The NBA has produced some of the world’s greatest athletes. In celebration of this achievement, we’ve put together the greatest players of all time. If you’re looking for record-holders and pioneers, or simply want to gauge the latest Lebron James MVP odds, read on below for the 11 best basketball players in NBA history.
11. Oscar Robertson
Nicknamed “the Big O”, Oscar Palmer Peterson played point guard for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks from 1960 to 1975. To give you an idea of how influential he was to the world of top-flight basketball, ESPN ranked Robertson as the 36th best American athlete of the 20th century.
A 12-time All-Star, 11-time member of the All-NBA Team, the prolific point-guard was the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double in one season. He is a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and FIBA Hall of Fame inductee, and former president of the NBA Players’ Association.
10. Tim Duncan
Often considered the greatest power forward of all time, Tim Duncan spent the entirety of his 19-year career with the San Antonio Spurs. The on-and-off center was Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.
Duncan was selected for the NBA 75th Anniversary Team for October 2021. He is the only player to be chosen for both the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams for 13 consecutive seasons. The five-time NBA champion was a two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and 15-time NBA All-Star.
9. Larry Bird
Larry Bird is perhaps most famous for his rivalry with Magic Johnson, a decade-long spat that basketball fans followed in earnest throughout the ’90s. Bird played for the Boston Celtics throughout his 13-year career, helping them to five NBA finals and three NBA Championships.
Nicknamed “Larry Legend”, the power forward was a 12-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP. Included in the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1998, Bird is the only forward in league history to receive the NBA MVP Award three consecutive times.
8. Wilt Chamberlain
The holder of numerous NBA records, Wilton Chamberlain is the only player to score 100 points in a single NBA game. Standing over 7-feet tall, “The Big Dipper” averaged 30 points and 20 rebounds over the entirety of his professional career.
Chamberlain won two NBA Championships, four NBA MVP Awards, and 13 NBA All-Star selections. He was the NBA scoring champion seven times, rebounding champion 11 times, and led the league in assists in 1968. Inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1978, Chamberlain was a successful businessman, author, and part-time actor.
7. Bill Russell
William Fenton Russell played for the Celtics from 1956 to 1969. During his 13-year career, the defensive center was instrumental in leading the Celtics to 11 NBA Championships. Russell is tied with NHL legend Henri Richard for the most championships won by an athlete in any North American sports league.
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Russell is a five-time league MVP and a 12-time All-Star. He was the captain of the US national basketball team that won gold at the 1956 Summer Olympics. Alongside Wilt Chamberlain, Russell is one of only two players to grab more than 50 rebounds in a single game.
6. Shaquillle O’Neal
Known simply as “Shaq”, Shaquille O’Neal played for six teams in total over the course of his 19-year career. O’Neal is a four-time NBA champion, three-time All-Star Game MVP, and Finals MVP, and NBA All-Defensive Team selection.
Elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2016 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017, O’Neal is one of only three players to win the NBA MVP, All-Star Game MVP and Finals MVP all in the same year. Due to his height and weight dominance, the 15-time NBA All-Star ranks 8th overall for successful blocks and 6th in total field goals.
5. LeBron James
Frequently compared to Michael Jordan, LeBron Raymone James is the only league Finals MVP to win NBA championships with three different teams. In total, the Ohio-born power forward known as “King James” has competed in 10 NBA Finals, winning four of them over his illustrious career.
James holds the record for all-time playoff points. He also holds the record for the most All-NBA Team selections at 17, the most consecutive First Team selections with 11, and has been named an All-Star 17 times.
4. Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant spent 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant won five NBA championships with the Lakers and ranks fourth overall in all-time total points scored. He was an 18-time All-Star, two-time NBA Finals MVP, and the 2008 league MVP.
Bryant led the Lakers to two consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010. He was selected as a member of the All-Defensive Team 12 times, led the NBA in scoring for two seasons, and remained a top 10 player until his untimely demise in a freak helicopter crash in January 2020.
3. Magic Johnson
As a sign of his meteoric rise to the very top of pro basketball, Earvin Johnson’s rookie season ended in a championship win and an NBA MVP Award. In total, he managed to win four NBA championships with the Lakers. Having led the league in assists four separate times, Johnson is the all-time leading player in average assists per game.
Named league MVP three times, Johnson has nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star selections, and ten All-NBA selections. He has been inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame twice; once in 2002 and again in 2010.
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons in the NBA. His career at center led to several all-time records, including six MVP awards and 19 NBA All-Star selections. He was an NBA All-Defensive Team member 11 times and played in 6 NBA championship teams.
Voted the NBA Finals MVP twice, Abdul-Jabbar is also a record three-time MVP of the NCAA Tournament. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in points scored, games played, career wins, and numerous other statistical rankings. In 2016, along with Michael Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
1. Michael Jordan
A global icon in his own right, Michael Jeffrey Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time. A total of 13 out of his 15 seasons in the NBA were with the Chicago Bulls, where Jordan won six championships with two ‘three-peat’ consecutive wins; from 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998 respectively.
Jordan has won six NBA Finals MVP Awards, five MVP Awards, and ten scoring titles. He was also selected for the All-NBA First Team ten times and the All-Defensive First Team nine times. Holding the record for the highest-scoring average, Jordan was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN.
