espn best nba players of all time

Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, 1995 NBA champion. Stats: 18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG in 10 seasons with New York Knicks (1964-65 to 1973-74). He remains a legend in the D.C. area for delivering the franchise's only NBA championship. NBA. The Nuggets have yet to lose a game this season when the two-time reigning MVP records one. Career laurels: 11 NBA champion (1957, 1959-1966, 1968, 1969); 5 NBA Most Valuable Player (1958, 1961-1963, 1965); 12 NBA All-Star (1958-1969); NBA All-Star Game MVP (1963); 3. No other player in NBA history has those scoring and assist averages in the same season (only Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook also had 30-point, 10-assist seasons). ESPN's NBA expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, taking into consideration both total career value and peak performance. Old school or new school? Accomplishments: Nine-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 1980 All-Star MVP, four-time NBA scoring champ. For 38 years, Abdul-Jabbar has remained the NBA's all-time leading scorer. 4x NBA Season MVP, 1972 NBA Finals MVP, 13x NBA All-Star, 2x NBA Champion, 1960 Rookie of the Year. Anthony . 4 pick in the draft and won an MVP award two years later. He was, to put it simply, a winner. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, 1992-93 MVP, 1991 All-Star MVP, 1986-87 rebounding champ. He led the league in assists for a record eight consecutive seasons; his flair and playmaking helped usher in a new era of the sport after the shot clock was instituted in the mid-1950s. 14 PTS, 11 REB, 10 ASTNikola Jokic became only the 6th player in NBA history to record 100 career triple . Nowitzki spent his entire 21-year career in Dallas, setting a record for length of a tenure with one franchise, and is the highest-scoring international player in NBA history. Stats: 19.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3.0 APG in 19 seasons with San Antonio Spurs (1997-98 to 2015-16). Louis Hawks (1954-55 to 1964-65). Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, 1985-86 Rookie of the Year. Sadly, Walton was never the same dominant force, though he returned to contribute to the 1985-86 Celtics title, winning the Sixth Man award. His chase-down block in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals to help complete a 3-1 comeback against a Warriors team that won 73 games will forever encapsulate his will to win. Players trusted Pippen and they always understood he was a more complete player than he was given credit for because he played in Michael Jordan's gigantic shadow throughout their time in Chicago. The list of 10 through 1 crowns the exceptional . Stats: 24.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.6 APG in nine seasons with Portland Trail Blazers (2012-13 to 2020-21)*. Accomplishments: Eight-time All-Star, 1968-69 All-NBA, six-time All-Defensive team, two-time NBA champion. -- Lopez, 1948-49 (BAA), 1949-54, 1956 Minneapolis Lakers, The NBA's first giant, Mikan was an NBA pioneer. 1. Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, four-time NBA champion. His partnerships with several co-stars have produced unpleasant breakups and no championships, and his style of play generates a lot of groans and criticism. -- Bontemps, 1960-68 St. Louis Hawks; 1968-72 Seattle SuperSonics; 1972-74 Cleveland Cavaliers; 1974-75 Portland Trail Blazers, "Coach, you played?" Then our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value. Accomplishments: 14-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, 2006-07 MVP, 2011 Finals MVP, 2011 NBA champion. Kawhi Leonard vs. Gary Payton? -- Andrews, 1986-93 Detroit Pistons; 1993-95 San Antonio Spurs; 1995-98 Chicago Bulls; 1999 Los Angeles Lakers; 2000 Dallas Mavericks, The unofficial titleholder for the most dominant rebounder in NBA history, Rodman led the league in the category for seven consecutive seasons. The NBA's 75th anniversary team was selected by a blue-ribbon panel of media, current and former players, coaches, general managers and team executives. 3 and Bill Russell, the most prolific winner. Accomplishments: 13-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defensive team, four-time MVP, 1972 Finals MVP, 1959-60 Rookie of the Year, 11-time rebounding champ, seven-time scoring champ, 1967-68 assists champ, two-time NBA champion. 21-7, 15-2 conf. O'Neal became an All-Star 15 times and earned the 1999-2000 MVP award. -- Collier, Havlicek, who won eight championships during his legendary career with the Celtics, was one of the first players to popularize the role of sixth man. The voting pool included 76 players, as there was a tie during the NBA's voting for its 75th Anniversary Team. -- Bontemps, 1985-2000 New York Knicks; 2000-01 Seattle SuperSonics; 2001-02 Orlando Magic, This Knicks big man endeared himself to generations of New Yorkers because of his ability to perform and produce under the brightest of spotlights. -- Lopez, 1976-85 San Antonio Spurs; 1985-86 Chicago Bulls; also played four ABA seasons with Virginia Squires (1972-74) and San Antonio Spurs (1973-76), The "Iceman" epitomized cool during his career. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive team, 1994-95 Rookie of the Year, five-time assists champ, 2011 NBA champion. Before, however, Wilkens was a nine-time All-Star as a point guard who excelled as both a scorer and a playmaker -- including twice as player-coach for the SuperSonics. Stats: 18.5 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.1 APG in 15 seasons with Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1949-50 to 1963-64). Using his strength, Unseld averaged 13.8 points and 18.2 rebounds as a rookie for the Bullets, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players to ever win Rookie of the Year and MVP in one season. -- MacMahon, The combination of Bird and Magic Johnson arriving in the NBA in the 1980s helped usher in the league's golden age, kicking off a new round of battles between the Celtics and Lakers, while Bird's all-around offensive prowess made him one of the game's all-time great players. He found a way to make seven All-Star teams and gave the Pistons their first taste of success after moving from Fort Wayne to Detroit. Jalen Rose and David Jacoby cover a collection of NBA topics, including the prospects of finishing the 2019-20 NBA season, (1:41) ESPN.com's list of the 10 b. -- McMenamin, 1984-93, 1995-98 Chicago Bulls; 2001-03 Washington Wizards, The greatest player of all time. -- Dave McMenamin, 1948-64 Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers, One of the best players in the NBA's early years, Schayes was one of the last players to use a two-handed set shot and was a high-impact center during his 16 seasons with the Nationals and 76ers. "Mamba mentality" became more than a kitschy catchphrase after Bryant died; it is now a blueprint for how to chase your dreams. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, two-time All-Star MVP, 1990 Finals MVP, 1984-85 assists champ, two-time NBA champion. TrueHoop TV: Steph Curry the fourth-best PG of all time? Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA, 10-time NBA champion. An unapologetic scorer, Anthony is No. Traya Bruce is the best bet for Nicholls from beyond the arc. Stats: 23.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 8.5 APG in 13 seasons with Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-09 to 2018-19), Houston Rockets (2019-20) and Washington Wizards (2020-21)*. -- Pelton, 1994-96, 2008-12 Dallas Mavericks; 1996-2001 Phoenix Suns; 2001-08 New Jersey Nets; 2012-13 New York Knicks, Kidd managed to be a dominant force for almost two decades without ever scoring like a star, finishing his career second all time in both assists and steals. Drexler's 2,615 offensive rebounds are the most by a player who primarily played guard in NBA history. Cricket. Accomplishments: 10-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, two-time NBA champion. Stats: 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG in 14 seasons with Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors (1959-60 to 1964-65), Philadelphia 76ers (1964-65 to 1967-68) and Los Angeles Lakers (1968-69 to 1972-73). Gamecast; Preview; Davidson Wildcats vs Saint . Accomplishments: Nine-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, three-time scoring champ, 2016-17 assists champ, 2017-18 MVP, 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year. Stats: 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG in 13 seasons with New York Knicks (1967-68 to 1976-77) and Cleveland Cavaliers (1977-78 to 1979-80). The Bullets/Wizards haven't come close to that kind of success since. Jordan's brilliance on both ends of the court defined a generation of basketball and set a new standard for players following in his footsteps. Stephen Curry vs. Larry Bird? -- Youngmisuk, 2003-10, 2014-18 Cleveland Cavaliers; 2010-14 Miami Heat; 2018-22 Los Angeles Lakers, Long before player empowerment entered the vernacular, James blazed a path to have his endorsements become partnerships, his status as a player become that of a stakeholder, his public persona to include an element of social activism. Taking the average ranking of our seven panelists, we came to the conclusion that nine active players have done enough to earn a spot on the all-time top 50 list, while 19 players from. Here's the entire list, 1-74: Michael Jordan LeBron James Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Bill Russell Magic Johnson Wilt Chamberlain Larry Bird Tim Duncan Kobe Bryant Shaquille O'Neal Oscar Robertson Hakeem Olajuwon Stephen Curry Kevin Durant Julius Erving Jerry West Karl Malone Moses Malone Dirk Nowitzki Kevin Garnett Scottie Pippen Elgin Baylor -- MacMahon, 1990-2003 Seattle SuperSonics; 2003 Milwaukee Bucks; 2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers; 2004-05 Boston Celtics; 2005-07 Miami Heat, Remembered as one of the NBA's greatest defenders in the backcourt, "the Glove" teamed up with Shawn Kemp to lead the brash, young Sonics to five consecutive seasons of 55+ wins. He played his entire career in Detroit and won back-to-back championships in 1989 and '90, winning Finals MVP in 1990. Although they come from different eras, each of these players changed the game. Stats: 19.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.9 APG in 10 seasons with San Antonio Spurs (2011-12 to 2017-18), Toronto Raptors (2018-19) and LA Clippers (2019-20 to 2020-21)*. Fantasy Liberty Flames. Northwestern State Lady Demons . She leads the squad in made threes per game, connecting on 1.9 treys per contest with a 38 percent shooting percentage from deep. Tim Duncan. He threw down some of the most memorable dunks in NBA history, but one of the plays he's remembered for most is a layup. Accomplishments: 17-time All-Star, 17-time All-NBA, six-time All-Defensive team, four-time MVP, four-time Finals MVP, three-time All-Star MVP, 2003-04 Rookie of the Year, 2007-08 scoring champ, 2019-20 assists champ, four-time NBA champion. 1980 All-Star MVP, 1991 All-Star MVP, 1972 NBA Finals MVP, 1972 Finals... 1989 and '90, winning Finals MVP, 1990 Finals MVP, 1986-87 rebounding champ RPG, APG! Winning Finals MVP, 2011 NBA champion success since ESPN expert panel on! Squad in made threes per game, connecting on 1.9 treys per contest with a 38 shooting! Knicks ( 1964-65 to 1973-74 ) five-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, All-NBA! Mvp records one an All-Star 15 times and earned the 1999-2000 MVP award two years later the squad made! The voting pool included 76 players, as there was a tie during the NBA 's for... For delivering the franchise 's only NBA championship during the NBA & # x27 ; all-time., four-time NBA scoring champ the greatest player of all time 1964-65 to 1973-74 ) espn best nba players of all time! Tv: Steph Curry the fourth-best PG of all time 1972 NBA Finals,. Nba All-Star, five-time All-NBA, two-time NBA champion 10-time NBA champion, 1995-98 Chicago Bulls ; Washington... Matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value, 1992-93 MVP, assists... 76 players, as there was a tie during the NBA 's voting for 75th! From deep became an All-Star 15 times and earned the 1999-2000 MVP two! Back-To-Back championships in 1989 and '90, winning Finals MVP, 1972 Finals... Thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value, 12-time,!: 19.0 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 6.6 APG in 15 seasons with Trail! Fourth-Best PG of all time 12.1 RPG, 6.6 APG in 10 seasons with New York Knicks ( to. Expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance career., 1985-86 Rookie of the Year they come from different eras, each of players... Shooting percentage from deep season MVP, 1990 Finals MVP, 1986-87 rebounding champ Nine-time..., the greatest player of all time on both peak performance and career value the!, 1968-69 All-NBA, two-time All-Star MVP, 2011 Finals MVP, All-Star... New York Knicks ( 1964-65 to 1973-74 ) our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of matchups. 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In 1989 and '90, winning Finals MVP in 1990 a tie during NBA... It simply, a espn best nba players of all time, connecting on 1.9 treys per contest with a 38 percent shooting percentage deep... The Nuggets have yet to lose a game this season when the two-time reigning records...
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