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The 100 Greatest NBA Players Of All Time

With this year’s playoffs upcoming now is a good time to update our all-time player rankings. With 3 active players currently in our top 10, those players and many others in the top 100 can build on their legacy in the coming months. We’ve listed the greatest NBA players of all time and listed the relevant stats and accomplishments we leaned on. None are the end-all since there is some nuance to how many years a player played. Longevity is certainly an aspect though. A player like Nikola Jokic is just entered his prime as well, so I would expect him to rise in the coming years for example. Other players in their early 30’s now will likely have some decline years that will bring them down as well before this is over if they play longer. We’ve listed games as a distinction for longevity or how much value overall a player has provided as even some of the mid-30s guys have most of their value banked.

As always PER is my personal favorite per possession statistic, mainly because it is adjusted by year and to a player’s era, under the rules they played in and places them compared to the players of that day. It’s not used exclusively though as you will find players that have higher PER’s and rank lower. It’s just a tool that I believe provides value to see in relation. I’ve also listed Box Plus Minus when available to bring in some team value and defense. Players that overlapped in the late 60’s and early 70’s aren’t a complete record though.

I’m not a championships-only guy like some, but we’ve included that as well for reference in our Jeet Kune Do approach. Make of it what you will. Let’s be honest no one is really a championships-only guy or Bill Russell going against 7 other teams and shooting 44% most years would be clear #1. Even the ones that say it’s all that matters don’t have him or Robert Horry ranked and put their money where their mouth is. There is always more to it. Let’s get real here, where you play, who you play with, who your coach it, who your GM is, luck etc, matters a lot more as to who wins championships. That is almost all out of the control of players. They can only control how well they play ultimately. How much can you really penalize Charles Barkley for example when his best teammate in his prime was Kevin Johnson and it coincides with Michael Jordan’s prime? It’s matters some but not all to me at least.

450 Minimum Games

PERPlayoff
PER
BPMGamesChampMVP
1Michael Jordan27.9128.69.21107265
2LeBron James27.2528.248.77141344
3Magic Johnson24.1122.957.5490653
4Kareem Abdul-Jabbar24.5823.015.74156066
5Wilt Chamberlain26.1622.75104524
6Shaquille O’Neal26.4326.135.15120741
7Larry Bird23.521.416.8989733
8Tim Duncan24.2224.285.62139252
9Kevin Durant25.3124.316.7997921
10Stephen Curry23.8723.236.5886442
11Karl Malone23.921.125.1414762
12Hakeem Olajuwon23.5925.694.65123821
13David Robinson26.1823.027.4798721
14Giannis Antetokounmpo24.8225.816.1670612
15Nikola Jokić27.5928.059.355822
16Kobe Bryant22.922.44.55134651
17Kevin Garnett22.6621.125.61146211
18Charles Barkley24.6324.186.1310731
19Julius Erving23.5822.056.21124311
20Dirk Nowitzki22.4423.824.54152211
21Oscar Robertson23.1920.99104011
22Dwyane Wade23.4822.374.9810543
23John Stockton21.8319.846.841504
24Moses Malone2221.571.6145513
25Chris Paul24.423.597.141197
26Kawhi Leonard23.4124.26.86132
27Bill Russell18.919.4963115
28George Mikan27.128.514395
29Anthony Davis26.976.056421
30James Harden24.4322.326.72987
31Jerry West22.9123.069321
32Clyde Drexler21.0719.715.4110861
33Elgin Baylor22.7221.838461
34Scottie Pippen18.6318.354.0911786
35Russell Westbrook22.2922.214.0710761
36Allen Iverson20.9221.243.249141
37Patrick Ewing21.0119.632.91183
38Dominique Wilkins21.5618.713.251074
39Damian Lillard22.5419.764.87760
40Bob Pettit25.4522.5979212
41Rick Barry21.0421.78310201
42Kevin McHale20.0219.362.519713
43Paul Pierce19.7317.183.6813431
44Alonzo Mourning21.2419.182.188381
45Jason Kidd17.9117.13.8113911
46Robert Parish19.2216.571.516114
47Tracy McGrady22.1323.45.2938
48Bob McAdoo20.7318.542.1785221
49John Havlicek17.7517.511.112708
50Sam Jones18.717.587110
51Dwight Howard21.2921.631.9112421
52Gary Payton18.8815.413.2613351
53Steve Nash19.9519.843.0212172
54Manu Ginóbili20.2219.33510574
55Bob Cousy19.8717.3992461
56Dave Cowens1716.632.376621
57Kyrie Irving22.3721.14.466581
58Carmelo Anthony19.4818.281.31260
59Clyde Lovellette21.6719.727043
60Isiah Thomas18.1119.82.659792
61Jimmy Butler21.4120.894.86738
62George Gervin21.3821.162.551060
63Adrian Dantley21.5119.333.08955
64Dolph Schayes22.0923.299961
65Bob Lanier21.6920.814.53959
66Pau Gasol21.3720.23.5612262
67Chauncey Billups18.8219.113.2310431
68Reggie Miller18.3619.553.51389
69Walt Frazier19.1219.842.58252
70Ray Allen18.5616.672.9213002
71Grant Hill19.032.981026
72Chris Mullin18.7815.743.12986
73Vince Carter18.6317.962.961541
74Chris Bosh20.5618.421.878932
75James Worthy17.7318.311.869263
76Blake Griffin21.0820.553.35751
77Chris Webber20.9418.873.43831
78Kevin Johnson20.719.083.89735
79Sidney Moncrief18.6915.553.67767
80LaMarcus Aldridge20.719.651.71076
81Connie Hawkins19.891.46161
82David Thompson19.912.33592
83Artis Gilmore21.420.363.1313291
84Alex English19.8719.921.981193
85Paul Westphal19.4316.432.88231
86Larry Nance19.9218.133.62920
87Paul George19.3918.044784
88Walt Bellamy19.8616.841043
89Paul Arizin19.7720.337131
90Tim Hardaway18.613.13867
91Bernard King19.181.7874
92Dikembe Mutumbo17.2117.791.71196
93Rudy Gobert21.8820.383.72663
94Dan Issel21.37202.2812181
95Tony Parker18.2416.831.112544
96Willis Reed18.5717.781.365021
97Mark Aguirre19.0217.991.59232
98Bailey Howell19.1315.589502
99George McGinnis20.0519.732.118422
100Billy Cunningham20.0419.332.37701
Wes Unseld1615.012.998411
Marques Johnson20.1119.063.3691
Cliff Hagan19.8420.628391
Walter Davis19.0719.911.51033
Kevin Love2117.743.38571
Larry Foust19.8419.08817
Spencer Haywood19.078441
Jerry Lucas18.868291
Dererick Rose18.118.511.36991
Pete Maravich18.380.2658
Shawn Kemp19.0820.550.61051
Bill Walton204.346821
Karl-Anthony Towns24.524.75503
Neil Johnston24.865131
Yao Ming23.023.2486
Vlade Divac17.716.592.31134


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