Everyone knows who the top 2 NBA Players of all-time are. It’s the never-ending debate: Michael Jordan or Lebron James? It doesn’t matter who you have at one and who you have at two, there is no denying that these two men are the best to ever play the game of basketball. But who are numbers 3-10? That’s the question that we will answer today.
Before we get into our lists, we would like to give a special shoutout to Alpha Conteh. Alpha DM’ed us on Instagram asking specifically for this blog. If the people ask, we will deliver. If you have an idea for us to write about in the future, send us a DM on Twitter (@themvp_blog), Instagram (@the_mvp_blog), or shoot us an email (themvpblog1@gmail.com). Thanks again to Alpha for the idea!
Let’s get into our lists.
Ryan
#10. Kobe Bryant
Career Stats: 1,346 games, 25.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.4 spg, 45% FG, 33% 3P
Career Accolades: 18x All-Star, 9x All-Defensive 1st Team, 11x All-NBA 1st Team, MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 5x NBA Champion
Kobe is one of the greatest competitors that I have ever seen in any sport. He possessed a will to win that was unmatched by any of his counterparts. There are 3 common critiques against Kobe, and I’m going to refute them to explain why he belongs in the Top 10.
- “Kobe needed other stars to win his championships.” Yeah, so has literally everyone superstar in NBA history. Jordan had Pippen. Lebron has had Bosh/Wade, Kyrie, and Anthony Davis. Duncan had Parker and Ginobili. In the modern NBA, you need two or more stars to win.
- “Kobe was a ball hog.” I think there is a little bit of a merit to this argument. Kobe did average nearly 5 assists per game on his career, but he also took contested jumper after contested jumper. Kobe could be double teamed, and he would still do that turn-around fadeaway jumper. He took TOUGH shots, and that is why his shooting splits are on the lower end. Kobe was a bit of a ball hog, yeah, but I wouldn’t want anyone else taking those shots. I don’t consider this a negative.
- “Kobe was a terrible defender.” He was named All-Defensive 1st Team 9 times. He could defend. Did he sometimes decide he didn’t really care as much on the defensive end? Sure. But when Kobe wanted to get into a stance and defend, he could lock anybody up.
#9. Wilt Chamberlain
Career Stats: 1,045 games, 30.1 ppg, 22.9 rpg, 4.4 apg, 54% FG
Career Accolades: 1960 ROY, 13x All-Star, 2x All-Defensive 1st Team, 7x All-NBA 1st Team, 4x MVP, Finals MVP, 2x NBA Champion
Wilt’s numbers are inflated because he played at a time where NBA players weren’t nearly as large. There weren’t guys he matched up against that were as massive as Shaq. But his numbers speak for themselves. Wilt was dominant. When you score 100 points in a game, you belong on every top 10 list. Plain and simple. If we could bring any NBA player back into their prime to play in today’s NBA, I wish I could see see how Wilt stacks up against the guys playing center nowadays.
#8. Larry Bird
Career Stats: 897 games, 24.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 6.3 apg, 1.7 spg, 50% FG, 38% 3P
Career Accolades: 1980 ROY, 12x All-Star, 9x All-NBA 1st Team, 3x MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 3x NBA Champion
The NBA introduced the 3-point line in 1979. Larry Bird is widely regarded as the best shooter of his generation. He was the Steph Curry of the 1980s. Want to hear a crazy stat? For his career, Larry Bird took 1.9 threes per game. Rodney McGruder takes 2.5 threes per game on his career. In Bird’s highest volume shooting season, he took 3.3 threes per game. Steph Curry takes 8.8 threes per game on his career. He is taking 12.5 threes per game this season.
#7. Shaquille O’Neal
Career Stats: 1,207 games, 23.7 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.3 bpg, 58% FG
Career Accolades: 1993 ROY, 15x All-Star, 8x All-NBA 1st Team, MVP, 3x Finals MVP, 4x NBA Champion
Shaq is one of the most dominant offensive players in NBA history. At 7+ feet and 300+ pounds, Shaq was more or less unguardable in the post. He led the NBA in field goal percentage on 10 different occasions throughout his career, mostly because he was impossible to stop under the basket. He caught bodies and broke backboards.
#6. Tim Duncan
Career Stats: 1,392 games, 19.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.2 bpg, 51% FG
Career Accolades: 1998 ROY, 15x All-Star, 8x All-Defensive 1st Team, 10x All-NBA 1st Team, 2x MVP, 3x Finals MVP, 5x NBA Champion
Mr. Fundamental. Tim Duncan did nothing spectacular. He did nothing that made you jump out of your seat. He just did everything a basketball player could do so incredibly well, and he did it all without making a scene. He could score, he could rebound, and he could defend like crazy. Duncan was blessed upon coming into the league, getting to spend his rookie season learning from an all-time great big man in David Robinson. He clearly was a great listener, since he enjoyed one of the greatest careers in NBA history by the time he decided to hang it up.
#5. Magic Johnson
Career Stats: 906 games, 19.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 11.2 apg, 1.9 spg, 52% FG
Career Accolades: 12x All-Star, 9x All-NBA 1st Team, 3x MVP, 3x Finals MVP, 5x NBA Champion
In today’s NBA, we have many big point guards. Ben Simmons is 6’11” and is one of the top point guards in the league, when he plays. Luka Doncic is 6’7″. Thank Magic Johnson for the existence of this style of play, since he was the one who popularized bigger players having the license to operate as a guard. At 6’9″, intuition would tell you that he should’ve been a 4 or a 5. Nope. His skillset made it clear he was a point guard, and the greatest point guard to ever play. His 11.2 assists per game for his career rank first in NBA history.
#4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Career Stats: 1,560 games, 24.6 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.6 bpg, 56% FG
Career Accolades: 1970 ROY, 19x All-Star, 4x All-Defensive 1st Team, 10x All-NBA 1st Team, 6x MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 6x NBA Champion
The skyhook is the most unstoppable move in NBA history. At 7’2″ with a 7’5″ wingspan, Kareem could go to his patented move whenever he wanted, and there wasn’t anything that anybody could do to stop it. The fact that we don’t see it more in today’s NBA should show you how difficult of a move it truly is. Kareem mastered it to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, a record which stands to this day.
#3. Bill Russell
Career Stats: 963 games, 15.1 ppg, 22.5 rpg, 4.3 apg
Career Accolades: 12x All-Star, All-Defensive 1st Team, 3x All-NBA 1st Team, 5x MVP, 11x NBA Champion
Bill over Kareem? Yes. Let me explain why. I have two reasons. Bill Russell is the greatest champion of all-time. Eleven rings. Count ’em. Bill was an NBA Champion a record 11 times. That is a record that will never be touched. No one will ever even flirt with it.
Bill Russell is also widely regarded as the greatest defender of all-time. Why was he only named to one All-Defensive team then? I read your mind, didn’t I. The All-Defensive teams were not introduced until the 1968-69 season, Russell’s final season. He would’ve been on the All-Defensive team just about every year of his career. He was simply phenomenal. Just watch how effortlessly he swats away this dunk attempt from Wilt Chamberlain.
#2. Lebron James
Career Stats: 1,346 games, 27.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 7.4 apg, 1.6 spg, 50% FG
Career Accolades: 2004 ROY, 17x All-Star, 5x All-Defensive 1st Team, 13x All-NBA 1st Team, 4x MVP, 4x Finals MVP, 4x NBA Champion
MJ and Lebron are undoubtedly the two greatest to ever lace up. It’s more of a 1a and 1b than a 1 and 2. Of all the unbelievable stats and records from his storied career, I just want to share my favorite, and in my opinion, the most impressive one. From 2011-2018, Lebron James reached the NBA Finals every single year. 8 straight NBA Finals featured Lebron James. He may have only won 3 of those 8, but that doesn’t take anything away from how incredible that feat is. I don’t think that will ever be done again.
#1. Michael Jordan
Career Stats: 1,072 games, 30.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.3 spg, 50% FG, 84% FT
Career Accolades: 1985 ROY, 14x All-Star, Defensive POTY, 9x All-Defensive 1st Team, 10x All-NBA 1st Team, 5x MVP, 6x Finals MVP, 6x NBA Champion
MJ made it to 6 finals. He won all 6. He won Finals MVP in all 6. His 30.1 points per game for his career rank #1 in NBA history. He’s the all-time leader in game-winning baskets. He was a phenomenal defender. And he had a mean streak, which was beautifully documented in The Last Dance. An incredible competitor who refuses to lose, can score at will, will lock you up, and will break the other team’s heart in the clutch? That was Michael Jordan. And that’s why he is the greatest player in NBA history, in my opinion.
Ben
#10. Hakeem Olajuwon
Career Stats: 1,238 games, 21.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 3.1 bpg, 1.7 spg, 51% FG, 71% FT
Career Accolades: 12x All-Star, 2x DPOY, 1x MVP, 5x All-Defensive 1st Team, 4x All-Defensive 2nd Team, 6x All-NBA 1st Team, 3x All-NBA 2nd Team, 3x All-NBA 3rd Team, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 2x NBA Champion
Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon is one of the most skilled players in the NBA history, and is undoubtedly the most skilled big man of all time. His plethora of post moves and fancy footwork has inspired the next generation of basketball superstars, most notably Lebron James and Joel Embiid. The Nigerian 7-footer is also one of the most prolific defenders of all time, and he rejected 3,830 shots during his career, the most blocks by a single player in NBA history. On top of all of that, he led his Houston Rockets to back to back championships in 1994 and 1995, cementing himself as the greatest player in franchise history and as the #10 spot on my list.
#9. Bill Russell
Career Stats: 963 games, 15.1 ppg, 22.5 rpg, 4.3 apg
Career Accolades: 12x All-Star, All-Defensive 1st Team, 3x All-NBA 1st Team, 5x MVP, 11x NBA Champion
Bill Russell is not just the greatest defender in the history of basketball, he is also an unrivaled winner. 11 championships is simply absurd, although this record has to be taken with a grain of salt given that there were between 8 and 14 teams in the entire NBA for the duration of his glorious run with the Celtics. Additionally, Russell was never an elite offensive player, which is supported by his career field goal percentage of 44% and his career free throw percentage of 56.1%. However, Russell always elevated his game in the playoffs to bring titles back to Beantown, and he earns the #9 spot on my list as a result.
#8. Larry Bird
Career Stats: 897 games, 24.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 6.3 apg, 1.7 spg, 50% FG, 38% 3P
Career Accolades: 1980 ROY, 12x All-Star, 9x All-NBA 1st Team, 3x MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 3x NBA Champion
Larry Legend was special. His game isn’t best summed up by numbers because the eye test tells you more about his greatness. He possessed intangibles which are impossible to empirically measure. His game just had so much going on at once. On those dominant Celtics teams in the 1980s, Bird was the team’s best scorer, best passer, and best defender. Additionally, for the duration of his career, Bird was always the go-to guy in crunch time. However, the best thing about Larry Bird was his ridiculous confidence and swagger. In fact, on February 14th, 1986, Larry Bird played an entire regular season game against the Portland Trail Blazers left-handed, just to show that he could. He put up 47 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 120-119 win in overtime.
#7. Magic Johnson
Career Stats: 906 games, 19.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 11.2 apg, 1.9 spg, 52% FG
Career Accolades: 12x All-Star, 9x All-NBA 1st Team, 3x MVP, 3x Finals MVP, 5x NBA Champion
Magic Johnson is the greatest playmaker in NBA history. In addition, Magic remains as one of the most versatile players of all time. In fact, Magic filled in for an injured Kareem-Abdul Jabbar at center in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals and put up 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists to win the NBA Finals for the Lakers. He was a rookie. His combination of size, speed, athleticism, intelligence, and playmaking ability is rivaled only by Lebron James. The argument can be made that Magic Johnson’s “Showtime” Lakers team was the most entertaining team in NBA history, and without Magic, the NBA wouldn’t have experienced the exponential financial growth the league needed during the 1980s.
#6. Stephen Curry
Career Stats: 810 games, 24.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 6.5 apg, 1.7 spg, 47% FG, 43% 3P, 91% FT
Career Accolades: 7x All-Star, 4x All-NBA 1st Team, 2x All-NBA 2nd Team, 2x MVP, 3x NBA Champion
This season, Curry became the NBA’s all-time leader in 3 pointers made. He is undoubtedly the greatest shooter in the history of basketball, but I want to look past the stats to talk about the revolutionary impact Steph has had on the game of basketball itself. Positionless basketball in the NBA may seem like a new trend, but it was all started by the unicorn that is Stephen Curry. Curry needs to be accounted for at all times by opposing defenses due to his ability to score from literally anywhere on the court. All Curry needs to succeed is to be surrounded with players who can spread the floor and get him open looks. Positional needs become an afterthought when Steph Curry is on the court. When you combine his off-ball movement (which I’d argue is the best from any player in NBA history) and his unmatched ability from behind the arc, Curry is virtually unstoppable. Stephen Curry wasn’t just part of a legendary NBA dynasty, HE IS THE DYNASTY. That’s the Stephen Curry effect.
#5. Tim Duncan
Career Stats: 1,392 games, 19.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.2 bpg, 51% FG
Career Accolades: ROY, 15x All-Star, 8x All-Defensive 1st Team, 10x All-NBA 1st Team, 2x MVP, 3x Finals MVP, 5x NBA Champion
Tim Duncan didn’t have a higher peak than Shaquille O’Neal, and he wasn’t a statistical anomaly like Wilt Chamberlain. However, Tim Duncan was just about the most complete player a coach could ask. This is especially true when you account for everything he brought to the table in San Antonio, which goes beyond the box score. He was the heart and soul of the longest lasting dynasty in NBA history. The Spurs won 5 titles over the course of 15 years, and Duncan was the most important player on all 5 of those teams. He was an efficient offensive centerpiece, an all-time defensive stalwart, and a supremely underrated playmaker. But most importantly, Tim Duncan was a leader. He was a great teammate. He was loyal. In the understated way he chose to carry himself, Tim Duncan was legendary.
#4. Kobe Bryant
Career Stats: 1,346 games, 25.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.4 spg, 45% FG, 33% 3P
Career Accolades: 18x All-Star, 9x All-Defensive 1st Team, 11x All-NBA 1st Team, MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 5x NBA Champion
Kobe Bryant is the closest thing the NBA has ever seen to Michael Jordan. While he didn’t quite reach the sky-high peak of MJ, Kobe was remarkable. He was one of the greatest scorers to ever lace up, while also being the most tenacious defender on the court every time he played. He was a winner, both with and without Shaq. He was a leader in his own unique way, pushing his teammates harder than anyone else in the Lakers organization to get the best out of them on the court. HIs competitive fire was on full-display to everyone who ever watched him play, both before and after his Achilles tear in 2013, which zapped him of his athletic ability for good. There’s something to be said about athletes who inspire. Kobe Bryant is one of those athletes. I can speak for myself and millions of others when I say that watching Kobe Bryant is why I first decided to pick up a basketball. I still remember dragging my parents to Foot Locker so I could spend all of my allowance money on a pair of Kobe 6’s in that iconic purple and gold colorway. Kobe’s legacy and cultural impact is unparalleled, and while that may not be a reason to rank him this highly for some, it is for me.
#3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Career Stats: 1,560 games, 24.6 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.6 bpg, 56% FG
Career Accolades: ROY, 19x All-Star, 4x All-Defensive 1st Team, 10x All-NBA 1st Team, 6x MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 6x NBA Champion
Apart from Lebron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s longevity has never been replicated. My favorite thing about Kareem is that he won both the 1971 Finals MVP and the 1985 Finals MVP. He dealt with an outrageous level of unwarranted scrutiny, and he handled it in the best way he possibly could: by going about his business in the way he wanted. He lived a private life and was as cool-headed as they come, which probably impacted Kareem’s ability, since he is regarded as one of the most clutch players in NBA history. He deployed his iconic skyhook at will, making it the most unstoppable move in NBA history in the process. He had put up 38,387 points when it was all said and done. Quite simply, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the best big man in NBA history, and for that he earns the #3 spot on my list.
#2. Michael Jordan
Career Stats: 1,072 games, 30.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.3 spg, 50% FG, 84% FT
Career Accolades: 1985 ROY, 14x All-Star, Defensive POTY, 9x All-Defensive 1st Team, 10x All-NBA 1st Team, 5x MVP, 6x Finals MVP, 6x NBA Champion
As I sit in my dorm, writing this paragraph about Michael Jordan, I am wearing a Jordan Brand t-shirt. That is the legacy of Michael Jordan. He is successful beyond measure, because his play on the court was just so incredible that his brand instantly became ultra-popular as well. Jordan’s greatness knows no bounds. He is bigger than the sport of basketball and the NBA itself. There’s no big shot he hasn’t hit, and no acrobatic stunt he hasn’t pulled off. He is undoubtedly the greatest scorer to ever grace the hardwood. There’s no angle of his legendary status that hasn’t been covered already, and the only comments people will have for me is why he doesn’t take the top spot on my list.
#1. Lebron James
Career Stats: 1,346 games, 27.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 7.4 apg, 1.6 spg, 50% FG
Career Accolades: 2004 ROY, 17x All-Star, 5x All-Defensive 1st Team, 13x All-NBA 1st Team, 4x MVP, 4x Finals MVP, 4x NBA Champion
If you’ve been paying attention to my list so far, you will know that I have already mentioned Lebron James quite a bit. That’s because Lebron has ensured that no NBA legend can stand alone and bask in their own greatness. Lebron is the Neo of the NBA Matrix. The unfathomable expectations that were placed on Lebron when he was a high school phenom have not changed in the 19 seasons it has taken him to surpass them as an NBA superstar. Everyone has had their “I hate Lebron” phase, myself included. It made me so upset to see Lebron leave the Cavs and join the Miami Heat to form a superteam during one of the most competitive eras in NBA history. I watched Lebron and the Heat on TV desperately hoping to see them fail. When they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals, I was delighted not just because the Heat had lost, but because it was Lebron’s fault. There were no excuses for his poor performance, and it remains a permanent blemish on Lebron’s resume. However, despite that failure, I can’t help but recognize that Lebron is the best to ever do it. Put Lebron on any team, with any set of teammates, with any coach, and that team is instantly in contention for a championship. I don’t look at ring totals alone when I analyze the greatness of an NBA legend. I want to identify which player gave his team the best chance to win, and that player is Lebron James. From age 18 to age 37, Lebron has worked tirelessly to perfect the game of basketball, and his career has unfolded in a remarkable fashion, and his absurd longevity at the highest level is unlike anything the NBA has ever seen.
Kobe Bryant was the closest thing the NBA has seen to Michael Jordan. There will never be another Lebron James.
Who’s the GOAT? Whose list is better? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
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Authors: Ben Pawlak and Ryan Macdonald
Published: 2/7/22 at 6pm EST
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Sources/Works Cited:
Bill Russell’s INSANE Block on Wilt Chamberlain G4 1967 EDF, YouTube, 12 Feb. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlNz0riiPWg. Accessed 7 Feb. 2022
Google Images, Google, https://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en.
Kobe Bryant Buzzer Beater vs Phoenix Suns, YouTube, 15 May 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMs8bnQTE9A. Accessed 7 Feb. 2022.
LeBron James’ Historic Block on Andre Iguodala From All Angles, YouTube, 21 June 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zd62MxKXp8. Accessed 7 Feb. 2022.
“NBA.com.” The Official Site of the NBA for the Latest NBA Scores, Stats & News. | NBA.com, https://www.nba.com/.
Shaquille O’Neal Breaks the Backboard vs Suns in Rookie Season, YouTube, 9 June 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T64j5cja4AM. Accessed 7 Feb. 2022.
Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com – Basketball Statistics and History. https://www.basketball-reference.com/. 7 February 2022.
StatMuse, https://www.statmuse.com/.
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