in NBA history: CBS Sports ranks the greatest of all time, from West and Steph to LeBron and MJ LeBron James and Stephen Curry are the only two active NBA players to … The NBA has been a home for many great European players, so we decided to make a list ranking the top 25 European players of all-time. Both players fed perfectly well off each other – Shaq would dominate the inside while Kobe would dominate the mid-range area. His ability to pulverize the opposition makes him one of the very, very best in my book. What? Michael Jordan Actor | Space Jam Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 17, 1963. This list is, naturally, incredibly subjective, and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Oh, and the 12-time All-Star also helped initiate true free agency into the NBA through a landmark antitrust suit, an accomplishment just as impressive as his jaw-dropping on-court exploits. Elvin Hayes By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. He’s bigger than a good portion of the players in the NFL and yet he still moves as gracefully as the most nimble guards in basketball. Perhaps the first surprising name on this list, KG checks off dominance (particularly on defense, where he might somehow be underrated these days) and championships. Most basketball fans love arguing about who ranks where among the game's very best, but few actually commit to a list of the top players ever. The following is a list of National Basketball Association players by … 7- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. From past greats like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Wilt Chamberlain. Last but not least is 3-point shooting. Bonus points to the Mailman for being one of the few NBA players to fix his free-throw shooting over his career. If you want to claim he's a top-three player, though, I'm down with that. All rights reserved The leading scorer in National Basketball Association (NBA) history is just the 10th-best player... Tim Duncan. Plus, he was hilarious in Airplane! With the NBA season less than three weeks away, and after LeBron James skyrocketed up the all-time list with his epic Finals performance this summer, it's time to debate the 25 best players to play the game. After his incredible career at UCLA, Kareem immediately began a nearly twenty-year stretch of dominance over the league which saw him make 19 all-star games, win six MVPs, and six NBA titles. Michael Jordan 2. I know I risk getting run out of my beloved Chicago on a rail for daring to suggest His Airness isn’t the best player ever but, well, I just don’t think he is. Whatever.) (Or 20. People love championships. Not only does he routinely pull off feats that I’ve never before seen, he has consistently evolved his game to fix the relative weak spots he was previously criticized for. While his famously vanilla playing style and quiet demeanor kept him from having a cultural impact similar to the other greats, his four championships, 14 All-Star Games, and two NBA MVP awards are indisputable evidence of his fantastic ability. Yes, the NBA consisted of just 8 to 14 teams during this period, so capturing championships was a statistically easier feat for a single franchise, but even that fact doesn’t minimize Russell’s historic accomplishments. Admittedly, Chamberlain played at a time when post players were significantly smaller and basketball wasn’t drawing the types of athletic marvels we see today, but the man was so incredibly dominant that he deserves a spot in the top five regardless of context. With the caveat that I never watched Wilt Chamberlain, however, Shaq was the single most dominant player I've seen. I'll explain my criteria here. The second chart is a progressive list of the leading all-time NBA scorers. as a member of the Miami Heat. He racked up three championship rings and 12 All-Star appearances in his injury-shortened 13-year career. Most important player ever? Johnson is a five-time NBA Champion, three-time NBA Finals MVP and three-time NBA Most Valuable Player. "Longevity without dominance or rings": the John Stockton story. In addition to his unprecedented prowess at putting up points, Chamberlain was also the only person to grab more rebounds per game than Bill Russell (22.9), all while averaging more minutes played per game than any player in league history (45.8). EARVIN “Magic” Johnson, G, LANSING EVERETT (1974-1977): On the Mount Rushmore of all-time NBA players, Magic is the gold standard in the state of Michigan. The one time in his 14-year career that he was not an All-Star was in 1970, a season in which an injured Chamberlain was limited to just 12 regular-season games and yet he still managed to will his team to the NBA finals upon his return. From the moment he stepped into the NBA, he was one of its best players. This question inspired me to come up with a list of top 10 basketball players of all time. Kobe is a two-time scoring champion whose best seasons were the 2005 and 2006 seasons where he averaged over 30 points per game. If for no other reason than leading the Mavs to their title over LeBron's Heat, Dirk has to be in the top 25. Then comes longevity, which is absolutely important. Coincidentally enough, rings fall in line behind defense. The four highest all-time NBA single-season scoring averages all belong to Chamberlain…in his first four professional seasons. Next comes defense, because it wins championships. As selected in 2011 by SLAM magazine. When you're that good around the rim, though, that's what people remember. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar A powerful centre player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ‘s … The Spurs dominated the finals to beat the defending champion Heat four games to one. Bird is a bit lower in my book than he might be in others because of the injuries -- and because he didn't revolutionize the game the way Steph Curry is these days. The list excludes players who played fewer than five seasons in the NBA. In pure raw skill sets and overall completeness, there isn't any player greater than him. 9. Wilt was undoubtedly one of the three most dominant players ever, but he played in a weaker era -- and he couldn't overcome his nemesis. Manning was the Big 8 Player of the Year three times, a Consensus First-Team All-American twice, and a Wooden Award winner in his senior season. The man’s desire to be the best is legendary and propelled him to six championships, five MVP awards, All-Star appearances in every full season he played, and the status as possibly the best defender ever. Greatest Basketball Quotes of All Time. omgtens.com I've recently had a bit of a "Come to Jesus" moment about the game in its early days, however, and I can no longer in good conscience have Russell ahead of the modern stars in the top six here. The hardcourt is ripe for sayings . Naturally, the greatest college basketball player of all time also succeded in the NBA. 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. Tim Duncan (right) of the San Antonio Spurs stretches to block a shot by Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat on June 12, 2014, in game two of the NBA finals. As magnificent as earlier players were, they never had to deal with the 24/7 stresses of 21st century media, which James has with aplomb. Top-20 Greatest NBA Players Of All-Time (Updated) 1. Russell was the ultimate winner in the history of the NBA. Adam Augustyn is Managing Editor, Reference Content at Encyclopædia Britannica. Don’t be fooled by his humble small-college provenance and the “Hick from French Lick” nickname—Larry Bird was one of the fiercest competitors and greatest smack-talkers in NBA history. He took entire seasons off. Tim Duncan. Magic is the NBA's all-time leader in assists and he was a freak of nature as the only 6-9 point guard in the history of basketball." Top 100 Michigan basketball players of all time SPORTS: Boys Basketball; Tweet. Not us, though. From Michael Jordan to LeBron James, here are the 30 best basketball players to ever play. Hate on him if you want, but only one player can claim to be greater. While I’m too young to have ever seen him play, his statistics are so mind-blowing that I wish I had a time machine for the express purpose of going back and seeing him in action. The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History, also referred to as … From the moment he stepped into the NBA, he was one of its best players. Famously, he played center in place of the injured Abdul-Jabbar in the title-clinching game six of the 1980 NBA finals as a 20-year-old rookie. Now, get ready to yell and scream about these rankings. Deal with it. It is written with the intentions of persuading the public of the fact that LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of all time. Check out this list of the greatest Lakers of all time, ranked by fans like you. Winning a ring is difficult and takes a team effort. One of the greatest shooters and scorers ever -- and a guy who's overrated thanks to a couple of high-profile playoff moments against the Knicks. Bill Walton was an unquestioned Hall of Famer, a player who's commonly viewed as one of the 30 best of all time. The National Basketball Association has produced some big names in the sport, with Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson probably being the two most recognized names of all-time. These are some of the best basketball players in the NBA since the Lakers were first established as a club in 1947. Titles matter, of course, but I won't hold it against a player if he came up short of a championship -- not too much, anyway. You can point to the different pace of the game and all the context you want; the fact of the matter is the man averaged a triple-double in a season, which is absolutely ridiculous. Moreover, he not only faced the incredible pressure of being anointed “The Chosen One” by Sports Illustrated as a teenager, but he’s actually exceeded the lofty expectations set for him. And he poisoned locker rooms. Most famous player ever? I understand the arguments against Shaq being even a top-10 player. The league is just now realizing how important spacing the floor is, but that doesn't mean 3s are more valuable now than they were 30 years ago. It’s time for Britannica—OK, one editor at Britannica—to jump into the perpetually unresolved “greatest ever in [insert sport here]” fray. And, frankly, it’s sort of fun tweaking all the Chicagoans who are surprisingly defensive about their sporting accomplishments. But Baylor was so outstanding with the Lakers that it's impossible to hold his era against him. LeBron is undoubtedly the best basketball player in the world at the moment. In a game that's often decided by the sum of your errors, Duncan rarely made mistakes. Through the publication of this list, James has averaged a Robertson-esque 27.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.9 steals per game and—unlike the Big O—he was doing so against teams stocked with elite athletes and not players who smoked cigarettes at halftime. And while most people won't associate Timmy with dominance, that's only because we're looking at the wrong end of the floor. Dr. J made his reputation as a scorer and high-flyer, which is kind of a shame. 500 Players Table; Per Game Shooting Advanced; Rank Player From To G MP PTS TRB AST STL BLK … If he played today, he'd give LeBron a run for his money as the best player in the game. A man who sacrificed glory for the sake of the team. Prime Olajuwon was a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the floor. Absolutely. I'm just afraid we ignore Cap's dominance because of his 20 seasons in the league. If you were able to do it all, you'll rank higher on this list. Related: did you know that the 2013 Seattle Seahawks had the best defense in NFL history? This list will tend to skew toward the modern era, because the level of competition you played against matters as well. Chuck was a logical paradox -- a "6-foot-6" power forward with a taste for McDonald's who actually stood just 6-foot-4 yet somehow gobbled up boards to the point that he earned the nickname "The Round Mound of Rebound.". It's not enough to have reached your peak for just a season or two, but a decent stretch of destroying the competition means more to me than maintaining an elite level of play that never quite reached that next stratosphere. Over 20 seasons in the NBA, he became the top scorer in the history of the Association (38,387 points), six-time MVP (a record), six-time All-American with the Bucks and Lakers, and has been called up to … No... 3. When people knocked him for not winning championships early in his career, they overlooked that he almost single-handedly took an overmatched Cleveland Cavaliers squad to the 2007 NBA finals at just 22 years old. Not only was Jordan prolific on the offensive end, but he also dominated defensively and averaged 2.3 steals per game. Also, his career totals were inflated by the fact that he played roughly 10,000 years in the NBA. Jordan is regarded by many as the greatest basketball player of all-time. I have a confession to make: even though I’m a lifelong devotee to all Seattle sports team, I had a fan-fling with the San Antonio Spurs teams of the late ‘90s and early 2000s. "I stand with LeBron James as No. 1. The all-time leading scorer in NBA history is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who scored a total of 38,387 career points. Unless you agree with me, in which case this was the most meaningful thing I’ve ever written. Home / NBA / Greatest Basketball Quotes of All Time ; By Athlon Sports, 4/24/18, 2:47 PM EDT . Undoubtedly recognized as one of the best NBA players of all-time, Magic Johnson had a phenomenal career, which many still remember long after he has left the basketball scene. Do Not Sell my Personal Info. Jubiläum der nordamerikanischen Basketball-Profiliga National Basketball Association (NBA) zusammengestellt. Quite possibly. No one outside of LeBron James can touch Pippen's versatility, and his defense was second-to-none. Coupled with his three-peat, Shaq had to make this list. Valanciunas hails from Utena, Lithuania. In that same vein, versatility is the second-most important quality for an all-timer. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. In his prime, Duncan, nicknamed “The Big Fundamental” by no less a nickname authority than Shaquille O’Neal, was one of the most sound players of all time. He was the definition of unstoppable. If Durant wins a ring (or, more likely, multiple rings), will people forgive him for helping to form one of the NBA's most egregious superteam? He was the driving force behind some of the greatest defenses in history. In fact, being able to put together an extended run of dominance trumps everything else. Duncan defined one of basketball's most successful franchises for almost 20 years. FS1 | FOX | FOX News | Fox Corporation | FOX Sports Supports | FOX Deportes, ™ and © 2020 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. Moreover, his rivalry with Magic Johnson—who, spoiler alert, you’ll see a bit later in this list—during the 1980s launched basketball into an unprecedented level of national popularity that the sport has never fallen from. and fought Bruce Lee in Game of Death, so his cool quotient is easily the highest of anyone on this list. He was rarely in shape after he won his first championships. The logo himself Jerry West is an all-time great player and all-time Laker. And, of course, he’s since won two titles (and counting?) McDonald's High School Basketball All American Teams; Olympic Team Selections. Oscar Robertson. Die 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (deutsch die 50 besten Spieler der NBA-Geschichte), auch als NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team oder NBA’s Top 50 bekannt, wurden anlässlich des 50. Top 30 Basketball Players Of All Time by MingusFingers | created - 16 Sep 2011 | updated - 20 Jun 2016 | Public Sort by: View: 30 names 1. He mesmerized high school basketball fans in the mid 1970’s. Old Wade is a player trying to fight against age and the rising tide of 3-point shooting in the league. He was a fantastic playmaker and all-around player as well. Despite his illustrious career, West only won one … By Tristan Melton / Jan 17, Fri. 3758; Link; facebook. Offiziell wurden die Namen der Spieler am 29. The John Stockton story is also the Karl Malone story, conveniently enough. The 6’9” Johnson (making him the NBA’s 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. But in his rookie year, Russell completely changed the franchise’s course and established the Celtics as the winningest team in the NBA. Most obsessively competitive to the detriment of ever having normal human relations with anybody? Leading the Cavs back from a 3-1 deficit cemented LeBron's status as the second-best player in NBA history. Oktober 1996 von David Stern, Commissioner der NBA, in New York Citybekanntgegeben. The uber-confident Bird had arguably the quickest release of anyone to ever play basketball and he’d often let his defender know that the shot was going in soon after it left his hands. Bill Russell comes as the 8th best basketball player of all times he was also included among the NBA 50 greatest basketball players in the history , Bill Russell was born in 12 February 1934, in West Monroe, Louisiana. Being in the conversation as the best player of all time means being part of an exclusive club -- no disrespect to those who just missed out on the top 10. He won a league title in all but two of his 13 seasons as a member of the Boston Celtics. The leading scorer in National Basketball Association (NBA) history is just the 10th-best player ever? Oh my, yes. Michael Jordan goes down as the best NBA player of all-time, as he is a six-time NBA champion and averaged 30.1 points per game in his career. Had Magic not retired early, he'd be the second-best player ever.