The 100 Greatest Basketball Players of All-Time

Methodology.

RankPlayerPositionYears
1LeBron JamesPick one2003-active
2Michael JordanSG1984-2003
3Kareem Abdul-JabbarC1969-1989
4Shaquille O’NealC1992-2011
5Tim DuncanPF1997-2016
6Magic JohnsonPG1979-1996
7Kobe BryantSG1996-2016
8Steph CurryPG2009-active
9Kevin DurantSF2007-active
10Larry BirdSF1979-1992
11Karl MalonePF1985-2004
12Hakeem OlajuwonC1984-2002
13Giannis AntetokounmpoPF2013-active
14Nikola JokicC2015-active
15James HardenSG2009-active
16David RobinsonC1989-2003
17Wilt ChamberlainC1959-1973
18Kawhi LeonardSF2011-active
19Kevin GarnettPF1995-2016
20Dirk NowitzkiPF1998-2019
21Chris PaulPG2005-active
22Moses MaloneC1974-1995
23Bill RussellC1956-1969
24Charles BarkleyPF1984-2000
25Jerry WestSG1960-1974
26Julius ErvingSF1971-1987
27Dwyane WadeSG2003-2019
28Rick BarrySF1965-1980
29Oscar RobertsonPG1960-1974
30John StocktonPG1984-2003
31Russell WestbrookPG2008-active
32Steve NashPG1996-2014
33Joel EmbiidC2016-active
34Gary PaytonPG1990-2007
35Anthony DavisPF2012-active
36Adrian DantleySF1976-1991
37Clyde DrexlerSG1983-1998
38George GervinSG1972-1986
39Damian LillardPG2012-active
40Jimmy ButlerSF2011-active
41Scottie PippenSF1987-2004
42Tony ParkerPG2001-2019
43Jason KiddPG1994-2013
44Walt FrazierPG1967-1980
45John HavlicekSF1962-1978
46Reggie MillerSG1987-2005
47Dwight HowardC2004-2022
48Patrick EwingC1985-2002
49Paul PierceSF1998-2017
50Pau GasolC2001-2019
51Ray AllenSG1996-2014
52Allen IversonSG1996-2010
53Isiah ThomasPG1981-1994
54Rudy GobertC2013-active
55Paul GeorgeSF2010-active
56Luka DoncicSF2018-active
57Dominique WilkinsSF1982-1999
58Manu GinobiliSG2002-2018
59Bob McAdooC1972-1986
60Willis ReedC1964-1974
61Dave CowensC1970-1983
62Chauncey BillupsPG1997-2014
63Kyrie IrvingPG2011-active
64Chris WebberPF1993-2008
65Dikembe MutomboC1991-2009
66Alonzo MourningC1992-2008
67Kevin McHalePF1980-1993
68James WorthySF1982-1994
69Alex EnglishSF1976-1991
70Tracy McGradySG1997-2012
71Bernard KingSF1977-1993
72Carmelo AnthonySF2003-active
73Larry NancePF1981-1994
74Dennis RodmanPF1986-2000
75Elgin BaylorSF1958-1972
76Ben WallaceC1996-2012
77Elvin HayesPF1968-1984
78George MikanC1948-1956
79Bob PettitPF1954-1965
80Joe DumarsSG1985-1999
81Wes UnseldPF1968-1981
82Artis GilmoreC1971-1988
83Karl-Anthony TownsC2015-active
84LaMarcus AldridgePF2006-2021
85Amar’e StoudemirePF2002-2016
86Chris BoshC2003-2016
87Bob CousyPG1950-1963
88Vince CarterSG1998-2020
89Chris MullinSF1985-2001
90Dennis JohnsonPG1976-1990
91Bradley BealSG2012-active
92Mitch RichmondSG1988-2002
93Tim HardawayPG1989-2003
94Tiny ArchibaldPG1970-1984
95Sidney MoncriefSG1979-1991
96Paul ArizinSF1950-1962
97Robert ParishC1976-1997
98Billy CunninghamSF1965-1976
99Dolph SchayesPF1949-1964
100Bob LanierPF1973-1984

4 thoughts on “The 100 Greatest Basketball Players of All-Time

    1. Hey Bernard, they are the primary basketball positions. Since the NBA is moving more towards position-less basketball, many of today’s players don’t really play a single position. However, the five traditional positions in basketball are PG (point guard), SG (shooting guard), SF (small forward), PF (power forward), and C (center).

    1. Hey Dan, I addressed Dantley’s brilliance in the methodology section linked at the top:

      “Switching to True Shooting Percentage, we see many of the same names with the notable addition of perhaps the most underrated player of all-time: Adrian Dantley. Dantley is rarely in the discussion of all-time greats. He was nowhere to be found on the list of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History released by the league in 1996, and he’s even more of an afterthought today. Despite the snubs, Dantley’s True Shooting Percentage tells a different story, revealing a brilliance that has been hiding in plain sight for four decades. Dantley is the only player in NBA history to post consecutive seasons of at least 30 points per game and a True Shooting Percentage of at least .620, and he did it four years in a row. Dantley is the only player in NBA history with a career average of at least 24 points per game and a True Shooting Percentage of at least .616. There have been three seasons in NBA history that have produced 30 points per game with a True Shooting Percentage greater than .651, Dantley has two of them (Steph Curry is the other). Dantley is clearly one of the most, if not the most, efficient high-volume scorers in NBA history, even if it takes relying on tools like eFG% and True Shooting Percentage to let us know.”

      Dantley is one of the most underrated players in NBA history and, arguably, the most efficient scorer of all-time. Since the 1974-75 season, Dantley’s 3,109.6 TS Added (extra points added due to True Shooting % compared to the league average) are more than any other player. In fact, only Kareem and Wilt have more in the history of the league. As amazing as LeBron and Steph are from an efficiency standpoint, they have nothing on AD. Dantley’s also one of the unluckiest players to ever suit-up as he was traded from Detroit just four months before they won the first of back-to-back championships. Even still, Dantley’s Pistons went toe-to-toe in the playoffs with two of the greatest dynasties of all-time: Bird’s Celtics in 86-87 and Magic’s Lakers in 87-88. The Pistons probably should’ve won both series based on win-probability but, nonetheless, Dantley was Detroit’s leading scorer in both 7-game-series, so his playoff cupboard is hardly bare. Dantley beats out Drexler pretty handily, IMO. If you want to heavily weigh Pippen’s playoff success, I could understand putting him ahead. Pippen was obviously a very strong all-around player, but Jordan and all. Dantley was an offensive juggernaut who gets the nod, IMO.

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