Yahoo Sports 77 greatest NBA players ever: The HoopsHype list
As the NBA embarks on its 78th season, we’ve taken the time to refresh our rankings of the all-time top players. This year, we’ve added one more, presenting our list of the 77 greatest players in NBA history.
This is now a yearly exercise which we started in 2021, when the league released its NBA75 list with egregious omissions like Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, who easily make our list.
In the latest rankings, LeBron James edges nearer to Michael Jordan, Nikola Jokic surges upwards, and a new active player makes the cut at No. 76.
Like the previous two years, we held a team vote with the opinions of eight HoopsHype staff members, removed the highest and lowest rank for each and awarded points 77-1 for the rest.
Now, let’s delve into the list.
Michael Jordan
Top accolades: Six NBA titles, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, 10 All-NBA 1st Team selections, 14 All-Stars, one Defensive Player of the Year award, nine All-Defensive 1st Team selections
NBA rank: 4th in steals, 5th in scoring, 51st in assists, 124th in blocks, 136th in rebounds
Share of the vote: 99.58 percent of the maximum amount possible
Michael Jordan’s hold on the top spot of this list has gotten more precarious, especially after last season, though five of our eight writers still rank him first overall.
Jordan’s mid-range game – face-ups, jab-steps, pull-ups, turnarounds, fadeaway, all of it – was second to none, and he was also a freakish athlete who could finish through contact and over length. And then there was the aspect of his clutchness, as Jordan was so often successful in nailing game-winners in the most high-pressure situations imaginable. Oh, and he was a top-tier defender, too.
Jordan was the face of the NBA for a long time, and his star status outside of the basketball world was almost hard to believe, and still sort of is. Overall, he’s still currently the GOAT, according to our voters, but it’s definitely getting much closer and a big season out of the next player on our list could sway enough voters next year for us to make him the No. 1.
LeBron James
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Magic Johnson
Top accolades: Five NBA titles, three Finals MVPs, three MVPs, nine All-NBA 1st Team selections, 12 All-Stars
NBA rank: 7th in assists, 23rd in steals, 84th in scoring, 148th in rebounds
Share of the vote: 96.04 percent of the maximum amount possible
The consensus best point guard in NBA history comes at No. 4 on our list. The leader of one of the finest teams in basketball history, Magic Johnson had flash, pizzazz and any adjective you can think of as a playmaker, often hightailing it down the open floor and making spectacular passes that not many others would have attempted, let alone pulled off as successfully as he did. Magic was also a winner, making iconic plays over and over again in the biggest of stages. Add in his super charismatic personality and you have the complete package as one of the biggest superstars the league has ever seen.
Bill Russell
Top accolades: 11 NBA titles, five MVPs, 11, All-NBA selections, 12 All-Stars
NBA rank: 2nd in rebounds, 117th in assists, 165th in scoring
Share of the vote: 93.33 percent of the maximum amount possible
Bill Russell’s record for most NBA titles will never be beaten, as no one has come, or will come close to his 11 career championships. Russell’s resume is actually hurt because many accolades, like Finals MVP or Defensive Player of the Year didn’t even exist in his heyday. What’s more, since blocks weren’t recorded as a stat in his career, there’s no way to know how many Russell had for his career. There’s a chance he would be at the top of blocks standings along with the player coming up next on our ranking. Russell may not have had the longest career, but boy, was that run successful. Just as a curious note: Russell had more MVPs than All-NBA 1st Team selections in his career (three).
Wilt Chamberlain
Larry Bird
Top accolades: Three NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, three MVPs, nine All-NBA 1st Team selections, 12 All-Stars
NBA rank: 36th in scoring, 39th in steals, 48th in assists, 56th in rebounds, 161st in blocks
Share of the vote: 91.88 percent of the maximum amount possible
Bird may not rank super high in the stat department – a byproduct of a shorter career than normal for NBA superstars and being part of a star-studded team – but there’s no questioning his status as an all-time great, as the legendary swingman filled the stat sheet and possessed a terrific all-around game, as a shooter, overall scorer, rebounder and playmaker.
Kobe Bryant
Shaquille O'Neal
Tim Duncan
Hakeem Olajuwon 🇳🇬
Kevin Durant
Stephen Curry
Oscar Robertson
Top accolades: One NBA title, one MVP, nine All-NBA 1st Team selections, 12 All-Stars
NBA rank: 8th in assists, 14th in scoring, 80th in rebounds
Share of the vote: 83.54 percent of the maximum amount possible
The first player to average a triple-double in league history, Oscar Robertson was an expert playmaker, rebounder and scorer at the lead guard spot, and a somewhat underrated player historically. He experienced very little team success until he joined forces with Lew Alcindor in Milwaukee, but did eventually win an NBA championship. One of the most well-rounded offensive guards ever.
Karl Malone
Top accolades: Two MVPs, 11 All-NBA 1st Team selections, 14 All-Stars, three All-Defensive 1st Team selections
NBA rank: 3rd in scoring, 7th in rebounds, 12th in steals, 61st in assists, 70th in blocks
Share of the vote: 80.21 percent of the maximum amount possible
A model of consistency through the years, Karl Malone had a 17-year stretch, just discounting his first and last seasons, where he averaged at least 20 points per game. In that span, he put up 26.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest, numbers that most players would love to average for one season, let alone 17. Malone did have some shortcomings in the playoffs, however, at least compared to fellow megastars, and that put him a little lower on the totem pole than he could have been with a ring or two on his resume.
Moses Malone
Top accolades: One NBA title, one Finals MVP, three MVPs, eight All-NBA selections, 12 All-Stars, two All-Defensive Team selections
NBA rank: 5th in rebounds, 10th in scoring, 27th in blocks, 135th in steals
Share of the vote: 79.58 percent of the maximum amount possible
Perhaps the most underappreciated superstar ever, Moses Malone was as dominant as it gets at the center spot with physical toughness as a rebounder, leading the league in nightly boards an astounding six times, including once at 17.6 rebounds per game. Malone was also a monster scorer in the paint, using his brute strength to batter smaller foes down low. Many consider Malone the greatest offensive rebounder the league has ever seen, as his timing and instincts to chase boards on offense were second to none.
Kevin Garnett
Jerry West
Dirk Nowitzki 🇩🇪
Top accolades: One NBA title, one Finals MVP, one MVP, 12 All-NBA selections, 14 All-Stars
NBA rank: 6th in scoring, 26th in rebounds, 53rd in blocks, 94th in steals, 155th in assists
Share of the vote: 77.29 percent of the maximum amount possible
The first European player on the list, Dirk Nowitzki was another revolutionary player thanks to his three-point and off-the-dribble prowess in a 7-foot-tall body. Nowitzki’s elite skill level made the common thinking go from being that big men need to stay in the paint to: If your big men don’t space the floor, you’re at a disadvantage. Nowitzki made a contender, and eventually a champion, out of the Mavericks without star sidekicks for the most part of his career, hoisting the trophy in 2011 and winning Finals MVP for his efforts.
Julius Erving
Elgin Baylor
Giannis Antetokounmpo 🇬🇷
Dwyane Wade
David Robinson
Charles Barkley
Isiah Thomas
Scottie Pippen
Chris Paul
John Havlicek
Allen Iverson
Bob Pettit
John Stockton
Kawhi Leonard
Steve Nash 🇨🇦
Patrick Ewing
Rick Barry
Bob Cousy
Jason Kidd
James Harden
Elvin Hayes
Nikola Jokic 🇷🇸
Gary Payton
Dominique Wilkins
George Gervin
Clyde Drexler
George Mikan
Anthony Davis
Russell Westbrook
James Worthy
Carmelo Anthony
Top accolades: Six All-NBA selections, 10 All-Stars
NBA rank: 9th in scoring, 79th in rebounds, 91st in steals, 176th in assists, 201st in blocks
Share of the vote: 35.42 percent of the maximum amount possible
One of the smoothest scorers in the wing the league has ever seen, Carmelo Anthony became renowned for his jab step in the mid-range, but he had many more moves than that. Melo also liked to bully smaller defenders and hit them with turnaround fadeaways.
Paul Pierce
Bob McAdoo
Damian Lillard
Reggie Miller
Wes Unseld
Kevin McHale
Ray Allen
Pau Gasol 🇪🇸
Walt Frazier
Robert Parish
Top accolades: Four NBA titles, two All-NBA selections, nine All-Stars
NBA rank: 8th in rebounds, 10th in blocks, 30th in scoring, 92nd in steals
Share of the vote: 24.79 percent of the maximum amount possible
The starting center on those legendary Celtics teams of the 1980s, Robert Parish was a great complement to the likes of Bird and McHale, willing to do all of the dirty work down low while still providing a solid scoring punch in the paint. Parish ranks in the Top 10 in both career rebounds and blocks.
Willis Reed
Dwight Howard
Dolph Schayes
Chris Bosh
Dennis Rodman
Nate Archibald
Pete Maravich
Dave Cowens
Tony Parker 🇫🇷
Top accolades: Four NBA titles, one Finals MVP, three All-NBA 2nd Team selections, six All-Stars
NBA rank: 19th in assists, 56th in scoring, 152nd in steals
Share of the vote: 15.21 percent of the maximum amount possible
Tony Parker, surely the best European point guard the NBA has seen, dominated opposing backcourt players with quickness, a tight crossover and a beautiful tear-drop floater in the lane. He changed the game for guards trying to reach the NBA from overseas.
Vince Carter
Alex English
Paul Arizin
Earl Monroe
Top accolades: One NBA title, one All-NBA 1st Team, four All-Stars, one Rookie of the Year award
NBA rank: 90th in scoring, 158th in assists
Share of the vote: 10.63 percent of the maximum amount possible
Nicknamed The Pearl, Earl Monroe was a smooth ballhandler and scorer from the midrange who could stop on a dime and knock down jumpers with aplomb. His accolades and production don’t speak to how well-respected he was as a player, with his game being one of the original confident guards who scored with creativity. A lot of players of later generations modeled their games after him, so his influence was huge.
Bernard King
Tracy McGrady
Kyrie Irving
Top accolades: One NBA title, three All-NBA selections, eight All-Stars
NBA rank: 125th in scoring, 139th in assists, 244th in steals
Share of the vote: 8.96 percent of the maximum amount possible
Kyrie Irving finally cracks this list… and it’s actually the only new face in it. Maybe the best ballhandler in NBA history, Irving will always be remembered for his huge shot at the end of Game 7 in the 2016 Finals that helped the Cavs win their first title. One of the craftiest finishers around the rim, Irving is unstoppable getting in the paint. Despite his tendency to attract drama, his talent has been irresistible for fans and (many) executives.
Hal Greer
