Top 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time

In this post, we will check out the top 10 greatest Basketball players of all time.

Basketball is one of the most popular and widely played sports in the world. It has produced countless legends and has inspired millions of fans and players alike.

The sport of basketball has seen some of the most skilled and talented players in the world and has helped shape the game into what it is today.

From dribbling to shooting, these players have captivated audiences and made their mark in the world of basketball.

In this article, we will be discussing the top 10 greatest basketball players of all time. These players have set the bar high and have left an indelible impact on the sport.

Their careers have been filled with countless achievements, records, and accolades, making them some of the most dominant figures in the history of basketball.

From their unmatched skills and athleticism to their leadership and competitiveness, these players have inspired fans and players alike and have cemented their place in basketball history.

Top 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time

10. Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He was known with Nicknamed “the Big Fundamental“.

Duncan is widely considered the greatest power forward of all time and one of the greatest players in NBA history Of NBA. He devoured his entire 19-year playing for the San Antonio Spurs.

After graduating from college, Duncan was the NBA Rookie of the Year after being chosen by San Antonio in the 1997 NBA draft.

He is a five-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA MVP, a three-time NBA Finals MVP, and a 15-time NBA All-Star. 

He is also the only player to be selected to both the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams for 13 consecutive seasons. Tim Duncan is number 10 in our list of the top 10 greatest basketball players of all time.

9. Bill Russell

Bill Russell is an American former professional basketball player who was a center for the Boston Celtics. He is a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 12-time NBA All-Star.

Russell is believed to be one of the greatest players in NBA history. He guided the San Francisco Dons to two straight NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956.

He also captained the US basketball team to the gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics. Russell is considered by many to be one of the greatest defensive players in basketball history.

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. In 2009, the NBA renamed in his honor the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy to the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.

8. Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain was an American professional basketball player who played as a center. H is 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall and played in the National Basketball Association for almost 14 years and is widely considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game. 

He is the only player to score 100 points in a single NBA game and average more than 40 and 50 points in a season.

He had a thriving career, winning two NBA championships, four regular-season NBA Most Valuable Player awards, the NBA Rookie of the Year award, one NBA Finals MVP award, and one NBA All-Star Game MVP award.

Wilt was an all-around player who could do it all on the court. He was a great passer and shooter, he could score at will in the post or from beyond NBA range, and he blocked shots and passed out of double teams better than anyone else during his era.

He was also an excellent rebounder with great hands for a big man. In short: Wilt “the Stilt” Chamberlain is by far one of my favorite players in history because of his immense talent level combined with outstanding personality traits.

7. Larry Bird

Larry Bird is an American former professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He was known by Nickname “the Hick from French Lick” and “Larry Legend“, Bird is widely considered as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Bird joined the NBA for the 1979–1980 season, where he made an instantaneous effect, beginning at power forward and guiding the Celtics to a 32-win improvement over the previous season.

Larry was a 12-time NBA All-Star, won two NBA Finals MVP awards, and acquired the NBA Most Valuable Player Award three straight times (1984–1986), making him the only forward in league history to do so.

Larry was also a member of the gold medal-winning 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team which is popularly known as “The Dream Team”.

6. Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal is an American retired professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. 

O’Neal is considered one of the greatest basketball players and centers of all time. O’Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic in the 1992 NBA draft.

He quickly became one of the finest centers in the league, winning Rookie of the Year in 1992–93 and guiding his team to the 1995 NBA Finals.

O’Neal’s individual honors include the 1999–2000 Most Valuable Player Award, the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star Game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards; three Finals MVP awards.

5. Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant was an American professional basketball player. He spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association.

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Bryant won five NBA championships, was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. 

He is surely one of the most decorated and successful players in NBA history. On January 22, 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points and the second-most points scored in a single NBA game, just behind the great Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game.

Bryant led the team to successive championships in 2009 and 2010, both times being anointed NBA Finals MVP. Kobe Bryant is number 5 in our list of the top 10 greatest Basketball players of all time.

4. Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson is one of the greatest players ever to play the sport, and he earned this spot for many reasons.

Often considered the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson played a total of 13 seasons for the Lakers and was praised as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.

Johnson’s career accomplishments include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, 12 All-Star games, and 10 All-NBA First and Second Team nominations.

Johnson became a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame being glorified in 2002 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as a member of the “Dream Team”.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American former professional basketball player who played a total of 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. 

During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA Team member, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member.

He is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. In 1975, he was sold to the Lakers, with whom he played the last 14 seasons in which they won five further NBA championships.

ESPN designated him the greatest center of all-time in 2007. Kareem Abdul- Jabbar is number 3 in our list of the top 10 greatest Basketball players of all time.

2. Lebron James

LeBron James is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He was known by the nickname “King James“, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

James has won a total of four NBA championships, four NBA MVP awards, four NBA Finals MVP awards, three All-Star MVP awards, and two Olympic gold medals.

James won his first two NBA championships while playing for the Heat in 2012 and 2013. On both of these occasions, he also attained the league’s MVP and Finals MVP awards. 

James is also the first player in NBA history to earn $1 billion in earnings as an active player. Lebron James is number 2 in our list of the top 10 greatest Basketball players of all time.

1. Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He’s also widely considered to be the best player in NBA history, and he’s widely considered to be the best player ever.

If you want to argue that someone else was better, then you’re wrong. He played a total of fifteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan won his first NBA title with the Bulls in 1991 and pursued that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993.

Jordan’s individual awards and achievements include six NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards, ten NBA scoring titles (both all-time records), five NBA MVP awards, and nine All-Defensive First Team honors.

He is one of the most effectively dealt athletes of his generation. Michael Jordan tops the list of the top 10 greatest basketball players of all time.