In 1996, the NBA celebrated its 50th anniversary and released a “Top 50 players of all-time” list. As we know, lists and rankings are objective and fully opinionated. They celebrate history and spark insane interest and much needed debate.
What’s so beautiful about the NBA is that its players are the true definition of the sport. A single super-star player can change a team’s fortunes from down in the dumps to legitimacy over-night (see 2011 Cleveland Cavaliers). No other league touches this sentiment.
The NFL, MLB and NHL produce teams, while the NBA produces stars.
The Association has lived off of this “Super-Star” marketing scheme since Magic and Bird and has never looked back.
While championships do impact these lists greatly, we still do understand that basketball is a team game, and our rankings will reflect this.
Here is our list of the Top 10 NBA players of all time:
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#10 Jerry West (Guard - Los Angeles Lakers)
Our #10 spot could have went a few different ways. Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal and Julius Erving were all considered, but the “Logo” starts the list.
Jerry West, or “Mr. Clutch,” was his nickname. He was relentless when it mattered most and opponents always feared the worst. West played 14 seasons, all for the Lakers, and averaged 27 points per game on just over .47 percent shooting from the field, according to BasketballReference.com.
West was an assassin. The type that would rip your heart out and leave it on the court. Ask the Knicks as West hit a 60 foot full-court shot as time expired to tie Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals to force overtime.
He played on the Lakers during one of their golden-eras and won the 1972 NBA Championship with his squad. He was so good that the league used his silhouette as the now current NBA logo.
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#9 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Center - Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers)
The “Sky-Hook” was brought to a whole new level when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar perfected it in the 70’s and 80’s. Kareem is a six-time champion who enjoyed a long, storied career with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers.
He is still the NBA all-time leader with 38,387 career points, according to ESPN.com. A distinction of that ilk deserves a top 10 if nothing else, despite how long the career was.
Jabbar is known as a key member of the 1980’s “Showtime” Lakers under Pat Riley, but also won a title in Milwaukee. This means a lot to a career as it shows his true leadership and understanding of winning.
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#8 Tim Duncan (Forward – San Antonio Spurs)
There are only two active players on this list and the Spurs Tim Duncan is most certainly one of them. Duncan is a four-time champion (looking to get number five Sunday night), and has been to the Finals six times.
The incredible story of Duncan and the Spurs is the dominance of longevity. They have never won back to back NBA titles yet they have felt like a dynasty since the first one all the way back in 1999.
Duncan’s all-around game and consistency is his career. He’s currently finishing his 17th season, all with San Antonio. His career average is just under 20 points per game, but as basketball minds know, points are surely not everything in basketball as he’s at the 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks per game mark as well.
Duncan and Greg Popovich have created a culture in San Antonio that could liver for a very long time.
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#7 Larry Bird (Forward – Boston Celtics)
One big consistency about this list is that most of these guys have spent their entire career with one team, and Larry Bird is no exception.
Along with Magic Johnson and the Lakers, “Larry Legend” and his Celtics brought the NBA back from the depths of despair. After a drug-infested, one-on-one playground style league in the 70’s, these two guys showed us what basketball really should be played like.
Bird played a hard-nosed, team-oriented game that revived the league. Despite only playing 13 seasons, his impact cannot ever be ignored as he and the Celtics lived in the finals during the 80’s. Bird is a three time champion, a three time MVP and a two time Finals MVP.
Perhaps the best pure shooter the game has ever seen was so much more than draining buckets as he averaged 10 rebounds and just over six assists in his career.
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#6 Oscar Robertson (Guard – Cincinnati Royals, Milwaukee Bucks)
The “Big O” was the first legitimate freak talent this league ever laid eyes on. Comparing him to a LeBron James today is very necessary.
The guy did everything. He scored (25.7 PPG), he had vision (9.5 APG and sixth all-time), he played lock-down defense and he was efficient (.485 FG%). He was the very definition of all-around talent.
The one thing that plagued Robertson was winning. Although not his fault, he was stuck in a tough situation in Cincinnati to begin his career with a pretty bad Royals team. It was not until 1971 where he was teamed up with Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) where he won his only NBA Championship.
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#5 Magic Johnson (Guard – Los Angeles Lakers)
Erving “Magic” Johnson was the maestro of “Showtime.” He dazzled Hollywood and the rest of the world with his unselfish, team-oriented play collecting five NBA Titles and three league MVP’s in the process.
The ultimate court leader did not even possess a great shot. Despite this, he could impact a basketball game on the highest of levels without even taking a shot. That is utter brilliance and the highest of compliments in the game of basketball. Magic still ranks fifth all-time in assists with 10,141.
Along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Pat Riley, Magic faced Bird and the Celtics three times in the finals, one game more rugged then the next. Punches were thrown, words got heated and tempers flared often, but it worked for the NBA.
Much like Bird, Johnson’s career was also cut short. Unlike Bird’s ailing back though his was due to the HIV virus he contracted in the early 90’s. This among many other reasons is why these two are connected at the hip and will forever be tied to NBA history forever.
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#4 Wilt Chamberlain (Center – Philadelphia Warriors, San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers)
At 7’1”, “Wilt the Still” is still the most dominating force the NBA has ever seen, pure and simple. Players and fans all marveled at the remarkable things he could do at his size.
For his career, Chamberlain averaged 30.1 points per game and a ridiculous 22.9 rebounds per game. Think about that for a minute: 22 rebounds per game for a career. He holds the single game scoring record with 100 points in 1962. He is also the career leader in rebounds with 23,924 career boards.
During the 1961-62 season with the Philadelphia Warriors, Wilt averaged an insane 50.4 points per game and 25.7 rebounds per game. Both are obviously NBA records and shatter the mind to analyze.
The one negative about his career is what happened to him in the big moment at times. If Wilt collected more championships then the two he has, he would be the unanimous choice for #1 player in NBA history. However, at times (especially with the Lakers), he seemed to disappear when his team needed him the most.
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#3 LeBron James (Forward – Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat)
The other active player on this list is Lebron James, or as he’s frequently known as, “The King.” Aside from Oscar Robertson showing the 1960’s a glimpse into the future, LeBron has done the same during this era.
Most superstars have great all-around games, but are only asked to do certain things to preserve body and mind. LeBron James is asked to do everything, and he does everything without hesitation or failure.
He scores, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and plays some of the nastiest lock-down defense this league has ever seen (not to mention he can guard any position on the floor). He can also play any position on the floor. Standing at 6’8” he routinely plays point guard like it’s his natural position. Court vision and a basketball mind is his top attribute. Pair that with freakish ability and you have LeBron James.
A two-time champion (both with the Miami Heat), he’s been to the Finals already five-times and still has plenty of years left on that body. Where people go wrong is comparing him to Michael Jordan. Jordan was a finisher and a scorer. James is an all-around basketball player. Two very different players that produce outstanding results.
The most over-looked stat in basketball is field-goal percentage. Players can score in bunches if they’re taking most of the shots, but are they efficient? LeBron James has a career field-goal percentage of .497. For a guard, and for everything this guy does, that is one of the more incredible stats in basketball history.
Where will LeBron land on this list in five years?
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#2 Bill Russell (Center – Boston Celtics)
Not only did Bill Russell play the game of basketball, but he coached at the same time. Pretty remarkable considering big-men rarely get coaching opportunities in today’s league.
Bill Russell had no nickname. The reason? He did not need one because all he did was win.
Russell is the most prolific winner in American sports history. He collected 11 NBA Championships with his Boston Celtics as they dominated the 1960’s. This includes eight straight, and 10 titles out of 11 seasons. If Chamberlain amazed us with his individual accolades, Russell amazed us with his winning ways.
The five-time MVP still ranks second in NBA history with 42.3 minutes per game and with 22.5 rebounds per game. While he only averaged just over 15 points per game for his career, his defensive game and awareness was the key to those Celtics teams. He played in an era where blocks were not recorded but I promise you this: he is the all-time leader in that category as well.
Towards the end of his career he became the Boston Celtics player/coach. While still playing at a high level, he also coached his team to titles.
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#1 Michael Jordan (Guard – Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards)
The legacy and fond memories of Michael Jordan will always stick with basketball fans forever. “Air Jordan” was no doubt the fiercest competitor this game has ever seen. To win a game, he would stick his hand down your throat, and pull out your heart right in front of you.
During his first six seasons in the league, Jordan had to pay his dues. He needed to watch Larry and Magic win titles and then fight though the “Bad Boys” in Detroit. Once he did that though, the time was his and the Bulls as they pulled off two different “three-peats” to total six NBA Championships and six Finals MVP’s during the 90’s.
Jordan was a five-time league MVP and averaged just over 30 points per game for his career. Like LeBron, his field-goal percentage is crazy for a guard at .497. This is where guys like Kobe Bryant take hits. Scoring points is not legitimate if your field goal percentage is low enough.
Jordan ranks third all-time in points (32,292) and steals (2,514). He is number one all-time in points per game however with that 30.1 mark.
What separates Jordan from the rest though is his uncanny ability to thrive in the most agonizing of moments. He seeks the big moment, and capitalizes to make it his own. No fear and all heart is what we saw during those Bulls’ runs.
For the guy who had all the offensive and defensive ability in the world, it was those critical-key moments that created the legend, the mystique of Michael Jordan.