1. Stats: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG in 15 seasons with Chicago Bulls (1984-85 to 1992-93; 1994-95 to 1997-98) and Washington Wizards (2001-02 to 2002-03); NBA's career leader in points per game. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1988 Finals MVP, three-time NBA champion. From the five championships to the 81 points against the Raptors and the 60-piece in his sendoff, few to lace them up have had more legendary careers than Bryant. -- McMenamin, 1976-87 Philadelphia 76ers; also played five ABA seasons with Virginia Squires (1971-73) and New York Nets (1973-76), Dr. J took dunking from something big men did around the basket and turned it into an art form. -- Dave McMenamin, Perhaps the only perceived knock on Duncan's game was that he was boring. -- Nick Friedell, 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.4 3s PG, For all of his statistical achievements -- the five championships, the 81-point game, the 60-point finale, the league MVP in 2008, the 20 seasons all with the same franchise -- Bryant's lasting legacy is his mental edge and burning desire to master the sport. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1974-75 MVP, 1972-73 Rookie of the Year, three-time scoring champ, two-time NBA champion. In fact, he owns three of the top four such streaks. Stats: 18.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.4 APG in 18 seasons with Milwaukee Bucks (1996-97 to 2002-03), Seattle SuperSonics (2002-03 to 2006-07), Boston Celtics (2007-08 to 2011-12) and Miami Heat (2012-13 to 2013-14); NBA's all-time leader in career 3-point field goals. Visit ESPN for the game preview of the St. Bonaventure Bonnies vs. Davidson Wildcats NCAAW basketball game on 1 March 2023 . He led the league in assists for a record eight consecutive seasons; his flair and playmaking helped usher in a new era of the sport after the shot clock was instituted in the mid-1950s. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA. Stats: 27.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.7 APG in 14 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1960-61 to 1973-74). TrueHoop TV: Is small forward a dying position in the NBA? Stats: 22.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.3 APG in 10 NBA seasons with Philadelphia Warriors (1950-51 to 1961-62). Wilt Chamberlain was considered truly ahead of his time. Then our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, 1995 NBA champion. Westbrook owns the record for career triple-doubles -- 193 -- beating out Oscar Robertson's previous mark. -- Bontemps, 1970-74 Atlanta Hawks; 1974-79 New Orleans Jazz; 1979-80 Utah Jazz; 1980 Boston Celtics, Famed for his record-setting scoring playing for his father at LSU, Maravich never quite reached those same heights during an NBA career cut short by injury. -- Bontemps, 1969-75 Milwaukee Bucks; 1975-89 Los Angeles Lakers, No one in NBA history can match Abdul-Jabbar's lengthy list of achievements. Julius Erving. Bellarmine Knights. -- Friedell, Flashback: Larry Bird sets Boston record with 60-point performance, Flashback: Larry Bird sets Boston record with 60-point performance (1:37), Ranking the top 74 players of all time: 10-1, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, Sources: Warriors eye Curry return next week, Lakers' Davis out vs. OKC with right foot injury, V. Bryant settles crash photos suit for $28.85M, Sources: Lakers to reassess LeBron in 2 weeks, Benner, longtime Pacers PR director, dies at 67, Irving: Need to scale back self-imposed pressure, Jokic sixth player in 100 career triple-double club, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, Meet the man scouring Nigeria for the next generation of NBA and NFL talent, Roundtable: Early takeaways from Kyrie Irving joining Luka Doncic in Dallas. NBA Countdown starts with a heated discussion with Paul Pierce making his case of LeBron James not being a top-5 player all time, with Jay Williams and Jalen. Nash was the featured player on one of the most exciting Offensive teams to watch in NBA History. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, three-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP, two-time All-Star MVP, four-time assists champ, two-time steals champ, five-time NBA champion. MP. -- Youngmisuk, 1987-98, 2003-04 Chicago Bulls; 1999 Houston Rockets; 1999-2003 Portland Trail Blazers, Pippen carved out a career for himself with unbelievable consistency on both ends of the floor. His 34.0 points per game that season is also the highest point total for a player at that height in NBA history. After rupturing his in January 1992, Wilkins was ready for the following year and averaged 29.9 points. Stats: 20.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.3 BPG in 19 NBA seasons with Buffalo Braves (1976-77), Houston Rockets (1976-77 to 1981-82), Philadelphia 76ers (1982-83 to 1985-86; 1993-94), Washington Bullets (1986-87 to 1987-88), Atlanta Hawks (1988-89 to 1990-91), Milwaukee Bucks (1991-92 to 1992-93) and San Antonio Spurs (1994-95); also played two ABA seasons with Utah Stars (1974-75) and Spirits of St. Louis (1975-76). Accomplishments: Eight-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, 1972-73 MVP, 1973 All-Star MVP, 1970-71 Rookie of the Year, two-time NBA champion. Top 100 Greatest NBA Players Top 100 Greatest NBA Players Can you name the top NBA players of all-time according to an ESPN poll of experts from 2016? NBA. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 2008 Finals MVP, 2008 NBA champion. RB Jim Brown -- Cleveland Browns, 1957-1965 Doc Rivers: 'Nique could get to the penthouse', Dwyane Wade: 'I never thought I'd be Top 100 all time', All-Time #NBArank 21-25: Curry and Durant among top 25, All-Time #NBArank 16-20: Mailman, Dirk and Sir Charles, All-Time #NBArank 11-15: Kobe, Big O, Logo, Dr. J, Moses, Strauss: How Steph stormed into top-25 status. -- Bontemps, 2003-2011 Denver Nuggets; 2011-2017 New York Knicks; 2017-2018 Oklahoma City Thunder; 2018-2019 Houston Rockets; 2019-2021 Portland Trail Blazers; 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers, Entering the league with a handle and shooting touch of a shooting guard but with the height and broad shoulders of a traditional frontcourt player, Anthony filled the role of a stretch-4 before the position became a staple of every NBA roster. The crowd at Madison Square Garden went wild seeing Reed walk onto the floor, and although he finished with just four points and three rebounds, the Knicks won the championship. Eleven players ( Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson and John Stockton) were active in the 1996-97 season, during which the list was announced. MLB. TrueHoop TV: Is Kevin Garnett too low in all-time PF rankings? All-Time #NBArank: The 10 greatest point guards in NBA history. 6-25, 3-13 conf . The rings. 69. More quiz info >> Start Quiz Comments (119) ESPN's Malika Andrews and Kendrick Perkins the latter a Celtics alumnus himself dove into all things Boston basketball in a clip produced for the day's focus on the Celtics, getting . Career Stats: 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 AST, 49.0 FG%, 42.8 FG3%, 90.4 FT% The . MLB. *All stats/accomplishments for active players are entering the 2021-22 season. He changed the game with his step-back 3 -- and the NBA changed the rules due to his foul-drawing tactics. Early in the 2021-22 season, the NBA unveiled its 75th Anniversary Team, a squad full of iconic players representing different points in the evolution of basketball. -- Pelton, 1970-76 Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City-Omaha Kings/Kansas City Kings; 1976-77 New York Nets; 1978-83 Boston Celtics; 1983-84 Milwaukee Bucks, In 1972-73, in just his third NBA season, the 6-foot-1, 150-pound Archibald averaged 34.0 points and 11.4 assists per game. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, eight-time All-Defensive team, 1994-95 MVP, 1991-92 Defensive Player of the Year, 1989-90 Rookie of the Year, 1993-94 scoring champ, 1990-91 rebounding champ, 1991-92 blocks champ, two-time NBA champion. One of just six players to drop 70 or more in a game, and the owner of the highest-scoring game in Finals history with 61 points, Baylor raised the bar for what a wing player could accomplish. While AI first made a splash with his crossover dribble, his game came to be defined for the grit and tenacity he showed as a 6-foot, 165-pound guard putting his body on the line among giants. Stats: 23.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.1 APG in 10 NBA seasons with San Francisco/Golden State Warriors (1965-66 to 1966-67; 1972-73 to 1977-78) and Houston Rockets (1978-79 to 1979-80); also played four ABA seasons with Oakland Oaks (1968-69), Washington Capitols (1969-70) and New York Nets (1970-71 to 1971-72). Accomplishments: Eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, five-time assists champ, two-time MVP. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. Alright we're straying a bit off subject, the reason why we bring up the upcoming season is because it's getting to that time of year when predictions, NBA odds for the championship, NBA2K player ratings, talking heads make bold claims, podcasts come back from vacation, and all types of other rankings come out of the woodwork.In order words, the NBA media and content machine is revving . -- McMenamin, 1967-71 Baltimore Bullets; 1971-80 New York Knicks, Monroe's silky smooth game earned him the moniker "Earl The Pearl" and turned him into an icon for an entire generation of players. Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive team, 1995-96 Defensive Player of the Year, 1995-96 steals champ, 2006 NBA champion. 1950-51 Washington Capitols; 1951-61 Boston Celtics, A Hall of Famer as both a player and coach, Sharman starred alongside Bob Cousy in Boston's backcourt in the 1950s, winning four championships. Top accolades: Four NBA titles, three Finals MVPs, one MVP, eight All-NBA 1st Team selections, 15 All-Stars, three All-Defensive 2nd Team selections NBA rank: 8th in scoring and. 9. If not, you surely must have caught the response when John Stockton (#19) and Scottie Pippen (#25) appeared before Isiah Thomas (#26)? All-Time #NBArank: The 10 greatest power forwards in NBA history, Photos: Classic action shots of league's best power forwards. Something has to give when a pair of streaking teams hit the court. Accomplishments: 14-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive team, five-time MVP, six-time Finals MVP, three-time All-Star MVP, 1987-88 Defensive Player of the Year, 1984-85 Rookie of the Year, 10-time scoring champ, three-time steals champ, six-time NBA champion. We saw living legends Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan, Bob McAdoo, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Isiah Thomas, Julius Erving, Oscar Robertson and Dennis Rodman rub elbows, joke and reminisce then watch the the league's current superstars, future Hall-of-Famers and fellow NBA 75 members LeBron James (24 points and game-winner), Steph Curry (16 threes and In that same post, we provided the sports network's rankings from their 2016 list to see which new players made an appearance on the list (Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard), which player jumped the most spots (James Harden and Allen . NBA75: Meet the best players in league history, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, Sources: Warriors eye Curry return next week, Lakers' Davis out vs. OKC with right foot injury, V. Bryant settles crash photos suit for $28.85M, Sources: Lakers to reassess LeBron in 2 weeks, Benner, longtime Pacers PR director, dies at 67, Irving: Need to scale back self-imposed pressure, Jokic sixth player in 100 career triple-double club, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, Meet the man scouring Nigeria for the next generation of NBA and NFL talent, Roundtable: Early takeaways from Kyrie Irving joining Luka Doncic in Dallas. Using references from famous and reliable sports channels and websites like ESPN, Complex, Bleacher Report, and Clutch Points, here is our top 10 basketball players list. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, seven-time All-Defensive team, 1975 All-Star MVP, two-time NBA champion. -- Youngmisuk, 1958-60 Minneapolis Lakers, 1960-72 Los Angeles Lakers, Before the slam dunk became synonymous with the sport, Baylor -- a smooth, 6-foot-5 forward with a knack for scoring -- made a habit of breathing the rare air above the rim. 15 15. Fantasy. His unstoppable skyhook allowed him to score more points than anyone in league history, and while he wasn't flashy, there has arguably never been anyone better. -- Bontemps, Johnson revolutionized the game, entering the league as the tallest point guard in league history at 6-foot-9. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, three-time MVP, two-time Finals MVP, 1979-80 Rookie of the Year, 1982 All-Star MVP, three-time NBA champion. Garnett played with legendary passion and a gift of trash talk that rivaled the greatest in the game. Accomplishments: Four-time All-Star, six-time All-BAA/NBA, 1953 All-Star MVP, three-time scoring champ, 1952-53 rebounding champ, five-time BAA/NBA champion. Russo said Bird qualifies as a top three-point shooter all-time. Stats: 18.5 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.1 APG in 15 seasons with Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1949-50 to 1963-64). Players trusted Pippen and they always understood he was a more complete player than he was given credit for because he played in Michael Jordan's gigantic shadow throughout their time in Chicago. TrueHoop TV: Kobe, Jerry West and the top shooting guards ever, All-Time #NBArank: The 10 greatest small forwards in NBA history, Photos: Classic action shots of league's best small forwards. Nash, a career 42.8% 3-point shooter, admits he wonders what could have been if he had the shot-hunting mentality of some of today's elite point guards. Jordan's brilliance on both ends of the court defined a generation of basketball and set a new standard for players following in his footsteps. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defensive team, 1968-69 scoring champ, two-time rebounding champ, 1978 NBA champion. 13-15, 6-8 conf. NFL. This year, the rankings were determined holistically by a panel of NBA writers Chris Herring, Rohan Nadkarni,. So, yeah, he definitely played. Drexler's 2,615 offensive rebounds are the most by a player who primarily played guard in NBA history. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . 9-21, 5-12 . To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. -- Lopez, 1948-49 (BAA), 1949-54, 1956 Minneapolis Lakers, The NBA's first giant, Mikan was an NBA pioneer. Accomplishments: 12-time NBA All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, two-time NBA All-Defensive team, three-time NBA MVP, 1983 Finals MVP, six-time NBA rebounding champ, 1983 NBA champion. He was one of the NBA's all-time great defenders, a player-coach for the Pistons in just his third season who then became a defining member of the Knicks' championship teams in the 1970s. After averaging 20.4 points as a rookie, he didn't average fewer than 22.5 points in any season. Stephen Curry vs. Larry Bird? "The Mailman" is the most decorated ringless player in NBA history, earning 14 All-Star nods and two MVPs and ranking as the second all-time leading scorer with 36,928 career points. Stats: 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG in 17 seasons with New York Knicks (1985-86 to 1999-00), Seattle SuperSonics (2000-01) and Orlando Magic (2001-02). Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, 1963-64 MVP, 1960-61 Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star MVP, six-time assists champ, 1971 NBA champion. Stats: 18.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 7.4 APG in 13 seasons with Cincinnati Royals/KC-Omaha/Kansas City Kings (1970-71 to 1975-76), New York Nets (1976-77), Boston Celtics (1978-79 to 1982-83) and Milwaukee Bucks (1983-84). While Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar get the lion's share of the credit for those teams, Worthy's 1988 NBA Finals MVP distinction tells the story of just how key he was in L.A.'s success, earning his "Big Game James" nickname for elevating his play when the games mattered most. Alexander leads Nicholls in scoring and rebounding with 13.9 points and 8.5 boards per game. Accomplishments: 15-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, 1999-2000 MVP, 1992-93 Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star MVP, three-time Finals MVP, two-time scoring champ, four-time NBA champion. Long before that, Parish was an ideal All-Star complement to the Celtics' other frontcourt stars because of his skills and willingness to accept -- and occasionally deal out -- the physical play in the paint in the 1980s. -- Collier, Long before there was "Playoff Rondo," Jones earned the nickname "Mr. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, two-time NBA champion. He's so clutch that his performance in the final stretches of games has garnered its own nickname: Dame Time. -- Collier, Havlicek, who won eight championships during his legendary career with the Celtics, was one of the first players to popularize the role of sixth man. In 2009, then-NBA commissioner David Stern announced the Finals MVP award would be named after Russell. Bird led Boston to five NBA Finals and three championships with a blend of shot-making, passing and his feel for the game. TrueHoop TV: Steph Curry the fourth-best PG of all time? Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 1950-51 Rookie of the Year, 1952 All-Star MVP, two-time scoring champ, 1956 NBA champion. At the time Walton went down with a broken foot in February, the defending champs were 50-10 behind their center's rim protection and legendary playmaking. Other accolades include the 2007 College Player of the Year, 2008 NBA Rookie of the Year, 2014 NBA MVP, 11-time All-Star, and 6-time All NBA 1st team selection. Also see Top 100 Baseball Players Quiz by Quizmaster Rate: Featured Quiz Last updated: December 14, 2021 You have not attempted this quiz yet. America East Playoffs - Quarterfinal. 9 on the all-time points list. His partnerships with several co-stars have produced unpleasant breakups and no championships, and his style of play generates a lot of groans and criticism. Sep 12, 2019. -- MacMahon, 2007-08 Seattle SuperSonics, 2008-16 Oklahoma City Thunder; 2016-19 Golden State Warriors; 2019-22 Brooklyn Nets, Durant's move to the Warriors in 2016 dramatically shifted the league's balance of power. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, 1950-51 rebounding champ, 1955 NBA champion. Stats: 26.4 PPG, 16.2 RPG, 3.0 APG in 11 seasons with Milwaukee/St. -- Lopez, 1984-2001 Houston Rockets; 2001-02 Toronto Raptors, "The Dream" is perhaps the most skilled and polished post scorer to call for the ball on the block. -- Youngmisuk, One of the NBA's greatest point guards and one of the leaders of the "Bad Boy" Pistons, Thomas was one of the best players of the 1980s. Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA championships, winning six Finals MVP awards and five regular-season MVP honors while becoming a global icon on and off the floor. Past that, we could have a robust discussion on how Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird are positioned from the #4-7 spots, but that also feels right. Not only has Curry hit 3,083 3s (and counting), he broke Ray Allen's record in nearly 500 fewer games. After an Achilles injury ended his third Finals run with Golden State, Durant has come back as good as ever in Brooklyn. Career laurels: 11 NBA champion (1957, 1959-1966, 1968, 1969); 5 NBA Most Valuable Player (1958, 1961-1963, 1965); 12 NBA All-Star (1958-1969); NBA All-Star Game MVP (1963); 3. Then head over and vote on the best NBA players of the 2010s. 10. Still only 28, there's plenty more in store for him as long as he stays healthy. But the league never ranked them. Stats: 21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 3.1 BPG in 18 seasons with Houston Rockets (1984-85 to 2000-01) and Toronto Raptors (2001-02); NBA's career leader in total blocks. What set Allen apart wasn't just his dominance from the outside, it was the work ethic that helped achieve that level of basketball greatness. The Jazz's arena sits at the intersection of Stockton and Malone, honoring the duo that's practically synonymous with the pick-and-roll. He was known as "The Big Fundamental," dominating for nearly two decades on both ends of the floor with textbook simplicity, such as his midrange bank shot and perfect position defense. He loved being the face of the Pacers and he loved that he played his whole career in Indianapolis. ESPN's NBA expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, taking into consideration both total career value and peak performance. Stats: 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG in 16 seasons with Boston Celtics (1962-63 to 1977-78). As a result of a tie in the voting, the 75th anniversary team includes 76 players. The star player on Blazers teams that averaged 60 wins and made Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992, Drexler was an All-NBA first team pick in '92 and a 10-time All-Star. -- Andrews, A relative unknown as an 18-year-old from Greece on draft night in 2013, Antetokounmpo has transformed into one of the most dominant players of his generation. Adding the former MVP to a team that had gone 73-9 the year before created arguably the greatest team in NBA history, with Durant shining brightest against LeBron James in the NBA Finals to win Finals MVP back-to-back years. -- Tim MacMahon, 18.2 PPG, 3.0 APG, 1.1 Steals PG, 1.8 3s PG, The Pacers' legend became one of the greatest shooters in NBA history with one of the fastest releases the game has seen. -- Youngmisuk, 2005-2011 New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets; 2011-2017 Los Angeles Clippers; 2017-2019 Houston Rockets; 2019-2020 Oklahoma City Thunder; 2020-22 Phoenix Suns, Still going strong in his 17th season, Paul became the first player in NBA history to reach 20,000 career points and 10,000 career assists. 5-on-5 debate: Will Curry pass Magic as the best PG ever? When he averaged 14.6 rebounds in 1986-87, he became the shortest rebounding champion in NBA history in the shot-clock era (since 1954-55). Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 2012-13 scoring champ. The Albany Great Danes (20-10, 14-2 America East) put their five-game win streak on the line against the UMass Lowell River . He is one of the last players of his era who didn't start ring chasing at the end of his career. Stats: 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG in 13 seasons with Boston Celtics (1956-57 to 1968-69). JJ Redick and Chris Russo battled on ESPN recently over their varying opinions on Larry Bird's three-point marksmanship. He's also fifth all-time in steals (2,440) and could pass Michael Jordan for third place (2,514) next season. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors: Three-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, six-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets: NBA champion, six-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder: 10-time NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook of the Houston Rockets: NBA MVP, nine-time NBA All-Star Player stats reflect 28 of 28 games this season. -- Lopez, 1959-62 Philadelphia Warriors, 1962-65 San Francisco Warriors; 1965-68 Philadelphia 76ers; 1968-73 Los Angeles Lakers, There are very few players who hold a record that will most likely never be broken. Stats: 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG in 14 seasons with Cincinnati Royals (1960-61 to 1969-70) and Milwaukee Bucks (1970-71 to 1973-74). Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. (/ d w a n /; born January 17, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Old school or new school? Those qualities also helped him earn five MVP awards and 11 All-NBA selections. [4] All have since retired. He played in 1,158 victories, including the playoffs, more than anyone in NBA history other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Stats: 17.6 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.8 APG in 11 seasons with Boston Celtics (1970-71 to 1979-80) and Milwaukee Bucks (1982-83). He won Rookie of the Year after Boston made him the No. His chase-down block in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals to help complete a 3-1 comeback against a Warriors team that won 73 games will forever encapsulate his will to win. -- Bontemps, 1985-2000 New York Knicks; 2000-01 Seattle SuperSonics; 2001-02 Orlando Magic, This Knicks big man endeared himself to generations of New Yorkers because of his ability to perform and produce under the brightest of spotlights. He was the ultimate pass-first point guard -- winning five assists titles, including both of his MVP seasons -- who also possessed one of the game's purest jump shots. Unseld is the greatest Bullet of all time, played the most games (984) in franchise history and was seventh all time in rebounding when he retired. Vote up the best basketball player ever, and those who follow close behind. From his second to fourth season, McAdoo won three straight scoring titles, averaging 30.6 points, 34.5 points and 31.1 points, respectively, during that span. Stats: 22.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG in 14 seasons with Buffalo Braves. All-time NBArank: Nos. He remains a legend in the D.C. area for delivering the franchise's only NBA championship. Stats: 23.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 8.5 APG in 13 seasons with Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-09 to 2018-19), Houston Rockets (2019-20) and Washington Wizards (2020-21)*. Without Wade, there's probably no Shaq, no LeBron and no Heatles in South Beach. Steve Nash. -- Bontemps, Russell was one of the greatest defenders -- if not the greatest -- of all time. Accomplishments: Nine-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 1980 All-Star MVP, four-time NBA scoring champ. Traya Bruce is the best bet for Nicholls from beyond the arc. (1:37). They didn't call him the "Round Mound of Rebound" for nothing, right? -- Youngmisuk, 1996-2003 Milwaukee Bucks, 2003-07 Seattle SuperSonics; 2007-12 Boston Celtics; 2012-14 Miami Heat, 18.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 2.3 3PG, Before Stephen Curry came along and broke his all-time 3-point record, Allen was regarded as the smoothest shooting player of all time. Accomplishments: 18-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA, 12-time All-Defensive team, 2007-08 MVP, two-time Finals MVP, four-time All-Star MVP, two-time scoring champ, five-time NBA champion. Stats: 26.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.2 APG in 14 seasons with Philadelphia 76ers (1996-97 to 2006-07; 2009-10), Denver Nuggets (2006-07 to 2008-09), Detroit Pistons (2008-09) and Memphis Grizzlies (2009-10) . -- Andrews, 1970-80 Boston Celtics; 1982-83 Milwaukee Bucks, One of the most dominant centers of his era, Cowens averaged a double-double in eight straight seasons. -- McMenamin, When you are the logo of the NBA, it means you have done something special in your career. America East ) put their five-game win streak on the line against the UMass Lowell.. Finals MVP, 1972-73 Rookie of the Year after Boston made him the `` Round Mound of ''! 1973-74 ) 1978 NBA champion trash talk that rivaled the greatest -- of all.. Russo said Bird qualifies as a Rookie, he owns three of the last players of his who!, then-NBA commissioner David Stern announced the Finals MVP award would be espn best nba players of all time... 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