Greatest NBA Players of All Time
Since the inception of the league, the NBA has had numerous star players who stood out among the rest and revolutionized the game of basketball. Individual accolades, team success, and statistics are some of the criteria used to determine which players are worthy of being mentioned among the greatest of all times. Here are some of NBA’s greatest players to play the game.
Michael Jordan
Many consider Michael Jordan as basketball’s greatest player ever. During his career, Michael Jordan won six NBA titles, five regular-season MVPs, and six finals MVPs. He ideally accomplished everything that a player in the NBA would dream about, regarding awards and stats. He amassed 11 All-NBA selections, ten scoring titles, and 9 All-Defensive first-team selections.
Bill Russell
Bill is considered the greatest defender to have ever played the game of basketball. He played for the Boston Celtics and led them to 11 Championships, an NBA record. He also won five regular-season MVPs. Although his offensive statistics do not stand out, his impact on the game was far beyond numbers. Blocks were not counted, and Finals MVPs were not awarded during his time, but he would have had good numbers if they were.
Magic Johnson
Magic won five NBA titles, three regular-season MVPs, and three Finals MVPs. During his illustrious career, he played in nine Finals and got 10 All-NBA selections. His game was so flashy that the Lakers team was dubbed Showtime Lakers. At six feet and nine inches tall, he played the guard position, which was quite unusual for his height and stature.
Kareem Abdul Jabber
Kareem was one of the most consistent players in the NBA’s history. He maintained high averages throughout his 20 seasons in the NBA. He won six NBA titles, six regular-season MVPs, and two Finals MVPs. Kareem is also the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and has the most ever regular-season MVP awards. He also amassed 15 All-Defense selections and appeared in 19 All-Star games.