The Best NBA Players Of All Time (part 1)

During its 70 years of history, the NBA has seen many star players dazzle fans, and a lot of them have even earned a position in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. However, of those NBA stars, who have been the greatest ones of all?

1. Michael Jordan (1985-2003)

Killer Stat: 30.1 Points Each Game

Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the top two names at many advanced stat measures in the history of NBA, but in the final, Jordan gets the nod thanks to his unmatched offensive production and his undefeated run in six NBA Finals appearances.

Jordan is also the greatest scorer in the history of the NBA, averaging 30.1 points each game, which is even higher than Wilt Chamberlain. He is considered as a monster on defense, averaging 2.35 steals each game, which is the best mark among all Hall of Famers and the third in the history of NBA.

He led The Chicago Bulls teams, featuring some stellar rosters, in the 1990s and he was the unquestioned leader who ranks first all-time in win shares every 48 minutes, in both the playoffs and regular season.

2. LeBron James (2004-Present)

Killer Stat: 27.1 Points Each Game

In a generation of prolific production, LeBron James still stands apart as the best and also as one of basketball’s all-time greats. Although you can stand in awe of his career stat line of 27.11 points, 7.3 assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game, James is one of those basketball players whose advanced statistics are even much more mind-boggling.

When it comes to the value over replacement player, for both the playoffs and regular season, along with career box plus/minus, James is the best in the history of NBA with his 12 first-team All-NBA selections being also the most ever. The fact that he led Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers teams to eight consecutive NBA Finals and three championships, is nearly unfathomable in an age where talent is spread across the league.