Top 33 NBA Players of All-time

2storm This is the moment you have all been waiting for. Or none of you have been waiting for I can't read minds. Today I will be ranking the top 33 players ever. You may ask why I have 33 players. It is kinda of a odd number to use. Well 33 years ago Chernobyl nuclear disaster happened on this day. (I think or I am just using this number to add 3 extra players, because I accidentally forgot them and I am just too lazy to edit this post.) This post is a hard one and people might disagree with me, but you are entitled to your opinion. Their are a few honorable mentions I want to address first.
Honorable Mentions
Kyrie Irving - I love Kyrie and I think he is one of the most talented players ever. The one knock that removes him from the top 30 is his inability to lead a team.
Giannis Antetokounmpo - Give Giannis a few more years and he will be on this list maybe even top 10, but for now he just hasn't been in the league long enough.
Dirk Nowitzki - It was him choosing between him and some of the guys that made the list. Dirk is obviously need of the best offensive players ever, but defensively he was really never good.
John Stockton - It is hard leaving the leading steals and assists leader off the list, but honestly he just didn't make the cut.
Moses Malone - Moses was an amazing player, but like Stockton he just didn't make the cut.
So now, without further ado let's jump in this ranking.

33. Ray Allen - The best 3 Point shooter ever. He was actually more than a shooter despite popular belief. He was a good dunker and he was a decent defender. But we mostly remember him for his shooting. He revolutionized that art and he was a great team player. Plus he made the greatest shot in human history.
32. Kawhi Leonard - Kawhi is easily the best perimeter defender ever. He is very smart. He is one of the only players that has ever shut down LeBron, which is very hard. He also has a decent offensive game. He won Finals MVP and he won Defensive Player of the Year twice. What is scary is he is only 27. He is just hitting his prime. Kawhi could just climb this list.
31. Stephen Curry - I used to hate Steph, but I have really grown to respect his game. At the moment I think he is the best shooter in the league and the second best all-time. Curry also has a good all-around game. He can pass and play some team defense. He has grown a lot defensively from being a liability to a ok defender. He won MVP twice and he has 3 chips.
30. James Harden - James Harden is one of the best offensive minds ever. His scoring has never been seen before and believe it or not I don't think he is done. He has one an MVP and he has tons of records. He is the model player in today's NBA. If he just gets that ring.
29. Reggie Miller - In my opinion one of the most underrated players ever. He is an amazing shooter and defender. He is pretty much a better version of Klay Thompson. He is known as one of the most clutch players. He is the definition of a all around player that every single team would want. He led his team to the Finals once. He also is the performer of some of the greatest highlights ever.
28. Pete Maravich - The late Pistol Pete was a star. People that watched him play said that had the greatest handles and vision ever. I kinda disagree with being the best, but he was still amazing. He was a sharpshooter in a league without a three point line. Who knows how much he could've scored with it. If it wasn't for his knee problems and his unfortunate death, he could've been up there in the ranking.
27. Charles Barkley - Now we get to Charles. Probably the best rebounder at his height. He led a Phoenix Suns team to the Finals only to lose to Jordan. He won MVP and he was actually in contention for the best player in the NBA at that time with Jordan and Hakeem. The only knock against Barkley is his inability to win a championship on some pretty good teams.
26. Kevin Garnett - KG is one of the best power forwards ever. He was always so passionate and he was a great team player. Had an amazing defensive game. He is one of only 4 players to win both the MVP and DPOY and he also has one ring. It was with a loaded Celtics team, but it is better than having no ring.
25. Kevin Durant - KD is easily one of the best isolation players of all-time. He led a Thunder team to Finals appearance early in his career just to end up facing one of best teams ever. He has 1 MVP and 2 Championships. I don't know yet though whether he will climb this list or if he will end up staying where he is at. Depends on if he stays with the stupid Warriors.
24. Isiah Thomas - Isiah was a great player. He led a pretty underrated Detroit Pistons team to 2 straight NBA Championships against the Showtime Lakers and the up and coming Portland Trailblazers. He is know best for dominating a game single handedly with a Severe Ankle Sprain in Game 6 of the NBA Finals in 1988 against the Lakers. The Pistons may have lost that game and the series, but that game reminded us of Isiah Thomas's greatness.23. George Mikan - Mikan was the pioneer of basketball. He was the first star the NBA ever had, which I think automatically lands him in the top 30. He was dominant from his first season to his last. His team won the Finals every year he was in the NBL, BAA, and NBA (NBL and BAA merged to form the NBA.) except 2 seasons. Mikan doesn't get this credit because Bill Russell came a few years later. Plus he played in a game where the medical side of the NBA just wasn't developed. He broke 10 bones and had 16 stitches done. Imagine if he played in today's game. Maybe he would've last past 30.
22. Allen Iverson - AI is a great player. He is one of the best offensive players ever and he plays good defense. He won one MVP and he brought a horrible Sixers team to the Finals, only to lose to the Lakers. He also broke Michael Jordan which is worth mentioning. If he could've kept his act together and been more humble then Iverson would be higher up.
This list gets very interchangeable and close from this point forward.
21. Dominique Wilkins - Dominique is one of my favorites ever. He was an amazing player for the Hawks. He might just be their best player ever at the moment. He is pretty much Zion except Zion is a little bigger, but Dominique is more talented. (Note: that is not throwing any shade on Zion it's just Zion is in college. He will be great one day.) He actually at one time competed against Larry Bird and Magic for best in the league. He is one of the best dunkers ever and he was an underrated player.
20. Clyde Drexler - The debate between Nique and Clyde the Glide is legit and my next post will probably be me comparing the two so stay tune for that. I love Clyde Drexler. I actually thought that he should've won that finals series against Jordan's Bulls and if we wouldn't have lost, we might be looking at Clyde as the better player. Drexler had absolute hangtime. He had a good all around game and he was a great defender.
19. Bill Russell - Russell is one of the greatest winners in not only basketball, but in sports. He wasn't much of an offensive players even in a undeveloped league at the time, but he is still recognized as the one of if the best post defender. He was also a pretty good rebounder. He was a model team player that everyone would want on their team. He also has recorded a unofficial Quadruple Double.
18. David Robinson - One of the greatest defenders ever. He was absolutely amazing. He won an MVP and a DPOY and he was a great team player. He was one of the greatest shotblockers ever. Plus he served in the military. This man deserves our utmost respect. David Robinson was probably the greatest man to be in the NBA. He is also one of 4 players to record a official Quadruple Double.
17. Julius Erving - Without "The Doctor" the NBA would not be famous. He popularized the sport. He made the dunk a skill instead of something only big men did. He was a great scorer and he was the only person to win an MVP in both the NBA and the ABA. He was a good defender too and he lead a generation that was in a dark hour in terms of Basketball. In my mind he is one of the best.
16. Jerry West - Mr. Clutch. This man is the dang logo of the league. He was one of the most clutch if not the most clutch player/players ever. He was a great scorer and he was probably the first great perimeter player besides Bob Cousy. Jerry West is also the only player to win a Finals MVP on the losing team. He was also a great defender. He has also recorded a unofficial Quadruple Double.
15. Shaq - In my opinion he is overrated, but you cannot deny the Big Diesel. He was one of the greatest low post players ever and he was a great defender. He has a great personality and he is fun to hang around. He also has one MVP.
14. Bob Cousy - In my opinion Cousy was the first great point. He revolutionized the game and he was the greatest passer ever until Magic came. He was before Kyrie came around the greatest ball handler. He was a winner and he elevated Bill Russell. He has a combination of good skills and he was actually a decent defender. I bet if people shot back then, he would be a good shooter too. He also has one MVP.
13. Dwayne Wade - Dwayne Wade makes it in the top 15. One of the first players I ever watched. D Wade was a beast. He is one of the best defensive guards ever (a award a lot of people don't like calling him.) He is one of the fastest players ever. He is crafty and has a great offensive game. He never won an MVP, but he single handedly won the championship in 2006 for the Miami Heat.
12. Tracy McGrady - Don't get me wrong I love T-Mac I think he was the most skilled player ever. He was an absolute beast. I try to model my game after his. I think he was best basketball player ever. He had a perfect game. It's just those injuries though. If it wasn't for those freaking injuries he would be the GOAT.
11. Steve Nash - Steve Nash was also one of my favorite players growing up and while I tried to mimic T-Mac I mostly played like Steve Nash. The greatest passer besides Magic. He had terrific handles and he was probably the best shooter ever, but he really never had to shoot. He revolutionized the game and he was the perfect example of a leader. He won MVP twice. The only mark is he never won a championship.

And now the top ten.
10. Tim Duncan - Tim Duncan. He was a great player. He was the greatest power forward ever and he was the best team player ever. He was probably the greatest passing big man of all-time. He had scoring ability and he was a great low post player. He was the most humble player ever. He won 2 MVPs. He also has one of the greatest shots ever only to be bested by the greatest shot ever by Ray Allen. Tim Duncan was also one of the biggest winners ever and he hated losing more than the average player.
9. Wilt Chamberlain - Wilt was easily one of the best scorers in history. He was a stat stuffer in every single category. I won't dive that much into Wilt because I just recently made a post about him. I will make a link to that post in the comment section. He was a really good player and he was just a monster. He also played great defense. He also has recorded multiple unofficial Quadruple Doubles.
8. Michael Jordan - Here is where I will probably get criticized. I put who most people call the GOAT number 8. I have a lot of reasons to not like Jordan, but I want to keep this post positive, so I guess I will just release a Jordan rant before I die. He is still a great player and he is one of very few players to win MVP and DPOY. He actually won the MVP 5 times. He had great explosion and he had the talent to play the game. I believe his killer instinct is only outdone by Kobe's. He also hit some of the most memorable shots ever.
7. Kobe Bryant - One of my favorite players ever. Kobe had the highest killer mentality I have ever seen. He was a great scorer and a great offensive player. His defense was also very good. He hit some very clutch shots in his career. He showed so much passion for the game. He has just as good in his athletic years as his late years. He also had an MVP. Kobe is one of my favorite players ever. One of the greatest Lakers and player of all-time.
6. Oscar Robertson - The Big O. The first player to average a triple double in a season. It was one of the best seasons we have ever seen. Well you may say what about Russell Westbrook. Russell Westbrook plays in a very soft era in terms of big men. The Big O played in a big man dominant era. It way more impressive. The Big O was also a great defender. He was one of the best two way-all around players ever. He still currently leads the league all-time in Triple Doubles. He also has recorded a unofficial Quadruple Double.
5. Hakeem Olajuwon - Jordan even said that Olajuwon was the one player he could not stop and he thought he was the best player he ever played against. Olajuwon is one of the most underrated players ever. He was legitimately one of the most unstoppable players ever. He made guys like Shaq, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing...look like fools. The Dream Shake was probably the most unstoppable move ever besides Kareem's skyhook. He won 1 MVP and 2 DPOY and he still holds the record for most blocks all-time. He is also 1 of 4 players to get a official Quadruple Double.
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Kareem is the all-time leader in points which is very very big. He owned the most unstoppable shot ever in the skyhook. He was dominant and he won a record of 6 MVPs. He was the greatest center ever and he really made the game better in his day. He helped guide another great in Magic Johnson and he was the product of a lot of the running the Showtime Lakers did. One of my favorite players.
3. Larry Bird - Larry Legend. He is the best shooter ever. He could shoot it from anywhere. He was the best player ever that had very little athleticism. He was a very talented player and he was unique. Imagine if he lived in a game like today's where the 3 Point shot was the center of your offense. Larry Bird would thrive and feast maybe even more than he did back then. Or he would just be a better Joe Ingles IDK.
2. Magic Johnson - The best passer ever. He was the captain of Showtime. He was also one of the most clutch players to ever grace sports. He was the smartest player ever. Those two in combination is huge. Magic could also shoot at times, but to be honest he didn't have to do that in his day. He was also a great defender and if he wouldn't have made some stupid decisions he wouldn't of had his career shortened and he would probably hold a lot of records as the game evolved. He would probably be the greatest no doubt.
1. LeBron James - Now let me just say this was close numbers 1 through 21 are very very difficult. Like I'm saying a decimal off. I just believe LeBron is the greatest for obvious reasons. He is one of the greatest passer ever. And if he stays on his current path he will be the all-time leading scorer. He is the best all-around player ever. He used to be a great defender, but he has had some declines in that area. He is probably the greatest chase down blocker ever though. And while people like Stephen A. Smith like to say he had to develop that clutch gene, I kinda disagree. I will have to explain that all in a different post though.

So yeah that is it though tell me what you think.

Comments

Even though I don't respect your opinion for most of these, (Magic over Kobe and MJ? REGGIE MILLER OVER RAY ALLEN, STEPH, DIRK, AND JOHN STOCKTON?! ) this is actually a great post! - TristGamer (3/20/2019)

Respect for your opinion, but MJ is certainly top 2 or 3, whether you consider him the GOAT or not. Also, I'm lead to believe KD and Curry are in the top 15 as of now. Also T-Mac is too high in my opinion. Some of this looks really good though. - GS99 (4/13/2019)

It's like I said though 1-21 is very very close. Like All those players are almost or they are interchangeable. I still do like Jordan it's just I think he is a bit underrated. Plus he still is ranked 8th out of millions of people that have played in the NBA. Being 8th is still in the area of greatness. - 2storm (4/13/2019)

I thin MJ would be #1 but Lebron James is a great choice, especially considering that bandwagoners don't appreciate him enough - visitor (5/18/2019)