The NBA has seen the greatest basketball players to ever live all grace the courts of various professional teams. From Shaq to Jordan, let’s run down the list of the very best ballers to ever take their teams to glorious victory.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Don’t forget to mention Kareem Abdul-Jabbar when you talk about lists of the bests. He has the second-ever highest scoring total in NBA history, and the third-highest rebound total. That’s enough to make him a lot of people’s contender for the greatest of all time. Notably, his two Finals MVP awards were won fourteen years apart, showcasing just how ubiquitous he was over his long career.
Shaquille O’Neal
It doesn’t really matter how good your free throw is when you’re as big and fast as Shaq. He possessed an uncommon combination of extreme physical strength and absurd speed that made him essentially impossible to contain. He’d just be wherever he needed to be to prevent the other team from properly playing the game, and that was all it took.
LeBron James
They don’t call him “King” James for nothing. Many people consider him the very best basketball player to ever compete in the NBA. These supporters point to his number one overall career scoring position and his record-setting playoff series wins as evidence of being the greatest, while others say his 20 All-Star appearances and four Finals MVPs speak for themselves.
Magic Johnson
The Lakers were lucky to have Magic Johnson for as long as they did. The fast-moving playmaker was irrepressible in his era and is all but the undisputed best point guard to ever play in the league. He was also extremely likable and charismatic, making him an unmistakable presence both on and off the court.
Larry Bird
No one talked that trash like Larry Bird. The worst thing about it was that Bird would mock you to your face before breaking loose into a gnarly play. He’s best remembered for his exceptionally well-rounded performance on the court, as he was capable of taking up any role his team needed to push them to countless victories.
Stephen Curry
Before Steph Curry showed up, it wasn’t a requirement for every player to be able to sink threes from half court. Now, with Curry’s exceptional accuracy as a benchmark for new players to hit, the game simply looks different. His four NBA Titles speak for themselves, and his undisputed spot as the best scorer to ever do it will likely remain uncontested for a long time.
Kevin Durant
A big element of Kevin Durant’s game is that he’s seven feet tall and is as quick and coordinated as a gymnast. His jump shot is so smooth that he can score from just about anywhere on the court, which makes him a very difficult offensive threat to answer. He’s also, understandably, a monster on defense because, again the man is seven feet tall.
Wilt Chamberlain
If you like the way Shaq played, you’re probably also a Wilt Chamberlain fan. Chamberlain was more than just huge, though, as he remains the leading player in terms of rebounds and is still seventh overall in scoring. His scoring average, interestingly enough, is second only to Michael Jordan, but we’ll discuss him more in a bit.
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Bill Russell
Bill Russell won eleven NBA titles. That’s absurd and it’s unlikely anyone will ever rival that number. Hilariously, he’d be even more decorated if he’d played in a different era, because some accolades like Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP didn’t even exist when he played. Moreover, blocks weren’t even a recorded stat, so there’s no way of knowing how many he had.
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Michael Jordan
No one has ever played basketball like Michael Jordan. And, really, no one else likely every will. He’s the best to ever do it. His mid-range game was second to none and his ability to win games in absurdly high-pressure scenarios is downright unbelievable. If the tapes of some of those Finals games in the 90s didn’t exist, you wouldn’t believe the stories about how many points he was scoring. The man was a freakishly dedicated athlete who only ever focused on winning the next game.
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