Jerry West

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

FEATURED LISTS

Can’t blame me: 15 greatest individual NBA Finals performances in a losing effort

June 1, 2023

The NBA Finals is where legends are truly made and the 15 performances below are no exception. However, in these cases, the mythologizing was earned in a losing effort.

In memoriam: 24 prominent basketball people who passed away in 2024

January 1, 2025

Who’s going to Disney World?: Seven controversial NBA Finals MVP choices

June 1, 2024

Mostly valuable: 17 greatest players who never earned NBA league MVP

May 1, 2023

Gold standards: Ranking the 18 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball teams

July 21, 2021

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Coaches, executives, and owners

Head of the class: 18 greatest Naismith Hall of Fame NBA induction classes

There’s no doubt the 2020 Naismith Hall of Fame class was star studded but does it truly go down as the greatest of all time? We examine that with a ranking of the 16 greatest classes in the institution’s history.

February 11, 2026August 5, 2026

From downtown: 13 great long distance shooters who played before the three-point line era

Long before modern analytics incentivized three-point shooting, these star players were bombing away from long distance, even though it counted the same as a lay-up.

October 11, 2025August 5, 2026

In memoriam: 24 prominent basketball people who passed away in 2024

A singular defensive powerhouse, a legendary jovial big man, multiple college coach Hall of Famers, and “The Logo” are amongst those we lost in 2024.

January 1, 2025August 25, 2026

Who’s going to Disney World?: Seven controversial NBA Finals MVP choices

Starting with the first time it was awarded, the Finals MVP award has been an occasional source of controversy. Here are seven such cases, some of which forever altered the individual legacy of the players involved.

June 1, 2024September 17, 2026

Can’t blame me: 15 greatest individual NBA Finals performances in a losing effort

The NBA Finals is where legends are truly made and the 15 performances below are no exception. However, in these cases, the mythologizing was earned in a losing effort.

June 1, 2023August 25, 2026

Mostly valuable: 17 greatest players who never earned NBA league MVP

Whether they were stuck on non-contenders, unlucky to go up against bigger legends, or simply robbed of the award, these are the 17 greatest players to never win the NBA MVP award.

May 1, 2023September 22, 2026

Noms de plume: 75 greatest NBA and ABA player nicknames

From the iconic to the cool to the slightly derisive, we count down the 75 greatest player nicknames in NBA history.

November 1, 2021September 17, 2026

Instant classics: 75 greatest games in NBA history

All the ultimate barn burners, buzzer beaters, back-and-forth battles, incredible moments, and individual dominance are present in this list of the 75 greatest games in NBA history.

October 21, 2021August 25, 2026

Gold standards: Ranking the 18 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball teams

From the original “dream team” that brought home gold from Berlin in 1936 (with James Naismith watching) to the legendary 1992 edition to the latest American champions in 2016, we rank the 18 U.S. men’s basketball teams based on both their performance at the Olympics and their roster as a whole.

July 21, 2021September 22, 2026

Fraudulent voting: 20 controversial NBA league MVP decisions

As is bound to be the case whenever humans are making objective decisions based on subjective criteria, the NBA MVP winners have not always made sense in retrospect. Sometimes, they don’t even make sense as they’re being awarded. These are the 20 most notable cases.

April 21, 2021September 17, 2026

Always a bridesmaid: 15 players who have finished second in NBA MVP voting but never won

Some of the greatest players in NBA history have been denied winning the MVP trophy, and many of them finished as close as possible without being first.

September 1, 2020September 17, 2026

Second in the draft, first in our hearts: 21 greatest second overall picks in the NBA Draft

The best players don’t always go #1, and sometimes the overlooked guys picked #2 have the last laugh. Here is a list of the 22 second overall picks who had the best NBA careers.

June 21, 2019September 17, 2026

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Basketball, Listed

Jerry West

FEATURED LISTS

Can’t blame me: 15 greatest individual NBA Finals performances in a losing effort

In memoriam: 24 prominent basketball people who passed away in 2024

Who’s going to Disney World?: Seven controversial NBA Finals MVP choices

Mostly valuable: 17 greatest players who never earned NBA league MVP

Gold standards: Ranking the 18 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball teams

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related topics

Los Angeles Lakers

NBA Finals

Elgin Baylor

Team USA

Coaches, executives, and owners

Wilt Chamberlain

Awards and honors

“Showtime” Lakers dynasty

FULL archive

Head of the class: 18 greatest Naismith Hall of Fame NBA induction classes

From downtown: 13 great long distance shooters who played before the three-point line era

In memoriam: 24 prominent basketball people who passed away in 2024

Who’s going to Disney World?: Seven controversial NBA Finals MVP choices

Can’t blame me: 15 greatest individual NBA Finals performances in a losing effort

Mostly valuable: 17 greatest players who never earned NBA league MVP

Noms de plume: 75 greatest NBA and ABA player nicknames

Instant classics: 75 greatest games in NBA history

Gold standards: Ranking the 18 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball teams

Fraudulent voting: 20 controversial NBA league MVP decisions

Always a bridesmaid: 15 players who have finished second in NBA MVP voting but never won

Second in the draft, first in our hearts: 21 greatest second overall picks in the NBA Draft