Basketball is a game filled with complexities, and as the game has evolved over time, a few players have stood out from the rest for their ability to impact the game in ways others just could not.
The NBA is approaching 80 years of existence and has transcended eras, styles of play, and rule changes.
This has resulted in debates comparing players from different eras, with fans loyal to each era claiming that the NBA they saw growing up was the best version of the league and that the best players of their time would dominate any era of basketball.
While picking a “GOAT” is no easy task, there are just a handful of players who can stake a realistic claim for being the greatest NBA player of all time.
Here, we rank the top ten players from NBA history. This list takes into account statistical production, longevity, individual and team accolades, and intangibles such as their influence on the game.
#10. Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon’s greatness can be summed up with just one sentence: that he was drafted ahead of Michael Jordan, and no one ever refers to it as a mistake by the Houston Rockets.
Olajuwon played all but one season of his career with the team that drafted him, the Houston Rockets, and won two championships with them as the best player on the team.
Olajuwon’s 1994 season might just be the greatest individual season anyone has had in terms of accolades. The “Dream” won the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP awards in the same season, making him the only person to ever achieve this feat.
Hakeem was a 12-time All-NBA selection and a 9-time All-Defensive selection, standing tall in a world of giants as the pre-eminent center of his time.
#9. Shaquille O’Neal
The post-retirement persona on ‘Inside the NBA’ may fool people, but prime Shaquille O’Neal was arguably the most unguardable player the NBA has ever seen.
The “Big Diesel” stood at 7’1, 325 pounds, which poses a problem by itself just on face value.
But on top of that, at his best, the former MVP was fast, nimble, and aggressive, making him an unstoppable force that could roll to the rim, leaving bodies around him on the floor.
The league had to change how backboards were constructed to let him thrive, and the opposition had to resort to “Hack-a-Shaq” to restrict him from wreaking havoc in the paint and scoring at will.
#8. Larry Bird
If one had to pick an example from NBA history to demonstrate how appearances can be deceptive, look no further than Larry Bird.
The Celtics legend was a vicious competitor who would talk trash endlessly and school opponents with his otherworldly skill set, all while looking like the most unathletic person on the court at any given time.
Bird remains the last person to ever win three MVP trophies on the trot, and headlined the last Celtics dynasty to have graced the NBA.
The “Hick from the French Lick” also formed one half of the most famous individual rivalry in NBA history, with his competition with Magic Johnson giving new life to the NBA which was losing popularity heading into the 1980s.
#7. Tim Duncan
The “Big Fundamental” is widely regarded as the greatest draft selection a team could have ever made.
After going No.1 to the San Antonio Spurs in 1997, Tim Duncan was the biggest factor that contributed to the Spurs gaining the reputation of being the best-run franchise in the league.
Duncan defined the identity of the Spurs with his unselfish, efficient, and team-first approach to basketball and set the tone for a dynasty that won five NBA championships.
Often mentioned as the greatest power forward ever, Duncan made 15 All-NBA and All-Defensive teams, a testament to his longevity and consistency at both ends of the court.
#6. Wilt Chamberlain
The only person who has ever scored 100 points in a game can’t possibly be left out of a list ranking the greatest NBA players of all time.
Chamberlain ended his 16-year run in the NBA in 1973 with career averages of 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds. The “Big Dipper” also remains the only person to ever average over 50 points for an entire NBA season.
However, the legend of Wilt Chamberlain goes beyond basketball. The stories about his freakish athleticism and otherworldly physical tools make him feel more like a myth than an actual person.
Legend goes that Chamberlain was a savant at volleyball, too, and that he beat Olympic shot put champion Al Oerter at his own game. Stories also exist that point to the Brooklyn Nets offering Chamberlain an NBA contract when he was 49 years old and long retired.
#5. Magic Johnson
Imagine being so good that people refer to you as “Magic” and never by your actual first name.
Earvin “Magic” Johnson was the main act of the “Showtime” Lakers in the 1980s and orchestrated an excellent offense with his unbelievable skill set at the point guard spot.
Johnson presented an archetype to the league that was relatively uncommon and paved the way for big point guards and point forwards who are commonplace in today’s NBA.
Before contracting HIV and retiring abruptly from the NBA in 1991, Johnson had already accumulated five NBA titles with the Lakers to go with his personal collection of three MVP trophies and three Finals MVP trophies.
#4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Before LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the greatest example of how an athlete can prolong success and longevity at the top.
The owner of the most unguardable shot in NBA history, the skyhook, Kareem was a generational prospect who took the league by storm in the late 1960s and continued to be a key contributor well into the 1980s.
Kareem won at every stage in his career, and his dominance at the collegiate level, in fact, forced the NCAA to ban dunks as a means of scoring, leading to the creation of the skyhook.
Without relying on the three-point shot, the six-time MVP held the title of the NBA’s all-time greatest scorer for close to 40 years until the same was broken by LeBron James in 2023.
#3. Bill Russell
Bill Russell is the winningest player in NBA history and headlined the most successful dynasty of all time.
Russell’s career with the Boston Celtics spanned 13 years, 11 of which ended with a championship. Just how crucial the center was to this unbelievable span of success elevates him to the third spot here.
Individual accolades do not do justice to Russell’s resume, despite his being a five-time MVP, as significant defensive statistics and metrics were not measured during his time in the league.
A defensive savant, Russell is widely regarded as the best defender of all time and managed to be the best player for his team despite not functioning as their go-to scoring option.
#2. LeBron James
Being labelled the “Chosen One” as a teenager could have been a lot of pressure on any young prospect aiming to make a name in the NBA. LeBron James wasn’t just any other young prospect, though.
“King” James embraced all the hype that earmarked him for success before even touching an NBA court and possibly exceeded all the lofty expectations that were placed on him.
After being drafted in 2003, James has consistently been among the best players in the league from day one and shockingly, continues to perform at an elite level despite turning 40 during the 2024-25 season.
The boy from Akron is now the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and made history by playing on the same team as his son.
#1. Michael Jordan
“His Airness”, “Black Jesus”, “Magic Mike”. The nicknames tell the story.
While there is a good case to be made for any of the other players in this list to be the greatest NBA player of all time, the sheer impact Michael Jordan had and the chokehold he had on all NBA fans should be enough to name him the “GOAT”.
Six championships with a 6-0 record in the NBA Finals for the team that drafted him while claiming Finals MVP honors on all six occasions is an incredible achievement, only elevated by the fact that they came in the form of two three-peats.
The former Tar Heel was the top dog in the league from the minute he made his debut, and arguably was the most recognisable athlete on earth during his prime.
Jordan’s mysterious personality and persona also added to the allure around him as the NBA’s most marketable athlete ever.
Everyone wanted to “Be like Mike”, and understandably so.