The Greatest Basketball Players of All Time

Ever caught yourself thinking about the greatest basketball players of all time? It’s a difficult mission, right? We can help you.

We’ve built a list of the greatest basketball legends who competed in the NBA in no order of best to worst. This list is full of stars!

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We have gathered information such as titles, teams, nicknames, MVP awards and All-Star Game calls, and various trivia and records. Some of the mentioned players have handed us joy at basketball sports betting at one point or the other. Let’s get started:

List Of The Best Basketball Players In History

1) Bill Russell

• Position: Pivot
• Team: Boston Celtics (56-69)
• Titles: 11x (57, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68 and 69)
• MVP: 5x (58, 61, 62, 63 and 65)
• All-Star: 12x (58-69)

Bill Russell was the centerpiece of the Boston Celtics dynasty in the early days of the NBA. The center, known for impeccable defensive play, is the athlete with the most titles in the history of American sports.

Russell was named MVP of the regular season five times, in addition to appearing in the All-Star Game 12 times in his career. His presence is mandatory in the hall of the best basketball players.

2) Larry Bird

• Position: Wing
• Team: Boston Celtics (79-92)
• Titles: 3x (81, 84 and 86)
• MVP:  3x (84, 85 and 86)
• All-Star:  12x (80-88 and 90-92)

A member of the “Dream Team” of the United States, Larry Bird was an excellent scorer and one of the most acclaimed idols in the history of the Boston Celtics. He won three NBA titles with the Massachusetts team and was named MVP three times in a row. 

Su majestad, Larry Bird. https://t.co/WZ30T4NNy4

— Alejandro Gaitán (@alejandroggo) July 19, 2022

Bird was relatively slow but made up for it in intelligence, always anticipating his opponents’ next move. Certainly one of the greatest basketball players of all time!

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3) LeBron James

• Position: Wing
• Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (03-10, 14-18), Miami Heat (10-14), and Los Angeles Lakers (18-current)

• Titles: 4x (12, 13, 16 and 20)
• MVP:  4x (09, 10, 12 and 13)
• All-Star:  16x (05-20)

It’s time to talk about one of the best basketball players today: King James! Explosive, technical, a leader, and somewhat controversial. LeBron has achieved everything an NBA athlete desires: titles, MVPs, and All-Stars.

https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1548457643114565634

The Los Angeles Lakers winger is the all-time leading scorer in playoff history and the only player to be Finals MVP for three different teams. This shows how decisive he is on the court! He promised Cleveland a title and delivered. 

4) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

• Position: Pivot
• Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (69-75) and Los Angeles Lakers (75-89)
• Titles: 6x (71, 80, 82, 85, 87 and 88)
• MVP:  6x (71, 72, 74, 76, 77 and 80)
• All-Star:  19x (70-77 and 79-89)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a cultural heritage of the sport, and the greatest pivot basketball has ever seen. Six NBA titles, six regular-season MVPs (highest award winner), and the icing on the cake: all-time leading scorer (38,387).

Want more? He is the athlete with the longest time on the court (57,446 min), the most times elected All-Star (19), and the highest scorer of the Milwaukee Bucks (14,211). Abdul-Jabbar is a legend and one of the greatest players in NBA history.

5) Karl Malone

• Position: Pivot
• Teams:  Utah Jazz (85-03) and Los Angeles Lakers (03-04)
• MVP:  2x (97 and 99)
• All-Star:  14x (88-98 and 00-02)

Remember when I said that the Utah Jazz was feared in the days of point guard John Stockton? Well then, it’s time to introduce the other star who led the team in the 80s and 90s: Karl Malone – undoubtedly one of the best basketball players of all time.

Stockton was setting, and Malone was finishing. The dynamic was more or less like this. Unlike his teammate, he became regular-season MVP in two years. Oh, he’s the second-highest scorer in NBA history with 36,928 points converted.

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6) Kobe Bryant

• Position: Point guard
• Teams: Los Angeles Lakers (96-16)
• Titles:  5x (00, 01, 02, 09 and 10)
• MVP:  1x (08)
• All-Star:  18x (98 and 00-16)

Unfortunately, Kobe Bryant, aka Black Mamba, left us tragically. The Los Angeles Lakers star died in a helicopter crash four years after retiring from the courts.

Some say that Kobe was the greatest basketball player after Michael Jordan. And his resume doesn’t disappoint Five NBA titles, 18 All-Star calls, and a regular-season MVP award.

7) Magic Johnson

• Position: Point guard
• Teams:  Los Angeles Lakers (79-91 and 95-96)
• Titles:  5x (80, 82, 85, 87 and 88)
• MVP:  3x (87, 89, and 90)
• All-Star:  12x (80 and 82-92)

Continuing in Los Angeles, the conversation is now about Magic Johnson. The legendary Dream Team point guard played his entire career with the Lakers, leading the franchise to five NBA titles. In addition, he won three MVP awards and amassed 12 All-Star appearances.

The nickname received by Johnson was not for nothing. The athlete did magic with the ball! Between unbelievable passes and plastic plays, he earned his spot on this list of the best basketball players in the world.

8) Michael Jordan

• Position:  Point guard
• Teams:  Chicago Bulls (84-93 and 95-98) and Washington Wizards (01-03)
• Titles:  6x (91, 92, 93, 96, 97 and 98)
• MVP:  5x (88, 91, 92, 96 and 98)
• All-Star:  14x (85-93, 96-98, 02 and 03)

There’s no arguing with it: Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time! The point guard was phenomenal on the court. And clutch too! He decided 25 games with baskets in the last 30 seconds, including two finals and five playoff duels.

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Strength, speed, dribbling, shooting, defense, passing, and explosion. Jordan had all of the fundamentals of basketball united in one body. Six titles were won in the NBA, five MVPs were received, and 14 All-Stars were accumulated. 

9) Oscar Robertson

• Position: Point guard
• Teams:  Cincinnati Royals (60-70) and Milwaukee Bucks (70-74)
• Titles: 1x (71)
• MVP:  1x (64)
• All-Star:  12x (61-72)

NBA title. MVP Award. A player with the most triple-doubles in the league (181). Nice to meet you, Oscar Robertson! Definitely one of the best basketball players in history.

Oscar Robertson during his time at the University of Cincinnati pic.twitter.com/R9WZMIADgm

— Rare NBA Photos (@OldNBAPhotos) July 12, 2022

Interesting to emphasize the style of play of the “Big O.” Even acting as a point guard, he managed to record great rebound averages – something unusual in the role. That explains the large number of triple-doubles in his career.

Are there any names missing from this ranking of the greatest basketball players of all time? Want to make your top best basketball players from best to worst? Take advantage of the comments section to voice your opinion. We want to hear from you!

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