The greatest basketball players of all time

The greatest basketball players of all time

The Money Editors·
Magazine
·7 min read

Adam Silver held a press conference

Have you ever caught yourself thinking of the greatest basketball players of all time? It's a difficult mission, isn't it? We can help you.

We've put together a list of the greatest basketball legends who have competed in the NBA in no order from best to worst. This list is full of stars!

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We've gathered information such as titles, teams, nicknames, MVP awards and All-Star Game calls, as well as various trivia and records. Some of the mentioned players gave us basketball joy sports betting at one time or another. Let's start:

List of the best basketball players in history

1) Bill Russell

  • Position: Swivel
  • Team: Boston Celtics (56-69)
  • Securities: 11x (57, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68 and 69)
  • MVP: 5x (58, 61, 62, 63 and 65)
  • All-Star: 12x (58-69)

Bill Russell was the centerpiece of the Boston Celtics dynasty in the early days of the NBA. The center, known for his impeccable defensive play, is the most successful athlete in American sports history.

Russell was named regular season MVP five times, in addition to appearing in the All-Star Game 12 times during his career. His presence is mandatory in the room of the best basketball players.

2) Larry Bird

  • Position: Wing
  • Team: Boston Celtics (79-92)
  • Securities: 3x (81, 84 and 86)
  • MVP: 3x (84, 85 and 86)
  • All-Star: 12x (80-88 and 90-92)

A member of the United States Dream Team, Larry Bird was an excellent scorer and one of the most acclaimed idols in Boston Celtics history. He won three NBA titles with the Massachusetts team and was named MVP three times in a row.

Bird was relatively slow but made up for it in intelligence, always anticipating his opponents' next move. Certainly one of the greatest basketball players of all time!

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3) LeBron James

  • Position: Wing
  • Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (03-10, 14-18), Miami Heat (10-14) and Los Angeles Lakers (18-current)
  • Securities: 4x (12, 13, 16 and 20)
  • MVP: 4x (09, 10, 12 and 13)
  • All-Star: 16x (05-20)

It's time to talk about one of today's best basketball players: King James! Explosive, technical, leading and somewhat controversial. LeBron has achieved everything an NBA athlete desires: titles, MVPs and All-Stars.

The Los Angeles Lakers winger is the all-time leading scorer in playoff history and the only player to be Finals MVP for three different teams. This shows how decisive he is on the pitch! He promised Cleveland a title and delivered.

4) Kareem Abdul Jabbar

  • Position: Swivel
  • Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (69-75) and Los Angeles Lakers (75-89)
  • Securities: 6x (71, 80, 82, 85, 87 and 88)
  • MVP: 6x (71, 72, 74, 76, 77 and 80)
  • All-Star: 19x (70-77 and 79-89)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a cultural legacy of sport and the greatest pivot basketball has ever seen. Six NBA titles, six regular season MVPs (highest earner) and the icing on the cake: all-time leading scorer (38).

Want more? He is the athlete with the longest time on the court (57 min), the most times named All-Star (446), and the leading scorer for the Milwaukee Bucks (19). Abdul-Jabbar is a legend and one of the greatest players in NBA history.

5) Karl Malone

  • Position: Swivel
  • Teams: Utah Jazz (85-03) and Los Angeles Lakers (03-04)
  • MVP: 2x (97 and 99)
  • All-Star: 14x (88-98 and 00-02)

Remember when I said the Utah Jazz were feared back in the days of point guard John Stockton? Well, it's time to introduce you to the other star who led the team in the 80s and 90s: Karl Malone – arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Stockton was folding and Malone was finishing. The dynamic was more or less like that. Unlike his teammate, he became regular season MVP in two years. Oh, he's the second-leading scorer in NBA history with 36 converted points.

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6) Kobe Bryant

  • Position: Leader
  • Teams: Los Angeles Lakers (96-16)
  • Securities: 5x (00, 01, 02, 09 and 10)
  • MVP: 1x (08)
  • All-Star: 18x (98 and 00-16)

Sadly, Kobe Bryant, aka Black Mamba, tragically passed away. The Los Angeles Lakers star died in a helicopter crash four years after retiring from the courts.

Some say Kobe was the greatest basketball player after Michael Jordan. And his resume doesn't disappoint Five NBA titles, 18 All-Star calls and a regular season MVP award.

7) Johnson Magic

  • Position: Leader
  • Teams: Los Angeles Lakers (79-91 and 95-96)
  • Securities: 5x (80, 82, 85, 87 and 88)
  • MVP: 3x (87, 89 and 90)
  • All-Star: 12x (80 and 82-92)

Continuing in Los Angeles, the conversation now turns to Magic Johnson. The legendary Dream Team point guard played his entire career with the Lakers, leading the franchise to five NBA titles. Additionally, he has won three MVP awards and amassed 12 All-Star appearances.

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The nickname received by Johnson was not for nothing. The athlete made magic with the ball! Between incredible passes and plastic games, he has earned his place in this list of the best basketball players in the world.

8) Michael Jordan

  • Position: Leader
  • Teams: Chicago Bulls (84-93 and 95-98) and Washington Wizards (01-03)
  • Securities: 6x (91, 92, 93, 96, 97 and 98)
  • MVP: 5x (88, 91, 92, 96 and 98)
  • All-Star: 14x (85-93, 96-98, 02 and 03)

There is no doubt: Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time! The point guard was phenomenal on the field. And the clutch too! He decided 25 games with baskets in the last 30 seconds, including two finals and five playoff matches.

Strength, speed, dribbling, shooting, defense, passing and explosion. Jordan had all the fundamentals of basketball in one body. Six titles have been won in the NBA, five MVPs have been received and 14 All-Stars have been accumulated.

9) Oscar Robertson

  • Position: Leader
  • Teams: Cincinnati Royals (60-70) and Milwaukee Bucks (70-74)
  • Securities: 1x (71)
  • MVP: 1x (64)
  • All-Star: 12x (61-72)

NBA title. MVP award. A player with the most triple-doubles in the league (181). Nice to meet you, Oscar Robertson! Certainly one of the best basketball players in history.

Interesting to emphasize the style of play of the "Big O". Even acting as a playmaker, he managed to register great rebounding averages – something unusual in the role. This explains the large number of triple doubles in his career.

Are there any names missing in this ranking of the greatest basketball players of all time? Want to make your best basketball players from best to worst? Take advantage of the comments section to express your opinion. We want to hear from you!

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