Our Top 10 NBA players of all-time, Do You Agree With Our Number 1?

This is a great time to be a basketball fan. James Harden is having an unbelievable season with the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are gelling, and the Milwaukee Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, are in the position to win their second NBA Finals in franchise history and first title since 1971.

However, where would Harden, James, Davis and Antetokounmpo rank among the top 10 NBA players of all-time, if at all? Here is my list of the 10 NBA players in history. Three players that would have made top 15 for sure, but could not crack the top 10 are Larry Bird, Moses Malone and Oscar Robertson.

10) Magic Johnson

A three-time NBA MVP, Johnson was a 12-time NBA All-Star and is the all-time leader in assists per game during a career with 11.2. A five-time NBA champion, Johnson played his entire NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. In 1991, Johnson retired due to the fact he was diagnosed with HIV. He returned to the court for one more season in 1995-96.

9) John Stockton

The best point guard in NBA history, Stockton is the NBA’s all-time leader in assists with 15,806. A 10-time all-star, Stockton played his entire career with the Utah Jazz from 1984-2003. Nine straight seasons from 1988-1996, Stockton led the NBA in assists, and in 1989-90, set the NBA record for most assists per game in a season with 14.5.

8) Karl Malone

A 14-time NBA All-Star, Malone is second all-time in points (36, 928) and seventh all-time in rebounds (14,968). A teammate of Stockton in Utah, Malone played for the Jazz from 1985-2003, before playing one final NBA season with the Lakers. A two-time NBA MVP and 14-time NBA All-Star, Malone averaged 20 points per game for 17 straight seasons. The reason why Stockton and Malone are not higher on the list is simple. They were unable to win the NBA Finals.

7) Shaquille O’Neal

One of the most explosive and intimidating players to ever stand on the basketball court, O’Neal was 7’1″, 325 pounds. The first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, Shaq was a 15-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion and the 2000 NBA MVP. While primarily playing for the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, O’Neal led the NBA in field goal percentage 10 times. Three times while with the Lakers, he averaged over 30 points per game in the postseason.

6) Kobe Bryant

A five-time NBA champion, Bryant played his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2016. He is third all-time in points with 33,643. On January 22, 2006, Bryant was simply magical as he scored 81 points in a 122-104 win over the Toronto Raptors. That was the second-most points scored by a player in a single game. Also in the 2005-06 season, Bryant averaged 35.4 points per game. An 18-time all-star, Bryant was the NBA Finals MVP in 2009 and 2010.

5) Bill Russell

One of the best centers in NBA history, Russell played his entire NBA career with the Boston Celtics from 1956-1969. All Russell was able to accomplish was win. He won a record 11 NBA Finals in his 13-year career, and the NBA Finals MVP award is now named after him. Russell was mostly known for his rebounding. He is second all-time in NBA rebounds with 21,620. Five times Russell led the NBA in rebounds per game, including a remarkable 24.7 rebounds per game in the 1963-64 season. A 12-time all-star, Russell also was the NBA MVP five times.

4) LeBron James

The best player in NBA history that is currently active, James is in his 17th NBA season. Currently, in his second season with the Lakers, LeBron previously played 11 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and four seasons with the Miami Heat. A four-time NBA MVP, James has been an NBA All-Star the last 15 seasons. A three-time NBA champion with Cleveland and Miami, James is fourth all-time in NBA scoring (33 249 points), and 10th all-time in NBA assists (8950).

3) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Known for his endurance, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the all-time leader in NBA points with 38, 387. He is also third all-time in rebounds with 17, 440. Starting in 1969, Abdul-Jabbar played his first six NBA seasons in Milwaukee before joining the Lakers in 1975 for 14 more seasons. A six-time NBA Finals champion, Abdul-Jabbar won a record six NBA MVP awards and was an all-star 19 times.

2) Wilt Chamberlain

A 13-time NBA All-Star, Wilt Chamberlain played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers from 1959-1973. In 1961-62 with the Philadelphia Warriors, Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points per game. On March 2, 1962, Chamberlain accomplished a feat that has never been accomplished since. He became the first and only player in NBA history to score 100 points in a game as the Philadelphia Warriors beat the New York Knicks 169-147. Scoring points was not the only thing Chamberlain accomplished. He also picked up rebounds. Chamberlain is the all-time NBA rebounding leader with 23,924 boards. Seventh on the NBA all-time scoring list with 31, 419 points, Chamberlain was a  four-time NBA MVP award winner and won the NBA Finals with the 76ers in 1967 and with the Lakers in 1972.

1)Michael Jordan

Named the greatest North American athlete in the 20th century by ESPN, Michael Jordan was a 14-time NBA all-star with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. For seven consecutive seasons from 1987 to 1993 with Chicago, Jordan averaged a minimum of 30 points per game. His 30.1 points per game is the most of all-time in the NBA.  Jordan won three straight NBA Finals with the Bulls from 1991 to 1993. Then in 1993, Jordan made sports headlines when he retired from basketball to play baseball. After two seasons playing minor league baseball, Jordan returned to the Bulls and won three more NBA Finals from 1996 to 1998. Jordan is fifth all-time in NBA points with 32,292, and was the NBA MVP five times.

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