Wade gave Heat Culture its championship pedigree while earning a Finals MVP and leading the league in scoring (2008-09 when he averaged 30.2 points per game). Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain? -- MacMahon, 1990-2003 Seattle SuperSonics; 2003 Milwaukee Bucks; 2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers; 2004-05 Boston Celtics; 2005-07 Miami Heat, Remembered as one of the NBA's greatest defenders in the backcourt, "the Glove" teamed up with Shawn Kemp to lead the brash, young Sonics to five consecutive seasons of 55+ wins. By then, he was better known for his lengthy coaching career. -- MacMahon, 1985-2003 Utah Jazz; 2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers, "The Mailman" is the most decorated ringless player in NBA history, earning 14 All-Star nods and two MVPs and ranking as the second all-time leading scorer with 36,928 career points. 34 of the Miami Heat, during Game Five of the 2014 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on June 15, 2014, in San Antonio. Without Wade, there's probably no Shaq, no LeBron and no Heatles in South Beach. While the Knicks never won a title during his career, they won a lot of games because Ewing delivered game after game and season after season for a rabid fan base that appreciated how the Georgetown great brought the storied franchise back to life in the 1980s and 90s. He had a Rookie of the Year and MVP trophy by his fourth season. Stats: 22.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.9 APG in 11 NBA seasons with Philadelphia 76ers (1976-77 to 1986-87); also played five ABA seasons with Virginia Squires (1971-72 to 1972-73) and New York Nets (1973-74 to 1975-76). Nicknamed "Dr. Memory," Lucas used his mind and his recall of opponents' tendencies to augment all of his physical skills on the floor. Stats: 23.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 8.5 APG in 13 seasons with Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-09 to 2018-19), Houston Rockets (2019-20) and Washington Wizards (2020-21)*. Stats: 27.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.4 APG in 18 seasons with Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-04 to 2009-10; 2014-15 to 2017-18), Miami Heat (2010-11 to 2013-14) and Los Angeles Lakers (2018-19 to 2020-21)*. Stats: 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5 APG in 14 seasons with Boston Celtics (1950-51 to 1962-63) and Cincinnati Royals (1969-70). Fantasy. 29.0 - The highest average points per game in the All Star Game is 29.0, held by Giannis Antetokounmpo. -- Friedell, 1972-76 Buffalo Braves; 1976-79 New York Knicks; 1979 Boston Celtics; 1979-81 Detroit Pistons; 1981 New Jersey Nets; 1981-85 Los Angeles Lakers; 1986 Philadelphia 76ers, It didn't take long for McAdoo to start dominating, getting off to one of the best individual starts an NBA scorer can have. -- Youngmisuk, 1974-79 Portland Trail Blazers; 1979-84 San Diego Clippers, 1984-85 LA Clippers; 1985-87 Boston Celtics, Every time we talk about the role of health in winning MVP, we're forced to caveat Walton's 1977-78 season, when he won the award playing just 58 games. He also was one of the most complete players ever, capable of playing several different positions as well as being an outstanding two-way player. Stats: 20.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 4.5 APG in eight seasons with Milwaukee Bucks (2013-14 to 2020-21)*. Stats: 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG in 13 seasons with New York Knicks (1967-68 to 1976-77) and Cleveland Cavaliers (1977-78 to 1979-80). Russell's defensive acumen and determination made him the perfect foil for Wilt Chamberlain, as well as one of the players from his era who wouldn't have looked out of place in later generations. -- Lopez, 1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks, 1955-65 St. Louis Hawks, Pettit was the first player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points and was a dominant force throughout his 11 seasons. Accomplishments: 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA, 15-time All-Defensive team, two-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP, 2000 All-Star MVP, 1997-98 Rookie of the Year, five-time NBA champion. Accomplishments: Two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defensive team, 1977-78 MVP, 1977 Finals MVP, 1985-86 Sixth Man of the Year, 1976-77 rebounding champ, 1976-77 blocks champ, two-time NBA champion. Subscribe to ESPN+ http://espnplus.com/. Accomplishments: 12-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, 1950-51 rebounding champ, 1955 NBA champion. Boxing. Gamecast; Preview; Davidson Wildcats vs Saint . And for the first time in the list's history, there's a new No. "Mamba mentality" became more than a kitschy catchphrase after Bryant died; it is now a blueprint for how to chase your dreams. In 1995-96, the season Payton became the most recent guard to win Defensive Player of the Year, Seattle pushed the 72-10 Bulls to six games in the NBA Finals. Andrew D Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images. It remains the only 30-point quadruple double in NBA history. He won with the Rockets in 1982 and then was traded to the 76ers where he won the MVP, the championship and the Finals MVP in 1983. O'Neal became an All-Star 15 times and earned the 1999-2000 MVP award. But his legacy is so much more than just basketball. ESPN's Malika Andrews and Kendrick Perkins the latter a Celtics alumnus himself dove into all things Boston basketball in a clip produced for the day's focus on the Celtics, getting . Stats: 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG in 17 seasons with New York Knicks (1985-86 to 1999-00), Seattle SuperSonics (2000-01) and Orlando Magic (2001-02). Stats: 20.8 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 4.0 APG in nine seasons with Philadelphia 76ers (1965-66 to 1971-72; 1974-75 to 1975-76); also played two ABA seasons with Carolina Cougars (1972-73 to 1973-74). Accomplishments: 12-time NBA All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, two-time NBA All-Defensive team, three-time NBA MVP, 1983 Finals MVP, six-time NBA rebounding champ, 1983 NBA champion. His 34.0 points per game that season is also the highest point total for a player at that height in NBA history. The charismatic Johnson took the "Showtime" Lakers to nine NBA Finals, and they won five titles. The NBA's 75th anniversary team was selected by a blue-ribbon panel of media, current and former players, coaches, general managers and team executives. Being in the conversation as the best player of all time means being part of an exclusive club -- no disrespect to those who just missed out on the top 10. Chris Bosh Championships: 2 Career Stats: 19.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG -- Pelton, 1983-95 Portland Trail Blazers; 1995-98 Houston Rockets, "Clyde the Glide" was known for his high-flying ways, but he was also one of the more dominant rebounding guards in NBA history. NCAAW. They didn't call him the "Round Mound of Rebound" for nothing, right? Accomplishments: 17-time All-Star, 17-time All-NBA, six-time All-Defensive team, four-time MVP, four-time Finals MVP, three-time All-Star MVP, 2003-04 Rookie of the Year, 2007-08 scoring champ, 2019-20 assists champ, four-time NBA champion. A four-time NBA champion and three-time Finals MVP, O'Neal averaged a double-double during a career that spanned almost two decades. -- Pelton, 1969-75 Milwaukee Bucks; 1975-89 Los Angeles Lakers, Before MJ and LeBron, Kareem ruled basketball. Kevin Durant vs. Kobe Bryant? Steve Nash. ESPN+. After rupturing his in January 1992, Wilkins was ready for the following year and averaged 29.9 points. Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA championships, winning six Finals MVP awards and five regular-season MVP honors while becoming a global icon on and off the floor. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, 10-time All-Defensive team, 1994 All-Star MVP, 1994-95 steals champ, six-time NBA champion. Espn Ranks The Top 10 Best Players Of All Time Michael Jordan 1st Lebron James 2nd Kobe Bryant 9th Fadeaway World The 100 Best Nba Players For 2022 23 Season Using Espn And Sports Illustrated Rankings Interbasket Tags: players time Previous Post Next Post epic episode epstein ergebnisse essence euro europa europe evander everton expected explorer Accomplishments: Four-time All-Star, 1968-69 All-NBA, 1967-68 Rookie of the Year, 1973 NBA champion. -- Kevin Pelton, 1958-73 Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers, Greer was overshadowed by spending a large chunk of his career playing alongside the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, but he goes down in history as not only the first player to have his number retired by the 76ers but also remaining as the franchise's leader in a host of categories, including games, minutes and points. Cricket. Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG in 13 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers (1979-80 to 1990-91; 1995-96). The star player on Blazers teams that averaged 60 wins and made Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992, Drexler was an All-NBA first team pick in '92 and a 10-time All-Star. 49. He ushered in the era of dominant big men. Stats: 19.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.5 APG in 19 seasons with Boston Celtics (1998-99 to 2012-13), Brooklyn Nets (2013-14), Washington Wizards (2014-15) and LA Clippers (2015-16 to 2016-17). Published February 5, 2023 50 Best NBA players of 2023: New Mavericks star Kyrie Irving lands in the. America East Playoffs - Quarterfinal. Here's the entire list, 1-74: Michael Jordan LeBron James Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Bill Russell Magic Johnson Wilt Chamberlain Larry Bird Tim Duncan Kobe Bryant Shaquille O'Neal Oscar Robertson Hakeem Olajuwon Stephen Curry Kevin Durant Julius Erving Jerry West Karl Malone Moses Malone Dirk Nowitzki Kevin Garnett Scottie Pippen Elgin Baylor Schayes' shot was so iconic that it even earned its own nickname: Sputnik, named after the first satellite orbiting the planet. Give me a break. ESPN's NBA expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head player matchups, taking into consideration the quality and quantity of their NBA contributions. Accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, seven-time All-Defensive team, 1975 All-Star MVP, two-time NBA champion. Accomplishments: Eight-time NBA All-Star, six-time All-NBA, 1975 Finals MVP, 1965-66 Rookie of the Year, 1966-67 scoring champ, 1974-75 steals champ, 1975 NBA champion. Player stats reflect 28 of 28 games this season. Stats: 21.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.8 APG in 16 season with San Diego/Houston Rockets (1968-69 to 1971-72; 1981-82 to 1983-84) and Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets (1972-73 to 1980-81) . Stats: 20.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG in 21 seasons with Dallas Mavericks (1998-99 to 2018-19). He threw down some of the most memorable dunks in NBA history, but one of the plays he's remembered for most is a layup. Shaquille O'Neal famously asked Wilkens during the 1994 All-Star Weekend. Stats: 15.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 2.7 APG in 14 seasons with San Francisco/Golden State Warriors (1963-64 to 1973-74), Chicago Bulls (1974-75 to 1975-76) and Cleveland Cavaliers (1975-76 to 1976-77). If not, you surely must have caught the response when John Stockton (#19) and Scottie Pippen (#25) appeared before Isiah Thomas (#26)? TrueHoop TV: Steph Curry the fourth-best PG of all time? Gamecast; Preview; Northwestern State Lady Demons vs Incarnate Word . 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