You might have seen the articles being passed around over the last several weeks. Stats: 23.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.8 APG in 18 seasons with Denver Nuggets (2003-04 to 2010-11), New York Knicks (2010-11 to 2016-17), Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-18), Houston Rockets (2018-19), Portland Trail Blazers (2019-20 to 2020-21)*. 22-6, 14-2 conf. The 50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time 50 Paul Arizin Paul Vathis/AP Stalwart jump shooter from the Philadelphia Warriors. Redick . Stats: 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG in 16 seasons with Philadelphia 76ers (1984-85 to 1991-92), Phoenix Suns (1992-93 to 1995-96) and Houston Rockets (1996-97 to 1999-00). If not, you surely must have caught the response when John Stockton (#19) and Scottie Pippen (#25) appeared before Isiah Thomas (#26)? -- MacMahon, The combination of Bird and Magic Johnson arriving in the NBA in the 1980s helped usher in the league's golden age, kicking off a new round of battles between the Celtics and Lakers, while Bird's all-around offensive prowess made him one of the game's all-time great players. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, five-time All-Defensive team. -- Lopez, 1948-49 (BAA), 1949-54, 1956 Minneapolis Lakers, The NBA's first giant, Mikan was an NBA pioneer. -- 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. 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. The charismatic Johnson took the "Showtime" Lakers to nine NBA Finals, and they won five titles. As a result of a tie in the voting, the 75th anniversary team includes 76 players. Stats: 20.8 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 4.0 APG in nine seasons with Philadelphia 76ers (1965-66 to 1971-72; 1974-75 to 1975-76); also played two ABA seasons with Carolina Cougars (1972-73 to 1973-74). Stats: 22.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.4 APG in 16 seasons with Miami Heat (2003-04 to 2015-16; 2017-18 to 2018-19), Chicago Bulls (2016-17) and Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-18). Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, 1995 NBA champion. Cricket. She leads the squad in made threes per game, connecting on 1.9 treys per contest with a 38 percent shooting percentage from deep. Barry drained 90% of his NBA free throws, fourth best all time. Boxing. He became the face of a generation of big men and was dominant down low as he helped push the Lakers to three straight NBA titles from 2000 to 2002. But now that he has that record, he's fine with that title. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive Team, 2013 All-Star MVP, 2005-06 Rookie of the Year, six-time steals champ, four-time assists champ. Andrew D Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images. While James' individual accomplishments will put his career near the very top of all to have ever played the sport, the blueprint he created will give others a chance to maximize their experience as a professional athlete. -- Bontemps, 1969-75 Milwaukee Bucks; 1975-89 Los Angeles Lakers, No one in NBA history can match Abdul-Jabbar's lengthy list of achievements. All-time NBArank: Nos. 26 . Cricket. RB Jim Brown -- Cleveland Browns, 1957-1965 1959-62 Philadelphia Warriors, 1962-65 San Francisco Warriors; 1965-68 Philadelphia 76ers; 1968-73 Los Angeles Lakers. 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. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1988 Finals MVP, three-time NBA champion. Best NBA players of all time: Ranking the Top 75 - Nos. 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. 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 . The complete list of players is in alphabetical order below. Old school vs. new school? He developed into a very good spot-up shooter after his skills waned in his twilight, one reason he fit so well with Dirk Nowitzki as the leaders of the Mavs' championship team. TrueHoop TV: Is Kevin Garnett too low in all-time PF rankings? His famous finger rolls, a phenomenal blend of flair and function, were so memorable that Nike made them into a marketing line long after Gervin hung up his high-tops. (1:37). Players such as Allen Iverson, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Wilt Chamberlain, and others have left their mark on the franchise and the NBA as a whole. His unstoppable, patented skyhook,. -- MacMahon, Before Dec. 14, Curry was hesitant to call himself the greatest shooter of all time despite having changed the game of basketball. ESPN has been counting down the 100 best NBA players of all-time. Stats: 18.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG in 18 seasons with Indiana Pacers (1987-88 to 2004-05). A man of few words, Leonard's legacy speaks volumes already for helping deliver the first NBA championship to Canada. Give me a break. 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 Old school or new school? West is also the definition of being loyal to a franchise, working with the Lakers as a player, coach and front-office member. ESPN's NBA expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head player matchups, taking into consideration the quality and quantity of their NBA contributions. During halftime of the 1997 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland, 47 of the 50 members of that team were honored in person. He won Rookie of the Year after Boston made him the No. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, five-time MVP, 1963 All-Star MVP, four-time rebounding champ, 11-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) . Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, two-time NBA champion. 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. Duncan won five championships over three decades, earning Finals MVP three times. -- Collier, Long before there was "Playoff Rondo," Jones earned the nickname "Mr. Accomplishments: Eight-time NBA All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 1975 Finals MVP, 1965-66 Rookie of the Year, 1966-67 scoring champ, 1974-75 steals champ, 1975 NBA champion. He also averaged at least 12.4 rebounds in every season. Why he rose three spots. Accomplishments: 14-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, five-time All-Defensive team, 1969 Finals MVP, 1972 All-Star MVP, 1969-70 scoring champ, 1971-72 assists champ, 1972 NBA champion. Sadly, Walton was never the same dominant force, though he returned to contribute to the 1985-86 Celtics title, winning the Sixth Man award. Deonna Brister adds 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Lady Colonels, and Kyla Hamilton averages 10.8 points, 4.2 assists and two steals per game. -- Pelton, 1967-77 New York Knicks; 1977-79 Cleveland Cavaliers, Known as much for his inimitable style off the court as his play on it, Frazier became the face of the Knicks' iconic championship teams in the 1970s, thanks to his long post-playing career with the franchise. Kevin Durant vs. Kobe Bryant? MLB. The Vermont Catamounts (22-6, 14-2 America East) look to continue a 14-game winning streak when they host the Bryant Bulldogs (9-20, 3-13 America East) at 5:00 PM ET on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at . ESPN put out their own top 75. A four-time NBA champion and three-time Finals MVP, O'Neal averaged a double-double during a career that spanned almost two decades. 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. 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. Stats: 24.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.5 APG in 11 seasons with Golden State Warriors (2009-10 to 2020-21)*. Before, however, Wilkens was a nine-time All-Star as a point guard who excelled as both a scorer and a playmaker -- including twice as player-coach for the SuperSonics. Stats: 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG in 20 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1996-97 to 2015-16). He won with the Rockets in 1982 and then was traded to the 76ers where he won the MVP, the championship and the Finals MVP in 1983. Schayes' shot was so iconic that it even earned its own nickname: Sputnik, named after the first satellite orbiting the planet. -- 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. Aside from his play on the floor, Pippen is routinely brought up as one of his former teammates' favorite people to play with. These debates rage on endlessly in every corner of NBA fandom, and our experts have done their best to answer them, ranking the greatest players in the league's 74-year history. He earned respect from his peers by how hard he played and how tough it was to go against him. Rodman won Defensive Player of the Year twice and was a five-time NBA champion as a centerpiece for dynasties in Detroit and Chicago. Perhaps the greatest two-way player of his generation, Leonard dissects defenses with robotic midrange precision while disrupting offenses with his long arms and physical defense. 2, just ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at No. Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain? Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive team, 1994-95 Rookie of the Year, five-time assists champ, 2011 NBA champion. He would go on to win six championships with the Celtics, was a 12-time All-NBA selection and a 13-time All-Star. NBA. O'Neal became an All-Star 15 times and earned the 1999-2000 MVP award. His 71-point effort in the regular-season finale in 1994 to win the scoring title trails only Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and David Thompson in all-time single-game scoring efforts. 75-51 Jeff Zillgitt Mark Medina Matt Eppers. In 2009, then-NBA commissioner David Stern announced the Finals MVP award would be named after Russell. Career Stats: 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 AST, 49.0 FG%, 42.8 FG3%, 90.4 FT% The . Stats: 24.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.5 APG in 15 seasons with Atlanta Hawks (1982-83 to 1993-94), LA Clippers (1993-94), Boston Celtics (1994-95), San Antonio Spurs (1996-97) and Orlando Magic (1998-99). Accomplishments: 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, eight-time assists champ, 1956-57 MVP, two-time All-Star MVP, six-time NBA champion. His 34.0 points per game that season is also the highest point total for a player at that height in NBA history. Accomplishments: Two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, eight-time All-Defensive team, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time rebounding champ, five-time NBA champion. ESPN+. Fantasy Incarnate Word Cardinals. -- Collier, 1965-72, 1974-76 Philadelphia 76ers; also played two ABA seasons with Carolina Cougars (1972-74), A fixture with the 76ers as both a player and coach, Cunningham was part of one of the most iconic teams in NBA history: the 1967 NBA champion Sixers. -- MacMahon, 1963-74 San Francisco/Golden State Warriors; 1974-75 Chicago Bulls; 1975-77 Cleveland Cavaliers, Thurmond's career was defined in part by the defensive intensity he brought on a nightly basis. -- Bontemps, 2011-2018 San Antonio Spurs; 2018-2019 Toronto Raptors; 2019-22 LA Clippers, With some of the biggest hands the NBA has ever seen, Leonard has hauled in two NBA championship rings, two Finals MVP trophies (he's the second-youngest to ever win one) and two Defensive Player of the Year awards. [4] All have since retired. 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. Stats: 21.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.8 APG in 16 season with San Diego/Houston Rockets (1968-69 to 1971-72; 1981-82 to 1983-84) and Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets (1972-73 to 1980-81) . He was mocked as "Ason" early in his career, when he lacked a jump shot. He's also fifth all-time in steals (2,440) and could pass Michael Jordan for third place (2,514) next season. His rsum stands the test of time with six championships, six MVPs, two Finals MVPs, the scoring record and 15 All-NBA selections. Photos: Classic action shots of league's best floor generals, All-Time #NBArank: The 10 greatest shooting guards in NBA history, Photos: Classic action shots of league's best shooting guards. -- Andrews, Adding Magic, the top pick of the 1979 draft, catalyzed the Lakers' dynasty. 4x NBA Season MVP, 1972 NBA Finals MVP, 13x NBA All-Star, 2x NBA Champion, 1960 Rookie of the Year. -- 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. 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 . Stats: 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG in 13 seasons with Detroit Pistons (1981-82 to 1993-94). This year, the rankings were determined holistically by a panel of NBA writers Chris Herring, Rohan Nadkarni,. He was called the Kangaroo Kid because of his jumping ability, and though a knee injury cut his career short, he finished it with a 20-10 average, four All-Star appearances and four All-NBA teams. Stats: 20.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 4.5 APG in eight seasons with Milwaukee Bucks (2013-14 to 2020-21)*. In 1969, he became the only player in NBA history to win Finals MVP on a losing team. Stats: 19.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.5 APG in 19 seasons with Boston Celtics (1998-99 to 2012-13), Brooklyn Nets (2013-14), Washington Wizards (2014-15) and LA Clippers (2015-16 to 2016-17). The man they call "The Human Highlight Film" was one of the greatest dunkers of all 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. With his hook shot, Mikan led the league in scoring in his first three seasons. Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant? Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, five-time All-Defensive team, nine-time assists champ, two-time steals champ, 1993 All-Star MVP. Then our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value. All-Time #NBArank: The 10 greatest power forwards in NBA history, Photos: Classic action shots of league's best power forwards. Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, 1971 All-Star MVP, 1969-70 assists champ. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA, 10-time NBA champion. -- Jamal Collier, 1962-68 Detroit Pistons; 1968-74 New York Knicks, For the first six years the NBA started naming an All-Defensive First Team, DeBusschere's name was included on the list. John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated. So, yeah, he definitely played. -- 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. SLAM 500 Greatest NBA Players of All Time Bill Simmons Hall of Fame Pyramid ABA All-Time Team NBA & ABA All-Star Game All-Star Game Selections by Player All-NBA and All-NBA Team Selections by Player All-Defensive Team Selections by Player NBA Referee Awards Greg Willard Spirit Award NCAA Season Awards AP Player of the Year Award Westbrook owns the record for career triple-doubles -- 193 -- beating out Oscar Robertson's previous mark. Jalen Rose and David Jacoby cover a collection of NBA topics, including the prospects of finishing the 2019-20 NBA season, (1:41) ESPN.com's list of the 10 b. Bryant is a two-time scoring champ and will go down as one of the greats in terms of playoff production. LeBron James or Michael Jordan? 374 - The 2017 All Star Game was also the highest-scoring game in the event's history, with 374 points (the . To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. Stats: 18.5 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.1 APG in 15 seasons with Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1949-50 to 1963-64). Pelton: Is Steph Curry already a Hall of Famer? 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. Something has to give when a pair of streaking teams hit the court. MLB. For the most part, it would be hard to argue that Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar aren't the top three players in NBA history. 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. He also provided an inspiration for players coming back from Achilles injuries. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive team, 1993-94 MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Finals MVP, two-time rebounding champ, three-time blocks champ, two-time NBA champion. Visit ESPN for the game preview of the Liberty Flames vs. Bellarmine Knights NCAAW basketball game on 1 March 2023 . 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. Stats: 20.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.0 APG in 12 seasons with Detroit Pistons (1966-67 to 1974-75), Washington Bullets (1975-76 to 1976-77) and Boston Celtics (1977-78). My first hoops hero, but this is no loyalty vote. The Jazz's arena sits at the intersection of Stockton and Malone, honoring the duo that's practically synonymous with the pick-and-roll. -- 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. -- Lopez, There was nothing flashy about Stockton, from his short shorts to his sound fundamentals. He played his entire career in Detroit and won back-to-back championships in 1989 and '90, winning Finals MVP in 1990. -- 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. He would eventually win the rebounding title twice and help future teammate Wes Unseld take the Bullets to three Finals appearances, including the championship in 1978. His presence loomed large through 15 NBA seasons as evidenced by the 15 points and 15 rebounds per game he averaged during an NBA career in which he became a beloved member of the Warriors' organization. The NBA is celebrating its 75th anniversary throughout the 2021-22 season, and part of that celebration includes the unveiling of the list of the greatest players in NBA history. -- 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. The rings. "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. Visit ESPN for the game preview of the Incarnate Word Cardinals vs. Northwestern State Lady Demons NCAAW basketball game on 1 March 2023 . Is Kevin Garnett too low in all-time PF rankings teams hit the court includes 76 players 's..., 10-time NBA champion to a franchise, working with the Celtics, was a 12-time All-NBA selection a... To nine NBA Finals MVP, four-time rebounding champ, 1956-57 MVP, 1969-70 champ... Were honored in person Lakers as a player, coach and front-office member 2,514 next. 14.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.5 APG in eight seasons with Indiana Pacers ( 1987-88 2004-05! Nba expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head player matchups, taking consideration! Win six championships with the Lakers as a player at that height in NBA history NBA. 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