Greatest NBA Players of All Time

Who is the NBA's GOAT? The argument is based on natural talent, career achievements, ability to raise the floor, longevity, analytics and the eye test.

C’mon, people, can we sit back and enjoy the greatness of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and the all-time old-timers and not worry about who’s good, better or best?

Sorry, no, we can’t do that. Ours is a nation of sports nuts. We can’t rest unless we know who’s in the pecking order right down to the greatest of all time. Basketball fans can argue with the best of them. The sport, by its nature, is prone to (heated) discussion more than any other. It has the fewest players, most singular matchups and simplest data to throw at the other side.

So let’s start some arguments. These are the greatest players in NBA history, based on natural talent, career achievements, ability to raise the floor, longevity, analytics and the eye test.

25. Dirk Nowitzki

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki attempts a shot during a game against the Miami Heat in 2019. Tony Gutierrez / AP Photo

Position: Power forward

Career: 21 seasons (1998-2019)

Teams: Dallas Mavericks

NBA championships: 1 (2011)

Statistics (per game): 20.7 points/7.5 rebounds/2.4 assists

Bottom line: Before Kevin Durant crashed the pickup game, Dirk Nowitzki was the best shooting big the NBA had seen.

The 7-footer ranked 10th in regular-season efficiency and 29th in the postseason. What’s more, he rose to the occasion in his two NBA Finals trips, where his 24.4 point average was 16th best in league history.

On the flip side, Nowitzki was an average defender and rarely set up teammates. But the Mavericks lifer was so effective in isolation and shot the ball so well for 21 seasons, he can’t be ignored.

Bottom Line: Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki played 21 seasons in the NBA. David Zalubowski / AP Photo

Before Kevin Durant crashed the pickup game, Dirk Nowitzki was the best shooting big the NBA had seen.

On the flip side, Nowitzki was an average defender and rarely set up teammates. But the Mavericks lifer was so effective in isolation and shot the ball so well for 21 seasons, he can’t be ignored.

24. Moses Malone

Moses Malone was the 1983 NBA Finals MVP after averaging 25.8 points, 18.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in four games against the Los Angeles Lakers. AP

Position: Center

Career: 21 seasons (1974-95)

Teams: Utah Stars (ABA), Spirits of St. Louis (ABA), Buffalo Braves, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Bullets, Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs

NBA championships: 1 (1984)

Statistics: 20.3/12.3/1.3

Bottom Line: Moses Malone

Moses Malone battles Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Moses Malon made his NBA debut in 1974. Ray Stubblebine / AP Photo

Moses Malone might have had the most primitive game of any of the all-timers. Then again, he made his pro debut in the ABA at 19 years of age without the benefit of college. If he had learned the game under an accomplished coach at a major university, his career probably would have turned out differently.

Malone lacked the vision and awareness to create for others. He was a good, but not great, defender. No, what he did was rebound and finish, and no player did that better.

Basically, Malone planted his ample 6-foot-10, 215-pound backside near the basket, where he played a one-man game of volleyball off the glass until he either scored, was fouled or both. He’s third in offensive rebound percentage, sixth in total rebound percentage and fourth in free-throw attempts in league history.

Malone also is famous for the three words he uttered before the 1983 playoffs: “fo’, fo’, fo’.” The would-be NBA Finals Most Valuable Player predicted a clean sweep for his Sixers team.

We’ve got Mo at twenty-fo’.

23. Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett played for 21 seasons in the NBA. Wikimedia

Position: Power forward

Career: 21 seasons (1995-2016)

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets

NBA championships: 1 (2008)

Statistics: 17.8/10.0/3.7

Bottom Line: Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett slams the ball against the Indiana Pacers

Kevin Garnett was a 15-time All-Star. Tom Strattman / AP Photo

Charles Barkley and Karl Malone also were in the mix, but Garnett was a harder worker than “Chuckles,” a better defender than “The Mailman” and infinitely more versatile than both.

Garnett’s player efficiency rating (21st overall) does justice to his all-around game.

If KG hadn’t spent his first dozen seasons with an otherwise ordinary mid-market team, he would rank higher in the order. It wasn’t until his Celtics days that he began to receive the widespread credit that he deserved.

22. Dwyane Wade

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade during a game against the Boston Celtics in 2019. AP

Position: Shooting guard

Career: 16 seasons (2003-19)

Teams: Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers

NBA championships: 3 (2006, 2012, 2013)

Statistics: 22.0/4.7/5.4

Bottom Line: Dwyane Wade

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade begins to celebrate

Dwyane Wade won three NBA titles. J. Pat Carter / AP Photo

Dwyane Wade is the all-time Robin, the costar who can’t win big alone and one who Batman can’t win big without. In that regard, Wade is ahead of Scottie Pippen and almost on par with Kobe Bryant, whose career was quite similar.

Bryant and Wade at their best were explosive athletes who played the same position. Mamba was two inches taller and better on defense. D-Wade was more efficient with the ball. Both won multiple league championships with either LeBron James or Shaquille O’Neal as the lead man.

Even metrics can’t separate them. In player efficiency rating, Bryant ran 24th in the regular season and 22nd in the postseason, while Wade checked in at 19th and 23rd, respectively.

The main difference is Mamba claimed two titles on his own, but that shouldn’t diminish what D-Wade accomplished in his Hall of Fame career.

21. Elgin Baylor

Los Angeles Lakers forward Elgin Baylor, No. 22, drives for a layup against the Atlanta Hawks in 1969 after receiving a pass from center Wilt Chamberlain. AP Photo

Position: Small forward

Career: 13 seasons (1959-72)

Team: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers

NBA championships: None

Statistics: 27.4/13.5/4.3

Bottom Line: Elgin Baylor

Elgin Baylor averaged 27.4 points per game in his career. AP Photo

Before Michael Jordan, there was Julius Erving. And before Doctor J, there was Elgin Baylor, the first human hang glider to leave mouths agape in pro basketball history.

The highlight machine had a special uniqueness about him, a series of deft fakes, quick ups and hanging jumpers, bank shots and dunks that left many a helpless defender stuck to the floor.

“Rabbit” was listed at 6-foot-5 but played at least three inches taller. How else could someone his size average 27-plus points and 13-plus rebounds per game over 14 seasons? His 61-points eruption against the Celtics in the 1962 NBA Finals remains a record more than a half-century later.

But all those leaps and bounds can exact a physical toll eventually. As luck would have it, Baylor retired just before the 1971-72 Lakers embarked on a record 33-game win streak en route to their first NBA title on the left coast.

Who says the basketball gods are just and fair?

20. Rick Barry

Golden State Warriors small forward Rick Barry, right, drives past New York Knicks forward Dave DeBusschere in 1974. AP

Position: Small forward

Career: 15 seasons (1965-1980)

Teams: San Francisco/Golden State Warriors, Oakland Oaks (ABA), Washington Capitols (ABA), New York Nets (ABA), Houston Rockets

NBA championships: 1 (1975)

Statistics: 23.2/6.5/5.1

Bottom Line: Rick Barry

New York Nets superstar Rick Barry sinks one

Rick Barry played four seasons in the ABA. John Lent / AP Photo

It’s remarkable how Rick Barry squeezed so much out of so little in 14 seasons.

In his prime years, Barry played with only four future Hall of Famers for a total of eight seasons — Nate Thurmond (three), Robert Parish (two), Keith (Jamaal) Wilkes (two) and Guy Rodgers (one). Parish and Wilkes were young pups at the time, while Rodgers and Thurmond had flawed offensive games.

For comparison, Bill Russell played with eight HOFers in one season. Eight.

While Barry was perhaps best known as the quick trigger who led the NCAA, ABA and NBA in scoring, his greatest value was an innate ability to make his teams better. They split 10 playoff series against opponents with better records in the regular season. Included was the Warriors’ sweep of the Washington Bullets in the 1975 NBA Finals, still the most momentous upset in league history.

In his second go-round in the Bay Area, Barry morphed into the first point forward, a brilliant passer who created a slew of opportunities for those around him.

Metrics aren’t kind to volume shooters such as Barry and Kobe Bryant, to name a couple, but it’s tough to think of a better combination of scorer/passer/off-the-ball defender at the small forward position.

19. Julius Erving

Philadelphia 76ers forward Julius Erving makes his move to the basket as Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird defends in 1987. AP

Position: Small forward

Career: 16 seasons (1971-1987)

Teams: Virginia Squires (ABA), New York Nets (ABA), Philadelphia 76ers

NBA championships: 1 (1983)

Statistics: 22.0/6.7/3.9

Bottom line: Too bad the NBA world didn’t see Julius Erving at his otherworldly best. Doctor J wasted five seasons of athletic brilliance in the ABA, where he was “The Greatest Show Above Earth,” a 6-foot-7, 210-pound array of soaring dunks, silky finger rolls and mind-blowing reverses against second-rate competition.

Erving was a two-way force in 11 NBA seasons, every one of them as a All-Star selection. But one league MVP selection and a lone league championship left us to want more from one of the most gifted athletes the game has ever seen.

Bottom Line: Julius Erving

Julius Erving could do much more than just dunk. Harry Harris / AP Photo

Too bad the NBA world didn’t see Julius Erving at his otherworldly best. Doctor J wasted five seasons of athletic brilliance in the ABA, where he was “The Greatest Show Above Earth,” a 6-foot-7, 210-pound array of soaring dunks, silky finger rolls and mind-blowing reverses against second-rate competition.

18. Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry gets a shot off against the Orlando Magic in 2019. Reinhold Matay / AP

Position: Point guard

Career: 12 seasons (2009-present)

Team: Golden State Warriors

NBA championships: 3 (2015, 2017, 2018)

Statistics: 24.2/4.6/6.5

Bottom Line: Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry is one of the greatest shooters in NBA shooters. Jed Jacobsohn / AP Photo

Stephen Curry may be a “Splash Brother” to everyone else, but he’s St. Stephen of Arc to me, the patron saint of the 3-point generation. There has never been a distance shooter quite like him.

From the moment Curry leaves the locker room, he’s a 50-footer waiting to go off. Literally. I’ve seen him swish more than one two-hander from the tunnel before home games.

Yet while it’s easy to be mesmerized by his circus shots, there’s a tendency to forget that Curry is an underrated ball distributor.

The two-time league MVP also is adept in team defense principles.

It’s fair to wonder how prolific Curry would be in the pre-3-point era, when those 25-plus-footers were worth one less point. But there can be no doubt about his historic value in the modern game.

17. David Robinson

David Robinson won two NBA titles. Donna McWilliam / AP Photo

Position: Center

Career: 13 seasons (1990-2003)

Team: San Antonio Spurs

NBA championships: 2 (1999, 2003)

Statistics: 21.1/10.6/2.5

Bottom Line: David Robinson

David Robinson passes ball over Dallas Mavericks Nick Van Exel

David Robinson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. Donna McWilliam / AP Photo

David Robinson played a balanced, calculated, no-frills game: high-percentage scorer-passer at one end, massive anchor at the other.

Among pivotmen, only Shaquille O’Neal had a higher player efficiency rating in the regular season. Give Robinson a pet move on the blocks, and “The Admiral” would have been even better.

It’s the postseason where Robinson came up a bit short. There, his averages tumbled almost across the board — points, assists, steals, blocked shots. It wasn’t until Tim Duncan came aboard that he earned his two championship rings.

After a late start because of a Naval commitment, the Admiral sat out almost one full season and a half of another because of various injuries in his prime. We simply didn’t see enough of him, especially in big moments.

16. Bob Pettit

Bob Pettit, of the St. Louis Hawks, leaps to make a one-handed shot in 1957. AP Photo

Position: Center and power forward

Career: 11 seasons (1954-65)

Teams: Milwaukee Hawks, St. Louis Hawks

NBA championships: 1 (1958)

Statistics: 26.4/16.2/3.0

Bottom Line: Bob Pettit

Bob Pettit defends against Tommy Heinsohn

Bob Pettit, left, won one NBA title in his career. J. Walter Green / AP Photo

Put LeBron James at small forward and Tim Duncan in the middle where they belong, and a solid case can be made for Bob Pettit as the best power forward ever.

Bob Pettit? Google him, kids.

Because Pettit played before expansion, few know much about him. He was a two-time league MVP who averaged 26.4 points (eighth overall) and 16.2 rebounds (third) per game over 11 seasons. Only Wilt Chamberlain did both at a higher rate in league history. Let that sink in for a while.

If the best players come up big in the biggest games, then “Big Blue” qualifies beyond a doubt. In Game 7 of the 1958 NBA Finals, he put up a 50 burger (and 19 rebounds) in a one-point victory. Against the mighty Boston Celtics, no less.

And another thing: Pettit was All-Star Game Most Valuable Player a record four times.

15. George Mikan

Minneapolis Lakers center George Mikan flips a hook shot in a game against a college all-star team at Chicago Stadium in 1949. Ed Maloney / AP Photo

Position: Center

Career: 7 seasons (1948-54, 1955-56)

Teams: Minneapolis Lakers (Basketball Association of America/NBA)

BAA/NBA championships: 5 (1949, 1950 ,1952, 1953, 1954)

Statistics: 23.1/13.4 (incomplete)/2.8

Bottom line: Has any player had a greater impact than George Mikan, the first megastar attraction in pro basketball? Not likely. If not for the 6-foot-10 center, the league probably would have been set back a decade, if not longer.

In seven seasons, Mikan claimed three scoring titles and five league championships. If there had been an MVP Award at the time, he would have had four or five those as well.

So dominant was Mikan in the paint area, even the NBA tried to stop him. It widened the lane to move him away from the basket. When desperate opponents resorted to stall-ball tactics, the strategy led to the adoption of the 24-second clock, the most important innovation in league history.

Mikan is the greatest player who time has forgotten. His name should be among the first names mentioned in any conversation about all-time difference-makers.

Bottom Line: George Mikan

George Mikan, with ball, was the NBA’s first superstar. AP Photo

Has any player had a greater impact than George Mikan, the first megastar attraction in pro basketball? Not likely. If not for the 6-foot-10 center, the league probably would have been set back a decade, if not longer.

In seven seasons, Mikan claimed three scoring titles and five league championships. If there had been an MVP Award at the time, he would have had four or five those as well.

Mikan is the greatest player who time has forgotten. His name should be among the first names mentioned in any conversation about all-time difference-makers.

14. Kevin Durant

Golden State Warriors small forward Kevin Durant shoots the ball in a game against the Philadelphia in 2019. Matt Slocum / AP

Position: Small forward

Career: 13 seasons (2007-present)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets

NBA championships: 2 (2017, 2018)

Statistics: 27.0/7.1/4.2

Bottom line: A bunch of numbers can vouch for Kevin Durant’s greatness. Here are two favorites: the two-time NBA Finals MVP has played in eight postseasons and led the league in points per game in four of them. Overall, his 28.8 mark ranks fifth in playoff history.

That’s called a money player, people.

It’s size, length and efficiency that also separate Durant from the pack at both ends. Whether it’s on the block, beyond the arc or somewhere in between, he’s as good a shotmaker as there ever has been in the 6-foot-9-and-taller class.

A third NBA championship and/or fifth league scoring title could move Durant into the top 10 overall. Remember, he’s 30 years old and still in his prime.

Bottom Line: Kevin Durant

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant reacts

Kevin Durant is a two-time NBA Finals MVP. Adam Hunger / AP Photo

A bunch of numbers can vouch for Kevin Durant’s greatness. Here are two favorites: the two-time NBA Finals MVP has played in 10 postseasons and led the league in points per game in four of them. Overall, his 29.2 mark ranks fifth in playoff history.

That’s called a money player, people.

A third NBA championship and/or fifth league scoring title could move Durant into the top 10 overall. Remember, he’s 32 years old.

13. Jerry West

Jerry West is the greatest player to never win an NBA MVP award. Jeff Robins / AP Photo

Position: Point guard and shooting guard

Career: 13 seasons (1961-74)

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

NBA championships: 1 (1972)

Statistics: 27.0/5.8/6.7

Bottom Line: Jerry West

Los Angeles Lakers' Jerry West drives around Milwaukee Bucks' Oscar Robertson

Jerry West was “Mr. Clutch.” AP Photo

If ever a player was in the right place at the wrong time, Jerry West was the one. If he had played with a quality big early in his career, let alone a Lakers all-timer such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Shaquille O’Neal (who would come later), West might be no worse than No. 5 on the list.

He played in the long shadow of the Celtics dynasty in the 1960s decade, a time of his many heroic performances and even more frustration. Six times his teams advanced to the NBA Finals, and six times they lost. “Mr. Clutch” is the only NBA Finals MVP who failed to win the big prize.

But let’s not make West out to be a sympathetic figure or anything. He’s among the all-time leaders in points (21st), win shares (20th) and player efficiency rating (25th). And he finally got his elusive bling with a 1971-72 Lakers team that could be the best of the pre-merger era.

12. Bill Russell

Boston Celtics center Bill Russell keeps the ball moving against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1967. Harold Filan / AP Photo

Position: Center

Career: 12 seasons (1957-69)

Team: Boston Celtics

NBA championships: 11 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)

Statistics: 15.1/22.5/4.3

Bottom Line: Bill Russell

Bill Russell won 11 NBA rings. AP Photo

Heresy that this may be to the Boston romanticists, Bill Russell receives way too much credit for one-dimensional dominance and so-called intangibles. The surly center spent 13 seasons in the so-called live ball era, yet he never averaged as many as 19.0 points per game in any of them. A staggering 82 percent of his career win shares came on defense.

Russell was a glorified ball distributor-outlet passer, basically. Really, how many opponents gasped, “How are we ever gonna contain Russell in the post?!” Then again, there was so much Hall of Fame talent around him, “The Bearded Wonder” could afford to pace himself at that end.

Great leader-rebounder-shot blocker, no question. But serious GOAT candidate, no way.

11. Oscar Robertson

Cincinnati Royals guard Oscar Robertson takes control of the ball under the backboard against the New York Knicks in 1962. AP

Position: Point guard

Career: 14 seasons (1960-74)

Teams: Cincinnati Royals, Milwaukee Bucks

NBA championships: 1 (1971)

Statistics: 25.7/7.5/9.5

Bottom Line: Oscar Robertson

Oscar Robertson steals ball from Rick Barry

Oscar Robertson was a triple-double machine. Paul Shane / AP Photo

The best thing about Russell Westbrook’s triple-double run was that it forced a lot of people to discover the first player to pull it off. That would be Oscar Robertson, the first dominant point guard, who averaged 30.3 points, 10.6 assists and 10.4 rebounds per game in his first five seasons. That was back when few players went out of their way to pad stats, remember.

At the same time, “The Big O” could be something of a control freak. He created such colossal mismatches in isolation the world tended to stop around him. There were too many times when he dribbled out the shot clock while idle teammates observed his greatness.

It wasn’t until Robertson was traded to the Bucks, distributed the ball more and shot it less that he became an NBA champion for the first and only time. If not for that and some indifferent defense, he would be several spots higher.

10. Hakeem Olajuwon

Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon moves to the hoop against Phoenix Suns defender Rodney Rogers in 2001. Tim Johnson / AP Photo

Position: Center

Career: 18 seasons (1984-2002)

Team: Houston Rockets

NBA championships: 2 (1994, 1995)

Statistics: 21.8/11.1/2.5

Bottom Line: Hakeem Olajuwon

Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon go for opening tip

Hakeem Olajuwon, left, played 18 seasons in the NBA. Tim Sharp / AP Photo

If you wanted to flip-flop Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan in the order, we wouldn’t need to arm-wrestle over it. Timmy won more championship hardware, but he also had a better cast around him. “The Dream” was the more dominant individual talent for a team that counted on him to put up big numbers more often.

Along with Duncan and a select few others, Olajuwon set the bar for big men. His player efficiency rating ranks 20th in the regular season, fifth in the postseason. Duncan checks in at 13th and seventh, respectively, which says a lot about their proximity.

Besides, any back-to-back NBA Finals MVP who had a delicious move called the Dream shake deserves to be on the short list.

9. Larry Bird

Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird drives against Charlotte Hornets forward J.R. Reid in 1991. AP Photo

Position: Small forward and power forward

Career: 12 seasons (1980-92)

Team: Boston Celtics

NBA championships: 3 (1981, 1984, 1986)

Statistics: 24.3/10.0/6.3

Bottom Line: Larry Bird

Larry Bird was a three-time MVP. Paul Benoit / AP Photo

Larry Bird would be a spot or two higher if various health issues had not sidetracked him later in his career. As it was, “Larry Legend” got his fair share of trophies out of nine peak seasons — three league MVP Awards, two NBA Finals MVP Awards and one All-Star Game MVP Award.

While not overly athletic, Bird rarely had to outjump or out-quick an opponent to make his points. His instincts were that good. The combo forward had the full arsenal with the ball in his hands — post-up game, mid-range game, long-distance game plus the selflessness and vision to assist teammates.

Now riddle me this: How did Celtics conspirator Red Auerbach snooker five teams in the 1978 draft, when he stole the Indiana State junior sensation one year ahead of schedule?

8. Tim Duncan

San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan shoots over Sacramento Kings defenders in a 2006 playoff game. Eric Gay / AP

Position: Center and power forward

Career: 19 seasons (1997-2016)

Team: San Antonio Spurs

NBA championships: 5 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)

Statistics: 19.0/10.8/3.0

Bottom Line: Tim Duncan

San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan scores over Denver Nuggets defender Rodney White

Tim Duncan won five NBA championships with the Spurs. Eric Gay / AP Photo

Tim Duncan was the modern-day Bill Russell with an offensive game. His regular-season numbers don’t scream “Hey, look at me!” from the mountaintop. But performance in the the playoffs is important, and that’s where the three-time NBA Finals MVP forged his legacy.

Duncan is one of the few players whose postseason stats (20.6/11.4/3.0) are noticeably better than in the regular season. He also is one of only four centers with as many as five NBA titles on his resume. The others: Russell, George Mikan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Some might say Timmy is ranked a bit high here. Others could say he’s too low. Which means No. 8 is about right.

7. Shaquille O’Neal

Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal slam dunks against the Phoenix Suns in 1996. Kevork Djansezian / AP Photo

Position: Center

Career: 19 seasons (1992-2011)

Teams: Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics

NBA championships: 4 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)

Statistics: 23.7/10.9/2.5

Bottom Line: Shaquille O’Neal

Los Angeles Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant embracing

Shaq, left, and Kobe won three NBA titles as teammates on the Lakers. Eric Gay / AP Photo

Shaq dominated, but the 7-foot-1, 325-plus-pound Shaquille O’Neal rarely was in the required physical condition in his 19 seasons. He played in as many as 70 games in only seven of them.

The havoc that “Shaq Daddy” wreaked over his peak 10-season period was something to behold, nonetheless. As the cornerstone of back-to-back-to-back NBA champions, he averaged 28.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game in that span. Let’s not forget the big load was double-teamed on a regular basis.

Now imagine what “The Diesel” could have been done with more discipline and better free-throw technique.

6. Kobe Bryant

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant points to his teammates after sinking a basket in the 2009 NBA Finals. Mark Terrill / AP

Position: Shooting guard and small forward

Career: 20 seasons (1996-2016)

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers

NBA championships: 5 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)

Statistics: 25.0/5.2/4.7

Bottom Line: Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant was a highlight machine. Chris Pizzello / AP Photo

There have been almost as many Next Jordans as the Kardashian sisters have had next boyfriends. I was part of the media contingent at the 1998 All-Star Game in New York, where the NBA went out of its way to hype Kobe Bryant as the Next Jordan on the national stage. That was enormous pressure to heap on a 19-year old kid in his second season, and I couldn’t help but think he had been set up to fail.

We know about the monstrous numbers that Bryant would put up over 20 seasons. What was more amazing is that he went on to become a reasonable Jordan facsimile. Both were more committed than a tattoo. Both played a 94-foot game until late in their careers. Both were cold-blooded scorers. Most of all, they were champions 11 times over.

Heck, Mamba and His Airness even shared the same criticisms — they were distrustful of teammates and hogged the ball too often.

Of course, that’s not to suggest that Bryant was Jordan exactly. The replica almost never beats the original. But Mamba was as close in size, substance and style as we’re likely to see in a long while.

5. Magic Johnson

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson shoots over Los Angeles Clippers defender Ken Norman in 1990. AP

Position: Point guard

Career: 13 seasons (1979-91, 1995-96)

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

NBA championships: 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)

Statistics: 19.5/7.2/11.2

Bottom Line: Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson led the “Showtime” Lakers in the 1980s. Eric Draper / AP Photo

There never has been a more aptly named offense than Showtime, the Lakers’ blitz-and-glitz attack that produced some of the best numbers of all time. And there was no point guard more suited to orchestrate it than one named Magic, the 6-foot-9 whirlwind, whose uncommon size and flair refined the position. His career average of 11.2 assists per game remains the NBA’s gold standard.

Magic had limited shot options in his bag of tricks — a push shot, junior sky hook (see Game 4, NBA Finals), layup and occasional dunk. But the five-time league champion and three-time NBA Finals MVP picked his spots well.

Like most hands-on point guards, Johnson dominated the ball too often at times. He also was so-so at the other end. Those were mere blips on his legacy as an all-time leader and champion.

4. LeBron James

LeBron James during a Los Angeles Lakers game against the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019. Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP Photo

Position: Small forward

Career: 18 seasons (2003-present)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers

NBA championships: 3 (2012, 2013, 2016)

Statistics: 27.0/7.4/7.4

Bottom Line: LeBron James

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James puts up shot

LeBron James made his NBA debut in 2003. Will Shilling / AP Photo

As the LeBron James-versus-Michael Jordan argument enters the final minutes, the score is closer than some may think.

If NBA championship rings are the criteria, as some believe, then James falls short with four, two fewer than Jordan’s career total. But suppose “The King” wins one or two more before he retires. Taken in context of all else he has accomplished — namely, 17 All-Star Game appearances and 16 All-NBA selections, both more than “His Airness” already — it would be a far more even debate.

Let’s also suppose that James averages 24.0 points and 65 games or thereabouts over the next three seasons. That would take him through 38 years of age. Hardly a gimme but not implausible. That would leave The King on an island as the all-time scorer in league history as well as the first to reach 40,000 points in his career.

Those are a lot of supposes. And you know what some people think about James with the game on the line. But he’s got a chance.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shoots his patented sky hook over Portland Trail Blazers center Jim Brewer in 1980. AP

Position: Center

Career: 20 seasons (1969-89)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers

NBA championships: 6 (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)

Statistics: 24.6/11.2/3.6

Bottom Line: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar jumps over crowd to score

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was tough to stop. AP Photo

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of the all-time winners, a three-time champion in high school, a three-time champion in college and a six-time champion in the pros. Consider the ridiculous expectations that were heaped on him as far back as grade school, and he might be the greatest winner of all.

Pick almost any major category, and you’ll find Abdul-Jabbar among the top four on the all-time list. Minutes played (first). Points (first). Field goals (first). Rebounds (fourth). Blocked shots (third). Win shares (first).

Oh, and his sky hook ranks first on the list of coolest, most lethal shots ever.

If someone wanted to anoint “Cap” as the GOAT, it wouldn’t be without reason.

2. Wilt Chamberlain

Philadelphia 76ers center Wilt Chamberlain shoots over Boston Celtics player-coach Bill Russell in 1967. AP

Position: Center

Career: 14 seasons (1959-73)

Teams: Philadelphia-San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers

NBA championships: 2 (1967, 1972)

Statistics: 30.1/22.9/4.4

Bottom Line: Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain played like a man against boys. Warren M. Winterbottom / AP Photo

Five decades after his final game, Wilt Chamberlain remains the most dominant force the game has known. He changed teams, he changed roles, and most of all, he changed the game itself.

Chamberlain was a 7-foot-1 Goliath, who dwarfed everyone around him. He led the league in rebounds (11 times), points (eight) and minutes played (eight) too many times to count. His cartoon-like numbers in the 1961-62 season will never be matched — 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds per game.

What happened when “The Big Dipper” took on a major role reversal in his game midway through his career? He immediately led the 76ers to the NBA title as one of the league assists leaders, of course.

Yet Chamberlain’s greatest asset also was his fatal flaw. He was so big and so strong and so athletic and enjoyed life so much that he almost felt sorry for the poor saps on the other side. That lack of a killer instinct almost certainly cost him a couple or three NBA championships.

Even so, when The Big Dipper had an accomplished coach and players around him, his teams weren’t just great. They were all-time great.

1. Michael Jordan

Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan during a break in action of a 1996 NBA Finals game against the Seattle SuperSonics. Beth A. Keiser / AP Photo

Position: Shooting guard

Career: 15 seasons (1984-93, 1994-98, 2001-03)

Teams: Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards

NBA championships: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)

Statistics: 30.1/6.2/5.3

Bottom line: Here’s the GOAT argument, CliffsNotes version.

1. Achievements. No. 1 all-time win shares per 48 minutes, No. 4 all-time scorer, six NBA titles, 17 major individual awards, six NBA Finals MVP Awards, five league MVP Awards.

2. Athletic talent and instincts. Jordan was a nightmare matchup anywhere within the arc, where he had a counter to every move. At the other end, he could be a lockdown defender especially when the situation called for it.

3. Acute competition disorder. Take it from someone who covered the Bulls dynasty from start to finish — Jordan was a cutthroat S.O.B. who refused to lose. Literally.

As you may have heard, Michael Jordan liked to gamble a lot. After practice, he and other Bulls players often would compete in high-stakes games. The rare times that Jordan lost, he was known to insist that play continue until he at least broke even.

Those were his teammates, mind you.

4. Cocksureness. Jordan gambled on himself more than anyone. The guy lived for big moments and had zero fear of failure, none whatsoever. He never saw a shot that he couldn’t make, and when he did miss one, forget about it.

5. Intimidation. So much did the NBA universe revolve around Planet Jordan in the 1990s that no one dared to cross him — players, coaches, referees, team officials, league officials, media.

After Jordan punched teammate Steve Kerr in the face at a particularly heated practice one day, “Opie” (Kerr) blamed his young son for the ugly black eye rather than incur more wrath from God. One beat writer knew the real story but refused to make it public for the same reason.

So, no, I won’t bet against him. Ever.

Now let the bar brawls begin.

Related: Most Unbreakable NBA Records

Bottom Line: Michael Jordan

The ultimate competitor. No one was better than Michael Jordan on a basketball court. John Swart / AP Photo

Here’s the GOAT argument, CliffsNotes version.

1. Achievements. No. 1 all-time win shares per 48 minutes, No. 4 all-time scorer, six NBA titles, 17 major individual awards, six NBA Finals MVP Awards, five league MVP Awards.

3. Acute competition disorder. Take it from someone who covered the Bulls dynasty from start to finish — Jordan was a cutthroat S.O.B. who refused to lose. Literally.

Those were his teammates, mind you.

5. Intimidation. So much did the NBA universe revolve around Planet Jordan in the 1990s that no one dared to cross him — players, coaches, referees, team officials, league officials, media.

So, no, I won’t bet against him. Ever.

Now let the bar brawls begin.

Related: Most Unbreakable NBA Records