Top 10 Best NBA Players of the 1970s

When you look back at NBA basketball in the 1970s, you see a decade defined by changing styles, fierce rivalries, and stars who could dominate in very different ways. You had scorers who could take over games, big men who controlled the paint, and all-around players who filled the box score night after night. The era also gave you a fascinating mix of old-school fundamentals and the faster, flashier approach that would help shape the league's future.

The Top Ten

  1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American retired professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 38,387 career points and held the NBA's career scoring record from 1984 until LeBron James surpassed it in 2023... read more

    Now admit it, Kareem was the '70s in basketball, but so was LeBron James in the 2010s, George Mikan in the 1950s, Michael Jordan in the 1990s, and Kobe Bryant in the 2000s.

    After 1971, Kareem's Bucks were still a great team but never again champions after that 1971 campaign. In 1972, with Kareem, of course, and on national television, the Bucks snapped the Lakers' 33-game winning streak. As a Buck, Kareem won 3 Most Valuable Player Awards, and in 1974, his Bucks were one game away from their 2nd world championship.

    Its Joeysworld

    Definitely. He won half of the MVP awards in the entire decade.

  2. Julius Erving

    Julius Winfield Erving II, commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player who helped popularize a modern style of play emphasizing leaping and playing above the rim. He was a key figure in the American Basketball Association before its 1976 merger with the... read more

    One of the best players from the ABA-NBA merger.

  3. Elvin Hayes

    Elvin Ernest Hayes is an American retired professional basketball player. He played collegiately for the Houston Cougars and went on to a successful NBA career. After retiring, he served as a radio analyst for the Houston Cougars.

    He is definitely one of the best power forwards of all time, very underrated, and he also brought my hometown a championship.

    The best Wizards player in franchise history.

    The Big E, and since he left the NBA, the Wizards have never returned to the NBA Finals. He was the franchise for this team.

    Its Joeysworld

  4. Walt Frazier

    Walter "Clyde" Frazier is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association. He is best known for his time with the New York Knicks, where he won two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973. Frazier is a Hall of Famer and currently works as a color commentator... read more

    One of the best point guards in the game.

  5. John Havlicek

    John Joseph "Hondo" Havlicek was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire 16-season career with the Boston Celtics. He won eight NBA championships, including four during his first four seasons.

    He played from 1962 to 1978 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest small... read more

    He and Bill Russell were part of the Celtics' great championship run.

  6. Pete Maravich

    Peter Press Maravich, known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. He starred at Louisiana State University, where he remains the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I men's basketball. Maravich played for several NBA teams and was inducted into the Naismith... read more

    Always put on a great show! The NBA's first true showman. His crafty offensive plays and ball-handling abilities were way before his time. If he were to play in today's game, he would be unstoppable.

    Isiah Thomas said it best: "Pete Maravich is the greatest showman I've ever seen." For the Utah Jazz, this franchise would not exist today without Maravich having been on their team. He played in five NBA All-Star Games and always put on a show.

    Its Joeysworld

    Floppy socks and a great scorer. Sadly, he died tragically in the '80s.

  7. Moses Malone

    Moses Eugene Malone was an American basketball player who competed in the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association from 1974 to 1995. A dominant center, he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player three times, selected as a 12-time NBA All-Star, and earned eight All-NBA honors... read more

  8. Rick Barry

    Richard Francis Dennis "Rick" Barry III is an American retired professional basketball player who competed in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the only player to have led the NCAA, ABA, and NBA in points per game for a season. Barry was... read more

    He was unusual with his great free throw shooting, but the results speak for themselves. His 1975 NBA Championship season is one of many achievements and honors he would have in his career. Six times he led the NBA in free throw percentage. From 1973 to 1978, he played in the NBA All-Star Game. From 1974 to 1976, he was a First Team All-NBA selection. In the 1977-78 season, he averaged 23.1 points per game in his final season as a Golden State Warrior. He was one of the all-time greats.

    Its Joeysworld

    No one will forget his way of shooting a free throw.

  9. Bob McAdoo

    Robert Allen McAdoo Jr. (born September 25, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a five-time NBA All-Star and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1975.... read more

    When this legend arrived in Buffalo after his celebrated college career in North Carolina in 1972, the city already had O.J. Simpson, who was about to break loose as a Bill, but soon it would be Bob's turn. He lit up the franchise, and sellout crowds became the norm. They all wanted to see him take his team to the NBA Finals. He had scoring crowns, the 1975 NBA MVP award, and even appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. However, in 1974 and '76, it was those darn Celtics that killed the Braves and McAdoo.

    Its Joeysworld

    Good offensively and defensively, especially in the mid-'70s.

  10. Bob Lanier

    Lanier was a mountain of a man for the Pistons. His great play helped build the Pistons into a playoff contender. He was a regular visitor to the NBA All-Star Game and played in it seven times as a Piston. His best effort was the 1973-74 season, when the Pistons won 52 games and earned a playoff berth but lost to their rivals, the Chicago Bulls, in a seven-game battle.

    Its Joeysworld

    He wasn't as good as Wilt or Bill Russell, but he's elite.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Billy Cunningham

  12. ?

    Wilt Chamberlain

    Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American basketball player. He was born on August 21, 1936, in Philadelphia and died from heart failure on October 12, 1999, in Los Angeles. He was 63 years old at the time of his death.... read more

    13. The Contenders

  13. George Gervin

    George Gervin, nicknamed "The Iceman," is a retired American professional basketball player. He played in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association. His career included time with the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls.

    Was pretty much the only good player on the '70s Spurs.

    He's still, to this day, a San Antonio institution, along with David Robinson.

    Its Joeysworld

  14. Wes Unseld

  15. Bill Walton

    William Theodore Walton III was an American basketball player and television sportscaster. He won two NCAA championships with UCLA, one NBA title with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977, and another with the Boston Celtics in 1986. After retiring from professional basketball, he became known for his... read more

  16. David Thompson

  17. Dave Bing

  18. Jack Sikma

  19. Spencer Haywood

  20. Lou Hudson

  21. Dave Cowens

  22. Willis Reed

    Willis Reed Jr. (June 25, 1942 - March 21, 2023) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and general manager. He spent his entire ten-year professional playing career (1964-1974) with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).... read more

  23. Earl Monroe

  24. Nate Thurmond

    Nathaniel Thurmond was an American basketball player who spent the majority of his 14-year career in the National Basketball Association with the Golden State Warriors franchise. He played the center and power forward positions. Thurmond was a seven-time NBA All-Star and was inducted into the Naismith... read more

  25. Dave DeBusschere

  26. Jo Jo White

  27. Alvan Adams

PSearch List