Atlanta Hawks Career Leaders. He has an insane basketball IQ, the build of a football player, a very good post game, and a good jumper especially for the 90s. Ever. There were passionate pleas to weigh unprecedented accomplishments over sustained excellence. The numbersshow that Malone is easily a top 20 player in NBA history. The GOAT, no question. Similarly, he is the only NBA player selected in the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams for 13 successive years (1997 to 2010). Really? He was possibly the best player in the world at that time. You get that because its Bird and Magic were talking about and they basically saved the NBA in the 80s. Location: Atlanta, Georgia Team Names: Atlanta Hawks, St. Louis Hawks, Milwaukee Hawks, Tri-Cities Blackhawks Seasons: 74; 1949-50 to 2022-23 Record: 2881-2953, .494 W-L% Playoff Appearances: 48 Championships: 1 More Franchise Info Praise or pillar the selections as you see fit. Besides, Magic has been league MVP 3 times, named to 12 NBA All-Star, and 9 times All NBA First Team honor. He is 19 times NBA All-star, most in NBA history. ZF, The NBAs all time leading scorer and inventor of the most lethal shot in Association history, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar skyhook-ed his way to 38,387 career points. This man won three in a row, left to play baseball, then came back to win three in a row again, and then he came back one more time and was one of the oldest players to average 20 PPGand to score 40-plus in a game. Nobody could.AC, The Admiral. Youre telling me somebodys going to average more than 45.8 minutes per game like Wilt did during his 13 seasons in the NBA? Every analyst, player, coach, and fan has their own opinion. After all, "today's players aren't as good as the ones from yesteryear" isn't exactly a good business model. Even with all those accomplishments people try to tear him down with advanced statistics like usage rate and efficiency. Bill Russell might have more titles, Wilt Chamberlain might have all those untouchable records, but Abdul-Jabbar was offensively skilled in ways Russell never was and retired as the league leader in nine statistical categories thanks to an impressive staying power Chamberlain couldnt match. Fifty players were selected through a vote by a panel of media members, former players and coaches, and current and former general managers. Seconded. Mookie Blaylock was, by far, a better defender than Larry Bird -- without question. In NBA, 4374 players have at least played one game. Everyone's got biases, and it makes sense for ESPN to be biased in favor of the modern day since actively promoting the people playing now is good business for them. NO. | Privacy Settings It all started in a YMCA in Springfield, MA for Americans privileged enough to join the club, but basketball games soon began popping up all over the country. The only guy to even come close to that was Chamberlain, and he also shows up on the above list. All-NBA. The Dream Shake will forever be one of the most iconic moves in NBA history and for that, we will always be thankful for Hakeem Olajuwon. ZF, If youre wondering why we have the diminutive point guard who played all 19 seasons of his storied career with the Jazz on this list, I have to seriously question your basketball IQ. And nobody on this list comes close to what Russell,and obvious NBA 75thanniversary team member,has done. From dropping 41 in back-to-back games to the block in Game 7, LeBron leveled up in 2016. MVP's or championships I will need to do some research. Magic started as a center and played all positions, registering 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. No guard has ever dominated the league like he did, which helps his case when you see him on the top of everyones list. I guess you're just not a Big Baller (TM). He played all five positions in the game and led the Lakers to their first title in nearly a decade. Above all of that impact, Dirks numbers and accoladesback up his spot on this list. Robinson was a guy who really did it all, and his numbersprove that. His signature play of tapping the ball to a teammate helped him invent the fast break. I only see one player listed on four of the five lists-- Olajuwon. The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). SLAM 500 Greatest NBA Players of All Time Bill Simmons Hall of Fame Pyramid ABA All-Time Team NBA & ABA All-Star Game All-Star Game Selections by Player All-NBA and All-NBA Team Selections by Player All-Defensive Team Selections by Player NBA Referee Awards Greg Willard Spirit Award NCAA Season Awards AP Player of the Year Award Because of Chamberlains domination, the league widened the lane, outlawed players rebounding missed free throws before the ball touched the rim, changed the definition of offensive goaltending, and forbade inbounds passes over the basket because it was an automatic alley-oop to Wilt every single time. That doesn't make the list good or bad inherently, I'm just saying to consider the source. In his 20th NBA season, the Lakers star made history. But only Westbrook has put up the seasonal averages (three times) to match Robertsons brilliance and Russ isnt anywhere near the offensive juggernaut Robertson was. He is on track to become at least 10th all time. Talking about it, Wilt is responsible for many NBA rule changes like offensive goaltending, extending the lane, and revising regulations regarding free throws and inbounding. Golden State won their first championship in four decades three years later. NBA All-Time Points Leaders - National Basketball Association - ESPN NBA History - Points Leaders Leaders: Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks Leaders Awards *Active players are. You could quibble about Olajuwononly winning his two NBA titles while Michael Jordan was retired, but if you do, you dont understand how hard it is to win a championship. ESPNs The Last Dance tried its best to encapsulate MJs stranglehold on the basketball world and still didnt do it justice. After winning his first NBA championship, his journey toward being the greatest began. He deserves it. He is probably the best player in the NBA, and his legacy backs the facts. To this day that is still one of the most amazing individual performances on a basketball court that Ive ever seen. ZF, While we can argue all day and night about the value of the triple-double in todays position-less game, when Oscar Robertson became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double over a season it was nothing short of monumental. Wilt Chamberlain is ranked higher on this list because his numbers are just too ridiculous, but he couldnt beat Bill even with Jerry West and Elgin Baylors help. No one can dethrone the legendary Michael Jordan. Top 10 Best NBA Players Of All Time!! Please update that list, those stats are from 2 years ago at least. According to CNN, the auction house statement marks it as the most valuable Bryants memorabilia ever sold at an auction. Nor were they expected to rip down double-digit boards on a nightly basis. Three-time firstteam All-NBA. Kevin Love does not belong on this list. Here's another hint: he's from French Lick, IN. | Go To Top John Stockton is the NBAs leader in assists and steals; hes a 10-time All-Star, made 11 All-NBA teams, was a five-time All-Defensive squad, and obviously earned inclusion on the NBAs 75thanniversary squad, meaning his rsum runs longer than his (questionable) 61 frame. In his 20th NBA season, LeBron nailed a 21-foot shot late against the Oklahoma City Thunder by breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbars record of 38,387 points on February 8, 2023. Later, he captured 2 NBA titles, 2 Finals MVPs, and 2 league MVPs in the Heat. STOP IT!! If Bird wasnt Mr. DIY, its staggering to think what else he couldve done since he was never quite the same after that andhorribly hobbled his final few years in the league. Bird could do it all. So for better or worse, here are the best30 players in NBA history, assiduously ranked. Duncan led them to 5 NBA titles and 1,001 wins in the regular season, most by the player with one single team in NBA. I love Manu Ginobili as much as the next guy, but he does not deserve to be on this list. Hes still in the top five in assists (he averaged 13.9 apg in 85) and still gets under MJs skin. He also won league MVP for 3 consecutive years, which only Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlian have managed to achieve. After, with two 3 peats and 6 Finals MVPs, there is no denying why he is the GOAT. The Spurs lucked out, drafted Timmy, and became a quasi-dynasty. Likewise, in his last game he dropped 60 points against the Jazz, the most in the previous game by any player. Abdul-Jabbar wasnt physically dominant the way Wilt or Shaquille ONeal was, but his fluidity was something special for someone of his gargantuan size. AD, Karl Malone falls into a long list of players from the 90s who were really good but ultimately overshadowed by Michael Jordan and theBulls. Many NBA fans worldwide love Magic Johnsons trademark smile and passion for basketball. LeBrons book isnt finished yet and he could add a few more titles along the way, but lets not also ignore everything hes done over his career off the court. In 1978, Chamberlian was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. this needs to be upgraded. Even despite losing in the second round to the Boston Celtics this season, Giannis became the first NBA player in historywith 200 points, 100 rebounds and 50 assists in a single series. But how much more credit do you give Bryant for winning more rings and drawing legit comparisons to Michael Jordan? It was either a bucket or a foul. 1 on theirbest NBA players list, this is an easy one to write. There have only been something like 3,000 NBA players in the last 50 years. Let me know if I misspelled any names or duplicated players. He was overshadowed by Duncan, whose numbers are slightly better, but Garnett was by far the more fun player to watch. very debatable IMO. He would have been a border line All-Star. They breath different air than the rest of us and thats ok. Lets not forget LeBronis only 1,326 points away from passing Kareemto become the No. do you want him to be first or he should not be first or second. This might shock you: Elgin Baylor. ), yet I feel like hes been underappreciatedbecause ofall those years carrying mid teams on his back in Minnesota. While the Diesel collapsed defenses, Steph expands them, taking the 3-point philosophy of Mike DAntoni and turning it up a couple notches. ZF, Dr. J was everyones Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan. On April 16, 2003, Jordan played his final NBA game and received a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, his opponents, the officials, and the crowd of 21,257 fans. Only four players have reached 100 points over the past six seasons. Olajuwonwas not only the MVP for both of those NBA Finals appearances, but he also took home a league MVP in 1994, appeared in 12 All-Star games, isthe NBAs all time leader in blocks with 3,830, and is a member of the NBAs 75th anniversary team. There will never be another Shaq. they're both deserved to be here. Surprising the best rebounder of all time isn't on here. Blocks and steals werent tallied back then, but there are researchers that claim Russell averaged anywhere between 8-12 blocks per game. Regardless of whether you consider Baylor a champion or not, know that another immortal on this list thinks Baylor deserves way more props than he receives. There will never be another Michael Jordan. He nailed a 21-foot shot late against the Oklahoma City Thunder by beating Kareem Abdul-Jabbars 39-year record of 38,387 points on February 8, 2023. His numbers and accoladeslook unreal in 2020. James Corden James Harden Jeremy Corbyn James Bond 2/10 nba.com/warriors Who's this Golden State Warrior? You cant deny how dominant of an offensive force the Greek Freak is in the paint, how incredible of a defender hes worked to become, and how inspiring his journey from a skinny kid in Athens to NBA superstar is to millions of basketball fans. Haters will counter that Wilt played against a bunch of stiffs in the 60s and 70s when the idea that a 71 center could be the most athletic player on the court was reserved forcomic books. The list goes on, but Iversons cultural impact on the current, and even future,generationof NBA players are more meaningful thanhis numbers on the court. Technically, Baylor earned one since he was part of the 1971-72 Lakers squad that won it all, but he only played 9 games that season, retiring well before the playoffs started because of a nagging knee injury at age 37. He was the gold standard and wholly worthy of being cast as the leagues logo, even if he not so secretly disdains the honor. Dwyane Wade has said AI is part of the reason he woreNo. But #1 is Bill Russell, who is 2nd on the above list. The best of the bunch, though, is "Vinsanity.". In 2008, Kobe won his careers first and only MVP award. Not only did Russell win 11 NBA titles, the last two were as player-coach and hes undefeated in Game 7s, going 10-0 when its win or go home time. His season with the Raptors catapulted him up the all time ranks, if were being transparent. You cant deny how dominant of an offensive force the Greek Freak is in the paint, how incredible of a defender hes worked to become, and how inspiring his journey from a skinny kid in Athens to NBA superstar is to millions of basketball fans. But only 1 player appears in all 3. Now just look at the NBA today. 11-time NBA All-Star. Who cares? I wasnt sure if he was paying attentionfinally I realize he understood everything I was saying. Thats why even though he could barely get loose enough to play at the end of his final season, Bird was one of the most celebrated members of the legendary Dream Team. He's on the top-75 anniversary list, but not on this top 100? Kobe ranks fourth among all-time NBA leading scorers with 33,643 career points. Its still bewildering to watch old highlights and see how smooth Olajuwon, atrue dominant force on both sides of the ball, was able to move in the paint for a player his size. In 1967, Chamberlian won one of his two championships playing for the 76ers, and later, in 1972, playing for the Lakers. Bird retired because of lower back issues, not because he planned to do so. This article was last updated by Vandana Thapa on March 1, 2023. We all know what hes done and will continue to do for at least a few more years. And hes not all style and flair either. :-). Later, in 1995, Abdul-Jabbar was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. I was surprised Dennis Rodman didn't make it. If your team doesnt have a big man that can shoot from 3, youre not winning anything. Compared to most of the guys on this list, though, Curry was a slow starter. How can you have that many current players? He can shoot from anywhere on the court, he can get to the rim at will, and if you end up contesting his shotit probably wont matter because he can shoot over you with ease. He won scoring titles 7 times, rebounding titles 11 times, and durability titles once in his career. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). !, This is a very Good Top 10 Great Job, your Top 5 is on point. After four years at Wake Forest, he morphed into a generational talent that every horrible team during the 1996-97 season hoped it would land so he could single-handedly reverse their fortunes. They won three successive titles from 2000 to 2002, where Shaq claimed every Finals MVP award. But just because Baylor technically never won a title in his 14 years with the Lakers, two of which he spent in Minneapolis, dont let that cloud how incredible of an offensive force he was and GOAT candidate during the leagues early days. Includes several levels with the players in the NBA 2017. But never forget what the GOAT, Michael Jeffrey Jordan, told us in the documentary: Everybody said I won all these championships, but I didnt win without Scottie Pippen and thats why I considered him my best teammate of all time. If ya dont know, now ya knowwwww.Pippens numbers will likely never wow you because he wasnt the scorer Jordan was. 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