The January 2021 champion. Here are the top 10 best football (soccer) players of all time, including Maradona, Pele and Cruyff. All-time greats like George Mikan, Rick Barry, George Gervin, Allen Iverson, Isiah Thomas, Scottie Pippen and Kevin McHale all fell just short of making it, which should illustrate just how accomplished the 25 who made the list had to be. 1. The team's most recent NBA Finals appearance was 22 years ago when they were defeated by the Shaq-led Los Angeles Lakers back in 2000. Shaq was a dominant center, standing at 7-foot-1 inch and weighing around 325 pounds. DWYANE WADE: Recognized as one of the greatest shooting guards of all-time, Wade was the fifth-overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.In his third season, he . Barry, the son of a basketball coach from Elizabeth, N.J., was voted the 27th-best player as part of The Athletic 's NBA project documenting the top 75 players in league history. Isiah Thomas. He was 1966 NBA . A . Al Horford. Today, we're going to honor those great talents by letting you know about the top 25 players in Indiana Pacers' history. EARVIN "Magic" Johnson, G, LANSING EVERETT (1974-1977): On the Mount Rushmore of all-time NBA players, Magic is the gold standard in the state of Michigan. A 6-foot-2 point guard, Chalmers grew up in Anchorage. . 25 Greatest Players in ABA History SPRINGFIELD, MA - AUGUST 12: Artis Gilmore shakes hands with Hall of Fame Player Julius Erving during the Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at. Dwyane Wade Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports By Thomas Swan Apr 5 . 9. Playing in the ABA at the . Who is the 2nd best nba player of all time. Players Statistics Mode Leaders Records Season from Season 2001/02 Season 2002/03 Season 2003/04 Season 2004/05 Season 2005/06 Season 2006/07 Season 2007/08 Season 2008/09 Season 2009/10 Season 2010/11 Season 2011/12 Season 2012/13 Season 2013/14 Season 2014/15 Season 2015/16 Season 2016/17 Season 2017/18 Season 2018/19 Season 2019/20 Season . 1 Michael Jordan 2 LeBron James 3 Tim Duncan 4 Magic Johnson 5 Larry Bird 6 Hakeem Olajuwon 7 Shaquille O'Neal 8 Kevin Garnett 9 Kobe Bryant 10 Dirk Nowitzki 11 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 12 Karl Malone. As a rookie playing center in . Tim Duncan 10. Jack Twyman (Hall of Fame, 6x All-Star) 91. 27 . 37 Dirk Nowitzki. Artis Gilmore was a talented center who spent all five years of his ABA career with. Magic Johnson 5. Alex English. Barry, who was named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1996, is the only player in basketball history to lead the NCAA, the ABA and the NBA in scoring for a single season. Here are the most viable 16 best NBA players ever that could be the second best NBA player of all-time in no particular order. Wade won Finals MVP by . He's married to Amelia Vega, Miss Universe . Julius Erving was selected as the all-time Most Valuable Player and Slick Leonard was selected as the all-time coach. Accomplishments: 14-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive team, five-time MVP, six-time Finals MVP, three-time All-Star MVP, 1987-88 Defensive Player of the Year, 1984-85 Rookie . 12 John Havlicek. Number 1: Michael Jordan. LeBron James sits atop Colin Cowherd's list of best players over the last 20 years.. As with any list, there have been disagreements regarding positions on the list. Shaq, the Center from Newark, is arguably one of the best basketball players of all time. Our apologies, Marvin Barnes, Billy Cunningham, Connie Hawkins, Spencer Haywood, Bobby Jones, Moses Malone, Charlie Scott, Willie Somerset and David Thompson. A 12-time All-Star, Barry's intellect is matched only by the passion with which he plays every game. Karl Malone 16. Reed was named Rookie of the Year in 1965, went to seven All-Star games, and was named the league's MVP in 1970. In 1994, Erving was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the 40 most important athletes of all time. That doesn't take away from Duke's accomplishments or K's recruiting, it's just a reality. Unfortunately, only 10 percent of people in the world are left-handed, according to experts (via the Washington Post ). The NBA recently announced the top 75 players in league history for the league's 75-year anniversary. 1971-87: 24.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.2 apg, 181.1 Win Shares, 4-time MVP, 12-time All-NBA/ABA, 3-time champion . #36 Dominique Wilkins (1983-1999) Getty Images | Neilson Barnard Killer Stat: 24.8 Points Per Game You have to be one hell of a player to earn a nickname like "The Human Highlight Reel." That's exactly what Dominique Wilkins was, earning himself nine All-Star and seven all-NBA selections during his thrilling career. - 3x ABA MVP, 3x All-Star, 3x All-ABA, '76 All-Defensive team - Most scoring titles (2) in Nets history; 3 MVPs in 3 seasons - #32 retired, 1975-1976 Dunk Contest champion . The 30 Best NBA Players of All Time, Ranked By Adam Caparell, Zion Olojede, Angel Diaz, Zach Frydenlund Dec 15, 2021 Image via Complex Original The toughest debates may not be the obvious ones.. He scored 21,645 points in a Denver . Kriegel outlines his family's history, starting with when Press, Pete's father, was first introduced to basketball. Starting Five #1: This veteran has brought his A-game for a long time. 50-26. Position: Center/power forward Accolades: Hall of Fame, 7x All-Star, 5x All-ABA, 1x ABA Champion, Rookie of the Year Years active: 1971-1985 One of the greatest players in ABA history, Dan Issel joined the Nuggets one year prior to the ABA/NBA merger, and still holds many franchise records for free throws made, rebounds, and win shares. The 6'9 Schmidt is considered by many to be the best basketball player to never play in the NBA. Clutch finally won his championship in 1972. He was a 5x All-Star (4 with Denver), 2x All-NBA, 1975-76 All-ABA, All-Rookie Team, and ROY while obtaining honors to the Hall of Fame and ABA's All-Time Team. A three-time MVP and 12-time All-Star, Bird is the charter member of the 50-40-90 club, a seven-man crew of stars who managed to post season-long shooting percentages of at least 50% on field . Hakeem Olajuwon 13. 11. this video took a LONG time to make.I used a reference sheet to total up each player's composite score made up of career averages, career totals, advanced . Clutch, The Logo, Mr. Outside, Zeke from Cabin Crew) Jerry is the former professional basketball shooting guard who devoted more than a decade to the NBA court. The 23 greatest players in NBA history. 1. Elo ratings above 1800, which imply a team would be able to sustain at least a 67-15 record over the long term, are extremely rare. The NBA recently announced the top 75 players in league history for the league's 75-year anniversary. 24, 129.3), Manu Ginobili (No. Runner-up: Mario Chalmers is the only player in NBA history who was born in Alaska, per Basketball-Reference. Honorable Mention: Roy Hibbert, Troy Murphy, Lance Stephenson, Brad Miller, George Hill, Lance Stephenson, Steve Stipanovich, Wayman Tisdale, Travis Best, Al Harrington Oscar Robertson 12. A master . Historically awful. Here are 5 of the greatest 3-point shooters of all time. To think of Jordan conjures images of taking flight, tongue hanging out, flying through . Havlicek, one of the 50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time, had many clutch moments, but it was the one we all know, the one that made him famous. 30 Players Share & Export Modify, Export & Share Table Embed this Table In a brilliant 19-year career, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics. In the 1965 Playoffs, the Boston Celtics, led by Bill Russell were inbounding the ball and turned it over. Only those who played more than two seasons were eligible. The Dominican-native has captured the hearts of fans around the world. Career Averages: 18.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists MVP Awards: 0 All-NBA: 6x First Team, 6x Second Team All-Star: 12x Championships: 1 Dolph Schayes was one of the first superstars of the . An all-time great in basketball, George Gervin was named to the NBA 75 list this year by the league after a career that saw him average 25.1 points, lead the league in scoring four times, make 12 . 37 Dirk Nowitzki. As a rookie playing center in . 25 25. Jeff Zillgitt Mark Medina Matt Eppers Larry Starks USA TODAY. 5. 91. Shaquille O'Neal. Michael Jordan 2. He also played a portion of his career in Italy and Spain. As of March, only 10 players in history have scored more career . The two together were good enough by to be considered by many a top five duo in the NBA's history. 3 ABA All-Star (1974-1976) 2 All-ABA Second Team (1975 & 1976) ABA All-Rookie First Team (1973) ABA All-Time Team; 6) Jerry West (Fully named: Jerome Alan West, Nickname: Mr. Abdul-Jabbar was outstanding for Los Angeles and one of the Lakers' best players ever with five titles and . During that time, he won two champions and earned two Finals MVPs. The . Jerry West 14. Wilt Chamberlain 4. He played three seasons at Kentucky, averaging 19.2 points and 13.4 rebounds. While few can argue against . He has unofficially scored 49,737 career points, tops in history. The entire group was honored at the ABA Reunion in Indianapolis on August 23, 1997. . Hakeem Olajuwon. He led the league in scoring for the first time in 70 and led the league in assists in 72. Other impressive stats are that Robertson led the league in assists per game 7 times in 13 seasons, led the league in minutes per game once with 45.6 per game, and led the league in scoring once. The star player on Blazers teams that averaged 60 wins and made Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992, Drexler was an All-NBA first team pick in '92 and a 10-time All-Star. In 11 NBA seasons (his first 10 with the Bucks), Moncrief, a five-time All-Star, averaged 15.6 points per game, and was named defensive player of the year in 1983 and 1984. This is a psychiatric look into a father-son relationship that was both . Bill Russell 11. His best years came early with the Hawks, as Hagan averaged 22.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, and four assists per game from his second through sixth seasons in the NBA. Whether it's cliche or not, it's hard to argue with the greatest of all time. While there were plenty of controversial selections and omissions such as Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson and Lakers' Dwight Howard but we're here to make some even tougher cuts as we've ranked the 50 best NBA players ever.. Of course, everyone wants to know if LeBron James has . If you know the game at all, chances are there are a couple of big names you'd. And while that shows in the NBA, with top superstars like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird -- you get the point -- all dominating with their right hand . 1971-87: 24.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.2 apg, 181.1 Win Shares, 4-time MVP, 12-time All-NBA/ABA, 3-time champion . In case you hadn't noticed, the Wiz from Wuerzburg has been outscored by only five playersAbdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. 1970s All-Decade Third Team. SLAM 500 Greatest NBA Players of All Time | Basketball-Reference.com Awards Index Season Awards NBA & ABA Season Awards Most Valuable Player Rookie of the Year Defensive Player of the Year Sixth Man of the Year Most Improved Player Teammate of the Year J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award NBA Finals Most Valuable Player The 30 Year Team includes many career ABA players as well as some players that only had brief stays in the league (but went on to have long and significant . I have included YouTube videos to showcase the players' skills. The best NBA players of all time Who are the greatest players in the history of the National Basketball Association? (ABA) and was the best-known player in that league when it merged with the National Basketball Association (NBA . Those players already . Larry Bird 7. Most Clutch NBA Players of All Time Michael Jordan defined clutch. Next on our list of the best NBA players is Larry Bird who is often considered the greatest . ISIAH THOMAS: Considered one of the greatest point guards in league history, Thomas led the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons to back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990. In terms of the All-Star Game . Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Source: Instagram) Firstly, Kareem Abdul Jabbar is the leading scorer in NBA history, with 38,837 points in 20 seasons. He followed that with point totals of 42, 36, and 43 to take a 3-2 series lead. The best player in Nuggets history, Alex English averaged 25.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists a night in 837 games with the organization. Only three teams have achieved them . While there were plenty of controversial selections and omissions such as Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson and Lakers' Dwight Howard but we're here to make some even tougher cuts as we've ranked the 50 best NBA players ever.. Of course, everyone wants to know if LeBron James has . If LBJ hadn't arrived to the clutch party a tad late . The league was founded with the intention of competing with the . Onto the final 3, Kareem Abdul Jabbar ranks third on our list of best NBA players of all time. Mel Daniels is All-Time Indiana Pacers' highest rated player on NBA 2K22, followed by Paul George in second place, and Jermaine O'Neal in third. Abdul-Jabbar was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. Shaquille O'Neal 8. Erving was inducted in 1993 into the Basketball Hall of Fame and was also named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time team. If he hadn't spent much of his athletic prime in the rival ABA, he would be further up the list. 2 overall pick . . Dolph Schayes, Forward-Center . Top 50 NBA Players of All-Time By Jason Guilbault | Aug 28, 2021, 12:34pm Contents 1. Kobe Bryant 9. LeBron James 3. Ranking the greatest 75 NBA players of all time: Nos. (USA TODAY) One of the best NBA players of all time, Willis Reed spent his entire playing career with the New York Knicks. 26, 125.1) and Paul Pierce (No. Shaquille O'Neal. No ballots were accepted from former ABA players. Willis Reed. Kenon opted to play for the New Jersey Nets of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and was a three-time ABA All-Star and two-time NBA All-Star. He scored more than 25,000 points . 1 . He's simply one of the five best players ever, period. Moses Malone 15. 22 with a JAWS of 133.0), Ray Allen (No. In June 1976, the two rival pro leagues finally made peace. The Hall of Famer is most famous for his underhand free-throw shooting but he's a legend . "Mr. K" also recorded an NBA record 11 steals. Thomas, the No. Published 2:00 AM PDT Oct. 6, 2021 Updated 3:40 AM PDT Oct. 7, 2021. Marcus Camby was a beast in defense for the Nuggets, being one of the best defensive players in the league year in and year out. Others receiving votes Ninety-eight players received at least one vote. Thousands of words have been devoted to the redefinition of the point guard position in the last couple of decades, but Thomas' early-80s game would have fit just fine in today . What was just considered an ABA gimmick, the three-point shot is now a vital part of today's game. his 35.3/9.1/7.3/1.6/0.9 slash line in 2009 may be the best ever in one postseason. He's simply one of the five best players ever, period. Hagan was a six-time All-Star, averaging 17.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game over his 13-year career. 18. 123whydoipee is an Anime Battle Arena professional player and is widely considered to the greatest ABA player of all time. Accolades: NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2007), 2 NBA All-Defensive First Team (2007, 2008), 2 NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2005, 2006), 4 NBA blocks leader (1998, 2006-2008) Championships: 0. His playstyle usually contains a passive/aggressive mixup such as using hitstun to his advantage and shutting off any incoming neutrals in order to give him the upper hand in a matchup. G: Jerry West: Mr. Ranking The Top 15 Best Players In Nba History With Combined Stats Fadeaway World . Rick Barry. As a member of the New York Nets for three years, Julius Erving proved why he's considered one of the great innovators for the game. In Game 6, Wade scored 36 points to lead the Heat to their first title in team history. The ABA existed from 1967 to 1976 -- for nine full seasons. 15-67. Five players elected to the first team Rick Barry, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, George Gervin, and Moses Malone were named one year earlier to the NBA's 50 Greatest Players list. . Oscar Schmidt was simply the greatest Brazilian basketball player ever. Artis Gilmore - Kentucky Colonels - 1971-1976 Artis Gilmore is one of the most dynamic players in ABA history. 1 overall pick in the 1969 NBA Draft. The one-time ABA champion was named to six ABA All-Star squads and became a one-time NBA All-Star with the Denver Nuggets in 1977. ABA All-Time Team As selected in 1997 by a special panel of 50 former ABA sportswriters, radio announcers, referees, executives, owners, and fans. 35. He won two NBA championships as . He mesmerized high school basketball fans in the mid 1970's. During his senior year, Everett's regular-season game against Jay Vincent and Lansing Eastern was moved to Jenison . Even though . Shaq, the Center from Newark, is arguably one of the best basketball players of all time. The first international player on the list, Hakeem Olajuwon was one of the greatest big men ever, and he competed and produced at an elite level on both ends of the floor with outstanding low-post. Below are the 30 members of the ABA All-Time Team. All-Time ABA All-Star Team. During that time, the ABA fought a bitter war with the established National Basketball Association (the NBA) for players, fans, and media attention. In a brilliant 19-year career, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics. Jack Twyman (Hall of Fame, 6x All-Star) No player had averaged 30 points a game in a season until Twyman and Wilt Chamberlain accomplished the feat . The Dream played 18 seasons in the NBA and was one of the most dominant big men of all time. Below is All-Time Indiana Pacers' NBA 2K22 full team roster. Examples of recently retired players who just missed the top 20 were Dwyane Wade (No. Donnie Freeman was best known for his career in the ABA, as the guard travelled all across the country picking up time with the league's various franchises from Miami to Minnesota. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 6. 123whydoipee. He is one of the players whose career stats and achievements definitely back why he is one of the greatest. His name appears near the top of every all-time offensive list. In case you hadn't noticed, the Wiz from Wuerzburg has been outscored by only five playersAbdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. In 1975, Abdul-Jabbar requested a trade to the Knicks or Lakers and the Bucks acquiesced and sent the superstar to Los Angeles in a trade. Shaq was a dominant center, standing at 7-foot-1 inch and weighing around 325 pounds. From 1967-1976, the ABA co-existed alongside the NBA, drawing quite a few talented players into itself. Hall of Fame forward Rick Barry is the only player ever to lead the NCAA, NBA, and ABA in scoring. LARRY BIRD and KEVIN McHALE (1980-1992) It only took Larry Legend one year before he hit the . The NBA and ABA merger of 1976, after so many failed attempts, added some of the best talent to the NBA.The entertaining ABA style of play offered a new view of the sport. Freeman earned. Any realistic list of the 30 or maybe even 40 best players of all time won't include a Blue Devil.