100 Greatest NBA Players

[pave]

criteria (not equally weighted): Peak On-Court Value, Career On-Court Value, Awards, Statistical Resume, Playoff Success, some accounting for Strength of Era, and some bonus points for Influence on future generations, Impact on the game stylistically, Impact on the NBA as a business, Impact on culture outside of basketball, Impact on a particular frachise or fanbase or city or country, and Incredible Reverence among the general NBA fanbase/peers/coaches/observers/analysts/etc


1. Michael Jordan
2. LeBron James
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Bill Russell
5. Magic Johnson
6. Larry Bird
7. Wilt Chamberlain
8. Tim Duncan
9. Shaquille O'Neal
10. Kobe Bryant
11. Hakeem Olajuwon
12. Oscar Robertson
13. Jerry West
14. Stephen Curry
15. Julius Erving
16. Kevin Durant
17. George Mikan
18. Moses Malone
19. Elgin Baylor
20. Karl Malone
21. Bob Pettit
22. Dirk Nowitzki
23. Kevin Garnett
24. Charles Barkley
25. David Robinson
26. Bob Cousy
27. John Havlicek
28. Isiah Thomas
29. John Stockton
30. Scottie Pippen
31. Dwyane Wade
32. Nikola Jokic
33. Giannis Antetokounmpo
34. Dolph Schayes
35. Chris Paul
36. James Harden
37. Steve Nash
38. Jason Kidd
39. Rick Barry
40. Kawhi Leonard
41. Allen Iverson
42. Patrick Ewing
43. Russell Westbrook
44. Walt Frazier
45. Elvin Hayes
46. George Gervin
47. Clyde Drexler
48. Gary Payton
49. Kevin McHale
50. Dominique Wilkins
51. Paul Arizin
52. Willis Reed
53. Dave Cowens
54. Bill Walton
55. Wes Unseld
56. Reggie Miller
57. Paul Pierce
58. Ray Allen
59. Sam Jones
60. Anthony Davis
61. Dwight Howard
62. Bob McAdoo
63. Hal Greer
64. Bill Sharman
65. Robert Parish
66. James Worthy
67. Tiny Archibald
68. Jerry Lucas
69. Nate Thurmond
70. Dave DeBusschere
71. Billy Cunningham
72. Tracy McGrady
73. Lenny Wilkens
74. Dave Bing
75. Pete Maravich
76. Earl Monroe
77. Tony Parker
78. Manu Ginobili
79. Klay Thompson
80. Draymond Green
81. Joel Embiid
82. Carmelo Anthony
83. Vince Carter
84. Damian Lillard
85. Bernard King
86. Alex English
87. Dennis Rodman
88. Dennis Johnson
89. Bob Lanier
90. Artis Gilmore
91. Sidney Moncrief
92. Adrian Dantley
93. Pau Gasol
94. Alonzo Mourning
95. Tom Heinsohn
96. Dikembe Mutombo
97. Joe Dumars
98. Grant Hill
99. Chris Bosh
100.Jimmy Butler

101. Chris Webber
102. David Thompson
103. Neil Johnston
104. Chauncey Billups
105. Ben Wallace
106. Walt Bellamy
107. Yao Ming
108. Bob Davies
109. Dan Issel
110. Chris Mullin
111. Paul George
112. Tim Hardaway
113. Penny Hardaway
114. Kyrie Irving
115. Derrick Rose
116. Connie Hawkins
117. Ed Macauley
118. Kevin Johnson
119. Vern Mikkelsen
120. Slater Martin
121. Jim Pollard
122. Mitch Richmond
123. Bailey Howell
124. Paul Westphal
125. Luka Doncic
126. Mark Price
127. Shawn Kemp
128. Amare Stoudemire
129. Blake Griffin
130. Spencer Haywood
131. Joe Fulks
132. Jack Sikma
133. Gail Goodrich
134. Gus Williams
135. Bobby Jones
136. Kevin Love
137. Cliff Hagan
138. Jack Twyman
139. Jo Jo White
140. George Yardley
141. Marques Johnson
142. Maurice Cheeks
143. Kyle Lowry
144. Bob Dandridge
145. Rudy Tomjanovich
146. Glen Rice
147. Bill Laimbeer
148. Marc Gasol
149. Gus Johnson
150. Max Zaslofsky

[pave]

thanks ManPerson for letting me repost this.

[Tim]

Tim, I'm curious why there's a four spot gap between Magic and Bird.

I am open to bridging a gap between the two but Magic did have quite a bit more team success (5 titles v 3, 9 finals v 5) and comparable individual accomplishments.

[Tim]

Dropping my slightly re-thought top 100:

1. Michael Jordan
2. LeBron James
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Bill Russell
5. Magic Johnson
6. Wilt Chamberlain
7. Tim Duncan
8. Stephen Curry
9. Larry Bird
10. Shaquille O'Neal
11. Kobe Bryant
12. Oscar Robertson
13. Hakeem Olajuwon
14. Jerry West
15. Kevin Durant
16. Moses Malone
17. Nikola Jokić
18. George Mikan
19. Julius Erving
20. Giannis Antetokounmpo
21. Karl Malone
22. Dirk Nowitzki
23. Kevin Garnett
24. Elgin Baylor
25. David Robinson
26. Charles Barkley
27. Bob Pettit
28. Bob Cousy
29. John Havlicek
30. Scottie Pippen
31. Dwyane Wade
32. Isiah Thomas
33. Chris Paul
34. James Harden
35. Dolph Schayes
36. Rick Barry
37. John Stockton
38. Steve Nash
39. Allen Iverson
40. Jason Kidd
41. Walt Frazier
42. Kawhi Leonard
43. Elvin Hayes
44. Patrick Ewing
45. Russell Westbrook
46. Clyde Drexler
47. Gary Payton
48. George Gervin
49. Kevin McHale
50. Paul Arizin
51. Willis Reed
52. Dave Cowens
53. Dwight Howard
54. Paul Pierce
55. Anthony Davis
56. Dominique Wilkins
57. Sam Jones
58. Bill Walton
59. Bob McAdoo
60. Joel Embiid
61. Wes Unseld
62. Hal Greer
63. Bill Sharman
64. Nate Archibald
65. Reggie Miller
66. Ray Allen
67. Jerry Lucas
68. Robert Parish
69. James Worthy
70. Carmelo Anthony
71. Billy Cunningham
72. Tracy McGrady
73. Dave DeBusschere
74. Dave Bing
75. Damian Lillard
76. Pete Maravich
77. Dennis Rodman
78. Dennis Johnson
79. Nate Thurmond
80. Lenny Wilkens
81. Tom Heinsohn
82. Kyrie Irving
83. Luka Dončić
84. Tony Parker
85. Draymond Green
86. Klay Thompson
87. Paul George
88. Vince Carter
89. Alex English
90. Bob Lanier
91. Dikembe Mutombo
92. Alonzo Mourning
93. Chris Webber
94. Jimmy Butler
95. Adrian Dantley
96. Sidney Moncrief
97. Joe Dumars
98. Pau Gasol
99. Chris Bosh
100. Manu Ginóbili

[ManPerson]

Tim, I'm curious why there's a four spot gap between Magic and Bird.

I am open to bridging a gap between the two but Magic did have quite a bit more team success (5 titles v 3, 9 finals v 5) and comparable individual accomplishments.

Certainly fine with Magic being a spot or two ahead of Bird but their legacies are so intertwined that it feels wrong to have them further apart than that.

[Tim]

Plan on posting your version here, Man?

[ManPerson]

I might. I forgot to copy my list from the old forum, though.