Top 10 Best NBA Players of All Time

Choosing the Top 10 Best NBA Players of All Time is harder than you might think. There have been several legendary players in every decade since the NBA began, making it an impossible task to pick only ten. Some basketball fans will favor old-school icons like Bill Russell and his record-setting 11 NBA Championships. Modern-day players like LeBron James will be remembered for incredible point-scoring and winning with three different franchises.

So, how did we choose ten? While many of the greatest players have long since retired from the court, their stats live on. Each player included in our list of the best NBA players have more than enough stats and achievements to back up their position.

Seeing as the NBA has been around for over 70 years, there are a lot of good players who deserve a place in our top 10. However, we can’t give a place to everybody! Be sure to check the honorable mentions at the bottom to see if your hero made the cut!

10. Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal was a center who started his NBA career with Orlando Magic in 1992. After this, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics. O’Neal is a four-time NBA winner, three of which he won consecutively while playing for the Lakers and one for the Heat.

“Shaq” had a 19-year career in which he achieved a wide range of impressive awards. He was the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2000 and he made 15 NBA All-Star appearances between 1993 and 2009. He was an MVP in three All-Star Games and made the NBA All-Defensive Second Team on three occasions. O’Neal was selected in the NBA 50th and 75th Anniversary Team, plus he won the prestigious NBA scoring champion award twice.

9. Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain was an NBA center who began his career with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1958. He played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors (now known as the Golden State Warriors), the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Chamberlain is a two-time NBA Champion, winning one for the 76ers and one for the Lakers.

Besides two NBA titles and one NBA Final MVP award, Chamberlain has an incredible variety of awards and career highlights. He was a four-time NBA MVP and was selected to play in 13 NBA All-Star games. Chamberlain was a seven-time NBA scoring champion and 11-time rebound champion. He is the only NBA player to score 100 points in a single game.

Chamberlain might not have been the nicest guy in basketball, but he adapted his game magnificently in the 71-72 season with the Lakers. Bill Sharman, the new head coach, transformed Chamberlain into a defensive-minded, low-scoring post defender, resulting in a 33 game win streak. Sharman in an interview from his California home said:

“First he was a scorer. Then he was a rebounder and assist man. Then with our great Laker team in 1972, he concentrated on the defensive end.”

Bill Sharman

8. Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant had an iconic 20-year career, all of which was spent with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant was a five-time NBA champion and a two-time Final MVP. He had a truly iconic career with the Lakers, who retired both number 8 and 24 in honor of Bryant. In January 2020, Kobe tragically passed away alongside his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash.

Bryant was a shooting guard for the Lakers, achieving a variety of records during his career. He was selected in 18 NBA All-Star games, four of which he was the MVP. Bryant made nine NBA All-Defensive First Teams and three Second Teams. He scored a career-high 81 points in one game, the second-most points scored in a single NBA game, behind Wilt Chamberlain.

7. Larry Bird

Larry Bird is a former NBA forward who played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. Bird had a phenomenal career which began professionally in 1979 until his retirement in 1992. During his time with the Celtics, he won the NBA Championship three times and was MVP in two of those victories.

Bird excelled at the three-point line, winning three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player awards, making him the only forward in history to do so. He made 12 NBA All-Star appearances, one of which he was the MVP. Bird is the only person in NBA history to win Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, NBA Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.

Bird was a basketball player respected by his peers. Legends, like Magic Johnson, had plenty of good things to say about the iconic Celtics forward during Birds’ retirement ceremony:

“Larry, you only told me one lie. You said there will be another Larry Bird. Larry, there will never, ever be another Larry Bird.”

Magic Johnson

6. Bill Russell

Bill Russell was a center for the Boston Celtics. His career began in 1956 as a professional NBA player, where he remained until his retirement in 1969. He became the first black coach in NBA history in 1966, becoming the player-coach for the Celtics. His first season as a player-coach was unsuccessful, ending the Boston championship win streak at eight. However, he learned from his mistakes and won the next two, cementing his place as one of the best NBA players of all time.

Russell won the NBA Championship 11 times, making him the player with the most championships in NBA history. His win percentage was out of this world at 85%, winning 11 of his 13 appearances. He was a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and made it to 12 All-Star games. He was a four-time NBA rebounding champion, with a regular season career average of 22.5 rebounds per game. Russell made the NBA 25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th Anniversary Teams, sealing his place on our top 10.

5. Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan was a power forward who spent the entirety of his 19-year career with the San Antonio Spurs. Many consider Duncan to be the greatest power forward of all time. After retiring in 2016, Duncan came back to the Spurs as an assistant coach 2019. His debut as head coach was against the Charlotte Hornets, a 104-103 comeback win for the Spurs.

Duncan won five NBA championships, three of which he was the MVP. He also won NBA Most Valuable Player in 2002 and 2003. His legendary career included 14 NBA All-Star games and eight appearances in the NBA All-Defensive First Team. He won NBA Rookie of the Year in 1998 and capped off his career with NBA Teammate of the Year 2015. A detailed account of his stats can be found on his profile page.

4. Magic Johnson

Earvin “Magic” Johnson was a point guard who spent his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson retired from the NBA in 1991 for health reasons but made a shock return at the 1992 All-Star game, winning the MVP award. After complaints from other players, Johnson retired again until 1996 where he played 32 games for the Lakers before calling it quits. After this, “Magic” came out of retirement again in 1999 to play for the Swedish basketball team Magic M7 Borås, now known as Borås Basket, and then the Magic Great Danes.

Johnson is a five-time NBA champion and three-time Finals MVP. He has won the NBA Most Valuable Player award three times and made appearances at 12 NBA All-Star games. He is a four-time NBA assists leader and two-time NBA steals leader. Success seems to have followed Johnson even after his retirement, winning multiple championships as a part-owner of several clubs. He won five NBA titles as part-owner of the Lakers, the WNBA Championship with the Los Angeles Sparks, and the 2020 World Series of Baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

If you would like to know more about Johnsons’ playing career, check out his NBA page.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a former NBA player who played for 20 seasons. He started his career in 1969 with the Milwaukee Bucks before moving to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975. He won six NBA championships throughout his career, one with the Bucks and five with the Lakers.

Abdul-Jabbars’ record speaks for itself, with six NBA Most Valuable Player awards, 19 NBA All-Star appearances, and 10 All-NBA First Team selections. He was also selected for five All-Defensive First Teams and six Second Teams. He was a two-time NBA scoring champion and a four-time blocks leader. The NBA legend remains the all-time leader for points scored, career wins, and field goals made. His career profile on the official NBA site has even more stats, for anyone interested.

Players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have been admired by fans and fellow players of the game. Fellow NBA legend, Isiah Thomas spoke highly of Kareem during an interview with the Chicago Tribune:

“If they say the numbers don’t lie, then Kareem is the greatest ever to play the game.”

Isiah Thomas

2. LeBron James

LeBron James is a forward for the Los Angeles Lakers. His career began with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, where he left as a free agent to sign for Miami Heat. During his brief stay with the Heat, he won two NBA Championships, opting to re-sign for the Cavaliers after four seasons. This move proved to be another successful decision, leading the Cavaliers to victory in the NBA finals, overturning a 3-1 deficit.

James’ record is incredible. He is the first player in NBA history to earn $1bn as an active player. While money may not buy happiness, it certainly shows success! He is the only player to have won an NBA Championship with three franchises as the NBA Finals MVP. James is a four-time NBA MVP and was selected to appear in 17 NBA All-Star games consecutively. He is also a three-time winner of the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year award and four-time Associated Press Athlete of the Year.

LeBron is the only player on our list who is still an active NBA player, which means he has time to improve his stats; even at 36. If you would like to see how he is currently performing, check out his player profile.

1. Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is the best NBA player of all time. He started his career with the Chicago Bulls in 1984, staying with the Bulls until an unlikely career change in 1993. He tried his hand at Minor League Baseball before returning to the Bulls in 1995, leading them to three more championships. Jordan retired again in 1998 before returning to the NBA with the Washington Wizards in 2001.

Jordan is a six-time NBA champion and six-time Finals MVP. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player award five times in his career and was selected to play in 14 NBA All-Star games. He was a nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team player and was a ten-time NBA scoring champion. Jordan holds the NBA record for a career scoring average of 30.12 points per game in the regular season and the playoff scoring average of 33.45 points per game. For more information bout Jordans’ achievements and match stats, check out his NBA player profile.

Players like Jordan make it to choose a number one spot for the best NBA players as they somehow stand above everyone else. With his incredible determination, point-scoring ability, and defensive master class, there is only one option for our top spot, and that is Michael Jordan.

You don’t have to take our word for it, other legends of the game agree with Jordans’ unrivaled excellence. Take Magic Johnson for instance. When asked about the greatest NBA players of all time, he said:

“There’s Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us.”

Magic Johnson

Best NBA Players: Honorable Mentions

Each of us will have a different selection for the 10 best NBA players of all time. Some fantastic players narrowly missed out on appearing on our list, but that does not mean we overlooked them. Players like Kevin Durant, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Stephen Curry are just some who didn’t quite make the last cut.

• Stephen Curry
• Kevin Durant
• Hakeem Olajuwon
• Moses Malone
• Sam Jones
• John Havlicek
• Scottie Pippen
• Bob Pettit
• Karl Malone
• Charles Barkley