The countdown continues...and ends in the same post! Yes, it has been a long time, but all good things must come to an end (mainly because the NBA regular season is right around the corner).
Let's not waste any more time. Here are the top 30 players of all time!
30. Klay Thompson
Mr. Heatcheck. Record holder for the most points in a quarter in NBA history. The record holder for most threes in an NBA game. He is the ultimate tune in player (besides another man further down this list) when he's hot. Klay Thompson also ahs one of the most legendary playoff games of all time as he singlehandedly saved the Warriors' dynasty before it began.
29. Clyde Drexler
One of the smoothest players to play the game and a top 6 shooting guard of all time, Drexler, unfortunately, played in an era that was dominated by the best shooting guard ever. He was a member of the 1992 Dream Team and a ten-time All-Star. He was an important adversary that Jordan faced in the 90s and was an iconic player in his era.
28. Jason Kidd
A player who may not have started out with the best career (bouncing from Dallas to Pheonix to New Jersey and back to Dallas again), he ended his career with the 2nd most assists in NBA history and is a champion of the 2011 Dallas Mavericks, most famous for taking down the infamous (at the time) Miami Heat. He was a central part of that team's core as they become perhaps the most unlikely NBA champions of the modern era.
27. Patrick Ewing
Ewing is the greatest Knick in the history of their franchise and a top 7 center in NBA history. He has an iconic post-fadeaway and averaged 25 and 10 for the Knicks during his tenure there. Also, you may think he played for the Magic and Sonics at the end of his career...he didn't.
26. Pete Maravich
He was the original Steph Curry. Maravich has unlimited range, unreal handles and dominated every aspect of the game offensively. He was amazing in the NBA while he averaged 24 points per game. But what really separates him is his college career. He averaged 44.2 points per game in college WITHOUT A 3-POINT LINE!! He is a player who was taken well before his time and his premature passing is one of the greatest tragedies in basketball history.
25. Charles Barkley
The Round Mound of Rebound! He dominated on the block as a (generously) 6'6" forward in an era where 7 footers dominated the paint. He averaged a double-double (22 and 12) for his career, squared off with Jordan in the 1993 NBA Finals and won gold with the 1992 Dream Team. He is also the most entertaining analyst on TV and his work on camera, along with the rest of the TNT crew, has revolutionized how pre-game and post-game shows work.
24. John Stockton
"Stockton to Malone" is an iconic phrase announced by every commentator in the 90s as this duo were the epitome of consistency in the late 90s. Stockton is the all-time leader in assists and it's not even close (he has 15,806). He played for almost 20 years and is the greatest player in Jazz history along with the 3rd greatest point guard in NBA history. Thus he's 24 overall.
23. Oscar Robertson
He was the original to average a triple-double in a season, and it was a feat so difficult to emulate that no one did it again for over fifty years!! He was also a sneaky good freee throw shooter with an 83% career overage on 10 attempts per game early in his career. That is all. He's also an NBA Champion.
22. Scottie Pippen
One of the best defenders ever. Posterized Patrick Ewing into oblivion and Jordan never won a playoff series until he arrived in Chicago.
21. Kawhi Leonard
We just saw it. He led the Raptors to the NBA Championship and became one of only three players to win titles and Finals MVPs for two different franchises is one of only twelve players overall to win multiple Finals MVPs. Kawhi also ended two dynasties: the Heat and the Warriors. He will be higher when his career is over, but for now, he's only 21. Oh yeah, he's also the best on-ball defenders ever.
20. Steve Nash
He was a literal magician on the court.
This is my case for why he's here on the list. He also played an NBA Playoff game with a broken nose. He played basketball with a hockey attitude and soccer skill.
19a. Dwyane Wade
I'm going to cheat here. I'm putting two great guards together. Here is the currently 4th best 2-guard of all time. The guy below him will be past him when his career is over (and probably by the end of this season). But D-Wade deserves recognition for being a top 20 player. Here is a highlight reel of how amazing he is (these are just his game-winners).
Dwyane Wade was a truly magical player.
There was an aura that was special about him every time he stepped on the court.
He also played with this guy who's pretty good.
19 as well. James Harden
He is one of the most unstoppable offensive players ever. You literally can't stop his step-back three no matter how hard you try. All you can hope for is him to miss. This will be a reoccurring trend for every player going forward. (I may just do only highlights going forward because these are way more fun to watch than having me list out a player's resume)
18. Kevin Garnett
The Big Ticket! Anything is Possible!! KG is one of the scariest and one of the best defenders of all-time. Every player in this realm will be the best of all-time at something but KG just brings a different factor to the table. His trash talk is legendary and his defense speaks for itself. He is also about to be in the running for a Supporting Actor Nomination at the Oscars this year.
17. Moses Malone
I never saw him play, but I know he was the first real prep to pros player to succeed and he is one of the most iconic stat-sheet stuffers. He was famous for missing multiple layups to pad his stats (which I respect). Malone averaged 22 and 13 for over 15 years in the NBA and he is a three-time MVP (also an NBA Champion). One of the GOAT big men, Malone deserves all the respect in the world for how good he was.
16. Steph Curry
The greatest shooter of all-time, a revolutionary of the game of basketball and a player who will influence the next generation of basketball players throughout the world. Steph Curry, if not one of the greatest players, is one of the most IMPORTANT players in NBA history because of his influence. He makes tough shots look easy and when Curry cooks you need to stop everything you're doing and watch.
This clip below is one of my favorite games and favorite moments ever:
15. Jerry West
He's the logo and a legend of the game. His case is made for him.
14. David Robinson
A troop, a transcendent scorer and an all-around good person. David Robinson had it all and he did it all. His quest for the scoring title in 1993-94 when he scored 71 in the final game of the season to beat Shaq for the title is one of the greatest single-game stories in the history of this great league.
13. Kevin Durant
He's seven feet tall, he can score from anywhere on anyone and is a multiple-time Finals MVP. Yes, you can call him a snake for leaving OKC, but his stats and resume speak for himself. If not for his Achilles tear, Kevin Durant was one pace to cement his legacy as a top 10 player ever after this season. He still has a chance to do so, but his journey is on hold for a year and then we'll see when he looks like in his return.
12. Dirk Nowitzki
He beat LeBron in the Finals and he has an unstoppable post move that is emulated by all of the greats in the NBA today.
11. Bill Russell
He was well before my time, but I trust those that saw him and advocate that is the greatest defender to walk the face of the Earth. He racked up blocks before blocks existed and he beat both Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain consistently in the NBA Finals. He's an eleven-time champion and the Finals MVP trophy is named after him.
10. Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem revolutionized the post-game in the NBA and beat the Lakers in 85 to make the Finals his second year in the league and he went back-to-back the two years Jordan was out of the league from 1993-1995. His footwork is unparalleled and the work he has done for the game around the world is a major reason why basketball is the global sport that it is today. All of the modern greats have come to Hakeem to learn his post-moves if that isn't a testament enough to how much players respect him.
9. Larry "Legend" Bird
He and Magic Johnson saved basketball in the 80s. They are two of the most famous players ever and they deserve to be next to each other in the rankings as a result. I have Magic slightly above Larry but I have no problem if you have this order flipped. The only thing better than his play (like KG) were the stories that came with Larry's skill. Also, this moment when he had the Hawk's bench in shock over what he was doing on the court. If you have him listed as the greatest SF of in NBA history that's okay with me. I have another player at that position ahead of him though...
8. Magic Johnson
His resume: One of the most famous skyhooks in NBA history
He closed out the 76ers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at center
"Showtime"
7. Kobe Bryant
This may seem a little high to some, but not to me. He is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history (3rd all-time), he was an iconic winner, a top 5 defender for a decade, a scorer of 81 points in a single game, a 5x NBA Champion and the creator of the Mamba Mentality. If I could I would show a 5-hour highlight reel displaying Kobe's greatness, but I won't. I'll settle for about an hours worth.
This is my favorite Kobe regular-season game ever because of this finish:
6. Shaquille O'Neal
Like Kobe, his resume speaks for himself. He was larger than life both on and off the court and he's the most recognizable athlete in the world - not just the most recognizable NBA player. He also created one of the greatest highlights ever.
Anytime you get a ball thrown at you for dunking on someone, you are a top ten NBA player.
5. Wilt Chamberlain
His stats are insane. They are actually unreal at times. He averaged 30 and 30 for his career, he led the league in assist one season because he could, he often averaged more rebounds and points than most NBA frontcourts average now. He scored 50 points in the NBA All-Star game one time and it was below his season average. he scored 100 points in a game. He slept with 20,000 women. The list and the legends go on and on. This story though is why he is the 5th greatest player in NBA history.
4. Tim Duncan
Always calm and cool under pressure. The ultimate mellow player who dominated offensively and defensively with his play. He never bragged about his accomplishments and he ended up winning 5 titles as a result. Because only a few of his highlights stand out, his resume is important because it makes the case for him. Thank you to Basketball-Reference for this screenshot.
3. LeBron James
He's the greatest player ever for two separate franchises, he's a 3x NBA champion, he's a 4x MVP, a 15x All-NBA, and he will accumulate the third-most points in NBA history by the end of this next season. He's averaged 27-7-7 for his career and has surpassed even the highest of expectations for him coming out of high school. His work on the court is surpassed by his work off the court as he's empowered people in low-income communities, created "I Promise" school and helped push through a bill that could get student-athletes the compensation they need. LeBron is a once in a league's lifetime player (not just a person's) and the 3rd greatest of all-time as a result. He has a chance to break into the top two depending on how this season goes, but he will have to do a lot to remove these next two guys.
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
He played for 20 years, in the NBA all-time leading scorer and has the most unstoppable move in NBA history. Anything else you think someone did that was great, he did it better? The step-back 3 by Harden is unstoppable? The skyhook is more unstoppable? Kawhi and LeBron and a Finals MVP in two different conferences? Kareem did too, he also won an MVP in two separate conferences. For almost every significant feat achieved by another NBA player, Kareem has an even greater one.
1. Michael Jordan
Who else was going to be here? Come on, this was always leading to Mike. Everyone wants to be like him, he is still the face of the NBA over a decade later, and he's the greatest winner (in my opinion) in NBA history. He defied gravity, made the impossible possible and inspired a generation of NBA players. Michael Jordan is synonymous with greatness and the NBA. Jordan's drive to the rim with his tongue out, his hand-switch mid-air, his jumper to win the '98 Finals, and his free throw line dunk (both in-game and during the dunk contest) are just some of his highlights. They also happen to be some of the greatest highlights in the history of the NBA. Michael Jordan is the greatest play of All-Time, the GOAT.
Thanks for going on this journey with me. I know it took a while, but it's been fun to reflect on the history of the NBA and think about just how far this amazing league has come. Now with less than a month before the 2019-20 regular season begins, it's time to look to the future after reflecting on the past.
**all images and video used in this post are for entertainment and educational purposes. They are not intended to be used for profit.