We love lists and we love rankings. From "who's the greatest of all time?" to "which number is the best of all the numbers?". I am just as guilty of this as anyone. I enjoy looking at people's top 10s because everyone has a different opinion and has different value criterion when it comes to ranking. So with those disclosures out of the way, I will begin establishing the reason for my rankings and why I am placing players where I am.
To start with, I will only be ranking the final 20 best players I have ever seen. The first 10 I list are all honorable mentions and incredible players. Just being in the top 30 is an amazing accomplishment that I believe every professional basketball player should value. I also have a number of other players that are Honorable Mention and who just barely missed the cut for my rankings. So all in all, I'll have about 40 players on my list of best I have ever seen. So, here is how I went about establishing which players are the best basketball players I have ever seen. FINALLY AS A DISCLOSURE: I am too young to have watched Michael Jordan play. That is why he is not on this list.
1. Excitement and Tune in Factor. When I think of this player there needs to be a feeling in my stomach that makes me have a desire to always watch them play. When I see that they are the prime time game on TNT or ESPN they need to make me want to stop whatever I am doing so I can watch every second of their game. So excitement and tune in factor is the first criteria for my list.
2. Highlights. When I hear the player's name, I need to be instantly able to think of a highlight from them and gets my blood flowing and makes me want to step out on the court and play basketball myself. The more I've watched a players individual highlight on YouTube also helps them on the list.
3. All-Time Greatness. Finally, I have to think about the historical context of watching this player. Is this player doing things we've never seen before? Are they, not only among the best players I have seen, but among the best of all time? This is not necessarily the most important criteria I have, but it is certainly something I considered when making this ranking.
So here we go! Let's start with 30 through 21. Remember, these are not ranked among 21-30, just grouped together here.
30-21.
Pau Gasol: Without a doubt, the second best player on the Lakers '09-'10 run to back to back championships. Without him the Lakers definitely don't beat the Celtics, and the Lakers certainly don't beat the Magic in 5 games like they did. You can even make the case that he should have been Finals MVP in 2010. In Game 6 and 7 with their backs against the wall, Pau Gasol posted 13 rebounds for a dominant Game 6 win, and 18 rebounds in Game 7 to help overcome a poor Kobe Bryant shooting night. He also took a controversial charge on Paul Pierce and had a big offense rebound to put the Lakers ahead at the end of the game. While he wasn't the flashiest player, his skill for a big man is unparalleled and makes him one of the best European big men of all time.
Tracy McGrady: This one is simple. He had one of the greatest moments in NBA regular season history when he scored 13 points in 33 seconds against the Spurs. Yes, most of the comeback was due to Spurs errors, but T-Mac still needed to make those big shots to propel the comeback.
Kevin Garnett: Famous for his intensity, passion, and ferocious defense. He helped establish a culture within the Celtics locker room and as a big reason why they crushed the Lakers in Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals.
Ray Allen: Let's keep this one simple. Another man lower on this list is here for the same reason.
Chris Bosh: See Ray Allen ^--^ and watch who grabbed the offensive rebound.
Tim Duncan: This placement is solely out of respect for his greatness. He was an incredibly solid and fundamental player. Unfortunately, because of that he was very boring. I don't want to just post a Top 10 video of him, so here's a video of him being ejected for laughing.
Kevin Love: Two things come to mind with him. His amazing rebounding in Minnesota where he once had 31 rebounds. The second, is when he stood his ground in the final 40 seconds of Game 7 of the NBA finals against Steph Curry. The one possession he needed to play defense on him he did. He moved his feet, forced a bad shot, and ultimately set up Kyrie Irving's game winner as a result.
Allen Iverson: Growing up, everyone who played basketball wanted to be A.I. He had the braids, the swag, the basketball moves, and the size that proved with enough hard work anyone in the NBA could make it. His crossover is iconic and shook even the best defenders out of their shoes.
He also has one of the most iconic games in NBA finals history when he scored 48 points to beat the Lakers in Game 1 of the 2001 Finals. The most memorable moment from those Finals was when he stepped over Ty Lue after crossing him over on his way to the Game 1 victory. The 76ers lost in 5, but no one can forget his heroics leading a below average team to the Finals.
Kawhi Leonard: His dominance in the 2014 NBA Finals earns him a place on this list. He, like Tim Duncan, never really says much, and (until a year ago) never caused too much drama. He is the best on-ball defender I have ever seen in my life, without a doubt. From his quick feet to his massive hands, he has consistently stripped and embarrassed NBA All-Stars. He also dramatically improved his shot since he was at San Diego State when he first came on the scene. When he plays again for Toronto this season, I think everyone will remember why he's one the best two way players in the game.
Anthony Davis: You could pick dozens of highlights from his Freshmen year at Kentucky where he put up one of the best college seasons of all time. After he overcame his injury troubles two years ago, he has put up video game numbers almost every other night. Despite his amazing NBA dominance, my favorite play of his is this one:
Now the official numbered rankings begin:
20. Derrick Rose: His 2011 season when he became the youngest MVP in the history of the NBA was one of the most exciting I have ever seen. Up until his first ACL tear, he was on track to be the most beloved player in Chicago Bulls history behind Michael Jordan. I remember seeing him live in Chicago, and hearing the audience roar as his name was announced was one of the loudest, most raucous experiences I had ever been a part of. The first game that comes to mind for me was his game against the Knicks in 2011 where he had an awesome reverse double clutch dunk in the open court. The second game I think of is when Derrick Rose appeared to have ended Goran Dragic's career by finishing a physical contact dunk over him.
Derrick Rose's athleticism was unparalleled and will always be remembered as one of the most explosive players of this era.
19. Steve Nash: One of the fanciest passers of all time, Steve Nash proved a lot of people wrong and slotted himself as one of the most exciting players to watch in the 2000s. His no-look dishes and perfectly placed passes set up Amar'e Stoudemire for a countless number of highlight dunks. Every time he passed the ball you could hear "oohs" and "aahs" from the crowd. He also managed to win two MVPs in back to back seasons...in case his resume of passing wasn't good enough. He's also not only one of the fanciest passers ever, but one of the best, period. He currently ranks number three all time in assists at 10,335. Exactly one ahead of Mark Jackson.
18. Manu Ginobili: Recently retired and I miss him already. Like Steve Nash, his craftiness is what made him stand out. Once per game, you could count on him pulling off a clever move to either: get a shot off, dribble out of a double team, or make a pass he shouldn't have been able to. Every time I think of him, I think of how in the 2013 NBA Finals, he casually passed a ball between Norris Cole's legs. It didn't matter because Tony Parker missed the floater after, but that pass had such precision in it that I couldn't help but be impressed. One of his best nutmegs is from a couple years ago against the Warriors when he dribbled between passed the ball to himself between David West's legs and drew a foul. Finally, one cannot mention Manu's career without mentioning two important things. One: he led Argentina to a gold medal victory in the 2003 Olympics over the USA! He beat team with Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James, Tim Duncan, and more!! That's incredible. Secondly, he introduced one the most dominating drive moves to the basket in the Euro-step. It was so deceptive and difficult to guard that players were convinced he traveled in order to pull it off. Now every superstar in the league has a variation of the Euro-step, most notably Jame Harden who happens to be unstoppable with it.
17. Rajon Rondo: Please let it be noted that for this list, I am mainly counting playoff Rondo as the most exciting player. Although, he was very similar to Steve Nash in the sense that every time he passed the ball it had an artful nature to it. There was a two year stretch where Rondo was considered one of the best point guards in the NBA...and for good reason! He was the best player on the 2010 Celtics Finals team and he was a literal human highlight reel. There are two plays that come to mind for me and that define Rajon Rondo. The first is a play from December 2010. Rondo makes an unbelievable, no look, behind the head, pass to Ray Allen in the corner to start the game. The affirms how great of a passer he is night to night. The second is a blocked three on Derek Fisher in the 2010 NBA Finals. This play demonstrates how stout of a defender he was and how suffocating he was to play against on offense. Although Rondo has gotten older, he still showed flashes of greatness in 2018 against the Trailblazers and Warriors in the Playoffs. He still has magic and from time to time can still be one of the best guards in the league. Even if he doesn't ever reach close to his peak again, he will always be known as competitor and a phenomenal passer.
16. Carmelo Anthony: Melo is one of the best scorers of all time because of his size, versatility, and skill. If not for being in the same conference as Kobe Bryant, then the same conference as Lebron James, and now the same conference as the Warriors, perhaps Melo would have made a Finals appearance in his career. However, no one can take away his 62 points in Madison Square Garden, beating out Kobe by 1, and is still the arena record, both by a Knick and by any other player. He also had some incredible duels with Lebron James in Denver and some great battles against the Celtics in New York. Finally, Carmelo's career would not be complete without mentioning his Olympic achievements. He is a multi-time FIBA champion, a 3 time Olympic gold medalist, and hit some of the biggest shots in USA history. His biggest were against Argentina in 2012, where he nailed 4 three pointers in less than 2 minutes, effectively ending the game for Argentina. Lastly, here's a clutch pair of 3's Melo hit against the Chicago Bulls in case you forgot how much of a big time player he was and still can be.
15. Chris Paul: Chris Paul had a 5 year stretch in New Orleans where he was unanimously considered the best point guard in the league (although some incorrect people would say Deron Williams). After being traded to the Lakers (technically) and then finally the Clippers he, along with Blake Griffin catapulted the Clippers to relevance and success for the first time ever in franchise history. His passing is some of the best in the game, he has a phenomenal IQ, except for this moment, and created Lob City. He even played amazing basketball in the 2018 playoffs for the Rockets until he went down with injury. When all is said and done he will go down as one of the greatest point guards of all time and always be known as making the Clippers one of the most exciting teams in the NBA from 2013-2015.
14. Russell Westbrook: Freakish athleticism, back to back triple double seasons (grabbing 26 rebounds on the final night of the season in order to get his second), a nasty attitude, and unbelievable competitiveness. These are the traits that define Westbrook and make him one of the most memorable players I've seen. Every time he attacks the basket, he goes to the rim with reckless abandon which put me both in awe and in fear for his safety. He's also the ultimate hero ball player. When his team gets down, you can count on him taking the deficit as a personal challenge and doing whatever he can to come back. This includes both game 5 and 6 of the 2018 playoffs when he took 39 shots and 43 shots respectively. Taking 39 shots paid off for the Thunder and they won, but 42 was a little too much when he lost to the Jazz in Game 6.
13. Dwight Howard: Dwight Howard today is known as locker room cancer and a head case for any front office to deal with. This is all his fault, going back to his last 2 years in Orlando when he feuded with Stan Van Gundy and had one of the most awkward, but incredible interviews in NBA history. Before that though, Dwight Howard was an athletic force to be reckoned with. He was so strong that his drop step and spin post moves in the paint usually ended with him dunking on his defender. He could soar for any lob, dunk from the free throw line, and was a media darling because of his sense of humor. From 2009-2012 he was the best center in the NBA and even had a strong case as to why he should have been MVP in 2011 over Derrick Rose (he finished 2nd that year). Besides his historic playoff run in 2009 when the Magic beat the Cavaliers, Celtics, and 76ers, he also was part of a Magic team that beat the Hawks in historic fashion, beating them by one of the largest margins in NBA history. While his career has gone to the wayside, when we look back on him when it is time to discuss him as a Hall of Famer, we will see the numbers he put up and I believe it will be very difficult to keep him out.
12. Kevin Durant: Top 10 scorer of all time, 2x champion, 2x Finals MVP, Regular Season MVP, and Gold Medal winner. His success and memorability speaks for itself. He's an incredibly clutch player with a great looking jumpshot and not to mention, he's 6'11"! For Kevin Durant, there are 4 plays that I have of him that come to mind for me instantly. The first two are his game winners in the NBA finals two years in a row in the face of LeBron James.
The next is another game winner he hit against the Mavericks opening night of the 2011 NBA season while he was still with the Thunder (and Russell Westbrook and James Harden). I remember it so vividly because it was one year after the Thunder had their coming out party against the Lakers in the playoffs. It also was another reminder that Kevin Durant was destined to be great. Finally, you can't talk about Durant and the Thunder without mentioning the one-two punch that he was with Russell Westbrook. They full demonstrated their talent and skill against the Suns when they combined for 91 points. If it hadn't already been cemented already, this was the night everyone in the league knew that the Thunder were going to be a force to be reckoned with for a long time, until they weren't...
11. Vince Carter: I never knew someone could fly as high as Vince Carter did until I saw him. He put on the greatest dunk contest of all time and also had the greatest dunk in Olympic basketball history when he literally soared over 7'1" center, Frederic Weise. The dunk was so ferocious and terrifying that Weise decided not to come over to the NBA the next season even though he was drafted by the Knicks in 1999. What makes Vince even better are two things: one, his nickname Vinsanity is an all-time great one. Secondly, he just signed a one year deal with the Hawks making this his 21st season in the NBA. He constantly reinvented himself throughout his career by adding a 3 point shot and learning to play off the ball. Also, just as a reminder, he jumped over a 7' tall center!! RIP Weise's career and hello immorality, meet Vince Carter.
10. Dirk Nowitzki: Dirk is so incredible to watch because I am always unsure how any shot he takes goes in. He fades away from the basket with his patented leg kick and, as off-balanced as he looks, he somehow nails a perfect swish. This shot, for example, should not have gone in:
He created, besides the Dream Shake, the most iconic post move in basketball which is quite a feat. His work ethic and practice to master these moves is something that will put even the hardest workers to shame. Players all over the league replicate it, most famously Kevin Durant, because it is such an effective move. If your contemporaries are trying to steal your move, then you must be doing something right. Going into his 21st season now with one team, Dirk has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest big men of all time and, without a doubt, a top 5 power-forward.
9. Blake Griffin: This may be an unpopular opinion, but Blake Griffin is one of the best dunkers in NBA history. If you don't believe me, watch this video that proves me right.
Before his injuries started piling up about 4 years ago, he had the explosion of Vince Carter and the size of Karl Malone. Anytime he was going to the basket, it was advised to get out of the way (ask Timofey Mozgov). He was what made lob city happen. Yes, Chris Paul and Deandre Jordan were important in that too, but the flare and power he put into each dunk was what captivated audiences around the world. Whenever he stepped on the court, he was a must watch player. However, his most iconic game for me was not a dunk of his. It was in round 1 of the 2015 NBA playoffs when Chris Paul and Blake Griffin played at the peak of their games to take down the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. It was the moment that fans finally believed the Clippers would get over the hump and go to the Conference Finals. Unfortunately, Josh Smith and Corey Brewer of the Rockets stood in their way.
8. Kyrie Irving: He hit one of the most iconic shot in NBA history. He has the best handles in the league. He's also as explosive a scorer as the league has ever seen. Kyrie Irving is absolute excitement when he gets on the court. The ball looks like it is literally attached to a string when he dribbles. His moves are like a choreographed dance. He and Lionel Messi are perhaps the greatest dribblers of all time in their respective sports. It isn't just his speed what adds to his handle, it is how unpredictable he is with the ball. His moves seem to sometimes be unconventional in the best ways. When Kyrie steps on to the court, you instantly can tell he's one of the best players out there.
7. Dwayne Wade: The greatest player in Heat franchise history and it's not even close. Yes, some people will say Lebron, but he doesn't feel like he was on the Heat long enough. When you think of the Heat you think of D-Wade, of Flash. You think of his heroic comeback against the Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals where he drew a (suspicious?) amount of fouls and elevated them to a title. He also recruited LeBron to Miami where they were one of the most iconic duos of all time and even popularized the idea of the "Big 3" even though the Celtics had just done the same thing. Wade was part of the famous "Not 1, not 2, not 3..." press conference and was responsible for creating one of the most iconic photos in NBA history.
Every time Wade steps on to the court, you can expect something magical to happen as was proven in the 2017-2018 season where he had an iconic throwback game in the playoffs against the 76ers. In an unrelated game, also hit a game winner wearing the shoes with the name of Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver who was buried wearing a Dwyane Wade jersey. Moments like that are what make sports magical and create a legacy for a player that transcends sports. He is one of those player who, when you see his highlights, you don't believe they are real at first because they are so incredible and he does things that we believed to be impossible before.
6. Klay Thompson: His best stat line: 60 points. 29 minutes. 11 dribbles. 46 total touches (3rd behind Draymond Green and Steph Curry). Didn't play the 4th quarter. Slept through morning practice. Each one of these stats are great on their own, but put into one game, it's one of the greatest stat lines of all time. Klay has perhaps, the most beautiful and efficient jump shot of all time. His most iconic game though, is one that saved the Warriors season in 2016. He scored 41 points in game 6 against the Thunder in Oklahoma City and single-handily saved the Warriors from elimination. By all accounts they seemed to be unraveling and analysts all around the league were counting the Warriors out. Clearly Durant and Westbrook had found a way to beat them. This single game changed the course of NBA history. Perhaps if the Thunder win this game then Durant stays in OKC. Maybe the Warriors break up or revamp if they lose and LeBron goes on to win multiple more titles because he doesn't have to play them with Durant. This is why Klay is such a memorable player. He is not only one of the best shooters ever, but he also altered NBA history. As if he wasn't amazing enough, he also holds the record for most points in a quarter (37 points).
5. James Harden: Every great player has a signature go to move that is unstoppable. Kobe Bryant has his post fadeaway. Michael Jordan had his fadeaway that Kobe copied from him. Dirk has his one-legged shot. And James Harden has the most absurd and difficult move of all. A step back fadeaway from beyond the three point line. This shot is nearly as impossible to defend as it gets. He creates just enough space to shoot and if for some reason he doesn't then he can simply do his rip-through move to draw a foul and get three free throws. This move almost always ends in him embarrassing the defender, (as seen to Wesley Johnson), and all his supporters swear its not a travel.
His beard is also one of the most iconic looks in sports and his off the court antics are as infamous as his on the court moves. James Harden already has a 60 point triple double, which, with assists and points accounted for, is equivalent to an 81 point game putting him in the same area of greatness as Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan in terms of scoring. When Harden's career is over, he will most likely be a top 5 shooting guard of all time if he isn't in that discussion already. NBA analysts like Charles Barkley have called him the "most unguardable" player and the "best individual scorer". It's scary to think that he can get even better as a player. If he adds other moves to his arsenal, then he'll be moving up this list no problem.
4. Shaquille O'Neal: Shaq is the most physically dominant player this game has ever seen. He literally barreled over players each game and was fouled and hit harder than any other player. He drove defenders insane and drove them to the breaking point of frustration. The best example of this is when Shaq dunked on Chris Dudley and Dudley threw a ball at him immediately after the play. Dudley then said some choice words perfectly encapsulating what it is like to have to defend Shaq. Growing up watching Shaq on the Lakers, he and Kobe both made so many iconic highlights and moments that made me fall in love with this game. The alley-oop from Kobe to Shaq in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals is one of the greatest moments in playoff history and their playoff run of 16-1 is matched only by the Warriors of 2017. You could make a reasonable argument that the 3-peat run by the Lakers from 2000-2003 was the greatest of all time because of how dominant they were. Most of their dominance though, can be attributed to the greatness of Shaq.
3. Stephen Curry: The first year Steph Curry came into the mainstream, during the 2014-2015 season when he made over 400 threes and won MVP for the first time, was one of the most fun seasons of basketball I have ever watched. He made shots that were impossible and were considered only circus shots up until this point. Although the first two moments that started making Curry a household name was years before that. The first was against the Knicks in 2013 when he scored 54 points in Madison Square Garden. National audiences saw his pull-up transition 3's for the first time and (after he made 11 3's) quickly realized he was one of the best shooters in the NBA. His second big moment was in the 2013 playoffs when the Warriors upset the Nuggets in the first round. He scored 30 twice in that series and made every single free throw he took. His most iconic moment in the series was when he scored 22 in the 3rd quarter of Game 5. The Warriors then went on to scare the Spurs in Round 2, losing in 6 games. Even though they lost, the Warriors were on the NBA's radar after that. Ever since that run, Steph Curry has skyrocketed in popularity and now is one of the two most recognizable faces in the NBA today. Because Steph has so many highlights, I've decided to just list my three favorites. My ranking of Steph Curry's most incredible plays rank like this:
2. Kobe Bryant: Kobe Bryant for 20 years epitomized Los Angeles. He was the heart and soul of the city. He was a must see player, from his first year when he won the dunk contest, to his final game when he scored 60 points (23 in the final quarter) in a victory. What's amazing is that scoring 60 wasn't even his most impressive feat. He famously scored 81 in a game (2nd most of all time) and 62 in 3 quarters against the Mavericks (he outscored the entire Mavericks team up to that point, for the record). It is difficult to debate that he's the best player in his era because another man who's number 1 on this list, but you could easily make the case that he's the most exciting. His signature fadeaway had enough finesse and drama to it that always made it exciting to see. He had a masterful pumpfake that always seemed to get defenders to jump no matter how hard they tried to stay down. When it came down to a final shot for a game, there were very few other players you would want instead of him. Yes, he didn't always shoot the best percentages but he epitomized hero ball and had a look on his face in the clutch that showed you he was willing to do whatever it took to win. He has so many iconic clutch moments that I can think of. So, like Steph, I'll just list off my favorites: his clutch 4th quarter against the Raptors in 2013, his clutch performances against the Blazers both in the playoffs (oop to Shaq) and in the regular season, his rainbow fadeaway over LeBron in 2009, his left-handed 3 pointer, and his final game when he made every clutch shot down the stretch for the Lakers like he had done so many times before. People always want to debate between Kobe 8 and Kobe 24. I personally side with 24 because i felt like his game was more well rounded and complete in 24. However, without 8, Kobe wouldn't have been able to be the player he was that created 24. So, in short, I like both. Finally, he has one of the most badass moments ever in NBA history.
1. LeBron James: "Igoudala to Curry...back to Igoudala...up for the layup...Oh! Block by James!! LeBron James with the rejection!!" Every time I hear this call or see this play, it immediately takes me back to this moment and reminds me why I love the sport of basketball so much. LeBron has the second most iconic play in NBA Finals history (behind Jordan's shot versus the Jazz) along with hundreds of other iconic highlights which is why he is number one on this list. He has his patented chasedown block, masterful fadeaway, intimidating size, and unbelievable athleticism. What is even more amazing is that he was good as soon as he came into the NBA. At the age of 18, coming from a single parent home and having his high school games broadcasted since he was 14, no one has dealt with the spotlight and pressures of being an NBA athlete better than he has. No one can doubt his greatness as he's a top 3 player of all time and the greatest player of the 2000s. Everywhere LeBron goes, drama is to follow, which, for an NBA fan like me, isn't necessarily a bad thing. He has dominated the Eastern Conference for 10 years now and has beaten each contender that has tried to rise through the East to challenge him. He owns the city of Toronto, he beat Boston in 7 games in 2012 (including a heroic game 6), beat them again in 7 this past postseason, dominated the Bulls when they had their best team since Jordan (don't forget when he jumped over John Lucas), and even stymied the Pacers with Paul George (He also beat them this year too). What is amazing about LeBron is that he seems to get better with age. This past postseason was arguably the best of his career, which is unheard of for a 34 year old. He scored 51 in game 1 of the NBA finals and, if not for a massive mental error by J.R. Smith, could have won game 1. LeBron has also posterized every defender known to man-kind. From Kevin Garnett, to Tim Duncan, and many others. If you are a big man, you're going to get dunked on.
Honorable mentions:
Amar'e Stoudemire
Jimmer Fredette (college)
Trae Young (college)
Hoodie Melo (different from regular Carmelo)
Tony Parker
John Wall
Yao Ming
Shabazz Muhammad (high school)
Any high schooler's HoopsHype mixtape