Top 5 NBA Players of All Time

By: Andrei Hirdea

The NBA has a rich history, dating back nearly 68 years, full of decorated organizations and players. During that time, we’ve seen our fair share of greats come and go, but which players in the game’s history stand out above the rest? To decide that, we’ll look at various criteria including statistics, team success and individual accolades. 

5. Bill Russell

He invented defensive sequences and made sure that defense was considered an equal force in an attack centered league.

Widely regarded as the best defensive player of all time, his 11 NBA championships is probably the safest all-time record around. He also has 5 MVP awards, all of this at a time when it was difficult to be an African-American in the city of Boston. Bill Russel didn’t just win in basketball, he won in life.

Accolades: 11 NBA titles, 5 reg. season MVPs

4. Magic Johnson

The Lakers would not have had Showtime in the 1980s without Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Magic was perfect for L.A. and Hollywood with his trademark smile and passion for the game. His Finals MVP as a rookie is perhaps his single greatest accomplishment after he replaced the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6. He started the game at center and played all five positions by the time the game was over, recording 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.

His near-annual battles with Bird for the championship drove the league to heights of popularity it had never known before. His five championships cemented him as one of the greatest players to play the game.

At 6-foot-9, Johnson was the biggest point guard that had ever graced the basketball court until the Sixers’ Ben Simmons came along. The Lakers playmaker ran the offense with a love for the game that was rarely seen and he orchestrated Showtime to perfection on the way to five championships in nine Finals appearances. He also led the 1988-89 Lakers to the first back-to-back championship in 20 years. Since then, back-to-back championships and three-peats became commonplace.

Accolades: 5 NBA titles, 3 Finals MVPs, 3 reg. season MVPs

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

No one has eclipsed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s six MVP awards and that’s for a good reason. His excellence extends over two decades, winning six championships along the way. Before being part of the Lakers’ Showtime, Jabbar had already won a championship ring with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 but had a long title drought.

His 38,837 points have stood the test of time. It’s been almost 20 years since he retired and the record still stands to this day.

But it’s impossible to talk about Kareem without talking about the skyhook. His signature move is one of the most enduring images in NBA history and one that is likely never going to be replicated.

The Captain won five more championships with Magic directing traffic during the Lakers Showtime era.

Accolades: 6 NBA titles, 2 Finals MVPs, 6 reg. season MVPs

2. LeBron James

17 years into his career and LeBron James has not shown signs of slowing down. Based on his numbers last season, it almost seems as if he just reached his prime.

The first pick of the 2003 NBA Draft straight out of high school is a four-time MVP and a perennial All-Star. He’s the first player to reach 30,000 points, 8,000 rebounds and 8,000 assists and he is on pace to reach the unfathomable—40,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists. When James finally pioneers the exclusive 40K-10K-10K club, we may not see anyone else join him for the next 50 years or so.

His resume is filled with accolades and records broken that could fill an entire 200-page book. With today’s advanced statistics and record-keeping, we are able to track what players are doing that are historically great. Atop the leaderboard of history-making and record-breaking is the kid from Akron who continues to add to his legacy with every game that he plays.

Accolades: 3 NBA titles, 3 Finals MVPs, 4 reg. season MVPs

1. Michael Jordan

The greatest player ever to lace a pair of basketball shoes is none other than Michael Jeffrey Jordan. The 6-foot-6 legend took the league by storm the moment he set foot on an NBA hardwood. When the lanky but athletic young shooting guard started his career, Jordan was thought of more as a scoring machine even though he was an excellent defender and a willing passer. He averaged more assists per game than most, if not all, of his fellow shooting guards.

It wasn’t until he won his first championship that he was taken seriously as one of the greatest players in the game. Six championships later (with no loss in the Finals), Jordan sits atop the discussion of the greatest player debate despite James’ continuous assault upon His Airness’ accomplishments. The latter player may or may not catch up to the former, but for now, Jordan sits on the throne with the rest of his peers honoring him for his accomplishments.

The five-time MVP was an assassin on the court, taking down opponents of all shapes and sizes. No one was safe from Jordan’s competitive fire as he extinguished all comers on his way to winning six Finals MVPs to go along with his six rings. Jordan owns numerous awards and records, most of which continue to endure to this day.

Accolades: 6 NBA titles, 6 Finals MVPs, 5 reg. season MVPs