The Greatest NBA GMs of All Time

The best basketball executives build championship teams. Lots of them.

The Greatest NBA GMs of All Time

Red Auerbach was the Boston Celtics' general manager from 1950 to 1984 and built 15 NBA championship teams.

They're not players, coaches or owners. But in the NBA, front-office executives have an important role.

The executives who make player personnel decisions — also known as the general manager — are the architects of the team. They decide who to draft, sign in free agency and trade to construct rosters that are built for winning championships.

Entering the 2019-20 season, 283 executives have been in charge of player personnel decisions in NBA history. These are the best.

Honorable Mention: Jon Horst

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks

GM experience: 2 seasons (2017-present)

Record as GM: 104-60 (.634)

Playoff appearances: 2

NBA titles: 0

Bottom line: Jon Horst is young, smart and hungry. In his first two seasons running the Bucks, the team has won 60 games in a season, finished with the best record in the league and got within two games of beating the NBA-champion Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals.

Most importantly, the 36-year-old Horst has created a winning culture in Milwaukee. He fired Jason Kidd and hired Mike Budenholzer (a former Spurs assistant on Gregg Popovich's staff) and surrounded the team's star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, with shooters and long, athletic players.

It's too soon to christen Horst a great, but the reigning NBA executive of the year might not be too far away from greatness.

30. Geoff Petrie

Teams: Sacramento Kings

GM experience: 20 seasons (1994-2013)

Record as GM: 721-789 (.477)

Playoff appearances: 9

NBA titles: 0

Bottom line: Being an NBA executive is a tough job, but the job can bring added stress for former players, who are used to controlling the outcome of games with moves on the court. Geoff Petrie learned how to make an impact off it.

The 1971 co-rookie of the year out of Princeton and a two-time All-Star, Petrie joined the Kings in 1994 and turned the struggling franchise into a contender in the early 2000s. If not for the Shaq-Kobe Lakers and some questionable officiating in 2002, the Kings might have been the actual kings of the NBA.

Though Petrie was unable to get Sacramento to the promised land, he was executive of the year twice (1999, 2001) and achieved a lot in a small market.

29. Sam Presti

Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder

GM experience: 12 seasons (2007-present)

Record as GM: 538-348 (.607)

Playoff appearances: 9

NBA titles: 0

Bottom line: Good thing Sam Presti has a strong constitution.

Presti drafted Kevin Durant (2007), Russell Westbrook (2008) and James Harden (2009). Now all three former NBA MVPs are no longer on the Thunder, and neither is Paul George.

But Presti — whose teams have lost in the Western Conference finals twice and NBA Finals once — still has a playoff-caliber roster. Can he build a champion in a win-now league?

28. Wayne Embry

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors

GM experience: 20 seasons, Milwaukee (1972-77), Cleveland (1986-99), Toronto (2006)

Record as GM: Milwaukee (225-185, .549), Cleveland (564-470, .545), Toronto (27-55, .329)

Playoff appearances: 12

NBA titles: 0

Bottom line: Wayne Embry was a pioneer. After a solid 11-year NBA career as a player, Wayne Embry became the first black general manager and team president in professional sports history.

The closest he got to winning a championship as a GM was in 1974, when the Bucks lost to the Celtics in seven games, but he helped turn the Cavaliers into perennial contenders in the late 1980s to mid-1990s, and his Cavs teams finished above .500 in 10 of his 13 seasons in the front office.

In 1999, the two-time executive of the year was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game.

27. Larry Bird

Teams: Indiana Pacers

GM experience: 13 seasons (2003-12, 2013-17)

Record as GM: 642-571 (.529)

Playoff appearances: 8

NBA titles: 0

Bottom line: Just as Larry Legend worked hard to master his craft as a Hall of Fame player, he put in work to master his job running an NBA team. But the former Celtic great had an up-and-down tenure as an executive for his hometown Indiana Pacers.

Despite some hits (drafting Danny Granger and Paul George), he had one big miss: trading Kawhi Leonard (along with Davis Bertans and Erazem Lorbek) to the Spurs for George Hill on draft day in 2011. We'll never know how devastating a George-Leonard combination would have been. Oh, wait.

On the flip side, Bird is the only person in league history to be voted MVP, coach of the year and executive of the year.

26. Daryl Morey

Teams: Houston Rockets

GM experience: 12 seasons (2007-present)

Record as GM: 596-372 (.616)

Playoff appearances: 10

NBA Titles: 0

Bottom line: Numbers don't lie. But they don't guarantee NBA titles, either.

Daryl Morey, who went to MIT Sloan School of Management and co-founded the annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in 2007, was ahead of the curve in using analytics in the NBA. He has won big deals. And his basketball philosophy, or "Moreyball," which is predicated on shooting 3's and layups over midrange jumpers, has produced some big wins.

Just not the biggest. At least not yet.

25. Bob Weinhauer

Teams: Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks

GM experience: 4 seasons, Houston (1994-96), Milwaukee (1997-99)

Record as GM: Houston (153-93, .622), Milwaukee (97-117, .453)

Playoff appearances: 3

NBA Titles: 1 (1995)

Bottom line: A good GM knows when to gamble and when to not mess with a good thing. Bob Weinhauer took over as the Rockets' general manager in 1994, the season after Houston won its first NBA title, and he rolled the dice to make the team better.

Weinhauer traded Otis Thorpe for Clyde Drexler, left Hakeem Olajuwon and the core of the team intact, and the Rockets won back-to-back championships. The honeymoon for the Rockets did not last long, and the team lost in the Western Conference semifinals the following season.

Before Weinhauer left town, he made one more blockbuster, acquiring Charles Barkley from the Suns for Charles Chucky Brown, Mark Bryant, Sam Cassell and Robert Horry. In Milwaukee, Weinhauer kept wheeling and dealing, but he didn't find much success and has the dubious distinction of trading Dirk Nowitzki for Robert Traylor.

24. Dick Vertlieb

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers

GM experience: 4 seasons, SuperSonics (1968-69), Warriors (1974-76), Pacers (1980-81)

Record as GM: SuperSonics (30-52, .366), Warriors (107-57, .652), Pacers (44-38, .537)

Playoff appearances: 3

NBA titles: 1 (1975)

Bottom line: Dick Vertlieb made his time as a general manager count.

In four NBA seasons, he ran three teams, hired Lenny Wilkens to coach the Sonic and won an NBA title with the Warriors. Wilkens won 1,332 games in his NBA coaching career, and the Dubs didn't win another title for another 40 years.

In 1977, Vertlieb also was the first GM of the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball. Not too bad a legacy.

23. Don Nelson

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks

GM experience: 23 seasons, Milwaukee (1977-87), Golden State (1987-95), Dallas (1997-2002)

Record as GM: Milwaukee (513-307, .626), Golden State (309-347, .471), Dallas (189-189, .500)

Playoff appearances: 16

NBA titles: 0

Bottom line: Marques Johnson. Sidney Moncrief. Mitch Richmond. Tim Hardaway. Tyrone Hill. Chris Gatling. Latrell Sprewell. Chris Webber. Dirk Nowitzki. Josh Howard. Those are all players Don Nelson drafted or acquired via trade. And they all became All-Stars.

Nellie, who won five NBA rings as a player, knew the game as well as anybody. While his teams could put up points, they never played enough defense to put up NBA championship banners in Milwaukee, Golden State or Dallas.

Don't worry about Nelson signing the blues, though. Now, he has a weed farm on Maui to grow his own green for medicinal purposes.

22. Jack Ramsay

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers

GM experience: 4 seasons, (1966-1970)

Record as GM: 227-100 (.694)

Playoff appearances: 4

NBA titles: 1 (1967)

Bottom line: Dr. Jack is a basketball legend, but even legends aren't perfect. After winning the NBA title in his first season with the Sixers and getting to the division finals in his second, Jack Ramsay was forced to trade Wilt Chamberlain for a bag of balls and some peanuts.

Ramsay then took over as Philly's head coach, and pulled double duty in the front office and on the sidelines for two seasons, before focusing full-time on coaching for the rest of his career.

That decision was one of the best moves Ramsay, one of the game's greatest visionaries and teachers, ever made on his way to the Hall of Fame.

21. Jerry Colangelo

Teams: Phoenix Suns

GM experience: 27 seasons (1968-1995)

Record as GM: 1205-1009 (.544)

Playoff appearances: 17

NBA titles: 0

Bottom line: Jerry Colangelo was the youngest general manager in professional sports when he became the first GM of the expansion Suns in 1968 at the age of 28. Although he lost a 1969 coin flip with the Milwaukee Bucks for the right to draft UCLA star center Lew Alcindor (who became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Colangelo bounced back and steered the Suns to success.

Under his watch, Phoenix finished .500 or better in 17 seasons and reached the NBA Finals twice — losing in six games both times, to the Boston Celtics in 1976 and the Chicago Bulls in 1993.

Along the way, he won four NBA executive of the year awards (1977, 1982, 1990, 1994) and became one of the most powerful men in the NBA. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.

20. Eddie Gottlieb

Teams: Philadelphia Warriors/San Francisco Warriors

GM experience: 11 seasons (1952-63)

Record as GM: 400-415 (.491)

Playoff appearances: 7

NBA titles: 1 (1956)

Bottom line: Wilt Chamberlain isn't the only Hall of Fame player Eddie Gottlieb drafted. He also picked star players Tom Gola, Guy Rodgers and Nate Thurmond.

In fact, Gottlieb, who also coached and owned the team, built an NBA champion three years before Chamberlain, one of the most dominant players in NBA history, joined the roster. In 1956, the Warriors toppled the Fort Wayne Pistons with Gola and Paul Arizin running the show. Not sure if that's more a credit to Gottlieb's skills as a team builder or an indictment against Chamberlain's ability to make those around him better.

What's indisputable is Gottlieb's influence on the game — for over decades, he was chairman of the league's rules committee and made the league's schedule until 1978.

19. Harry Glickman

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers

GM Experience: 11 seasons (1970-81)

Record as GM: 405-497 (.449)

Playoff appearances: 5

NBA Titles: 1 (1977)

Bottom Line: Harry Glickman was the founder of the Portland Trail Blazers and ran the team for its first 11 seasons.

After some growing pains, Glickman put all of the pieces together, and the Blazers won a championship in 1977 in their first postseason.

Glickman proved that a small market like Portland could support an NBA franchise and was honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.

18. Ray Patterson

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets

Executive experience: 19 seasons, Milwaukee (1970-72), Houston (1972-89)

Record as executive: Milwaukee (116-29, .800), Houston (682-732, .482)

Playoff appearances: 12

NBA Titles: 1 (1971)

Bottom line: A little luck never hurt an NBA executive, and good fortune smiled on Ray Patterson, the Bucks' first president.

In 1969, Patterson worked with then-general manager John Erickson to draft and sign Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), a coup for Milwaukee and the NBA since the upstart ABA wanted the once-in-a-lifetime franchise player. After the Bucks acquired Oscar Robertson from the Cincinnati Royals, Erickson left the team for politics, and Milwaukee won its first NBA title in 1971 with Patterson steering the ship.

He then moved on to Houston and created a home for basketball in a football state. The Rockets made the playoffs in 11 of Patterson's 17 seasons as GM, including two NBA Finals appearances in 1981 and 1986, as he drafted, traded or signed multiple Hall of Famers, including Moses Malone, Elvis Hayes and Hakeem Olajuwon.

17. Pat Williams

Teams: Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic

GM experience: 24 seasons, Chicago (1969-73), Atlanta (1973-74), Philadelphia (1974-86), Orlando (1987-96)

Record as GM: Chicago (231-179, .563), Atlanta (35-47, .427), Philadelphia (640-381, .627), Orlando (278-296, .484)

Playoff appearances: 18

NBA titles: 1 (1983)

Bottom line: It's a thin line between winning everything and being relegated to the dustbin of runner-up history. Ask Pat Williams.

The longtime executive took teams to the NBA Finals five times (four with the 76ers, once with the Magic) in three different decades but won only one title, in 1983 with the 76ers.

Nevertheless, he accomplished a lot in his GM career. Three of his biggest league-altering moves were purchasing Julius Erving from the New York Nets for the Sixers, drafting Shaquille O'Neal and trading for Penny Hardaway.

16. Danny Ainge

Teams: Boston Celtics

GM experience: 16 seasons (2003-present)

Record as GM: 722-573 (.558)

Playoff appearances: 16

NBA titles: 1 (2008)

Bottom line: Only one person has run the Boston Celtics as long as Danny Ainge — Red Auerbach.

While Ainge is not in the same executive class as Auerbach (not too many people are), the former Celtic has made some big moves that would make Auerbach proud. Most famous are the trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the fleecing of the Brooklyn Nets, and the hirings of Doc Rivers and Brad Stevens as head coaches.

But the NBA is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business, and the Celtics haven't won a title since 2008, so the natives are getting restless.

15. Rod Thorn

Teams: Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers,

GM experience: 15 seasons, Chicago (1978-85), New Jersey (2000-04, 2007-08, 2010), Philadelphia (2010-12)

Record as GM: Chicago (206-341, .377), New Jersey (208-202, .507), Philadelphia (76-72, .514)

Playoff appearances: 7

NBA titles: 0

Bottom line: Rod Thorn drafted an athletic shooting guard out of North Carolina named Michael Jordan as the third pick in the 1984 draft. Though Thorn never won an NBA title as an NBA executive, he gets credit for choosing the chosen one.

Thorn saw his most NBA front-office success with the Nets as Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin and a young Richard Jefferson led teams to back-to-back NBA Finals in the early 2000s.

Thorn ended his career with Sixers, but none of his moves in Philly could top the ones he made in Chicago and New Jersey. In 2018, Thorn was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

14. David Griffin

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans Pelicans

GM experience: 3 seasons, Cavaliers (2014-17), New Orleans (2019-present)

Record as GM: Cleveland (194-134, .591) New Orleans N/A

Playoff appearances: 3

NBAtitles: 1 (2016)

Bottom line: David Griffin is just getting started.

After getting LeBron James back to the Cavaliers, Griffin traded for Kevin Love and made the all other necessary roster moves to give the King everything he needed to fulfill his championship promise to Cleveland.

Now, Griffin has an opportunity to build an NBA champion in New Orleans with Zion Williamson, another generational talent. The Anthony Davis deal with the Lakers proves Griffin is up to the challenge.

13. Joe Dumars

Teams: Detroit Pistons

GM experience: 14 seasons (2000-2014)

Record as GM: 595-537 (.526)

Playoff appearances: 8

NBA titles: 1 (2004)

Bottom line: Joe Dumars was an underrated shark with the Pistons — on the court as the player and in the front office as an executive. After becoming the GM of his old team, Dumars showed the same quiet efficiency and killer instinct that made him a two-time NBA champion in Detroit.

Under Dumars, the Pistons reached the Eastern Conference finals five times (winning twice) and won 50 or more games in seven straight seasons. His crowning achievement was the 2004 championship team that shocked the Lakers, which was built by trading for Ben Wallace, drafting Tayshaun Prince, signing Chauncey Billups as a free agent and trading for Richard Hamilton.

The Pistons never soared to those heights again with Dumars. But before his tenure ended, he selected Andre Drummond as a lottery pick in 2012.

12. Jack McCloskey

Teams: Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors

GM experience: 17 seasons, Detroit (1979-92), Minnesota (1992-95), Toronto (2004)

Record as GM: Detroit (580-486, .544), Minnesota (60-186, .244), Toronto (33-49, .402)

Playoff appearances: 9

NBA titles: 2 (1989, 1990)

Bottom line: Jack McCloskey had some lean early years in Detroit, but he identified talent others did not.

After hiring Chuck Daly to be the team's head coach in 1983, the Pistons won 46 or more games in nine straight seasons, and McCloskey's trade acquisitions (Vinnie Johnson, Bill Laimbeer, Adrian Dantley, Mark Aguirre) and draft picks (Joe Dumars, John Salley, Dennis Rodman) formed the core of the back-to-back championship teams in Detroit.

The same success did not follow McCloskey in Minnesota and Toronto, but the "Bad Boys" era in Motown was as bad (meaning good) as basketball gets.

11. Donnie Nelson

Teams: Dallas Mavericks

GM experience: 17 seasons, (2002-present)

Record as GM: 818-560 (.594)

Playoff appearances: 13

NBA Titles: 1 (2011)

Bottom Line: Donnie Nelson, the son of Don Nelson, succeeded his father in the general manager role with the Mavericks and built teams that won 50 or more games in nine straight seasons.

Donnie helped the Mavericks get to their first NBA Finals in 2006. Then, he upped the ante, hiring Rick Carlisle as head coach and acquiring Shawn Marion and Jason Kidd in trades. The result in 2011 — an NBA title over the heavily favored Miami Heat — was something even his father never did while running basketball operations for a team.

It was the first NBA title for Dallas, but it may not be the last for Donnie and crew. With Dirk Nowitzki retiring, a new crop of stars headlined by Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis could make some noise in the crowded Western Conference.

10. Gregg Popovich

Teams: San Antonio Spurs

GM experience: 8 seasons, (1994-2002)

Record as GM: 403-221 (.646)

Playoff appearances: 7

NBA titles: 1

Bottom line: One of the greatest NBA coaches of all time also is one of the game's greatest executives.

Gregg Popovich selected Tim Duncan as the first pick in the 1997 draft, and "The Big Fundamental" became the heir apparent to David Robinson and a foundational piece for a Spurs dynasty. Popovich selected Manu Ginobili with the 57th pick in the 1999 draft, and he turned out to be a future Hall of Famer. Popovich also signed Bruce Bowen and Stephen Jackson, key contributors for future Spurs championship teams.

But Popovich's all-time greatest move was installing himself as head coach to replace Bob Hill after only 18 games in the 1996-97 season. Twenty-plus years later, Pop hasn't left the bench, and the Spurs have five NBA titles and average close to 50 wins every season.

9. Masai Ujiri

Teams: Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors

GM experience: 9 seasons, Denver (2010-13), Toronto (2013-present)

Record as GM: Denver (145-85, .630), Toronto (321-171, .652)

Playoff appearances: 9

NBA titles: 1 (2019)

Bottom line: Masai Ujiri did not waste any time making a name for himself in the NBA. After proving himself as a scout with the Nuggets and Raptors, Ujiri was hired as Denver's general manager in 2010 and developed a reputation as a smart, bold dealmaker.

In 2013, the Nigerian who was born in England became the first non-American to win the NBA executive of the year award and signed a five-year, $15 million deal to lead the Raptors' front office. He did such a good job that Toronto gave him an extension with two years on his contract to keep him off the open market.

His boldest (and best) move was trading the team's top player and a fan favorite, DeMar DeRozan, for Kawhi Leonard in a blockbuster that delivered the Raptors' first title. Now, Ujiri gets to experience the difficulty of staying on top without Leonard, who left town after one season.

8. Red Holzman

Willis Reed and Red Holzman — New York Knicks coach and general manager Red Holzman, right, with captain Willis Reed and the world championship trophy in 1970.

Teams: New York Knicks

GM experience: 5 seasons (1970-75)

Record as GM: 306-186 (.622)

Playoff appearances: 6

NBA titles: 2 (1970, 1973)

Bottom line: The Knicks are one of nine NBA franchises that have won two or more NBA titles. Red Holzman is a big reason why.

Holzman coached the team for 14 seasons (1967-77, 1978-82) and was the mastermind behind the Knicks' two titles as the general manager. Holzman took over at GM for Eddie Donovan at the end of the 1970 season, and the Knicks got to the Eastern Conference finals in five straight seasons.

Holzman's biggest move was trading for Earl "The Pearl" Monroe in the early part of the 1971 season, making Madison Square Garden the place to be in the early 1970s. MSG remains the "Mecca of Basketball," but those Knicks glory days are a long way from today.

7. Pat Riley

Teams: Miami Heat

GM experience: 11 seasons (2008-present)

Record as GM: 523-363 (.590)

Playoff appearances: 8

NBA Titles: 2 (2012, 2013)

Bottom line: Pat Riley has seen everything in the NBA — from winning a ring as a player with the Lakers (1972) to leading a dynasty with the "Showtime" Lakers (1980s) to coaching the Knicks (mid-1990s) to joining the Heat as president and coach (1995) and winning another title in Miami (2006).

All that experience prepared Riley for his final act as a championship architect. Since 2008, his sole focus has been running the Heat's basketball operations, and in that time, he introduced the NBA to superteams and won back-to-back titles.

Now with Dwyane Wade retired, it's a new era in Miami, and time will tell if Riley has another title run in him.

6. Max Winter

Teams: Minneapolis Lakers

GM experience: 6 seasons (1948-54)

Record as GM: 273-131 (.675)

Playoff appearances: 6

NBA titles: 5 (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954)

Bottom Line: Max Winter was the first general manager of the Lakers (and a part-owner) when the team started playing in Minneapolis in 1948.

The successful businessman also had the Midas touch in basketball and built the NBA's first dynasty. Under his guidance, the Lakers won the league championship in five of his six seasons as GM.

After his success in basketball, he helped bring pro football to Minnesota with the Minnesota Vikings.

5. Bob Myers

Teams: Golden State Warriors

GM experience: 7 seasons (2012-present)

Record as GM: 420-154 (.732)

Playoff appearances: 7

NBA titles: 3 (2015, 2017, 2018)

Bottom line: Bob Myers took an uncommon route to run basketball operations for the Warriors, starting his career as a sports agent under Arn Tellem. But the path has led to three championships and a near dynasty.

Myers has used his mastery of contract negotiation and player recruitment to draft, sign and trade some big names (see: Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Marreese Speights, Leandro Barbosa, Shaun Livingston and Kevin Durant). However, his biggest move was firing Mark Jackson and bringing in former TNT analyst Steve Kerr to take over as head coach in 2014.

Put everything together, and Myers is a huge part of the Warriors' success. If not for a historic comeback by the Cavaliers and a KD injury, we might be talking about the reigning champion Warriors with five straight titles.

4. R.C. Buford

Teams: San Antonio Spurs

GM experience: 17 seasons, (2002-19)

Record as GM: 966-432 (.691)

Playoff appearances: 17

NBA titles: 4

Bottom line: All R.C. Buford does is win. In his 17 seasons as general manager in San Antonio, the Spurs won 50 or more games in 15 straight seasons.

Some notable moves include his trade of George Hill in the 2015 draft for the 15th pick, which became Kawhi Leonard and another draft pick. Leonard turned out to be pretty good before he was traded to the Toronto Raptors for shooting guard DeMar DeRozan. Buford also signed Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan to contract extensions, added Robert Horry as a free agent, and signed key role players like Danny Green and Patty Mills.

Buford earned a promotion to Spurs CEO for his work. New GM Brian Wright will have big shoes to fill.

3. Jerry Krause

Teams: Chicago Bulls

GM experience: 19 seasons (1976, 1985-2003)

Record as GM: 832-694 (.545)

Playoff appearances: 13

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

Bottomline: Having the greatest player in basketball history is one thing. Maximizing that potential is another. Jerry Krause figured out to get every drop of greatness out of Michael Jordan.

Although Krause didn’t draft Jordan, he found the right players to fit with Jordan and help the team succeed. Some of those players include Scottie Pippen, John Paxson, Horace Grant, Toni Kukoc, B.J. Armstrong, Steve Kerr and Dennis Rodman. Hiring Phil Jackson, an untraditional choice to be an NBA coach, was a stroke of genius, and the perfect yin to Jordan's yang.

Krause could not keep the train on the championship track forever, but for one brilliant decade in the 1990s, we witnessed near sports perfection.

2. Red Auerbach

Bill Russell, Red Auerbach, John Havlicek — Boston Celtics general manager Red Auerbach, center, with Bill Russell, left, and John Havlicek in 1968.

Teams: Boston Celtics

GM Experience: 34 seasons, (1950-84)

Record as GM: 1,738-949 (.647)

Playoff appearances: 30

NBA titles: 15

Bottom line: Red Auerbach was way ahead of his time as a basketball innovator and pioneer. His signature move was getting Bill Russell to the Celtics for his defense, despite the widespread shadow of racism in Boston, in a 1956 deal that involved the Ice Capades and Ed Macauley.

But that was just one of the countless moves Auerbach made. The Celtics employed a long list of legends — Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, John Havlicek, Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale — that dominated the NBA over four decades.

Of course, the NBA in those early days had fewer teams than the 30 now. That doesn't take away from Auerbach's staggering body of work. While the rest of the league was playing checkers, Auerbach played chess. That's why the Celtics won 15 NBA titles under his watch (including eight in a row and 10 out of 11) and have the most championships in NBA history with 17.

1. Jerry West

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies

GM experience: 23 seasons, Lakers (1982-2000), Grizzlies (2002-2007)

Record as GM: Lakers (972-472, .673), Grizzlies (194-216, .473)

Playoff appearances: 20

NBA titles: 5 (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000)

Bottom line: Thank former Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke for Jerry West becoming the greatest architect in the game. After West's playing days with the Lakers, Cooke encouraged West to coach and be a part of personnel decisions. The rest is basketball history.

First, West built the "Showtime" Lakers with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy and others. Then, he signed Shaquille O'Neal, traded for Kobe Bryant and built the 2000 championship Lakers team. When Phil Jackson arrived, West got pushed out of Lakerland and spent five years in Memphis.

In 2011, he became an executive board member of the Warriors and served as an adviser, helping recruit Kevin Durant and make other key moves to bring two titles to Oakland in 2015 and 2017.

Since June 2017, West has been on the executive board of the Clippers. He joined the team because he thinks owner Steve Ballmer is a "winner," and helped land Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. West's next big move is to turn Los Angeles into a Clippers town.