The ranking of the 50 strongest basketball players ever
** Over the past few decades, more than 4,000 players have trod the NBA basketball courts . Hundreds of talents, some more long-lived, others simple meteors, who have made the history of one of the most loved sports in America and the world. Drawing up a ranking is difficult, but today we try to do it by offering you a ** ranking of the 50 strongest players in the NBA .
Barry went down in history for his famous way of shooting ** free throws , or ** two-handed starting from the bottom , which earned him a fantastic percentage of 94.7% in his career in the period of militancy in Houston and an overall 89% in career. His 35.6-point average season is in the top-10 in NBA history, since 1986 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame and in 1997 he was listed among the best fifty players of all time.
** Once best NBA scorer, twice best rebounder **, but never MVP despite the almost 24 points average in the decade in which he remained on the field: few remember him, but a player who in his own way made history of the alloy. In fact, he played for 16 seasons in the NBA covering mostly the role of great forward.
2.06 meters tall, ** Hayes was one of the most prolific rebounders and scorers of his time, as well as a great defender **. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and one of the 50 strongest players of the NBA's 50th anniversary and is remembered as one of the strongest longs of all time.
48th place for Walt Frazier, former basket player and face of the New York Knicks. A very strong point guard, his performance in Game 7 of the 1970 final series went down in history: ** 36 points, 19 assists, 7 rebounds in the same game in which Willis Reed played, practically lame, against Wilt Chamberlain **. Seven times in the NBA All-Star, four times in the NBA first and two in the second, seven times in the league's top five defenders, he was also the best player in the 1975 All Star Game.
No number could do justice to Isiah Thomas for his enormous impact on the Detroit Pistons, a team that, in one of the most competitive periods in NBA history, has managed with merit to take two titles dragged by the talent of the American basketball player. ** Thomas was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 **.
46th place for Pau Gasol, considered one of the strongest foreigners to have played in the NBA, as well as the ** strongest Spanish basketball player ever . He participated in 6 All-Star Games, was part of the All-NBA Team 4 times and won 2 NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers. ** Gasol was the first Memphis Grizzlies player (other than Spaniard) to participate in the All-Star Game , as well as holding the Tennessee franchise record for percentage of field shots scored.
George Gervin, former basketball player, professional in the ABA, in the NBA and in Europe, is in 45th place in our ranking. He served as a top guard in both the American Basketball Association (with the Virginia Squires) and the NBA for a total of 14 seasons. ** Nicknamed "Iceman" by fans, he was one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history **. He is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and the selection of the 50 best players in the NBA.
One shot describes Ray Allen's entire career: Finals 2013, Game 6, Miami-San Antonio. ** Winner of two NBA titles, has 10 All-Star Game calls, and is the player with the most three-pointers in league history (2973) **.
A step above Ray Allen, despite having won less, for Reggie Miller, a former American basketball player who played in the NBA exclusively in the Indiana Pacers. ** Won Olympic gold medal in Atlanta 1996 **. Dubbed the ** Killer Miller for exceptional three-point shooting prowess, ** he is believed to be one of the greatest shooters in NBA history.
Two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP and on the hunt for a historic three-of-a-kind in Los Angeles, Leonard is at position 42 in our ranking. Considered one of the top five players currently in business, ** he won the title in the 2013-14 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and in the 2018-19 seasons with the Toronto Raptors, being elected both times the MVP of the Finals: ** these two wins him make ** one of only three players in history to win this award with two different teams and the first to win it in two different conferences **.
Paul Pierce is considered one of the best basketball players of his generation, as well as one of the strongest in Celtics history. ** He averages 20.0 points per game over 18 seasons in the NBA. ** He has played ten times in the NBA All-Star Game, was inducted once in the NBA second best team and three times in the third best team and he led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2008 and 2010, winning the 2008 ones and earning the Finals MVP award.
40th place for Adrian Dantley, whose name does not sound familiar to many, despite being one of the most effective scorers in NBA history: he has in fact ** averaged over 24 points for more than a decade scoring only 7 triples in the entire his career **. Dantley shares with Wilt Chamberlain the record for most free throws in an NBA game, scoring 28 of 29 free throws in the victorious match between the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets (which ended at 116-111).
Father of Luke, another great NBA player, Bill's career has been severely limited by injuries. But that didn't stop him from becoming ** one of the best long passers in NBA history **.
Denny Crum, assistant to coach John Wooden, was sent to view Walton at Helix High School in San Diego. Upon his return, Crum claimed that Walton was the greatest high school player he had ever seen. Wooden, unaware of the kind of player in question, called Crum into his office and said, “Denny, never make such a stupid comment again. It makes you look like an idiot and an incompetent. Even to say that someone with red hair and that freckled boyish face, who also hails from San Diego, is the best high schooler you've ever seen. First of all, there has never been - and I say never - a decent player from San Diego ».
38th position for Patrick Ewing, one of the greatest player in the history of the Knicks, one of the greatest "intimidators" near the iron in NBA history, a ** talent with 20 points and 10 rebounds on average **. On February 28, 2003, in a majestic ceremony at Madison Square Garden, his number 33 jersey was retired. He has never won an NBA ring with the Knicks, but he is still among the best players ever in the franchise and one of the best centers in NBA history.
An extra step for Ginobili, the Argentine naturalized Italian basketball player who beat as a protagonist against opponents who on paper appeared invincible. Over the course of a 23-season career, he became ** one of only two players (alongside Bill Bradley) to win a Euroleague title, an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal **. Ginobili, a four-time NBA champion, played for the San Antonio Spurs throughout his NBA career.
Voted MVP of the 2016-2017 season, he has participated eight times in the NBA All-Star Weekend, resulting in the best player of the event in 2015 and 2016. ** He holds the record for triple doubles in a season, 42 in the 2016 season -17 **. Considered one of the best basketball players in the NBA and his generation, Westbrook is the only player in NBA history to have achieved a triple-double of the season average three times in a row (for points, assists and rebounds).
** Two MVP awards, 8 call-ups to the NBA All-Star ** for the basketball player who became the face of a revolution in the concept of basketball that is still underway. Steve Nash is in 35th place.
Excellent shooter, he is one of the 8 NBA basketball players who are part of the c.d. 50-40-90 club, made up of those players who, in one or more seasons, have reached 50% from the field, 40% from three and 90% from free throws. He had a great vision of the game that allowed him to provide many assists to his teammates so as to reach the third place in the ranking for the number of assists served in career (10,335).
Boston in the 1980s is remembered for the prowess of other players (which we will find further up in the rankings), but Kevin McHale was one of the main reasons for those successes. ** A 60% real shooting player on a team that has won three NBA titles **, McHale places himself in 34th place on the leaderboard.
33rd place for one of the players who revolutionized the game of American basketball. ** Jason Kidd anticipated by several years the current trend of the player being able to do everything on court **, despite his physical skills not comparable to those of today's players.
In his 52 appearances with the US national team, Kidd has never suffered a defeat: he played 16 games in the Olympics won (2000 and 2008), 30 in the continental championships (1999, 2003 and 2007) and 6 in friendlies, winning all 52. second in the ranking of players with the most assists in Team USA: first in this special ranking remains John Stockton.
32nd place for Clyde Drexler, NBA shooting guard and ** multiple record holder including most mid-game steals (8), most offensive rebounds from a guard (2,615) **, most steals in a best-of-five streak (13), highest number of steals in the mid-game (6), highest free throw rate in All Star Game history (1,000).
Dolph Schayes is in 31st place in our top 50. Despite the only NBA title he won he remains a ** symbol of 1960s basketball, an all-star of yesteryear. ** Statistically, he was a player of the highest defensive level, capable of collecting 10 consecutive seasons with 10 or more rebounds per game. Among his best defensive seasons remain in history that of 1950-51, in which he was able to capture 1080 rebounds, with an average of 16.4 per game.
In 1956-57 he caught 1008 with an average of 14 per game and in the following season of 14.2. ** In his career from a defensive point of view he has racked up 11256 rebounds ** with an average of 12.1 rebounds per game. In the 1950-51 season, he came first in the league in rebounds.
First MVP in NBA history, ** no one has scored more points than Bob Pettit's 20,000 **, the player who started the NBA's dynasty of great centers. He completely revolutionized the role of great forward, while sometimes moving to the center position, still remaining one of the greatest performers ever seen. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970, NBA champion in 1958, MVP of the season in 1956 and in 1959, rookie of the year 1955.
29th place for John Stockton, ** best passer in NBA history for longevity and continuity with 15,806 career assists . 185cm tall, Stockton is by far considered ** one of the strongest point guards to ever hit a basketball court . He is also considered to be one of the best players ever to have won the NBA title. In 1996 his name was included among the strongest players of all time, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the NBA. ** He was chosen for the Basketball Hall of Fame on April 6, 2009, in which he was officially inducted on September 11 of the same year **.
A step higher than John Stockton for Chris Paul, American basketball player, who plays as a point guard in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns. Considered ** one of the best point guards and passers ever **, he was named Rookie of the Year in 2006 and has racked up eleven call-ups to the NBA All-Star Game. . Gifted with great vision,] is capable of delivering many assists to his teammates as well as having excellent dribbling skills, mid-range shooting and being an excellent defender.
No NBA ring on his finger but the 27th position for James Harden, American basketball player of the Brooklyn Nets. ** He is considered one of the best basketball players in business, and one of the best scorers in history thanks to his step back . Nicknamed The Beard, in Italian, Il Barba, due to his thick and distinctive beard, ** Harden was the first player in NBA history to make a 60-point triple-double in one game . Furthermore, together with Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Damian Lillard he is the only one to have scored at least 60 points on more than one occasion.
** 8 NBA titles and an MVP award for the iconic man of the Boston Celtics and the NBA itself **. Havlicek ranks 26th in our ranking.
Jerry West described Havlicek as follows: “The boy is the ambassador of our sport. John gave his best every night and had time for everyone - teammates, fans, the press ». The basketball player is in thirteenth place in the ranking of the best scorers of all time, with 26,395 points. He has been in the Basketball Hall of Fame since 1983 and in 1996 was inducted as one of the best fifty players of all time. With his 26,395 points he is the Boston Celtics' all-time top scorer.
** Nicknamed the Robin of the NBA for his ability to be the perfect sidekick to many Batmans , Scottie Pippen is right in the middle of the table and is considered one of the best defenders in NBA history, possibly the best ever on the perimeter. ** With Michael Jordan, Pippen formed a duo that brought six NBA titles to Chicago over eight seasons , also managing to set the record (up to that point) of 72 games won out of 82 played in the regular season, a record then beaten (73-9) by the Golden State Warriors on April 13, 2016.
** 30 points and 15 rebounds on average for Elgin Baylor's first seven NBA seasons **, who enters the first half of the NBA's 50 Best Players, finishing in 24th place. Baylor is part of the American Basketball Hall of Fame, having played 13 seasons as a winger for the Minneapolis Lakers / Los Angeles Lakers. ** On April 14, 1962, in game 5 of the 1962 NBA Finals, he set the record for points scored in a single game of the NBA Finals with 61 points, a record still undefeated to date. ** He worked for 22 years as general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers, until the 2008-09 season. A statue in his honor was unveiled on 7 April 2018
The art of rebounding, the ability to team up and the spirit of a champion. We are talking about Moses Malone, a champion of the NBA too often forgotten when it comes to the history of American basketball. For him ** an NBA title and 4 MVPs. **
The last years of Malone's career were characterized by rather frequent movements in teams without too many pretensions. From 1986 to 1988 he played for the Washington Bullets, still maintaining enviable stats (24.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game in 1986-87). He later served for three seasons in a row for the Atlanta Hawks to end his career in San Antonio in 1995. He died at the age of 60 on September 13, 2015, of a sudden illness.
Michael Jordan stated in an interview: "Without Doctor J there would never have been MJ". Doctor J, aka Julius Erving, became ** famous in the 1970s for his ability to combine the elegance and unpredictability of his game with explosive power **. He thrilled basketball fans with his spectacular dunks, in which he leapt over the defenders' arms, twisting and hovering for a long time like never before.
An eternal talent, "the greatest player in Florida sports history" according to some; is Dwyane Wade basketball player of the Miami Heat and winner of 3 NBA titles. Wade is ** the man of records , among many we remember: best scorer ever, best assistman ever and player with the most steals in the history of the Miami Heat. He is also ** the guard with the most playoff blocks and the guard with the most blocks ever .
20th place for Karl Malone, ** second-best NBA scorer ever with 36 928 points, ahead of LeBron James (35 017) and behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38 387) **; he was also the oldest to win the MVP of the season award.
Nicknamed The Mailman ("the postman") due to his consistency in performance, before Tim Duncan's success he was almost unanimously considered the best big forward of all time]; he is also considered by most to be the best player to never have won the NBA title.
19th position for Barkley, nicknamed Sir Charles, and ** named MVP of the season in 1993 **. In 1997 he was inducted by the NBA in the list of the 50 strongest players of all time, while in 2006 he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1984 he was excluded from the team for the Los Angeles Olympics by Bob Knight after making a sarcastic appreciation on the coach's shoes during a training session. In 1992 he was chosen to participate in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where the first appearance of professional NBA players at the Olympic Games is held, as a member of the original "Dream Team", probably the strongest basketball formation of all time.
Not everyone knows but ** Jerry West's silhouette was used in the creation of the NBA logo. ** West has had one of the most brilliant careers in professional basketball, first as a player then as a coach and then as manager. He was inducted into the Hall of fame in 1980.
Among the various nicknames given to him are Mr. Clutch ("mister pressure"), for his coldness and the ability to score in decisive situations of the races, and Zeke from Cabin Creek, given to him by his teammate Elgin Baylor and to whom West was not particularly passionate. ** On November 26, 2005, his number 44 became the first jersey number withdrawn by West Virginia University and was then also withdrawn by the team to which he has inextricably linked his name, the Los Angeles Lakers **. His son Jonnie signed with the WVU in 2006.
17th place for Nowitzki, ** the greatest non-US scorer in NBA history, 20-year leader of the Mavericks ** and always leading the way with one of the longest-running careers in NBA history. A big forward of 2.13 meters, he could also play as a center, a role he covered above all in the national team. He was an excellent long-range shooter, a rare trait in his peers at the beginning of his career; he often used the pull away. He is considered by many experts to be the best European player in NBA history
** Athletically, emotionally and technically a player with very few equals: ** a symbol for 20 years, champion with the Celtics, MVP, leader, All-Star and legend while still in business. Garnett is rightfully placed in 16th place in this ranking.
His record includes: an NBA title (won in the 2007-08 season with the Boston Celtics), a regular season MVP title (2003-04 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves), fifteen call-ups for the All-Star Game (winning MVP award in 2003) and eight-time nomination in the All-NBA Teams and All-Defensive Teams. ** In the 2007-2008 season he won the award for best defender and in 2005-2006 the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship award for the most socially committed player. **
A step higher for another Kevin of basketball, this time we talk about Kevin Durant. Listed as one of the best scorers in basketball history, with the US national team ** he won gold at the World Cup in Turkey in 2010, at the 2012 London Olympics and in Rio de Janeiro 2016 **. He was elected MVP of the 2013-2014 NBA season. He also became NBA champion in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, also being elected MVP of both Finals.
14th place for the late Kobe Bryant, star and symbol of the NBA, one of the strongest ever. ** 5 NBA titles, 3 MVP awards and 2 Olympic golds for the player to become legend . He played predominantly in the role of shooting guard and is considered among the best players in NBA history. Son of Joe Bryant and grandson of Chubby Cox's mother, both former basketball players, Bryant grew up basketball in Italy, where he learned European fundamentals, and played his entire professional career in the Los Angeles Lakers, winning 5 titles ; ** He was also the first NBA player to serve on the same team for 20 seasons .
With the US national team he participated in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championships and the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games, winning the gold medal in all three events.
Hakeem Olajuwon, a Nigerian naturalized American basketball player, and considered to be Jordon's heir, is 13th in the ranking. Nicknamed ** The Dream, he is counted among the highest representatives of the Centre's role, also contributing to the formation of generations to come **. He is considered one of the best basketball players of any era. He is one of four players to have made a quadruple double in the NBA.
12th place for David Robinson, a name that says nothing to many but belongs to one of the champions included in the basketball Hall Of Fame, remembered for his effectiveness and performance at a statistical level. For him ** 3 Olympic medals, 2 NBA titles and an MVP award **. Nicknamed The Admiral for his past in the United States Navy, he played in the NBA from 1989 to 2003, always wearing the San Antonio Spurs jersey. On 11 September 2009 he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, along with other champions such as Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian Stringer.
A hot spot also for Oscar Robertson, who took 11th place in the ranking of the 50 best players in the NBA. The King of triple doubles, ** is the basketball player who most of all has been able to interpret every aspect of the game **. A talent who arrived decades earlier in the NBA than his surroundings, an eternal champion even after 50 years.
Live area of the standings for Steph Curry, the best shooter in NBA history. ** 3 NBA titles won, 10 personal bests and 2 MVP awards for the 10th champion in the rankings. ** Considered the best shooter in history and one of the best players ever, ** holds the record for the most triple placed at sign in a season ** (402 in the 2015-2016 vintage) and the second for triples made in a single match (13 on 7 November 2016, a record subsequently surpassed by Klay Thompson); he is also second in total number of triples behind only Ray Allen.
Ninth place for Wilt Chamberlain, one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. ** 100 points in a single game, 50 points per season on average are his calling card **. According to ESPN reporter Hal Bock, “Before his arrival, most of the basketball players were normal-sized men. Chamberlain changed everything ». Thanks to his remarkable physical skills, he achieved excellent results in athletic disciplines such as high jump, shot put and 400 meters flat. One of his biggest technical flaws was his inaccuracy in free throws: he missed 5805.
A step higher than Chamberlain and we find Bill Russell, considered the best defensive center that has ever played basketball. ** Russell has won eleven NBA championships in thirteen seasons, as well as scoring a streak of eight consecutive titles. ** He is also the NBA captain who has won the most titles with a single team and overall.
High area of the ranking also for Tim Duncan. Winner of five NBA titles, he has two titles as a regular season MVP, three as a Finals MVP and an induction into the 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in individual accolades **. He was also named best player of the year by Sports Illustrated. decade 2000-2010. ** Along with John Salley, he is the only player who has succeeded in winning the NBA title in three different decades.
Sixth place for 'Oneal, one of the most dominant players in physical and personality level. ** 4-time NBA title winner and 3-time MVP **. For him also an Olympic gold medal in Atlanta.
Remembered as one of the most dominant players on the physical level, with Team USA he won the world championship in 1994 in Canada and the Olympic title in Atlanta 1996; he is also the eighth NBA scorer of all time and in the 1999-2000 season he was elected MVP of the season. First overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, in the same season he was named "Rookie of the Year". After retiring in 2011, the Lakers announced their intention to retire the no. 34, worn during his stay in California, and the ceremony took place on April 2, 2013; similarly on December 22, 2016 the Heat withdrew his jersey no. 32.
In the top 5 we find Larry Bird, considered one of the strongest basketball players ever, as well as one of the best shooters in NBA history. ** Bird was, throughout his career, a Boston Celtics player, with whom he won three titles **. Together with his rival and friend Magic Johnson he indelibly marked NBA basketball throughout the 1980s, earning the nickname "The Legend".
Fourth place for the man who made the NBA famous with his smile, his passes and his successes. ** Magic Johnson has won five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, gold at the 1992 Olympics and 1992 Tournament of the Americas with the US Dream Team. He was also three times named Best NBA Player and Best NBA Finals Player **. His name appears in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. On February 16, 1992, the Lakers officially retired his jersey, the number 32.
Bronze medal for Kareen Abdul-Jabbar, aka Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor jr, who ** with 38,387 points is the first scorer in NBA history **, and is considered one of the best players in the history of the sport. For him 6 NBA titles and 8 MVP awards.
Second step of the podium for a true NBA legend, Lebron James. Nicknamed King James and The Chosen One, he is considered one of the best basketball players of all time. First overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and named Rookie of the Year in 2004, he won four NBA titles and as many regular season and finals MVP awards. ** He is the third highest scorer in NBA history in regular season as of 2021, while in the playoffs he holds various records including points scored, steals, defensive rebounds and wins. **
** the greatest of all time, the face of world basketball **. Michael Jordan is rightfully placed at the top of the list of the 50 best NBA players ever. ** 6 NBA titles, 11 MPV awards, 1984 Rookie of the Year and 10 times NBA top scorer. **
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