The game established over seven decades ago has witnessed many excellent players come and go. While the NBA anniversary list often recognizes most of their top players, one can argue that the annual list doesn’t always tell the whole story.
This article will give a brief rundown on the best players to lace their boots for the NBA championship. These guys have beaten the NBA odds to sit at the same table as other world-class sports stars; it is worth appreciating them once in a while.
Five Best NBA Players of all Times
The list may be endless because we’ve witnessed several amazing players grace the court. However, we will stick to naming the five most successful ones. More so, keep in mind that this last is the opinion of top analysts at BetUS, and it’s based on contrasting stats and achievements of hundreds of players throughout NBA history.
Michael Jeffrey Jordan
There’s no better way to start the list than to feature the most decorated player in NBA history. Having a 6x NBA champion, 5x League MVP, 10x scoring league leader, and over forty titles across nine other categories surely rank you the greatest.
Michael Jordan’s popularity was arguably synonymous with the sport itself. Pundits even argue that his fame played a pivotal role in reviving the sport’s popularity. Although Michael didn’t have the physical qualities of plates like Shaquille, Kareem, or Magic, he remained unstoppable on the court.
While he’s majorly known for his offensiveness, he’s also got some jaw-dropping defensive stats making him arguably the complete player the NBA has ever seen. For a player that appeared nine times in the all-defensive selection and featured three times as the steals league leader, it’s hard to find a flaw in his game (if he even had any).
LeBron James
Some pundits regard LeBron James as the best to grace the court. While for many, he’s just up there with the big boys in the game. Being tipped to be a star from quite a young age, he was named “The Chosen One” by fans with expectations that he would carry on after Jordan had left the scene.
Looking at his records, he didn’t flop from expectations. In 2007, this guy single-handedly took the Cleveland Cavaliers to the finals and ended the long dominance of the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors.
Aside from ending the 52-year championship drought of the Cavalier, he’s also won the NBA on three other occasions and is the second most featured player in the NBA All-Star lineup, next to Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
It’s just inevitable to include certain players in the list of NBA’s greatest. Of course, being one of the league’s most prolific scorers, it’s hard to go unnoticed. Kareem was already a top player since his high school days. He has a record 71 consecutive winning streak from high school games and complements that on his pro career with a three-peat.
With his records, it’s easy to put him in the second spot as he played at the level that even warrants being called the greatest in his generation. Having a 10x appearance in the finals and winning six out of them surely leaves little doubt about why he’s placed among the best of the best.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaq, as popularly called, is the most dominant player in NBA history. It’ll be hard for the league to witness another player move as fast as he did while weighing 325 pounds with a 7’1’’ height. Of course, physicality isn’t all there is to it. He’s got one of the best scoring records in history, netting over 28,000 points.
He’s also well decorated with over 30 career awards across ten categories, including 4x NBA championships and 3x Finals MVP.
Larry Bird
The Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird comes in at fifth. He played as a forward for the Celtics throughout his career – a loyalty unmatched by many best NBA players. There’s a lot to talk about concerning his reign at the Celtics and his approach to the game.
Although an offensive player, Larry also studied the Celtics’ home court and used its flaws to his advantage. The court had dead spots scattered all over. Larry would often study to know the exact points, avoiding them during a fastbreak dribble and using them against visitors.
He is also one of the few players to own a three-peat championship and more than one NBA finals and league MVP.
Conclusion
Basketball is America’s second most followed sport, just after American Football. The game is well-known across the country, with much of its reason being that it’s a traditional American sport. Even though we know that the future of the NBA is bright, it’s good to reflect on these past great careers once in a while.
