For reference, here are my top 10 players in NBA history from a previous post:
- Michael Jordan
- Lebron James
- Kareem Abdul Jabbar
- Bill Russell
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Magic Johnson
- Kobe Bryant
- Larry Bird
- Tim Duncan
- Shaquille O’Neal
As I stated in the previous post, I couldn’t stop there. So here is my list for the 11-20 players in NBA history.
#11 Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon – Hakeem was drafted ahead of Michael Jordan in 1984, so that should tell you how highly he was regarded early on. He was prolific both on offense and on defense. Often undersized versus his competition, Hakeem was almost always superior in his footwork, positioning and timing. He completely outplayed then-MVP David Robinson in the 1995 NBA playoffs, then swept the Shaquille O’Neal-led Orlando Magic in the Finals that same year. Hakeem owns one of the few quadruple-doubles in NBA history, achieving the feat in a game in 1990 (18 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 blocks). Over his career, he won 2 NBA championships, 1 season MVP, 2 Finals MVP, 2 Defensive Player of the Year awards, was voted an All-Star 12 times, defensive first team 5 times, and also led the league in rebounds and blocks multiple times. He retired as the all-time leader in blocks.
#12 Julius Erving – Dr. J, as he is more affectionately referred to as, was one of the most influential players in NBA history. He essentially had 2 distinct careers… his initial run in the ABA (American Basketball Association), and then later on in the NBA. His transition from one league to another completely shifted the balance of power in professional basketball. If you were to rank him just by his NBA accomplishments, he’d still be high on the list of all-time players. Combining both league statistics, he would be the 8th leading scorer in history, with over 30,000 points. He also glorified the dunk and all of the aerial artistry that comes with it. Almost as important and powerful as ‘Bird vs. Magic’ was “Bird vs. Dr. J’, as the Celtics and Sixers played in the Eastern Conference finals in 1980, ’81, ’82, and ’85. Many of his dunks and individual plays are played over and over even to this day.
#13 Oscar Robertson – Most people know Robertson averaged a triple-double for an entire season (1962), with Russell Westbrook being the only other player to do so, some 50 years later. What people don’t know is that if you were to take the average of his first FIVE seasons, his averages were 30.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game. He could do everything. Robertson won an NBA championship as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 alongside Lew Alcindor (who later became Kareem Abdul Jabbar). He also won league MVP in 1964, was all-NBA first team nine times, led the league in assists six times, and was Rookie of the Year in 1961. In today’s game, where it is easier to have inflated statistics, the Big ‘O’ might average 35-15-15.
#14 Jerry West – THE LOGO, as he is called due to his likeness on most NBA marketing and merchandise, was the perfect example of a two-way player. He excelled at both offense and defense. And his game got better as the moment got bigger. He won only one NBA title in 1972 largely in part to consistently facing the vaunted Boston Celtics in the Finals, but was named Finals MVP in 1969, the only player from the losing team to do so. He was all-NBA first team 10 times, defensive first team 4 times, and at different points led the league in points and assists. When you command the respect of the likes of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jordan when you speak, you’ve done something right.
#15 Moses Malone – Nobody was more dominant in the late 70’s and early 80’s than Moses. Malone was the first professional basketball player to go pro directly from high school, becoming a member of the ABA’s Utah Stars in 1974. From day one, he was already able to compete with the big boys, so as he matured, he matched them and eventually passed most of them in intensity, strength, and power. He led the league in rebounding 6 times, was a 3-time NBA MVP, and won the championship and Finals MVP in 1983 with Dr. J and the Sixers. Overall, Moses Malone was one of the most prolific rebounders in NBA history, as well as being in the top 20 all-time in scoring.
#16 Kevin Durant – I’m not near the NBA fan I was when I was a kid, but I could watch KD play every day. It’s almost unfair for somebody to be almost 7 feet tall, be able to dribble like a point guard, and be the best shooter on the floor, from both inside and outside. Durant has won 2 NBA championships, 2 Finals MVPs, 4 scoring titles, and has been all-NBA first team 6 times. He’s also a member of the 50-40-90 club, achieving those numbers for field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, and free throw percentage in 2013. The short list of people who have accomplished this are Larry Bird, Steve Nash and most recently Kyrie Irving, to name a few. In fact, he’s the only 55-40-90 club member. There is simply no way to guard him… he’ll easily shoot over a smaller defender and will dribble around a larger defender. And he’s still got another few playing years to move up this list.
#17 Karl Malone – THE MAILMAN. As a member of the Utah Jazz for 18 years, Malone teamed with point guard John Stockton to be one of the best 1-2 punches in NBA history. Their classic pick-and-roll was unstoppable. If it weren’t for Michael Jordan, Malone would have at least a couple NBA championships. He did achieve 2 NBA MVPs, 14-time All-Star selections, was 11-time NBA first team and 3-time defensive first team. He was also a member of the legendary 1992 Olympic ‘Dream Team’, often considered the greatest team in sports history. And oh, by the way, he’s 3rd on the all-time NBA scoring list. The Mailman definitely delivered.
#18 Elgin Baylor – Baylor played for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers from 1958-1971. From the very beginning, Baylor proved to be special. Amongst his achievements were Rookie of the Year in 1959, 10-time all-NBA first team, 11-time All-star, and he was one of the first flashy players… he would hang in the air and make shots nobody had seen before. In the 1961-62 season, Baylor averaged 38.3 points, 18.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, and had multiple seasons with similar statistical averages. In fact, before Wilt Chamberlain broke the single game scoring record with 100, Baylor held the record with 71. There were some games Baylor couldn’t play because of his commitment to the Army Reserves, and in some cases could only play if he had a weekend pass and could coordinate travel accommodations to wherever the team was playing. A late career knee injury slowed him down, but Baylor was still better than most, still scoring roughly 25 points a game in later years. When he ruptured his Achilles near the end of his career, he decided to retire a few games into the season, which was unfortunate, because the Lakers would win the championship that year. He was Rookie of the Year, 11-time all-star, and 10-time All-NBA first team.
#19 Steph Curry – Because of him, the NBA will NEVER be the same, good, bad or indifferent. Simply put the greatest shooter in NBA history, Curry is a 4-time champion, 2-time league MVP, Finals MVP, a member of the previously mentioned 50-40-90 club, 9-time All-Star, 1-time steals leader… and he is still adding to his accolades. Along with being the best shooter of all time, he is one of the best dribblers and artists with the basketball ever. If he plays another few years and adds to his ring total and other accolades, he’ll move up this list.
#20 Dirk Nowitzki – Another 7-footer that could shoot lights out, i.e. Kevin Durant. He was also a member of the prestigious 50-40-90 club. Nowitzki’s one-footed fadeaway jumper is right up there with Kareem’s skyhook as one of the most unstoppable moves in NBA history. He won his lone NBA title in 2011, along with Finals MVP that same year. In doing so, he beat the heavily favored Miami Heat, which included Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. He won the league MVP in 2007, was a 14-time All-Star, and 4-time All-NBA first team member. He was a matchup nightmare… he’d bring a big defender out to the 3-point line with him, allowing teammates to drive to the hoop, and if the defender stayed inside, he’d rain 3-pointers on you all day. His entire 21-year NBA career was played with the Dallas Mavericks.