Most famous basketball

View the full list. It began on Nov. David Aldridge: Explaining the criteria behind our selection process. This ranking is not in dispute.

The NBA has a rich history, dating back nearly 68 years, full of decorated organizations and players. During that time, we've seen our fair share of greats come and go, but which players in the game's history stand out above the rest? To decide that, we'll look at various criteria including statistics, team success and individual accolades. Let's take a look at the 10 greatest players in NBA history and find out. Mostly regarded as the most skilled big man in the history of the game, Hakeem Olajuwon 's dominance on the inside was a thing of beauty. He abused many a defender with his trademark " Dream Shake " move. Olajuwon's game is so renowned that superstars like Kobe Bryant , LeBron James and Dwight Howard have looked to improve their game under his tutelage.

Most famous basketball

Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. Ranking the best NBA players ever. Nor did we particularly labor over why Tim Duncan, for instance, deserved top 10 status over Kevin Garnett and Kevin Durant for now. But how much more credit do you give Bryant for winning more rings and drawing legit comparisons to Michael Jordan? As each individual involved in this incredibly difficult and necessary endeavor lobbied for the player they thought deserved proper billing, we quickly realized it was going to be hellacious coming to a consensus. There were passionate pleas to weigh unprecedented accomplishments over sustained excellence. But decisions had to be made. So for better or worse, here are the best 30 players in NBA history, assiduously ranked. Praise or pillar the selections as you see fit. Some will love the rankings, others will loathe them. Our latest entry to the list is Nikola Jokic and with him entering the top 30, we had to remove another all-time great in John Stockton. It upsets me that people might be shocked that Allen Iverson is included on this list.

This ranking is not in dispute.

It was the third anniversary team in the league. In addition, the top ten head coaches and top ten single-season teams in NBA history were selected by media members as part of the celebration. The announcement marked the beginning of a season -long celebration of the league's anniversary. O'Neal was the last to be active in the NBA, retiring at the end of the —11 season. At the time of the list, only Pete Maravich was deceased.

View the full list. It began on Nov. David Aldridge: Explaining the criteria behind our selection process. This ranking is not in dispute. The sky is blue. The earth is round.

Most famous basketball

On March 12, , Larry Bird put on a shooting clinic for the ages, scoring a Celtics-record 60 points in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. LeBron James or Michael Jordan? Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain? Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant? Old school or new school? These debates rage on endlessly in every corner of NBA fandom, and our experts have done their best to answer them, ranking the greatest players in the league's year history. ESPN's NBA expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, taking into consideration both total career value and peak performance.

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Shaquille O'Neal. Archived from the original on April 7, His combination of size, strength and basketball IQ made him a once-in-a-lifetime talent. It was the humility that got him in the gym, nightly. Jerry Lucas. He made the All-Star Game in 12 of his 13 seasons, falling short of the honor only during his rookie year when he missed part of the campaign to play on the Olympic team. Davis, who checks in at No. Chuck Daly. And this is one of the most significant teams in NBA history. Try a week on us. Sure, he played with some other legendary Lakers and the record in the Finals stands out. All of those things, of course. Retrieved April 4,

As LeBron James , Stephen Curry and other stars create a new NBA before our eyes -- while standing on the shoulders of giants -- we are presenting the NBA players who have done the most to change the way we play the game, how we talk about the game, and the culture of basketball.

But becoming the only player to ever lead the NBA in scoring and assists in the same season has a way of making everyone forget any height and weight measurables. Jack McCallum. The —96 Chicago Bulls had, at the moment, the best single-season record in NBA history with 72 wins. They went to the playoffs in all six of his seasons there. There's only man on this list with a game in the NBA Finals. Hubie Brown. Yet another tough ranking. Paul Arizin. Sporting News. Finally, he got on the floor for the final 15 seconds of the last game of the season.