Top 10 NBA players of all time in NBA History

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Everywhere in the NBA community, the question of the best basketball players of all time is always a hot topic. Recently, Scott Fujita‘s expert team has the answer. In this article, we will mention the top 10 NBA players of all time.

According to figures from ESPN, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. Besides, there are also many other excellent basketball players.

Let’s go to the details in the below section!

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Basketball legends in NBA history.

Top 10 NBA players of all time?

Many disputes broke out about the greatest NBA players of all time. However, we have researched many official information sources and come up with the following rankings:

View more:

1. Michael Jordan – Most Points per Game – Most Finals MVP

Who is the best basketball player of all time? Michael Jordan is the best in the top 10 basketball players of all time.

Team: Chicago Bulls (1984-1993, 1995-1998) and Washington Wizards (2001-2003)

Michael Jordan is the man who led the Chicago Bulls to 6 series of NBA Finals. Michael Jordan was a 6-time NBA champion. He also “carried” 6-time Finals MVP awards. Michael Jordan also gained the Defensive Player of the Year in 1988. 

View more about Michael Jordan – The highest vertical jump nba

In addition, during the regular season, “Mr. Air” has five more MVP awards, and he deserves to be an icon both on and off the basketball court. Jordan averaged 20 points per game in 2-year Washington’s jersey.

Besides impressive titles and achievements, the leader of best NBA players of all time is also a model of competitive spirit. He excelled in attack and was passionate in defense. Whether training or competing, Michael Jordan does his best to help himself and his teammates reach the top.

Thanks to the above achievement, Michael Jordan has become a measure of success in NBA history. Every NBA player wants to become like Michael Jordan. But so far, no one has passed the level of MJ.

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Michael Jordan is the best in the top 10 basketball players of all time.

2. LeBron James

LeBron James is one of the best players in NBA history.

Lebron James has won 2 NBA Championship rings and an NBA Finals MVP award. Both times played for the Miami Heat team in 2012 and 2013. LeBron is one of the most leading NBA players in basketball history, with his ability to score goals is undeniable.

From the very beginning, Lebron James stunned fans and encouraged everyone to follow their dreams. Lebron James helped both the Heat and the Cavaliers to win several championships. LeBron James is often “compared” to Michael Jordan – the greatest basketball player ever.

In addition to his wealth and ability to play football, Lebron James is also active in charity activities. It has made James one of the legendary basketball players in NBA history, both on and off the court.

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LeBron James is in the Los Angeles Lakers’ jersey.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – Most MVP Awards

Lebron James is the 3rd outstanding NBA player in NBA history.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the top scorers in NBA history. He was never absent from the NBA Playoffs Top 10 Scorers list.

With Milwaukee and Los Angeles, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played 17 games in his 20-season career. He won 6-time champion and 2 NBA Finals MVP awards and for 13 years. He also gained a 10-time All-NBA First Team.

Jabbar scored 5,762 points in history. His best game was in 1974, still against the Bucks. At that time, he scored 515 points after 16 games. Abdul-Jabbar was also the defensive player who led the playoffs in rebounds and blocks

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 

4. Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson is one of the greatest basketball point guards in NBA history. The point guard was a vital element of the illustrious “Showtime” generation that helped the Los Angeles Lakers dominate the NBA in the ’80s.

Magic Johnson is the most precise definition for the concept of “talent does not wait for age.” He immediately rose to stardom in his first season in the NBA.

The NBA star has enjoyed countless career successes with the 5-time champion, 3 season MVP awards, and 3 Finals MVP titles. The Hall of Famer averaged 19.5 points in a game, 11.2 assists, and 7.2 rebounds in 906 games over 13 seasons in his entire career.

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Magic Johnson

5. Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant is an outstanding NBA player in league history. He seized the top 5 NBA players of all time.

Kobe Bryant played 17 postseasons of his 19 seasons in the NBA, all with the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 5,640 points in 220 playoffs. Kobe Bryant won a five-time scoring champion with Los Angeles and two NBA Finals MVP awards in 2009 and 2010.

In 2009, Bryant had the best playoff in points with 695 points, leading the playoffs in points. Over his entire career, he averaged 25.6 points per game. 

On May 4, 2006, Bryant had his best playoff game yet. At that time, he scored 50 points after only 52 minutes of play in Game 6.

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Kobe Bryant

6. Shaquille O’Neal

One of the other best NBA players of all time is Shaquille O’Neal in NBA history.

Shaq O’Neal is the most formidable basketball player NBA history has ever produced. Possessing a height of 2.16 m and a weight of 147 kg, O’Neal dominated the area under the basketball when he was still playing.

The Orlando Magic picked O’Neal in first place in the 1992 NBA Draft. In his rookie season, O’Neal immediately rose to stardom with an average of 23.4 points and 13.9 rebounds per game. He received the title of Rookie of the Year in 1993. He was the first rookie to appear in the All-Star after Michael Jordan did the same in 1985.

The peak of O’Neal’s career was playing at the Los Angeles Lakers with the late Kobe Bryant. The Hall of Fame center was a critical factor in helping the Los Angeles Lakers win three consecutive NBA championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Shaq O’Neal is also the owner of the league MVP title in all 3 NBA championships.

7. Larry Bird

Larry Bird led the Boston Celtics to three NBA championships and two NBA Finals MVP titles. He was “picked” to the 6th overall draft to the Boston Celtics in 1978. 

Many fans have regarded him as the greatest Celtics of all time. Bird defended the three-point shooting title at the All-Star game in 1986.

Larry Bird played with two other basketball legends, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, in the “Dream Team” of the 1992 Olympics. Bird and Magic Johnson took home the gold medal for the United States.

8. Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain is the basketball player who paved the way for the development of today’s NBA stars. He didn’t have many opportunities to show off during college.

But Wilt Chamberlain was an essential piece of the infamous Harlem Globetrotters for a year before starting his NBA career.

With an ideal height of 2.1 meters, Wilt Chamberlain dominated the NBA during its peak.

He marked his place in history as the only player to score 100 points per game. He is also the first person to reach 30,000 points in the NBA.

With this result, can anyone say that Wilt Chamberlain is not a basketball legend?

9. Bill Russell

Bill Russell was the foundation of the Boston Celtics’ reign in the ’60s. He was an uncanny blocker. The defensive player is also the one who revolutionized the NBA defensive competition.

Bill Russell has 5-time MVP awards and 12 times All-Star. The point is that throughout his career, he has accumulated 21,620 rebounds. The average is about 22.5 rebounds in a game.

Russell has one-on-one duels that make the opponent very difficult. That is also the key to helping the Boston Celtics win.

The teams that met Bill Russell were all worried that the throw would be “blocked.” That is how Bill Russell’s quick counter-attack strategy helped the team win.

The Boston Celtics’ number 6 jersey is a terrifying obsession for teams when attacking. The reason is that Russell will reduce the 90% chance of scoring to only 50%.

10. Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan experienced 19 NBA seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.

He brought home 5 NBA championships and All-Defensive team selections. More than that, Tim Duncan is also one of only five players in NBA history to earn more than 25,000 points and 15,000 rebounds.

Duncan is one of the highest-paid players in NBA history. Is it worth overpaying for Tim Duncan? The answer is absolutely worth it. He has made specific contributions to the San Antonio Spurs.

The power forward has had a significant impact on the NBA and world basketball in general. Let’s check out Tim Duncan’s memorable performances in this video.

Other NBA Players Had the Best Performance in NBA History

The top 10 basketball players of all time list is relatively narrow to list all the great NBA players in history. You can search for others here:

  1. Oscar Robertson
  2. Hakeem Olajuwon.
  3. Kevin Durant.
  4. Kevin Garnett.
  5. Steph Curry.
  6. Charles Barkley. 
  7. Charles Barkley. 
  8. Jerry West.
  9. Karl Malone.
  10. Julius Erving.
  11. David Robinson.
  12. Elgin Baylor.
  13. Moses Malone.
  14. Scottie Pippen.
  15. Dwyane Wade.
  16. Giannis Antetokounmpo.
  17. Kawhi Leonard.
  18. Isiah Thomas.
  19. John Stockton.
  20. Allen Iverson.

Final Thoughts

Above are the top 10 greatest basketball players of all time. The new generation is trying to establish outstanding achievements with each game. Nevertheless, we will never forget one of the most admired basketball legends in the world.

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