-- Pelton, 1969-75 Milwaukee Bucks; 1975-89 Los Angeles Lakers, Before MJ and LeBron, Kareem ruled basketball. He won the dunk contest in 1985 and 1990 (and maybe 1988 if you ask a few people) and participated in five contests overall. MLB. Early in the 2021-22 season, the NBA unveiled its 75th Anniversary Team, a squad full of iconic players representing different points in the evolution of basketball. The 2022 All-Star Game is once again slated to return to Cleveland as a nod to that moment. -- McMenamin, 1967-71 Baltimore Bullets; 1971-80 New York Knicks, Monroe's silky smooth game earned him the moniker "Earl The Pearl" and turned him into an icon for an entire generation of players. NFL. Kawhi Leonard vs. Gary Payton? -- MacMahon, 1982-94 Atlanta Hawks; 1994 LA Clippers; 1994-95 Boston Celtics; 1996-97 San Antonio Spurs; 1999 Orlando Magic, It doesn't get more elite than Wilkins' dunking skills. Stats: 20.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 4.5 APG in eight seasons with Milwaukee Bucks (2013-14 to 2020-21)*. On March 12, 1985, Larry Bird put on a shooting clinic for the ages, scoring a Celtics-record 60 points in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. 76 all the way to No. He changed the game with his step-back 3 -- and the NBA changed the rules due to his foul-drawing tactics. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, three-time MVP, two-time Finals MVP, 1979-80 Rookie of the Year, 1982 All-Star MVP, three-time NBA champion. Boxing. Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA championships, winning six Finals MVP awards and five regular-season MVP honors while becoming a global icon on and off the floor. Long before that, Parish was an ideal All-Star complement to the Celtics' other frontcourt stars because of his skills and willingness to accept -- and occasionally deal out -- the physical play in the paint in the 1980s. The 50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time 50 Paul Arizin Paul Vathis/AP Stalwart jump shooter from the Philadelphia Warriors. 5x. But Malone had the misfortune of matching up with Michael Jordan's Bulls in both of his NBA Finals appearances. Stats: 22.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG in 14 seasons with Buffalo Braves. All-Time #NBArank: The 10 greatest point guards in NBA history. TrueHoop TV: Steph Curry the fourth-best PG of all time? The first in a long lineage of dominant Lakers big men, Mikan won five championships and was an ambassador for the game. Westbrook also holds the record for consecutive triple-doubles (11 in a row). -- Dave McMenamin, Perhaps the only perceived knock on Duncan's game was that he was boring. Bryant Bulldogs. The crowd at Madison Square Garden went wild seeing Reed walk onto the floor, and although he finished with just four points and three rebounds, the Knicks won the championship. The charismatic Johnson took the "Showtime" Lakers to nine NBA Finals, and they won five titles. ESPN's 100 Greatest NBA Players of All-Time Quiz Popular Quizzes Today 1 2 Ballon d'Or Winners by Age 3 Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield 4 Countries of the World Sports NBA Random Sports or NBA Quiz ESPN's 100 Greatest NBA Players of All-Time ESPN's List of 'The NBA's 100 Best Players for the 2022-23 season #NBArank 65 views; The lowest paid NBA player is making less than $75K this season (and you've probably never heard of him) 64 views; The Best NBA Jerseys of All-Time 58 views; 64 Team tournament bracket (single-elimination, printable) 54 views Stats: 20.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG in 21 seasons with Dallas Mavericks (1998-99 to 2018-19). Top 10 Best NBA Players Of All Time. 374 - The 2017 All Star Game was also the highest-scoring game in the event's history, with 374 points (the . Stats: 13.1 PPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG in 19 seasons with Utah Jazz (1984-85 to 2002-03); NBA's career leader in total assists and steals. 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. Stats: 21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.0 BPG in 14 seasons with San Antonio Spurs (1989-90 to 2002-03). Fantasy Liberty Flames. 4 pick in the draft and won an MVP award two years later. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. Accomplishments: Four-time All-Star, six-time All-BAA/NBA, 1953 All-Star MVP, three-time scoring champ, 1952-53 rebounding champ, five-time BAA/NBA champion. -- Youngmisuk, 1996-2003 Milwaukee Bucks, 2003-07 Seattle SuperSonics; 2007-12 Boston Celtics; 2012-14 Miami Heat, 18.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 2.3 3PG, Before Stephen Curry came along and broke his all-time 3-point record, Allen was regarded as the smoothest shooting player of all time. 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)*. Boxing. -- Lopez, 1950-63 Boston Celtics; 1969-70 Cincinnati Royals, Cousy helped define the point guard position with his terrific passing skills. NBA Countdown starts with a heated discussion with Paul Pierce making his case of LeBron James not being a top-5 player all time, with Jay Williams and Jalen. 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. He earned respect from his peers by how hard he played and how tough it was to go against him. Behind Magic's unparalleled playmaking at 6-foot-9, the Lakers won four more titles, eclipsing the rival Celtics in the decade as Johnson won both MVP and Finals MVP three times before an HIV diagnosis forced him to (mostly) retire at age 32. After rupturing his in January 1992, Wilkins was ready for the following year and averaged 29.9 points. Accomplishments: 15-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive team, 1999-2000 MVP, 1992-93 Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star MVP, three-time Finals MVP, two-time scoring champ, four-time NBA champion. -- Collier, Personifying the concept of being a star in your role, Worthy's ability to defend, run the floor and finish enabled the Showtime Lakers to be so effective playing the style they employed. Cowens helped lead the Celtics to championships in 1974 and 1976. Stats: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG in 15 seasons with Chicago Bulls (1984-85 to 1992-93; 1994-95 to 1997-98) and Washington Wizards (2001-02 to 2002-03); NBA's career leader in points per game. Stats: 22.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.4 APG in 16 seasons with Miami Heat (2003-04 to 2015-16; 2017-18 to 2018-19), Chicago Bulls (2016-17) and Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-18). After averaging 20.4 points as a rookie, he didn't average fewer than 22.5 points in any season. The rings. He'll forever be on the short list of players you'd want to take the last shot with the game on the line. Stats: 18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG in 10 seasons with New York Knicks (1964-65 to 1973-74). Tim Duncan, probably the most incredible power forward of all time, takes the number 10 spot on our list.. Duncan, known as the "The Big Fundamental," ruled both ends . Cricket. Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG in 13 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1979-80 to 1990-91; 1995-96). 9. Eleven players ( Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson and John Stockton) were active in the 1996-97 season, during which the list was announced. 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. The Bullets/Wizards haven't come close to that kind of success since. Paul also holds the NBA record for consecutive games with a steal (108), a streak that took part over three seasons (April 13, 2007, to Dec. 23, 2008). The Spurs had a winning record and made the playoffs in every single season of Duncan's 18-year career. Accomplishments: Four-time All-Star, 1968-69 All-NBA, 1967-68 Rookie of the Year, 1973 NBA champion. Stats: 18.5 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.1 APG in 15 seasons with Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1949-50 to 1963-64). Clutch" for his penchant for delivering in the biggest moments. 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 He would eventually win the rebounding title twice and help future teammate Wes Unseld take the Bullets to three Finals appearances, including the championship in 1978. In that same post, we provided the sports network's rankings from their 2016 list to see which new players made an appearance on the list (Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard), which player jumped the most spots (James Harden and Allen . Then our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak . For the most part, it would be hard to argue that Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar aren't the top three players in NBA history. But West really did do everything: He was named an All-Star in all 14 seasons he played, has five All-Defensive team honors, a scoring title and an NBA championship (1972). -- Bontemps, 1970-74 Atlanta Hawks; 1974-79 New Orleans Jazz; 1979-80 Utah Jazz; 1980 Boston Celtics, Famed for his record-setting scoring playing for his father at LSU, Maravich never quite reached those same heights during an NBA career cut short by injury. Stats: 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG in 16 seasons with Philadelphia 76ers (1984-85 to 1991-92), Phoenix Suns (1992-93 to 1995-96) and Houston Rockets (1996-97 to 1999-00). Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, two-time MVP, four-time All-Star MVP, two-time scoring champ, 1958 NBA champion. TrueHoop TV: Kobe, Jerry West and the top shooting guards ever, All-Time #NBArank: The 10 greatest small forwards in NBA history, Photos: Classic action shots of league's best small forwards. "Mamba mentality" became more than a kitschy catchphrase after Bryant died; it is now a blueprint for how to chase your dreams. RB Jim Brown -- Cleveland Browns, 1957-1965 Following his breakout campaign, Pierce made the All-Star team 10 of the next 11 seasons. Stats: 20.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.0 APG in 12 seasons with Detroit Pistons (1966-67 to 1974-75), Washington Bullets (1975-76 to 1976-77) and Boston Celtics (1977-78). Accomplishments: 19-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA, 11-time All-Defensive Team, six-time MVP, two-time Finals MVP, 1969-70 Rookie of the Year, two-time scoring champ, four-time blocks champ, 1975-76 rebounding champ, six-time NBA champion. Gamecast; Preview; Northwestern State Lady Demons vs Incarnate Word . *All stats/accomplishments for active players are entering the 2021-22 season. With his hook shot, Mikan led the league in scoring in his first three seasons. -- Lopez, 1948-49 (BAA), 1949-54, 1956 Minneapolis Lakers, The NBA's first giant, Mikan was an NBA pioneer. Accomplishments: 14-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, five-time All-Defensive team, 1969 Finals MVP, 1972 All-Star MVP, 1969-70 scoring champ, 1971-72 assists champ, 1972 NBA champion. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1988 Finals MVP, three-time NBA champion. Subscribe to ESPN+ http://espnplus.com/. -- Collier, 1965-72, 1974-76 Philadelphia 76ers; also played two ABA seasons with Carolina Cougars (1972-74), A fixture with the 76ers as both a player and coach, Cunningham was part of one of the most iconic teams in NBA history: the 1967 NBA champion Sixers. Stats: 22.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.3 APG in 10 NBA seasons with Philadelphia Warriors (1950-51 to 1961-62). ESPN+. The 6-foot-10 Mikan was so imposing inside, the league had to widen the lane from 6 to 12 feet, aka the "Mikan rule." He became the face of a generation of big men and was dominant down low as he helped push the Lakers to three straight NBA titles from 2000 to 2002. Stats: 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG in 13 seasons with Boston Celtics (1979-80 to 1991-92). -- Bontemps, 2012-13 New Orleans Hornets, 2013-19 New Orleans Pelicans; 2019-22 Los Angeles Lakers, Taking the torch from Kevin Garnett as a near 7-footer who can completely dominate a game defensively with the offensive skill set to operate outside of the low post on the other end, Davis continues to redefine what a big man can do. He was known as "The Big Fundamental," dominating for nearly two decades on both ends of the floor with textbook simplicity, such as his midrange bank shot and perfect position defense. Accomplishments: Five-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, 1976-77 scoring champ. Stats: 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG in 17 seasons with New York Knicks (1985-86 to 1999-00), Seattle SuperSonics (2000-01) and Orlando Magic (2001-02). Accomplishments: Eight-time All-Star, 1968-69 All-NBA, six-time All-Defensive team, two-time NBA champion. My first hoops hero, but this is no loyalty vote. Accomplishments: 14-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA, four-time All-Defensive team, two-time MVP, two-time All-Star MVP. 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. 49. 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). 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. -- Lopez, 1959-62 Philadelphia Warriors, 1962-65 San Francisco Warriors; 1965-68 Philadelphia 76ers; 1968-73 Los Angeles Lakers, There are very few players who hold a record that will most likely never be broken. Stats: 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG in 18 seasons with Phoenix Suns (1996-97 to 1997-98; 2004-05 to 2011-12), Dallas Mavericks (1998-99 to 2003-04) and Los Angeles Lakers (2012-13 to 2013-14). He ushered in the era of dominant big men. Accomplishments: 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA, 15-time All-Defensive team, two-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP, 2000 All-Star MVP, 1997-98 Rookie of the Year, five-time NBA champion. -- Lopez, 1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks, 1955-65 St. Louis Hawks, Pettit was the first player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points and was a dominant force throughout his 11 seasons. Those qualities also helped him earn five MVP awards and 11 All-NBA selections. In 2009, then-NBA commissioner David Stern announced the Finals MVP award would be named after Russell. The Morehead State Eagles (10-19, 1-7 OVC) will try to stop a three-game losing streak when they visit the UT Martin Skyhawks (13-16, 8-9 OVC) at 2:00 PM ET on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at Ford Center. Barry drained 90% of his NBA free throws, fourth best all time. Until LeBron James came along, Bird was hailed as the best small forward ever. Sadly, Walton was never the same dominant force, though he returned to contribute to the 1985-86 Celtics title, winning the Sixth Man award. McHale's ability to play through pain and injury made him one of the most beloved Celtics players of all time. He developed into a very good spot-up shooter after his skills waned in his twilight, one reason he fit so well with Dirk Nowitzki as the leaders of the Mavs' championship team. -- Youngmisuk, 2005-2011 New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets; 2011-2017 Los Angeles Clippers; 2017-2019 Houston Rockets; 2019-2020 Oklahoma City Thunder; 2020-22 Phoenix Suns, Still going strong in his 17th season, Paul became the first player in NBA history to reach 20,000 career points and 10,000 career assists. Why he rose three spots. 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG. Accomplishments: 11-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, 1992-93 MVP, 1991 All-Star MVP, 1986-87 rebounding champ. NFL. #8: Kobe Bryant is currently third on the all-time scoring list, and 15th in steals. 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). 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. -- 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. 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 . -- 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. ESPN's NBA expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head player matchups, taking into consideration the quality and quantity of their NBA contributions. Robertson averaged a triple-double for an entire season in 1961-62 and finished with what was then a record number of career triple-doubles, performances that would not be matched until Westbrook's recent peak. Cricket. -- Ohm Youngmisuk, The legend of Reed's performance in 1970 alone could earn him inclusion on this list. -- Friedell, 1963-69 Cincinnati Royals; 1969-71 San Francisco Warriors; 1971-74 New York Knicks, Lucas averaged 15.6 rebounds a game during his illustrious career -- while shooting 49.9% from the field -- but what seemed to set Lucas apart was his brain. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defensive team, 1968-69 scoring champ, two-time rebounding champ, 1978 NBA champion. 13-15, 6-8 conf. Stats: 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5 APG in 14 seasons with Boston Celtics (1950-51 to 1962-63) and Cincinnati Royals (1969-70). "The Mailman" is the most decorated ringless player in NBA history, earning 14 All-Star nods and two MVPs and ranking as the second all-time leading scorer with 36,928 career points. We saw living legends Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan, Bob McAdoo, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Isiah Thomas, Julius Erving, Oscar Robertson and Dennis Rodman rub elbows, joke and reminisce then watch the the league's current superstars, future Hall-of-Famers and fellow NBA 75 members LeBron James (24 points and game-winner), Steph Curry (16 threes and 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 of the Year, 10-time scoring champ, three-time steals champ, six-time NBA champion. His unstoppable skyhook allowed him to score more points than anyone in league history, and while he wasn't flashy, there has arguably never been anyone better. Stats: 23.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.1 APG in 10 NBA seasons with San Francisco/Golden State Warriors (1965-66 to 1966-67; 1972-73 to 1977-78) and Houston Rockets (1978-79 to 1979-80); also played four ABA seasons with Oakland Oaks (1968-69), Washington Capitols (1969-70) and New York Nets (1970-71 to 1971-72). Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, three-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP, two-time All-Star MVP, four-time assists champ, two-time steals champ, five-time NBA champion. That being said, ESPN recently released their top 74 NBA players of all-time, which has caused many heated debates on social media. 14 PTS, 11 REB, 10 ASTNikola Jokic became only the 6th player in NBA history to record 100 career triple . Russo said Bird qualifies as a top three-point shooter all-time. Steve Nash. Old school or new school? 5-on-5: Which player should have made the top 50? While Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar get the lion's share of the credit for those teams, Worthy's 1988 NBA Finals MVP distinction tells the story of just how key he was in L.A.'s success, earning his "Big Game James" nickname for elevating his play when the games mattered most. Stats: 14.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.5 BPG in 21 seasons with Golden State Warriors (1976-77 to 1979-80), Boston Celtics (1980-81 to 1993-94), Charlotte Hornets (1994-95 to 1995-96) and Chicago Bulls (1996-97). -- McMenamin, 1976-87 Philadelphia 76ers; also played five ABA seasons with Virginia Squires (1971-73) and New York Nets (1973-76), Dr. J took dunking from something big men did around the basket and turned it into an art form. Accomplishments: 15-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA, 12-time All-Defensive Team, 2003-04 MVP, 2007-08 Defensive Player of the Year, 2003 All-Star MVP, four-time rebounding champ, 2008 NBA champion. -- 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. A four-time NBA champion and three-time Finals MVP, O'Neal averaged a double-double during a career that spanned almost two decades. 3.1 APG in 10 NBA seasons with San Antonio Spurs ( 1989-90 to 2002-03 ) five titles, best! Both of his NBA Finals, and 15th in steals 76ers ( 1949-50 to 1963-64.. 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