It is fascinating to watch fans when they argue about who the Best NBA Players of all Time are. A couple of names often comes to mind, but the truth is, with the vast number of NBA players (previous and current) it wouldn’t be an easy task actually to come up with players that fit this list. The truth is, since the commencement of the NBA, it has graced many talented basketball players. Don’t worry because we have saved you the stress by taking to the task of coming up with the list of the Basketballers who are rated the Best NBA Players of all time.
BEST NBA PLAYERS OF ALL TIME TOP 15
The players enlisted in this article are among the Top 40 NBA Players of all Time owning to their outstanding and star performance which fans can hardly forget. Below is the list of NBA players that came to mind.
- Michael Jordan
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Magic Johnson
- Oscar Robertson
- Larry Bird
- Bill Russell
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Kobe Bryant
- Julius Erving
- LeBron James
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- Tim Duncan
- Shaquille O’Neal
- Jerry West
- Elgin Baylor
Below Is The List Of Best NBA Players
- #1. Michael Jordan
- Year Active: 1984-1998; 2001-2003
- Clubs Played: Chicago Bulls
Michael Jeffrey Jordan popularly called by his initials “MJ” is by far and still remains the Best NBA Player of all time. He is an American former Basketball player who played for the Chicago Bulls in the NBA for 15 long seasons, winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. His individual accomplishments include 5 MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards, 9 All-Defensive First Team honors, and 10 All-NBA First Team designations, 14 appearances on NBA All-Star Games, ten scoring titles, and 6 NBA Finals MVP Awards. In addition to his achievement, MJ also holds the record for the highest scoring average of 30.12 points per game, and he is also the 6-time world champ and 10-time scoring champion.
- #2. Wilt Chamberlain
- Year Active: 1957-1973
- Clubs Played: LA Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, San Francisco Warriors and Philadelphia
Wilt Norman Chamberlain is considered one of the greatest basketball players in history and also occupying the second spot on our list of Best NBA Players of all time. He often plays at the center position for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. His physique (size, strength) and athleticism gave him an edge over other players on the court, making him one of the most dominant players ever to ever play in the NBA.
- #3. Magic Johnson
- Year Active: 1979-1991; 1995-1996
- Clubs Played: Los Angeles Lakers
Earvin Johnson Jr. popularly known as Magic Johnson, is another outstanding player to have graced the NBA. He was also the former president of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA, the club where he played point guard for 13 seasons. Magic Johnson pulled an average of 22 points or more per season in 4 different seasons as well as his career shooting that reached 52%. He won 5 championship titles and had an impressive career average of 19.5 points per game.
- #4. Oscar Robertson
- Year Active: 1960-1974
- Clubs Played: Cincinnati Royals, Milwaukee Bucks
Oscar Robertson mostly called “The Big O” is an American retired proficient and skilled basketball player who played in the NBA. Robertson had a remarkable scoring record, with a career average of 25.7 points per game. With a totally free throw of 7,694 made, he is ranked fourth among NBA career free throw scoring leaders. Also, he had 9.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds.
- #5. Larry Bird
- Year Active: 1979-1992
- Clubs Played: Boston Celtics
Larry Bird is also among our NBA Players all Time List. He is an American former professional basketball player, a former coach. During his playing days, he was a notable and outstanding shooter and rated among the best shooters and also regarded as the most clutch player ever in the history of NBA. Larry was named MVP on three occasions, as well as a 12-time NBA All-Star.
- #6. Bill Russell
- Year Active: 1956 – 1969
- Clubs Played: Boston Celtics
William Felton Russell generally called Bill Russell also made it to our list. currently, he is one the list of retired American professional basketball player who played the center position for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. During his playing days, players find it hard to keep the ball because he is skilled to steal and block shots from opposing teams. He was able to bag 11 championships during his 13-season tenure. He was also voted as MVP on five occasions, and he also had 11 top-4 finishes.
- #7. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Year Active: 1969-1989
- Clubs Played: Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers
Going further on our discussion is the all-time highest goal scorer in NBA history, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He featured in the NBA for two decades with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. He had glorious playing moment where he won six NBA titles, six Most Valuable Player awards and Still remain the owner of the best ever scorer. No wonder he was undisputedly the best player in the 70s.
- #8. Kobe Bryant
- Year Active: 1996 – 2016
- Clubs Played: Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant joined the LA Lakers in 1996 straight from high school where spend his entire two decades of playing career. Kobe was an outstanding player all through his playing days winning 5 NBA titles. Also, He was nominated a 12-time member of All-Defensive team, 15-time member of All-NBA team and 17-time All-Star. In addition, he also led the scoring chart for two seasons, making him one of the most lethal scorers and competitors in the history of the NBA. Kobe finally called it a quit in 2016, retiring from the game; however, he still workout daily as early 4 am.
- #9. Julius Erving
- Year Active: 1976-1987
- Clubs Played: Philadelphia 76ers
Dr. J., as Julius Erving is commonly called is among the Ranker Best NBA Players of all Time. He is known for his high-flying wonder finished, which is popularized as a modern style of playing in recent basketball style of play. Also, Erving enjoyed an impressive career with an average of 8.5 rebounds, 24.2 ppg, 2.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks.
- #10. LeBron James
- Year Active: 2003 – date
- Clubs Played: Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron Raymone James Sr. is an active American professional basketball player who plays for Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. He is a versatile and classy player since he graced the NBA with stats include 27.8 points per game, 1.7 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 6.9 assists. So far LeBron has three NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, and two Olympic gold medals.
- #11. Hakeem Olajuwon
- Year Active: 1984 – 2002
- Clubs Played: Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors
Hakeem Olajuwon, a Nigerian-American Basketball player, popularly called “Akeem the Dream” by the fans, who played in the NBA for Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors player who play from the center position. His rate of blocking shots was considerably high. Before he kissed the game goodbye, he won a couple of award including 3-time NBA blocks champ, 2-time NBA Finals MVP and an NBA most valuable player.
- #12. Tim Duncan
- Year Active: 1997 – 2016
- Clubs Played: San Antonio Spurs
Unlike most players on this list, Tim Duncan style of play is quite different and unique. His style of play is very simple and often stays quiet on the court; however, his achievement speaks volume. Duncan boasts of 4 NBA championship titles, two MVPs, and 13 consecutive seasons both on All-Defensive and All-NBA teams.
- #13. Shaquille O’Neal
- Year Active: 1992-2011
- Clubs Played: Los Angeles Lakers and others
Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal is a retired professional American basketball player occupying the thirteenth spot on our list. Shaq, as he is popularly called, has played for many clubs including LA Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. He won the championship titles four times and has averaged 30 points in the three postseasons that he had with LA Lakers. He is presently a sports analyst.
- #14. Jerry West
- Year Active: 1960-1974
- Clubs Played: Los Angeles Lakers
Jerome Alan West was a former basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers in NBA. West had an impressive career which averages 27.0 points per game, 6.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds. He had four seasons in which his average points per game tally been more than 30.
- #15. Elgin Baylor
- Year Active: 1958-1972
- Clubs Played: Los Angeles Lakers
Last on our list is Elgin Baylor who is put side by side with the likes of Connie Hawkins, Dr. J, and Michael Jordan in terms of mid-air marvels. In each of his first four seasons, he was able to average 15 or more rebounds per game.
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Conclusion on the Best NBA Players of all Time Top 15
Those are the NBA Players we have enlisted to be the all-time best players in the game. Hopefully, there may be changes in the list going by the hard work of the active basketball players with some especially LeBron James showing the potential to surpass some of the players enlisted here.
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