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Complex Sports’ 30 Best NBA Players of All Time list is a work of art. It’s guaranteed to get hardcore basketball fans in their feelings and, in our humble opinion, do a much better job than some of those other rankings floating around the interweb.
Some will love the rankings; others will loathe them. But for better or worse, here are the:
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Top 10 players in NBA history assiduously ranked of all time
1. Michael Jordan
How much more clarification do you require here? Of course, Michael Jordan is number one.
This man won three games in a row, went to play baseball, returned to win three games in a row again, and then came back one more time to become one of the oldest players to average 20 points a game and score 40 points or more in a game.
Without a doubt, the GOAT. But I’ll remind you that in six Finals appearances, he never played in a Game 7 and earned a Defensive Player of the Year award (’88) in addition to his five MVPs, six Finals MVPs, and selection to the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team.
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He excelled on both sides of the ball and, like Bill Russell before him, knew precisely what he needed to do to help his team win day in and day out. Jordan never missed a game; for better or worse, he was a madman. When he saw how psychotic he was towards his buddies, my buddy burst into tears.
The Last Dance on ESPN attempted its effort to capture Michael Jordan’s grasp on the basketball world, but it fell short. No guard has ever dominated the league as much as he has, which helps his case when he is at the top of everyone’s list. Michael Jordan will never be replaced.
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2. LeBron James
This is an easy one to write for someone who ranks LeBron James first on their ranking of the top NBA players. Greatness comes to mind when you think about LeBron James.
He’s done nothing but live up to the huge hype that was placed on his shoulders coming out of high school in Akron, Ohio, from the first dribble he took in an NBA game until now.
LeBron not only lived up to the expectations but beyond them. And, let’s be honest, if you don’t believe he has a shot to seize the top place on this list after his career is finished, you’re being foolish.
The Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James argument will never end, but the fact that LeBron has already reached this level is incredible.
We could go into all of James’ numbers and accomplishments to show why he deserves to be on this list, but there’s really no need. We are all aware of what he has done and will continue to accomplish for at least a few years.
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For me, James’ performance in 2016 when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Golden State Warriors cemented his place in the debate alongside Michael Jordan.
In my opinion, that is the single greatest feat in NBA history, and it will be difficult to top. LeBron improved in 2016, from dropping 41 points in back-to-back games to blocking a shot in Game 7.
As a member of the league’s 75th-anniversary squad, he long ago ascended to a level of basketball brilliance shared only by himself and Jordan. They breathe different air than the rest of us, which is OK. Let’s not forget that LeBron is only 1,326 points away from passing Kareem to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
The irony is that, despite his stats, LeBron has not been acknowledged for his scoring skills for most of his career. LeBron’s book isn’t done yet, and he may add a few more titles along the road, but let’s not forget about everything else he’s done in his career.
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3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and inventor of the most lethal shot in Association history. He won six MVPs (one more than Russell and Jordan) and is the only player in league history to win an MVP despite his team not making the playoffs.
A 19-time All-Star who 15 times finished in the top 5 of the MVP voting, we’ll spare you from listing out all his accolades.
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4. Magic Johnson
It would be impossible to not have Magic Johnson as No. 1 on this list of the best PGs in NBA history. He played all five positions in the game and led the Lakers to their first title in nearly a decade.
The captain of the “Showtime” Lakers should firmly be included on anyone’s NBA top 5 list.
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5. Kobe Bryant
It’s disrespectful to leave Kobe Bear Bryant out of the top five of any all-time list. Magic and Shaq crowned Kobe as the greatest Laker ever after he retired.
Even with all those accomplishments, people try to tear him down with advanced statistics like usage rate and efficiency. To me, that’s absolutely silly for a guy who still managed to win just as many or more titles than Bird, LeBron, Wilt, Magic, and Shaquille O’Neal.
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6. Shaquille O’Neal
The 7’1, 365-pound big was as explosive, athletic, and quick as Shaq. The beauty of Shaq’s dominance is that you could know after two dribbles that he was about to hit you with a drop step in the post, but you just weren’t going to stop it.
He was truly a one-of-a-kind and easily one of the most entertaining players—on and off the court that the NBA has ever seen.
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7. Larry Bird
Larry Legend was a three-time champion and won three consecutive MVPs in the mid-80s. He infamously injured his back paving his mother’s driveway during the summer of 1985. Bird filled up a box score, but he was never strictly a numbers guy.
Even though he could barely get loose enough to play at the end of his final season, Bird was one of the most celebrated members of the legendary Dream Team.
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8. Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain played 13 seasons in the NBA and is considered one of the greatest players of all time. No player will ever eclipse his 23,924 career rebounds and 50.4 points per game average.
Tim Duncan finished 9,000 boards behind Chamberlain despite playing five more seasons. The league made rules to try to limit his dominance since he was so dominant.
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9. Bill Russell
Bill Russell is grossly disrespected when talking about the greats. His signature play of tapping the ball to a teammate helped him invent the fast break. The only player in history to come close to matching his winning is Michael Jordan.
There’s a reason why the Finals MVP award is named after him. He was truly ahead of his time.
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10. Tim Duncan
He’s top 10 in rebounds, blocks, win shares and defensive win shares of all time. In 251 playoff games, he averaged 19.9 PPG and 11.0 RPG.
He’s an enigma in some ways. Do you think Kawhi Leonard doesn’t talk much? I would say something to him and he would stare, Popovich said.
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