The Most Exceptional Basketball Players in History

Basketball has been around for more than a century. It was invented in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts by J ames Naismith, an instructor at YMCA International Training Center. It is a sport that has always been well-liked since it began and only gained popularity when the United States Army and the YMCA helped spread the sport around the world. It became an official sport at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin (women’s basketball wouldn’t be added until the 1976 Montreal Olympics).

The love of the sport only increased after World War II, and the NBA went international in 1978, with an exhibition game between Washington Bullets and Maccabi Tel Aviv. But it was in the 1980s, that it saw a rather huge popularity explosion with the emergence of cable TV. Exceptional players also gave the game a boost in this era – Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Michael Jordon, Larry Bird, and more – and it has quickly risen in popularity around the world over the last three decades.

Basketball was once dominated by the United States, but when the “Dream Team” took center stage at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the sport began ascending to new heights. Today, the game is now dominated by international players like Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic as well. But if these players want to leave a legacy of greatness, they still have some work to do.

To compile this list of the greatest athletes to play basketball, 24/7 Tempo consulted basketball-related sources. These include NBA.com, ESPN, and Basketball Reference.

The debate around who the greatest player in history may be highly contested by fans, with names like Michael Jordan and LeBron James often compared. Jordan fans will point to his domination in the regular season, playoffs, and perfect finals record. James fans will argue that his longevity and consistency are why he’s the greatest to ever do it. (There may be debate about the greatest player, but what is agreed upon by all is the heinous act of violence committed by any individual who tries to assassinate anyone, as witnessed by the attempt on former President Donald Trump.)

Both make compelling cases, but there’s one player who fans often forget when discussing the most exceptional player in history – Wilt Chamberlin. Chamberlain has outstanding career averages and while people hold his inability to beat Bill Russell against him, what he did on the basketball court can’t be overstated. For more sports-related content, click here to read about the best athletes to come from Colorado.

Michael Jordan

• Teams: Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards
• Seasons played: 15

One of the few athletes in history whose name is recognized by most people around the world, Jordan’s shoe brand, dominance, and star power are matched by only a few stars. He played the bulk of his career with the Chicago Bulls and ended it with a stint playing for the Washington Wizards. He won six championships, didn’t lose in the Finals once, and dominated the 1990s.

When Jordan was at his peak, nobody else won a championship. The only reason the Houston Rockets won back-to-back titles in the mid-1990s was because Jordan was playing baseball. Not many athletes have had as much success in their sport as Jordan did.

Wilt Chamberlain

• Teams: Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers
• Seasons played: 14

While Wilt Chamberlain only won two championships, his career averages prove he dominated the court whenever he played. During his career, he averaged 30 points per game, 22 rebounds per game, and 4.5 assists per game. These days, whenever a player scores 30 points and grabs 15 rebounds in a game, it’s talked about. Chamberlain averaged more than that in every game he played during his career. He’s the only person to score 100 points in a single NBA game in history.

LeBron James

• Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers
• Seasons played: 21 and counting

LeBron James has had one of the greatest careers in NBA history. He’s won four championships, is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the game, and has played at a consistent level for twenty straight years. There’s no getting around his greatness on the court. However, the debate between him and Michael Jordan being the greatest player will go on forever. James has all the accolades and honors to state he is the greatest to ever do it.

The reason it’s hard for some people to put James ahead is based on his record in the NBA Finals. He didn’t dominate his decade like Jordan is another factor. Players like Steph Curry, Tim Duncan, and Kawhi Leonard have won titles during LeBron’s era but this shouldn’t diminish the greatness of LeBron James.

Magic Johnson

• Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
• Seasons played: 13

In 12 years, Magic Johnson won five titles, three finals MVPs, three regular-season MVPs, and was also the face of the Showtime Lakers in the 1980s. Johnson was on a clear track to potentially being the greatest player in league history, but he retired early when he contracted HIV. Throughout his career, he averaged 19 points per game, 11 rebounds per game, and seven assists per game. These numbers prove how unselfish Johnson was as a player. Johnson has since become part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Commanders.

Kareem Abdul-Jabar

• Teams: Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers
• Seasons played: 21

Kareem Abdul-Jabar dominated the court like few players have and is one of the main reasons the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers were so great. Before his time with the Lakers, Abdul-Jabar played for the Milwaukee Bucks, where he brought the franchise their first championship. During his career, he won six titles, and two Finals MVPs, was an 11-time all-defensive player, and won six regular season MVPs.

He averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds per game during his career. Abdul-Jabar also had one of the greatest college careers in history, winning three straight NCAA titles with UCLA. Not many players can boast the same stats and accolades Abdul-Jabar did for as long as he did during his career.

Bill Russell

• Teams: Boston Celtics
• Seasons played: 13

While he only played in the NBA for 13 seasons, Russell won 11 championships, and five MVPs, went to 12 all-star games, and has the distinct honor of having the NBA Finals MVP trophy named after him. He would average 15 points and 22 rebounds per game and was also a vocal leader during the Civil Rights Movement. This was risky for Russell since he played during a time when African Americans were thought of as less than, but he helped African Americans in more ways than he could imagine.

Larry Bird

• Teams: Boston Celtics
• Seasons played: 13

The rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson dominated the 1980s in the NBA. It seemed like the two were on a crash course to meet in the Finals every year they played. Bird ended his career with three titles, two Finals MVPs, and three straight regular-season MVPs. He shot the ball like few ever have in the history of the NBA.

Bird averaged 24 points per game, 10 rebounds per game, and six assists per game. The way Bird let the game come to him while always making the right play is why different players wanted to team up with him. He’s one of the most iconic Boston Celtics players in history.

Tim Duncan

• Teams: San Antonio Spurs
• Seasons played: 19

While growing up in the Caribbean, Duncan wanted to be a swimmer, but his pool was destroyed by a hurricane, which forced him to take up another sport. He chose basketball. During his Hall of Fame run with the San Antonio Spurs, Duncan became known as a player who used the backboard to help his shots go in. He knew exactly where to go on the court to give himself the best shot.

Playing the game that way helped Duncan win five championships, three finals MVPs, two regular season MVPs, and be one of the most dominant all-around players in history. One can’t help but wonder how his career, and the league, would have been if his pool survived destruction.

Shaquille O’Neal

• Teams: Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns
• Seasons played: 19

Whenever he stepped on the court, O’Neal was a force to be reckoned with. He won four NBA championships, three Finals MVPs, and one regular season MVP, and led the league in scoring twice. His career averages of 23 points per game and slightly under 11 rebounds show how dominant he truly was.

Another of the greatest questions in sports revolves around O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. If they didn’t feud with each other and played their careers together in Los Angeles, they likely would’ve won more championships with the Lakers. O’Neal now works as an analyst for TNT and can be seen in many different commercials on television.

Kobe Bryant

• Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
• Seasons played: 20

Kobe Bryant played for the same team his entire career, during which he won five championships, two Finals MVPs, and one regular season MVP. He scored the second most amount of points in a single game with 81 against the Toronto Raptors. When he retired, Bryant showed an interest in growing the women’s game. He had only daughters and he wanted to be sure they had a platform to play the game he loved so much. His untimely death sent shockwaves around the world.

Oscar Robertson

• Teams: Cincinnati Royals, Milwaukee Bucks
• Seasons played: 14

In 2024, it’s become common for players to average a triple-double throughout a season, or be close to doing so, but the first player to do so was Oscar Robertson in the 1961-62 season. After that, it would be more than 50 years before Russell Westbrook accomplished the feat with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Robertson was an all-around offensive player who had control of every game.

During his career, he won one championship and one MVP. His career averages of 25 points per game, seven rebounds, and nine assists are impressive. Basketball historians know how important Robertson’s talent was to the game of basketball during his career.

Hakeem Olajuwon

• Teams: Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors
• Seasons played: 18

The man who led the Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles during Michael Jordan’s absence from basketball was Hakeem Olajuwon, who is considered by many to be the most dominant center in the history of the game. He won two titles, two Finals MVPs, and one regular season MVP, and was a nine-time all-NBA defender.

His ability to block shots close to the rim forced opponents to take tougher, lower percentage shots from the mid-range. Olajuwon averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds per game during his Hall of Fame career. Whenever he got the ball down low, opponents knew he was going to score.

Jerry West

• Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
• Seasons played: 14

Jerry West is credited as the man who is the NBA logo. Throughout his career, he represented the NBA with class and dignity and is one of the main reasons the league didn’t change the logo to Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Even current players get annoyed whenever West talks about no longer wanting to be the league’s logo since they know how important he was to the game.

During his career, he won a title and Finals MVP. He is also the only player to lose an NBA Finals and still be given the MVP  award of the series. His 27 points per game, five rebounds per game, and six assists per game helped him become legendary in his own right.

Kevin Garnett

• Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets
• Seasons played: 21

In addition to his excellent skills on the court, Kevin Garnett’s trash-talking ability got under the skin of many players, throwing them off their game, which helped Garnett whenever the players he was guarding had the ball. They would force shots that didn’t go in, even when there was a better play available. During his career, Garnett won an NBA title, one MVP, and was an all-NBA defender 12 times.

He was part of one of the first modern “Big Threes” assembled by other players flocking to a new team. Along with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, he helped bring the Boston Celtics back to relevancy during their only title run in the late 2000s.

Stephen Curry

• Teams: Golden State Warriors
• Seasons played: 15 and counting

Stephen Curry’s consistency on the court makes him a threat to shoot whenever he crosses half-court. The most remarkable part about Curry is his size compared to most players (6’2 compared to the league average of 6’6). He has to shoot over players who are, on average, several inches taller than him. Curry has won four NBA titles, one Finals MVP, and two regular-season MVPs and is still putting up insane numbers.

The Golden State Warriors are credited as being the most unselfish team of this era, taking away the isolation game for the most part. Curry is still going strong and looking to add more titles to his already impressive resume.

Moses Malone

• Teams: Utah Stars, Spirits of St. Louis, Buffalo Braves, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Bullets, Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs
• Seasons played: 19

During his career, he became known as a player who used his body to get wherever he wanted on the court. That mentality also helped him become one of the best defenders in the game. Malone won a title, even during the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics dominance during his career, and was also a three-time MVP, Finals MVP, and two-time all-defender.

His career averages of 20 points and 12 rebounds per game solidify him as one of the most consistent players during his time in the NBA. Malone is often forgotten because of the era he played in, but he’s one of the best players in the history of the sport.

Elgin Baylor

• Teams: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers
• Seasons played: 14

Baylor spent his entire career with the Lakers and was on the team before they moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. His teams always came up against Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics during the 1960s, with the Celtics winning those matchups. Despite this, Baylor’s career is still seen as a massive success. He was the Rookie of the Year, an 11-time All-Star, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Baylor averaged 27 points and 13 rebounds per game for the duration of his career.

Julius “Dr. J.” Erving

• Teams: Virginia Squires, New York Nets, Philadelphia 76ers
• Seasons played: 16

Before the NBA and ABA merged, there was a constant battle to see which league was better. Julius Erving was the poster for the ABA and helped bring the two leagues together and prove both had good athletes. During his ABA career, he won two ABA titles and was a five-time All-ABA player. After moving to the NBA, Erving won an NBA title and was a seven-time all-NBA player who became known for his flashy dunks and amazing leaping ability.

Isiah Thomas

• Teams: Detroit Pistons
• Seasons played: 10

Isiah Thomas helped lead the Detroit Pistons to their first two NBA titles in 1989 and 1990, a team that became known around the league as “The Bad Boys,” who had a reputation for being unnecessarily physical.  Thomas was a big part of the team and won the 1990 Finals MVP award for his efforts. He is another player who’s sometimes overlooked but during his career, he averaged 19 points and nine assists per game.

Kevin Durant

• Teams: Seattle SuperSonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns
• Seasons played: 16 and counting

Kevin Durant has been applauded for his ability to score but his only championship wins have come with the Golden State Warriors who were already champions when he got there. His ability to shoot and play selflessly has never been questioned – he’s a 14-time All-Star – but Durant must prove he can lead a team to a title, which he hasn’t yet done. He still needs to be recognized for his scoring ability and consistent play throughout his career.

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