Top 10 Best Basketball Players of All Time
Basketball has been home to some of the most iconic athletes in sports history. These players have thrilled audiences with their skill, athleticism, and sheer determination, cementing their place in the hearts of fans across the world. But who are the best of the best? With your help, we've compiled a list of the top ten basketball players of all time, taking into account factors like championships, individual accolades, and impact on the game.From towering centers to lightning-fast guards, the players on this list come from all corners of the basketball world, united by their unparalleled talent and success. Some of them were pioneers who changed the game forever, while others were dominant forces who ruled the court for years on end. Whether you're a die-hard basketball fan or simply appreciate greatness, this list is sure to inspire and impress. So without further ado, let's count down the top ten basketball players of all time.

Amazing how quickly people forget how good he was. Bobby Knight who coached him in the 84 Olympics once made a statement saying he is the best player to ever play any team sport. Knight might has been an ass at times, but he knew talent and if one of the few who knew Michael would be as great as he was. He also made Pippen and Rodman the players they are due to his desire to win. Paul Westfall after getting beat by Jordan was asked by reporters did you say you had to stop Michael. Westfall replied, nobody can and we never said we could, the only way stop Michael is rip his heart out. He was red in the face and left the podium. How many great players did he keep from winning a championship: Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, Karl Malone and basically everyone on the Dream Team unless they played for the Bulls or when Jordan was playing baseball, Hakeem O. Who was picked a head of Jordan in the 84 draft. It was a good pick, with Jordan playing baseball he was able to win 2 championships ...more
Best player the world has seen and will see. Just looking at him inspires you to become a basketball player. No matter what anyone says, Jordan is the best basket-baller.
Jordan has been and probably always will be the best ever. There are no current players even in the top 20 of all time. The closest is Durant if he can play enough games over the nest 4-5 years. Kobe, Shaq are not top 10. Wade, Iverson, Pippen, and Dwight Howard in the Top 20? Get real, people.
Kobe, Shaq, Duncan do no belong in the top ten. These guys were excellent players, but to say they were better than Olajuwon, Robertson, or West is simply not true. Recently, there has been debate on ESPN whether Curry belongs on this list if the Warriors win another championship. The answer is flat-out "NO". Yes, he is the best shooter in the history of the game, but the guy doesn't play any meaningful defense. Any team that plays G.S. can use and abuse him defensively. Also, Tatum is not a current Top 10 player. He is very inconsistent and commits far too many turnovers.

Magic could easily play point guard, shooting guard, small forward, and power forward. He once played center in 1980 nba finals and won with kareem injured in game 6. The bulls struggled when Jordan played the point because he was not good at distributing. Jordan was too small in size and did not have the strength to play small forward at his prime.
Overall Talent
While I do give Michael Jordan the edge in scoring, Magic had more all around talent. He has 100 more triple doubles than Michael Jordan did even though he retired at only 32. Magic Johnson was the best passer the game has every seen not even john stockton, jason kidd, steve nash, or chris paul can pass as good as Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson was best rebounder who played out of any guard position averaging 7.2 rebounds a game for his career.
Competitiveness
While Jordan did win 6 rings. Magic Johnson won 5 rings in the 1980's era that was best in basketball there was celtics who had bird, mchale, and ...more
Magic was a winner at every level! Day 1 in the NBA, everybody should know this, the stats are there but I think people are too young and never seen him play, the torch was passed as the best player from Dr. J and took the NBA to another level... people could not wait to tell friends and co workers about last nights game, all because of Magic and Showtime... sadly aids virus cut away his time too soon... and then he played in another All Star Game which was fun to watch... Basketball is a team sport and on my team he is my Number 1 All Time player!
Magic is only seventh and behind Lebron and Iverson please, Lebron may not even be the best player on his team. Both have not won a championship though Lebron might only time will tell. There is more to basketball than how many points you average, Magic and Larry Bird are the greatest ever with Magic Johnson getting my vote. They won championships against teams in their prime (Dr J Sixers, Isiah Thomas Pistons and against each other), even Jordan was not good enough in the eighties and had to wait for the nineties for his success.
Magic johnson is the original greatest player of all time notjordan he is only imitation of magic Magic Johnson was better than Michael Jordan. He won 1 less championship than Michael Jordan in the toughest era in basketball which was the 80's which had celtics that was filled with kevin mchale, robert Parish, larry bird, 76ers that had darryl dawkins, dr. j, maurice cheeks, and pistons who had isaih thomas, dumars, vinny johnson. He was also more versatile than Jordan able to play every position on the floor. From 1985 on when Kareem numbers started to decline Magic did more of the scoring and put up ridiculous numbers like 23 points a game and 11-12 assists a game, 8-9 rebounds a game. Also Magic made his players better. Most of James Worthy points came on the fast break which Magic Johnson used to set him up or in the post. Byron Scott who was a good or not great player also scored a lot of points on the Lakers with Magic leading the fast break. I think the main reason why Jordan ...more

Lebron James given the weapons players like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan had he could be on his way to more rings than them. James is the greatest team leader I've ever seen, you put him on any team and they are championship contenders. The year after he left Cleveland they went from 61-21 to 19-63 and when he left the Heat they went from 54-28 (in the finals) to 37-45 (no playoffs). He has the greatest affect on any team that I've ever seen and if you're going to talk about the greatest of all time there are only 5 names relevant to the conversation: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James!
Despite MJ having more rings of course, I really do believe that Lebron is the better basketball player. He is just absolutely amazing and super talented. It's so hard not to like him! The thing I really like about Lebron is that he is an all around player. You don't see him putting up 40+ points a game. Instead, he really loves to get his teammates involved the best way he can. And the thing is, he could easily score 40+ a game if he wanted to. But he understands the fundamentals of the game. Basketball is not an individual sport. It's about involving others and making others around you even better, which Lebron does a fantastic job doing. At the end of his career, I would not be surprised to see that he ends up winning 6+ rings.
Lebron won 2 rings in the the NBA finals (which is great) but he has been to the finals 6 times. Yes he can score. Yes he is arguably the best player of this generation. All time though? Jordan every time he went to the NBA finals won. Jordan won the scoring title 10 times! Lebrun on the other hand only won it once. Yes, the Lebron and Curry argument will last for a while. (Considering Curry is the better scorer at the time) Lebron will probably lead the NBA in points scored in his career, but he'll never be the best because Jordan WAS the best. Lebron should stay around 5th or 6th all time in my opinion, but he should never be higher than 3.
LeBron James may not be the best right now but he should be at least number 2 currently. By the end of his career he has the potential to be The Greatest Of All Time. He is improving his game every off season. And it is very noticeable during the season. For example the off season after he won his first ring he improved on his jump shot. Last season he was pretty good from beyond the arc, not great but pretty good. And that means you have to respect his shot from beyond the arc which will open other opportunities for him to make other plays or it will allow his teammates to get open for the score.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most underrated players in NBA history despite being the all time leader in scoring, having 6 championships (more than Jordan), having the most MVP trophies (more than Jordan), being 3rd in rebounding and 3rd in shot blocking which is amazing because shot blocking wasn't even counted statistically until his 4th year in the NBA it's safe to say if they would've counted it from his rookie year up he might very well be the all time leader in shot blocking, he is never in the conversation of greatest of all time, WHY?!
Kareem was the best player of the 70s, nobody could stop his sky hook. He continued to be top 5 for most of the 80s. I don't think he received the recognition he deserved due to a lack of flashiness and quiet demeanor. At 7-2, 275 lbs, he was a immovable object with the grace of a gazelle. Come on, he lead Milwaukee to two NBA Finals, winning one. Who else could've done that? This happened years before Magic Johnson came along. Let's give the man his props.
REALLY... Kareem has got to be in the top 5. Did 10 year olds vote? I guess? MVPs:5 which is a record, All star appearances: 19 Another record, Championships:6. He got dunking banned from collage until 1975! Best collage player of all time. Another reason why people didn't vote for him is because before him joining the Lakers for their showtime with his goggles he looked very different and didn't even have the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He should be number 2 or maby even 1!
How the heck is kareem this low. I bet the other people voting don't know one stinking thing about basketball. There probably just babies listen other people when they say jordan's the best. He is not. How is lebron so high he has only played 7 seasons and has no rings. Not hating on lebron or anything but COME ON! Babies that only know about today's nba and know nothing about it's stinking history. They csll there selves fans!

Wilt Chamberlain set the books by scoring the most points scored in a single game (100), most rebounds in a game (55), and most consecutive field goals (18).
He played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. His biggest rival was former Boston Celtics center Bill Russell, but they are also good friends. He won 2 NBA Titles, 1 with the 76ers and one with the Lakers. ...read more.
Wilt Chamberlain wasn't only a good basketball player, but he was an absolutely incredible athlete. In basketball, he scored over 50 points per game in a season. He averaged over 20 rebounds per game in his entire career. For being a seven footer, he had a 100 meter of 10.9 seconds and did incredible in college track and field. He also had the ability to snatch change off the top of the backboard showing he had at least a 40" vertical. And there are countless accounts of his absolutely insane strength.
He averaged 50 points in a single season
Scored 100 points in a single game
Got 55 rebounds against the Celtics led by Bill Russell (2nd all time career rebounder behind chamberlain)
Had a 33 game winning streak
Of the 62 times more than 60 points have been scored by a single person in a game, 32 of those times were by Chamberlain
Blocked shots were recorded after he retired, but Harvey Pollack asked his statisticians to count Chamberlain's blocks, and they got up to 25 one night. Well above the record for most blocks in a single game.
Elgin Baylor said that Chamberlain was the only player that could dominate on both end of the court. He recalled one particular game against the bulls where he blocked every single shot for 4-5 minutes and how no one from the bulls could get a shot in.
In a sport where one game is 48 minutes for a season he averaged 48.5 minutes a game, thanks to overtime.
Bill Russell, the man who won more rings than he has fingers, said that ...more
Wilt Chamberlain was by far the most underrated player to ever play basketball. People are so quick to discredit Wilt by saying he played "lesser" quality players and would not be as dominant in this day and age. Kareem Abdul Jabar, Willis Reed, Bill Russell, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld were all excellent players who played in the post at the same time as Wilt, are you saying they weren't quality basketball players. He played 48.5 minutes a game in chucks, and all 82. He averaged 8 assist a game as a center in season, his records in scoring and rebounding remain untouched. Wilt Chamberlain was the greatest player to ever play on the hardwood.
GOAT. In practically every major team sport, the guy who is the most individually dominant in its history is either the strongest or, at worst, a top 2-3 strongest GOAT candidate. Why should basketball be any different? There hasn't ever been anyone more or equally dominant to Wilt, and the league changing its rules to curtail his dominance is a testament to this. And all this in an era full of great big men, contrary to the popular "no competition" myth. A player as dominant as Wilt ranked at 6 is absurd to say the least. I wouldn't rank him so low even if I had to rank the greatest athletes of all major team sports combined.

Kobe is amazing he's good at dunking and free throwing. I love him. When the guy touches the ball they make a basket. Sadly he died in 2020.
This is for every one on LeBron's comment list that can't even spell and continues to say how Kobe cannot take over a game, is a selfish ball player, or how he relied on his teammates. You are all mentally challenged and obviously have only watched LeBron for the past 7 years. Kobe had Shaq everyone says? Kobe and Shaq were all that team had as far as talent! The only other people on that team were role players, not stars. LeBron has 2 other all-stars on his team and still couldn't do what Kobe did with role players. This is a joke of an argument. I wish very much that I would have been old enough and involved enough with the game to see Jordan play. Unfortunately I was not. Kobe Bryant is simply incredible. He is the only player in the entire league that I can safely say that anything is possible, and he has a chance to overcome any situation and prevail. LeBron is predictable, same crap every year. Conference finals and lose, or, more recently, a loss in the finals when he choked ...more
People are just a joke putting these guys with no skills just height and power against one of the most dangerous all around players ever, next to mike, with lebron close but behind. I laugh at people who put Tim or Shaquille, or wilt, Russ, bird or magic... Please... People need to let go of their hype on people and focus on the the skill, talent, explosiveness and stats... Ok I give Russell, he was hands down the best winner... But that was a day of small white guys on the court like wilt and Kareem... Please, laugh out loud ok Kareem was nice but pleas... But I'm talking all around best... People listen to, too much media and hype... Illuminati got you loving certain player. And Tim is a weak excuse as a forward, please that man is a center. Karl Malone was a forward look at his stats and not even mentioned... My order would be, mike, kobe, magic, Russell, Kareem, bird, Shaq even though he couldn't shoot worth a damn, Tim, Karl, Oscar. I mean Hakeem was crazy nice and Robinson... I ...more
Greatest basketball player ever since Michael Jordan. Kobe and Shaquille O'Neill... Don't get me started best duo ever! Shaq you are definitely not given the credit you deserve and those refs have been blind for years when it comes to both of you getting fouled especially Shaq. I would love to see Dwayne Wade on the Lakers too.. Gotta give my man props. Gasol.. What can I say you are amazing. World Peace I don't care what anyone says you are an outstanding player. Mike Odom.. Gotta love him.. And Derrick Fisher you never disappoint me. Bynum.. Do work baby. Matt Barnes.. Need I say more? As for all the rest of my number one team since birth, thanks to my awesome father.. Keep it real and come on guys.. Step up your game! Gotta love my man Dwayne Wade though... Seriously I really wish he'd come to L.A... Gotta admit though being from Florida myself.. Miami is a BEAUTIFUL place!

Larry was a great shooter with few dunks unlike Jordan who had many dunks to increase his shooting percentage. Larry was also a better rebounder, free throw shooter, and passer than Jordan. Larry entered the NBA one year late, after sitting out a year in college, and missed almost another full year in his prime with a foot injury. He was not a selfish shooter but just wanted to win and would get all of his teammate involved. He averaged over 10 rebounds per game for his career - not bad for someone who couldn't jump! He was both the first AND second player ever to shoot over 50% from the field AND over 90% from the line for a season - and this from a long range shooter! He was the best ever with a ful command of the game and awareness of what was happening - always.
Best one on one player has to go to Michael Jordan, but best team player of all time, who with both teams being equal, could & would find a way to beat you... Whoever you were... Jordan, Magic... Etc... Didn't matter. There are players who raise the level of play of their team by several levels. Magic did it. Jordan did it. But no one did it as good as Bird in his prime. And I have to admit that I have always wondered what Bird would have done if he had been on the Lakers & Magic had been with the Celtics. The speed of the Lakers with Larry's passing & shooting... One can only imagine. At the very least, I think Bird's career would have been longer. But then again, it might not have been a good fit. Who knows. All I know is that when I watch high light clips of Larry, he is more fun to watch than even Michael Jordan. And to me that says something.
So yeah, in their primes, Jordan would probably win most of the one on one games... But with the 2 teams being equal, I think Larry ...more
Bird is without a doubt Top 5. The NBA's best shooter, Bird had two 50/40/90 seasons ( only 1 other has done it ). Bird took a 29 win Celtic team the year before he got there to a 61 win season his rookie year, 32 more wins than 1 year earlier, and Rookie of the Year ( over magic ). Bird once told the press and his teammates before a game that he would shoot left handed the whole game and had 27 points thru 3 quarters... LEFT HANDED! Shaq who is considered one of the greatest centers in histroy averaged 10.9 rebounds a game over his career. Bird averaged 10.1! Not bad for a guy who couldn't jump! He won the 3 point shootout 3 straight years, the last year he won it he never even took his warmup jacket off! Curry wishes he could shoot like Bird.
Larry is THE best ever and EVERYBODY knows it! His teammate, M.L. carr, once said of Larry; "We had the best player in the world and we knew it". The reason he didn't jump as high as he could was because he just jumped high enough to get the job done. Why expend extra energy in an area when you could save it for crunch time. That logic was part of his basketball "smarts" that added to his greatness. NOBODY could do all the things Larry could do. And he made it look easy. Again, the best ever. Period. And speaking of crunch time, we ALL know what Larry did when the chips were down. PRODUCE! Enough said.

As a Celtics fan, it's truly great that we got Bill Russell. He's won 11 championships in 13 years, and won 8 straight from 1959-1966. He also won 5 mvp's and changed how basketball was played. He was the first player to block shots and is considered the greatest defensive player of all time, if blocked shots were a recorded stat at the time, Bill Russell and wilt chamberlain will be at the top of the list. He and bob Cousy invented the fast break which is one of the most Dominant things ever invented, he is also second in rebounding all time as of 2022 and he was a player coach from 1967-1969 becoming the first black coach in American professional sports history. No one will ever accomplish as much as bill Russell has, and if Bill didn't change the was basketball was played, basketball wouldn't be the same, but he did because he's the goat, and not Jordan or Lebron.
Most opinions that I read about come from people who use stats. They simply are very misleading. And how does one define "best" basketball player? Is it the one with the best overall skills? Russell was not too good at dribbling or shooting.
But in a team game, I think it makes more sense to talk about how "valuable" a player is. In other words, what would occur if the team lost that player? How easy would it be to replace that player's skills with someone else?
If we look at it that way, then russell is a clear first. No one is even close. Russell was the Boston Celtic fast break, possibly the most dominating aspect that basketball has ever seen.
Russell got the rebound, turned, made his outlet pass, and the ball was near half-court by the time russell hit the ground. No wonder he was not scoring many points. Chamberlain, on the other hand, rebounded, shook his body, then handed off to his guard (hal greer most of the time).
When chamberlain got the ball, ...more
Russell and Jordan are neck-and-neck for 1 and 2 all-time greatest players. As time goes by, people tend to forget how great certain players from the past were. Bill Russell dominated Wilt Chamberlain and went to the NBA finals 13 times, winning 11 of those times. Before the NBA, he won back-to-back state high school championships, back-to-back NCAA college championships, and a gold medal as the 1956 Olympic basketball team captain. In the NBA, he averaged 22.5 rebounds and 15+ points per game, and is considered the greatest shot blocker of all-time. Had they kept track of this stat when Russell played, he would certainly be listed well ahead of Hakeem.
The best center of all time. He was the best defender of all time who could also be relied as the team's 2nd or 3rd scoring option. When people debate whether or not he was better than Wilt, they point to the stats, and Wilt was probably the best regular season player of all time, however, when it mattered, wilt shrunk and Russell thrived. Wilt chased stats, Russell chased championships. Russell's effect also goes well beyond the stats. He was key to starting the fast breaks that the Celtics of the 50's an 60's were famed for, and he was unlucky that the NBA didn't record blocks when he played, otherwise he would be more revered by the casual sports fan. Whenever somebody challenges me by saying that Wilt is better, I ask them a couple questions; first of all, why was Wilt traded twice in his prime. If he was the best center of all time, then why would the management trade him? Why, when faced with the option of trading for Wilt, did the Lakers vote 10 to 2 against? Why, when Russell ...more

The best Orlando magic player in history! He has literally destroyed the whole net, hoop, and rim when dunking two times! (MJ is better though)
Nobody can do a better charge then this man. He currently I think the most experience pro-basketball player on the NBA Roster being on currently 15 years. I mean he is simply amazing. Him along with the amazing Dwayne Wade to Miami Heats to places it hasn't gone before.
Shaq has it all - Now that he is retired, his stats will be known more and he will jump up to #1. No reason for LeBron or Kobe to be higher than the Shaq!
He is the most dominant center in history! He needs to be in top 5 and in top centers number 1! LeBron will never be as good so they need to put Shaquille in his place and let LeBron be in number 9!

Best all round player of all time. Averaging a triple-double in a season is amazing! Better than magic, because he got more rebounds and points although he is shorter. Just because he wasn't as flashy doesn't make him lesser than magic.
A "triple double" for an entire season, and 4 other season where he ALMOST did it as well - despite: steals & blocks not being recorded as a stat until his final season (so who knows how many other he should've/could've earned). SImple as that.
The first player to average a triple double and he almost did it 3 more times. No one else has ever done something like this. He also did this without a three point line. Oscar gave the nba a new style of play and was one of the first great nba point guards
You guys do realize that he is the only player 2 average 27 points, 6 boards, and 6 assists a game for more than 3 strait seasons an HE DID IT 8 YEARS IN A ROW. If that's not being a complete player I don't know what is.

The best defender ever, the best power forward ever, the best passing power forward ever and the greatest player ever.
Remember when he was on his way to a quad double he was just two blocks short.
Remember his fundamental style offense and defense.
Remember his four championship rings.
Remember his back to back MVP awards.
Remember those 20 something thousand points.
No one has even come close to Timmy D's career he is a first ballot hall of FAMER ( who ever wrote this list put him bellow LeBron, Kobe, Steve Nash and Derrick Rose I mean who the hell put Rose in the top 15 I mean he will when it's all said and done don't get me wrong but he will never be better than Tim DUNCAN.
Are you kidding me?! 18? Tim Duncan is in the Top Ten at the very least. I sense a bit of Spurs hating on this list. The guy is a perennial All-Star, League MVP Winner, Finals MVP Winner, Rookie of the Year all NBA etc... And possesses the traits that all true champions have, the ability to modify his game over time as needed. Duncans entry into the league was marked with moves and grace the likes of which hadn't ever been seen at the Power Forward position and will from here on out be the standard by which other Power Forwards will be judged. As he got older he continued to find ways to remain relevant, even if he was no longer dominant. His basketball IQ is through the roof and his mere presence on the floor makes his team better while simultaneously frustrating his opponents and making them worse. I'm not sure why you have so many players ahead of Tim that have not won as many championships if they even won one at all. I'm sorry, but this Hall of Fame player deserves to be way ...more
Tim Duncan is the greatest player of all time. Defensive ability, leadership, consistency. Duncan did everything to make those around him better, Duncan is in fact the GOAT.
The Spurs are always underrated by the media even though they've won FIVE, that's right FIVE Championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014) and all of them have been won with this guy, number 21, on the Spurs since he was first drafted in 1997. He's the greatest power forward ever and he will be the best power forward as far as time goes, nobody will beat him. 3 MVPS, a host of All-Star Game appearances, Rookie of the Year and so much more. Why is this superstar plus plus at #11? He should be top 5!

Kevin Durant is amazing. As a player and as a person. He dominates and scores more points then Lebron and Kobe. In the summer he's the one who calls up his teammates to go up to the gym and shoot. Great leader. And the reason he wears the #35 Jersey is because his HS coach was murdered at the age of 35. Humble.
Durant is not even in the top 10? In the game at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Durant scored 34 points in 30 minutes of action! I know I copy and pasted that, but he has also won an NBA Most Valuable Player Award, four NBA scoring titles, the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, and two Olympic gold medals! Not many basketball players who can say that, huh?
How is Dwayne wade ahead of durant. Kd is the second best player in the nba maybe even the best. I think kd should be in the top 5 I mean seriously he's great. He's also only 24 and he dominates the court no one has a better scoring ability than him. He was the youngest player ever to win a scoring title he followed that one with two more scoring titles in a row.
Ok, come on guys durant is great, put he barely makes top 50 let alone top TWELVE. An accurate shooter and a good rebounder, this guy is a major beast but he isn't ahead of Olajuwon, the Pistol, Doctor J! Yes doctor J, practically the MJ before MJ is below Kevin Durant.

Although many people consider Hakeem to be one of the ten greatest players to ever step onto the hardwood, his number fourteen spot on this list at the moment only proves that he is STILL one of the most underrated players as well. I genuinely believe that he is the greatest center of all time. Offensively, his Dream Shake was absolutely uncontainable because of his guard-like ability to dribble and spin, as well as his knack for finishing with either power or finesse and his constant threat to nail a mid-range jumper. Besides his mid-range abilities, the thing that set him apart the most on the offensive end was his ability to pass the ball as a result of the double and triple teams that he always drew. The thing is, he was probably even better defensively. He didn't JUST defend the post through help-side blocks, but was also an elite one-on-one defender. And this goes without mentioning his ability to steal the ball (top 25 all time) and leading the league in rebounding in ...more
In my estimation, for what little it amounts to, Hakeem was the most talented big-man to ever play the game. There is certainly difficulty in finding his proper placement amongst the very best that we've ever seen, but 12 (by deduction, there are 11 players better) is just too low. He put the NBA on his back when Jordan walked away in the wake of personal tragedy, and retired in the top 10 in scoring, rebounds, blocks, and steals.
I have no problem with Jabbar, and Wilt ahead of him, but Shaq has no business being ahead of Dream. Olajuwon destroyed Shaq every time they played each other. Shaq always talks trash about every center in history, but always admitted Dream was the best. Also Wilt was the best NBA player in history, Jordan is a distant second to Wilt The Stilt.
Watch The Dream's dream shake vs. David Robinson. That is all you gotta see to realize that he was the most phenomenal player of any generation. All time blocks leader. Two rings. That's 2 more than nash, tmac, stockton, malone, james, and ai. Did it single handedly. Only had drexler half the season in 95. The Dream did it all. Double-double, triple-double, quadruple-double, you name it.

Julius Erving DR. J is the first player make a ART on a dunk that's why people love him people said he is the heart of the city Earned an NBA championship ring, won an NBA MVP award, went to 11 NBA all star games and took home the all star MVP twice... and that doesn't even count the two ABA titles, two ABA MVP awards and 6 ABA all star games. forever... or his famous dunk from the free through line... now there is history! DR. J! Also greatest flyer, dunker and hangtimer Ever! Class act
Dr. J was as smooth as they come. An inventor of sorts, every night was like watching a man create something from scratch that no one had ever seen. If you add up career points and steals, no one beats Dr. J -- and only a handful have scored more career points in total. He took a sport from its hum-drum history of white-assed backboard shots and turned it into an entertainment machine. He deserves to break into the top 10.
Lebron got it right when he said Dr. J. should be on the Mt. Rushmore of NBA players, and Shaq feels as though Dr. J. is the all-time greatest to ever play the game. The NBA basically merged w/ the ABA to get Dr. J.. Combine his ABA/NBA stats, and he's up near the top. Also, his scoring average could have been much higher if he wasn't so unselfish, and might have possibly won another championship w/ Philly.
Doc is the Best thing to happened to the game since the BALL! Erving won only 1 title in the NBA, but all fail to remember that he led a garbage team in 80 and 82 to finals to loss in 6 against the 7 all star Lakers and the sixers had no one, but the Doc! Also greatest flyer, dunker and hang timer Ever! Class act.

Dwyane Wade bar none is one of the 3 best basketball players on the planet today. His averages right now may not stun you, but when this guy retires and you look back on his career, there's no doubt he'll be considered one of the greatest of all time. He's a champion, an all-star and has had many MVP worthy seasons even though he hasn't won the award yet. In my opinion, by the time he gets in to the hall of fame, he'll be one of the top 15, maybe top 10 players of all time. If top 15, probably only behind Jordan, Magic, Russell, Bird, Wilt, Kareem, Big O, Kobe, Duncan, Shaq, Olajuwon, Mailman, Jerry West and LeBron.
I have compared Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James & Larry Bird with D-Wade, and Dwayne is better than all of them. He has a very unique and exciting playing style, and sometimes he does play dirty, but so does Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird did as well. He is without a doubt the greatest thing to happen to the Miami Heat, LeBron isn't the greatest player in the Team's history it is definitely this man! He also has a lot of team work, attributes he can work with any one Shaq, LeBron etc. It's a shame he didn't get to play against greats like Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing or even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he would've definitely given them a challenge!
I'm a HeatLifer and I know that this guy is definitely the greatest player in franchise history. He is for sure a top 15 player and a future Hall of Famer who was the most valuable player of the 2008 Olympics, 2009 Scoring Champ, 2010 All-Star MVP, and 3 time NBA Champ. He has had some MVP (best in the world) seasons but was robbed by LeBron and Kobe a lot. And let's not forget when LeBron was choking in the 2011 NBA Finals "Flash" was playing like an MVP especially in the first two games that the Heat won. There is no doubt that if Miami won that series Wade would have been Finals MVP and that would have screwed LeBron's legacy. And Wade is responsible for LeBron's first two rings because LeBron knew he could not win without Wade. He knew Wade was the perfect teammate because he had that experience from winning in '06. And he had that "killer instinct" that LeBron was missing.D. Wade should not be over shadowed by this guy because he had more talent in his prime and is more selfless. ...more
D wade will go down as the most underrated basketball player to ever play this game. He deserved the 09 MVP. The Miami Heat currently have the 2 best players in basketball with Lebron and Wade and I believe they will win multiple championships to bump them up to maybe the top 5-7 players to ever play the game. Wade will go down as one of the most clutch players to ever play. He knows when it's time to step up, and he lets no one get in his way. He may just be the best finisher at the basket to ever play the game of basketball, and if he keeps this type of play up for the next 5 years, watch out kobe and MJ.

Allen Iverson compares with 3 different players when you talk about individual offensive achievements. Or there are 3 players who compare with him. Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James. Go look up stats in games, seasons, and playoffs most importantly. Iverson and LeBron only players with at least 40 points 15 assists and 5 steals in a game. Most 50 point games in the playoffs: Michael Jordan (8) Wilt Chamberlain (4) Allen Iverson (3). And Iverson played much fewer games because he had no talent around him. Allen Iverson is 2nd in playoff Points Per Game in NBA History at 29.73. Only Michael Jordan averaged more with 33+ per game. Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan only players to be Top 10 in Scoring and Steals All-Time. Only 2 Players in NBA history have scored at LEAST 50 Points twice in the same Playoff Series: Michael Jordan 1988 Playoffs vs. The Cleveland Cavaliers with 50 & 55 points AND Allen Iverson 2001 Playoffs vs. The Toronto Raptors with 52 & 54 points. Only TWO ...more
If Allen had a better team... Wait didn't he put Philly on his back and went to the finals, But ran into Shaq and Kobe. Allen is the best player in my eyes because of his size and heart and will to win. Even after a hard nite of partying he could turn around and drop 35 on guys. He had the best handle I ever seen too, how many guys got destroyed by that cross over. He was like 5'11" and like 150lbs. All talent. I know people are feeling the same way but the got with the popular choice MJ I'm not that old but when I look back it seems that the greatest or all time is up for grabs in every era. Mj came in at the right time.T.V. ,marketing, shoes, and novelty. That what I see. Mj wanna talk rings. Bill Russell should be the greatest of all time. If you talk scoring its wilt if you say all around its Oscar Robinson. Talk about jumping abilities. Vince Carter, Dominique Wilkins, Dr J. Tons of guys can fly. (nate Robinson) so don't give me that dunk champion crap. I got eyes and a brain. No ...more
The reason A.I. is in the top 10 is because he is the greatest little man in the history of the game if I were ever to pick a starting Shooting Guard to my team I would pick Allen Iverson yes sorry Kobe, D-Wade, Michael Jordan, Jerry West (who by the way for some reason isn't in the top 15) because he is not a point guard he is a shooting guard.
Allen had the best cross over ever if you haven't seen it look it up it was an ankle breaker he even crossed Jordan and that's no easy task I guess you can say he has the "ANSWER"
In his prime(2000-2001) Iverson carried a sorry 76ers team to the finals. They were legit so trash. Would have been the worst team in the league if not for him. He is the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to average over 40 points a game in a single season and I don't think Wilt counts because at that time there was nobody near him in height. Iverson got more double teams in that year than most players get in their career.

If Jerry West had been blessed with the three point line he would be among the top five without question. The NBA should use their computer systems to check West's shots made for a year and give him an extra point for every three pointer he made. No question, Jerry West would be right there with Michael Jordan as the greatest player ever. Even without the three point shot, West holds the scoring record for a series. Move Jerry to second at the least.
Jerry West was an outstanding basketball player, a good general manager, and a guy who deserves to be the face of the NBA. He was tough and clutch.
This list is completely whack as well. Anyone who thinks ginobili, gasol, REDDICK, Yao, Rondo, Nash, and Luke Walton (not Bill) are better than jerry west know very very little about basketball history
Why is Jerry West ranked 36? He's the logo for a reason people! Jerry West was one of the first clutch players ever in the NBA. People just have him ranked so low because he doesn't have a ton of flash. What he is though is one of the best shooters of all time. Nobody can deny that.
Remember there was no 3-point shot when he played, or his career scoring average would be over 30 points, and equal MJ and Wilt. Also Steals were not counted when he played, or he would easily be in the top 5 all time in Steals.

Dwight Howard is Beast! So what he's only 6"11 He can rebound over any 7footer. Is the best center of all time with Shaq and Moses Malone behind him. He can play D like I never saw before. And the only reason magic got out of the playoffs so early is because Superman was hurt. That's also why the sixers beat the bulls. Dwight is the best player I have saw in my Life! Superman is my Favorite player!
Dwight Howard is my favorite player. He's the best. He's an amazing shot blocker and an amazing dunker. Superman is really good. He's on the Orlando Magic and like they're good. They would be terrible with Dwight Howard. Go Dwight Howard!
What the crap?! Howard should be way higher than where he is. Wit Arenas and Richardson at his side the guy should have went farther up on this list. I mean come on DAWG! He was in the 09-10 finals against Kobe and co. And he put on a show wit Carter and nelson.
When Dwight Howard is on the court you know that he's going to get 5 blocks and 10 dunks. He should of been in the Dunk Content in 2011. The Orlando Magic will win a championship in a few years

Scottie Pippen is the best basketball player ever! A lot of people say : Scottie wasn't the best basketball player but the most versatile player best all around player. It is enough? If someone is the most versatile player ever or the best player all around so who is the best basketball player ever : the most versatile and the best all around player. Scottie Pippen forever
Them were the days of the Bulls! Jordan, Pippen and Rodman are the best ever! I am a huge Bulls fan and own a lot of Chicago team memorabilia. Out of all the years that I have watched basketball, them guys are the best ever and should always be. Go Bulls!
One of the most, if not the most, underrated players ever in my opinion. How could Derrick Rose possibly be above Scottie? That he managed to shine so brightly in a team containing Jordan says it all really. Should be top 10 out thereabouts.
He was the big support for Michael Jordan. He was such a all around player and one of the best defensive players bulls ever had. When Michael was not around he led the team for almost all category.

Isiah Thomas is nice Point Guard also like chris paul or Jason Kid but chris paul is the number 1 Fans of Isiah Thomas Thomas gets a lot of crap for destroying the New York Knicks and it's a valid point. He and James Dolan combined is what pushed me over the edge to no longer being a Knicks fan, but that's besides the point. As a basketball player, Zeke was amazing and one of my favorite players of all-time. He led the Bad Boys to two NBA titles, and despite his size, was the biggest player for those title teams.
The joke about this list is Allen Iberson and Russ Westbrook ranked so high. AI nothing but an addict to gambling and his retarded thuggish ways. Russ is a little douche, Steph Curry is in the 200s for god knows why that reason is. he's definitely the greatest shooter of all time and there's little to know debate on that. I voted for Isaiah because he was the heart and soul of the bad boys and I truly believe the bad boys were the greatest basketball team ever. Go pistons bichhh!
Isiah was a great player and he deserves mor than to be number 94. Isiah was one of the greatest players of his time and was better than half of the people on this list before him. Also he is my number one and he earned his way there so whoever made this list should think where they put people next time because it makes a difference.
Ya'll trippin when you say westbrook is better than Isiah. Even casual NBA fans know he's at least a top ten point guard in NBA history, but only the real OGs know he's the second best. How many rings does westrbrook have again?

Cousy was one of the best point guard in NBA history. Without him direct the traffic the Celtics won't have that many Championship banner.
Thank you pak you

Moses was better than shaq ever will be! Moses didn't need to be over weight to get his rebounds the man used talent. He's the reason the sixers won it in 83!
Moses was better than so many on this list. Who rebounded better. Great scorer top 10. It amaze me how you distant Moses. The first straight out of High School
I rate him in front of M.Jordan, just the greatest, not only on Stats but his longevity is unmatched. No. 1 for me!
Moses is better than Shauq, Wilt and Russellwere the only centers better. Look at his stats mound boggeling

Excelent clutch. Good defense. He can penetrate over the most closed defense like any one can do. In or out, he can make that the impossible shoots looks like an easy routine. In other words, Manu is the best.
Simply amazing. Obviously not better than the top three on the list, but deserves a little bit more recognition, I mean it's not easy to win international matches.
He is simply incredible. He And Duncan Were like ''Who can stop us'' Also Player Of The Olympics 2004 When He Absolutely Demolished Your USA Crapheads Why not on the list I tell you why because you don't have a brain!
Ginobili has to be at least top ten. He has all around offense and great defense and was the best player in the Olympics. Who can beat manu?

Whoever said that Adonal Foyle was the most talented center of all time must be smokin somethin. And whoever said Jerome James is the greatest center of all time is even dumber. Ewing is top 50 or so and don't even vote for Foyle or James there average players.
Patrick is extremely underrated. Did not play with all stars or hall of fame guys. Carried the Knicks on his back for many years.
How can you forget patrick ewing he is one of the best centers of that time and to not put him there is just crazy.
Poor man they could get pass M.J. Scott and Bull's the Big one good team the he get a ring,

He is an extremely good player. He can dunk insanely, he drains threes, and plays crazy defense. He's the most underrated player in the nana and is the best shooting guard other than James harden in the league.
DeMar is behind so many nobodies. He could easily be 40.
An amazing player for Raptors Team!
An amazing player for the Raptors.