You are viewing our most recent edition of the 500 greatest players in NBA and ABA history. It is updated to reflect through the ’25-’26 NBA season. For more general information on the list, please visit our FAQ.
Sidebar: Players who fell out of the top 500 in 2026
We pay one final tribute to the eight players who were previously part of our top 500 list but have now been knocked out
Click here for players who fell out of the top 500
Willie Wise, F, 1969-1978
Once dubbed by Sports Illustrated as the best two-way player in any pro league, he was 2nd-Team All-ABA twice, an ABA All-Star three times, and helped the Utah Stars win the 1971 title; also an elite defender, he was 1st-Team All-Defensive twice
Jason Williams, G, 1998-2011
After a rocky collegiate career, “White Chocolate” became a fan favorite in the NBA from the start, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting in ’98-’99; a memorable part of the early ’00s Kings title contenders and starting point guard for the Heat in their 2006 championship run
Purvis Short, F, 1978-1990
Drafted fifth overall in 1978, one spot ahead of Larry Bird, he was considered a bust but was enjoying a solid career before injuries waylaid him; finished top five in the NBA in scoring twice, using his signature arcing “rainbow” shot to average 28.0 points per game in ’84-’85
J.J. Redick, G, 2006-2021
Naismith Award winner and the all-time leading scorer at Duke but developed into a more complementary “d”-and-three role player in a lengthy NBA career; led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage once and helped the Magic reach the NBA Finals in 2009
Bryon Russell, F, 1993-2006
Starting forward and defensive anchor on the ’96-’97 and ’97-’98 Jazz teams that reached the NBA Finals, where he became infamous as the player attempting to cover Michael Jordan when the G.O.A.T. hit the “Final Shot”
Lucius Allen, G, 1969-1979
Averaged 17.3 points and 5.4 assists per game over a three-year peak before a knee cartilage tear derailed him, a span that included a 1971 title with the Bucks; prior to that, was named Kansas high school Player of the Century and was starting point guard on the legendary ’67-’68 UCLA Bruins
Wally Szczerbiak, F, 1999-2009
1st-Team All-Rookie for the Timberwolves in ’99-’00 and an All-Star in ’01-’02, he averaged 17.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game over a five year prime, before multiple surgeries on his knees and ankles took their toll; played in the Conference Finals twice, in 2004 with the Timberwolves and in 2009 with the Cavaliers
Gerald Wallace, F, 2001-2015
Synonymous with Bobcats basketball, he was the first All-Star in franchise history and led them to their only playoffs appearance as the Bobcats; one of just three players in NBA history to averaged two-plus steals and two-plus blocks per game in a season, doing so in ’05-’06 when he led the league in steals
Players #500 through #301
The first section of our top 500 list includes a legendary Heat role player, a three-time Bulls champ point guard, the reigning DPOY, a main character in “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” a French jack-of-all-trades, a blindfolded Dunk Contest winner, a playoff scoring record holder, and more
Click here for #500 to #301
| #500 Jon McGlocklin, G, 1965-1976 * Sixth man on the Bucks teams that won the 1971 title and reached the 1974 NBA Finals * Selected by the Bucks in the 1968 expansion draft, scored the franchise’s first ever basket, and was their first ever All-Star in 1969 * Extremely efficient for a guard, he finished in the top 10 in the NBA in effective field goal percentage five times | #499 Kirk Hinrich, G, 2004-2016 * The Bulls’ all-time franchise leader in three-point field goals, he is also third all-time in both assists and steals * 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’03-’04 and 2nd-Team All-Defensive in ’06-’07 * Peaked statistically early in his career, averaging 15.1 points and 6.4 assists per game across his first four seasons, before transitioning into more of a defensive role | #498 Joe Barry Carroll, C, 1980-1991 * Didn’t live up his #1 overall pick status, being the result of a trade giving up Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, but still had a solid career belied by his “Joe Barely Cares” nickname * 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’80-’81 and an All-Star in ’86-’87 * Averaged 20+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game for three consecutive seasons in his prime |
| #497 Kevin Duckworth, C, 1986-1997 * Starting center on the ’89-’90 and ’91-’92 Blazers teams that played in the NBA Finals * An All-Star twice and Most Improved Player in ’87-’88 * In his first four seasons after taking over as Portland’s starting center (when both centers ahead of him in the depth chart got injured), averaged 16.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game | #496 Kendall Gill, G, 1990-2005 * Led the NBA in steals per game in ’98-’99 and tied the all-time record for steals in one game that season, with 11 * 1st-Team All-Rookie for the Hornets in ’90-’91, led the team in scoring in ’91-’92, and was third leading scorer when the franchise made its first playoff appearance in 1993 * Made just five playoff appearances in 15 seasons | #495 Bobby Portis, G, 2015-active 2025 rank: n/a * Elite bench player of his era, but has never finished higher than third in Sixth Man of the Year voting * Exceedingly consistent, averaged 13+ points and seven-plus rebounds per game eight times in the last 10 seasons * A difference maker for the Bucks in their 2021 title run, signing as a free agent in 2020 after one forgettable season with the Knicks |
| #494 Fred Carter, G, 1969-1977 * Self-proclaimed “best player on the worst team in history” as the top scorer on the ’72-’73 Sixers that finished 9-73 * Starting shooting guard on ’70-’71 Bullets that reached the NBA Finals; hit the series clinching shot in game seven of their Conference Finals upset of the Knicks * Widely credited with popularizing the fist bump as a celebration | #493 Juwan Howard, F, 1994-2013 * Lasted two decades in the NBA, with eight different franchises, compiling over 7,000 rebounds, and winning two titles with the Heat before retiring at age 40 * Over his first six-and-a-half seasons with the Bullets/Wizards, averaged 18.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and was an All-Star in 1996 * Signed the first $100+ million contract in NBA history with the Bullets in 1996 | #492 Clifford Ray, C, 1971-1981 * Starting center and leading rebounder on the ’74-’75 Warriors title team; also the leading rebounder for the ’73-’74 Bulls that reached the Conference Finals * Averaged double-digit rebounds per game in his first four seasons and 8.9 per game for his career * 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’71-’72 and fourth in ROY voting despite being a third round pick out of Oklahoma |
| #491 Tim Thomas, F, 1997-2010 * Despite variable playing time and roles, averaged 10+ points per game in 10 of his first 11 seasons * Key part of Conference Finals teams with the ’00-’01 Bucks and the ’05-’06 Suns in 2006; missed Dallas’ 2011 title run because he took a leave of absence to care for his sick wife * Flustered coaches and teammates, leading to six trades in his 13-year career | #490 Rickey Sobers, G, 1975-1986 * One of the best free throw shooters of his era, peaking at 93.5% from the line in ’80-’81, good for second in the league * Compiled over 10,000 career points playing in 10 NBA seasons * Starting shooting guard as a rookie on the ’75-’76 Suns that reached the NBA Finals; tied Paul Westphal for a team high with 25 points in the legendary triple-overtime game five loss | #489 Devin Harris, G, 2004-2019 * Averaged a career high 21.3 points per game in ’08-’09 (also 6.9 assists per game) and was named an All-Star * Starting shooting guard on the ’05-’06 Mavericks team that reached the NBA Finals * Played in 15 seasons for the Mavs (three separate stints), Nets, Jazz, Hawks, and Nuggets but averaged only ~65 games per season due to injuries |
| #488 Bojan Bogdanovic, F, 2014-2024 * Played for six teams in 10 seasons and regularly bounced between the starting lineup and the bench, but finished his career averaging 15.6 points per game and is the all-time leading Bosnian NBA scorer * Averaged 20+ points per game twice, peaking at 21.6 in ’22-’23 * Made seven playoff appearances but never past the Conference Semifinals | #487 Junior Bridgeman, F, 1975-1987 * Nicknamed “The Torch” for his explosive scoring bursts off the bench, he would have likely won Sixth Man of the Year at least once if it existed then * Averaged as high as 17.6 points per game off the bench in ’79-’80 and is ninth all-time in Bucks scoring history * Built a fast food and soda franchise after retirement and became one of the most wealthy former pro athletes | #486 Mehmet Okur, C, 2002-2012 * First Turkish-born player to play in the All-Star Game, doing so in 2007 and first to win an NBA title, coming off the bench for the ’03-’04 Pistons * In a four season prime, averaged 16.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, then had his career derailed by an Achilles injury * Earned three Turkish Super League championships before coming to the NBA |
| #485 Rickey Green, G, 1977-1992 * Toiling away for the Hawaii Volcanos of the CBA when the Jazz revitalized his career in ’80-’81 * In ’83-’84, he was an All-Star, led the NBA in steals, averaged a career high 9.2 assists per game, and helped the Jazz make its first ever playoff appearance * Third in Jazz franchise history in both assists and steals, trailing only John Stockton and Karl Malone | #484 DeAndre Ayton, C, 2018-active 2025 rank: n/a * #1 overall pick in 2018 who didn’t live up to expectations but has flown under the radar as a solid player * Averaged 16+ points and 10+ rebounds per game five times in his career, including as a rookie * Starting center, leading rebounder, and third in scoring on the ’20-’21 Suns that reached the NBA Finals | #483 Caldwell Jones, C, 1973-1990 * Leading rebounder on the ’79-’80 and ’81-’82 76ers teams that reached the NBA Finals, and was also a backup center on the ’76-’77 Finals squad * Led the ABA in blocks per game twice, and was an All-Star in 1975; NBA 1st-Team All-Defensive in ’80-’81 and ’81-’82 * One of four brothers who all played in the NBA; teamed with up younger brother Major on the Rockets for two years |
| #482 Roy Tarpley, F, 1986-1995 * Played just six seasons in the NBA due to an ACL tear and multiple substance abuse suspensions, the last of which got him permanently banned from the league * Over a three-year prime, which only totaled 69 games, averaged 17.2 points and 12.5 rebounds per game * Sixth Man of the Year for the Mavericks in ’87-’88 and third in scoring as they reached the Conference Finals | #481 Udonis Haslem, F/C, 2003-2023 * Florida’s native son, raised in Miami, played college ball for the Florida Gators, and spent his entire NBA career with the Heat * Ultimately part of seven Heat teams that reached the NBA Finals, winning three of them * Averaged 10+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game three times early in his career after going un-drafted in 2002 | #480 B.J. Armstrong, G, 1989-2000 * Won three championships with the Bulls, in ’90-’91 and ’91-’92 as a sixth man and in ’92-’93 as the starting point guard and third-leading scorer * Averaged a career high 14.8 points per game in ’93-’94 and was a surprise starter on the Eastern Conference All-Star team * Led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage in ’92-’93 and shot 42.5% for his career |
| #479 Derrick White, G, 2017-active 2025 rank: n/a * Averaged 16.0 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game in last three seasons * Starting shooting guard and third leading scorer on the ’23-’24 Celtics title team; also came off the bench for their 2022 NBA Finals appearance * 1st-Team All-Defensive once and 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice | #478 John Lucas, G, 1976-1990 * Finished second in ROY voting and was the assists leader for the Rockets as they reached the Conference Finals * Finished second in the NBA in assists twice, in ’77-’78 (with a career high 9.4 per game) and in ’78-’79 * Struggled throughout his career with substance abuse, leading to multiple trades, waives, and suspensions; missed Houston’s 1986 Finals run | #477 Reggie Jackson, G, 2011-active 2025 rank: 475 * Averaged 10+ points per game for 11 consecutive seasons * Part of the ’22-’23 champion Nuggets but barely played during the postseason * Has also made Conference Finals appearances with the Thunder in 2014 (as Russell Westbrook’s back-up) and with the Clippers in 2021 (as the starting point guard) |
| #476 Darrell Griffith, G, 1980-1991 * Aptly nicknamed “Dr. Dunkenstein” for his thunderous slams and otherworldly persona * Also a terrific long range shooter, he led the NBA in three-point field goals and three-point percentage in ’83-’84 * Rookie of the Year for the Jazz in ’80-’81 and averaged 20+ points per game four times early in his career until a stress fracture to his foot hampered him | #475 Michael Adams, G, 1985-1996 * His self-described “push shot” was one of the quirkiest yet successful releases in NBA history * Set the all-time record for consecutive games with a three-point field goal, which has since been smashed by Stephen Curry * Exploded for 26.5 points, 10.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game in ’90-’91; an All-Star in 1992 | #474 Nicolas Batum, F, 2008-active 2025 rank: 469 * One of the most versatile players of his era, able to play four positions, including as an undersized center at 6’8″ * Averaged 13+ points, five-plus rebounds, and five-plus assists in four different NBA seasons * The all-time leader amongst French-born NBA players in career scoring, and second in rebounds and assists |
| #473 Brad Miller, C, 1998-2012 * An unlikely All-Star for the Pacers in 2003 and for the Kings in 2004 * Averaged 13.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in a seven-year prime; led the NBA in offensive rating in ’04-’05 * Un-drafted out of Purdue in 1998, he played professionally in Italy (and with the 1998 U.S. FIBA World Championship team) until the lockout was lifted and the Hornets signed him | #472 Kenny Anderson, G, 1991-2005 * Had a unique, playground-inspired style with mixed results at the NBA level, but did finish as high as second in the league in assists (in ’94-’95) * An All-Star for the Nets in 1994 and is third in franchise history in total assists * Played erratically in the middle years of his career, possibly due to his infamously carefree off-court lifestyle, but revived his reputation in ’01-’02 with the Celtics | #471 Nene, F/C, 2002-2019 * Led the NBA in field goal percentage in ’10-’11 and finished in the top five in the league in three other seasons * Averaged 14+ points and seven-plus rebounds per game for four straight seasons * Made 12 postseason appearances in his career, including as the starting center on the ’08-’09 Nuggets that reached the Conference Finals |
| #470 Gerald Wilkins, G, 1985-1999 * Averaged 14.4 points per game over his first nine seasons before a ruptured Achilles’ waylaid him * Became a defensive specialist later in his career, regularly doing his best to slow down Michael Jordan * Though not at the level of his older brother Dominique, he was also an accomplished dunker and participated in two Slam Dunk Contests | #469 Cliff Robinson, F, 1979-1992 * Not to be confused with the other Cliff Robinson but had a similar style as a versatile front court player with defensive skills and a killer jump shot * Averaged 17.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game over his first nine NBA seasons, including a double-double twice * Played mostly for non-contenders, making just four playoff appearances in 13 seasons and never past the first round | #468 D’Angelo Russell, G, 2015-active 2025 rank: 463 * A pure scorer with undeniable talent, but hasn’t managed to stick with any team for more than two-and-a-half years and is on the move again in ’25-’26, signing with the Mavericks * An All-Star in 2019 * Has averaged 20+ points and six-plus assists per game four times, for four different franchises |
| #467 Billy Paultz, C, 1970-1985 * Nicknamed “Whopper” for his size (6’11”, 235 pounds) and shot blocking (he’s third in ABA history in total blocks) * Starting center for the ’73-’74 Nets that won the ABA title; later made a 1981 NBA Finals appearance with the Rockets * Averaged a double-double in five of his six ABA seasons, then averaged 14.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his first three NBA seasons | #466 Jarrett Allen, C, 2017-active 2025 rank: n/a * A double-double machine despite being an undersized center at 6’9″; averaged 12+ points and 10+ rebounds per game three times * An All-Star in 2022, his first full season with the Cavaliers * Over the last six seasons, averaged 14.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game | #465 Orlando Woolridge, F, 1981-1994 * Arguably the most exciting player in Bulls history before Michael Jordan, his in-flight body control made for spectacular dunks * Averaged 20+ points per game in four different seasons, including 25.1 in ’90-’91 * Came off the bench for the Lakers when they reached the 1989 NBA Finals but otherwise never made a deep playoff run |
| #464 James Silas, G, 1972-1982 * Originally nicknamed “The Snake” for his explosiveness, later added “Captain Late” for his fourth quarter heroics * 1st-Team All-ABA once, 2nd-Team All-ABA once, an ABA All-Star twice, and finished second in ABA MVP voting in ’75-’76 * In the first three seasons the stat was tracked, finished top five in the NBA in offensive rebounds | #463 Roy Hibbert, C, 2008-2017 * A 7’2″ center with a throwback style, his prime was short but it included two All-Star appearances and he was 2nd-Team All-Defensive in ’13-’14 * Starting center for the Pacers as they reached back-to-back Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014, and was the leading rebounder on the former * Finished in the top five in the NBA in blocks per game three times | #462 Greg Ballard, F, 1977-1989 * Won a title in his rookie season as a deep bench option for the ’77-’78 Bullets; played again off the bench for the Bullets in the 1979 NBA Finals loss * Set the Wizards franchise record for career steals with 762 (since broken by John Wall) and is also still top five in rebounds and win shares * A great ball handler for a forward; led the NBA in turnover percentage in ’81-’82 |
| #461 Johnny Green, F, 1959-1973 * An All-Star four times in his career, including at age 36 in 1970 * One of the biggest stars of the ’60s for the Knicks, averaging 14.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game over a four-year prime in New York * Led the NBA in field goal percentage twice and became just the second player ever, after Wilt Chamberlain, to shoot 58% or better from the field | #460 Dennis Schroder, G, 2013-active 2025 rank: 458 * Averaged 10+ points and four-plus assists per game for 12 straight seasons, despite playing for nine different teams and mostly coming off the bench * Finished as high as second in Sixth Man of the Year voting (in ’19-’20) * The fourth German to make our top 500 list, he started his career at age 17 in his native country | #459 Eddie L. Johnson, G, 1977-1987 * As quick to the basket as anyone in his era, and gained the straightforward nickname “Fast Eddie” * Named to back-to-back All-Star rosters in 1980 and 1981, and was 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice * His career spiraled due to injuries and excessive drug use, and he was eventually suspended for life under the substance abuse policy |
| #458 Mo Williams, G, 2003-2016 * A second round pick without a natural position but lasted 12 seasons in the NBA and made an All-Star appearance * Averaged 17.5 points and 5.4 assists per game in a three season prime, and scored 52 points in a game at age 32 * Reunited with LeBron James and the Cavaliers in ’15-’16 and earned a championship ring as a deep bench option before retiring | #457 Jeff Ruland, C, 1981-1993 * Like so many men his size (6’11”, 240 pounds), he struggled with knee and foot woes throughout his career, playing in only 332 games across 13 seasons * An All-Star in 1984 and 1985, and 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’81-’82 * Played so well in the ’83-’84 season, with career highs 22.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, that he finished a surprise ninth in MVP voting | #456 Ben Gordon, G, 2004-2015 * Finished second in ROY voting and is only rookie in NBA history to win Sixth Man of the Year * Averaged 20.3 points per game over his final three seasons with Chicago * Signed a huge contract with the Pistons in 2009 and struggled to live up to expectations, due in large part to what was later revealed to be symptoms of bi-polar disorder |
| #455 P.J. Brown, F, 1993-2008 * Highest rated post-merger player on this list who never scored more than 1,000 points in any given season * Averaged six-plus rebounds per in his first six seasons; named 2nd-Team All-Defensive three times * Won a championship at the end of his career as a deep bench option for the ’07-’08 Celtics, who signed him during the regular season | #454 Vernon Maxwell, G, 1988-2001 * Nicknamed “Mad Max” for his mercurial demeanor as for his fearless shooting * Second in scoring on the ’93-’94 Rockets championship team; sat out essentially the entire 1995 title run, feigning an injury in protest of losing playing time * Led the NBA in three point field goals twice and retired in eighth place on the all-time three-point field goal leaderboard | #453 Leroy Ellis, C, 1962-1976 * Played in four NBA Finals with the Lakers, including as the starting center in 1963, 1965, and 1966 * Original starting center for the Blazers and averaged 15.9 points and 12.3 rebounds per game in their inaugural season * Averaged a double-double in two other seasons and retired in 17th place on the all-time rebounds leaderboard |
| #452 David Wesley, G, 1993-2007 * Holds the post-merger scoring record for an un-drafted player with 11,842 career points * Finished as high as sixth in the NBA in steals per game and averaged as many as 7.3 assists per game * Charged with reckless driving in 2000 for participating in a street race that led to the death of his Hornets teammate, Bobby Phills | #451 Tyrese Maxey, G, 2020-active 2025 rank: n/a * Has increased his scoring average every season he’s played, with a career high 28.3 points per game in ’25-’26 * An All-Star twice, 3rd-Team All-NBA once, and earned Most Improved Player in ’23-’24 * With Joel Embiid once again in-and-out of the lineup, finished fifth in the NBA in scoring in ’25-’26 | #450 Mike Newlin, G, 1971-1982 * Part of the Rockets’ first draft class after the franchise moved to Houston in 1971 and was a mainstay in the starting back court for the remainder of the decade, beloved by fans for his hustle * Averaged 17.1 points and 5.1 assists per game over a five-year prime * Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in free throw percentage nine times, ultimately shooting 87.0% for his career |
| #449 Gar Heard, F, 1970-1981 * A great shot blocker, he’s the all-time NBA leader in career defensive rating * Joined the Suns via trade midway through the ’75-’76 season and hit “The Shot,” a buzzer beater that forced triple overtime in game five of the 1976 Finals * Averaged a double-double in two consecutive seasons, with 12.5 points and 10.4 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game during that span | #448 Eric Gordon, G, 2008-active 2025 rank: 442 * One of the league’s all-time elite bench scorers, he averaged 10+ points per game in each of his first 16 seasons * Sixth Man of the Year for the Rockets in ’16-’17 and finished second place in voting in ’17-’18 * Top 10 in Hornets franchise history in points, assists, steals, and three-point field goals | #447 Antonio Davis, F/C, 1993-2006 * Already 25 years old by the time his NBA career started but stayed effective and lasted 13 seasons before retiring * An All-Star in 2001, making his first and only appearance at age 31 * Spent his first six seasons as a backup forward and center for the Pacers, making four Conference Finals appearances and finishing as high as third in Sixth Man of the Year voting |
| #446 Myles Turner, C, 2015-active 2025 rank: 444 * Starting center and third-leading scorer on the ’24-’25 Pacers that reached the NBA Finals; now faces a brand new set of challenges in Milwaukee * Led the NBA in blocks per game twice, and has finished in the top five in the category in five other seasons * Has averaged 12+ points, six-plus rebounds, and two-plus blocks per game seven times | #445 Hot Rod Williams, F, 1986-1999 * Nicknamed “Hot Rod” but played more like a reliable work truck * Part of the Cavaliers’ incredible rookie class of ’86-’87 and hit the ground running, averaging 12.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in his nine seasons in Cleveland * Signed the then largest contract in NBA history with the Cavs in 1990, which became an albatross for the franchise | #444 Elden Campbell, F, 1990-2005 * Still largely unpopular amongst Lakers fans, but he was the franchise’s leading scorer of the ’90s * Retired in 22nd place on the all-time blocks leaderboard * Feuded with teammate Shaquille O’Neal, who labelled him as “lazy,” but got his revenge as a member of the Pistons in ’03-’04, helping them upset the Lakers in the NBA Finals |
| #443 Ben Simmons, G, 2017-active 2025 rank: 437 * Just the third NBA rookie ever to total over 1,000 points, 500 assists, and 500 rebounds * An All-Star three times, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, and Rookie of the Year in ’17-’18 * Has played just 108 games in the last five seasons due to injuries, mental health issues, and contract holdouts | #442 Corey Maggette, F, 1999-2013 * An aggressive and talented scorer who struggled throughout his career with injuries and clashes with coaches, most notably Mike Dunleavy on the Clippers, and reached the playoffs just once in 14 seasons * Averaged 18+ points and five-plus rebounds per game five times * Had a slashing offensive style, and led the NBA in free throw attempts in ’04-’05 | #441 Don Buse, G, 1972-1985 * Synonymous with Indiana basketball, starting at the high school and college levels and culminating with the 1973 ABA champion Pacers * Led the ABA in assists per game and steals per game in the final pre-merger season, then led the NBA in both categories in the first post-merger season * 1st-Team All-Defensive in his final two ABA seasons and first four NBA seasons |
| #440 Calvin Natt, F, 1979-1990 * Averaged 18.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game over his first six seasons on Doug Moe’s up-tempo Nuggets * 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’79-’80 despite being traded mid-season, and an All-Star in 1985 * Struggled with injuries throughout his career but was popular with fans not just for his scoring but also his hustle and screen setting | #439 Drew Gooden, F, 2002-2016 * A solid, lengthy career, averaging 10+ points and six-plus rebounds per game in each of his first 10 seasons, but didn’t live up to his fourth overall pick status * Traded six times in the first eight years; ultimately played for 10 different franchises and never lasted longer than three seasons with any one team * Third leading scorer on the ’06-’07 Cavaliers that reached the NBA Finals | #438 Derrick McKey, F, 1987-2002 * Never missed the playoffs in his 15 seasons, played in six Conference Finals, five with the Pacers and one with the Sonics, and one NBA Finals in 2000 * 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice and 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’87-’88 * A versatile defender and stat-filler, at his peak he averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in ’89-’90 |
| #437 Boris Diaw, F, 2003-2017 * A real “unicorn” before that was a popular term, he could play essentially any position and do a little bit of everything on the court * Most Improved Player for the Suns in ’05-’06, when he filled in at center for an injured Amare Stoudemire * Crucial piece of the ’12-’13 Spurs that reached the NBA Finals and the ’13-’14 Spurs title team | #436 Chuck Person, F, 1986-2000 * Won Rookie of the Year in ’86-’87, averaging 18.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game * In ’93-’94, set the NBA record for three-point field goals off the bench and held it for two decades * Fourth player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career three-point field goals, and retired in seventh place on the all-time leaderboard | #435 Mario Chalmers, G, 2008-2018 * Made four consecutive NBA Finals appearances with the Heat, and was the starting point guard on the championship teams in 2012 and 2013 * His biggest NBA moment was game four of the 2012 NBA Finals, when he exploded for 25 points in a win * Never averaged big stats but is top five in Heat franchise history in assists and steals |
| #434 Cedric Ceballos, F, 1990-2001 * Had a fleeting but spectacular three-year prime, averaging 20.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and was a key part of Phoenix’s 1993 Finals run but suffered a knee injury in the Conference Finals * An All-Star in 1995 and won the 1992 Slam Dunk Contest with a controversial blindfolded jam * Led the NBA in field goal percentage in ’92-’93, the last non-center to do so | #433 Ron Boone, G, 1968-1981 * Third leading scorer in ABA history and a champion with the ’70-’71 Utah Stars * Finished fourth in ABA MVP voting in ’72-’73, was 2nd-Team All-ABA in ’73-’74, 1st-Team All-ABA in ’74-’75, and an ABA All-Star four times * Had some solid seasons in the NBA after getting selected in the post-merger dispersal draft, including averaging 22.2 points per game for the Kings in ’76-’77 | #432 Ray Williams, G, 1977-1987 * Stepped into a stressful situation as a rookie, expected to supplant Knicks franchise legend Walt Frazier after he was traded to the Cavaliers * Averaged 19.6 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.2 rebounds over a four-year prime * Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in assists per game twice and set the Nets franchise record with 52 points in a single game (it stood for 30 years) |
| #431 Jameer Nelson, G, 2004-2018 * Orlando’s all-time leader in assists and is also top five in franchise history in points, steals, and three-point field goals * Named to the All-Star Game in 2009 but tore his labrum, missed the game, and arguably never fully recovered * Came off the bench for the ’08-’09 Magic that reached the NBA Finals and was leading scorer for the ’09-’10 Conference Finals team | #430 Thurl Bailey, F, 1983-1999 * Finished his career top 10 in Jazz franchise history in points, rebounds, and blocks * Peaked statistically in ’87-’88 and ’88-’89, when he averaged 19.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game * Made nine postseason appearances with the Jazz but was playing in Italy when they reached back-to-back NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 | #429 David Lee, F, 2005-2017 * Made the All-Star roster twice, in 2010 for the Knicks and in 2013 for the Warriors, and was 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’12-’13 * Averaged 18.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game over a six year prime, and led the NBA in offensive rating once * Shifted into a secondary bench role for the Warriors in ’14-’15, and earned a championship ring |
| #428 Shareef Abdur-Rahim, F, 1996-2008 * Played in 830 regular season NBA games but just one playoff series, which is the all-time record; forced to retire at age 31 due to a knee cartilage tear * Finished third in Rookie of the Year voting and was an All-Star in 2002 * Starting in his second season, averaged 20+ points and seven-plus rebounds per game for five consecutive years | #427 Dick Van Arsdale, G, 1965-1977 * Nicknamed “Original Sun” as the team’s first star, he was their first All-Star in 1969, led them to their first playoff appearance in 1970, and was part of their first NBA Finals team in 1976 * Made three All-Star teams, and was 1st-Team All-Rookie for the Knicks in ’65-’66 * Became teammates on the Suns for one season in ’76-’77 with his identical twin brother Tom | #426 Tristan Thompson, F, 2011-active 2025 rank: 422 * Starting power forward on the ’15-’16 Cavs championship team; also part of the Cleveland teams that reached the NBA Finals in 2015, 2017, and 2018 * Finished top five in the NBA in offensive rebounds five times * Top five in Cavaliers franchise history in rebounds and the all-time NBA leader amongst Canadians |
| #425 Christian Laettner, F, 1993-2005 * His NBA career was a relative disappointment compared to his dominance at Duke and his participation at the Olympics as part of the Dream Team, but still lasted 13 solid seasons * Averaged 17.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his first five seasons before starting to struggle with injuries * 1st-Team All-Rookie for the T-Wolves and an All-Star in 1997 for the Hawks | #424 Doug Christie, G, 1992-2007 * One of the premier perimeter defenders of the early ’00s, and was named to the All-Defensive team four straight years, including 1st-Team in ’02-’03 * Starting shooting guard on the ’01-’02 Kings that lost a heartbreaking Conference Finals to the Lakers * Finished in the top five in the NBA in steals per game in seven seasons, and led the league in total steals in ’00-’01 | #423 Josh Howard, F, 2003-2013 * Starting small forward and third leading scorer on the ’05-’06 Mavericks that reached the NBA Finals * Over a three year prime, averaged 19.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and was named an All-Star in 2007 * Struggled with injuries and indifference, especially after a 2009 ACL tear, ultimately playing just 507 games over 10 season |
| #422 Rick Fox, F, 1991-2004 * Won three championships with the Lakers: in 2000 off the bench, then in 2001 and 2002 as starting small forward * Boston’s first opening day rookie starter since the man he replaced at small forward, Larry Bird, and earned 2nd-Team All-Rookie honors in ’91-’92 * Averaged 14.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game in his final two seasons with Boston | #421 Thaddeus Young, F, 2007-2024 * Averaged 12+ points, five-plus rebounds, and one-plus steals per game 10 times; had a career high 17.9 points per game in ’13-’14 * Reached the playoffs 10 times but the second round just once, with the ’11-’12 76ers that upset the Bulls in the Conference Quarterfinals as a #8 seed * Finished as high as third in the NBA in steals per game, in ’13-’14 | #420 Billy Knight, F, 1974-1985 * A star for the Pacers in both the ABA and NBA, he’s third in franchise history in scoring and led the team to the ABA Finals in 1975 * Finished second in the ABA in scoring in the final pre-merger season and second in the NBA in scoring in the first post-merger season * 1st-Team All-ABA in ’75-’76, an ABA All-Star once, and an NBA All-Star twice |
| #419 Mickey Johnson, F, 1974-1986 * One of the greatest players of all time to not make an All-Star appearance, he was always great but never quite elite * Over a four year peak with the Bulls and Pacers, averaged 17.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game * An accomplished passer for a big man, he averaged four-plus assists per game twice in his career and led the NBA in triple-doubles in ’78-’79 | #418 Doug Collins, G, 1973-1981 * A relatively disappointing first overall pick due to breaking his foot in rookie training camp, but he did average 19.7 points per game in a four season prime * Second leading scorer on the ’76-’77 76ers that reached the NBA Finals; also part of the ’79-’80 Philly team that reached the Finals, but missed the postseason with an injury * Named to four All-Star teams | #417 Steve Francis, G, 1999-2008 * Clashed with numerous coaches and struggled with not just injuries but also migraines throughout his career, ultimately playing just 576 games in nine seasons before retiring at age 30 * In each of his first six seasons, averaged 18+ points, six-plus assists, and five-plus rebounds per game * Named to three All-Star teams and was co-Rookie of the Year in ’99-’00 |
| #416 Eric Bledsoe, G, 2010-2022 * One of the best defensive point guards of his era, was 1st-Team All-Defensive in ’18-’19, and 2nd-Team All-Defensive in ’19-’20 * Peaked statistically after a 2013 trade to the Suns, averaging 18.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game over the next four seasons * Finished as high as third in the NBA in steals per game, in ’17-’18 | #415 Gordon Hayward, F, 2010-2024 * An All-Star for the Jazz in ’16-’17, when he averaged a career high 21.9 points per game * Over a four year prime, averaged 19.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game * Signed a huge free agent contract with the Celtics in 2017, then fractured his tibia in his Boston debut and never lived up to expectations there | #414 Sleepy Floyd, G, 1982-1995 * Holds the NBA single quarter postseason scoring record with 29 points in the fourth quarter of a 1987 Warriors win over the Lakers * Finished as high as third in the NBA in assists per game * At the time of his retirement, he was one of just 13 players in NBA history with 10,000+ career points, 5,000+ assists, and 1,000+ steals |
| #413 Larry Hughes, G, 1998-2012 * Had the talent to be a Scottie Pippen-esque complement to Allen Iverson on the 76ers or LeBron James on the Cavs, but flamed out in both situations, due largely to injuries * Led the NBA in steals per game in ’04-’05 and was named 1st-Team All-Defensive * Starting point guard on the ’06-’07 Cavaliers NBA Finals team | #412 Terry Dischinger, F, 1962-1973 * Rookie of the Year for the Chicago Zephyrs in ’62-’63 and an All-Star three times * Averaged 21.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in his first three NBA seasons * Took off two years in his prime in serve in the U.S. Army then returned to the NBA in ’67-’68 as more of a role player, averaging 10.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game over his final six seasons | #411 Cazzie Russell, F, 1966-1978 * Sixth man, playing at the two forward positions, for the ’69-’70 Knicks championship team * Had his best performances with the Warriors, averaging 19.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and getting named to the 1972 All-Star Game * Became technically the first (restricted) free agent in NBA history when he signed with the Lakers in 1974 |
| #410 Danilo Gallinari, F, 2008-2024 * Greatest Italian-born player in NBA history and easily the all-time leading Italian scorer * Averaged 15+ points per game eight times in his career and 18+ points per game four times * Plagued throughout his career by injuries, including torn ACLs that cost him the entire ’13-’14 season and the entire ’22-’23 season | #409 K.C. Jones, G, 1958-1967 * Won eight championships with the Celtics in nine seasons, five as Bob Cousy’s backup and three as the starting point guard * Finished top five in the NBA in assists per game three times, peaking at 6.3 per game in ’65-’66 * Renowned mainly for his defensive intensity and passing, he never averaged higher than 9.2 points per game | #408 Tyrese Haliburton, G, 2020-active 2025 rank: 407 * Made a major leap into our top 500 after ’24-’25 but took a mulligan in ’25-’26 due to an Achilles rupture suffered during the NBA Finals * 3rd-Team All-NBA twice and an All-Star twice * Has averaged 20+ points and 10+ assists per game twice, including in ’23-’24 when he led the league in assists |
| #407 Brian Winters, G, 1974-1983 * One of the premier shooters of his era, he averaged 19+ points per game in three consecutive seasons and ultimately retired with a career average of 16.2 points per game * Made two All-Star appearances and was 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’74-’75 * Traded to the Bucks as part of the Kareem deal, ended up top 10 in franchise history in assists and steals | #406 Damon Stoudamire, G, 1995-2008 * Diminutive but potent, he was ROY for the Raptors in ’95-’96, and set the rookie record for three point field goals (since broken) * Averaged 19.6 points and 8.8 assists per game for the Raptors until they traded him to Portland in 1998 * Assists leader on the Blazers teams that made back-to-back Conference Finals appearances in 1999 and 2000 | #405 Jimmy Jones, G, 1967-1977 * An ABA All-Star six times and 1st-Team All-ABA three times * Second-leading scorer on two ABA Finals teams: the ’67-’68 Buccaneers and the ’73-’74 Stars; later came off the bench for the Bullets in the 1975 NBA Finals * Had a dominant season in ’68-69, finishing second in the ABA with 26.6 points per game, and adding 5.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game |
| #404 Nick Anderson, G, 1989-2002 * Unfortunately remembered mainly for a free throw meltdown late in game one of the 1995 Finals, after which his career never recovered * Averaged 14+ points and five-plus rebounds per game seven times * First player in Magic history to score 50 points in a game and is second in franchise history in scoring, as well as the all-time leader in steals | #403 Dale Davis, F, 1991-2007 * Made 14 playoff appearances in 16 seasons but reached the NBA Finals just once, coming off the bench for the ’99-’00 Pacers * Averaged 10+ points and nine-plus rebounds five times in his career, including a double-double in ’93-’94 * An All-Star in 2000 and one of 17 players to compile 5,000+ points and 5,000+ rebounds during the ’90s | #402 Kelly Tripucka, F, 1981-1991 * Averaged 21.6 points per game for Detroit in his first five seasons * Finished second in ROY voting and made two All-Star appearances * Struggled in the middle of his career with injuries but was revived by the Hornets selecting him in their expansion draft; was the leading scorer in their inaugural ’88-’89 season, with 22.6 points per game |
| #401 Louie Dampier, G, 1967-1979 * The ABA’s all-time leader in points, assists, and three-point field goals; played three nondescript NBA seasons with the Spurs post-merger * Starting point guard for the Kentucky Colonels in their 1975 title run and their 1971 and 1973 ABA Finals appearances * 2nd-Team All-ABA four times, an ABA All-Star seven times, and finished as high as seventh in MVP voting | #400 Clint Capela, C, 2014-active 2025 rank: 385 * Led the NBA in rebounds per game in ’20-’21 with 14.3 per game, and has finished in the top five in the NBA in four other seasons * Averaged 10+ points and 10+ rebounds per game for seven consecutive seasons * The NBA leader in field goal percentage in ’17-’18, at 65.2%, and has finished in the top five in three other seasons | #399 Walt Hazzard, G, 1964-1974 * Played in two NBA Finals with the Lakers, off the bench in 1965 and as starting shooting guard in 1966 * Leading scorer for the Sonics in their inaugural season and was the franchise’s first All-Star * Struggled late in his career with injuries and fan backlash over his name change to Mahdi Abdul-Rahman and retired in 1974 at age 32 |
| #398 Danny Manning, F, 1988-2003 * Hardly a flop as a #1 overall pick but certainly a disappointment, in large part due to an ACL tear suffered as a rookie * Averaged 18.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game over his first six seasons, was an All-Star twice, and Sixth Man of the Year in ’97-’98 * Reached the postseason nine times but only as far as the Conference Finals once, late in his career with the ’02-’03 Pistons | #397 Jim Paxson, G, 1979-1990 * Averaged 20+ points per game twice and left Portland as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer * Named to back-to-back All-Star teams in 1982 and 1983 and was 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’83-’84 * Finally got to play for a contender late in his career when he was traded to Boston in 1988 but is reviled by Celtics fans to this day for trashing Larry Bird | #396 Harrison Barnes, F, 2012-active 2025 rank: 398 * Starting small forward on the ’14-’15 championship Warriors and the ’15-’16 Warriors that won 73 games and lost in the NBA Finals * Averaged 16.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in nine seasons with the Mavericks and Kings * Played in the NBA Finals again in 2026 as an elder statesmen for the Spurs |
| #395 Max Zaslofsky, G, 1946-1956 * Second player in NBA history to average 20+ points in a season; finished his career third on the all-time scoring list * 1st-Team All-NBA four times; fifth in the NBA in scoring in the inaugural ’46-’47 season, and led the Chicago Stags to the NBA Finals * Made two more NBA Finals appearances late in his career with his hometown Knicks | #394 Monta Ellis, G, 2005-2017 * A second round pick in the final prep-to-pro draft, he played sparingly early but won MIP in ’06-’07 at age 21 * One of the greatest players of his era to not make an All-Star roster, despite averaging 19+ points per game for seven consecutive seasons and finishing as high as sixth in the NBA in scoring * Finished top five in the league in steals per game three times | #393 Hedo Turkoglu, F, 2000-2015 * Third in scoring for the ’08-’09 Magic that reached the NBA Finals, and was basically unstoppable in their Conference Finals upset of the Cavaliers * Averaged 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game over five seasons in Orlando, and won MIP in ’07-’08 * Never the same after signing a huge free agent contract with the Raptors in 2009 and struggled in his late career |
| #392 Michael Redd, G, 2000-2012 * The ’06-’07 season was a perfect nutshell of his career: he set the Bucks franchise record with 57 points in a single and he also sat out for six weeks due to a knee injury * 3rd-Team All-NBA and an All-Star in ’03-’04; finished second in 6MOY voting * Averaged 20+ points per game for six straight seasons and finished as high as fifth in the NBA in scoring | #391 Rudy Gay, F, 2006-2023 * Averaged 18+ points per game for eight consecutive seasons, including two in which he was traded mid-season; finished his career top 100 on the all-time scoring leaderboard * 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’06-’07 but never made an All-Star team * Made just three playoff appearances in his 16-year career and all of them were first round losses | #390 Andrei Kirilenko, F, 2001-2015 * Always a stat sheet filler across the board, especially in ’03-’04 when he averaged 16.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.8 blocks, and 1.9 steals * 1st-Team All-Defensive once, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, and led the NBA in blocks per game in ’04-’05 * Top 10 in Jazz franchise history in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks |
| #389 Evan Mobley, F, 2021-active 2025 rank: #457 * DPOY in ’24-’25, becoming the first Cavaliers player ever to earn the award * 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, and an All-Star once * In all five seasons he’s played, has averaged 15+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game; has finished in the top 10 in the NBA in blocks per game three times | #388 Mikal Bridges, F, 2018-active 2025 rank: n/a * Starting small forward and jack-of-all-trades for the Knicks in their 2026 title run * Over two seasons of a main offensive option for the Suns and Nets, averaged 19.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game * Along with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, part of the first trio of teammates to win NCAA (at Villanova) and NBA titles | #387 Terrell Brandon, G, 1991-2002 * Sports Illustrated labelled him as the “best pure point guard in the NBA” in 1997 * Made two All-Star appearances for the Cavaliers, in 1996 and 1997 * Averaged 18.8 points and 6.7 assists per game during a three year prime with the Cavs and Bucks before knee injuries started to hamper him; did have a brief later career revival with the T-Wolves |
| #386 Lonnie Shelton, F, 1976-1986 * At 6’8″ and 240 pounds, was described as so massive and tough that he could “set a pick on the sun”; never put up big stats but did average 12+ points and six-plus rebounds per game five times * Starting power forward, second leading rebounder, and designated enforcer on the ’78-’79 Sonics championship team * An All-Star and 2nd-Team All-Defensive in ”81-’82 | #385 George Hill, G, 2008-2023 * Suited up for eight different franchises in 15 seasons and reached the playoffs 13 times, though just one NBA Finals appearance with the ’17-’18 Cavs * Led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage in ’19-’20, at 46.0% * Mostly came off the bench, but had a three-year prime as a starter, averaging 14.5 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game | #384 James Edwards, C, 1977-1996 * Spent 19 seasons in the NBA with eight different teams, compiling over 14,000 points and over 6,000 rebounds * Won back-to-back championships with the Pistons in 1989 and 1990; added one more ring late in his career with the legendary ’95-’96 Bulls * Averaged 15+ points and seven-plus rebounds per game in his first five seasons |
| #383 Zach LaVine, G, 2014-active 2025 rank: 382 * Averaged 23+ points per game in six of the last eight seasons and finished as high as seventh in the NBA in scoring * An All-Star in 2021 and 2022 and won back-to-back Slam Dunk Contests in 2016 and 2017 * Has made just one postseason appearance in his career, a first round sweep with the Bulls in 2021 | #382 Darryl Dawkins, C, 1975-1989 * A furious dunker and backboard shatterer, he finished in the top five in the NBA in field goal percentage four times * Key part of Philly NBA Finals teams in 1977, 1980, and 1982; earned a championship ring with the Pistons * Nicknamed “Chocolate Thunder” and claimed to have been descended from the planet “Lovetron” (he was actually born in Orlando) | #381 Mack Calvin, G, 1969-1981 * Arguably the best point guard in the ABA, he’s second in league history in assists, eighth in points, and second in free throw percentage (at 86.6%) * 1st-Team All-ABA three times, 2nd-Team All-ABA once, and played in five consecutive ABA All-Star Games * Spent three mediocre seasons in the NBA post-merger, playing for five different franchises |
| #380 Kenny Smith, G, 1987-1997 * Best known now for his TV analysis, but was a key element of Houston’s back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995, as the starting point guard * Never put up huge stats but did average 12+ points and five-plus assists per game five times, including as a rookie (he finished second in ROY voting) * Hit a memorable game-tying buzzer beater in game one of the 1995 Finals | #379 Bob Boozer, F, 1960-1971 * First player in Bulls franchise history to be named an All-Star; later won a title with the Bucks in 1971 * Averaged a double-double for two seasons early in his career for the Royals; later averaged 20.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game for the Bulls * Drafted first overall in 1959 but delayed his career so that he could earn gold with the 1960 U.S. Olympic team | #378 Antonio McDyess, F, 1995-2011 * Had a career that can be neatly bifurcated in two parts, before and after he ruptured his Patellar tendon in 2001 * 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’98-’99, an All-Star in 2001, and 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’95-’96; averaged 20.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in the three seasons before his injury * Sixth man for the ’04-’05 Pistons that reached the NBA Finals |
| #377 Al Jefferson, C, 2004-2018 * Despite playing for four different franchises during an eight year prime, averaged 19.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game over that span * Peaked in ’13-’14, when he finished eighth in MVP voting and was named 3rd-Team All-NBA for the Hornets (though was not an All-Star) * Played in the postseason just four times in 14 seasons, all first round losses | #376 Rodney McCray, F, 1983-1993 * Had a brief career due to an abdominal injury but was one of the better defenders in the league in his prime, getting named 1st-Team All-Defensive in ’87-’88 and 2nd-Team All-Defensive in ’86-’87 * Starting small forward on the ’85-’86 Rockets that reached the NBA Finals * Finished out his career with the Bulls, earning a title as the last man off the bench for the ’92-’93 championship team | #375 Sam Lacey, C, 1970-1983 * One of five players in NBA history to tally 100+ blocks and 100+ steals for six consecutive seasons (the other four are all Hall of Famers) * Logged a double-double in each of his first six seasons, averaging 12.8 points and 12.5 rebounds over that span * Reached the postseason just four times but was the starting center on the ’80-’81 Kings Conference Finals team |
| #374 Avery Johnson, G, 1988-2004 * Finished top 10 in the NBA in assists three times, including as high as third * Assists leader on the ’98-’99 championship Spurs team and hit the series clinching shot in the NBA Finals against the Knicks * After going un-drafted in 1988 out of Southern, bounced around the USBL and NBA for six years before finally settling in with the Spurs at age 29 | #373 Scott Wedman, F, 1974-1987 * Became the starting small forward for the Kings as a rookie and held the job for seven seasons, averaging 16.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game * An All-Star in 1976 and in 1980, and 2nd-Team All-Defensive in ’79-’80 * Found a second life late in his career as Larry Bird’s backup on the Celtics, playing in three NBA Finals and winning championships in 1984 and 1986 | #372 Tyson Chandler, C, 2001-2020 * DPOY in ’11-’12, when he also led the league in field goal percentage and was 3rd-Team All-NBA * Starting center and leading rebounder on the ’10-’11 Mavericks that won the championship * Averaged 10+ rebounds per game five times and for four different franchises; finished in the top 10 in the league in rebounding six times, including as high as second (in ’06-’07) |
| #371 Don Ohl, G, 1960-1970 * Saved his best performances for the playoffs and his 26.2 career postseason points per game for the Bullets is the franchise record * Played in the Conference Finals with the Pistons in 1962, the Bullets in 1965, and the Hawks in 1969, but never reached the NBA Finals * Named to five consecutive All-Star Games | #370 Larry Kenon, F, 1973-1983 * Expertly played a complementary role to Julius Erving on the Nets and George Gervin on the Spurs, making five All-Star Games across the ABA and NBA * Averaged 18+ points and nine-plus rebounds per game in his last two ABA seasons and his first four in the NBA * Leading rebounder and second leading scorer on the ’73-’74 Nets that won the ABA title | #369 Trevor Ariza, F, 2004-2022 * Key part of the Lakers teams that made the NBA Finals in 2008 and won the title in 2009 * Never put up huge statistics but was consistent, averaging 10+ points and five-plus rebounds per game seven times in a nine year prime * Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in steals per game six times and retired in 29th place all-time in career steals |
| #368 Jeff Teague, G, 2009-2021 * Averaged 15.1 points and 7.1 assists per game over a seven-year prime * Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in assists per game five times and is one of just nine players to compile 4,000+ assists during the ’10s * An All-Star for the Hawks in 2015 and later retired as an NBA champion, earning it as a backup point guard on the ’20-’21 Bucks | #367 Lou Williams, G, 2005-2022 * A bench scoring specialist extraordinaire, he is one of just two players to earn 6MOY three times * The all-time leading career bench scorer, with 13,396 of his points coming as a non-starter; also one of 11 players to score 15,000+ career points but never make an All-Star appearance * Averaged 20+ points per game twice, both times while over the age of 30 | #366 Caron Butler, F, 2002-2016 * Exceedingly versatile and a terrific defender, he averaged 18.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game over a five year prime before injuries started to really affect his career * Named to the 2007 and 2008 All-Star teams for the Wizards * Earned a championship ring with the Mavericks in 2011 but sat out the entire playoffs after knee surgery |
| #365 Tom Meschery, F, 1961-1971 * An All-Star for the Warriors in 1963 and part of two NBA Finals losing teams in 1964 (as the second leading scorer) and in 1967 *Averaged 12+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game seven times in 10 NBA seasons * Nicknamed “The Mad Russian” for his bruising enforcer style, he led the league in personal fouls as a rookie | #364 Willie Naulls, F, 1956-1966 * Had an impact on basketball beyond what can be measured empirically, as the first Black athlete to be captain of a major American pro team * Over a five-year prime with the Knicks, averaged 20.9 points and 12.3 rebounds while making four All-Star Games * Recruited by Bill Russell to join the Celtics in 1963 and closed out his career in Boston, winning three championships | #363 Sidney Wicks, F, 1971-1981 * ROY in ’71-’72 for the Blazers, when he averaged career highs with 24.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game * An All-Star in each of his first four seasons, and averaged 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game in three of them * His scoring average (somewhat mysteriously) dropped in every single season he played, all the way down to 6.7 per game for the Clippers in ’80-’81 |
| #362 Jason Richardson, G, 2001-2015 * Held the Warriors franchise record for three-point field goals for a few years before Stephen Curry shattered it * Averaged 20+ points per game three times; led the NBA in three-point field goals in ’07-’08 * After six seasons, finally made his first playoffs appearance in 2007 with the “We Believe” Warriors that upset the Mavericks in the first round | #361 Reggie Lewis, G, 1987-1993 * An All-Star for the Celtics in ’91-’92, when he averaged a career high 20.8 points per game * Averaged 17+ points per game in all five seasons beyond his rookie campaign, and finished his career with averages of 17.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game * Born with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a rare heart defect that cut his life and promising career short in 1993 | #360 Arvydas Sabonis, C, 1995-2003 * Finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in ’95-’96, at the age of 30 * Averaged 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in his first three seasons with the Trail Blazers * Used his refined game and large frame (listed at 7’3″, 279 pounds) to memorably battle Shaquille O’Neal in numerous playoff matchups, most notably in the 2000 Conference Finals |
| #359 Phil Smith, G, 1974-1983 * Averaged 19+ points and four-plus assists per game for four straight seasons in his prime, before an Achilles’ injury hampered him for the remainder of his career * 2nd-Team All-NBA, 2nd-Team All-Defensive, and seventh in MVP voting in ’75-’76; an All-Star in 1976 and 1977 * Won a championship with the Warriors in his rookie season, ’74-’75 | #358 Kevin Porter, G, 1972-1983 * Broke Oscar Robertson’s single season assist record and Bob Cousy’s single game assist record * Led the NBA in assists per game four times and in ’78-’79 became the first player in league history to average 13+ assists per game for a season, and to compile over 1,000 assists * Starting point guard and assist leader on the ’74-’75 Bullets NBA Finals team | #357 Joe Caldwell, F, 1964-1975 * Described by none other than Julius Erving as the best man-to-man defender in the ABA * 2nd-Team All-ABA once, 1st-Team All-Defensive in the ABA once, a two-time ABA All-Star, and a two-time NBA All-Star * At his peak in his final NBA season and first ABA season, averaged 22.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while locking down opposing small forwards |
| #356 Doc Rivers, G, 1983-1996 * Finished in the top 10 in the league in assists three times and in steals three times * Held the Hawks career assists record for over 30 years before it was broken by Trae Young * Played in the Conference Finals twice but never the NBA Finals, as he sat out New York’s postseason run in 1994 with a sprained knee | #355 J.R. Smith, G, 2004-2020 * Starting shooting guard on the ’15-’16 Cavaliers championship team, as well as the NBA Finals teams in 2015, 2017, and 2018 (when he made his infamous gaffe, dribbling out the clock in a tied game) * Sixth Man of the Year for the Knicks in ’12-’13 * Played in a fifth NBA Finals and earned a second title ring playing minor minutes for the Lakers in ’19-’20 | #354 Brandon Roy, G, 2006-2013 * Lack of cartilage in his knee caused the brevity of his promising career, lasting just 326 games over six seasons * 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star three times, and Rookie of the Year in ’06-’07 * Never advanced past the first round of the postseason but did provide one epic playoffs highlight in 2011, leading a furious late comeback for the Blazers |
| #353 Jamal Crawford, G, 2000-2020 * One of two players to earn Sixth Man of the Year three times, and he’s second all-time behind Lou Williams in career points off the bench * Averaged 14+ points per game for 13 straight seasons; led the NBA in free throw percentage in ’11-’12 * One of just four eligible players with 18,000+ career points and 4,000+ assists to not be in the Hall of Fame | #352 Aaron Gordon, F, 2014-active 2025 rank: 371 * Defensive anchor and jack-of-all-trades for the ’22-’23 Nuggets title team * Has averaged 12+ points and five-plus rebounds per game in each of the last 10 seasons * Injuries have been a major concern and it’s only worsening after a difficult 2026 postseason that ended early for the Nuggets | #351 Anthony Mason, F, 1989-2003 * A third round pick, cut in his first training camp, and played professionally overseas and in the CBA before catching on with his hometown Knicks in 1991 * Sixth Man of the Year in ’94-’95, and a first time All-Star in 2001 at age 34 * His greatest asset was his defensive versatility, defending both Scottie Pippen and Hakeem Olajuwon for New York in the 1994 playoffs |
| #350 Mychal Thompson, C, 1978-1991 * Averaged 16.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in his first seven seasons with the Trail Blazers, despite missing all of ’79-’80 with a broken leg * Traded to the Lakers in 1987 and played in four NBA Finals as a backup center, winning two championships * The first non-American (he was born in the Bahamas) ever drafted first overall in the NBA Draft | #349 John Johnson, F, 1970-1982 * First Cavs player to make the All-Star team as a rookie, and first to make it in back-to-back years (it took 17 years for someone to repeat either feat) * Averaged 16.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game over his first five seasons * Traded to Seattle in 1977 and was a key part of their 1978 NBA Finals run and their 1979 title | #348 Paul Pressey, F, 1982-1993 * Revolutionized the “point forward” position with his terrific passing and play making; also an explosive dunker nicknamed “Rubber Band Man” in college * 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, 2nd-Team All-Defensive once, and finished as high as third in DPOY voting * Played in the Conference Finals with the Bucks in 1984 and 1986, and was the team leader in assists on the latter |
| #347 Jim McMillian, F, 1970-1979 * Took over for Elgin Baylor on the legendary ’71-’72 Lakers title team, and was third in scoring with 19.1 points per game during the postseason * Averaged 18.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game over a three year prime before injuries slowed him down * Also the second leading scorer on the Lakers team that reached the 1973 NBA Finals | #346 Ricky Pierce, G, 1982-1998 * Two-time 6MOY and holds the record for scoring average amongst winners, 23.0 points per game in ’89-’90 * Averaged 16+ points per game for seven straight seasons, only two of which were spent as a full-time starter * Played in the 1991 All-Star Game and was then traded just days later from the Bucks to the Sonics; leading scorer for the ’92-’93 Sonics | #345 John Starks, G, 1988-2002 * An All-Star for the Knicks in 1994, and Sixth Man of the Year in ’95-’96 * Led the NBA in three-point field goals in ’93-’94 and is still the Knicks’ all-time career leader in the category * Had some huge postseason moments over the years with New York but also some regrettable ones, most notably his 2-of-18 shooting performance in game seven of the 1994 Finals |
| #344 Andrew Wiggins, F, 2014-current 2025 rank: 351 * Starting small forward for the Warriors team that won the 2022 title * Rookie of the Year in ’14-’15 and an All-Star in 2022 * Inconsistent in his stats due to injuries, trades, and the pressure of a huge contract, but has averaged 20+ points per game three times, and has averaged 18+ points and four-plus rebounds five times | #343 Bill Bradley, F, 1967-1977 * One of just two players ever to win an NBA title, Olympic gold medal (in 1964), and EuroLeague title (with Olimpia Milano in 1966, while he was studying at Oxford) * Played 10 NBA seasons, all with the Knicks, including championship runs in 1970 and 1973, and an NBA Finals appearance in 1972 * An All-Star in ’72-’73, when he averaged a career high 16.1 points per game | #342 Lionel Hollins, G, 1975-1985 * Starting shooting guard and assist leader on the ’76-’77 Trail Blazers championship team, in just in his second season in the NBA * 1st-Team All-Defensive in ’77-’78, 2nd-Team All-Defensive in ’78-’79, and an All-Star in 1978 * Assist leader on the ’79-’80 Philly team that reached the NBA Finals; also played a role on the 1982 76ers Finals team |
| #341 Eddie Johnson, F, 1981-1999 * Lasted 17 seasons in the NBA and played in 1,199 games, sixth in league history at the time of his retirement * 6MOY for the Suns in ’88-’89 and finished in the top three in voting in two other seasons * Averaged 18+ points and five-plus rebounds per game four times; second highest scoring player ever without an All-Star appearance | #340 Micheal Ray Richardson, G, 1978-1986 * An undeniable Knicks legend but was hampered by cocaine addiction and unfair expectations and banned for life from the league at age 31 * One of three players in NBA history to lead the league in both assists per game and steals per game, doing so in ’79-’80 * 1st-Team All-Defensive twice and an All-Star four times | #339 Dale Ellis, G, 1983-2000 * Retired in second place on the all-time three-point field goals list with 1,719 and participated in seven All-Star Three-Point Contests, winning in 1989 * Most Improved Player in ’86-’87, when he more than tripled his scoring average from the year before, and an All-Star for the Sonics in 1989 * Averaged 23+ points per game in his final four seasons with Seattle |
| #338 Sean Elliott, F, 1989-2001 * Starting forward for the ’98-’99 champ Spurs, and contributed the “Memorial Day Miracle,” a game-clinching three pointer in the 1999 Conference Finals * An All-Star in 1993 and 1996 * Later revealed that he had played the entire ’98-’99 season with a failing kidney; received a kidney transplant from his brother and played two more partial seasons before retiring | #337 Joe Fulks, F, 1946-1954 * The first big star in NBA history, thanks in large part to his mastery of the newly invented jump shot * Won the first two NBA scoring titles and held the single game scoring record (63 points) for over a decade * Leading scorer (and almost the entire offense) on the ’46-’47 Warriors that won the inaugural NBA title, and the ’47-’48 Warriors that reached the NBA Finals | #336 Jalen Rose, F, 1994-2007 * First member of Michigan’s Fab Five to reach the NBA Finals and played brilliantly in that 2000 Pacers series loss to the Lakers * Most Improved Player for Indiana in ’99-’00 and was the team’s leading scorer for the season * Over a three year prime, averaged 21.1 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game while playing multiple positions |
| #335 Mike Mitchell, F, 1978-1990 * A prolific scorer and All-Star on terrible Cavs teams in the first half of his career and a complementary piece to George Gervin on Spurs title contenders in the second half * Averaged 20+ points and five-plus rebounds six times; finished in the top 10 in the NBA in scoring four times * Spent an additional decade playing professionally in Europe | #334 Jonas Valanciunas, C, 2012-active 2025 rank: 344 * Averaged 16.4 points and 11.7 rebounds per game over a three year prime with the Grizzlies * Finished top 10 in the NBA in rebounds per game for four straight seasons, including as high as third * A superstar in his native Lithuania before joining the NBA, he was MVP of the nation’s LKL in 2012 | #333 Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C, 1997-2011 * Affectionately nicknamed “Big Z” by Cleveland fans, he’s the franchise’s all-time leader in blocks * An All-Star in 2003 and 2005, and 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’97-’98 * Rebounding leader on the ’06-’07 Cavaliers that made the first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history; also made a brief appearance in the 2011 Finals with the Heat |
| #332 Stephen Jackson, F, 2000-2014 * An unlikely NBA success, he was drafted in the second round in 1997, cut multiple times, and playing in Venezuela when the Spurs signed him * Starting shooting guard on the 2003 Spurs championship team * Over a three-year prime with the Warriors and Bobcats, averaged 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game | #331 Victor Wembanyama, C, 2023-active 2025 rank: n/a * Rockets onto the list at age 22 after earning DPOY and carrying the Spurs to a surprise NBA Finals appearance * 1st-Team All-NBA once, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, an All-Star twice, and ROY in ’23-’24 * Has led the NBA in blocks per game in all three seasons he’s played | #330 Steve Smith, G, 1991-2005 * A steady and versatile presence, averaging 18.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game over a seven-year prime * 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’91-’92 for the Heat, an All-Star in 1998 for the Hawks, and won a title in 2003 with the Spurs as a deep bench option * Led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage in ’01-’02 |
| #329 Paul Seymour, G, 1947-1960 * Bob Cousy’s biggest rival of the ’50s and the two often resorted to physical altercations on the floor; was just the fifth player in NBA history to reach 2,000 career assists * Assist leader on the Syracuse Nationals that won the 1955 NBA title and the team that reached the 1954 Finals * 2nd-Team All-NBA twice and an All-Star three times | #328 Marcus Smart, G, 2014-active 2025 rank: 335 * Defensive Player of the Year in ’21-’22, becoming only the fourth guard to ever win the award * 1st-Team All-Defensive three times and a three-time “Hustle Award” winner * Third in scoring and second in assists on the Celtics NBA Finals team in ’21-’22, then was shockingly traded a year later to the Grizzlies | #327 Jamal Mashburn, F, 1993-2004 * A late bloomer statistically, he averaged 20+ points per game in each of his final four seasons before retiring at age 31 due to knee issues * 3rd-Team All-NBA for the Hornets in ’02-’03, and made his All-Star debut at age 30 * Set the Mavericks franchise record with 50 points in a game in 1994, which stood for 10 years until it was broken by Dirk Nowitzki |
| #326 Nick Van Exel, G, 1993-2006 * Fell to the second round of the NBA Draft but quickly developed into a star for the Lakers, albeit a combustible one * Averaged 16+ points and eight-plus assists per game in three different seasons * Holds an inauspicious and telling distinction of being teammates with Shaq, Kobe, Dirk, and Tim Duncan, but never playing in the NBA Finals | #325 Marcus Camby, C, 1996-2013 * One of just three players to lead the NBA in blocks per game four times; 12th on the all-time blocks leaderboard * DPOY in ’06-’07, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, and 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’96-’97, but never made an All-Star team * Starting center, taking over for an injured Patrick Ewing, on the ’98-’99 Knicks that reached the NBA Finals | #324 Vinnie Johnson, G, 1979-1992 * Probably could have started for most teams in the league but embraced his role as “The Microwave” off the bench in Detroit * Sixth man on the Pistons teams that reached three consecutive NBA Finals and won two championships * Clinched the 1990 NBA Finals against Portland by sinking a go-ahead basket with 0.7 seconds left in game five |
| #323 Mel Hutchins, F, 1951-1958 * Starting power forward for the Pistons teams that reached back-to-back NBA Finals in 1955 and 1956 * An All-Star four times, Rookie of the Year in ’51-’52 (unofficially), finished as high as fourth in MVP voting, and led the NBA in total rebounds as a rookie * Played just seven NBA seasons due to knee problems, before retiring to become a real estate agent | #322 Tayshaun Prince, F, 2002-2016 * Took over as Detroit’s starting small forward in the 2003 playoffs and became the first player in NBA history to score more total points in his rookie postseason than in the regular season * Played in two NBA Finals with the Pistons, winning a championship in 2004 * 2nd-Team All-Defensive four times despite never finishing top 10 in the league in steals or blocks | #321 Reggie Theus, G, 1978-1991 * An elite scorer and a skilled play maker for his size (6’6″), he’s one of just five players to total over 10,000 points and over 4,000 assists during the ’80s * An All-Star in 1981 and 1983, and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in ’78-’79 * Averaged 20+ points per game four times in his career and finished as high as third in the NBA in assists per game |
| #320 Hersey Hawkins, G, 1988-2001 * Beloved by two fan bases, he was a star early in his career for the 76ers and later a key role player for the SuperSonics, most notably in their 1996 run to the NBA Finals * 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’88-’89 and an All-Star in 1991 * Averaged 20.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in his final three seasons with Philadelphia | #319 Jack Coleman, F, 1949-1958 * Won titles as the starting power forward on the ’50-’51 Rochester Royals and the backup center on the ’57-’58 Hawks * In the 1957 NBA Finals, he was on the wrong end of the “Coleman Play,” in which his potential series winning shot in game seven was blocked by Bill Russell * An All-Star in ’54-’55, one of three seasons in which he averaged a double-double | #318 Glenn Robinson, F, 1994-2005 * A complicated figure in Bucks franchise history, he’s top 10 in career points, rebounds, and steals, but left under contentious circumstances * Averaged 20+ points per game in eight of his 11 NBA seasons and finished with a career scoring average of 20.2 points per game * An All-Star in 2000 and 2001, and finished third in ROY voting in ’94-’95 |
| #317 Goran Dragic, G, 2008-2023 * One of the all-time great returns on draft investment, from a second round pick afterthought in 2008 to the first Slovenian NBA All-Star a decade later * Most Improved Player and 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’13-’14 for the Suns, and an All-Star in 2018 for the Heat * Second in scoring for the ’19-’20 Heat that reached the NBA Finals but missed most of that series with a foot injury | #316 Robert Reid, F, 1977-1991 * Only member of the Rockets to play on both the 1981 and 1986 NBA Finals teams, and briefly retired in between * In the three seasons leading up to his initial retirement, averaged 14.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game Defensive anchor on the ’80-’81 Rockets Finals team, and was the team leader in assists on the ’85-’86 Finals team | #315 Bill Cartwright, C, 1979-1995 * Starting center and defensive anchor for three Bulls title teams, in 1991, 1992, and 1993 * Starred for the Knicks in his first five seasons, averaging 17.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game * Named to the All-Star team as a rookie in ’79-’80 and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting behind Magic Johnson and Larry Bird |
| #314 Jack Marin, F, 1966-1977 * Originally went pro just to pay for medical school but ultimately lasted 11 seasons in the NBA and made two All-Star teams (he then opted for law school instead) * Led the NBA in free throw percentage in ’71-’72 and shot 84.3% for his career * Second leading scorer on the ’70-’71 Bullets that made the first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history | #313 John Drew, F, 1974-1985 * Entered the NBA as the youngest rookie in over two decades but averaged 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game and finished second in ROY voting * Averaged 20+ points per game six times and made two All-Star teams * Struggled with drug addiction and at age 29, became the first player banned for life from the NBA under the then new substance abuse policy | #312 Kevin Willis, F, 1984-2007 * Lasted 23 years in the NBA to the record age of 44; ninth in NBA history in career games played and 25th in total rebounds * 3rd-Team All-NBA and an All-Star for the Hawks in ’91-’92, and a champion with the Spurs in 2003 * Averaged 16+ points and 10+ rebounds per game in four seasons, and finished in the top five in the league in rebounding three times |
| #311 Carl Braun, G, 1947-1962 * The fourth player in NBA history to compile 10,000+ career points, 2,000+ rebounds, and 2,000+ assists * Leading scorer on the 1953 Knicks that reached the NBA Finals; later won a title coming off the bench for the ’61-’62 Celtics * A terrific long range shooter, credited by Knicks announcer Marty Glickman as the originator of the term “swish” | #310 Fred Brown, G, 1971-1984 * Nicknamed “Downtown” for good reason, he was the first player to lead the NBA in three-point field goal percentage when the stat was introduced in ’79-’80 * Second leading scorer on the ’77-’78 Sonics NBA Finals team, and backup guard and team captain on the ’78-’79 title team * An All-Star in ’75-’76, when he averaged a career high 23.1 points per game | #309 Bobby Wanzer, G, 1948-1957 * Despite starting his career at age 27 due to military service, he was named 2nd-Team All-NBA three times and played in five All-Star Games * Starting shooting guard and third leading scorer on the ’50-’51 Rochester Royals that won the NBA title * First player in NBA history to shoot over 90% on free throws in a season, doing so with 90.4% in ’51-’52 to lead the league |
| #308 De’Aaron Fox, G, 2017-active 2025 rank: 450 * Third-leading scorer and second in assists for the ’25-’26 Spurs that reached the NBA Finals * Nicknamed “Swipa” for his incredibly quick hands, he led the NBA in steals in ’23-’24 * 3rd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star twice, and was the inaugural winner of the NBA Clutch Player of the Year award | #307 Wayne Embry, C, 1958-1969 * A double-double machine and brutal screener who was appropriately nicknamed “Wayne the Wall” * Averaged 16.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game over a five year prime, making the All-Star team each season * Spent most of his career with the Cincinnati Royals but was traded to the Celtics in 1966 and subsequently earned a championship as Bill Russell’s backup | #306 Andrew Toney, G, 1980-1988 * His career lasted just 468 games due to a stress fracture in his foot, but Charles Barkley once called him the best player he ever played with * Second in scoring on the ’81-’82 76ers, earning his “Boston Strangler” nickname on the way to the NBA Finals, and on the legendary ’82-’83 Sixers title team * Named to back-to-back All-Star teams in 1983 and 1984 |
| #305 Dick McGuire, G, 1949-1960 * Never led the league in assists per game, but finished in second place four times and in third place three times * 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’50-’51 and played in seven All-Star Games * Starting point guard and assists leader for his hometown Knicks, as they reached three consecutive NBA Finals, starting in 1951; still third in franchise history in career assists | #304 Gilbert Arenas, G, 2001-2012 * Came seemingly out of nowhere to become a star player: 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’06-’07 and an All-Star three times * Averaged 24.3 points and 5.7 assists per game over a six year prime; finished as high as third in the NBA in scoring * Started to crash out in 2008 due to a knee injury, a major contract that overpaid him, and an indefinite suspension for a locker room gun incident | #303 Ja Morant, G, 2019-active 2025 rank: 300 * 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star twice, Rookie of the Year in ’19-’20, and Most Improved Player in ’21-’22 * In ’22-’23, became just the seventh player in NBA history to average 25+ points, eight-plus assists, five-plus rebounds, and one-plus steal per game * Last three seasons have been basically a wash due to injuries and suspensions |
| #302 Richard Jefferson, F, 2001-2018 * Played in the NBA Finals with the Nets in his first two seasons, 2002 and 2003, as starting small forward on the latter * Finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in ’01-’02, behind Pau Gasol * Averaged 19.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game over a six season prime; struggled with injuries in later stops before a late career revival in Cleveland, which included a championship in 2016 backing up LeBron James | #301 Mike Bibby, G, 1998-2012 * Assists leader and second in scoring on the ’01-’02 Kings that fell just short of the NBA Finals * 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’98-’99 but never named to an All-Star team; finished as high as fourth in the NBA in assists per game (in ’00-’01) Starting point guard for the ’10-’11 Heat that reached the NBA Finals, then closed out his career with the Knicks, the same team that had drafted his father Henry | |
Sidebar: Notable active players outside the top 500
Whether top 500 status is seemingly inevitable or slowly slipping away, we take stock of some notable active NBA players who are outside of our list, for now
Click here for notable active players outside the top 500
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (#514): The highest rated active player outside our top 500, he won championships with the Lakers and Nuggets but has never averaged more than 14.5 points per game
Paolo Banchero (#546): ’25-’26 was a bit of a step back for the Rookie of the Year winner and 2024 All-Star, who seems to be still suffering the effects of an oblique tear from two seasons back
Josh Hart (#561): It was enough to boost Knicks teammate Jalen Brunson into the top 150 and Mikal Bridges into the top 500 but the championship run only got Hart to the brink of our list
Tyler Herro (#599): A Sixth Man of the Year winner and one-time All-Star, Herro will get a fresh start in Milwaukee and the keys to the offense
Alperen Sengun (#617): The Turkish sensation made his second All-Star appearance in 2026 at age 23 but his stats also slipped slightly and his Rockets made a disappointing first round exit
Scottie Barnes (#635): Now a two-time All-Star in addition to his Rookie of the Year trophy, it will be interesting to see how the young star’s trajectory is affected by Kawhi Leonard’s return
Chet Holmgren (#739): The young Thunder center had his best statistical season in ’25-’26 but hit the wall in the Conference Finals against his similarly skilled rival, Victor Wembanyama
Zion Williamson (#1009): ’25-’26 was essentially another lost season for the would-be superstar, with improved availability and great stats but 50+ losses again for the Pelicans
LaMelo Ball (#1114): After toiling away for the lowly Hornets for six seasons, he’ll finally play for a contender with the Wolves in ’26-’27
Cooper Flagg (#1933): It will take at least one playoff appearance for the reigning Rookie of the Year to make any significant inroads on our list and it could be a while on this rebuilding Mavs team
Players #300 through #201
The second section of our top 500 list includes a “thunderous” long-range bomber, a #1 overall Nets pick with mixed results, a Celtics Finals MVP, an early star Pistons point guard, a tumultuous and controversial DPOY winner, a five-time Lakers champion point guard, the original sixth man, and more
Click here for #300 to #201
#300 Cade Cunningham, G, 1977-1989
Pre-eminent breakout star guard of the last two NBA seasons, averaging 25.1 points and 9.5 assists per game while leading the long dormant Pistons back to postseason contention
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’25-’26 and finished fifth in MVP voting; a two-time All-Star
- Averaged 20+ points, nine-plus assists, and five-plus rebounds each of the last two seasons; his 9.9 assists per game in ’25-’26 was second in the NBA
- In ’25-’26, led the Pistons to their first 60-win season in 20 years and their first playoff series victory in 18 years
#299 Otis Birdsong, G, 1977-1989
Like so many stars of his era, he started strong then faded quickly due to extenuating circumstances; for him, it was a severe ankle injury suffered during the 1981 playoffs
- Averaged 20+ points per game in four different seasons and finished as high as sixth in the NBA in scoring
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’80-’81 and named to four All-Star teams
- Starting shooting guard on the ’80-’81 Kings that made a surprise run to the Conference Finals but struggled with the aforementioned ankle injury in those playoffs
#298 Phil Chenier, G, 1971-1981
A big star for the Bullets throughout the ’70s but due to a back injury, barely played in their 1978 NBA title run and their 1979 Finals run
- 2nd-Team All-NBA for the Bullets in ’74-’75, an All-Star three times, and finished as high as eighth in MVP voting
- From his second season (’72-’73) through the time of his back injury (1977), averaged 20.7 points per game
- Second in scoring on the ’74-’75 Bullets that reached the NBA Finals, with 24.2 points per game in the postseason
#297 Rudy Tomjanovich, F, 1970-1981
Spent his entire 11 season playing career with the Rockets and is top five in franchise history in points, rebounds, and win shares; also played in the team’s first ever NBA Finals appearance in 1981
- Named to five All-Star teams
- Averaged 20.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in a five-year prime
- Never the same after being the recipient of “The Punch” during a 1977 game, which left him with a life-threatening skull injury; later became the greatest coach in Rockets history, leading the team to back-to-back titles
#296 Stephon Marbury, G, 1996-2009
Traded three times in seven years during his prime but still averaged 20+ points and seven-plus assists over that span
- 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star twice, and finished a close second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Allen Iverson in ’96-’97
- Finished in the top five in the NBA in assists five times, including as high as second
- Advanced to the second round of the playoffs just once, at the end of his career as a bench warmer for the 2009 Celtics; always seemed to wear out his welcome with coaches, especially Flip Saunders in Minnesota and Isiah Thomas in New York
#295 Happy Hairston, F, 1964-1975
Starting power forward on the all-time great ’71-’72 Lakers, as well as the Lakers teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1970 and 1973
- Averaged a double-double in each of his final seven seasons, averaging 15.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game over that span
- Finished second in the NBA in offensive rebounds in ’73-’74, the first year the league tracked the stat
- After his 1975 retirement, he became a frequent television guest star, including a memorable cameo on, appropriately enough, Happy Days
#294 Rik Smits, C, 1988-2000
One of the few centers to hold his own against Shaquille O’Neal in a playoff series, he battled his fellow big man in the 2000 NBA Finals, then retired to close out a 12-year career
- The first European to make the NBA All-Rookie team (in ’88-’89) and the second European ever named to an All-Star team (in 1998)
- Second in Pacers franchise history in blocks and points, and top five in rebounds and win shares; also played in the Conference Finals in four other seasons, including in 1995 when he hit a memorable buzzer beater
- Like most men his size (listed at 7’4”), he struggled throughout his career with foot injuries that were supposedly exacerbated by being unable to find shoes big enough to fit
#358 Roger Brown, F, 1967-1975
Banned from the NBA due to unfair association with a point shaving scandal, he toiled in semi-pro ball for years before crafting his legend in the ABA
- Won three ABA titles with the Pacers, including as Finals MVP in 1970
- 1st-Team All-ABA once, 2nd-Team All-ABA twice, and an ABA All-Star four times
- Reinstated for NBA eligibility in 1975 but it was too late as he had retired at age 32
#292 Jeff Malone, G, 1983-1996
Never named to an All-Defensive team but was once cited by Michael Jordan as one of the best one-on-one defenders of the ’80s and ’90s
- Averaged 20+ points per game six times in his career and averaged 18+ points per game for nine straight seasons
- An All-Star for the Bullets in 1986 and 1987 and 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’83-’84
- Led the Bullets to five consecutive playoff appearances in the ’80s but never advanced past the first round until joining the Jazz and reaching as far as the Conference Finals in 1992
#291 Eddie Jones, G, 1994-2008
“Steady Eddie” was one of the best perimeter defenders of his era, leading the NBA in steals per game in ’99-’00 and finishing as high as third in Defensive Player of the Year voting
- 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’99-’00, 2nd-Team All-Defensive three times, and made three All-Star appearances
- Averaged 15+ points per game for eight consecutive seasons starting
- Played in the Conference Finals with the Lakers in 1998 and the Heat in 2005, but never reached the NBA Finals
#290 Don Nelson, F, 1962-1976
Played on both sides of the heated ’60s Celtics-Lakers rivalry, starting with being a bench forward for the ’64-’65 Lakers that lost to the Celtics in the NBA Finals
- Signed with the Celtics in 1965 and spent his final 11 seasons in Boston, winning championships in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, and 1976
- Led the NBA in field goal percentage in ’74-’75
- Hit the series-winning shot in the 1969 NBA Finals, a put-back jumper off a rebound that put away game seven for the Celtics and sent Bill Russell out as an 11-time champion
#289 Dan Majerle, G, 1988-2002
A three-and-d player ahead of his time, “Thunder Dan” led the NBA in three-point field goals twice and was named to the All-Defensive team twice (as well as three All-Star teams)
- The starting shooting guard and third in scoring on the ’92-’93 Suns that reached the NBA Finals
- Over a four-year prime, averaged 16.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while serving as one of the league’s premier defenders
- At the time of his 2002 retirement, he was sixth in NBA history in career three-point field goals and tied for 11th on the list of most three-pointers in a single season
#288 Derek Harper, G, 1983-1999
Such an aggressive and effective defender that the 2001 regulation banning hand-checking was colloquially nicknamed the “Derek Harper Rule”
- 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice and finished as high as third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, but never made an All-Star roster
- Spent 12 seasons with the Mavericks and is still the franchise’s all-time leader in assists and steals
- Starting point guard and assists leader on the ’87-’88 Mavericks that made the first Conference Finals appearance in franchise history, then on the Knicks as they reached the NBA Finals in 1994
#287 Jerry Stackhouse, G, 1995-2013
One of the great unrepentant gunners of his era, he averaged 20+ points per game five times before a 2003 knee surgery disrupted his career
- 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’95-’96 (when he led the 76ers in scoring) and an All-Star twice
- Averaged 29.8 per game for the Pistons in ’00-’01, finishing second in the NBA only behind his former Philly teammate Allen Iverson; led the NBA in total points and total free throws that season
- Sixth man for the ’05-’06 Mavericks that reached the NBA Finals
#286 Derrick Coleman, F, 1990-2005
Endlessly talented but never put it all together for a bevy of reasons, including injuries, weight issues, perceived indifference, suspensions, and clashes with coaches and teammates
- Rookie of the Year in ’90-’91, 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, and an All-Star in 1994
- Stayed relatively healthy in his first five seasons with the Nets and averaged 19.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game over that span
- Almost single-handedly led the Nets to a near Conference Quarterfinals upset over the Cavaliers in 1993, averaging 26.8 points and 13.4 rebounds per game in the series in what would turn out to be a career peak
#285 Truck Robinson, F, 1974-1985
In a microcosm of his career, his peak statistical season (’77-’78) coincided with him clashing with coach Elgin Baylor and his Jazz team missing the playoffs
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’77-’78, led the NBA in rebounding (15.7 per game) and defensive win shares, and logged 44.8 minutes per game, which is the post-merger record; played in two All-Star Games
- Averaged 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in four consecutive seasons
- A second round pick of the Bullets out of Tennessee State, he played in the 1975 NBA Finals as a rookie, then made memorable stops with the Jazz and the Suns
#284 Kiki Vandeweghe, F, 1980-1993
As a big German with an unstoppable, stutter step, fade-away, he was an obvious influence on Dirk Nowitzki
- Averaged 26.7 per game in ’82-’83, which was second in the NBA (behind his Nuggets teammate Alex English) and a career high 29.4 per game in ’83-’84, which was third in the NBA
- An All-Star for the Nuggets in 1983 and 1984
- Played in the postseason 12 times in 13 seasons but never past the Conference Semifinals
#283 Danny Ainge, G, 1981-1995
Part of Celtics teams that reached four consecutive NBA Finals, winning titles in 1984 and 1986; was starting shooting guard on the ’85-’86 edition that is considered one of the greatest teams of all time
- A surprise All-Star in 1988 and first ever player to top 100 three-point field goals in a single season, with a league-leading 148 in ’87-’88
- Later played a key role off the bench for the 1992 Blazers and 1993 Suns who reached the NBA Finals
- Before reaching the NBA, he was the only high school athlete ever to be an All-American in basketball, baseball, and football
#282 Clifford Robinson, F, 1989-2007
A 6’10” small forward with long range shooting and play making skills, he was the tallest player with 1,000+ career three-pointers for a long time until Dirk Nowitzki surpassed him
- An instant boost to the Trail Blazers team that drafted him, he played in two NBA Finals with the franchise, including in 1990 as a rookie
- Sixth Man of the Year in ’92-’93, an All-Star in 1994, and 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice
- One of the first players to embrace modern training and dieting, he played the entire regular season eight times in his career, and his 1,380 career games was seventh in NBA history at the time of his retirement
#281 Xavier McDaniel, F, 1985-1998
Memorable to this day, especially to Seattle fans, for his “X-Man” nickname, intimidating shaved head and eyebrows, defensive intensity, and versatility
- Finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in ’85-’86 and was an All-Star in 1988
- Averaged 20+ points per game for four straight seasons starting in ’86-’87, when he peaked with 23.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game
- Leading rebounder and third in scoring on the ’86-’87 Sonics that made a surprise run to the Conference Finals
#280 Luol Deng, F, 2004-2019
Born in what’s now South Sudan, his politician father moved the family to Egypt to escape the Sudanese Civil War, where he and his brother Ajou were taught basketball by Manute Bol, a fellow Sudanese
- An All-Star for the Bulls in 2012 and 2013 and 2nd-Team All-Defensive in ’11-’12
- Struggled with injuries throughout his prime, but managed to average 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game over eight seasons
- Played for the British national team as young as age 12 (as a naturalized citizen) and eventually represented the nation in 2012 at the London Olympics
#279 Isaiah Thomas, G, 2011-2024
One of the great underdog stories in NBA history, a 5’9″ point guard taken with the last pick in the draft who developed into an elite scorer before hip arthritis derailed his career
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star twice, and finished in fifth place in MVP voting in ’16-’17
- His 28.9 points per game in ’16-’17 was the highest scoring average ever for a player listed under six foot, and he’s also the shortest player ever to record a triple-double
- His career became a struggle after getting traded to the Cavaliers in 2017, playing for eight teams over the next five seasons, while suffering through constant hip pain
#278 Josh Smith, F, 2004-2017
One of the greatest players of all-time to not be named an All-Star and was continually snubbed for the roster, sometimes even in favor of Hawks teammates
- Averaged 15+ points and seven-plus rebounds per game for seven consecutive seasons
- Led the NBA in defensive win shares in ’11-’12, finished in the top five in the NBA in blocks per game four times, and is second in Hawks franchise history in total blocks
- Drafted straight out of high school by the Hawks in 2004 and started his career at age 18 but was 2nd-Team All-Rookie and won the 2005 Slam Dunk Contest
#277 Nikola Vucevic, C, 2012-active
2025 rank: 310
While playing under the radar for mostly mediocre teams, he’s one of just four players to compile 12,000+ points and 7,000+ rebounds over the past decade
- A two-time All-Star and has finished in the top 10 in the NBA in rebounding nine times, including as high as second place
- Over a three season prime, averaged 21.3 points and 11.6 rebounds per game
- Has just five playoff appearances in his career, four of which ended in the first round
#276 A.C. Green, F, 1985-2001
Earned the nickname “Iron Man” by playing in 1,192 consecutive NBA games, the all-time record, starting in 1990 and ending in 2000
- Starting power forward and leading rebounder on the Lakers teams that won back-to-back championships in 1987 and 1988, then returned as the starting power forward on the 2000 Lakers title team; also played in the Lakers losses in the 1989 and 1991 NBA Finals
- 2nd-Team All-Defensive in ’88-’89, and an All-Star once (controversially voted in by fans)
- Suffered through much of his career from singultus, a diaphragm affliction that causes violent hiccuping and prevented him from ever sleeping more than two hours at a time
#275 Cedric Maxwell, F, 1977-1988
The lowest rated player on our list to earn either league MVP or Finals MVP, his career cratered after a 1985 trade from the dynasty Celtics to the cursed Clippers
- Finals MVP for the Celtics in 1981, when he averaged 22.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 64.8% from the field in the final four games
- His 1984 NBA Finals performance was also legendary, with a near triple-double in game seven and an infamous choking sign taunting of Los Angeles’ James Worthy
- Ahead of his time in terms of efficiency, he led the NBA in field goal percentage, true shooting percentage, and offensive rating in ’78-’79 and ’79-’80
#274 Brad Daugherty, C, 1986-1994
Averaged 19.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in a brief career, that lasted only 548 games over eight seasons
- 3rd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star five times, and finished as high as 10th place in MVP voting
- Scoring and rebounding leader for the ’91-’92 Cavaliers that reached the Conference Finals; still top five in Cavaliers franchise history in points and rebounds
- Only 20 years old when he came into the NBA (he was only 16 as a freshman at North Carolina) and ended his career at age 28 in 1994 due to lingering back issues
#273 Andre Drummond, C, 2012-active
2025 rank: 270
One of just seven players in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds per game four or more times, and the other six are all Hall of Fame inductees
- Also one of just two players, along with Dennis Rodman, to average 16+ rebounds per game in a post-merger season, and to average 15+ rebounds per game in three or more post-merger seasons
- 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’15-’16, an All-Star twice, and finished first or second in the NBA in rebounds per game for seven consecutive seasons
- Averaged 13+ points and 13+ rebounds per game for seven consecutive seasons, the second longest such streak post-merger, behind only Moses Malone
#272 Vin Baker, F, 1993-2006
Averaged 19.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game over a four-year prime, before injuries, anxiety, and alcoholism ruined the remainder of his career
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 3rd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star four times, and finished as high as eighth place in MVP voting
- His struggles started when the Sonics give him an oversized contract extension in 1999, then he showed up out-of-shape when the lockout was lifted
- Played in the postseason just four times in his career, and never past the Conference Semifinals
#271 Kenyon Martin, F, 2000-2015
Considered the first NBA player to make comebacks from microfracture surgery on each knee, a talented and tough power forward who never reached his potential due to injuries
- An All-Star in 2004 and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in ’00-’01
- Averaged 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in his first five seasons, before the second knee surgery of his career hampered him athletically going forward
- Starting power forward and second-leading scorer on the ’01-’02 and ’02-’03 Nets that reached the NBA Finals
#270 Tobias Harris, F, 2011-active
2025 rank: 298
Averaged 19.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in a four year prime, despite getting traded three times during that span
- In ’24-’25, became the 19th player in NBA history listed as 6’8″ or taller to reach 1,300 career three-point field goals
- Has made nine postseason appearances during his career but never past the Conference Semifinals round
- A two-time winner of the NBA Community Service Award, he dedicated himself to charitable endeavors for kids in Philadelphia, ranging from food drives to school supplies to after-school programs
#269 Allan Houston, G, 1993-2005
Remembered as one of the best shooters of his era who also signed one of the worst contracts of all time, a six year, $100 million deal in 2001 that the Knicks almost immediately regretted
- An All-Star in 2000 and 2001
- Shot over 90% from the free throw line three times, with a career high 91.9% in ’02-’03 that led the NBA (he finished in the top five in the category in two other seasons)
- Second in scoring on the ’98-’99 Knicks that reached the NBA Finals; hit one of the most memorable shots in team history during that run, a buzzer beater to clinch a Conference Quarterfinals upset of the Heat
#268 Guy Rodgers, G, 1958-1970
Retired in third place on the NBA all-time assists leaderboard and held the Warriors franchise assists record for 35 years until it was finally broken by Stephen Curry
- Only the second player in NBA history to average 10+ assists per game in a season and the second to average 11+ in a season, he led the league in assists per game twice, and finished in second place eight other times
- Played in four All-Star Games
- Starting point guard, assists leader, and third in scoring on the ’63-’64 Warriors that reached the NBA Finals
#267 DeMarcus Cousins, C, 2010-2022
A beloved star with endless talent, but he struggled throughout his career with injuries and with defensive discipline (he notably led the NBA in personal fouls three times)
- 2nd-Team All-NBA for the Kings in ’14-’15 and ’15-’16, and an All-Star four times
- Averaged 22+ points and 11+ rebounds per game for five straight seasons, including in ’16-’17, when he was traded mid-season from the Kings to Pelicans
- After finally playing in the NBA Finals with the Warriors in 2019, he signed with the eventual champion Lakers for the ’19-’20 season but tore his ACL in the preseason and was waived
#266 Trae Young, G, 2018-active
2025 rank: 266
Signaled a new breed of NBA superstar, combining Stephen Curry’s shoot-from-anywhere approach with a killer floater and mid-range game
- Averaged 26.5 points, 10.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in the five seasons between his rookie campaign and his injury-riddled ’25-’26; led the NBA in assists per game in ’24-’25, and has finished in the top five in five other seasons
- An All-Star four times and 3rd-Team All-NBA once
- In ’21-’22, became just the sixth player in NBA history to compile over 2,000 points and over 700 assists in a single season
#265 David West, F, 2003-2018
An un-flashy, consistent performer, he became a fan favorite and key component of successful teams in New Orleans, Indiana, and Golden State
- Averaged 19.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game over a six-year prime, all spent with the Hornets; second in Hornets franchise history in points, rebounds, and blocks
- An All-Star for the Hornets in 2008 and 2009, and finished second in Most Improved Player voting in ’05-’06
- Won two titles coming off the bench for the Warriors in 2017 and 2018; starting power forward for the Pacers as they reached back-to-back Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014
#264 Satch Sanders, F, 1960-1973
Versatile and steady mainstay of the ’60s Celtics dynasty; only two players, his longtime Boston teammates Sam Jones and Bill Russell, have more championships than his eight
- Held down the Celtics starting small forward position for nine seasons, averaging 11.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game over that span
- One of the best defensive forwards of his era and would have been named to the All-Defensive team multiple times if the designation existed back then
- Top 10 in Celtics franchise history in rebounds and defensive win shares
#263 C.J. McCollum, G, 2013-active
2025 rank: 269
Has never been the leading scorer on his own team, but has averaged 18+ points per game for 11 consecutive seasons, a streak that only 12 other players have bettered in this century
- Most Improved Player award winner in ’15-’16
- Led the NBA in free throw percentage in ’16-’17, and has finished top 10 in the league in three-point field goals three times
- First player ever to reach the NBA out of Lehigh University, whom he led to a stunning first round NCAA Tournament upset over Duke in 2012
#262 World B. Free, G, 1975-1988
An unrepentant gunner and fabulist, he finished second in the NBA in scoring in both ’78-’79 and ’79-’80, while his Clippers failed to reach the playoffs either year, then was unceremoniously traded in the ensuing offseason
- Averaged 20+ points per game for eight consecutive seasons, peaking at 30.2 per game in ’79-’80
- 2nd-Team All-NBA for the Clippers in ’78-’79, and finished sixth in MVP voting; also an All-Star in 1980
- Got to play on a contender briefly in ’76-’77, as a sixth man for the 76ers as they reached the NBA Finals; later carried the Cavaliers to a memorable near first round upset over the Celtics in 1985
#261 Jerry Sloan, G, 1965-1976
One of the best defenders of his era, he would won at least one Defensive Player of the Year award if it existed, and would have led the league in steals multiple times if they were tracked earlier
- 1st-Team All-Defensive four times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, and a two-time All-Star
- A terrific rebounder for a guard, he averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his first six seasons with the Bulls
- Nicknamed the “Original Bull,” he was selected in Chicago’s expansion draft and was the franchise’s first All-Star representative; was the third-leading scorer on the ’73-’74 Bulls that made the first Conference Finals appearance in franchise history
#260 Randy Smith, G, 1971-1983
The NBA’s original “Iron Man,” playing in 906 consecutive games between 1972 and 1983, setting a record that was eventually broken by A.C. Green
- A long shot to even make the roster as a seventh round pick but ended up in the Buffalo Braves starting lineup in his rookie season, held the role for eight years, and is still the all-time franchise leader in points and steals
- Averaged 20+ points, five-plus rebounds, and five-plus assists twice
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’75-’76, played in two All-Star Games, and was MVP of the 1978 edition (coming off the bench)
#259 Sam Perkins, F, 1984-2001
Never an All-Star level player but always a key part of good-to-great teams, reaching the playoffs 15 times in 17 NBA seasons, and at least the Conference Finals six times
- Played in the NBA Finals with three different teams: as the starting power forward for the ’90-’91 Lakers, as a sixth man for the ’95-’96 SuperSonics, and as a backup on the ’99-’00 Pacers
- Averaged 10+ points per game in each of his first 13 seasons, and additionally added eight-plus rebounds per game in four of those seasons
- Teammates with Michael Jordan on the 1982 North Carolina NCAA championship team and the 1984 U.S. Olympic gold medal team, and the pair were both 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’84-’85
#258 Brook Lopez, C, 2008-active
2025 rank: 249
Nicknamed “Splash Mountain” for his size, long range prowess, and love of theme parks, which made him feel quite at home in the 2020 bubble on Disney World property
- Starting center on the ’20-’21 NBA champion Bucks
- 1st-Team All-Defensive once, 2nd-Team All-Defensive once, an All-Star in 2013, and finished in second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting in ’22-’23
- Has finished in the top five in the NBA in blocks per game five times, and recently became the 20th player in league history with 2,000+ career blocks
#257 Bob Davies, G, 1948-1955
A dynamic play maker who supposedly invented the behind-the-back dribble, he was the first player in NBA history to average five-plus assists per game in a season
- Starting point guard, assists leader, and second in scoring on the ’50-’51 Royals championship team
- 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, played in the first four All-Star Games, and finished top 10 in the league in assists in all seven seasons he played
- Already 29 years old when he joined the NBA (then BAA) in 1948, with several years of pro experience, including an MVP season for the Rochester Royals in the NBL in ’46-’47
#256 Andre Miller, G, 1999-2016
One of just two players, along with Steve Nash, to compile over 10,000 points and over 5,000 assists during the ’00s; “The Professor” retired (at age 40) in ninth place on the all-time assist leaderboard
- Per our metrics, the greatest player in NBA history never to be named to an All-Star roster
- Led the NBA in assists per game in ’01-’02, and finished in the top 10 in the league in six other seasons
- Also one of the greatest players of all time never to reach a Conference Finals, in fact, he advanced past the first round only twice in his career, the first time in 2014 with the Wizards at age 38
#255 Vlade Divac, C, 1989-2005
A proof of concept for the European high-post style succeeding in the NBA, he ran offenses from the top of the key while averaging 10+ points, eight-plus rebounds, and three-plus assists per game three times
- Starting center on the ’90-’91 Lakers that made the last NBA Finals appearance of the Showtime era
- One of the most beloved stars in Kings franchise history, he represented the team at the 2001 All-Star Game and was the starting center for their 2002 Conference Finals run
- Reached the NBA at age 21 but already had several years of pro experience under his belt in Yugoslavia; won two Olympic silver medals with Yugoslavia but never got a chance to represent his native Serbia after it declared independence
#254 Ron Harper, G, 1986-2001
A career that can be neatly divided in two parts, the first as a failed franchise savior for the Cavaliers and Clippers, and the second as a role player for the Bulls and Lakers dynasties
- Won three championships with the Bulls (1996, 1997, and 1998) and two with the Lakers (2000 and 2001), as the starting point guard in four of those five titles
- Finished second in Rookie of the Year voting for the Cavs in ’86-’87 and averaged 19.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.1 steals per game in his first eight seasons
- Cavaliers team management accused him of drug use and traded him to the Clippers in 1989; blew out his knee during the ’89-’90 season and was never the same physically
#253 Jeff Mullins, G, 1964-1976
Second-leading scorer and assists leader on the ’66-’67 Warriors that reached the NBA Finals and came off the bench for the ’74-’75 Warriors championship team
- Named to three consecutive All-Star teams
- Averaged 20+ points, four-plus assists, and four-plus rebounds per game for four consecutive seasons in his prime
- A fifth overall pick of the Hawks after a star turn at Duke but spent most of his career with the Warriors, who traded franchise legend Guy Rodgers for him in 1966
#252 Otis Thorpe, F, 1984-2001
Lasted 17 seasons in the NBA, long enough to play for both the Kansas City Kings (in ’84-’85) and the Vancouver Grizzlies (in ’97-’98)
- Starting power forward on the ’93-’94 Rockets championship team but clashed with teammates and coaches and was traded for Clyde Drexler during the ’94-’95 repeat campaign
- An All-Star for the Rockets in 1992
- Averaged 17+ points and 10+ rebounds per game in four different seasons and finished in the top five in the NBA in field goal percentage five times
#251 Domantas Sabonis, C, 2016-active
2025 rank: 252
Racks up triple-doubles at an incredible rate for a man his size; at age 30, he’s already 10th in NBA history in the stat category with 68
- The NBA leader in rebounding for three consecutive seasons and finished in the top five in the three seasons before that; has averaged 12+ rebounds per game six times
- Also led the NBA in triple-doubles in ’23-’24
- 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star three times, and has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting twice
#250 Michael Finley, G, 1995-2010
A prolific scorer with a well-rounded game, he averaged 20+ points, five-plus rebounds, and four-plus assists for four consecutive seasons
- Starting shooting guard on the ’06-’07 Spurs championship team, and finished his career logging light minutes off the bench for the ’09-’10 Celtics that reached the NBA Finals
- An All-Star in 2000 and 2001, and 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’95-’96
- Top five in Mavericks franchise history in points, rebounds, steals, and three-pointers
#249 Toni Kukoc, F, 1993-2006
As a 6’11” small forward who could play any position, shoot from anywhere, and handle the ball, he was a revelation of the potential of implementing European-style dynamics to NBA lineups
- Sixth man and third scoring option on three Bulls title teams, including the ’95-’96 squad that many still consider the greatest of all time
- Sixth Man of the Year for the Bulls in ’95-’96
- Peaked statistically in the first post-Jordan season, with 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game in ’98-’99, then became a successful journeyman role player for the remainder of his career
#248 Mike Conley, G, 2007-active
2025 rank: 238
A rare draft success story for the Grizzlies, and in 12 seasons with the team became the all-time franchise leader in points, assists, and steals
- One of 12 players to compile over 9,000 points and over 3,000 assists during the ’10s
- Finished second in the NBA in steals per game in ’11-’12 and third in ’12-’13, when he was named 2nd-Team All-Defensive
- Has played for numerous good teams but never a great one, making three Conference Finals appearances but no NBA Finals trips
#247 Larry Johnson, F, 1991-2001
Lasted just 10 seasons in the NBA but is memorable to this day for his athleticism, elite offensive skills, and “Grandmama” alter ego that he portrayed in various Converse commercials
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star twice, and Rookie of the Year in ’91-’92
- Averaged 19.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game in his first five seasons before starting to struggle with back injuries
- First big star in Hornets history and then became a Knicks hero later in his career, providing one of the greatest moments in franchise history with a crucial four-point play late in game three of the 1999 Conference Finals
#246 Jerome Kersey, F, 1984-2001
Starting small forward and second-leading scorer on the Trail Blazers teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992
- Top 10 in Blazers franchise history in points, rebounds, steals, and win shares
- Became a journeyman late in his career, with stops that included earning a championship ring coming off the bench for the ’98-’99 Spurs
- In the same draft in which they committed the cardinal sin of selecting Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan, the Blazers at least got a steal with Kersey in the second round
#245 Larry Costello, G, 1954-1968
One of the last successful holdouts of the two-handed set shot over the jumper, which did fit perfectly at the free throw line and he led the NBA in free throw percentage twice
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once and an an All-Star six times, including in 1965 at age 33
- Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in assists per game six times
- Retired in 1965 but was lured back by former coach Alex Hannum to provide veteran leadership off the bench for the ’66-’67 76ers and earned a championship ring for his efforts
#244 Serge Ibaka, F, 2009-2023
One of the NBA’s premier defenders in his prime, he led the league in blocks per game in ’11-’12 and ’12-’13, finished in the top five in three other seasons, was named 1st-Team All-Defensive three times, and finished a close second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in ’11-’12
- Key bench forward for the ’18-’19 Raptors championship team; also the starting power forward on the ’11-’12 Thunder that reached the NBA Finals
- His 3.7 blocks per game in ’11-’12 is the second highest mark in the 21st century thus far, and he compiled more blocked shots during the ’10s than any other player
- First ever Congolese NBA player, had the nickname “Air Congo” for his leaping ability
#243 Alvan Adams, C, 1975-1988
One of just three rookies, along with Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd, to lead the league in triple-doubles, he was named Rookie of the Year and made his only All-Star appearance in that first season
- Starting center, second leading scorer, second leading rebounder, and assists leader as a rookie in the playoffs, leading the Suns to the NBA Finals
- His rookie season turned out to be his peak but he was still solid for the next seven seasons, averaging 15.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game
- Phoenix’s all-time franchise leader in rebounds and steals, and top five in points, blocks, and win shares; wore the jersey #33 in honor of his hero, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and had it retired by the Suns in 1994
#242 Kemba Walker, G, 2011-2022
The all-time leading scorer in Hornets franchise history, with 12,009 points compiled over eight seasons; also second in total assists and third in steals
- 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’18-’19 and an All-Star four times
- Averaged 20+ points per game and five-plus assists for five straight seasons in his prime
- Assist leader on the ’19-’20 Celtics that reached the Conference Finals but was also inconsistent in his two seasons in Boston and his career only spiraled further from there
#241 Rolando Blackman, G, 1981-1994
Up there with Mark Aguirre as the biggest stars of the Mavericks’ early years, and is still second in franchise history in total points
- Incredibly consistent, averaging 18+ points, three-plus rebounds, and three-plus assists per game for eight consecutive seasons
- An All-Star four times
- Second-leading scorer on the ’87-’88 Mavericks that made the first Conference Finals appearance in franchise history; also later played in the NBA Finals with the Knicks in 1994
#240 Rashard Lewis, F, 1998-2014
Ahead of his time as a long range shooting big man, he led the NBA in three-point field goals in ’08-’09 and averaged 20+ points per game three times
- An All-Star for the SuperSonics in 2005 and for the Magic in 2009
- Second in scoring and rebounding on the ’08-’09 Magic that reached the NBA Finals; came off the bench for the ’12-’13 Heat that won the championship, and then closed out his career starting all five NBA Finals games in 2014 as the Heat lost to the Spurs
- Considered a potential lottery pick entering the league straight from high school in 1998 but fell out of the first round and is one of the greatest lottery era second round picks of all time
#239 DeAndre Jordan, C, 2008-active
2025 rank: 236
Never averaged more than 13+ points per game in a season, but by conventional standards, he’s the most efficient scorer in NBA history, with a league record 67.4% field goal percentage, and the only player to shoot 70+% from the field in more than one season
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’15-’16, 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, and an All-Star in 2017
- Led the NBA in rebounds per game twice and and finished in the top five in the category in four other seasons; led the league in field goal percentage for five straight seasons
- Won a championship with the Nuggets in 2023 as a third-string center
#238 Bradley Beal, G, 2012-active
2025 rank: 234
For a brief period he was arguably the best pure scorer in the NBA, in ’19-’20 and ’20-’21 becoming just the fourth player in this century to average 30+ points per game in back-to-back seasons
- An All-Star three times and was 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’20-’21
- Injuries have unfortunately marked his career, starting in the ’14-’15 season when a wrist fracture necessitated surgery, a toe injured sidelined him for three weeks, and a sprained ankle hampered him in the playoffs
- Second in Wizards franchise history in scoring and first in three-point field goals; also holds the franchise record for points in a game with 60 (in a microcosm of his career, it came in a losing effort)
#237 Derek Fisher, G, 1996-2014
Starting point guard on four championship teams: ’00-’01 Lakers, ’01-’02 Lakers, ’08-’09 Lakers, and ’09-’10 Lakers; was third in scoring on the 2001 and 2002 teams
- Played in seven NBA Finals with the Lakers, winning five championships, and made an eighth Finals appearance in 2012 with the Thunder
- Always a reliable presence, he played in the full slate of NBA games in seven different seasons, and his 259 career playoff games were the all-time record for a few years until LeBron James broke it
- Only seven players have more NBA Finals appearances than his eight and only 13 players have more titles than his five
#236 Mark Jackson, G, 1987-2004
Compiled assists at a stunning rate for 17 seasons, becoming just the third player in NBA history with 10,000 career assists
- Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in assists per game 12 times, including a league-leading 11.4 per game in ’96-’97 and 7.4 per game in ’01-’02 at age 36
- One of just two non-lottery picks ever to win Rookie of the Year, and was an All-Star in 1989
- Retired in second place on the all-time assists leaderboard and is now sixth; second in Knicks franchise history in total assists and third in Pacers franchise history
#235 Mookie Blaylock, G, 1989-2002
Blessed with some of the quickest hands ever seen in the NBA, he was eighth on the all-time steals list upon his 2002 retirement and still holds the Hawks franchise record in the category
- An All-Star for the Hawks in 1994, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, and 2nd-Team All-Defensive four times
- Led the NBA in steals per game twice and finished in the top five in the category in six other seasons; also finished as high as third in the NBA in assists per game
- Played in the postseason eight times, including seven straight appearances with the Hawks during the ’90s, but never advanced past the Conference Semifinals
#234 Archie Clark, G, 1966-1976
Starting shooting guard on the ’67-’68 Lakers that reached the NBA Finals, then was the centerpiece of the trade package that summer for Wilt Chamberlain
- Due to military service, he was already 25 years old when the Lakers drafted him but his NBA career lasted a full decade
- In ’71-’72, he was ninth in the NBA in scoring, fourth in assists, was named 2nd-Team All-NBA, and made his second All-Star appearance
- Despite getting traded four times and playing for five different franchises, his teams reached the playoffs in all 10 seasons he played
#233 Paul Millsap, F, 2006-2022
One of the best second round picks of the lottery era, he wound up being the only player in his class to make an All-Star roster despite being the #47 overall pick
- Averaged 16+ points and seven-plus rebounds per game six times; was the 25th player in NBA history to total over 10,000 career points, over 5,000 rebounds, over 1,000 steals, and over 1,000 blocks
- 2nd-Team All-Defensive once and an All-Star four times
- Reached the postseason 13 times in 16 seasons, and the Conference Finals with three different franchises: the Jazz in 2007, the Hawks in 2015, and the Nuggets in 2020
#232 Baron Davis, G, 1999-2012
An exceedingly versatile point guard, he averaged 12+ points, seven-plus assists, four-plus rebounds, and two-plus steals per game five times in his career
- 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’03-’04 and an All-Star twice
- Led the league in steals per game twice and finished in the top five in assists per game four times; at the time of his retirement, was one of just 13 players with 6,000+ career assists and 1,500+ steals
- Never played for a team that advanced past the Conference Semifinals but was the leader in scoring and assists on the memorable ’06-’07 Warriors that upset the top seed Mavericks in the first round
#231 Antawn Jamison, F, 1998-2014
One of just two eligible players with 20,000+ career points and 8,000+ rebounds who is not in the Hall of Fame; also one of just four players (along with Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Dirk Nowitzki) to total 15,000+ points and 5,000+ rebounds during the ’00s
- Averaged 18+ points per game in 11 of the 16 seasons he played, including in ’10-’11 with the Cavaliers at age 34
- Sixth Man of the Year for the Mavericks in ’03-’04 and an All-Star twice
- Made just six playoff appearances in 16 seasons (with four different franchises), and never advanced past the Conference Semifinals
#230 Dick Barnett, G, 1959-1974
A two-time NBA champion with the Knicks, as the starting shooting guard and second-leading scorer in 1970, and coming off the bench in 1973; also played in three other NBA Finals, one with the Knicks and two with the Lakers
- Had a non-conventional shooting style that was nonetheless so consistent that teammates nicknamed him “Fall Back” because they knew when he rose up to shoot, the ball was going in and they could fall back on defense
- An All-Star for the Knicks in 1968
- Unhappy with his NBA rookie contract, defected for the ABL for one season in ’61-’62
#229 Charlie Scott, G, 1970-1980
Started his career as an ABA superstar – named Rookie of the Year, 1st-Team All-ABA, and third in MVP voting for the Virginia Squires – then jumped ship for the NBA mid-season in ’71-’72 (while he was the ABA’s leading scorer)
- Starting shooting guard and third-leading scorer on the ’75-’76 champion Celtics
- In his first three full NBA seasons, averaged 25.0 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game and was named to three All-Star teams
- Made history as the first Black scholarship athlete in any sport at the University of North Carolina
#228 Charles Oakley, F, 1985-2004
One of the toughest and scariest defenders, rebounders, and enforcers in NBA history, and remained effective and feared even at age 40
- Led the NBA in total rebounds twice, averaged 10+ rebounds per game six times, and was the 17th player in NBA history to reach 12,000 career rebounds
- 1st-Team All-Defensive once, 2nd-Team All-Defensive once, and an All-Star in 1994
- 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’85-’86 for the Bulls and a favored teammate of Michael Jordan, who was distraught when the Bulls traded him to the Knicks; became a franchise legend in New York and is top five in career rebounds, steals, defensive win shares, and, of course, personal fouls
#227 Red Kerr, C, 1954-1966
Only rookie ever to be the starting center on a championship team, he was second in scoring on the 1955 champion Syracuse Nationals
- Averaged 15+ points and 12+ rebounds per game five times in his career, and averaged a double-double in nine of the 13 seasons he played
- An All-Star three times and finished sixth in MVP voting in ’62-’63
- Still sits second in 76ers franchise history in total rebounds (behind his longtime teammate Dolph Schayes) and is top 10 in points, field goals, and defensive win shares
#226 Detlef Schrempf, F, 1985-2001
One of the earliest examples of a European big man translating their style to the NBA, he was 6’10” but had prodigious passing and long range shooting skills, and could play essentially any position
- Sixth Man of the Year in back-to-back seasons, ’90-’91 and ’91-’92, 3rd-Team All-NBA once, and an All-Star three times
- Played in the playoffs 14 times in 16 seasons, but only made the one Finals appearance, as the third leading scorer on the ’95-’96 SuperSonics
- Didn’t get major playing time until getting traded to the Pacers at age 26, after which he averaged 16.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game over the next decade
#225 Bill Bridges, F, 1962-1975
One of the best pound-for-pound rebounders in NBA history, he stood just 6’6″ but averaged 10+ rebounds per game for nine consecutive seasons and is one of just seven players to grab 30 or more rebounds in a single playoff game
- 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice and would have earned the honor more if it existed earlier; named to three All-Star teams
- In his first six seasons as the Hawks’ starting power forward, averaged 14.0 points and 13.4 rebounds per game; finished in the top 10 in the NBA in rebounds per game seven times and was ninth in NBA history in total rebounds when he retired
- Retired as a champion in 1975, playing light minutes off the bench for the Warriors
#224 Norm Van Lier, G, 1969-1979
Nicknamed “Stormin’ Norman” for his defensive intensity and made the All-Defensive team in eight consecutive seasons, including 1st-Team All-Defensive five times
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star three times, and led the NBA in assists per game in ’70-’71
- Finished in the top five in the NBA in assists per game five times, and is fourth in Bulls franchise history in total assists
- Starting point guard and assists leader on the Bulls teams that made back-to-back Conference Finals in 1974 and 1975, teaming up with Jerry Sloan as one of the best defensive back courts in NBA history
#223 Calvin Murphy, G, 1970-1983
Listed at just 5’9″ and 165 pounds, he is the shortest NBA player inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame, the shortest to score 10,000+ career points, and the second shortest ever named to an All-Star team
- Finished as high as fifth in the NBA in scoring (in ’77-’78) and high as third in assists per game (in ’75-’76); averaged 20+ points per game five times
- Led the NBA in free throw percentage twice and set the single season record in ’80-’81 with 95.8% (finally broken nearly 30 years later by Jose Calderon but is still second)
- Spent his entire 13-year career with the Rockets and is second in franchise history in total assists and third in points
#222 Metta Sandiford-Artest, F, 1999-2017
Was averaging career highs in scoring (24.6 per game) and rebounding (6.4 per game) in ’04-’05 when he was handed the longest suspension for on-court activity in league history, 73 games for his role in the “Malice at the Palace”
- Defensive Player of the Year for the Pacers in ’03-’04, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, and an All-Star in 2004
- Averaged two-plus steals per game in eight different seasons and finished second in the NBA in the category four times
- Starting small forward, third in scoring, and a defensive specialist on the ’09-’10 Lakers title team
#221 Andy Phillip, G, 1947-1958
Arguably the ur NBA star point guard, he was the first player to average six-plus assists per game (in ’50-’51) and then became the first to average eight-plus assists per game (in ’51-’52)
- Also was the first player to total over 500 assists in a season (in ’51-’52), to total over 3,000 assists in a career, and to compile five triple-doubles in a single season
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star five times, and led the league in assists per game three times
- Starting point guard and assists leader on the Pistons teams that reached back-to-back NBA Finals in 1955 and 1956; won a championship late in his career as a backup point guard behind his longtime rival Bob Cousy on the ’56-’57 Celtics
#220 Elton Brand, F, 1999-2016
Had a remarkable first seven seasons with the Clippers, averaging 20.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, but then suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in 2007 and was never the same afterwards
- Finished top 10 in the league in rebounds five times and in blocks five times, and led the NBA in offensive rebounds three times
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star twice, and Rookie of the Year in ’99-’00
- Second in Clippers franchise history in total rebounds, fourth in points, and third in blocks; one of just 12 post-merger players to average 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game as a rookie
#219 Arnie Risen, C, 1948-1958
Had a reputation as the best defensive center of the ’50s, gained by battling toe-to-toe against rivals George Mikan and Neil Johnston
- Leading scorer and rebounder on the ’50-’51 Rochester Royals that won the only title in franchise history and likely would have earned Finals MVP if the award existed; earned a second title backing up Bill Russell on the ’56-’57 Celtics
- 2nd-Team All-BAA in ’48-’49 and named to four All-Star Games
- As soon as the NBA started tracking rebounds in ’50-’51, he averaged a double-double for the next five seasons; in ’48-’49, he became the first player to shot over 42% from the field in a season
#218 Paul Silas, F, 1964-1980
One of the most prolific rebounders in NBA history, he averaged 10+ rebounds per game eight times, and was ninth on the all-time total rebounds list at the time of his retirement
- Starting power forward and second in rebounding on the ’73-’74 and ’75-’76 Celtics title teams; also won a third title coming off the bench for the SuperSonics in 1979
- 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, 2nd-Team all-Defensive three times, and an All-Star twice
- Averaged a double-double eight times in his career, finished in the top 10 in the NBA in rebounding four times, and was just the fifth player in NBA history to reach 1,500 career postseason rebounds
#217 Jason Terry, G, 1999-2018
One of the premier bench scorers in NBA history, he was Sixth Man of the Year in ’08-’09, part of a stretch of four consecutive seasons in which he finished in the top three in voting
- Sixth man and second-leading scorer on the ’10-’11 Mavericks that upset the Heat in the NBA Finals; scored a game high 27 points in the clinching game six
- Averaged 15+ points per game 11 times in his career, including six seasons in which he primarily came off the bench
- First player in NBA history to total over 15,000 career points, over 5,000 assists, and over 2,000 three-point field goals; was third on the all-time three-point field goal leaderboard at the time of his 2018 retirement
#216 Julius Randle, F, 2014-active
2025 rank: 220
An undeniable star when healthy and focused, he averaged 21.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game for the Timberwolves in the 2025 playoffs
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 3rd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star three times, and winner of the Most Improved Award in ’20-’21
- In ’20-’21, accomplished something statistically that only eight other players have ever reached, averaging 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, and six-plus assists per game
- Broke his tibia just 14 minutes into his NBA debut in 2014, prompting the first of now three season-ending surgeries in his career
#215 Antoine Walker, F, 1996-2008
A man ahead of his time, a 6’9″ power forward who led the NBA in three-point attempts three times and in three-point field goals once
- An All-Star three times and 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’96-’97 (amidst a stacked class)
- Spent his first seven seasons with the Celtics, averaging 20.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, then shifted into a third option role with the Heat, winning a championship in 2006
- Had a tumultuous relationship with Celtics fans but ultimately went down as a legend and is still top 10 in franchise history in rebounds, steals, three-point field goals, and triple-doubles
#214 Joakim Noah, C, 2007-2020
One of the best defenders of his era, he was Defensive Player of the Year in ’13-’14, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, and 2nd-Team All-Defensive once
- 1st-Team All-NBA once, played in two All-Star Games, and finished fourth in MVP voting in ’13-’14
- A double-double machine, he averaged 10+ points and 10+ rebounds per game four times, and finished as high as sixth in the league in rebounding
- Starting center on the ’10-’11 Bulls that reached the Conference Finals but never returned that far in the postseason again; signed a massive contract with the Knicks in 2016 that was immediately regrettable, as he appeared in just 100 total games in his final four seasons
#213 Rod Strickland, G, 1988-2005
Classic New York point guard, with a unique play making style and hard-nosed defensive aptitude; drafted by his hometown Knicks in 1988 but had limited playing time and was soon after traded, eventually suiting up for nine franchises in 17 seasons
- Led the NBA in ’97-’98 with 10.5 assists per game and finished in the top five in five other seasons
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’97-’98 but never an All-Star
- Just the eighth player in NBA history to reach 7,000+ career assists, and had more assists during the ’90s than anyone except John Stockton and Mark Jackson
#212 Bam Adebayo, C, 2017-active
2025 rank: 274
Maybe the ultimate Pat Riley project, he flew under the radar in the draft but developed into an intense, defense-first superstar; shocked everyone with an 83-point performance in ’25-’26
- Starting center and leading rebounder on the Heat teams that reached the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023, and was also the second-leading scorer on the latter
- 1st-Team All-Defensive once, 2nd-Team All-Defensive five times, an All-Star three times, and has finished in the top five in Defensive Player of the Year voting five times
- Averaged 18+ points, nine-plus rebounds, and one-plus steal per game in each of the last six seasons
#211 Zach Randolph, F, 2001-2018
A paragon of youthful apathy and wasted potential with the “Jail Blazers” who became a fan favorite in his prime with the Grizzlies
- Averaged 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game five times in his career and finished in the top five in the NBA in rebounds per game three times
- An All-Star twice and earned Most Improved Player in ’03-’04 for the Trail Blazers
- Leading scorer on the first Grizzlies team to ever win a playoff series (in ’10-’11) and the first Grizzlies team to reach the Conference Finals (in ’12-’13); second in Grizzlies history in total rebounds, third in total points, and fourth in win shares
#210 Frank Ramsey, G, 1954-1964
Provided scoring, rebounding, and defense off the bench for seven Celtics championship teams; leading scorer on the 1959 champs, second-leading scorer in 1958, and third leading scorer in 1960 and 1961
- Averaged 15+ points per game in five different seasons and six-plus rebounds per game in four
- Hit the series winning shot in the 1957 NBA Finals against the Hawks, an off-balance buzzer beater jumper in double overtime of game seven
- The ur sixth man in NBA history, yet another novel concept from the mind of Red Auerbach
#209 Fat Lever, G, 1982-1994
The only player in NBA history to average 10+ points, six-plus rebounds, six-plus assists, and two-plus steals per game across an entire career
- One of the all-time greatest rebounding guards, averaging as many as 9.3 per game in the ’88-’89 and ’89-’90 seasons
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star twice, and finished as high as ninth in MVP voting
- Traded in his prime from the Nuggets to the Mavericks but only lasted three partial seasons in Dallas, as a major knee injury hampered his late career and forced him to retire in 1994 at age 33
#208 Jeff Hornacek, G, 1986-2000
Starting shooting gurd and third in scoring on the Jazz teams that reached back-to-back NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998; also played in the Conference Finals with the Suns in 1989 and 1990 and the Jazz in 1994 and 1996
- In his last four seasons with the Suns and sole full season with the 76ers, averaged 17.5 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game
- One of the best free throw shooters of his era, his league leading 95.0% shooting in ’99-’00 is the fifth highest single season mark in league history
- An All-Star for the Suns in 1992 and won the Three-Point Shootout twice, including in 2000 at age 36
#207 Larry Nance, F, 1981-1994
A franchise legend for two different teams, spending the first half of his career starring for the Suns and the second half for the Cavaliers
- His 2,027 career blocks is the most in NBA history amongst players who never played center (20th all-time overall); averaged 16+ points, eight-plus rebounds, and two-plus blocks per game nine times in 13 seasons
- An All-Star three times, 1st-Team All-Defensive once, and 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice
- Won the inaugural NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1984 and earned the nickname “High Ayatollah of Slam-ola” in a fan voting contest
#206 Alvin Robertson, G, 1984-1996
The NBA all-time steals king, with a record career average of 2.7 per game, and holds the single season records for steals per game (3.7) and total steals (301)
- Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, and 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’85-’86; 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, 2nd-Team All-Defensive four times, and appeared in four All-Star Games
- A career of superlatives: First player to lead the NBA in steals per game in three consecutive seasons; one of just two players to ever average 10+ points, five-plus rebounds, five-plus assists, and three-plus steals per game in multiple seasons; one of just four players in NBA history to record a quadruple-double
- Reached the postseason just four times in his career, all first round losses
#205 Khris Middleton, G, 2012-active
2025 rank: 199
Second in scoring, rebounding, and assists on the ’20-’21 Bucks that won the NBA title; later that summer became the sixth player ever to win an NBA title and Olympic gold medal in the same year
- Averaged 18+ points, five-plus rebounds, and four-plus assists for five straight seasons, before a knee injury started to hamper him
- Came close to joining the vaunted 50/40/90 club in ’19-’20 but came up just short in field goal percentage, at 49.7%
- An All-Star three times
#204 Jim Pollard, F, 1948-1955
Starting small forward and the assists leader on the Minneapolis Lakers teams that won five titles in six years; also the second leading scorer behind George Mikan on four of those title teams
- Nicknamed “Kangaroo Kid” and “Jumpin’ Jim” for his leaping ability and could supposedly dunk from the free throw line
- 1st-Team All-NBA twice, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, and an All-Star four times
- Averaged 10+ points per game in all seven NBA seasons he played; prior to that, he spent time in the AAU, on the U.S. Coast Guard All-Star Team during World War II, and with the Lakers when they played in the NBL
#203 Bob Love, F, 1966-1977
The first Bulls superstar, leading them to Conference Finals in 1974 and 1975; held the franchise scoring record for over a decade until Michael Jordan smashed it, but is still third on the list
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 2nd-Team All-Defensive three times, an All-Star three times, and finished as high as sixth in MVP voting
- In his first six full seasons with Chicago, averaged 23.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game; finished sixth in the NBA in scoring in back-to-back seasons during that stretch
- Probably made better use of his ambidexterity than any other NBA player, as he was equally effective shooting or dribbling with his right or left hand
#202 Jamal Murray, G, 2016-active
2025 rank: 282
Starting point guard and second in scoring (at 26.1 points per game) on the ’22-’23 Nuggets that won the NBA title; finally made his long-awaited All-Star debut in 2026
- One of just three players to ever drop 50 points twice in one playoff series (in 2020) and one of four players in NBA Finals history to average 20+ points and 10+ assists for the series (the other three: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson
- Seventh in Nuggets franchise history in scoring and sixth in assists, and is third in both those categories amongst Canadian-born NBA players
- Averaged career highs of 25.1 points and 7.4 assists per game in ’25-’26 at age 28
#201 John Wall, G, 2010-2022
One of the fastest players in NBA history and became one of the league’s biggest stars until a series of major injuries and surgeries that started in 2017 and limited him to 104 total games in his final five seasons
- Never led the NBA in assists per game but finished in the top three in the league for four consecutive seasons; averaged 19.0 points and 9.2 assists per game in his first nine seasons
- 3rd-Team All-NBA once, 2nd-Team All-Defensive once, an All-Star five times, finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in ’10-’11, and won the 2014 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest
- Led the Wizards to four playoff appearances but never past the Conference Semifinals
Sidebar: Players who are new to the top 500 in 2026
An overview of the active players who jumped into the top 500 in 2026
Click here for players who are new to the list in 2026
Bobby Portis (#495): Just barely edges in after 11 seasons and the veteran Bucks power forward could be in line for a stat boost in ’26-’27 with Giannis gone
DeAndre Ayton (#484): The former #1 overall pick has failed to meet expectations but is top 500 worthy after averaging 15+ points and 10+ rebounds per game through his first eight seasons
Derrick White (#479): An unsung hero of the Celtics’ 2024 title run, he’s putting up career high numbers now in his 30s while remaining one of the league’s best perimeter defenders
Jarrett Allen (#466): A fan favorite in Cleveland, he’s averaged 14.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game over the last six seasons and in ’25-’26 reached the 600 games played plateau
Tyrese Maxey (#451): Now well established as one of the best point guards in the league, the 76ers star made his All-NBA debut in ’25-’26
Mikal Bridges (#388): In addition to his contributions to the Knicks’ title run in ’25-’26, he also reached the 600 game plateau that boosts active players up the list
Victor Wembanyama (#331): One of the strongest premiers into the top 500 that we’ve ever seen, “Wemby” has no conceivable ceiling on how high he’ll climb
Players #200 through #101
The third section of our top 500 list includes a Chinese crossover star, the ultimate playoff “big shot” artist, the 2024 Finals MVP, a Philadelphia playground legend, a clutch Pacers giant killer, two league MVPs, and two cornerstones of the ’10s Warriors dynasty
Click here for #200 to #101
#200 Peja Stojakovic, F, 1998-2011
Fourth in league MVP voting and 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’03-’04, when he finished second in the NBA in scoring and led the league in free throw percentage and three-point field goals
- An All-Star three times and earned Most Improved Player for the Kings in ’00-’01
- Led the NBA in free throw percentage twice and his career mark of 89.5% is fourth all-time amongst retired players
- Notably struggled in Sacramento’s 2002 Conference Finals loss to the Lakers but eventually retired as a champion, coming off the bench in his final season for the ’10-’11 Mavericks
#199 Byron Scott, G, 1983-1997
Starting shooting guard on Lakers teams that reached six NBA Finals and won three championships; was the leading scorer on the 1988 title team
- Never put up huge stats but was consistent, averaging 15+ points per game for six consecutive seasons
- Led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage in ’84-’85 and finished in the top five in two other seasons
- Traded to the Pacers in 1993 and helped them reach back-to-back Conference Finals, then returned to the Lakers in 1996 to mentor a young Kobe Bryant; still top 10 in Lakers franchise history in points, steals, win shares, and three-point field goals
#198 Pascal Siakam, F, 2016-active
2025 rank: 199
2nd-Team All-NBA once, 3rd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star four times, and Most Improved Player in ’18-’19
- Starting power forward and second in scoring on the ’18-’19 Raptors that upset the Warriors to win the championship
- Since winning the MIP award, has averaged 22.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game over the last seven seasons
- Starting power forward, leading scorer, and leading rebounder for the Pacers as they made a surprise run to the 2025 NBA Finals
#197 Yao Ming, C, 2002-2011
At 7’6”, he’s the tallest player ever to play in an All-Star Game and the tallest to ever get inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame
- Named to the All-Star Game in his first eight NBA seasons, thanks mostly to the league opening up fan voting in his native China; also 2nd-Team All-NBA twice and 3rd-Team All-NBA three times
- Averaged 17+ points and eight-plus rebounds in six of his eight NBA seasons, and averaged 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game twice
- Due to various foot, toe, and ankle issues, ultimately played just 486 games in nine years
#196 Joe Johnson, G, 2001-2018
One of just 20 players in NBA history to total over 20,000 points and over 5,000 assists for his career; averaged 20+ points per game for five straight seasons and 15+ points per game for 11 consecutive years
- Named to seven All-Star Games
- Reached the playoffs 13 times but Conference Finals only twice; his most memorable postseason moment came at age 35 in 2017, closing a Jazz first round upset of the Clippers with a game one buzzer beater
- Traded twice early in his career by teams that later came to regret it, first by the Celtics during his rookie season and later by the Suns in 2005
#195 Rasheed Wallace, F, 1995-2013
Over a three-year prime, averaged 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game; also set the NBA record for career technical fouls, which is literally impossible to break under current rules
- Joined the Pistons via mid-season trade in ’03-’04 and was the starting power forward for their title run
- A four-time All-Star, twice with the Blazers and twice with the Pistons
- Also starting power forward on the ’04-’05 Pistons who reached the NBA Finals, the ’98-’99 and ’99-’00 Blazers who reached the Conference Finals, the ’06-’07 Pistons and ’07-’08 Pistons who reached the Conference Finals, and came off the bench for the Celtics who reached the 2010 NBA Finals
#194 Tom Gola, G, 1955-1966
A Philly champion at every level, leading his high school squad to the state championship, La Salle to its only NCAA title in school history, and the Warriors to the NBA championship
- Starting shooting guard and team assist leader as a rookie on the ’55-’56 Warriors championship team, then took the next season off to serve in the U.S. Army
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once and an All-Star five times
- Averaged 14.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in his first five seasons after returning from military duty
#193 Lamar Odom, F, 1999-2013
One of the most versatile players of his era, averaged 12+ points, seven-plus rebounds, four-plus assists, one-plus steals, and one-plus blocks per game twice; in his first four seasons with the Lakers, averaged 15.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game
- Starting small forward and third leading scoring for the ’08-’09 Lakers championship team, and was the sixth man on the 2010 repeat champs; also was third leading scorer as they reached the 2008 NBA Finals
- Sixth Man of the Year for the Lakers in ’10-’11 and 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’99-’00 for the Clippers
- Struggled throughout his career with failed drug tests, injuries, and depression, especially in unsuccessful late career stops with the Mavericks and Clippers
#192 Ralph Sampson, C, 1983-1992
As a 7’3” center with the skills and mentality of a point guard, he’s one of the most unique and exciting players in basketball history but his NBA career was unfortunately cut short by a back injury
- Teamed up on the front line with Hakeem Olajuwon as the “Twin Towers,” and was second in scoring, rebounding, blocks, and steals on the ’85-’86 Rockets that reached the NBA Finals
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star four times, All-Star MVP in 1985, and Rookie of the Year in ’83-’84
- Averaged 20.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game in his first three seasons, before an in-game fall caused a back injury which hampered him for the rest of his career, eventually forcing him to retire at age 31
#191 Anthony Edwards, G, 2020-active
2025 rank: 245
Bold, brash, and always entertaining, he was just the ninth player in NBA history to average 25+ points, five-plus assists, and five-plus rebounds per game before turning 23 years old
- Leading scorer on Timberwolves teams that reached back-to-back Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025, and averaged 26.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game across those two postseasons
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star four times, finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, and has finished as high as seventh in MVP voting
- Also a terrific defender, he’s averaged 1.4 steals per game for his career; led the NBA in three-point field goals in ’24-’25
#190 Jermaine O’Neal, F/C, 1996-2014
Started as one of the youngest players in NBA history and developed into one of the best players of the ’00s, averaging 18.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game during the decade
- In ’03-’04 with the Pacers, was 2nd-Team All-NBA and finished third in MVP voting; also 3rd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star six times, and Most Improved Player in ’01-’02
- Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in blocks per game seven times and is second all-time in the category in Pacers franchise history
- His career started a downturn in ’04-’05, when he was suspended for his role in the Artest Melee and suffered a shoulder injury that would hamper him indefinitely; his 14 playoff appearances without reaching the NBA Finals is the all-time individual record
#189 Dan Roundfield, F, 1975-1987
A rare big man with a reputation as a great defender but not a shot blocker, he was 1st-Team All-Defensive three times, and 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice
- Extremely efficient in his prime, averaging 16.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game over seven seasons
- In ’79-’80 with the Hawks, was 2nd-Team All-NBA and finished fifth in MVP voting; also named to three consecutive All-Star Games
- Played in eight total postseasons, with four different franchises (Pacers, Hawks, Pistons, Bullets) but never advanced past the Conference Semifinals
#188 Michael Cooper, G, 1978-1990
Seemed almost impossibly thin at 6’5” and 170 pounds but none other than Larry Bird called him the best one-on-one defender ever to guard him
- Defensive Player of the Year in ’86-’87 and was named to the All-Defensive team for eight straight seasons, including 1st-Team All-Defensive five times
- One of three Lakers players, along with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won five championships with the team in the ’80s
- Spent his entire 12-year career with the Lakers and is top five in franchise history in steals and assists
#187 Maurice Lucas, F, 1974-1988
Leading scorer and second in rebounding on the ’76-’77 champion Trail Blazers that won the only championship in franchise history; his ejection in game two for fighting Darryl Dawkins is considered a crucial turning point in the series
- Averaged 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game twice in his career (including that ’76-’77 title season) and ultimately averaged 15+ points and nine-plus rebounds per game seven times (including his one ABA season)
- In ’77-’78, was 2nd-Team All-NBA, 1st-Team All-Defensive, and finished sixth in MVP voting; also named to four NBA All-Star Games and one in the ABA
- Second overall pick of Portland in the ABA Dispersal Draft, spent five years with the franchise then became a journeyman for the remainder of his career, including a notable stint with the ’85-’86 Lakers
#186 Robert Horry, F, 1992-2008
They called him “Big Shot Bob” for good reason, his propensity for huge postseason moments notably included a three-pointer buzzer beater for the Lakers in the 2002 Conference Finals and an overtime winner for the Spurs in the 2005 NBA Finals
- The only player in NBA history to win multiple championships with three franchises: three with the Lakers, two with the Rockets, and two with the Spurs
- In all 16 seasons he played, his teams not only made the playoffs but reached at least the Conference Semifinals
- Briefly held the record for career NBA Finals three-pointers, previously set by Michael Jordan, and is still sixth all-time as of 2024
#185 Al Horford, C, 2007-active
2025 rank: 182
Starting center for the Celtics ’23-’24 championsip team, breaking a streak of 185 playoff games played without winning a title, which was second all-time
- 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’10-’11, 2nd-Team All-Defensive in ’17-’18, and an All-Star five times
- In his first seven seasons in the league, averaged 14.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, before shifting into a more complementary role with Boston
- Also the starting center for Conference Finals teams in the ’14-’15 Hawks, ’16-’17 Celtics, and ’17-’18 Celtics, and the ’21-’22 Celtics that reached the NBA Finals
#184 Gene Shue, G, 1954-1964
One of the most exciting and innovative play makers of his time, he’s generally credited with inventing the spin move
- 1st-Team All-NBA once, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star five times, and finished as high as seventh in MVP voting
- Peaked late statistically, especially for his era, averaging 20.5 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game for four seasons starting at age 27
- Reached the postseason seven times in his 10 seasons, but only as far as the Conference Finals with Detroit in 1958 and 1962; later coached teams to the NBA Finals in 1971 (Bullets) and 1977 (76ers)
#183 Mark Aguirre, F, 1981-1994
The Mavericks’ original superstar, he was their first All-Star (making three appearances), led them to their first playoff appearance (in 1984), their first Conference Finals (in 1988), and is still third in franchise history in scoring
- Averaged 25+ points and five-plus rebounds per game four times, finished as high as second in the NBA in scoring (in ’83-’84), and was sixth in the league in total points in the ’80s
- Traded to the Pistons in exchange for Adrian Dantley in a 1989 blockbuster, reuniting with childhood friend Isiah Thomas
- Starting small forward on the ’88-’89 Pistons title team and came off the bench for the ’89-’90 repeat
#182 Karl-Anthony Towns, C, 2015-active
2025 rank: 216
Fastest player in NBA history to compile over 2,000 career points, over 1,000 rebounds, and over 100 three-point field goals; already third all-time in career three-pointers amongst players listed at 7’0″ or taller
- 3rd-Team All-NBA three times, an All-Star six times, and Rookie of the Year in ’15-’16
- Has averaged 18+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game in all 11 seasons he’s played and has finished top 10 in the league in rebounding five times, including second place in both ’24-’25 and ’25-’26
- Starting center, leading rebounder, and third leading scorer on the ’25-’26 Knicks championship team
#181 Carlos Boozer, F, 2002-2015
A 20/10 machine whose career is largely defined by two controversial contracts, one in which he supposedly reneged on a handshake deal with the Cavs and one in which he was vastly overpaid by the Bulls
- In the starting lineup for two Conference Finals teams: as the top scorer and rebounder on the ’06-’07 Jazz and starting power forward on the ’10-’11 Bulls
- 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’07-’08 and an All-Star twice
- Finished in the top five in the NBA in rebounds per game three times; averaged 15+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game for 10 consecutive seasons
#180 Norm Nixon, G, 1977-1989
Second in the NBA in steals in ’78-’79 and third in assists but things changed in a hurry that offseason, when he was forced to shift to shooting guard after the Lakers drafted Magic Johnson
- Starting shooting guard on the ’79-’80 Lakers championship team and was the leading scorer when they won another title in ’81-’82 (also played in the Finals loss in 1983)
- A two-time All-Star and was 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’77-’78
- Traded to the Clippers in 1983 and finished second behind Johnson in assists per game in ’83-’84; not counting a comeback from a knee injury in ’88-’89, averaged 16.4 points and 8.4 assists per game for his career
#179 Sam Cassell, G, 1993-2008
A swaggering presence from the beginning, he was sixth man of the 1994 Rockets championship team as a rookie, then repeated the feat in 1995
- In ’03-’04, at age 34, averaged a career high 19.7 points per game, was named 2nd-Team All-NBA, made his only All-Star appearance, and finished 10th in MVP voting
- Averaged 15+ points per game for eight consecutive seasons in his prime despite getting traded five times during that stretch
- Signed with the Celtics late in the ’07-’08 season and won a third championship ring; also played a huge part in the Bucks 2001 Conference Finals team and the Timberwolves 2004 Conference Finals team
#178 Andre Iguodala, F, 2004-2023
Only 15 players have more NBA Finals appearances than his seven and he was part of four Warriors championship teams, including his Finals MVP performance in 2015
- His Finals MVP for the Warriors in 2015 was a somewhat controversial choice, but he harassed LeBron James defensively in that series about as well as anyone ever has
- Peaked statistically early in his career for the 76ers, averaging 18+ points, five-plus rebounds, and five-plus assists per game three times
- 1st-Team All-Defensive once, 2nd-Team All-Defensive once, and an All-Star in 2012
#177 Slater Martin, G, 1949-1960
Considered the best defensive point guard of his generation, and the second best overall at the position behind Bob Cousy
- Part of four Minneapolis Lakers championship teams, in 1950, 1952, 1953, and 1954, and in the latter three he was the starting point guard; later won a fifth title as the starting point guard on the ’57-’58 Hawks
- 2nd-Team All-NBA five times and an All-Star seven times
- Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in assists per game six times; at the time of his 1960 retirement, he was fourth in league history in total assists
#176 Maurice Stokes, F/C, 1955-1958
Played just three seasons in the NBA before suffering brain damage from an on-court head injury, causing permanent paralysis and forcing him to retire at age 24 (and eventually pass away at age 36 in the care of his teammate and friend, Jack Twyman)
- In each of his three pro seasons he was an All-Star, 2nd-Team All-NBA, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting; additionally won Rookie of the Year in ’55-’56
- Averaged 16.4 points and 17.3 rebounds per game for his career; led the NBA in rebounds per game in his rookie season and then finished second behind Bill Russell in his second and third campaigns
- Briefly held the NBA record for triple-doubles in a season when he totaled nine of them in ’57-’58
#175 Rudy LaRusso, F, 1959-1969
Starting power forward and defensive anchor on the Lakers teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1962, 1963, 1965, and 1966, all losses
- Averaged a double-double for the Lakers for three consecutive seasons; traded to the Warriors in 1967 and became a focal point of their offense, peaking statistically in his 30s, averaging 21.3 points per game in his final two seasons
- An All-Star five times and would have made multiple All-Defensive teams if it existed earlier
- Still sits ninth in Lakers franchise history in career rebounds
#174 Terry Porter, G, 1985-2002
One of the most underrated point guards of his era, he retired in ninth place on the all-time assists leaderboard, with 7,160
- Starting point guard and assists leader on the Trail Blazers teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992, and was second in scoring on the latter
- An All-Star twice and finished as high as ninth in MVP voting
- Reached the postseason 16 times in 17 seasons but never won a title; set the Finals record in game one in 1990 by making 15 free throws without a miss
#173 Latrell Sprewell, G/F, 1992-2005
A silky smooth scorer who courted controversy for nearly his entire career, from his one-year suspension for assaulting Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo to his yacht-related injury
- In ’93-’94, he was 1st-Team All-NBA, 2nd-Team All-Defensive in ’93-’94 and made his first of four All-Star appearances
- Averaged 18+ points, four-plus assists, four-plus rebounds, and one-plus steals per game four times in his career; finished as high as fifth in the NBA in scoring, in ’96-’97
- Leading scorer on the memorable Knicks teams that made it to the NBA Finals as a #8 seed in 1999 and then returned to the Conference Finals in 2000; also the second-leading scorer on the ’03-’04 Timberwolves that reached the Conference Finals
#172 Zelmo Beaty, C, 1962-1975
Had an incredible four-year run in his prime with the Hawks, averaging 20.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game and making two All-Star teams, but then defected for the Utah Stars of the ABA
- Playoffs MVP of the ABA in 1971, when he was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Stars as they won the title
- 2nd-Team All-ABA twice, an ABA All-Star three time, and finished in the top three in MVP voting twice
- Was forced to sit out the entire ’69-’70 season right in his prime while the Hawks and the Stars settled a lawsuit over his contract
#171 Mel Daniels, C, 1967-1977
First player to be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame based solely on his ABA exploits, he spent eight seasons in the rebel league and then just 13 games in the NBA post-merger before being forced to retire due to back issues
- A two-time ABA MVP winner; also finished third in MVP voting in ’67-’68 and ’69-’70, won ABA Rookie of the Year in ’67-’68, was 1st-Team All-ABA four times, and played in seven ABA All-Star Games
- Played in four ABA Finals and won three titles as the starting center for the Pacers, in 1970, 1972, and 1973
- The all-time ABA leader in rebounds and fourth in points; averaged 20.5 points and 16.6 rebounds per game over his first five seasons and led the league in rebounding three times
#170 Harry Gallatin, F, 1948-1958
Nicknamed “Horse” by teammates in reference to his rural upbringing but it also applied perfectly to his durability, as he played in 610 consecutive games during his career, a Knicks franchise record
- Starting power forward and leading rebounder on the Knicks teams that reached three consecutive NBA Finals, starting in 1951
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’53-’54, 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’54-’55, and an All-Star seven times
- Led the NBA in rebounding in ’53-’54, was top five in the category in three other seasons, and was second in NBA history in career rebounds when he retired in 1958
#169 Glen Rice, F, 1989-2004
One of the best pure shooters of the ’90s, finishing in the top 10 in the NBA in scoring five times and in three-point field goals six times, and averaging 20+ points per game in six different seasons
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’96-’97, an All-Star three times, MVP of the All-Star Game in 1997, and finished as high as fifth in league MVP voting
- Traded to the Lakers in 1999 and was the starting small forward and third-leading scorer on the ’99-’00 Lakers title team
- Still beloved by the fan bases in Miami and Charlotte, where he remains amongst the top 10 scorers in both franchise’s histories, but had a tenuous relationship with Lakers fans, leading to an ill-advised trade to the Knicks
#168 Marc Gasol, C, 2008-2021
Came into the league simply known as Pau’s younger brother but eventually established himself as one of the best all-around centers of his generation and a Grizzlies franchise legend
- Defensive Player of the Year in ’12-’13, 1st-Team All-NBA in ’14-’15, 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’12-’13, and an All-Star three times
- Starting center on the first Grizzlies team to make a Conference Finals (in 2013) and on the first Raptors team to win a championship (in 2019)
- Spent his first 10 seasons with the Grizzlies and is the franchise’s all-time leader in rebounds and blocks, and second in scoring
#167 Lou Hudson, G/F, 1966-1979
One of the best pure scorers of the late ’60s and early ’70s, he averaged 21+ points per game for seven straight seasons starting in ’68-’69, and finished in the top five in the NBA in scoring three times
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’69-’70 and an All-Star six times; finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in ’66-’67
- Also a terrific rebounder for his height (6’5”), he averaged five-plus rebounds per game six times
- Nicknamed “Sweet Lou” not just for his scoring touch but also for his personality and found himself at odds with the brash Pete Maravich, leading to the Hawks trading him to the Lakers in 1977
#166 Clyde Lovellette, C, 1953-1964
A rare early star who changed teams with relative regularity, he played for four franchises in 11 seasons, winning a championship with the Lakers in 1954, two more titles backing up Bill Russell on the Celtics, and then played in the Finals twice with the Hawks in the early ’60s
- One of only eight players to have won an NBA title, an NCAA title, and an Olympic gold medal (on the 1952 U.S. team)
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’55-’56 and an All-Star four times
- Averaged 20+ points and 10+ rebounds five times in his career; had a stretch of four straight seasons in which he finished in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage
#165 Larry Foust, C, 1950-1962
Made more NBA Finals appearances without a championship (five) in his career than any other player except Elgin Baylor, and was the first player to reach the Finals with three different teams: The Pistons, Lakers, and Hawks
- One of the league’s earliest dominant centers, named to the All-Star Game eight times in the first nine editions, averaging 14.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in that stretch
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’54-’55 and 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’51-’52; led the NBA in total rebounds in ’51-’52 and in field goal percentage in ’54-’55
- Starting center and leading rebounder on the Pistons teams that reached back-to-back NBA Finals in 1955 and 1956; played and lost in three more NBA Finals late in his career, one with the Lakers and two with the Hawks
#164 Walt Bellamy, C, 1961-1975
A first overall pick and came out strong out of the gate, winning Rookie of the Year in ’61-’62 after averaging 31.6 points (second in the NBA) and 19.0 rebounds (third in the NBA) per game
- Just the eighth player in NBA history to reach the 20,000 career points milestone and only the third to reach 14,000 rebounds
- An All-Star in four straight seasons and finished as high as 11th in MVP voting
- Played in the postseason just seven times in 14 seasons and as far as the Conference Finals only twice, with the Bullets in 1965 and with the Hawks in 1970
#163 Bill Laimbeer, C, 1980-1994
One of the league’s all-time great villains and enforcers, to the point that his licensed Nintendo game was called Combat Basketball, but respected enough to make four All-Star appearances
- Starting center on Pistons teams that reached three straight NBA Finals and won back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990; was the team leader in rebounds in the 1990 playoffs
- Led the NBA in rebounding in ’85-’86, one of five seasons in a row in which he finished in the top five in the category; averaged 11+ rebounds per game for seven consecutive seasons in his prime
- Despite his bruising style, he was a consistent presence in Detroit’s starting lineup, missing only three games total between 1982 and 1991
#162 Mark Price, G, 1986-1998
One of just nine members of the NBA 50/40/90 club and only the second to accomplish the feat after Larry Bird, achieving it in ’88-’89
- Led the NBA in free throw percentage three times and his career mark of 90.4% was the all-time record when he retired in 1998
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’92-’93, 3rd-Team All-NBA three times, an All-Star four times, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting four times
- As was a theme on his Cavs team, he struggled throughout his career with injuries and disappointing postseason exits, usually at the hands of Michael Jordan’s Bulls; only made it as far as the Conference Finals once, in 1992
#161 Paul Westphal, G, 1972-1984
Won a championship in 1974, coming off the bench for the Celtics; then was the leading scorer on the ’75-’76 Suns that reached the NBA Finals, losing in the series to his former Celtics teammates
- Averaged 20+ points and five-plus assists per game for five straight seasons in his prime
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, a five-time All-Star, and finished as high as sixth in MVP voting
- Traded to the Sonics in exchange for Dennis Johnson in 1980 and struggled late in his career with injuries and conditioning
#160 Horace Grant, F, 1987-2004
The starting power forward, third in scoring and second in rebounding on the ’90-’91 and ’91-’92 Chicago title teams, and third in scoring and the rebounding leader when they three-peated in ’92-’93
- 2nd-Team All-Defensive four times and an All-Star in 1994
- Efficient and consistent, he led the NBA in offensive rating in ’91-’92 and finished in the top five in field goal percentage twice; averaged 12+ points and nine-plus rebounds for six straight seasons in his prime
- Signed a huge free agent contract with the Magic in 1994, and was the starting power forward as they reached the 1995 NBA Finals; later played in a fifth NBA Finals and won a fourth title in ’00-’01, when he reunited with Phil Jackson and Shaquille O’Neal on the Lakers
#159 Buck Williams, F, 1981-1998
Plugged away for 17 seasons and became just the seventh player in NBA history to compile over 15,000 points and over 13,000 rebounds
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, an All-Star three times, and Rookie of the Year in ’81-’82
- Spent his first eight seasons with the Nets and is still the franchise’s all-time leader in rebounds, second in points, and third in blocks; also top 25 in NBA history in rebounds, field goal percentage, and games played
- Traded to the Trail Blazers in 1989 and was the starting power forward on the Portland teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992
#158 Gail Goodrich, G, 1965-1979
With 19,248 points, he’s the fourth highest scoring lefty in NBA history; averaged 20+ points per game six times and finished as high as fourth in the league in scoring
- Leading scorer and second in assists on the ’71-’72 Lakers that most consider one of the greatest championship teams of all time
- 1st-Team All-NBA for the Lakers in ’73-’74, and an All-Star five times
- Also played in the NBA Finals with L.A. in 1966 and 1968; selected by the Suns in their expansion draft and averaged 21.9 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game in his first two seasons in Phoenix
#157 Jrue Holiday, G, 2009-active
2025 rank: 155
Two-time NBA champion as a starting point guard and unsung hero in both, first as the assists leader on the ’20-’21 Bucks and later as a defensive stopper for the ’23-’24 Celtics
- 1st-Team All-Defensive three times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, and an All-Star twice, including in 2013 at age 22, making him the youngest All-Star in 76ers history
- From his All-Star debut (’12-’13) through his tenure ending in Milwaukee (’22-’23), averaged 17.9 points, 6.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game; finished in the top five in assists per game twice
- Older brother Justin and younger brother Aaron have played in the NBA, both of his parents and his sister were collegiate basketball stars, and wife Lauren won two Olympic gold medals in soccer
#156 Kyle Lowry, G, 2006-active
2025 rank: 152
Assists leader, third in scoring, and heart and soul on the ’18-’19 Raptors championship team; played in the NBA Finals again in 2023 with the Heat, as a backup point guard
- Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in assists in seven seasons, including as high as second in ’18-’19, and top 10 in three-point field goals three times
- Named to six All-Star teams and was 3rd-Team All-NBA in ’15-’16
- The Raptors’ all-time leader in assists, three-point field goals, steals, win shares, and triple-doubles; also second in points and fourth in rebounds
#155 Richard Hamilton, G, 1999-2013
Leading scorer on the 2004 Pistons title team, averaging 21.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game in the postseason, and arguably deserved Finals MVP honors over Chauncey Billups
- Also the leading scorer on the ’04-’05 Pistons that reached the NBA Finals and made it to the Conference Finals in four other seasons
- Incredibly consistent, he averaged 17+ points per game for 10 consecutive seasons; led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage in ’05-’06
- Detroit’s all-time leading postseason scorer, breaking Isiah Thomas’ record, and is top 10 in franchise history in points and assists
#154 Terry Cummings, F, 1982-2000
Rookie of the Year in ’82-’83 for the Clippers (who drafted him #2 overall), averaging career highs of 23.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 3rd-Team All-NBA once, played in two All-Star games, and finished as high as fifth in league MVP voting
- Suffered a debilitating knee injury in 1992 but managed to last eight more years and play to age 39; totaled over 19,000 points and over 8,000 rebounds in his career and is one of just three eligible players to reach those milestones and not get inducted into the Hall of Fame
- Part of several massive trades in an itinerant career, including the Clippers sending him to the Bucks just one year after his Rookie of the Year honors
#153 Deron Williams, G, 2005-2017
Had a career hampered by injuries and clashes with coaches (especially Jerry Sloan, who supposedly retired just to get away from him) but managed to compile 6,819 assists, good for 19th on the all-time career list when he retired in 2017
- Averaged 10+ assists per game four times and finished in the top five in the NBA in the category for seven consecutive years
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’07-’08 and ’09-’10, and an All-Star three times
- Led the Jazz to the Conference Finals in just his second season, ’06-’07, but wouldn’t reach that far in the playoffs again until his final year as a backup guard on the ’16-’17 Cavaliers that reached the NBA Finals
#152 Jalen Brunson, G, 2018-active
2025 rank: 196
All he’s done in his first three seasons with the Knicks is lead the team to its first playoff series win in 10 years, then its first Conference Finals appearance in 25 years, then its first championship in over a half century
- Finals MVP for the Knicks in ’25-’26, when he led the team in scoring (28.4 points per game) and assists
- 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, an All-Star three times, and has finished in the top five in MVP voting once
- In his first four seasons with the Knicks, has averaged 26.3 points and 6.8 assists per game, and finished fourth in the league in scoring in ’23-’24
#151 Chet Walker, F, 1962-1975
Starting small forward and third leading scorer on one of the greatest teams of all time, the ’66-’67 champion 76ers
- Averaged 20+ points per game three times, at least 17 points per game 10 times (in 13 seasons) and finished with a career average of 18.2 points per game
- An All-Star seven times and was 1st-Team All-Rookie in ’62-’63
- Played his first seven seasons with the 76ers then was traded to the Bulls in 1969 and became the franchise’s biggest pre-Michael Jordan star, helping the team reach back-to-back Conference Finals in 1974 and 1975
#150 LaMarcus Aldridge, F/C, 1997-2016
One of the most consistent power forwards in NBA history, he’s one of three players in the ’10s (along with LeBron James and Blake Griffin) to total over 10,000 points and over 5,000 rebounds during the decade
- Averaged 20+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game seven times, and is the Trail Blazers’ all-time franchise leader in rebounds
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 3rd-Team All-NBA three times, and an All-Star seven times
- Reached the postseason nine times in his career but only as far as the Conference Finals once, with the Spurs in 2017
#149 Jack Sikma, C, 1977-1991
Used “The Sikma Move” to average 18+ points per game six times and crashed the boards to average 10+ rebounds per game eight times; retired as the 10th player in NBA history to reach the 15,000 points and 10,000 rebounds plateaus
- Starting center and leading rebounder on the ’78-’79 SuperSonics that won the only championship in franchise history; also started at center as a rookie in ’77-’78, as the Sonics reached the NBA Finals
- An All-Star seven times and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting twice
- Led the NBA in defensive win shares twice and in ’87-’88, became the tallest player (6’11”) ever to lead the league in free throw percentage
#148 Maurice Cheeks, G, 1978-1993
Starting point guard of the 76ers for a decade that included three NBA Finals appearances and one championship; was the assist leader and third in scoring on the all-timer ’82-’83 title team
- One of the premier perimeter defenders of his era, he was 1st-Team All-Defensive four times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive once, and an All-Star four times
- Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in steals per game for 10 straight seasons, though he never led the league; also finished in the top 10 in assists five times
- Retired in 1993 as the all-time NBA career leader in steals (he’s now seventh) and is still the 76ers all-time franchise leader in the category, as well as in assists
#147 Tom Chambers, F, 1981-1998
Notable as the MVP of the star-studded 1987 All-Star Game, and as the first high profile free agent of the unrestricted era, leaving the SuperSonics for the Suns in 1988
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star four times, and twice finished in the top 10 in MVP voting
- Shifted to the Suns bench in the ’92-’93 season and was a key role player as they reached the NBA Finals; also played in four other Conference Finals: with the Sonics in 1987, with the Suns in 1989 and 1990, and with the Jazz in 1994
- One of just four players who totaled over 20,000 career points and over 5,000 rebounds but is not yet inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame
#146 Jaylen Brown, F, 2016-active
2025 rank: 172
MVP of the 2024 Finals, averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game in the Celtics championship victory, while also flashing his elite defensive prowess on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving
- Second leading scorer on both the ’21-’22 Celtics that reached the NBA Finals and the ’23-’24 Celtics that won the title
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’22-’23 and an All-Star four times
- Has averaged 20+ points and five-plus rebounds for seven seasons in a row and counting; was rewarded in 2023 with the biggest (at the time) contract extension in NBA history but then traded to the 76ers just three years later
#145 Walter Davis, F, 1977-1992
Had an incredible first two seasons, averaging 23.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, getting named 2nd-Team All-NBA both years, finishing fifth in MVP voting both years, and winning Rookie of the Year
- An All-Star six times for the Suns, which ties Steve Nash for the franchise record
- Leading scorer on the Suns teams that reached Conference Finals in 1979 and 1984 and returned one last time with the Blazers in 1991 but never reached the NBA Finals
- His first two seasons turned out to his career peak, as he struggled throughout with back issues and with drug abuse; in 1987 he was one of the first volunteers for rehab to avoid a suspension under the new NBA drug policy
#144 Shawn Marion, F, 1999-2015
Dubbed “The Matrix” for his versatility and statistical prowess, he’s one of just 12 players in NBA history to compile over 15,000 career points, over 10,000 rebounds, over 2,000 assists, over 1,000 steals, and over 1,000 blocks (the other 11 are all Hall of Fame inductees)
- 3rd-Team All-NBA twice and an All-Star four times
- Led the NBA in total steals twice and finished in the top 10 in steals per game six times, but was somehow never named to an All-Defensive team
- A starting forward and defensive focal point of the “Seven Seconds or Less” Suns teams who suffered numerous playoff gut punches, then later won a title as the third-leading scorer on the ’10-’11 Mavericks
#143 Jack Twyman, F, 1955-1966
Known for his accuracy from anywhere on the floor, he led the NBA in field goal percentage in ’57-’58 and was one of just 10 players to average 30+ points per game in a pre-merger season
- Second leading scorer on the Royals teams that reached the Conference Finals in 1963 and 1964 and is still second in franchise history in points and fifth in rebounds
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, finished in the top 10 in MVP voting three times, and played in six All-Star Games
- Never missed more than seven games in a season and played entire regular season and postseason slates eight times in 11 years; at the time of his 1966 retirement, he was one of just six players with 15,000+ career points and 5,000+ career rebounds
#142 Richie Guerin, G, 1956-1970
Made six All-Star appearances and was named 2nd-Team All-NBA three times while plugging away for seven seasons for mostly bad Knicks teams, then got traded to the Hawks and played in the Conference Finals in 1963, 1966, and 1967
- Only the second player in NBA history to average 20+ points, six-plus assists, and six-plus rebounds per game in a season, and he did it three times; finished in the top 10 in the NBA in both scoring and assists in three different seasons
- Held the Knicks single game scoring record (57 points) for over 25 years and is still top 10 in franchise history in points, assists, and triple-doubles
- Retired to take up coaching in 1967, then made a comeback as the Hawks’ player-coach, playing two more seasons before retiring for good
#141 DeMar DeRozan, G, 2009-active
2025 rank: 141
Wandering ronin of the mid-range jumper, he’s averaged 20+ points per game in 12 consecutive seasons and counting; also averaged four-plus rebounds and four-plus assists per game in eight of those seasons
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 3rd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star six times, and has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting twice
- Made just seven playoff appearances in his career and just once to the Conference Finals, as the Raptors’ leading scorer in 2016
- Sixth leading scorer in the NBA during the ’10s and is the Raptors’ franchise scoring leader (plus top five in assists, rebounds, and steals)
#140 Rudy Gobert, C, 2013-active
2025 rank: 149
The “Stifle Tower” is one of just three players in NBA history (along with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace) to earn four Defensive Player of the Year awards
- 1st-Team All-Defensive eight times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive once, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 3rd-Team All-NBA three times, and an All-Star three times
- Led the NBA in rebounds per game in ’21-’22, in defensive win shares in ’16-’17, and in field goal percentage three times; his 71.2% field goal shooting in ’21-’22 was the fourth best in NBA history
- Became a villain after his careless actions led to him being the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19, which triggered the suspension of the ’19-’20 season
#139 Ed Macauley, F/C, 1949-1959
A superstar for the Celtics for six seasons until he was infamously traded to the Hawks in 1956 for Bill Russell’s draft rights; his jersey #22 was the first ever retired by Boston
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times and 2nd-Team All-NBA once; played in seven All-Star Games and was MVP of the first edition, in 1951
- Averaged 18.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in his six seasons in Boston and led the NBA in field goal percentage twice; also a great passer for a big man, he finished in the top 10 in the NBA in assists per game three times
- Starting center on the ’56-’57 Hawks team that reached the NBA Finals and lost to his former Celtics teammates, and came off the bench for the ’57-’58 Hawks team that won the championship in a rematch
#138 Rajon Rondo, G, 2006-2022
Starting point guard and assists leader on the ’07-’08 Celtics championship team, and came off the bench for the ’19-’20 Lakers title team; was also the assist leader on the Celtics when they reached the 2010 NBA Finals
- Led the NBA in assists per game three times and in steals per game once; averaged 11+ assists per game four times in his career
- 3rd-Team All-NBA once, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, and an All-Star four times
- At the time of his 2022 retirement, was 14th in NBA history in total assists and 13th in career triple-doubles with 32
#137 Gus Williams, G, 1975-1987
Nicknamed “The Wizard” for his behind-the-back passes, fast break orchestration, and sneaky drives to the basket; in the middle of his prime, held out of the entire ’80-’81 season in a contract dispute with Seattle
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’81-’82 (over Magic Johnson) and finished fifth in MVP voting; was also 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’79-’80, finished as high as eighth in MVP voting, and was an All-Star twice
- Led the ’78-’79 Sonics in playoffs scoring on their way to a championship and arguably deserved the Finals MVP trophy that was granted to Dennis Johnson; also was the scoring and assists leader in 1978, when the Sonics reached the NBA Finals
- Averaged 18+ points per game for seven straight seasons and finished in the top 10 in the NBA in steals seven times
#136 Dikembe Mutombo, C, 1991-2009
One of three players to win Defensive Player of the Year four times and the only one to win it on three different teams: the Nuggets in ’94-’95, the Hawks in ’96-’97 and ’97-’98, and the 76ers in ’00-’01
- Second in NBA history with 3,289 career blocks, he led the NBA in blocks per game three times and in rebounds per game twice; for 11 consecutive seasons, landed in the top five in the league in each category
- Starting center on two NBA Finals teams: the Sixers in 2001 and the Nets in 2003, but his most memorable postseason moment was leading the #8 seed Nuggets to a stunning 1994 upset of the SuperSonics
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 1st-Team All-Defensive three times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive three times, an All-Star eight times, and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in ’91-’92
#135 Vern Mikkelsen, F, 1949-1959
Starting power forward and second leading scorer on four Minneapolis Lakers championship teams, in 1950, 1952, 1953, and 1954
- Drafted territorially by the Lakers in 1949 and was supposedly promised that George Mikan was about to retire and he would be the new starting center; instead he shifted to power forward and thrived alongside Mikan in the starting lineup
- 2nd-Team All-NBA four times and an All-Star six times
- Remained the Lakers’ starting power forward for the entirety of the ’50s, eventually capping his career with his fifth and final NBA Finals appearance in 1959
#134 Jo Jo White, G, 1969-1981
Finals MVP for the Celtics in 1976, when he was the team’s leader in points and assists and scored a game high 33 in the legendary double overtime game five Celtics win; also was the starting points guard on the 1974 Celtics title team
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice and named to seven All-Star teams
- A well-rounded point guard, he averaged 19.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game in his seven-year prime
- Traded to Golden State by the rebuilding Celtics in 1979, just missing out on the start of the Larry Bird era; still top 10 in Celtics franchise history in assists and field goals
#133 Dan Issel, C, 1970-1985
Averaged 21.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in his first seven NBA seasons and at the time of his 1985 retirement, he was fourth in career scoring across the NBA and ABA
- One of the ABA’s biggest stars, he was Rookie of the Year in ’70-’71 (when he won the scoring title), finished as high as second in league MVP voting, and is second on the league’s all-time scoring list
- Second leading scorer on the ’74-’75 Colonels that won the ABA title, and also played in the ABA Finals with the Colonels in 1971 and 1973 and with the Nuggets in 1976
- 1st-Team All-ABA once, 2nd-Team All-ABA four times, an ABA All-Star five times, and an NBA All-Star once
#132 Jamaal Wilkes, F, 1974-1986
Had a jump shot so consistent that Chick Hearn called it a “20 foot lay-up” and his UCLA coach John Wooden once labeled him the “ideal player”
- Put on one of the all-time great rookie postseason performances in 1975 for the Warriors, finishing second on the team in scoring and locking down opponents defensively in their title run
- Earned three further championship rings with the “Showtime” Lakers, as the second leading scorer in 1980, as the arguable true Finals MVP in 1982, and unfortunately on the bench with a knee injury in 1985; also played in the NBA Finals with L.A. in 1983 and 1984
- An All-Star three times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, and Rookie of the Year in ’74-’75
#131 Gus Johnson, F, 1963-1973
Preeminent dunker of his era and is credited with inventing the tomahawk jam, but his knees eventually failed him and he ultimately played just 581 NBA games in 10 seasons
- 2nd-Team All-NBA four times, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, an All-Star five times, and finished sixth in league MVP voting as a rookie
- Averaged 18.3 points and 13.5 rebounds over his first eight NBA seasons
- Spent most of his career carrying weak Bullets teams but they finally reached the NBA Finals in ’70-’71 when he was coming off the bench; closed out his pro career with one season with the Pacers in the ABA, winning a title in 1973
#130 Bobby Jones, F, 1974-1986
Fan favorite sixth man on the ’82-’83 championship 76ers, as well as a starting power forward on the ’79-’80 and ’81-’82 teams that reached the NBA Finals, and prior to that played in the ABA Finals with the ’75-’76 Nuggets
- 1st-Team All-Defensive in the first 10 seasons of his career, two in the ABA and then eight in the NBA, and surely would have earned at least one Defensive Player of the Year trophy if the award existed then
- NBA Sixth Man of the Year in ’82-’83 and 2nd-Team All-ABA in ’75-’76, when he additionally finished second in league MVP voting
- Never put up big stats but did average 14+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game in his first four seasons; led the ABA twice and the NBA once in field goal percentage
#129 Mitch Richmond, G, 1988-2002
In 1993, he became the first Sacramento Kings player in eight years to be named an All-Star, his first of six straight appearances, which included an All-Star MVP trophy in 1995
- Exceedingly consistent, he averaged 20+ points per game in each of his first 10 seasons
- Rookie of the Year for the Warriors in ’88-’89, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, and 3rd-Team All-NBA twice
- As was par for the course for the Run-TMC Warriors teammates, he reached the postseason just three times in his first 13 seasons and never past the Conference Semifinals; finally won a title in his final season, playing light minutes off the bench for the ’01-’02 Lakers
#128 Vince Carter, G, 1998-2020
Overly scrutinized and derided throughout much of his career, especially by Raptors fans, but was almost universally beloved at the end, when he stayed effective until age 43
- One of the top offensive forces of the ’00s, averaged 20+ points per game for 10 straight seasons, finished in the top 10 in the NBA in scoring six times, and was fifth in total scoring during the decade
- Reached the postseason 11 times but the Conference Finals only once; in 2001 he averaged 30.4 points per game in a Conference Semifinals series against the 76ers but missed a buzzer beater in game seven
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’00-’01, an All-Star eight times, and won Rookie of the Year in ’98-’99; his 2000 Slam Dunk Contest performance will live on for the ages
#127 Devin Booker, G, 2015-active
2025 rank: 141
One of the premier scorers in the NBA, he’s averaged 25+ points per game in each of the last nine seasons and is sixth in the league in total scoring during the ’20s
- Leading scorer on the ’20-’21 Suns that reached the NBA Finals, and averaged 28.2 points per game in the Finals series in a losing effort
- Youngest player ever to score 60+ points in a game, when he dropped 70 at age 20 in the ’16-’17 season, and also one of just 10 players ever to top 70
- 1st-Team All-NBA once, 3rd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star five times, and finished fourth in MVP voting in ’21-’22
#126 Marques Johnson, F, 1977-1990
Revolutionized the “point forward” concept under coach Don Nelson in Milwaukee, taking on a play making role as a 6’7” small forward who could score, pass, rebound, and run the offense
- Leading scorer on the Bucks teams that made back-to-back Conference Finals appearances in 1983 and 1984 and finished as high as third in the NBA in points per game (in ’78-’79)
- Finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in ’77-’78, when he averaged 19.5 points and a career high 10.6 rebounds per game, and led the Bucks in postseason scoring and rebounding
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’78-’79, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star five times, and finished sixth in MVP voting in ’80-’81
#125 Bailey Howell, F, 1959-1971
Starting power forward and third leading scorer on the ’67-’68 and ’68-’69 Celtics teams that won the last two titles of the Russell era
- Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in both scoring and rebounding in two seasons and was 10th in career rebounds at the time of his 1971 retirement
- Over his first seven seasons, five with the Pistons (who drafted him second overall) and two with the Bullets, averaged 20.3 points and 11.4 rebounds per game
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’62-’63 and an All-Star six times
#124 George Yardley, F, 1953-1960
The first player in NBA history to total over 2,000 points in a season, winning the scoring title in ’57-’58 with 27.8 points per game; averaged 17+ points and seven-plus rebounds per game in every season except for his rookie one
- Leading scorer on the Pistons teams that were upset in the NBA Finals in 1955 and lost again in 1956
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’56-’57 when he finished fifth in MVP voting and 1st-Team All-NBA in ’57-’58 when he finished third in MVP voting; an All-Star six times
- Due to military service at the beginning of his career and a broken hand at the end, ultimately played just 472 games over seven seasons, retiring at age 31 in 1960
#123 Derrick Rose, G, 2008-2024
The lowest-rated league MVP winner on our list, he won it in the ’10-’11 season, when he averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game, and led the Bulls to the best record in the NBA and the Conference Finals
- Also Rookie of the Year in ’08-’09, 1st-Team All-NBA in ’10-’11, and an All-Star three times
- Struggled with injuries throughout the ’11-’12 season and then tore his ACL in a first round playoff series, forcing him to miss almost the entire ’12-’13 and ’13-’14 seasons, then spend the remainder of his career as a journeyman point guard
- Averaged 18+ points per game three more times, in ’16-’17 with the Knicks, in ’18-’19 with the Timberwolves, and in ’19-’20 with the Pistons
#122 Chauncey Billups, G, 1997-2014
A Finals MVP in 2004 as his Pistons upset the Lakers; then was second in scoring and the assists leader on the ’04-’05 Pistons that returned to the NBA Finals
- Despite being a third overall pick out of Colorado in 1997, he bounced around the league in his first five years with the Celtics, Raptors, Nuggets, and Timberwolves, before finally settling in with the Pistons
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 2nd-Team all-Defensive twice, an All-Star five times, and finished as high as fifth in league MVP voting
- Top five in Pistons franchise history in assists, three-point field goals, and win shares
#121 Shawn Kemp, F, 1989-2003
Averaged 23.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in the 1996 NBA Finals, helping the Sonics make a series of it against the Bulls team that may have been the greatest of all time
- 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, an All-Star six times, and finished as high as seventh in MVP voting
- Averaged 18+ points and nine-plus rebounds per game for six straight seasons
- Disillusioned by the Sonics not extending his contract, he was traded to Cleveland in 1997, signed a seven-year, $100 million contract, then spiraled due to alcohol abuse and weight gain; still an endearing figure despite his late career disappointments, thanks to his incredible in-game dunks and indelible nickname (“Reign Man”)
#120 Paul George, F, 2010-active
2025 rank: 124
One of the best scoring and defending wings of his era but seems destined for yearly injury woes and postseason heartbreak, and is now staring down his retirement and fate at age 36
- 1st-Team All-NBA once, 3rd-Team All-NBA five times, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, has finished as high as third in MVP voting, and made nine All-Star rosters
- Averaged 20+ points, five-plus rebounds, four-plus assists, and one-plus steals per game seven times
- Led the NBA in steals per game in ’18-’19 and finished in the top five in the category two other times
- Leading scorer on the Pacers teams that reached back-to-back Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014, and on the Clippers team that reached the 2021 Conference Finals
#119 Penny Hardaway, G, 1993-2008
An oversized point guard with a colorful nickname (“Penny”), he was one of the most popular players of the ’90s but ultimately finished with a lot of wasted potential due to injuries and clashes with coaches
- Second in scoring and the team leader in assists as the Magic reached the NBA Finals in ’94-’95
- 1st-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star four times, and finished third in MVP voting in ’95-’96
- Showed flashes of his old brilliance in later stops with the Suns, Knicks, and Heat, but also missed large amounts of time due to various knee surgeries
#118 David Thompson, G, 1975-1984
A prototypical Michael Jordan, he could dunk with fury, defend with tenacity, and score from anywhere on the floor; likely would have been in the top 50 of this list if he had stayed healthy and out of trouble
- 1st-Team All-NBA twice, an NBA All-Star four times, and finished as high as third in MVP voting, in ’77-’78; in his one ABA season, he was Rookie of the Year, 2nd-Team All-ABA, and second in MVP voting
- Leading scorer on the ’75-’76 Nuggets that reached the ABA Finals and the ’77-’78 Nuggets that reached the NBA Conference Finals but never played in the NBA Finals
- Averaged 25.2 points per game in his first five NBA seasons, finishing top five in the league in scoring three times; his 73-point performance in a 1978 game was the second highest single gametotal in NBA history at the time
#117 Connie Hawkins, F, 1967-1976
Joined the NBA in 1969 at age 27 thanks to a successful lawsuit and averaged 20.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in his first four seasons, all with the Suns, despite being hampered by a knee injury
- (Unfairly) blackballed from the NBA due to his supposed involvement with the 1961 NCAA point shaving scandal and spent several years with the ABL and Harlem Globetrotters until the inaugural ABA season
- His rookie ABA season in ’67-’68 was a marvel, winning the scoring title, finishing second in the league in rebounding, third in assists, and earning both league MVP and Finals MVP
- 1st-Team All-ABA twice, 1st-Team All-NBA once, and an All-Star five times across the two leagues; also finished second in ABA MVP voting in ’68-’69, and fifth in NBA MVP voting in ’69-’70
#116 Chris Mullin, F, 1985-2001
One of the best scorers of his era, averaged 25+ points and five-plus rebounds per game for five straight seasons before he started to struggle with injuries
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’91-’92 and finished sixth in MVP voting; also 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, and an All-Star five times
- Led the NBA in free throw percentage in ’97-’98 and finished in the top five in two other seasons; also finished in the top five in points per game twice
- Elder member of the Run-TMC Warriors, he spent 12 seasons with the franchise but never managed to advance past the Conference Semifinals; did play in the NBA Finals at the end of his career, in 2000 with the Pacers
#115 Kevin Love, F, 2008-active
2025 rank: 118
Starting his career carrying subpar Timberwolves teams, then was traded to the Cavs and played in four straight NBA Finals; third in scoring and third in rebounding on the ’15-’16 Cavs champions, and made a huge defensive stop against Stephen Curry late in game seven that lives on in Cleveland sports lore
- Over his final four seasons with the Timberwolves, averaged 23.5 points and 13.7 rebounds per game
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star five times, won Most Improved Player in ’10-’11, and finished sixth in MVP voting in ’11-’12
- Led the NBA in rebounding in ’10-’11; finished in the top five in the NBA in scoring twice, in rebounding three times, in PER three times, and in win shares twice
#114 Manu Ginobili, G, 2002-2018
The first and still only non-American to win both an NBA title and an Olympic gold medal, he changed NBA offensive styles irrevocably with his “euro step”
- Played in five NBA Finals and won four championships with the Spurs, including in ’04-’05 and ’06-’07 when he was the team’s second leading scorer
Sixth Man of the Year for the Spurs in ’07-’08 and an All-Star twice
Appeared in four Olympics with the Argentina national team, earning gold in 2004 (as the tournament MVP) and bronze in 2008; additionally was MVP of the EuroLeague Finals in 2001, representing Italy’s Kinder Bologna
#113 Ben Wallace, C, 1996-2012
Went from Division II HBCU Virginia Union to un-drafted to the end of the Bullets bench to one of the greatest defenders and rebounders in NBA history
- One of only three players to win four Defensive Player of the Year awards, he was also 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, 1st-Team All-Defensive five times, and played in four All-Star Games
- Starting center, leading rebounder, and defensive anchor for the Pistons teams that won the title in 2004 and returned to the NBA Finals in 2005
- Led the NBA in rebounds per game twice , blocks per game once, defensive rating three times, and defensive win shares four times; averaged 10+ rebounds per game in seven different seasons
#112 Klay Thompson, G, 2011-active
2025 rank: 111
One of the greatest pure shooters of all time, who just so happened to be on a team with arguably the singular greatest; fifth in NBA history in career three-pointers, and led the league in the category in ’22-’23
- Reached six NBA Finals with the Warriors, winning titles in four of them (2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022); second in scoring on the 2015 and 2022 Warriors title teams
- 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, 2nd-Team All-Defensive once, and an All-Star five times
- Holds the NBA record for most points in a quarter (37), most three-pointers in a playoff game (11 in the crucial game six of the 2016 Conference Finals), and most consecutive three-pointers made in one game (10)
#111 George McGinnis, F, 1971-1982
Possessing the build (6’8”, 235 pounds) and nickname (“Baby Bull”) of a boxer, he was a beast in the paint and redefined the role of power forward in modern basketball while leading the Pacers to back-to-back ABA championships
- ABA league MVP and scoring champion in ’74-’75, ABA Playoffs MVP in 1973, 1st-Team All-ABA three times, 2nd-Team All-ABA once, an ABA All-Star three times
- Joined the NBA one year before the merger and was third in scoring and the rebounding leader on the ’76-’77 76ers that reached the NBA Finals
- 1st-Team All-NBA once, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an NBA All-Star three times, and finished fifth in MVP voting in ’75-’76
- His chiseled physique started to fail him in the ‘80s and after a brief, disastrous reunion with the Pacers (they traded a young Alex English for him), he retired in 1982 at age 31
#110 Jimmy Butler, G, 2011-active
2025 rank: 111
Earned the nickname “Playoff Jimmy” by carrying the Heat to unlikely NBA Finals appearances in 2020 and 2023; he was the team leader in scoring and assists on both teams, and second in rebounding
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’22-’23, 3rd-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive five times, an All-Star six times, and was named Most Improved Player in ’14-’15
- Averaged 20+ points, five-plus rebounds, and five-plus assists per game six times, including in ’23-’24 at age 34
- Led the NBA in steals per game in ’20-’21, and has finished in the top five in the category five other times
#109 Earl Monroe, G, 1967-1980
Honed his seemingly magical skills on the street courts of Philadelphia, where he picked up the nickname “Jesus” but also likely damaged his knees, which hampered his NBA career
- In his first four NBA seasons, averaged 23.7 points per game, was named 1st-Team All-NBA, won Rookie fo the Year, and played in two All-Star Games
- Traded to the Knicks in 1971 and formed the “Rolls Royce” backcourt with Walt Frazier, making two more All-Star teams and leading New York to back-to-back NBA Finals and the 1973 title
- Starting shooting guard and second leading scorer on the ’72-’73 champion Knicks; also led the Bullets to the NBA Finals as their leading scorer in 1971
#108 Bob Dandridge, F, 1969-1982
A crucial part of four teams that reached the NBA Finals, two of which won the title, and scored more Finals points in the ‘70s than any other player
- 2nd-Team All-NBA for the Bullets in ’78-’79, plus 1st-Team All-Defensive and finished fifth in MVP voting; an All-Star four times
- Second in scoring on the ’70-’71 Bucks championship team and the ’77-’78 Bullets championship team; also the starting small forward in the NBA Finals with the Bucks in 1974 and the Bullets in 1979 (when he was their leading scorer)
- Consistently the best perimeter defender on his team, and his lockdown defense was critical in playoff series against rivals like George Gervin, Julius Erving, and Elgin Baylor
#107 Joe Dumars, G, 1985-1999
One of the best defenders of his era and his combination of hand-checks, situational awareness, and detailed footwork were the basis for the so-called “Jordan Rules” that bedeviled the Bulls star
- Earned Finals MVP in 1989, when he averaged 27.3 points per game in the Pistons’ sweep of the Lakers; also the starting shooting guard when the Pistons repeated in ’89-’90, and previously when they reached the NBA Finals in 1988
- 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’92-’93, 1st-Team All-Defensive four times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive once, and an All-Star six times
- Trails only his longtime teammate Isiah Thomas in Pistons all-time history in total points and total assists and is the all-time franchise leader in three-point field goals
#106 Donovan Mitchell, G, 2017-active
2025 rank: 145
Averaged 20+ points per game in all nine seasons he’s played, and has averaged 26.5 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game in the ’20s
- 1st-Team All-NBA once, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star seven times (and winner of the 2018 Slam Dunk Contest), and has finished as high as fifth in MVP voting
- In 2020, became just the second player in NBA history, after Michael Jordan, to score 50+ points multiple times in a single playoff series
- Injuries have been an unfortunate theme of his career, as have playoff disappointments, most recently his Cavs getting swept in the 2026 Conference Finals
#105 Dave Bing, G, 1966-1978
Spent his first nine seasons with the Pistons (who drafted him second overall) and became so popular in the city that they eventually elected him mayor
- 1st-Team All-NBA twice, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star seven times, All-Star MVP in 1976, Rookie of the Year in ’66-’67, and finished in the top five in MVP voting twice
- Averaged 20+ points per game in each of his first six seasons, and finished in the top five in the NBA in assists five times
- Fourth in Pistons franchise history in total points, third in assists, and second in All-Star appearances (behind only Isiah Thomas)
#104 Reggie Miller, G, 1987-2005
First player in NBA history to reach the plateau of 2,000 career three-point field goals and held the all-time record for over a decade before it was broken by Ray Allen
- Leading scorer on the ’99-’00 Pacers that made the NBA Finals, and the teams that reached the Conference Finals four times prior; took special pride in torturing the Knicks, including in the infamous “choke game”
- An All-Star five times and 3rd-Team All-NBA three times but never finished higher than 13th in MVP voting
- Retired in 12th place on the NBA all-time scoring list, with 25,279 points career points, and holds the Pacers franchise record for points, assists, steals, three-point field goals, and win shares
#103 Kevin Johnson, G, 1987-2000
Like so many Suns greats, his career is largely defined by bad luck, injuries, and championship near misses, to whit 1993, when he was the assist leader as they reached the NBA Finals but struggled in that series due to a then undiagnosed hernia
- 2nd-Team All-NBA four times, an All-Star three times, and winner of the Most Improved Player award in ’88-’89
- Averaged 18+ points and nine-plus assists seven times in his career and finished in the top five in the NBA in assists per game seven times
- Other than the 1993 Finals, he was incredible in the postseason, leading the Suns to back-to-back Conference Finals in 1989 and 1990
- Drafted by the Cavaliers in 1987 but was traded during his rookie season to Phoenix, where he spent the remainder of his 13-year career; set the Suns franchise record for total assists, and is still second behind Steve Nash
#102 Sidney Moncrief, G, 1979-1991
The only guard in NBA history to win multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards, doing so in back-to-back seasons, ’82-’83 and ’83-’84, he revolutionized perimeter defense while also serving as a playmaker for Bucks title contenders
- Led the Bucks to Conference Finals appearances in 1983, 1984, and 1986, but never reached the NBA Finals; had the misfortune of constantly bumping up against all-time great teams, losing to Julius Erving’s 76ers in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1985, to Larry Bird’s Celtics in 1984, 1986, and 1987, and to the “Bad Boy” Pistons in 1989 and 1991
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’82-’83 and finished fourth in MVP voting; 2nd-Team All-NBA four times, 1st-Team All-Defensive four times, and an All-Star five times
- Led the NBA in offensive rating in ’80-’81 and finished in the top five in the league in three other seasons
- Top three in Bucks franchise history in total points, assists, steals, and win shares
#101 Bob Lanier, C, 1970-1984
Due to extenuating circumstances, mostly out of his control, during his 14 NBA seasons he had almost as many All-Star appearances (eight) as he did postseason appearances (nine)
- Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in both scoring and rebounding for four straight seasons and ultimately averaged 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in seven consecutive seasons
- Never named to an All-NBA team but finished in the top five in league MVP voting twice and was All-Star MVP in 1974
- Finally reached the Conference Finals in his final two seasons, as the starting center for Milwaukee in ’82-’83 and ’83-’84
- Hampered throughout his pro career by a severe knee injury from his college days and by playing under some of the worst coaches in NBA history in Detroit
Sidebar: Top players by position
Our highest ranked players, broken down by the top 100 at each position
Click here for the top 100 players by position
Active players are denoted in bold. Players newly added to list are denoted by plus sign (+). Hall of Fame inductees are denoted by asterisk (*)
POINT GUARDS
- James Silas
- Mo Williams
- Tyrese Maxey+
- Ben Simmons
- Don Buse
- Mario Chalmers
- Ray Williams
- Jameer Nelson
- Steve Francis
- Eric Bledsoe
- Sleepy Floyd
- Tyrese Haliburton
- K.C. Jones*
- Damon Stoudamire
- Jimmy Jones
- Walt Hazzard
- Louie Dampier*
- Terrell Brandon
- George Hill
- Kenny Smith
- Mack Calvin
- Avery Johnson
- Jeff Teague
- Kevin Porter
- Lionel Hollins
- Doc Rivers
- Micheal Ray Richardson
- Nick Van Exel
- Goran Dragic
- De’Aaron Fox
- Gilbert Arenas
- Dick McGuire*
- Ja Morant
- Mike Bibby
- Cade Cunningham+
- Stephon Marbury
- Derek Harper
- Isaiah Thomas
- Guy Rodgers
- Trae Young
- Bob Davies
- Andre Miller
- Mike Conley
- Larry Costello
- Kemba Walker
- Derek Fisher
- Mark Jackson
- Mookie Blaylock
- Archie Clark
- Baron Davis
- Charlie Scott*
- Norm Van Lier
- Calvin Murphy*
- Andy Phillip*
- Jason Terry
- Rod Strickland
- Jamal Murray
- John Wall
- Gene Shue
- Norm Nixon
- Sam Cassell
- Slater Martin*
- Terry Porter
- Mark Price
- Jrue Holiday
- Kyle Lowry
- Deron Williams
- Jalen Brunson
- Maurice Cheeks*
- Rajon Rondo
- Gus Williams
- Jo Jo White*
- Derrick Rose
- Chauncey Billups*
- Anfernee Hardaway
- Dave Bing*
- Kevin Johnson
- Lenny Wilkens*
- Tim Hardaway*
- Kyrie Irving
- Tony Parker*
- Dennis Johnson*
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Damian Lillard
- Luka Doncic
- Tiny Archibald*
- Walt Frazier*
- Gary Payton*
- Jason Kidd*
- Steve Nash*
- John Stockton*
- Isiah Thomas*
- Allen Iverson*
- Russell Westbrook
- Chris Paul
- Bob Cousy*
- Stephen Curry
- Oscar Robertson*
- Jerry West*
- Magic Johnson*
Fell from list: Dennis Schroder, Kenny Anderson, D’Angelo Russell
SHOOTING GUARDS
- Darrell Griffith
- Gerald Wilkins
- Eddie L. Johnson
- Vernon Maxwell
- Ben Gordon
- David Wesley
- Eric Gordon
- Mike Newlin
- Ron Boone
- Dick van Arsdale
- Doug Christie
- Doug Collins
- Larry Hughes
- Brian Winters
- Nick Anderson
- Max Zaflosky
- Jim Paxson
- Monta Ellis
- Michael Redd
- Zach LaVine+
- Don Ohl
- Lou Williams
- Jason Richardson
- Reggie Lewis
- Phil Smith
- J.R. Smith
- Jamal Crawford
- Brandon Roy
- Paul Pressey
- Ricky Pierce
- John Starks
- Dale Ellis
- Steve Smith
- Paul Seymour
- Marcus Smart
- Vinnie Johnson
- Reggie Theus
- Hersey Hawkins
- Fred Brown
- Carl Braun
- Bobby Wanzer*
- Andrew Toney
- Otis Birdsong
- Phil Chenier
- Jeff Malone
- Eddie Jones
- Dan Majerle
- Jerry Stackhouse
- Danny Ainge
- Allan Houston
- C.J. McCollum
- World B. Free
- Jerry Sloan
- Randy Smith
- Ron Harper
- Jeff Mullins
- Rolando Blackman
- Bradley Beal
- Dick Barnett*
- Frank Ramsey*
- Fat Lever
- Jeff Hornacek
- Alvin Robertson
- Khris Middleton
- Byron Scott
- Joe Johnson
- Tom Gola*
- Anthony Edwards
- Michael Cooper*
- Latrell Sprewell
- Richard Hamilton
- Paul Westphal*
- Jaylen Brown
- Richie Guerin*
- Gail Goodrich*
- DeMar DeRozan
- Mitch Richmond*
- Vince Carter*
- Devin Booker
- David Thompson*
- Manu Ginobili*
- Klay Thompson
- Jimmy Butler
- Earl Monroe*
- Joe Dumars*
- Donovan Mitchell
- Reggie Miller*
- Sidney Moncrief*
- Pete Maravich*
- Ray Allen*
- Bill Sharman*
- Hal Greer*
- Tracy McGrady*
- Sam Jones*
- Clyde Drexler*
- George Gervin*
- Dwyane Wade*
- James Harden
- Kobe Bryant*
- Michael Jordan*
Fell from list: n/a
Small Forwards
- Gerald Wallace
- Bojan Bogdanovic
- Junior Bridgeman
- Nicolas Batum
- Orlando Woolridge
- Greg Ballard
- Corey Maggette
- Calvin Natt
- Derrick McKey
- Chuck Person
- Cedric Ceballos
- Josh Howard
- Rick Fox
- Billy Knight
- Gordon Hayward
- Terry Dischinger
- Cazzie Russell
- Danilo Gallinari
- Kelly Tripucka
- Harrison Barnes
- Hedo Turkoglu
- Rudy Gay
- Andrei Kirilenko
- Mikal Bridges+
- Rodney McCray
- Scott Wedman
- Trevor Ariza
- Caron Butler
- Willie Naulls
- Joe Caldwell
- John Johnson
- Andrew Wiggins
- Bill Bradley*
- Eddie Johnson
- Sean Elliott
- Jalen Rose
- Mike Mitchell
- Stephen Jackson
- Jamal Mashburn
- Tayshaun Prince
- Glenn Robinson
- Robert Reid
- Jack Marin
- John Drew
- Richard Jefferson
- Roger Brown*
- Don Nelson
- Kiki Vandeweghe
- Clifford Robinson
- Xavier McDaniel
- Luol Deng
- Cedric Maxwell
- Satch Sanders
- Michael Finley
- Toni Kukoc*
- Jerome Kersey
- Rashard Lewis
- Antawn Jamison
- Detlef Schrempf
- Metta Sandiford-Artest
- Jim Pollard*
- Peja Stojakovic
- Robert Horry
- Mark Aguirre
- Andre Iguodala
- Glen Rice
- Lou Hudson*
- Chet Walker*
- Walter Davis*
- Shawn Marion
- Jack Twyman*
- Jamaal Wilkes*
- Marques Johnson
- Gus Johnson*
- George Yardley*
- Paul George
- Connie Hawkins*
- Chris Mullin*
- Bob Dandridge*
- Bernard King*
- Cliff Hagan*
- Adrian Dantley*
- Grant Hill*
- Alex English*
- Jayson Tatum
- Paul Pierce*
- James Worthy*
- Carmelo Anthony*
- Paul Arizin*
- Billy Cunningham*
- Dominique Wilkins*
- Kawhi Leonard
- Scottie Pippen*
- Rick Barry*
- John Havlicek*
- Julius Erving*
- Elgin Baylor*
- Kevin Durant
- Larry Bird*
- LeBron James
Fell from list: Tim Thomas
Power forwards
- Jeff Green
- Bobby Portis
- Juwan Howard
- Roy Tarpley
- Udonis Haslem
- Cliff Robinson
- Johnny Green
- Gar Heard
- P.J. Brown
- Elden Campbell
- Drew Gooden
- Hot Rod Williams
- Antonio Davis
- Boris Diaw
- David Lee
- Thurl Bailey
- Shareef Abdur-Rahim
- Tristan Thompson
- Christian Laettner
- Thaddeus Young
- Mickey Johnson
- Danny Manning
- Dale Davis
- Evan Mobley
- Lonnie Shelton
- Bob Boozer
- Antonio McDyess
- Larry Kenon
- Tom Meschery
- Sidney Wicks
- Aaron Gordon
- Anthony Mason
- Joe Fulks*
- Mel Hutchins
- Jack Coleman
- Kevin Willis
- Rudy Tomjanovich
- Happy Hairston
- Derrick Coleman
- Truck Robinson
- Josh Smith
- A.C. Green
- Vin Baker
- Kenyon Martin
- Tobias Harris
- David West
- Sam Perkins
- Otis Thorpe
- Larry Johnson
- Serge Ibaka
- Paul Millsap
- Charles Oakley
- Bill Bridges
- Elton Brand
- Paul Silas
- Julius Randle
- Antoine Walker
- Zach Randolph
- Larry Nance
- Bob Love
- Pascal Siakam
- Rasheed Wallace
- Lamar Odom
- Jermaine O’Neal
- Dan Roundfield
- Maurice Lucas
- Carlos Boozer
- Maurice Stokes*
- Rudy LaRusso
- Harry Gallatin*
- Horace Grant
- Buck Williams
- Terry Cummings
- LaMarcus Aldridge
- Tom Chambers
- Vern Mikkelsen*
- Bobby Jones*
- Bailey Howell*
- Shawn Kemp
- Kevin Love
- George McGinnis*
- Draymond Green
- Blake Griffin
- Spencer Haywood*
- Dennis Rodman*
- Chris Bosh*
- Tom Heinsohn*
- Dave DeBusschere*
- Chris Webber*
- Jerry Lucas*
- Kevin McHale*
- Elvin Hayes*
- Dolph Schayes*
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Dirk Nowitzki*
- Charles Barkley*
- Kevin Garnett*
- Bob Pettit*
- Karl Malone*
- Tim Duncan*
Fell from list: n/a
CENTERS
- Steven Adams
- James Donaldson
- Darrall Imhoff
- Swen Nater
- Ivica Zubac+
- Mike Gminski
- Marcin Gortat
- Walt Dukes
- Ray Felix
- Andrew Bogut
- Connie Simmons
- Enes Freedom
- Mel Counts
- Marvin Webster
- Mark Eaton
- Joe Barry Carroll
- Kevin Duckworth
- Clifford Ray
- Mehmet Okur
- Deandre Ayton
- Caldwell Jones
- Brad Miller
- Nene
- Billy Paultz
- Jarrett Allen+
- Roy Hibbert
- Jeff Ruland
- Leroy Ellis
- Myles Turner
- Clint Capela
- James Edwards
- Darryl Dawkins
- Al Jefferson
- Sam Lacey
- Tyson Chandler
- Arvydas Sabonis*
- Mychal Thompson
- Jonas Valanciunas
- Zydrunas Ilgauskas
- Victor Wembanyama+
- Marcus Camby
- Bill Cartwright
- Wayne Embry
- Rik Smits
- Nikola Vucevic
- Brad Daugherty
- Andre Drummond
- DeMarcus Cousins
- Brook Lopez
- Vlade Divac
- Domantas Sabonis
- Alvan Adams
- DeAndre Jordan
- Red Kerr
- Arnie Risen*
- Joakim Noah
- Bam Adebayo
- Yao Ming*
- Ralph Sampson*
- Al Horford
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Zelmo Beaty*
- Mel Daniels*
- Marc Gasol
- Clyde Lovellette*
- Larry Foust
- Walt Bellamy*
- Bill Laimbeer
- Jack Sikma*
- Rudy Gobert
- Ed Macauley*
- Dikembe Mutombo*
- Dan Issel*
- Ben Wallace*
- Bob Lanier*
- Amar’e Stoudemire*
- Alonzo Mourning*
- Pau Gasol*
- Joel Embiid
- Neil Johnston*
- Bill Walton*
- Artis Gilmore*
- Nate Thurmond*
- Wes Unseld*
- Robert Parish*
- Bob McAdoo*
- Anthony Davis
- Dwight Howard*
- George Mikan*
- Willis Reed*
- Dave Cowens*
- Patrick Ewing*
- Nikola Jokic
- David Robinson*
- Moses Malone*
- Hakeem Olajuwon*
- Shaquille O’Neal*
- Wilt Chamberlain*
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*
- Bill Russell*
Fell from list: Clyde Lee, JaVale McGee, Rony Seikaly
Players #100 through #1
The fourth and final section of our list features the 100 all-time greatest NBA legends
Click here for #100 to #1
#100 Bernard King, F, 1977-1993
His 1984 feats for the Knicks are the stuff of legends, headlined by his Conference Semifinals performance, averaging 34.8 points per game in a near upset against the Celtics, and by his 60-point Christmas Day performance
- NBA scoring champion in ’84-’85 and averaged 20+ points per game in 11 out of 14 seasons despite dealing with the effects of an ACL tear for the last half of his career
- 1st-Team All-NBA twice, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, finished second in MVP voting in ’83-’84, and an All-Star four times, representing three different teams: the Warriors, Knicks, and Bullets
- Reached the postseason just five times, and never past the second round
- After tearing his ACL in 1985 he basically missed two-and-a-half seasons recovering and returned with a completely different offensive game, relying more on outside shooting than slashing to the basket and still managed to average 28.4 points per game in ’90-’91
#99 Draymond Green, F, 2012-active
2025 rank: 102
A four-time champion as a starting power forward/center for the Warriors, including on some of the greatest teams in NBA history, and played in two other NBA Finals
- Was the leading rebounder on the 2015, 2017, and 2018 Warriors title teams; was also the third-leading scorer on the team in 2015 and the assist leader on the 2018 and 2022 teams
- Defensive Player of the Year in ’16-’17 when he led the NBA in steals and finished second or third in voting in three other seasons
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 3rd-Team All-NBA once, 1st-Team All-Defensive five times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive four times, and has participated in four All-Star Games
#98 Lenny Wilkens, G, 1960-1975
Led the NBA in assists per game in ’69-’70, finished second in the category four other times, and in the top five 10 times total; at the time of his 1975 retirement, he was second in NBA history in total assists
- Finished second in MVP voting in ’67-’68 (but was never named to the All-NBA team); an All-Star nine times, and was MVP of the 1971 edition
- Reached the NBA Finals with the Hawks in his rookie season, ’60-’61, then never again in a 15-year career that included Conference Finals losses in 1963, 1964, 1966, and 1967
- Took over as a player-coach for the SuperSonics in ’69-’70, becoming just the second Black coach ever after Bill Russell and eventually spent 32 seasons as a head coach, setting the all-time record with 1,332 wins
#97 Tim Hardaway, G, 1989-2003
Just six feet tall but was built like a tank, had speed to burn, and took the crossover dribble to new heights, setting the stage for his successor Allen Iverson
- 1st-Team All-NBA for the Heat in ’96-’97 and finished fourth in MVP voting; was also 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, and an All-Star five times
- Averaged 22.7 points, 10.0 assists, and 2.2 steals per game over a three-year prime before a knee injury cost him the entire ’93-’94 season and much of his explosiveness going forward
- Set the Heat franchise record for assists which was later broken by Dwyane Wade, but is still the team’s all-time leader in three-point field goals
- Spent almost his entire career with two memorable teams: the Run-TMC Warriors and the Pat Riley Heat, but made it as far as the Conference Finals only once, with Miami in 1997
#96 Cliff Hagan, C, 1959-1969
Leading playoff scorer and second in rebounding for the ’57-’58 Hawks that won the title; also the second leading scorer and rebounder for the Hawks NBA Finals teams in 1957, 1960, and 1961
- In his nine seasons teaming up as a forward duo with Bob Pettit on the Hawks, the team reached at least the Conference Finals seven times and the NBA Finals four times
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice and an NBA All-Star five times
- Retired in 1966 but was lured out by the Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA as a player-coach; averaged 18.2 points per game at 36 years old and became the first player to be named an All-Star in both leagues
#95 Amar’e Stoudemire, C, 2002-2016
An instant sensation who was the first player to win Rookie of the Year after entering the NBA straight from high school (something only LeBron James has accomplished since) but was ultimately slowed by knee damage
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’06-’07, 2nd-Team All-NBA four times, an All-Star six times, and finished as high as sixth in MVP voting
- At age 22, he averaged 37.0 points per game in a 2005 Conference Finals performance that seemed to portend superstardom, but then was found to have knee cartilage damage soon after, necessitating surgery
- Averaged 20+ points and eight-plus rebounds in seven seasons
- Suffered a series of devastating playoff disappointments with the Suns, from the 2005 and 2010 Conference Finals losses, to missing the entire 2006 postseason after his surgery, to a 2007 Conference Semifinals that turned on his getting suspended for leaving the bench
#94 Pete Maravich, G, 1970-1980
One of the best ball handlers to ever play and could score from anywhere on the floor but also showed minimal interest in defense or listening to coaches, and suffered from injuries that limited his career to just 658 games over 10 season
- League MVP in ’03-’04, Defensive Player of the Year in ’07-’08, 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, an All-Star 15 times, and 1st-Team All-Defensive nine times
- Still the Timberwolves all-time franchise leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and win shares, and led them to the first Conference Finals appearance in team history, in 2004
- Leading scorer and rebounder on the ’07-’08 Celtics championship team, and also the leading rebounder on the ’09-’10 Celtics that reached the NBA Finals
- Ninth in NBA history in career rebounds and is top 25 in points, steals, and blocks; led the NBA in rebounding four times and averaged 12+ rebounds per game for six consecutive seasons in his prime
#93 Kyrie Irving, G, 2011-active
2025 rank: 96
With a combination of ball handling and lay-up skills rarely seen before or since, he’s averaged 23+ points and five-plus assists per game in nine seasons, but also missed significant time in each of them due to injury
- Second leading scorer and assist leader on the ’15-’16 Cavaliers championship team and hit the most impactful shot in Cleveland basketball history: a clutch, series clinching jumper in game seven
- Rookie of the Year in ’11-’12, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star nine times, and MVP of the 2014 All-Star Game (also won the All-Star Three-Point Shootout in 2013)
- Also played in the NBA Finals with Cleveland in 2015 and 2017, and with the Mavericks in 2024
- Despite his talent and success, he left under acrimonious terms from Cleveland, Boston, and Brooklyn, with fans growing tired of his injuries, trade demands, and conspiracy theories
#92 Blake Griffin, F, 2010-2023
Centerpiece of the “Lob City” Clippers, throwing down thunderous dunks on alley-oop passes from Chris Paul, but his impressive stats and undeniable talent never translated into postseason success
- 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star six times, Rookie of the Year in ’10-’11, and finished as high as third in MVP voting
- Missed the entire ’09-’10 season with a knee injury after the Clippers drafted him #1 overall but followed that up with one of the best rookie seasons of the post-merger era
- Averaged 20+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game six times; one of just four players to compile over 12,000 points and over 5,000 rebounds during the ’10s
- Made 10 playoff appearances with many disappointments
#91 Alonzo Mourning, C, 1992-2008
An absolute defensive monster, he finished in the top five in the NBA in blocks per game nine times, led the league twice, and his 3.9 per game in ’98-’99 have not been matched in the quarter century since
- Won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards, was named 1st-Team All-NBA once, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, an All-Star seven times, and finished as high as
- Leading scorer and rebounder as a rookie on the ’92-’93 Hornets that made the first playoff appearance in franchise history
- Retired in 2002 due to a rare kidney disorder but made a comeback after receiving a transplant and capped his career with a title in 2006 as a backup center on the Heat
- Always a bridesmaid, he was the #2 pick in the NBA Draft (behind Shaquille O’Neal), finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1993 (also behind Shaq), and finished second in league MVP voting in 1999
#90 Spencer Haywood, F, 1969-1983
Maybe the most controversial figure in NBA history, going from amateur hero to professional pariah to youthful superstar to cocaine-addled and washed up by age 31 to eventually a revered and beloved Hall of Fame inductee
- After earning a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics, he sued the NBA for early draft entry and bided his time in the ABA; his one and only ABA season is arguably the greatest in the league’s history, leading the league in scoring and rebounding, while earning Rookie of the Year, MVP, and All-Star MVP
- Won his lawsuit over the NBA, which was forced to establish a “hardship” clause for draft eligibility, and joined the SuperSonics in ’70-’71; averaged 20+ points and 12+ rebounds in his first four NBA seasons,
- 1st-Team All-NBA twice, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, and an NBA All-Star four times
- Helped the Lakers reach the NBA Finals in ’79-’80 but was dismissed from the team during the playoffs after showing up to practice hungover and was subsequently banned from the NBA
#89 Pau Gasol, F/C, 2001-2019
The first non-American player with no collegiate experience to win Rookie of the Year, doing so almost unanimously in ’01-’02, then built his resume with the Grizzlies and Lakers as the first Spanish NBA legend
- Second in scoring and the rebounding leader on the Lakers teams that reached the NBA Finals in 2008, then won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010, and arguably deserved Finals MVP in the latter
- Averaged 17+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game in 13 of his first 14 seasons, only missing out in ’12-’13 when he was dealing with a litany of injuries
- Led the Grizzlies to their first ever playoff appearance in 2004 and is still top five in franchise history in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and win shares
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, and an All-Star six times
#88 Joel Embiid, C, 2016-active
2025 rank: 89
What do you make of a guy who puts up once-in-a-generation type stats and has won the league’s biggest award possible, but can never stay healthy and has no postseason success on his resume?
- In ’23-’24, became just the second player in NBA history to average 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, five-plus assists, one-plus blocks, and one-plus steals per game in a season; even if you take away the blocks and steals aspects, he’s just the seventh player to reach those milestones in points, rebounds, and assists
- MVP of the ’22-’23 season, has won two scoring titles, and has finished second in MVP voting twice
- 1st-Team All-NBA once, 2nd-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive three times, and an All-Star seven times
- Has yet to lead the 76ers to a Conference Finals, with disappointing Conference Semifinals defeats in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2026
#87 Neil Johnston, C, 1951-1959
A brief but brilliant career that included three scoring titles and becoming one of just three players in NBA history to lead the league in scoring and rebounding in the same season, accomplishing it in ’54-’55
- Winner of three consecutive NBA scoring titles, and was in the top five in the league in scoring for five straight seasons; also led the NBA in rebounding once, win shares five times, field goal percentage three times, and PER once
- Second in scoring and the rebounding leader on the ’55-’56 champion Warriors
- 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, and a six-time All-Star
- Baseball was his first love and he was pursuing a career with a Phillies minor league affiliate when the Warriors signed him in 1951; played just eight NBA seasons before retiring at age 29 due to a knee injury
#86 Bill Walton, C, 1974-1987
His ’76-’77 season is the stuff of legends, leading the NBA in rebounding and blocks, finishing second in MVP voting, and earning Finals MVP for leading the Trail Blazers to their only championship
- League MVP in ’77-’78, despite missing 24 games with a foot injury; 1st-Team All-NBA in ’77-’78, 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’76-’77, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, and an All-Star twice
- In the deciding game six of the 1977 NBA Finals, he compiled a near quadruple-double with 20 points, 23 rebounds, eight assists, and seven blocks
- Born with brittle foot joints and unusually high arches, he averaged just 36 games per year in his 13-year career; had a brief revival in ’85-’86, earning Sixth Man of the Year and a second championship ring with the Celtics
#85 Adrian Dantley, F, 1976-1991
A dead-eye shooter who averaged 20+ points per game 11 times in his career, for six different teams, and was the ninth leading scorer in NBA history when he retired in 1991, but maybe was a little too thoughtful for his own good
- A two-time NBA scoring title winner, and in his prime put up 30+ points per game for four consecutive seasons; also a great rebounder for his size (6’5”) and averaged six-plus rebounds per game in six seasons
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, played in six All-Star Games, and finished as high as seventh in MVP voting
- Second leading scorer on the ’87-’88 Pistons that reached the NBA Finals, but in a perfect microcosm of his career, was traded soon after anyway to the Mavericks for Mark Aguirre
- Drafted sixth overall out of Notre Dame by the Buffalo Braves in 1976 and was traded four times in the next three years, including to the Pacers right after earning Rookie of the Year honors
#84 Dennis Rodman, F, 1986-2000
Pound-for-pound the greatest rebounder ever, the result of an endless motor and exhaustive film study, and despite near constant distractions from his film career, pro wrestling, celebrity girlfriends, autobiographies, or hard partying lifestyle
- Led the NBA in rebounding for seven straight seasons and has five of the six best rebound per game averages in a post-merger season, including a career high 18.7 per game in ’91-’92
- Leading rebounder on five NBA championship teams: the Pistons in 1989 and 1990, and the Bulls in 1996, 1997, and 1998
- 1st-Team All-Defensive seven times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive once, and earned Defensive Player of the Year in ’89-’90 and ’90-’91; also an All-Star twice and 3rd-Team All-NBA twice
- One of the great underdog stories of all-time, he was cut from the high school basketball team and working as a janitor when he got an opportunity to play NAIA ball and eventually parlay that into a second round NBA Draft selection
#83 Chris Bosh, F/C, 2003-2016
An often overlooked member of both the legendary draft class of 2003 and the Heat teams that reached four consecutive NBA Finals, his willingness to eschew stats for team success led to glory twice
- Third in scoring and second in rebounding on those Heat teams, winning titles in 2012 and 2013
- Finished in the top 10 in the NBA in both scoring and rebounding twice, in ’08-’09 and ’09-’10, during his time with the Raptors
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once and named to 10 All-Star teams
- Left the Raptors as a free agent in 2010 as the all-time franchise leader in points, rebounds, and blocks, and he’s still top five in all three categories
#82 Tom Heinsohn, F, 1956-1965
An early legend with two what-ifs: missing two seasons of his prime for military service, and opting to retire in 1962 to remain in his hometown of Philadelphia rather than move with the Warriors to San Francisco
- NBA scoring champion in ’51-’52 and ’56-’57, and in between missed two entire seasons to serve in the U.S. Marines
- Leading scorer on the ’55-’56 champion Warriors
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, and is one of just three players to play for 10 or more seasons and be named an All-Star every year; his only major individual award was All-Star MVP in 1952 but likely would have won Rookie of the Year in ’50-’51, league MVP in ’51-’52, and Finals MVP in 1956 if those awards existed
- Only the second player (after George Mikan) to average 25+ points per game in a season; averaged 20+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game in six of his 10 seasons
#81 Dave DeBusschere, F, 1962-1974
Most memorable for his time with the Knicks, which included two championships, but also a legend for his hometown Pistons, who drafted him with their territorial pick out of Detroit Mercy in 1962
- Starting power forward on the Knicks teams that reached three NBA Finals in the early ’70s, winning titles in 1970 and 1973, as the rebounding leader on the latter
- One of the best defensive players of all time at his position, he was 1st-Team All-Defensive in the first six seasons they handed out the honor, and would have been named more times as such if it existed earlier
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, and an All-Star eight times
- In his breakout season, ’64-’65, also took over as the Pistons’ player-coach at age 24 and held the position for over two years
#80 Ray Allen, G, 1996-2014
A masterful shooter with a mechanically perfect jumper, which he credited to his obsessive compulsive disorder, who held the three-point field goal record for over a decade and consistently averaged 20+ points per game
- Played in 10 All-Star Games (and won the Three-Point Contest in 2001) and was 2nd-Team All-NBA in ’04-’05 for the SuperSonics
- A two-time champion, first on the ’07-’08 Celtics championship team, for which he arguably deserved MVP honors and later with the Heat, thanks to his incredible, clutch three-pointer that forced overtime in game six of the 2013 NBA Finals
- Averaged 20+ points per game for eight consecutive seasons and was 22nd on the NBA all-time scoring list when he retired in 2014
- In addition to his two championship rings, he also played in the NBA Finals with the Celtics in 2010 and the Heat in 2014, and memorably carried the Bucks to the Conference Finals in 2001
#79 Grant Hill, F, 1994-2013
The son of a former NFL star blessed with good looks, a sparking personality, and a star turn at Duke, who seemed ready-made to take the NBA by storm in the immediate wake of Michael Jordan’s retirement but his ankles wouldn’t cooperate
- Averaged 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game in his first six seasons, before injury woes began to define his career
- 1st-Team All-NBA and third in MVP voting in ’96-’97; also was 2nd-Team All-NBA four times, an All-Star seven times, finished in the top 10 in MVP voting five times, and was co-Rookie of the Year in ’94-’95
- Reached the playoffs eight times in his career but only advanced past the first round once, in 2010 with the Suns
- Signed a huge free agent contract with Orlando in 2000 right as his career started getting derailed by ankle injuries and a sports hernia
#78 Alex English, F, 1976-1991
A perfect focal point of Doug Moe’s up-tempo offense, who averaged 25+ points per game for the Nuggets for eight consecutive seasons, won the scoring title in ’82-’83, and retired in 1991 in ninth place on the NBA all-time scoring list
- Scored more points in the ’80s than any other player and averaged 26.9 points per game overall during the decade
- Leading scorer, with 30.2 points per game in the playoffs, on the ’84-’85 Nuggets that reached the Conference Finals but that was the only appearance of his career
- 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, played in eight All-Star Games, and finished top 10 in MVP voting twice
- A second round pick out of South Carolina in 1976, his career got off to a slow start with the Bucks and Pacers before a 1979 trade to the Nuggets turned things around
#77 Tony Parker, G, 2001-2019
Starting point guard on four Spurs championship teams: in ’02-’03 as the second leading scorer, in ’04-’05 as the assists leader, in ’06-’07 as the second leading scorer and assists leader, and in ’13-’14 as the team leader in both points and assists
- MVP of the 2007 NBA Finals, when he was unstoppable on offense, averaging 24.5 points per game and sparking the Spurs to a sweep of the Cavaliers
- 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, an All-Star six times, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting four times
- Reached the postseason in all 17 seasons he spent with the Spurs, reaching at least the Conference Finals eight times, and the NBA Finals five times; sixth in NBA history in career playoff assists and 11th in career playoff scoring
- Born in Belgium but raised in France, he set the EuroBasket career scoring record while representing the French national team
#76 Dennis Johnson, G, 1976-1990
A natural born winner with an unconventional, versatile style but also a contentious attitude that got him traded twice in his prime, going from Seattle to Phoenix to Boston
- MVP of the 1979 NBA Finals for the SuperSonics, as the team’s second leading scorer and defensive anchor, roles he also played on the ’77-’78 Sonics that reached the NBA Finals
- Later on was the starting point guard for the Celtics teams that reached four consecutive NBA Finals, winning championships in 1984 and 1986
- 1st-Team All-Defensive six times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive three times, and called “the greatest defender I’ve ever faced” by Magic Johnson
- 1st-Team All-NBA once, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star five times, and finished as high as fifth in MVP voting
#75 Jayson Tatum, F, 2017-active
2025 rank: 79
Seemingly another Celtics legend in the making who is already top 10 in franchise history in points, steals, and blocks, but faces an uncertain future after tearing an ACL during the 2025 playoffs and seeing Jaylen Brown traded away
- In his first seven seasons, he was the leading scorer for Celtics teams that made the Conference Finals five times (including as a rookie), the NBA Finals twice, and were champions in 2024
- Team leader in scoring, rebounding, and assists for the 2024 championship Celtics; also the scoring and assists leader for the 2022 Celtics that reached the NBA Finals
- 1st-Team All-NBA four times, an All-Star six times, MVP of the 2023 All-Star Game, and has finished in the top six in MVP voting four times
- Has averaged 26+ points, eight-plus rebounds, and four-plus assists per game for four consecutive seasons when healthy
#74 Chris Webber, F, 1993-2008
First overall pick of the Magic in 1993 after a monster career at Michigan, then traded on draft day to the Warriors, won Rookie of the Year in ’93-’94, then was traded that summer to the Bullets, in an omen of a tumultuous career
- 1st-Team All-NBA once, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, an All-Star five times, and finished as high as fourth in MVP voting (in ’00-’01)
- Settled in with the Kings in the ’00s, leading them as far as the Conference Finals in 2002 and ending up in the top 10 in franchise history in rebounds, blocks, and steals
- Averaged 20+ points per game and 10+ rebounds per game six times in his career and was also a terrific passer, averaging four-plus assists per game 10 times
- Suffered throughout his career with conflicts with coaches (especially Don Nelson in Golden State) and with injuries, which caused him to miss at least 10% of the season 14 times in 15 years
#73 Paul Pierce, F, 1998-2017
A beloved Celtics legend, who broke Larry Bird’s Celtics franchise steals record and is also the all-time franchise leader in three-point field goals, second in scoring, and top five in assists, blocks, and win shares
- Finals MVP for the Celtics in 2008, when he was second on the team in scoring, rebounding, and assists; leading scorer on the ’09-’10 Celtics that returned to the NBA Finals
- Reached the postseason 14 times in 19 seasons, including in late career stops with the Nets, Wizards, and Clippers
- Finished in the top five in the NBA in scoring four times and averaged 25+ points per game five times
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 3rd-Team All-NBA three times, and played in 10 All-Star Games
#72 Artis Gilmore, C, 1971-1988
One of the ABA’s biggest legends, who was ABA MVP and Rookie of the Year in ’71-’72, and ultimately honored as 1st-Team All-ABA five times, 1st-Team All-Defensive four times, and an ABA All-Star four times
- Led the ABA in rebounding in four of his five seasons in the league
- Leading scorer and rebounder on the Kentucky Colonels that won the 1975 ABA title and was named Playoffs MVP for his efforts
- Selected by the Bulls with the top pick in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft; kept up his success in the NBA for another decade, playing in six NBA All-Star Games and compiling a career field goal percentage of of 59.9%, the all-time record amongst retired players
- Found only limited playoff success in the NBA, reaching the Conference Finals with the Spurs in 1983 and as a deep bench option for the Celtics in 1988
#71 James Worthy, F, 1982-1994
Nicknamed “Big Game James” for his performances at North Carolina, he had his ultimate NBA clutch moment in game seven of the 1988 Finals, with 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists and a subsequent Finals MVP award
- MVP of the 1988 NBA Finals, when he was also the Lakers’ leading playoff scorer, and was also the leading scorer on the ’86-’87 Lakers title team and the second leading scorer on the ’84-’85 champions; ultimately played in six NBA Finals, winning three titles
- 3rd-Team All-NBA twice and an All-Star seven times
- Remarkably consistent in his prime, averaging 19+ points and five-plus rebounds per game for seven consecutive seasons before his knees started to fail him
- Spent his entire 12-year career with the Lakers, and is top 10 in franchise history in points, assists, steals, blocks, and win shares
#70 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, 2018-active
2025 rank: 91
Worthy of this top 100 spot based on his ’24-’25 alone, in which he became the first player in 25 years to earn the regular season scoring title, league MVP, and Finals MVP in the same season
- Leader in scoring and assists for the Thunder in their 2025 title run; became just the third player ever to average 30+ points, six-plus rebounds, and six-plus assists per game in a postseason for a championship team
- In ’24-’25, became just the fourth guard in NBA history to average 30+ points per game for three consecutive seasons
- Back-to-back league MVP winner, 1st-Team All-NBA three times, an All-Star three times, and has finished top five in MVP voting twice aside from his wins
- Has averaged five-plus rebounds and five-plus assists per game three times, and finished in the top five in the league in steals three times
#69 Bill Sharman, G, 1950-1961
An innovator in taking advantage of the backboard while shooting, who was fourth in the NBA in total scoring during the ‘50s and then took on a more complementary role on four Celtics title teams
- Led the NBA in free throw percentage seven times, including a run of five straight seasons, and his career high of 93.2% in ’58-’59 stood as the single season record for almost 20 years
- A crucial part of Celtics teams that reached the NBA Finals in his final five seasons, winning the title in four of them; second leading scorer on the ’56-’57 and ’58-’59 champions
- 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, and played in eight All-Star Games, winning MVP of the contest in 1955
- Originally drafted by the Washington Capitols and when the team folded after his rookie season he was pursuing a pro baseball career when Red Auerbach signed him on the Celtics
#68 Carmelo Anthony, F, 2003-2022
One of the best pure scorers of all time who nonetheless struggled to contribute much else on the court, was constantly overshadowed by his peers, and never found consistent postseason success
- NBA scoring champion in ’12-’13, and finished in the top five six other times during his career
- 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 3rd-Team All-NBA four times, an All-Star 10 times, and finished as high as third in MVP voting
- Averaged 25+ points per game seven times in his career and retired in ninth place on the all-time NBA scoring list
- Would have been the #1 pick and Rookie of the Year with almost any other draft class, but instead was selected third overall by the Nuggets and then finished a close second in ROY voting in ’03-’04 behind LeBron James
#67 Damian Lillard, G, 2012-active
2025 rank: 641
The only point guard in NBA history to score 60+ points in multiple games, and one of just four players overall to average 30+ points per game at age 32 or older
- 1st-Team All-NBA once, 2nd-Team All-NBA four times, 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star eight times, Rookie of the Year in ’12-’13, Player of the Seeding Games in the 2020 “bubble” and has finished as high as fourth in MVP voting
- Has finished in the top five in the NBA in scoring four times and has finished top 10 in assists per game 10 times
- The all-time leading scorer in Blazers franchise history, and is also first in three-point field goals, second in assists, and second in win shares
- Leading scorer on the ’18-’19 Trail Blazers that reached the Conference Finals but despite his numerous postseason heroics has found mostly playoff disappointment, most recently an Achilles tear suffered during a Bucks first round exit in 2025
#66 Nate Thurmond, C, 1963-1977
A defense and boards specialist, who was a thorn in the side of rivals Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, while compiling more rebounds in the pre-merger era (14,464) than anyone except those two peers
- One of just four players to ever average 20+ points and 20+ rebounds in a single season, he was also the first player in NBA history to record a quadruple-double
- Leading rebounder on the ’66-’67 Warriors that reached the NBA Finals, and also played in the 1964 NBA Finals coming off the bench as a rookie
- Never made the All-NBA team but was an All-Star seven times, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, 2nd-Team All-Defensive three times, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting five times, including second place in ’66-’67
- Stayed effective late in his career, helping both the Bulls (in 1975) and the Cavaliers (in 1976) make surprise Conference Finals appearances
#65 Wes Unseld, C, 1968-1981
A preternatural rebounder and also arguably the best passing big man in NBA history; spent his entire playing career with the Bullets and had later stints as the franchise’s head coach, general manager, and vice president
- One of just two players, along with Wilt Chamberlain, to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season, doing so in ’68-’69
- Finals MVP for the Bullets in 1978, in one of four NBA Finals appearances he made with the franchise
- Lead the league in rebounding in ’74-’75 and averaged 10+ rebounds per game in 12 of the 13 seasons he played; retired in sixth place on the all-time NBA rebounding list and is still Washington’s all-time franchise leader
- 1st-Team All-NBA once and an All-Star five times
#64 Luka Doncic, G, 2018-active
2025 rank: 70
One of just three players, along with Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain, to score 800+ points in their first 25 playoff games and is already seventh in NBA history with 90 career triple-doubles
- In the seven seasons since his rookie campaign, he’s averaged 30.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game
- 1st-Team All-NBA six times, an All-Star six times, Rookie of the Year in ’18-’19, and has finished in the top five in MVP voting four times
- “Luka Magic” hit its peak in ’23-’24, as he won his first scoring title and led the Mavericks to a surprise NBA Finals appearance, but he was traded to the Lakers just a few months later, bringing his dedication and conditioning under scrutiny
- Before even reaching the NBA, he was EuroLeague MVP and Finals MVP at age 19, then carried his native Slovenia to a surprise title in the 2017 FIBA EuroBasket and a fourth place finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
#63 Jerry Lucas, F, 1963-1974
Blessed with 20/10 eyesight and a supposed photographic memory, he was seemingly destined for stardom and was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals before he even attended college at Ohio State
- One of just four players to average 20+ points and 20+ rebounds per game in a season and he did it twice
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, finished fifth in MVP voting in ’65-’66, and played in seven All-Star Games; also earned Rookie of the Year in ’63-’64 and was MVP of the 1965 All-Star Game
- Helped the Royals reach the Conference Finals in his rookie season but never that far again; traded to the Knicks in 1971, he was the second leading scorer and rebounder on the ’71-’72 Knicks NBA Finals team and came off the bench for the team that won the 1973 championship
- Was the first player to ever earn championships at the high school, college, Olympic (1960), and NBA levels
#62 Robert Parish, C, 1976-1997
A paragon of longevity, who played in an NBA record 1,611 games over a 21-year career and he’s one of just seven players to reach the milestones of 20,000 career points, 12,000 career rebounds, and 2,000 career blocks
- Starting center on the Celtics teams that won championships in 1981, 1984, and 1986, and reached the NBA Finals in 1985 and 1987
- 2nd-Team All-NBA once, played in nine All-Star Games, and finished as high as fourth in MVP voting (in ’81-’82)
- Started his career with four seasons with the Warriors, who drafted him #8 overall in 1976, then played for 14 years in Boston, who traded the #1 overall pick for him in 1980, then closed out with short stints in Charlotte and Chicago
- Retired as the third-oldest player in NBA history at age 43 in 1997 after earning a fourth championship ring as a backup center on the Bulls
#61 Tiny Archibald, G, 1970-1984
His ’72-’73 season is one of the greatest of all time, becoming the only player in NBA history to lead the league in both scoring and assists; in a perfect microcosm of the first half of his career, it was compiled for a Kings team that missed the playoffs
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star six times, and finished as high as third in MVP voting (in ’72-’73)
- Finished in the top five in the NBA in scoring four times and in the top five in assists per game eight times
- The Nets traded two first round picks for him in 1976 in what would turn out to be a disastrous deal, as he played just 34 games over the next two years due to an Achilles tear
- Re-emerged as a more complementary player with the Celtics and was the starting point guard, third leading scorer, and assists leader on the ’80-’81 championship team
#60 Bob McAdoo, C, 1972-1986
Won three consecutive NBA scoring titles and is one of only nine players in league history to average 34+ points per game in a season; over that three-year stretch, averaged 32.1 points and 13.8 rebounds per game
- League MVP of the ’74-’75 season and finished second in MVP voting in ’73-’74 and ’75-’76; also 1st-Team All-NBA once, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star five times, and Rookie of the Year in ’72-’73
- Drafted second overall by the nascent Buffalo Braves franchise in 1972 and carried them to their first ever playoff appearance in 1974 and their first ever series win in 1976
- His career took a (somewhat mysterious) downturn starting in 1976, as he went from the Braves to the Knicks to the Celtics to the Pistons to the Nets to the Lakers in a five-year span
- Revived his career as a bench scorer in Los Angeles, contributing to two championship Lakers teams (1982 and 1985)
#59 Hal Greer, G, 1958-1973
Spent his entire 15-year career with the 76ers (including five seasons as the Syracuse Nationals) and is still a sentimental fan favorite and the franchise’s all-time leading scorer (and second in assists)
- Leading playoff scorer (yes, ahead of Wilt Chamberlain) with 27.7 points per game and second in assists on the ’66-’67 76ers that won the championship and is considered one of the all-time greatest squads
- 2nd-Team All-NBA seven times, an All-Star 10 times, and MVP of the 1968 All-Star Game
- Had some incredible postseason performances, most notably in game two of the 1967 NBA Finals, when he nearly posted a triple-double with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists in a 76ers win
- Exceedingly consistent and effective, he averaged 20+ points, five-plus rebounds, and four-plus assists seven times
#58 Kevin McHale, F, 1980-1993
A cornerstone of the ’80s Celtics dynasty and an all-time great bench player, who won the first two Sixth Man of the Year awards ever handed out, in ’83-’84 and ’84-’85
- Second in scoring and rebounding on the ’85-’86 Celtics championship team that is considered arguably the greatest of all time; also won championships with the Celtics as a sixth man in 1981 (his rookie season) and 1984, and was part of the teams that made the NBA Finals in 1985 and 1987
- 1st-Team All-NBA once, 1st-Team All-Defensive three times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive three times, and an All-Star seven times
- The only player to ever shot over 60% from the field and over 80% from the free throw line in a single season, doing so in ’86-’87
- Struggled late in his career with foot and ankle injuries but gave Celtics fans one last throwback performance in a first round playoff loss to Charlotte in 1993 before retiring
#57 Paul Arizin, F, 1950-1962
An early legend with two what-ifs: missing two seasons of his prime for military service, and opting to retire in 1962 to remain in his hometown of Philadelphia rather than move with the Warriors to San Francisco
- NBA scoring champion in ’51-’52 and ’56-’57, and in between missed two entire seasons to serve in the U.S. Marines
- Leading scorer on the ’55-’56 champion Warriors
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, and is one of just three players to play for 10 or more seasons and be named an All-Star every year; his only major individual award was All-Star MVP in 1952 but likely would have won Rookie of the Year in ’50-’51, league MVP in ’51-’52, and Finals MVP in 1956 if those awards existed
- Only the second player (after George Mikan) to average 25+ points per game in a season; averaged 20+ points and eight-plus rebounds per game in six of his 10 seasons
#56 Tracy McGrady, G/F, 1997-2013
One of the greatest pure scorers in NBA history, who averaged 26.9 points per game over a seven-year prime before injuries derailed his career
- Won back-to-back scoring titles in ’02-’03 and ’03-’04; his 32.1 points per game in ’02-’03 was the third highest mark of the ’00s
- 1st-Team All-NBA twice, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star seven times, Most Improved Player in ’00-’01, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting six times, though never higher than fourth
- Averaged 25+ points, six-plus rebounds, and five-plus assists per game for four straight seasons; one of six players to compile 15,000+ points, 3,000+ rebounds, and 3,000+ assists during the ’00s
- Didn’t advance past the first round of the playoffs in his first 15 seasons but did get to play in the NBA Finals at the end of his career, with the Spurs in 2013
#55 Billy Cunningham, F, 1965-1976
A prototypical sixth man who thrived at both forward positions, he set the bar high as part of the all-timer ’66-’67 76ers championship team, averaging 19.7 points and 5.7 rebounds off the bench during the Finals
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star four times; and finished top 10 in MVP voting three times, including as high as third in ’68-’69
- Shifted into the starting lineup starting in ’68-’69, and averaged 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game in each of the next six seasons
- Fled for the ABA for two seasons in his prime and was league MVP in ’72-’73 while starring for the Carolina Cougars
- Blew out his knee early in the ’75-’76 season, forcing him to retire at age 32, already in the top 30 in career points and rebounds; took over as 76ers coach in 1977 and led them to three NBA Finals appearance, including their 1983 championship
#54 Anthony Davis, C, 2012-active
2025 rank: 52
Success comes naturally at every level, as he’s the only player ever to win titles in the NCAA (2012), NBA (2020), Olympics (2012 and 2024), and FIBA World Cup (2014)
- An absolute monster for the ’19-’20 Lakers title team, he was the leading playoff scorer (27.7 points per game), second in rebounding (9.7 per game), and also added 3.4 assists and 1.7 blocks per game
- 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star 10 times, has finished in the top five in MVP voting twice, and was the second youngest member of the 75 Greatest Players list in 2021
- Has averaged 24+ points, 10+ rebounds, and two-plus blocks per game nine times in his career
- One of the premier defenders of his era, he’s been named 1st-Team All-Defensive three times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, led the NBA in blocks per game three times, and has finished as high as second in Defensive Player of the Year voting
#53 Dwight Howard, C, 2004-2022
Drafted #1 overall by the Magic at age 18 and spent his first eight seasons with the franchise before forcing a trade and becoming a journeyman; after rough stints with the Rockets, Hawks, Hornets, and Wizards, secured his resume by winning an NBA title with the Lakers in 2020
- First person ever to win Defensive Player of the Year three straight seasons and was 1st-Team All-Defensive four times
- Orlando’s all-time franchise leader in points, rebounds, and blocks, and was leading scorer and rebounder on the ’08-’09 Magic that upset the Cavaliers in the Conference Finals and reached the NBA Finals
- Led the NBA in rebounding five times, blocks per game twice, defensive win shares four times, and field goal percentage once
- 1st-Team All-NBA five times, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, 1st-Team All-Defensive four times, and an All-Star eight times; placed in the top five in MVP voting four times, including second place in ’10-’11
#52 Dominique Wilkins, F, 1982-1999
One of the greatest offensive forces of his generation, his resume is jam packed but notably lacks postseason success, leaving him as arguably the greatest player of all time to never reach the Conference Finals
- Won the NBA scoring title in ’85-’86 and finished in second place in three other seasons; first player in NBA history to average 25+ points and six-plus rebounds per game for 10 consecutive seasons (only Karl Malone, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James have done it since)
- 2nd-Team All-NBA four times, an All-Star for nine straight seasons, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting five times, including second place in ’85-’86
- Drafted #3 overall by the Jazz in 1982 out of Georgia but refused to play in Salt Lake City and forced a trade to Atlanta (one can only imagine what he could have accomplished with John Stockton and Karl Malone)
- Won the Slam Dunk Contest in 1985 and 1990 thanks to his signature tomahawk dunk and was arguably robbed in the 1988 contest
#51 George Mikan, C, 1948-1956
The biggest star of the NBA’s first 10 years was a bespectacled awkward giant, lumbering around the court like an Apatosaurus en route to five Lakers championships
- Not counting an ill-advised comeback in ’55-’56, he played six NBA seasons and in all six was 1st-Team All-NBA and likely would have won between three and six MVP awards if it existed (as well as likely five Finals MVP trophies)
- Leading scorer and rebounder on five Lakers championship teams, and the only reason they didn’t win a sixth title in 1951 is because he broke his hand during the Conference Finals
- Won the scoring title in his first three seasons until the league literally changed the rules just to slow him down; still finished second, second, and fourth respectively in the NBA in scoring the next three years
- First NBA player to average 25+ points per game in a season and at the time of his initial retirement in 1954, he was the all-time leader in points, rebounds, and win shares
#50 Elvin Hayes, F, 1968-1984
Just the third (of now five) player in NBA history to compile over 25,000 points and over 10,000 rebounds in his career; played exactly 50,000 minutes (yes, on purpose) in 1,303 NBA games over 16 years, never missing more than two games in any season
- Scoring champion as a rookie in ’68-’69 but finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind his future Bullets teammate Wes Unseld; also led the NBA in rebounding twice and defensive win shares three times
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, and an All-Star for 12 straight years
- Played in three NBA Finals with Washington, including a championship in 1978; leading scorer and rebounder on that ’77-’78 Bullets title team, and arguably deserved Finals MVP over Unseld
- More interested in studying than sports as a kid, he supposedly didn’t play basketball until eighth grade but was a huge star in high school and in college at Houston, where he famously battled Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1968 “Game of the Century”
#49 Willis Reed, C, 1964-1974
His signature moment, hobbling out of the locker room to start game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals, culminated a season in which he became one of just three players to earn NBA league MVP, Finals MVP, and All-Star Game MVP in the same year
- Leading scorer on those ’69-’70 Knicks champions; missed the entire 1972 postseason with a knee injury but returned in ’72-’73 and earned his second Finals MVP trophy as the Knicks won another title
- Averaged 20+ points and 13+ rebounds per game for five straight seasons before injuries took hold
- 1st-Team All-NBA once, 2nd-Team All-NBA four times, 1st-Team All-Defensive once, an All-Star in his first seven seasons, and Rookie of the Year in ’64-’65; also finished second in MVP voting in ’68-’69 and fourth in ’70-’71
- Was never the same after his 1971 knee injury and was really struggling through the ’72-’73 season before breaking out in the NBA Finals, outplaying Wilt Chamberlain to receive that second Finals MVP award
#48 Walt Frazier, G, 1967-1980
An icon of ‘70s cool, with his fur coats and signature fedora hats that inspired his “Clyde” nickname, one of the all-time great two-way guards, and arguably the catalyst and true heart of the early ’70s Knicks
- Starting point guard and assist leader on the ’69-’70 Knicks championship team, then was scoring and assists leader on the ’71-’72 Knicks that reached the NBA Finals and the ’72-’73 Knicks that won it all again
- Never led the league in assists but did finish in the top five four times, and was just the ninth player in NBA history to reach 5,000 career assists
- 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star seven times and finished top 10 in MVP voting three times, including fourth place in ’69-’70; 1st-Team All-Defensive seven times, which is second all-time for point guards
- Traded from the rebuilding Knicks to the Cavaliers in 1977 and spent his final three seasons in Cleveland
#47 Sam Jones, G, 1957-1969
Didn’t reach the NBA until age 24 due to military service but played 12 seasons, winning 11 titles, including retiring as a champion at age 36 in 1969, the same year Bill Russell stepped away
- Drafted by the Celtics in 1957 out of HBCU North Carolina Central (he’s the only player in NBA history from the school) and spent his entire 12-year career with the team, reaching the NBA Finals 11 times and winning 10 championships, which is second all-time behind only longtime teammate Bill Russell
- Nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his postseason heroics, most notably in game four of the 1969 NBA Finals, when he saved the Celtics with a game winning shot that prevented them from falling into a 3-1 series hole
- Leading scorer for the Celtics in the ’63-’64, ’64-’65, and ’65-’66 title seasons, and second leading scorer in the ’62-’63, ’67-’68, and ’68-’69 title seasons; if the Finals MVP award existed, he likely would have won it in 1965, when he torched the Lakers for 27.8 points per game
- 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, an All-Star five times, and finished top five in MVP voting twice
#46 Dave Cowens, C, 1970-1983
A confounding player in both good and bad ways, who was league MVP of the ’72-’73 season (in a controversial choice), then finished in the top five in MVP voting in the subsequent three seasons
- Second in scoring and the leading rebounder on the ’73-’74 and ’75-’76 Celtics championship teams
- Averaged 16+ points and 14+ rebounds per game for his first eight seasons; never quite led the NBA in rebounding but finished second in the league three times and third in the league twice
- 2nd-Team All-NBA three times (yes, even when he was MVP he was 2nd-Team behind Kareem), 1st-Team All-Defensive once, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, an All-Star eight times, and Rookie of the Year in ’70-’71
- Unhappy with Boston’s post-title direction, he sat out the beginning of the ’76-’77 season to work on his family’s Christmas tree farm; eventually came back to play three more seasons and could have continued on for more titles as Robert Parish’s back-up but retired in 1980 instead (he did make a brief comeback with the Bucks in ’82-’83)
#45 Clyde Drexler, G, 1983-1998
The other great shooting guard of the ‘90s, who compiled impressive stats for over a decade with the Trail Blazers and Rockets while being constantly overshadowed and/or bedeviled by Michael Jordan
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’91-’92 and finished second in MVP voting behind Jordan; 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, and an All-Star 10 times
- Leading scorer, second in assists, and third in rebounds on the ’89-’90 and ’91-’92 Trail Blazers teams that reached the NBA Finals; averaged 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game in a losing effort in the 1992 Finals
- After a mid-season trade to the Rockets in ’94-’95, he was second in scoring and the team assist leader in the postseason as they won the championship
- Incredibly consistent in his prime, he became just the second player in NBA history (after Larry Bird) to average 20+ points, five-plus assists, five-plus rebounds, and one-plus steal per game for six consecutive seasons (a feat that only six other players have since accomplished)
#44 George Gervin, G, 1972-1986
Won four NBA scoring titles in a five-year span, largely thanks to his patented finger roll floating jumper (but he could score from anywhere on the court), and was the first player to reach 20,000 career points post-merger
- 1st-Team All-NBA five times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 2nd-Team All-ABA twice, and an All-Star 12 times across the two leagues
- Finished second in MVP voting in ’77-’78 and ’78-’79, then third in ’79-’80 and fifth in ’80-’81
- Nicknamed “Ice” for his coolness under pressure but never reached the NBA Finals, losing in the Conference Finals with the Spurs in 1979, 1982, and 1983
- Exceedingly skinny and expelled from Eastern Michigan, he was supposedly signed by the Virginia Squires of the ABA after an impressive post-game shooting display to back up his in-game heckling of the team’s coach and players
#43 Gary Payton, G, 1990-2007
Nicknamed “The Glove” because defensively he fit opponents like one; was the only pure point guard to earn Defensive Player of the Year and racked up more career steals than all but two other players
- Second leading scorer, assist leader, and second in rebounding on the ’95-’96 SuperSonics that reached the NBA Finals, where he defended Michael Jordan about as well as anyone ever has
- 1st-Team All-Defensive nine times (tied for the all-time record), 1st-Team All-NBA twice, 2nd-Team All-NBA five times, an All-Star nine times, and led the league in steals in ’95-’96
- At the time of his 2007 retirement, he was third in NBA history in career steals (he’s now fifth) and sixth in assists (he’s now 11th)
- Spent his first 12 seasons with Seattle, who drafted him #2 overall in 1990, then bounced around late in his career chasing an elusive ring, losing again in the 2004 NBA Finals with the Lakers before finally winning one as a backup point guard for the ’05-’06 Heat
#42 Kawhi Leonard, F, 2011-active
2025 rank: 43
One of the best two-way forwards in NBA history, who will likely never reach true full potential due to significant time missed in his prime for injuries and contract disputes
- Finals MVP twice, with the the Spurs in 2014 and with the Raptors in 2019, and in the former became the third youngest winner in award history, at age 22
- Defensive Player of the Year in ’14-’15, when he led the NBA in steals per game, and in ’15-’16
- Has averaged 20+ points and five-plus rebounds per game in nine seasons and for three different franchises (Spurs, Raptors, and Clippers); averaged a career high 27.9 points per game in ’25-’26 at age 34
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, 1st-Team All-Defensive three times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive three times, an All-Star six times, and has finished in the top five in MVP voting five times, including second place in ’15-’16
#41 Jason Kidd, G, 1994-2013
Upon his 19-year career ending at age 40, was second in NBA history in career assists, second in steals, and third in triple-doubles; LeBron James is the only other player to reach 8,000+ career points, rebounds, and assists, and 2,000+ steals
- Led the NBA in assists five times, and averaged eight-plus assists per game for 15 consecutive seasons; led the NBA in triple-doubles 11 times, and finished in the top five in steals eight times
- 1st-Team All-NBA five times, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 1st-Team All-Defensive four times, an All-Star 10 times, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting five times, including second place in ’01-’02
- Led the Nets in points, rebounds, and assists as they reached the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003; finally won a championship with the Mavericks in 2011, as the starting point guard and assists leader at age 38
- Drafted second overall by the Mavericks in 1994 out of California and won Rookie of the Year, but struggled to get along with star teammate Jim Jackson and was dealt to the Suns in 1996, the first of three blockbuster trades in his career
#40 Patrick Ewing, C, 1985-2002
Came into the league with unprecedented hype (and a retrospective controversy) and didn’t disappoint for Knicks fans, who revered him even though he ultimately couldn’t bring them a vaunted title
- Had twin postseason tormentors in Michael Jordan (whose Bulls beat him in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1996) and Reggie Miller (whose Pacers beat him in 1995, 1998, and 2000); his closest call was 1994, when he was leading scorer and rebounder for the Knicks, who lost the NBA Finals in seven games
- 1st-Team All-NBA in ’89-’90, 2nd-Team All-NBA six times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive three times, an All-Star 11 times, finished in the top five in MVP voting six times, and was Rookie of the Year in ’85-’86
- Averaged 20+ points, eight-plus rebounds, and two-plus blocks per game for the first 13 seasons of his career, and was top 10 in the NBA in scoring eight times, in rebounding eight times, and in blocks 13 times
- Though he was never an NBA champion, he did lead Georgetown to the 1984 NCAA title and earned a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics with the Dream Team
#39 Steve Nash, G, 1996-2014
Altered the course of offensive strategy with his breakneck pace and won back-to-back league MVP awards (both were controversial), but the postseason was a house of horrors and he never reached the NBA Finals
- Led the NBA in assists per game five times, and for nine straight seasons finished in the top three in the category; one of just three players to average 11+ assists per game five or more times; at age 37, became the oldest player in NBA history to average 10+ assists per game in a season
- His 90.4% career free throw shooting broke Mark Price’s all-time record and he led the NBA in the category twice
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star eight times, and a member of the 50/40/90 club, achieving it five times, including in ’09-’10 at age 35
- Suffered four Conference Finals losses (each marked by a defining injury to one of his teammates) and a Conference Semifinals loss in 2007 that was marked by a controversial suspension; retired as the greatest player to never reach the NBA Finals but has been surpassed by Chris Paul
#38 John Stockton, G, 1984-2003
The assists king, who was dull but reliable for almost two whole decades before retiring at age 41; had one all-time memorable playoff moment in 1997, when he hit a series winning buzzer beater against the Rockets in game seven of the Conference Finals
- Holds the all-time NBA records for career assists, assists in a season, assists per game in a season (14.5), and times leading the NBA in assists per game (nine); also the NBA’s all-time leader in career steals
- 1st-Team All-NBA twice, 2nd-Team All-NBA six times, 3rd-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive five times, and played in 10 All-Star Games; finished in the top 10 in MVP voting five times, but never higher than seventh
- Led the Jazz to 19 consecutive playoff appearances, five Conference Finals appearances, and two NBA Finals; only his longtime Jazz teammate Karl Malone has played in more postseason games without winning a championship
- Only player in NBA history to average 14+ assists per game (which he did twice) and had five of the six highest assist per game seasons in history
#37 Dolph Schayes, F, 1949-1964
Gets lost in the shuffle compared to his top rival George Mikan but had the lengthier, more impressive career and almost certainly would have earned both league MVP and Finals MVP in ’54-’55 if those awards existed
- As it stands he finished second in MVP voting in ’57-’58 and in the top 10 in five other seasons; also 1st-Team All-NBA six times, 2nd-Team All-NBA five times, and played in 12 All-Star Games
- Leading scorer and rebounder on the 1955 Syracuse Nationals championship team, and also on the Nats teams that lost in the NBA Finals in 1950 (his rookie season) and 1954
- Led the NBA in rebounding in the first year the stat was tracked and averaged 12+ rebounds per game for 11 straight seasons, finishing in the top five in the NBA in the category nine times; the first player to total over 1,000 rebounds in a season and first to compile over 10,000 rebounds in a career
- Held the NBA record for career points for six seasons and the record for career rebounds for eight seasons
#36 Scottie Pippen, F, 1987-2004
Rivals John Havlicek as the greatest player of all time who spent most of his career as not the best player on his own team; during Michael Jordan’s two-year retirement, his stint as top dog was mixed and almost got him traded to the Sonics
- Won six championships with the Bulls, as the second leading scorer on all six and was second in both assists and rebounding in five of them
- Arguably the best defensive small forward of all time, he was 1st-Team All-Defensive eight times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting twice; led the NBA in steals per game in ’94-’95 and is eighth in NBA history in career steals
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star seven times, MVP of the 1994 All-Star Game, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting five times
- Only player to ever win an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year multiple times, doing so in 1992 and 1996
#35 Isiah Thomas, G, 1981-1994
The quintessential traditional point guard and the ultimate team player, forgoing individual stats and accolades throughout his entire career in turning the “Bad Boys” Pistons into one of the sports’ great dynasties
- Leader in scoring and assists and heart and soul of the 1989 and 1990 Pistons title teams, earning Finals MVP in the latter; likely would have won three straight titles if he didn’t sprain his ankle during the 1988 Finals against the Lakers
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star in his first 12 seasons and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting four times (though never higher than fifth)
- Retired in fourth place on the all-time assists leaderboard (now 10th) and finished in the top 10 in the NBA in assists per game 11 times, including ’84-’85 when he led the league
- His career was also marked by controversy with Michael Jordan, from freezing him out during the 1985 All-Star Game to refusing to shake his hand after the 1991 Conference Finals to subsequently getting left off the 1992 U.S. Olympic team
#34 Allen Iverson, G, 1996-2010
A polarizing figure, who was beloved for his skills and relentlessness but controversial for his aversion to practice, hip-hop career ambitions, coach killing reputation, and unapologetic street style; his ’00-’01 MVP season is the stuff of legends
- MVP of the ’00-’01 season, then almost single-handedly carried the 76ers to the 2001 NBA Finals, averaging 32.9 points, 6.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game in the postseason, while logging 46+ minutes per game
- The NBA scoring champion four times and finished in the top three in three other seasons; also led the NBA in steals per game three times and, despite a relentless style of play, in minutes per game seven times
- 1st-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, an All-Star 11 times, MVP of the All-Star Game twice, and Rookie of the Year in ’96-’97
- One of just six players in NBA history to average 30+ points per game in four or more seasons
- Aside from 2001, he reached the postseason just seven times in his career and never past the Conference Semifinals
#33 Dwyane Wade, G, 2003-2019
Dominated the 2006 NBA Finals, averaging 39.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, and earned Finals MVP as the Heat defeated the Mavericks; also was second in scoring on the subsequent Heat teams that reached four consecutive NBA Finals, winning two of them
- NBA scoring champion in ’08-’09 and also finished second in the league that season in steals
- 1st-Team All-NBA twice, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, 3rd-Team All-NBA three times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive three times, an All-Star 13 times, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting seven times (as high as third)
- Miami’s all-time franchise leader in points, assists, steals, field goals, free throws, win shares, and All-Star appearances; made 12 playoff appearances in 15 seasons with the Heat, and five NBA Finals
- His 885 career blocked shots are the most all-time by a player 6’4” or shorter, and he’s sixth in career playoff scoring amongst guards
#32 Rick Barry, F, 1965-1980
A misanthrope who fled for the ABA in his prime but returned to the Warriors in ’72-’73 and managed to shed his selfish reputation, averaging six-plus assists per game in five of his final seven seasons and delivering a title in 1975
- Finals MVP for the ’74-’75 Warriors, when he led the team in points and assists (and was second in rebounding) in an NBA Finals upset of the Bullets; also the scoring and assists leader on the ’66-’67 Warriors that reached the Finals
- In 1967 at age 23, he won the NBA scoring title with 35.6 points per game, led the Warriors to the NBA Finals, then shockingly absconded to the ABA, signing with the Oakland Oaks
- 1st-Team All-NBA five times, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 1st-Team All-ABA four times, finished in the top five in NBA MVP voting three times, finished as high as second in ABA MVP voting, NBA Rookie of the Year in ’65-’66, and was an ABA or NBA All-Star 12 times
- Set the career free throw percentage record with 90.0%, and is still fourth all-time in the category; led the league seven times in free throw percentage, once in steals, and twice in true shooting percentage
#31 Nikola Jokic, C, 2015-active
2025 rank: 35
A unfathomable steal for the Nuggets as the #41 overall pick in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, he’s both the lowest draft pick in history to earn league MVP and the lowest to earn Finals MVP
- In ’23-’24, became the first player in NBA history to win either league MVP or Finals MVP in four consecutive seasons, adding a third league MVP trophy (along with his wins in ’20-’21 and ’21-’22) to his tally
- Earned Finals MVP in 2023, when he became just the fourth player in NBA history to win a championship while leading his team in postseason points, rebounds, and assists per game
- 1st-Team All-NBA six times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star six eight times, and has finished in the top two in MVP voting in six consecutive seasons, including his three wins
- The third player in NBA history to average a triple-double, accomplishing it in ’24-’25; already second in league history in career triple-doubles
#30 Russell Westbrook, G, 2008-2026
Not only did he become the first player in 50 years to average a triple-double for a full season, he also became the first player to do it multiple times, four in total (including in ’20-’21 at age 32), and the first to reach 200+ career triple-doubles
- League MVP in ’16-’17 season and has finished in the top five in voting in three other seasons; 1st-Team All-NBA twice, 2nd-Team All-NBA five times, 3rd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star nine times, and MVP of the All-Star Game in 2015 and 2016
- Scoring champion twice and averaged 20+ points per game for 11 consecutive seasons; led the NBA in assists per game three times and is eighth on the all-time assists leaderboard
- Assists leader and second in scoring on the ’11-’12 Thunder that reached the NBA Finals but has not returned since, with devastating Conference Finals losses in 2014 and 2016
- One of just two players in NBA history, along with LeBron James, to reach the plateaus of 20,000+ career points, 8,000+ rebounds, and 8,000+ assists
#29 James Harden, G, 2009-active
2025 rank: 27
One of the most prolific offensive forces in NBA history, who is now 11th all-time in career points, 12th in assists, third in free throws, and second in three-point field goals
- League MVP in ’17-’18 and finished in the top five in voting in five other seasons; 1st-Team All-NBA six times, an All-Star 11 times, and won Sixth Man of the Year in ’11-’12
- Scoring champion three consecutive times, in ’17-’18, ’19-’20, and ’19-’20, finished second in the three seasons prior, and his career high of 36.1 points per game in ’18-’19 is the second highest scoring mark in a post-merger season
- Also led the NBA in assists in ’16-’17, in three-point field goals three times, PER one time, and win shares five times
- Sixth man and third leading scorer on the ’11-’12 Thunder that reached the NBA Finals, was traded that summer to the Rockets, then led Houston to Conference Finals appearances in 2015 and 2018
#28 David Robinson, C, 1989-2003
Tailor-made for NBA stardom, with a physique that looked like the Roman ideal of an athlete plus preternatural leadership skills; could have been higher on this list if not for his mandatory Naval service and a broken foot suffered in 1996
- Starting center on two Spurs championship teams and in the first title run (1999), he was second on the team in both scoring and rebounding
- League MVP in ’94-’95, Rookie of the Year in ’89-’90, Defensive Player of the Year in ’91-’92, 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 3rd-Team All-NBA four times, 1st-Team All-Defensive four times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive four times, and an All-Star 10 times
- Won the scoring title in ’93-’94, the rebounding title in ’90-’91, the blocks title in ’91-’92, and averaged 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, and three-plus blocks per game in his first seven seasons
- Due to playing four years at Navy and then serving two years of duty in the service, he didn’t make his NBA debut until age 24, and he eventually retired as a champion in 2003 at age 37
#27 Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, 2013-active
2025 rank: 28
The NBA was taken by storm by the “Greek Freak,” who is one of just three players to earn two league MVPs by the age of 25; also one of just three players to earn Defensive Player of the Year and MVP in the same season (’19-’20)
- Finals MVP in 2021, when he was the leading scorer (30.2 points per game) and rebounder, and second on assists, as the Bucks won the championship
- 1st-Team All-NBA seven times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 1st-Team All-Defensive four times, an All-Star 10 times, and finished in the top five in MVP voting for seven straight seasons
- In ’16-’17 he became the only player in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in the league in scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks, and steals; has averaged 25+ points, 11+ rebounds, and five-plus assists in each of the last seven seasons
- Led the NBA in PER twice and his 31.86 in ’19-’20 is the all-time single season record, beating out Wilt Chamberlain’s record mark from ’62-’63
#26 Dirk Nowitzki, F, 1998-2019
A new breed of European import with his post skills who kept the long distance shooting weapon intact, and is the tallest member of the 50/40/90 club, accomplishing the feat in ’06-’07, his league MVP season
- Leading scorer and Finals MVP in 2011 as the Mavericks stunned the Heat in the NBA Finals; also the leading scorer and rebounder on the ’05-’06 Mavericks that reached the first NBA Finals
- One of just five players in NBA history to total over 30,000 points and over 10,000 rebounds in his career, and one of just two (along with LeBron James) to also add over 1,000 three-point field goals
- 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA five times, 3rd-Team All-NBA three times, and an All-Star 14 times
- Spent his entire 21-year career with the Mavericks, playing until age 40, and is the franchise’s all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, three-point field goals, free throws, and win shares (he’s also second in steals and fourth in assists)
#25 John Havlicek, F, 1962-1978
Earned eight championships with the Celtics, the first six alongside Bill Russell, who once called him the “greatest all-around player in the NBA,” then bridged the gap into the Dave Cowens era, staying effective until age 38
- Finals MVP for the Celtics in 1974, and was the leading scorer for a championship team four times out of the eight he won
- Averaged 18+ points per game for 12 straight seasons, six-plus rebounds per game 10 times, five-plus assists per game eight times, and 40+ minutes per game five times
- 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA seven times, 1st-Team All-Defensive five times, an All-Star 13 times, finished in the top 10 in MVP voting seven times, and almost assuredly also would have won at least one Sixth Man of the Year award, at least one Defensive Player of the Year award, and a second Finals MVP if those honors existed earlier
- Retired nearly five decades ago but is still 19th in NBA history in points and top 50 in assists, games played, field goals, free throws, and win shares
#24 Charles Barkley, F, 1984-2000
The NBA’s Sisyphus, a warrior memorably remembered for fighting stubbornly against impossible odds, who stands as the third greatest player of all time without an NBA championship and made the NBA Finals just once, as the leading scorer and rebounder on the ’92-’93 Suns
- Led the NBA in rebounding in ’86-’87 and finished in the top five in the category in five other seasons
- MVP of the ’92-’93 season, 1st-Team All-NBA five times, 2nd-Team All-NBA five times, an All-Star 11 times, and All-Star Game MVP in 1991
- Averaged 10+ rebounds per game in all 15 seasons he played after his rookie year; also averaged 20+ points per game for 11 straight seasons
- Suffered a string of postseason disappointments, from a Conference Finals loss with the 76ers in his rookie season to heartbreaking Conference Semifinals losses with the Suns against the Rockets in 1994 and 1995, to a Conference Finals loss with the Rockets against the Jazz in 1997
#23 Chris Paul, G, 2005-2025
Arguably the quintessential modern point guard, who is second in NBA history in both career assists and career steals, and one of just two players (along with LeBron James) with 20,000+ career points, 10,000+ assists, 5,000+ rebounds, and 2,000+ steals
- 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA five times, 1st-Team All-Defensive seven times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, and an All-Star 12 times; finished second in MVP voting in ’07-’08 and in the top 10 in eight other seasons, and earned Rookie of the Year in ’05-’06 and All-Star MVP in 2013
- Led the NBA in assists per game five times, including in ’21-’22 at age 36, and finished in the top five in the league in nine other seasons; Led the NBA in steals per game six times (no one else has ever done it more than three times)
- Averaged 18+ points, 10+ assists, four-plus rebounds, and two-plus steals per game five times, something no other player has done more than twice
- Finally made that vaunted NBA Finals appearance in 2021 with the Suns, as their assist leader and second leading scorer but ultimately it was another disappointing postseason ending in a career full of them
#22 Kevin Garnett, F, 1995-2016
A ferocious defender and versatile offensive force, who never got the best of his longtime rival, Tim Duncan, but capped his career with a title, went down as a legend for two separate franchises, and is arguably the all-time most important prep-to-pro player
- League MVP in ’03-’04, Defensive Player of the Year in ’07-’08, 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, an All-Star 15 times, and 1st-Team All-Defensive nine times
- Still the Timberwolves all-time franchise leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and win shares, and led them to the first Conference Finals appearance in team history, in 2004
- Leading scorer and rebounder on the ’07-’08 Celtics championship team, and also the leading rebounder on the ’09-’10 Celtics that reached the NBA Finals
- Ninth in NBA history in career rebounds and is top 25 in points, steals, and blocks; led the NBA in rebounding four times and averaged 12+ rebounds per game for six consecutive seasons in his prime
#21 Bob Cousy, G, 1950-1963
Ambidextrous (as the result of a childhood injury), athletic, and endlessly clever, the league’s first dynamic playmaker was appropriately nicknamed “Houdini of the Hardwood” and so beloved by Celtics fans that his Boston Garden retirement ceremony was dubbed the “Boston Tear Party”
- Once Bill Russell arrived, he was the assists leader for seven consecutive NBA Finals teams starting in 1957, winning the title with six of them, which is the all-time record for a point guard
- Led the NBA in assists per game for eight consecutive seasons starting in ’52-’53, and finished in the top five in the league for 13 straight
- League MVP in ’56-’57, and finished in the top five in voting four other times, 1st-Team All-NBA 10 times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, and All-Star in all 13 seasons he played (not counting a ill-advised comeback with the Royals), and MVP of two All-Star Games
- Retired as the all-time assist champion with 6,955 and held the record for a decade; first player to total over 5,000 career assists, and the first player to average nine-plus assists per game in a season
#20 Moses Malone, C, 1974-1995
A rebounding machine who entered the league incredibly young and stayed effective for seemingly forever, spending 21 seasons in the NBA and ABA, playing in 1,455 total games (ninth all-time) with eight different franchises
- Signed with the 76ers as a restricted free agent in 1982 in a landmark deal, led the memorable “fo’ fo’ fo’” team to the 1983 championship as the leading scorer and rebounder, and was named Finals MVP; also was the leading scorer and rebounder on the ’80-’81 Rockets that reached the NBA Finals
- NBA league MVP three times, twice with the Rockets and once with the 76ers, 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA four times, 1st-Team All-Defensive once, and an All-Star 13 times
- Averaged 20+ points and 11+ rebounds per game for 10 consecutive seasons; led the NBA in rebounding six times, peaking at 17.6 per game in ’78-’79, which is the highest post-merger amount by any player besides Dennis Rodman
- By far the all-time leader in offensive rebounds, and is fifth in career total rebounds and 12th in career points
#19 Julius Erving, F, 1971-1987
An innovator in above-the-rim play, who was NBA MVP in ’80-’81 and ABA MVP three times;1st-Team All-NBA five times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 1st-Team All-ABA four times, an All-Star 16 times across the two leagues, and winner of the fabled 1976 ABA Slam Dunk Contest
- Won three ABA scoring titles and averaged 28.7 points per game over five seasons, and then averaged 20+ points per game in his first 10 NBA seasons
- Leading scorer on the 76ers teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1977, 1980, and 1982, and was the second leading scorer on the legendary ’82-’83 championship team; Playoff MVP in the ABA in 1974 and 1976, as he led the Nets to championships
- Never missed the postseason in either league in the 16 seasons he played, and made it as far as the Conference Finals 10 times
- Left UMass early in 1971 and was ineligible for the NBA Draft, so he started his career with the Virginia Squires; was under contract with the Nets at the time of the merger but the cash-strapped franchise sold him to the 76ers, where he spent all of his 11 NBA seasons
#18 Stephen Curry, G, 2009-active
2025 rank: 19
The most revolutionary shooter in NBA history since the invention of the jumper, who holds the all-time records for most career three-point field goals (both regular season and playoffs), most three-point field goals in a season, most consecutive games with a three-pointer, and most three-pointers in a Finals game
- Finals MVP in 2022, which was his fourth championship with the Warriors and his sixth NBA Finals appearance in an eight year span; scoring leader on the 2015 and 2022 title teams, second-leading scorer and assists leader on the 2017 and 2018 title teams
- League MVP in ’14-’15 and ’15-’16, 1st-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-NBA five times, an All-Star 12 times, and has finished in the top five in MVP voting in two other seasons
- NBA scoring champ in ’15-’16 and in ’20-’21; has averaged 25+ points, five-plus assists, and five-plus rebounds per game seven times
- Also currently the all-time NBA leader in free throw percentage (91.2%), and is the only member of the 50/40/90 club to average 30+ points per game in the season he accomplished it (’15-’16)
#17 Elgin Baylor, F, 1958-1972
A tragic figure worthy of Shakespeare, who played in eight NBA Finals but never won a title despite reaching a game seven four times; technically had a championship ring from 1972 when the Lakers won the title after he retired, but symbolically auctioned it off in 2013
- Averaged 24+ points and 10+ rebounds 11 times in 14 seasons; finished in the top 10 in the NBA in points, rebounds, and assists per game in five different seasons
- 1st-Team All-NBA 10 times, an All-Star 11 times, finished in the top five of MVP voting seven times, and was Rookie of the Year in ’58-’59
- First player (and still only one of six) to score over 70 points in a game, holds the NBA Finals record with 61 points in a single game, and his 27.4 career scoring average is third all-time
- The first “above the rim” star, his athleticism was unmatched until a 1964 knee injury robbed him of much of his explosiveness; he’s still the Lakers’ all-time franchise leader in total rebounds, and is top 10 in points, assists, and win shares
#16 Hakeem Olajuwon, C, 1984-2002
The ultimate across-the-board stat filler, who is the only player ever to be named league MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP in one season, when he led the 1994 championship Rockets in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks
- Averaged 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game in his first 12 seasons, led the NBA in rebounding twice and in blocks per game four times, and finished in the top five in scoring four times
- Defensive Player of the Year in ’92-’93, 1st-Team All-Defensive five times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive four times, 1st-Team All-NBA six times, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, an All-Star 12 times, finished in the top five in MVP voting six times, and earned a second Finals MVP in 1995 when the Rockets repeated as champions
- Led the Rockets to a surprise 1986 NBA Finals appearance as their leading scorer and rebounder, at age 23
- All-time NBA leader in blocks, fourth in defensive win shares, and top 25 in career rebounds and in points
#15 Bob Pettit, F/C, 1954-1965
An oft-forgotten legend who was the first league MVP in NBA history, earning the award in ’55-’56 and then again in ’58-’59, and finished in the top five in voting in six other seasons; also won Rookie of the Year in ’54-’55 and All-Star MVP four times
- Leading scorer and rebounder on the ’57-’58 St. Louis Hawks championship team, scoring 50 points in the clinching game six of the NBA Finals, and would have earned Finals MVP if it existed; also the leading scorer and rebounder on the Hawks teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1957, 1960, and 1961, losing each time to Bill Russell and the Celtics
- 1st-Team All-NBA 10 times, 2nd-Team All-NBA one time, and an All-Star in all 11 seasons he played
- Averaged 20+ points and 12+ rebounds per game in all 11 seasons he played, was scoring champion twice, and was the first player to average 29+ points per game in a season
- Reached at least the Conference Finals with the Hawks eight times in 11 seasons
#14 Oscar Robertson, G, 1960-1974
First player ever to average a triple-double in a season (’61-’62, when he somehow still finished third in MVP voting), an accomplishment that took 65 years to be repeated, and actually averaged a composite triple-double over his first five seasons
- Led the NBA in assists per game seven times and held the career assists record for 22 years before getting surpassed; led the NBA in triple-doubles for six consecutive seasons and held the career triple-doubles record for over 60 years before getting surpassed
- League MVP in ’63-’64 and finished in the top five in voting in eight other seasons, 1st-Team All-NBA nine times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, an All-Star 12 times, MVP of the All-Star Game three times, Rookie of the Year in ’60-’61, and scoring champ in ’67-’68
- Led the Royals to two Conference Finals, then was traded to Milwaukee in 1970, soon after suing the NBA over the reserve clause, and was assist leader and third in scoring on the ’70-’71 Bucks championship team
- Co-captain with Jerry West on the 1960 U.S. Olympic team that earned gold
#13 Kevin Durant, F, 2007-active
2025 rank: 14
The greatest pure scorer of his era, who was a four-time NBA scoring champion in a five-year stretch, and finished second in that fifth year; in the ’24-’25 season, became just the eighth player in NBA history to reach the 30,000 points plateau
- League MVP in ’13-’14, Finals MVP in 2017 and 2018, All-Star MVP in 2012 and 2019, and Rookie of the Year in ’07-’08
- Has averaged 25+ points per game in all 17 seasons beyond his rookie one (when he averaged 20.3 per game), and 30+ per game twice; has also averaged six-plus rebounds per game 16 times, and five-plus assists per game eight times
- Leading scorer on the ’16-’17 and ’17-’18 Warriors title teams, and on the ’18-’19 Warriors NBA Finals team, and was leading scorer and rebounder on the ’11-’12 Thunder NBA Finals team
- 1st-Team All-NBA six times, 2nd-Team All-NBA six times, an All-Star 15 times, and has finished in the top five in MVP voting six times
#12 Jerry West, G, 1960-1974
Greatest player of all time to never win league MVP, the only player ever to earn Finals MVP in a losing cause and yet so synonymous with the NBA that his silhouette is unofficially the league’s logo
- Second leading scorer and first in assists on the legendary ’71-’72 Lakers title team; played in eight other NBA Finals losses with Los Angeles, six times as the leading scorer and assists leader; missed the playoffs just once, in 1971 due to injury, and led the Lakers to at least the Conference Finals 10 times in 14 seasons
- Led the NBA in scoring once and finished in the top five in five other seasons; led the NBA in assists per game once and finished in the top five in four other seasons; averaged 25+ points per game for 11 consecutive seasons, including 30+ points per game four times
- 1st-Team All-NBA 10 times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 1st-Team All-Defensive four times, an All-Star 14 times, and finished in the top five in MVP voting eight times, including in second place four times
- Co-captained the 1960 U.S. Olympic team with Oscar Robertson, earning a gold medal
#11 Karl Malone, F, 1985-2004
If we built our list barely purely on regular season statistics, “The Mailman” would be fourth all-time; third in NBA history with 36,928 career points, seventh in rebounds, 12th in steals, fourth in win shares, and the all-time leader in free throws
- League MVP twice, both in controversial decisions, 1st-Team All-NBA 11 times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 1st-Team All-Defensive three times, and made 14 All-Star appearances; in addition to his two MVP trophies, he finished in the top five in voting in seven other seasons
- Leading scorer and rebounder on the Jazz teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, and is the greatest player of all time to not win a title; reached the playoffs all 19 seasons he played, additionally playing in a third NBA Finals with the Lakers in 2004
- Averaged 25+ points and 10+ rebounds per game for 10 straight seasons and ultimately averaged 20+ points per game in 17 of his 19 seasons (only missing it in his rookie year and injury-riddled final year) and nine-plus rebounds per game in 14 of them
- Part of gold medal winning U.S. Olympic teams in 1992 and 1996
#10 Shaquille O’Neal, C, 1992-2011
A jolly, seen giant, who is one of just two players to win three consecutive Finals MVP awards and was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Lakers each time; also league MVP in ’99-’00, and finished second in voting twice
- 1st-Team All-NBA eight times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 3rd-Team All-NBA four times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive three times, an All-Star 15 times, Rookie of the Year in ’92-’93, and All-Star MVP three times
- Averaged 25+ points and 10+ rebounds per game for 10 straight seasons, starting in ’93-’94; won the scoring title in ’94-’95 and ’99-’00
- Ultimately played in six NBA Finals in his career and won four championships, with Finals losses with the Magic in 1995 and the Lakers in 2004, and a title with the Heat in 2006
- Controversy followed him for much of his career, from his messy 1996 divorce with the Magic, to his allegedly distracting film career, to accusations of conditioning and training indifference, to his highly publicized discord with Kobe Bryant
#9 Larry Bird, F, 1979-1992
Nicknamed “Legend” for good reason, his career was brilliant but brief, really lasting only 10 quality seasons due to injuries, and marked in many ways by his longtime rivalry with Magic Johnson, which ended with them teaming up to win a gold medal with the 1992 U.S. Olympic team
- One of just three players to earn three consecutive league MVP awards; also one of just three players to earn league MVP and Finals MVP in the same year multiple times, doing so in 1984 and 1986
- Leading scorer on three Celtics championship teams, in 1981, 1984, and 1986, and on the Celtics teams that lost in the NBA Finals in 1985 and 1987
- 1st-Team All-NBA nine times, 2nd-Team All-NBA one time, an All-Star 12 times, Rookie of the Year in ’79-’80, and finished second in MVP voting four times
- Original member of the 50/40/90 club and he accomplished it twice; also led the NBA in free throw percentage four times, PER twice, three-point field goals twice, and win shares twice; averaged 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game in each of his first six seasons
#8 Tim Duncan, F/C, 1997-2016
A player so effective they labelled him boring, who is top 10 in NBA history in career rebounds, blocks, and win shares; spent his entire 19 seasons with the Spurs, staying effective until age 40, and will hold the franchise records for points, rebounds, blocks, and win shares for a long time
- League MVP in ’01-’02 and ’02-’03, which were part of a streak of eight straight seasons in which he finished in the top five in voting
- 1st-Team All-NBA 10 times, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, 1st-Team All-Defensive eight times, an All-Star 15 times, Rookie of the Year in ’97-’98, and MVP of the 2000 All-Star Game
- Won five championships with the Spurs, as the leading scorer and rebounder in the first four, and earned Finals MVP in the first three; his five championship rings are the most all-time by a player who never played for the Lakers, Celtics, or Bulls
- Averaged 18+ points and 10+ rebounds per game in each of his first 12 seasons; finished in the top five in the NBA in rebounding 10 times and in blocks per game seven times
#7 Kobe Bryant, G, 1996-2016
Spent all 20 seasons of his career with the Lakers and provided so many memorable moments, from his breakout performance in the 2002 Finals to his 81-point outburst in 2006 to his fraught showdowns with Shaquille O’Neal to his 60-point denouement
- League MVP in ’07-’08, one of 11 straight seasons in which he finished in the top five in voting, 1st-Team All-NBA 11 times, 2nd-Team All-NBA twice, 1st-Team All-Defensive nine times, 2nd-Team All-Defensive twice, an All-Star 18 times, and All-Star MVP four times (tied for the all-time record)
- Won five championships with the Lakers, in 2000, 2001, and 2002 as the second leading scorer, and in 2009 and 2010 as the team leader in scoring and assists; also played in the NBA Finals losses in 2004 and 2008
- NBA scoring champ in ’05-’06 and in ’06-’07; averaged 25+ points per game 12 times in his career, and added five-plus assists and five-plus rebounds per game nine time; fourth in NBA history with 33,643 career points
- Heart of the U.S. Olympic gold medal teams in 2008 and 2012
#6 Magic Johnson, G, 1979-1996
The original “Unicorn,” who possessed the size and skill even as a rookie to fill in at center in game six of the 1980 NBA Finals; made a shocking retirement announcement in 1991 at age 32, then came back to earn a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic Dream Team in 1992
- One of just three players to earn league MVP three times and Finals MVP three times; 1st-Team All-NBA nine times, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, an All-Star 12 times, MVP of the All-Star Game twice, and finished in the top three in MVP voting for nine straight seasons
- In 12 seasons (not counting his ill-fated ’95-’96 comeback), led the Lakers to at least the Conference Finals 10 times, to the NBA Finals eight times, and to five championships
- Assists leader on all five championship teams, the rebounding leader in ’81-’82, and second in scoring in ’86-’87 and ’87-’88
- Led the NBA in assists per game four times and averaged 10+ assists per game in each of his last nine seasons; led the league in steals per game twice; fifth in NBA history in career assists, first in career assists per game (11.2), and the only player besides John Stockton to average 12+ assists per game multiple times
#5 Wilt Chamberlain, C, 1959-1973
A record books shatterer who is inexorably linked with Bill Russell, who got the better of him seven times in eight postseason matchups; also had a reputation as difficult to coach, and was traded twice in his prime
- Scored 100 points in one game; averaged an all-time record 50.4 points per game in ’61-’62; owns the four highest scoring seasons in NBA history, is the only player to average 40+ points per game (he did it twice), and won seven scoring titles
- Holds the record for rebounds per game in a season, has six of the seven highest single season averages, has the highest all-time career average (22.9 per game), led the league in the category 11 times, and is unlikely to ever lose his crown as the career rebounding king with 23,924
- Starting center and leading rebounder on two of the greatest teams of all time, the ’66-’67 76ers, and the ’71-’72 Lakers, earning Finals MVP with the latter (also would have earned it with the former if the award existed at the time)
- League MVP four times, including as a rookie in ’59-’60, 1st-Team All-NBA seven times, 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, 1st-Team All-Defensive twice, and an All-Star 13 times
#4 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, C, 1969-1989
A paragon of durability, who held the NBA’s all-time points record for nearly 40 years and is still the career leader in field goals and win shares; also third all-time in career rebounds and in career blocks
- Averaged 29.5 points, 15.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3.5 blocks per game over his first eight seasons; won two scoring titles, led the league in rebounding once, blocks per game four times, and win shares nine times
- League MVP six times, which is the all-time record, as is his 15 times finishing in the top five in voting and 17 times finishing in the top 10; won Finals MVP in 1971 and in 1985, a record 14-year differential
- 1st-Team All-NBA 10 times (the record amongst centers), 2nd-Team All-NBA five times, 1st-Team All-Defensive five times, Rookie of the Year in ’69-’70, and named to 19 All-Star Games
- Won six championships, five with the Lakers, and played in 10 NBA Finals, which ties him for the third most all-time; his teams dominated at every level, starting with three high school titles, then three NCAA titles at UCLA (where they had to change the rules to slow him down)
#3 Bill Russell, C, 1956-1969
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The ultimate winner, who led the Celtics to 12 NBA Finals in his 13 seasons, winning the title in 11 of them (and the one they lost was due to him being injured)
- First player to win three straight MVP awards and the first player to win five total in his career (only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has more)
- Led the NBA in rebounds per game five times, and had the nine best single-season rebounding totals of any player besides Wilt Chamberlain; averaged at least 18 rebounds per game in all 13 seasons he played and is second in career total rebounds
- Also led the NBA in defensive win shares 11 times, and perhaps most impressively for a center, finished in the top 10 in assists per game four times
- 1st-Team All-NBA just three times, 2nd-Team All-NBA eight times (including in three of his MVP seasons), and an All-Star 12 times; if they existed in his era, he also would have won at least six or seven Finals MVP awards, and just as many, if not more, Defensive Player of the Year awards
#2 Michael Jordan, G, 1984-2003
More than any other athlete in history, his fame transcended sport and he completely changed the framework of athlete relationships with Hollywood, the shoe industry, conspiracy theories, commercials, and video games
- A five-time league MVP (and arguably deserved three more in ’89-’90, ’92-’93 and ’96-’97) and the only player in NBA history with six Finals MVP trophies as he led the Bulls to six championships over an eight-year span
- Won 10 scoring titles, the all-time record, averaged as many as 37.1 points per game in ’86-’87 (the highest of any player besides Wilt Chamberlain) and his career scoring average of 30.1 is the all-time record
- 1st-Team All-NBA 10 times, 2nd-Team All-NBA once, 1st-Team All-Defensive nine times, Rookie of the Year in ’84-’85, and Defensive Player of the Year in ’87-’88
- Holds the NBA record for most points in a single playoff game, scoring 63 in a losing effort against Boston in 1986; also gave us: The Shot, The Final Shot, The Flu Game, The Shrug, and so much more
#1 LeBron James, F, 2003-active
2025 rank: 2
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What do you get when you combine the skill of Wilt with the longevity of Kareem? One of just two players to win four league MVPs in a five-year stretch; one of just two players to win both league MVP and Finals MVP in back-to-back seasons; the only player to earn Finals MVP for three different franchises
- The all-time career leader in NBA history in points and minutes played, and is fourth in career assists, sixth in steals, second in field goals, and second in win shares; the all-time career NBA postseason leader in points, steals, and field goals, and is second in assists and fourth in rebounds
- 1st-Team All-NBA 13 times (the all-time record), 2nd-Team All-NBA three times, 1st-Team All-Defensive five times, an All-Star 21 times (the all-time record), and has finished in the top five of MVP voting 14 times
- Won four titles, most memorably with his hometown Cavaliers, and his 10 NBA Finals appearances ties him with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the third most of all time
- Averaged 25+ points, six-plus rebounds, and six-plus assists per game for 20 consecutive seasons