So after ranking all the current players in the NBA in an earlier blog, let's take a look at the All Time Greatest 30 players. Players will be judged on Individual Accolades, Career Statistics, Team Success, Individual Skill and Talent, and Influence on the game of basketball.
1. Michael Jordan (15 seasons 1984-93, 95-98, 01-03)
6 NBA Titles / 6 Finals,
5 x MVP, 6 x Finals MVP
14 x All Star, 3 x All Star Game MVP
10 x All NBA 1st Team, 1 x 2nd Team
1 x DPOY, 9 x All Defense 1st Team
10 x Scoring Champ, 3 x Steals Leader
32,292 Pts (5th All Time), 6,672 Reb, 5,633 Ast, 2,514 Stl (3rd All Time)
30.1 ppg (1st All Time), 6.2 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.3 spg (4th All Time), 0.8 bpg
FG 49.7%, FT 83.5%, 3P 32.7%, PER 27.9 (1st All Time)
What can you say. 6 championships, 6 Finals MVP's, 5 Most Valuable Player Awards and a record 10 time scoring champion. When Michael started winning in the early 90s, he literally never lost again while wearing the Bulls number 23.
After beating the Bad Boys and taking the throne from Magic Johnson in 1991, he took care of Drexler's Blazers, Barkley's Suns, The Payton / Kemp lead Sonics and the Malone / Stockton Utah Jazz - all 60+ win all time great teams that would be champions in most other eras. And that is not even mentioning what he had to go through to reach the Finals including going through Ewing's Knicks, Reggie's Pacers and Shaq/Penny in Orlando. Two other all time greats Olajuwon's Rockets and Robinson's Spurs also both only made the Finals and won MVP's when MJ was retired.
Jordan was relentless on both sides of the floor making 9 straight All NBA 1st Defense Teams as well as being the only non Center to win both the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Award. His 30.1 ppg is 1st All Time and he upped his game even more in the playoffs averaging a whopping 33.4 ppg. His 41ppg against the Suns in 1993 remains the highest scoring Finals average of all time.
The Greatest Player of All Time and there should not be much debate right now.
2. Lebron James (17th season 2003-current)
3 NBA Titles / 9 Finals,
4 x MVP, 3 x Finals MVP
15 x All Star, 3 x All Star Game MVP
12 x All NBA 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team, 1 x 3rd Team
5 x All Defense 1st Team, 1 x 2nd Team
32,543 Pts (4th All Time), 8,880 Reb, 8,662 Ast (10th), 1,937 Stl
27.2 ppg (4th All Time), 7.4 rpg, 7.2 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.8 bpg
FG 50.4%, FT 73.6%, 3P 34.3%, PER 27.9 (2nd All Time)
The only player with a chance to challenge His Airness for the GOAT title is Lebron James. Although he failed to make the playoffs and suffered his first serious injury, Lebron reached some historic milestones in his 16th NBA season last year, none higher than passing Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan himself for 4th place on the All Time Scoring List.
Statistically Lebron has already surpassed MJ and will most likely pass Kareem Abdul Jabbar's all time scoring mark while being the 1st player ever to reach 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists. He has 4 MVPs, 3 Finals MVPs and has the most All NBA 1st Team selections in history with 12, including 11 in a row until this past season was derailed by injury.
But the major blemish on his resume is the fact that he lost 6 finals and only won 3 although making 9 finals and 8 in a row is a remarkable accomplishment in itself. His lowest moment was of course the Career worst 8 point Finals performance against the Dirk Nowitzki lead Dallas Mavericks in 2011 - still to this day the ONLY playoff series out of 46 in his career that he failed to average 20 pts per game!
So he stays firmly behind Jordan at number two with his greatest moment leading the Cavs from a 3-1 deficit against an all time great Warrior Team to win Cleveland's 1st ever NBA championship.
3. Kareem Abdul Jabbar (21 Seasons 1969-89)
6 NBA Titles / 10 Finals
5 x MVP, 2 x Finals MVP
19 x All Star
10 x All NBA 1st Team, 5 x 2nd Team
5 x All Defense 1st Team, 6 x 2nd Team
2 x Scoring Champ, 1 x Rebounding Leader, 4 x Blocks Leader
38,387 Pts (1st All Time), 17,440 Reb (4th), 5,660 Ast, 3,189 Bks (3rd)
24.6 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 0.9 spg, 2.6 bpg (8th All Time)
FG 55.9%, FT 72.1%, PER 24.6
Forgotten in the conversation for greatest ever is Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who you could easily say has the most impressive resume out of all the NBA legends. He was like Wilt Chamberlain + Bill Russell when you take into account his offensive domination as well as his team success. He dominated the 70s statistically, winning 4 MVP's averaging close to 30 ppg and 15 rpg, and he dominated the 80s with 5 titles in 8 Finals appearances. He is the only player to dominate 2 full decades in this way.
'Cap' as he was known owns numerous NBA records, including most All Star Appearances with an incredible 19 selections and of course the most points scored ever with 38,387 Career Points. He also has arguably the most iconic and unguardable shot in NBA history - the sky hook.
Some of the arguments against Kareem for the greatest player ever include that he only won 2 Finals MVPs out of 6 championships and the fact he only started winning consistently after Magic Johnson joined the Lakers. No doubt Magic was the main driving force behind most of the Lakers 5 titles and in that sense you could argue to rank Magic higher than Abdul Jabbar. The only difference is that was pretty much Magic's whole career whereas Kareem has a whole other decade of individual domination to add on to his career achievements.
4. Kobe Bryant (20 Seasons 1996-2016)
5 NBA Titles / 7 Finals
1 x MVP, 2 x Finals MVP
18 x All Star, 4 x All Star Game MVP
11 x All NBA 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team, 2 x 3rd Team
9 x All Defense 1st Team, 3 x 2nd Team
2 x Scoring Champ, 81 pts in a Game (2nd Most Ever)
33,643 Pts (3rd All Time), 7,047 Reb, 6,306 Ast, 1,944 Stl
25 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.5 bpg
FG 44.7%, FT 83.7%, 3P 32.9%, PER 22.9
You may think number 4 for the Black Mamba and one place over Magic Johnson as the greatest Laker ever is a bit high, but hear me out.
Both Kobe and Magic won 5 titles, both played with legendary Big Men and one was one of the greatest scorers ever and the other was the greatest passer of All Time. But Magic unfortunately only played 13 seasons compared to Kobe's 20 which allowed Kobe to have superior Career Stats and more All NBA (15 to 12) and All Star selections (18 to 12). But the one other important thing that separates them is Defense. Magic never made an All Defensive Team whereas Kobe made 12 teams including a record 9 1st Team selections.
Kobe's skill, talent, ability, fundamentals, competitiveness and mental toughness is on par with Jordan and NOBODY else in history can say that. And most importantly Kobe achieved almost everything there was to achieve. Sure there are analysts and advanced metrics lovers who argue he is barely a Top 10 player All Time mainly because of his efficiency. But it's funny if you ask any player, ex player, coach or GM, they ALL say Kobe is one of the 5 greatest players ever and I know who's opinion I would like to take.
A lot of these advanced metric analysts would also argue that Tim Duncan not Kobe is the best player from his generation, but as great as Duncan was I have to disagree. There was just something about The Black Mamba, something that he gave to the game of basketball that Tim Duncan just didn't or couldn't. His drive, his oversized heart, his obsession to be the best, his desire to master every detail, his willpower, his sheer determination, his confidence to take any shot anytime, his ability to take over games and carry his team, his killer instinct to rip your heart out, his game's aesthetic beauty and mostly his influence on his peers, his future contemporaries and kids and fans all over the world is just something Tim Duncan cannot match.
For all these reasons I have Kobe Bean Bryant as the greatest player of his generation and the 4th Greatest Player Ever.
5. Magic Johnson (13 Seasons 1979-91, 1996)
5 NBA Titles / 9 Finals
3 x MVP, 3 x Finals MVP
12 x All Star, 2 x All Star Game MVP
9 x All NBA 1st Team, 1 x 2nd Team
4 x Assists Leader, 2 x Steals Leader
17,707 Pts, 6,559 Reb, 10,141 Ast (5th All Time), 1,724 Stl
19.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 11.2 apg (1st All Time), 1.9 spg, 0.4 bpg
FG 52%, FT 84.8%, 3P 30.3%, PER 24.1
The fact Magic Johnson is still easily considered a Top 5 Player of All Time despite being forced to retire while still in his prime at just age 32 shows how great Earvin 'Magic' Johnson was.
As a rookie, he was already a champion and Finals MVP, and he made 9 NBA Finals, winning 5 titles and dominating the 1980s while reviving the whole NBA with the Showtime Lakers, the hottest ticket in town at the time.
With his under the rim flamboyant style, Magic Johnson could have easily played another 5 to 8 years if not for the stunning announcement that he he had HIV in 1991. And still he racked up almost 10,000 assists! Considering he is the All Time leader at 11.2 assists per game, he would have been the only player capable of coming close to John Stockton's incredible assist record (had he stayed healthy).
Undoubtedly the best passer and point guard of All Time, Magic could have been in the running for greatest ever if he had managed to play 18-20 years like he should have.
6. Larry Bird (13 Seasons 1979-92)
3 NBA Titles / 5 Finals
3 x MVP, 2 x Finals MVP
12 x All Star, 1 x All Star Game MVP
9 x All NBA 1st Team, 1 x 2nd Team
3 x All Defense 2nd Team
3 x NBA 3 Point Champion, 2 x 50-40-90 Club
21,791 Pts, 8,974 Reb, 5,695 Ast, 1,556 Stl
24.3 ppg, 10 rpg, 6.3 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.8 bpg
FG 49.6%, FT 88.6%, 3P 37.6%, PER 23.5
Many young people may ask, how can a guy who supposedly can't run or jump be ranked amongst the top 6 players of all time. Well I would answer how could a player lead the fast break better than any forward in league history if he can't run and how could a player be the best rebounder of All Time for his position if he can't jump?
The greatest shooting forward of all time, Larry Bird was a genius on the court, without a doubt the smartest mind in all of basketball. And his leadership, competitiveness, grit, determination, vision and his unbelievable self confidence was second to none in the history of this game.
Bird is still the only player in history to win 3 MVPs in a row and he has countless clutch plays and game winners. Nobody in history backed up their trash talk quite like Larry Bird and he would tell the defender (or the opposing coach!) exactly what he was going to do before he did it. An incredible combination of mental and physical toughness mixed in with supreme all around ability and confidence makes Larry a truly unique player, the likes of which we will never see again.
But why Bird below Magic? Honestly it is impossible to split these two and their career individual achievements almost exactly mirror each other. Incredibly they both have exactly 3 MVPs, 12 All Star Appearances, 9 All NBA 1st Team selections and a solitary 2nd Team selection. But Magic has 5 Titles to Larry's 3 and when everything else is so close then that is the difference to put Magic on top.
7. Bill Russell (13 Seasons 1956-1969)
11 NBA Titles / 12 Finals
5 x MVP
12 x All Star, 1 x All Star Game MVP
3 x All NBA 1st Team, 8 x 2nd Team
4 x Rebounding Leader
14,522 Pts, 21,620 Reb (2nd All Time), 4,100 Ast
15.1 ppg, 22.5 rpg, 4.3 apg
FG 44%, FT 56.1%, PER 18.9
Trying to rank Bill Russell and Will Chamberlain will always come down to individual opinion as one player was clearly a greater leader and winner and the other was clearly the more dominant and skilled player with all the stats to match.
If everyone plays the game to win a championship then you can't make a top 10 list without including 11 Time Champion Bill Russell, even though he only averaged 15 ppg on 44% shooting for his career, easily the least impressive stats for any of the All Time Greats. He did however average an astounding 22.5 rebounds per game for his career and although Blocks were not included, many estimated Russell averaged well over 6 blocks a game and would easily be the All Time Blocks Leader.
Russell also won 5 MVP's (to Wilt's 4) and beat Wilt in 7 out of 8 series that they played. And it is a myth that Russell played with all of these Hall of Famers and Wilt didn't. Russell played with 8 Hall of Famers while Wilt played with 11 in his career! And half of the Hall of Famers Russell played with were just glorified role players (e.g Ramsey, Nelson, KC Jones) who only became Hall of Famers because they played on that team. It's like putting John Paxson, Luc Longley and BJ Armstrong in the Hall because they were on the Bulls!
So Russell truly did lead his team to success much better than Wilt and the truth is if they awarded a Finals MVP and DPOY at the time, then Russell would most likely be a 10 time winner in both! Imagine if his resume added 10 Finals MVPs and 10 Defensive Player of the Years as well as being the All Time Blocks Leader - then nobody would dare to argue his high ranking.
8. Wilt Chamberlain (14 Seasons 1959-1973)
2 NBA Titles / 6 Finals
4 x MVP, 1 x Finals MVP
13 x All Star, 1 x All Star Game MVP
7 x All NBA 1st Team, 3 x 2nd Team
11 x Rebounding Leader, 55 rebounds in a Game (Most Ever)
7 x Scoring Champ, 100 Points in a Game (Most Ever)
31,419 Pts (7th All Time), 23,924 Reb (1st All Time), 4,643 Ast
30.1 ppg (2nd All Time), 22.9 rpg (1st All Time), 4.4 apg
FG 54%, FT 51.1%, PER 26.1 (6th All Time)
If these rankings were purely based on raw stats than Wilt Chamberlain would have a strong case for the number 1 spot. But the truth is Wilt was also known as being the greatest stat padder of all time. He would play all 48 minutes every game and wouldn't even come out if there was 2 min left and his team was up 20. Early in his career when all he wanted to do was score, he would take all the shots and put up big numbers to the detriment of his team and winning. Then when he was determined to lead the league in assists one year he stopped shooting even when he had easy opportunities to score because he wanted as many assists as possible!
Still the man averaged an incredible 50 pts a game one year and almost 40 ppg for the 1st half of his career, putting up video game numbers that will never be seen again. His size, strength and athleticism made him the most dominant player ever and don't expect any of his individual season or individual game records such as 100 pts or 55 rebounds in a game to ever be challenged in the near future. For his career he averaged 30.1 ppg and an incredible 22.9 rebounds, good for 2nd and 1st all time.
But another reason why his ranking is not higher is his subpar playoff performances where he only averaged 22.5 ppg for his playoff career - just 38th All Time (compared to 2nd for the reg. season)! So when it really mattered Wilt noticeably under performed and dropped his ppg by almost 8 points - a bigger dropoff than any other legend in history, which is why I can't rank Wilt any higher.
9. Tim Duncan (19 Seasons 1997-2016)
5 NBA Titles / 6 Finals
2 x MVP, 3 x Finals MVP
15 x All Star, 1 x All Star Game MVP
10 x All NBA 1st Team, 3 x 2nd Team, 2 x 3rd Team
8 x All Defense 1st Team, 7 x 2nd Team
26,496 Pts, 15,091 Reb (7th All Time), 4,225 Ast, 3,020 Blk (6th)
19 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 3 apg, 0.7 spg, 2.2 bpg
FG 50.6%, FT 69.6%, PER 24.2
Clearly the greatest Power Forward of All Time, Tim Duncan may not have been flashiest player, but his individual and team accolades speak for themselves. He has a record 15 All NBA Selections (tied with Kareem and Lebron), a record 15 All Defense Selections and is the only player to win titles in 3 different decades (1999,03/05/07, 2014).
Duncan is also 7th all time in rebounds and 6th in Blocks and has a record 18 50 win seasons. He made the playoffs every year of his career, while playing all 19 seasons for Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs. If the 1999 season wasn't only 50 games because of the NBA lockout then TIm Duncan would have remarkably won 50+ games every year of his 19 year career.
Tim Duncan just played basketball the right way and he was the perfect player to build a franchise around. He was the most selfless player who did anything and everything to make his teammates better. Although not demonstrative or loud, Duncan had immense drive and determination and was quietly one of the greatest leaders and winners of all time.
10. Shaquille O'Neal (19 Seasons 1992-2011)
4 NBA Titles / 6 Finals
1 x MVP, 3 x Finals MVP
15 x All Star, 3 x All Star Game MVP
8 x All NBA 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team, 4 x 3rd Team
3 x All Defense 2nd Team
2 x NBA Scoring Champ
28,596 Pts (8th All Time), 13,099 Reb, 3,026 Ast, 2,732 Blk (9th)
23.7 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 0.6 spg, 2.3 bpg
FG 58.2% (4th All Time), FT 52.7%, PER 26.4 (4th All Time)
Shaquille O'Neal, the most dominant player with Wilt in NBA history rounds out the Top 10. An unstoppable force down low, The Diesel was not only the strongest player ever, but he was extremely quick, nimble and skilled, with his only flaw being outside shooting. He was great during the regular season but it was his performances in the playoffs and most notably the NBA Finals where Shaq would be remembered.
His 3 straight Finals MVP's to start the century is (along with Michael Jordan) the single greatest stretch of Finals basketball ever played. He averaged 38 and 17 in 2000, than 33 and 16 in 2001 and finally 36 and 12 in 2002, completely overwhelming the Pacers, Sixers and Nets as the Lakers stomped to 3 straight titles. He would go on to win a 4th championship with D-Wade in Miami and he made 15 All Star Teams as well as 8 All NBA First Teams - more than any other Center except Kareem.
If Shaq had been more serious about his conditioning and fitness then he could have been in the conversation for the Greatest of All Time. But he still managed to play 19 seasons which is no small feat when carrying that weight around, and he would finish his career 8th All Time in Scoring, 9th in Blocks and 15th in Rebounds.
11. Hakeem Olajuwon (18 Seasons 1984-2002)
2 NBA Titles / 3 Finals
1 x MVP, 2 x Finals MVP
12 x All Star
6 x All NBA 1st Team, 3 x 2nd Team, 3 x 3rd Team
2 x DPOY, 5 x All Defense 1st Team, 4 x All Defense 2nd Team
2 x Rebounding Leader, 3 x Blocks Leader
26,946 Pts (8th All Time), 13,748 Reb, 3,058 Ast, 3,830 Blk (1st), 2,162 Stl (8th)
21.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.7 spg, 3.1 bpg (3rd All Time)
FG 51.2%, FT 71.2%, PER 23.6
The most skilled Center to ever play the game, Hakeem The 'Dream' could do anything on the basketball court. His moves were silky smooth and the only thing possibly greater than his unstoppable post game was his defense and rim protecting ability with 9 All NBA Defensive selections and 2 Defensive Players of the Year Awards. He is also the runaway leader all time for blocks with 3,830, a number that may never be surpassed with the lack of shot blocking bigs in the modern NBA.
And in the playoffs when it mattered most, he dominated all the great Centers of his time including David Robinson, Patrick Ewing and a young Shaquille O'Neal. Against Ewing in the 94 Finals, Hakeem averaged 27 pts, 9 reb and 4 blocks and limited Patrick to just 18.9 ppg on a career playoff low 36% shooting. Against The Admiral in 1995 he was even better, dominating him to the tune of 35 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 5 apg and 4.2 bpg on 56% shooting, compared to 24 ppg on just 45% shooting for David. And against Shaq the same year in the Finals he averaged 33 ppg, 11.5 rpg and 5.5 apg with 2 steals and 2 blocks per game leading the Rockets to a sweep of the Magic (who had just beaten MJ and the Bulls after his comeback).
The 93-95 version of Hakeem just may be the highest level of basketball we have ever seen from the Center position, on both sides of the ball. Olajuwon is still the only player to this day to win the MVP, DPOY, Championship and Finals MVP in the same year, doing it in 1994 on his way to back to back titles. Outside of MJ, he is the greatest player of his generation and clearly the greatest International Born Player of All Time.
12. Oscar Robertson (14 Seasons 1960-1974)
1 NBA Title / 2 Finals
1 x MVP
12 x All Star, 3 x All Star Game MVP
9 x All NBA 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team
6 x Assist Leader, 3 x Blocks Leader
26,710 Pts (8th All Time), 7,804 Reb, 9,887 Ast (6th All Time)
25.7 ppg (10th), 7.5 rpg, 9.5 apg (4th)
FG 48.5%, FT 83.8%, PER 23.2
Oscar Robertson is simply one of the greatest all around offensive players in NBA History. Famous for being the first player to ever average a triple double, The 'Big O' actually averaged a 30 ppg triple double for his 1st 5 seasons in the league including a monster 30.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg and 11.4 apg in 1963 - probably the greatest all around season in NBA history.
Oscar Robertson was the greatest perimeter player of his time and was the only player who was able to win an MVP in the Russell/Wilt dominant years of the 60s, winning MVP in 1964 after just missing out on another triple double average with a Career High 31.4 ppg, to go along with 11 apg and 9.9 rpg. He would finally win his championship in 1971 after joining Kareem Abdul Jabbar in Milwaukee - still the Bucks only championship to date.
13. Kevin Durant (13th Season 2007-Present)
2 NBA Titles / 4 Finals
1 x MVP, 2 x Finals MVP
10 x All Star
6 x All NBA 1st Team, 3 x 2nd Team
4 x Scoring Champ, 50-40-90 Club
22,940 Pts, 5,992 Reb, 3,486 Ast, 941 Blk, 948 Stl
27 ppg (6th All Time), 7.1 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.1 bpg
FG 49.3%, FT 88.3%, 3P 38.1% PER 25.2 (9th All Time)
With Kevin Durant being only 30 years old and with many years left to play (assuming he recovers well from his torn Achilles), it is very hard to accurately rank Kevin Durant, who based on talent and pure abilities could easily end up as a Top 5 player or even higher.
As of now he is a two time champion, with 2 Finals MVPs and a regular season MVP, and to justify his high ranking you can see only players above him on this list can say they have achieved this. Currently in the Top 5 All Time for regular season and post season PPG, nobody could claim to score the ball more easily than Kevin Durant, with a legit 7 foot frame and a deadly jumpshot that is impossible to defend.
KD has been recognized as the 2nd best player to Lebron James for the past 10 years, and the best player on the Warriors the last 3 years since he joined which is the main reason I have him one place above Steph Curry in the rankings. His performances in the 2017 and 2018 finals were spectacular averaging over 32 ppg, over 9 rpg and over 6 apg to lead the Warriors to a dominant 8-1 record over Lebron and the Cavs on their way to back to back championships. A few more years playing like this and he should be on course to pass Larry Bird as the 2nd best small forward ever.
14. Stephen Curry (11th Season 2009-Present)
3 NBA Titles / 5 Finals
2 x MVP
6 x All Star
3 x All NBA 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team
1 x Scoring Champ, 1 x Steals Leader, 50-40-90 Club
16,396 Pts, 3,152 Reb, 4,614 Ast, 1,205 Stl, 2,492 3 Pointers (3rd All Time)
23.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 6.6 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.2 bpg
FG 47.6%, FT 90.5% (1st All Time), 3P 43.5% (4th) PER 23.8
Another difficult player to rank since he is still in his prime and has many good years left is Durant's ex teammate Stephen Curry. If we just look at what he has accomplished now, you are looking at a 2 time MVP and 3 time champion with almost half a career remaining. Only Jordan, Lebron, Kareem, Russell, Magic, Bird and Tim Duncan can say they have achieved that in an entire career, which instantly puts Curry into the top 15 players of All Time.
And it's not just the accolades, Steph Curry has changed the way the game is played forever. Never before has a player had to be checked as soon as he crosses half court in fear of a 3 point bomb, and no other player can bust a game open with a 10 or 20 point personal run in just a few minutes (except possibly his teammate and fellow Splash Bro Klay Thompson, who can go nuclear at anytime but not at the regularity and timeliness of Steph).
Curry's unlimited range, uncanny shotmaking and his sheer audacity to take and make shots other players would never dream of attempting, makes him simply the greatest shooter to ever live. The league has changed for the better because of Steph Curry and he has clearly already cemented his place in the absolute Pantheon of players. It will be interesting to see how high he can climb.
15. Jerry West (14 Seasons 1960-1974)
1 NBA Title / 9 Finals (1 x Finals MVP)
14 x All Star, 1 x All Star Game MVP
10 x All NBA 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team
4 x All Defense 1st Team, 1 x 2nd Team
1 x Scoring Champ, 1 x Assists Leader
25,192 Pts, 5,366 Reb, 6,238 Ast
27 ppg (5th All Time), 5.8 rpg, 6.7 apg
FG 47.4%, FT 81.4%, PER 22.9
No greatest player list should be complete without mentioning Jerry West, who was one of the most complete players of all time. West could do it all - shoot, dribble, drive, pass, rebound, defend and score....boy could he score.
He averaged over 30 ppg 4 times in his career and over 25 ppg 11 seasons in a row. He upped his game even more in the playoffs averaging over 29 ppg in his playoff career (3rd all time), including a record breaking run where he averaged over 40 ppg in the playoffs, with an incredible 278 pts (46.33 ppg!) in one 6 game series in 1965. He was so good that he even won the Finals MVP in 1969 while on the losing team (only time ever), after he averaged almost 38 ppg to be the standout player in a series featuring Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Sam Jones.
Although one of the best big game performers and big shot makers in NBA History earning him the nickname Mr. Clutch, West never won MVP and his teams repeatedly failed at the final hurdle, losing in 8 Finals (usually to the Celtics) and winning just 1. If he had experienced more team success, there is no doubt West would be strongly considered for a Top 10 Rank All Time.
16. Karl Malone (19 Seasons 1985-2004)
0 NBA Titles / 3 Finals
2 x MVP
14 x All Star, 2 x All Star MVP
11 x All NBA 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team, 1 x 3rd Team
3 x All Defense 1st Team, 1 x 2nd Team
36,928 Pts (2nd All Time), 14,968 Reb (8th), 5,248 Ast, 2,085 Stl
25 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.8 bpg
FG 51.6%, FT 74.2%, PER 23.9
Statistically and in terms of individual accolades, Karl Malone can put his resume next to anyone, with over 36,000 Career Points (2nd All Time) and a record 11 All NBA 1st Team selections in a row, not to mention 2 Most Valuable Player Awards. But unfortunately he never got over the hump to win an NBA Title even though he was a part of some All Time great Utah Jazz teams, making him the greatest player on this list to never win a championship.
However his most impressive accomplishment may be his incredible consistency and durability playing 18 years with the Jazz, all with legendary point guard John Stockton. He playing 80+ games every year, including an astonishing 1,161 games in a row (not including suspensions) between 1989-2002 - an incredible 13 years of showing up to work every single day. And every year between 1988-1998 he was a lock for 1st Team All NBA while Hall of Famers like Barkley, Pippen, Mullin, Hill and Duncan would alternate in the other forward spot.
The 'Mailman' as he was famously known also improved his game every year, from his post up, to shooting, passing, defense and even free throws. By the time he reached his prime, Malone had no weaknesses. He could run the floor with great athleticism for his size, and he could score in the half court from inside and out or get to the free throw line at will. He ran the best ever Pick n' Roll with John Stockton and he could pass out of double teams as well as any big man in the league. And he was built like a truck. Look up Power Forward in a dictionary and Malone would be the absolute perfect example.
Why Malone over Dirk?
Yes Dirk won a championship, but The Mailman made 11 All NBA 1st Teams which is 2nd All Time and Dirk only made 4 All NBA 1st Teams, which is quite a big difference. Malone was stronger, quicker, more athletic and was a better rebounder, defender and passer. Dirk was known mainly as a great scorer but his career best season was 26.6 ppg, whereas Malone had 9 full seasons averaging more than this!
17. Dirk Nowitzki (21 Seasons 1998-2019)
1 NBA Title / 2 Finals
1 x MVP, 1 x Finals MVP
14 x All Star
4 x All NBA 1st Team, 5 x 2nd Team, 3 x Team
3 Point Contest Champion, 50-40-90 Club
31,560 Pts (6th All Time), 11,489 Reb, 3,651 Ast, 1,210 Stl, 1,281 Blk
20.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.8 bpg
FG 47.1%, FT 87.9%, 3P 38%, PER 22.9
Nowitzki, the only 7 footer to be a member of the illustrious 50/40/90 club is a one of a kind player never before seen in the NBA. He changed the way 7 footers were looked at and paved the way for a wave of European players and sweet shooting big men to join the league.
And along with fellow international born player Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994, Dirk Nowitzki is one of only two players to single handedly lead his team to a championship without the help of an All Star calibre teammate. Dirk's achievement was more impressive as he did it against the 2011 'Heatles' lead by Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who were overwhelming favourites to win the title. After beating Kobe's two time defending champion Lakers in the 2nd round and the supremely talented OKC Thunder with a young Durant, Westbrook and Harden in the Conference Finals, it would be hard to argue that this is not the single most impressive championship run by any NBA Legend.
Nowitzki has currently scored over 31,000 points having just passed Wilt Chamberlain for 6th place All Time in his last season. That is an amazing achievement as is his record breaking 21st season playing with the same team, the Dallas Mavericks. He retires as the greatest shooting big man ever and the greatest ever player from Europe.
18. Moses Malone (19 Seasons 1976-1995, 2 Seasons ABA 74-76)
1 NBA Title / 2 Finals
3 x MVP, 1 x Finals MVP
12 x All Star
4 x All NBA 1st Team, 4 x 2nd Team
1 x All Defense 1st Team, 1 x 2nd Team
6 x Rebounding Leader
27,409 Pts (9th All Time), 16,212 Reb (5th All Time), 1,796 Ast, 1,733 Blk
20.3 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.8 spg, 1.3 bpg
FG 49.2%, FT 76.9%, PER 22.3
One of the most underrated players of all time, only Jordan, Lebron, Kareem, Wilt and Russell have won more MVP's than Moses's 3. That is some serious company.
In the early 80s Moses was the best player in the league, forming a dynamic duo with Julius Erving to lead Philadelphia to the title in 1983 in dominant fashion going 12-1 including a sweep over the Magic Johnson and Kareem lead Lakers in the finals. Moses won Finals MVP clearly outplaying Kareem averaging a monster 18 rebounds compared to just 7 rpg for Kareem....They didn't call Moses Chairman of the Board for nothing.
For his Career, Moses Malone finished with over 27,000 points and 16,000 rebounds, good for 9th and 5th All Time.
19. Julius Erving (11 Seasons 1976-1987, 5 Seasons ABA 71-76)
1 NBA Title / 3 Finals (2 x ABA Champion)
1 x MVP (3 x ABA MVP)
11 x All Star, 2 x All Star Game MVP
5 x All NBA 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team
18,364 Pts, 5,601 Reb, 3,224 Ast, 1,508 Stl, 1,293 Blk
22 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.5 bpg
FG 50.7%, FT 77.8%, PER 22
If this were a ranking of the most influential players, Dr. J would be right at the top. And if this were a ranking of ABA and NBA Careers then he would also be right up there as he was the greatest player ever to play (and dominate) both leagues. If you include the 5 seasons Erving played in the ABA then he would be one of only 8 players to score over 30,000 pts in his Career (Cap, Mailman, Kobe, Lebron, MJ, Dirk and Wilt).
The 'Doctor' was just so cool. If you were a kid or future prospect in the late 70s and early 80s, you just wanted to be like him. Nobody got fans out of their seats like Dr. J, with nightly highlight reel dunks with creativity and flair never before seen in NBA History.
But he wasn't just a dunker, he was a great player, winning the MVP in 1981, and making the All Star Game all 11 years he was in the NBA. He averaged over 24 pts, 8.5 reb, 4.2 ast, 2 stl and 1.7 blk for his Career - all around numbers unmatched by any small forward in NBA History.
20. Dwyane Wade (16 Seasons 2003-2019)
3 NBA Titles / 5 Finals (1 x Finals MVP)
13 x All Star, 1 x All Star Game MVP
2 x All NBA 1st Team, 3 x 2nd Team, 3 x Team
3 x All Defense 2nd Team
1 x Scoring Champ
23,165 Pts, 4,933 Reb, 5,701 Ast, 1,620 Stl, 885 Blk
22 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 0.8 bpg
FG 48%, FT 76.5%, 3P 29.3%, PER 23.5
Rounding out the Top 20, Dwyane Wade like the Doctor was one of the most exciting and electrifying players to ever play the game. A 3 time champion (twice with Lebron, once with Shaq), Wade's epic performance in 2006, averaging 35 pts and leading the Heat down from 2-0 down against Dirk and the Mavericks in one of the greatest individual Finals performances of All Time.
And unlike Lebron, Wade never had a moment where he didn't perform up to expectations and he always raised his game on the biggest stages in the NBA playoffs. He was also an elite defender in his prime and is the All Time Leader for Blocks by a Guard in NBA History.
Wade peaked in 2009 averaging over 30ppg, finishing 3rd in MVP behind a prime Lebron and Kobe only because the Cavs and Lakers had better teams and won more games. But he would never come closer than that to an MVP and he only made 2 All NBA 1st Teams in his Career, and these are the only reasons why I don't have him higher on this list.
21. Kevin Garnett (21 Seasons, 1995-2016)
1 NBA Title / 1 Finals
1 x MVP
15 x All Star, 1 x All Star Game MVP
4 x All NBA 1st Team, 3 x 2nd Team, 2 x Team
1 x DPOY, 9 x All Defense 1st Team, 3 x 2nd Team
4 x Rebounding Leader
26,071 Pts, 14,662 Reb (9th All Time), 5,445 Ast, 1,859 Stl, 2,037 Blk
17.8 ppg, 10 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.4 bpg
FG 49.7%, FT 78.9%, PER 22.7
Just barely missing out on the Top 20 is The Big Ticket Kevin Garnett who could easily make a case for being higher on the list, especially since he won a Title, MVP and DPOY award, something most players above cannot say.
Garnett has the tied most All 1st Team Defense Selections with 9 and tied 3rd most All Star selections with 15, as well as the 2nd most seasons played with 21. He started the Big 3 trend by joining forces with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in 2008, immediately winning the title in their first season together while winning the Defensive Player of the Year.
The reason I would rank Dirk over KG is that he had more impact in the league and he carried his starless team to the title over one of the greatest assembled teams ever in the Miami Heat. He also made 3 more All NBA Teams and enjoyed more team success, while clearly outplaying Garnett in the playoffs (25ppg/10rpg compared to 18ppg/10rpg) for their careers. And the one time they met in the playoffs, Dirk dominated Garnett averaging a monster 33ppg and 16rpg in a 1st round sweep in 2002.
22. John Havlicek (16 Seasons 1962-1978)
8 NBA Titles / 8 Finals
13 x All Star
4 x All NBA 1st Team, 7 x 2nd Team
5 x All Defense 1st Team, 3 x 2nd Team
26,395 Pts, 8,007 Reb, 6,114 Ast
20.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.8 apg
FG 43.9%, FT 81.5%, PER 17.5
If you just look at John Havlicek's legacy then he probably should be included in the top 20 players of All Time. An incredible 8 championships (in 8 finals), 13 All Star Selections, 11 All NBA Teams, 8 All Defense Teams and an NBA Finals MVP is a resume nobody in league history can match.
Havlicek could shoot, score, pass, rebound and defend and he was the go to clutch player for most of the Celtics championships. He is still the all time leader in points for the Celtics and would peak at 28.9 ppg, 9 rpg and 7.5 apg in 1971, incredible all around numbers leading to the 1st of 4 consecutive selections to the All NBA 1st Team.
'Hondo' has one of the most famous plays of All Time - 'Havlicek Steals the Ball!'. He was also part of the greatest game of All Time - the Triple OT classic in the 1976 Finals where he made numerous clutch shots to preserve a crazy 128-126 victory, on his way to his 8th and final title.
23. Elgin Baylor (13 Seasons 1958-1971)
0 NBA Titles / 7 Finals
11 x All Star
10 x All NBA 1st Team
23,149 Pts, 11,463 Reb, 3,650 Ast
27.4 ppg (3rd All Time), 13.5 rpg, 4.3 apg
FG 43.1%, FT 78%, PER 22.7
Elgin Baylor is one of the toughest players to rank as he dominated more than anyone not named Wilt and nobody could stop him scoring. But the biggest issue hurting his ranking is that he never won even one title in just an 8-10 team league playing for the star studded Lakers.
Nevertheless Elgin Baylor was truly a legend, averaging 27.4 ppg (3rd All Time) and 13.5 rpg for his career, topping out at an astonishing 35ppg/20rpg in 1961 and 38ppg/19rpg in 1962. He still holds the NBA Finals record with 61 points in a Finals Game and he made 10 All NBA 1st Teams (basically all 10 years he was healthy), which is behind only Lebron, Kobe and Karl Malone All Time.
To give an idea of Baylor's dominance, he holds the Lakers franchise record with 34 games with 40+ points and 20+ rebounds - next on the list is Wilt who did it just 4 times while Kareem and Shaq could only achieve this feat twice.
24. Scottie Pippen (17 Seasons 1987-2004)
6 NBA Titles / 6 Finals
7 x All Star, 1 x All Star Game MVP
3 x All NBA 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team, 2 x 3rd Team
8 x All Defense 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team
18,940 Pts, 7,494 Reb, 6,135 Ast, 2,307 Stl (6th All Time), 947 Blk
16.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 5.2 apg, 2 spg, 0.8 bpg
FG 47.3%, FT 70.4%, 3P 32.6%, PER 18.6
Scottie Pippen is quite difficult to rank All Time as he does not have eye popping stats and all of his success came as Michael Jordan's sidekick. But in my opinion Pippen was one of the most versatile players and the best all around defender of All Time - the absolute perfect 'Robin' to Jordan's 'Batman'.
His importance and contribution to all 6 of Chicago's championships cannot be under valued and Jordan didn't start getting to the Finals and winning until Scottie arrived. He clearly sacrificed for the Bulls and had the capability to lead a team himself as proven in 1994 when Jordan retired and Pippen lead the Bulls to 55 wins by averaging 22 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 5.6 ast and 2.9 spg, finishing 3rd in MVP voting.
Pippen clearly could have averaged these numbers every year and he may not have the offensive stats of Charles Barkley but there is no doubt he was the better overall offensive and defensive player. If I am going into a battle and I had to win a playoff series then give me Scottie over Charles and David any day.
25. Charles Barkley (16 Seasons 1984-2000)
0 NBA Titles / 1 Finals
11 x All Star, 1 x All Star Game MVP
5 x All NBA 1st Team, 5 x 2nd Team, 1 x 3rd Team
1 x Rebounding Leader
23,757 Pts, 12,546 Reb, 4,215 Ast, 1,648 Stl, 888 Blk
22.1 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 3.9 apg
FG 54.1%, FT 73.5%, 3P 26.6%, PER 24.6
Most people who see Charles Barkley on TV thinks he is an overweight soft goofy guy who couldn't possibly have been that great at basketball. But Charles Barkley in his prime was an athletic, fast, powerful, hard as nails, explosive Freak of Nature with insane natural talent.
Standing at barely 6 foot 5 Charles Barkley was a rebounding machine, earning the nickname the Round Mound of Rebound in his younger years, and averaging 11.7rpg for his career. With all the legends and 7ft big men in history, Barkley is still the only player to average 10+ rebounds in 15 different seasons!
His best year was 1993, leading the Suns to the best record and NBA Finals while impressively winning his only MVP over a prime Michael Jordan. I have him slightly over David Robinson because he made more All NBA Teams, had better career stats and performed much better in the playoffs (23 ppg, 13 rpg compared to 18 ppg and 10 rpg for The Admiral).
26. David Robinson (14 Seasons 1989-2003)
2 NBA Titles / 2 Finals
1 x MVP, 1 x DPOY
10 x All Star
4 x All NBA 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team, 4 x 3rd Team
4 x All Defense 1st Team, 4 x 2nd Team
20,790 Pts, 10,497 Reb, 2,441 Ast, 1,388 Stl, 2,954 Blk (6th All Time)
21.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.4 spg, 3 bpg (4th All Time)
FG 51.8%, FT 73.6%, PER 26.2 (5th All Time)
With 2 titles and an MVP, David Robinson could easily claim to be higher on this list and he had an impressive 7 year individual run for 1989 to 1996 where he averaged 25.6 ppg and 11.8 rpg before Tim Duncan joined and his stats dropped.
Actually Robinson routinely finished in the Top 5 in MVP voting, and almost every year except 1993 and 1994 he finished above Olajuwon in MVP voting. At the time he was usually viewed as the better player before Hakeem embarrassed him in the 1995 playoffs averaging over 35 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 5 apg and 4.2 bpg compared to 23.8 ppg for the Regular Season MVP Robinson.
After that series David could never be compared to Hakeem again. David also routinely underperformed in the playoffs averaging only 18 ppg in his playoff career and only making 1 Conference Finals before Duncan joined him. And this only happened because he missed a whole season with injury and SA tanked and got so lucky to get the number 1 pick so they could pair Duncan with Robinson (a once in a lifetime situation).
27. John Stockton (19 Seasons 1984-2003)
0 NBA Titles / 2 Finals
10 x All Star, 1 x All Star Game MVP
2 x All NBA 1st Team, 6 x 2nd Team, 3 x 3rd Team
5 x All Defense 2nd Team
9 x Assist Leader, 2 x Steals Leader
19,711 Pts, 4,051 Reb, 15,806 Ast (1st All Time) , 3,265 Stl (1st All Time)
13.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 10.5 apg (2nd All Time), 2.2 spg (9th All Time), 0.2 bpg
FG 47.3%, FT 70.4%, 3P 38.4%, PER 18.6
Another two players that are hard to rank are John Stockton and Isiah Thomas. One of them has the longevity and Career Stats while the other has two championships and was one of the most electrifying players of the 80s.
I give the slight slight edge to Stockton just for what he has done for his whole career of almost two decades. Stockton has two of the most untouchable records in all of sports, one of them an astounding 15,806 career assists, which is almost 4,000 more than 2nd place Jason Kidd. The closest current player Chris Paul is at just 9,200 assists and nearing the end of his career. The other less talked about record is Stockton's 3,265 steals and again the closest current player to him is Chris Paul with more than 1,000 less steals. Chances are no player will ever get 3,000 steals again in an NBA Career and both these records will stand for a long long time if not forever.
The only reason I have Scottie, Charles and David over Stockton is because Stockton never finished in the Top 5 in MVP voting and during their careers the other 3 players were always rated ahead of Stockton. And for individual talent and ability you could also easily put Thomas over Stockton, but Stockton played more than 500 games than Isiah and apart from all the records, Stockton also made 11 All NBA Teams compared to just 5 for Zeke.
28. Isiah Thomas (13 Seasons 1981-1994)
2 NBA Titles / 3 Finals
1 x Finals MVP
12 x All Star, 2 x All Star Game MVP
3 x All NBA 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team
1 x Assist Leader
18,882 Pts, 3,478 Reb, 9,061 Ast (8th All Time), 1,861 Stl
19.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 9.3 apg (5th All Time), 1.9 spg, 0.3 bpg
FG 45.2%, FT 75.9%, 3P 29% PER 18.1
The original Isiah Thomas may be one of the most underrated players of all time. Many people don't realize between 1988-90, Isiah Thomas and his Bad Boy Pistons had to beat Larry Bird's Celtics, Michael Jordan's Bulls and Magic Johnson's Lakers to break through and win a title. This is an incredible achievement and no other legend can claim to have beaten 3 All Time Great players (and teams) like that to become a champion.
'Zeke' has also had two of the most memorable playoff performances of All Time, once in the 1984 playoffs against Bernard King and the Knicks when Isiah went off for an unheard of 16 points in just the final 94 seconds of regulation to force overtime. Then in the 1988 Finals against the Lakers he would suffer a serious ankle injury, yet he still set an NBA Finals record with an incredible 25 points in one quarter on basically one leg, finishing the game with 43pts in a heartbreaking 1 point loss.
One of the best ball handlers and dribblers of All Time, at just 6 ft 1 Isiah Thomas is still the smallest player to lead his team to multiple championships and the smallest to win a Finals MVP.
29. Allen Iverson (14 Seasons 1996-2010)
0 NBA Titles / 1 Finals
1 x MVP
11 x All Star, 2 x All Star Game MVP
3 x All NBA 1st Team, 3 x 2nd Team, 1 x 3rd Team
4 x Scoring Champ, 3 x Steals Leader
24,368 Pts, 3,394 Reb, 5,624 Ast, 1,983 Stl
26.7 ppg (7th All Time), 3.7 rpg, 6.2 apg, 2.2 spg (9th All Time), 0.2 bpg
FG 42.5%, FT 78%, 3P 31.3% PER 20.9
When Bleacher report ranked their top 50 Players of All Time last month, the most controversial omission was not having Allen Iverson listed. Well I have him in the Top 30 and the greatest player 6 feet and under in NBA history.
Iverson was superhuman and never ever seemed to get tired or discouraged, no matter what obstacles were in front of him. He had the best crossover in NBA history and he averaged 26.7ppg for his Career which is 7th All Time and he is 2nd ALL TIME in playoff scoring at 29.7 ppg...2nd only to Michael Jordan!
Only MJ and Wilt won more than Iverson's 4 scoring titles and he made 11 straight All Star Games, getting voted in as a starter an incredible 10 times. He even won an MVP over Shaq and Duncan in 2001 when he lead a terrible Sixer Team (the 2nd leading scorer was Aaron Mckie!) to the NBA Finals, which is probably his greatest career achievement.
But more than his scoring and stats, Iverson had an influence on the modern game that few legends can claim. He was the face of the NBA in the new millennium when Jordan retired, and his impact on hip hop culture and nba fashion instantly makes him a cultural icon forever.
30. Kawhi Leonard (9th Season 2011-Present)
2 NBA Titles / 3 Finals
2 x Finals MVP, 2 x DPOY
3 x All Star
2 x All NBA 1st Team, 1 x 2nd Team
3 x All Defense 1st Team, 2 x 2nd Team
8,491 Pts, 3,030 Reb, 1,177 Ast, 848 Stl, 342 Blk
17.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.8 spg, 0.7 bpg
FG 49.3%, FT 84.8%, 3P 38.1%, PER 22.7
Rounding out the Top 30 is the best two way player in the world right now, Kawhi Leonard.
He may not have the miles or the individual accolades to warrant such a high ranking since he has only made 3 All Star Games, but what he has achieved in his young career is special and his improvements from a very average rookie with a limited offensive game to the all around monster that he is today is nothing short of remarkable.
He does have 2 titles, 2 Finals MVP's, 2 All NBA 1st Team Selections and 2 Defensive Player of the Year Awards - something no perimeter player and only Hakeem Olajuwon has matched in history. And his run to the the championship last year averaging over 30 ppg for the whole post season is one of the single greatest playoff runs in history. First he dominated the series and made the Game 7 winning Buzzer Beater against the 76ers, then he shut down reigning MVP Giannis in the Conference Finals, and finally he beat the 2 Time defending champion Golden State Warriors in the Finals, winning Toronto's and Canada's first ever NBA Title.
Whether you have Kawhi inside or just outside the Top 30, there is no doubt he is one of the greatest two way players as well as one of the greatest perimeter defenders of All Time. And he is only 28 years old, easily the youngest player on this list so no doubt he will be adding a lot to his legacy in the next decade.
Honourable mentions Current Players:
James Harden and Russell Westbrook
Both these players have won MVP's recently and both of these players have had historical statistical seasons with James Harden getting scoring records not seen since Wilt and Westbrook averaging triple doubles for entire seasons not seen since Oscar Robertson.
If this was a regular season ranking then they may have a better case to be ranked higher but both players have repeatedly failed on the biggest stage in the playoffs so Kawhi leapfrogs them. But they both have many years left so no doubt when it is all said and done The Beard and The Brodie will be in the Top 30 players ever.
Also shout out to Chris Paul, who is Harden's ex teammate and the player traded for Russell Westbrook this past summer. CP3 is clearly also one of the best point guards ever based on pure talent, ability, leadership and playmaking. But similar playoff disappointments (and untimely injuries) has affected his ranking so I rank him around Top 35-40 All Time together with other great point guards Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Gary Payton and Walt Frazier.
Honourable mentions Old School Players:
Bob Pettit and Bob Cousy
These 2 players all have strong cases to be ranked in the Top 30, especially Pettit who won 2 MVP's, a title and made 10 straight All NBA 1st Teams in the 50s and early 60s. Likewise Bob Cousy has an impressive resume with 6 titles, an MVP and also 10 straight All NBA 1st Team selections. But both players played the majority of their careers in the 1950s when the competition and level of talent was just not that good so this affects their All Time ranking.
* 5 Young Players who have a great shot to become a Top 30 Player:
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Anthony Davis
Joel Embiid
Nikola Jokic
Luka Doncic
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