Ranking the top 100 NBA players of all time is honestly a fool's errand, but here we are. You’ve got people shouting about rings in one corner and "advanced analytics" nerds in the other. It's a mess.
Comparing George Mikan, who played against guys who probably had second jobs as milkmen, to a literal lab-grown specimen like Victor Wembanyama is basically impossible. But if we don't try, what are we even doing with our lives?
Let’s get real. The "top" of this list is usually a three-man knife fight between Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Most people settle on MJ because of the "six-for-six" Finals record, but LeBron’s longevity is getting creepy at this point. He’s 41 years old in 2026 and still putting up numbers that would make an All-Star jealous.
The Immortals at the Very Top
Michael Jordan didn't just play basketball; he terrorized people. You look at his 30.1 career points per game—the highest ever—and it’s impressive. Then you realize he did that while making nine All-Defensive First Teams. He was the best offensive and defensive player on the floor simultaneously. Most "stars" today take plays off. Jordan didn't know how.
LeBron James is the only one who truly threatens that throne. By 2026, he’s cleared 42,000 career points. That is a disgusting amount of basketball. It’s not just the scoring, though. He’s top five in assists. He’s basically a 6'9" Magic Johnson with the body of Karl Malone.
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Kareem gets disrespected because his peak was in the 70s, which was a weird, drug-fueled era for the NBA. But six MVPs? Six rings? The skyhook is still the most unguardable shot in history. Nobody has ever replicated it because it’s incredibly hard to do. We should probably talk about Kareem more than we do.
The Big Man Era and the Stat Monsters
Wilt Chamberlain once averaged 50 points and 25 rebounds in a single season. Read that again. Honestly, it sounds fake. If a player did that today, we’d assume the simulation was breaking. Bill Russell, on the other hand, just won. Eleven rings in 13 years. He didn't care about scoring 50; he just wanted to make sure you didn't score at all.
Then you have the 90s behemoths. Shaquille O'Neal from 1999 to 2002 was the most physically dominant force I’ve ever seen. You couldn't stop him; you could only hope he missed his free throws. Hakeem Olajuwon was the opposite—pure grace. His "Dream Shake" made some of the best defenders in history look like they were wearing roller skates on an oil slick.
- Tim Duncan: The "Big Fundamental." Boring? Maybe. Five rings and 15 All-Defensive teams? Definitely not boring.
- Kobe Bryant: The closest thing we ever got to Jordan’s psychopathic competitiveness. 81 points in a game is still the most "video game" stat of the 21st century.
- Larry Bird and Magic Johnson: They saved the league. Period. Bird was a trash-talking wizard who could shoot the lights out; Magic was a 6'9" point guard who made passing look like art.
The Modern Shift: Curry, Jokic, and the New Guard
Stephen Curry changed how the game is played. Before Steph, shooting from the logo was a benchable offense. Now, if you can’t hit a 30-footer, you’re a liability. He’s the greatest shooter we will ever see.
Nikola Jokic is climbing this list at a terrifying pace. By 2026, the "Joker" has three MVPs and has officially revolutionized the center position. A fat kid from Serbia who can't jump over a phone book is now the best passer in the world. It’s beautiful. He’s basically a 7-foot tall Larry Bird with better touch around the rim.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is another one. He’s like a modern-day Shaq but with the ability to run the floor like a gazelle. His 50-point masterpiece to close out the 2021 Finals is one of the greatest "legacy" games in the history of the top 100 NBA players of all time.
The Mid-Tier Legends You Forgot Were That Good
We often forget how insane guys like Oscar Robertson or Jerry West were. Robertson averaged a triple-double for a whole season back when players wore Chuck Taylors and flew commercial. Jerry West is the literal logo of the league. He averaged 27 points a game for his career. Think about that.
Then there’s Kevin Durant. People hate on his team-hopping, but as a pure scorer? He might be the best ever. He’s 7 feet tall with a guard’s handle and a release point that no one can reach. He’s been an elite scorer for nearly two decades.
Why This List Is Always "Wrong"
The problem with ranking the top 100 NBA players of all time is that we value different things. If you value "peak," you might have Shaq in your top three. If you value "longevity," maybe you have Karl Malone higher than he deserves.
There’s also the "Era Bias." Old-timers think modern players are soft. Modern fans think 60s players were plumbers. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle. The athletes today are better, but the rules today make it much easier to score.
Key Factors for the Top 100:
- Peak Performance: How high was your ceiling at your absolute best?
- Longevity: How many years were you actually "elite"?
- Playoff Success: Did you shrink or grow when the lights got bright?
- Influence: Did you change the way the game is played (like Steph or Dr. J)?
Actionable Insights for the Hardcore Fan
If you want to actually understand where these guys rank, don't just look at PPG. Look at "Relative TS%" (True Shooting) to see how efficient they were compared to their peers. Look at "Defensive Box Plus-Minus."
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Go watch old film. Don't just watch highlights; watch full games. You’ll see that Bill Russell’s impact didn't show up in the box score, but it dictated every single possession.
To really settle your own GOAT debate, pick your criteria and stick to it. Are you a "Rings" person or a "Stats" person? You can't be both when it suits your argument. That’s how you end up in a circular shouting match on Twitter.
Start by building your own "Tier 1." Usually, that’s Jordan, LeBron, Kareem, Russell, and Wilt. Once you get past the top 10, the "top 100 NBA players of all time" becomes a fascinating exercise in basketball history. You start discovering guys like Rick Barry or Elgin Baylor, who were doing things decades ago that we think are "new" today.
Keep track of the active players. Guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic are currently writing their entries into the bottom half of this list. By the time they retire, the top 10 might look completely different. That’s the beauty of the game. It never stops evolving.