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50 Greatest Players in NBA History

As selected in 1996 by a blue-ribbon panel of media; former players and coaches; current and former general managers; and team executives.

50 Players

Per Game Shooting Advanced
Player From To MP PTS TRB AST STL BLK FG% 3P% FT% WS WS/48
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1970 1989 24.6 11.2 3.6 0.9 2.6 .559 .056 .721 273.4 .228
Tiny Archibald 1971 1984 18.8 2.3 7.4 1.1 0.1 .467 .224 .810 83.4 .128
Paul Arizin 1951 1962 22.8 8.6 2.3 .421 .810 108.8 .183
Charles Barkley 1985 2000 22.1 11.7 3.9 1.5 0.8 .541 .266 .735 177.2 .216
Rick Barry 1966 1980 23.2 6.5 5.1 2.0 0.5 .449 .330 .900 93.4 .156
Elgin Baylor 1959 1972 27.4 13.5 4.3 .431 .780 104.2 .148
Dave Bing 1967 1978 20.3 3.8 6.0 1.3 0.2 .441 .775 68.8 .101
Larry Bird 1980 1992 24.3 10.0 6.3 1.7 0.8 .496 .376 .886 145.8 .203
Wilt Chamberlain 1960 1973 30.1 22.9 4.4 .540 .511 247.3 .248
Bob Cousy 1951 1970 18.4 5.2 7.5 .375 .803 91.1 .139
Dave Cowens 1971 1983 17.6 13.6 3.8 1.1 0.9 .460 .071 .783 86.3 .140
Billy Cunningham 1966 1976 20.8 10.1 4.0 1.2 0.5 .446 .720 63.2 .135
Dave DeBusschere 1963 1974 16.1 11.0 2.9 0.9 0.5 .432 .699 60.8 .093
Clyde Drexler 1984 1998 20.4 6.1 5.6 2.0 0.7 .472 .318 .788 135.6 .173
Julius Erving 1977 1987 22.0 6.7 3.9 1.8 1.5 .507 .261 .777 106.2 .178
Patrick Ewing 1986 2002 21.0 9.8 1.9 1.0 2.4 .504 .152 .740 126.4 .150
Walt Frazier 1968 1980 18.9 5.9 6.1 1.9 0.2 .490 .000 .786 113.5 .176
George Gervin 1977 1986 26.2 4.6 2.8 1.2 0.8 .511 .297 .844 88.1 .159
Hal Greer 1959 1973 19.2 5.0 4.0 .452 .801 102.7 .124
John Havlicek 1963 1978 20.8 6.3 4.8 1.2 0.3 .439 .815 131.7 .136
Elvin Hayes 1969 1984 21.0 12.5 1.8 1.0 2.0 .452 .147 .670 120.8 .116
Magic Johnson 1980 1996 19.5 7.2 11.2 1.9 0.4 .520 .303 .848 155.8 .225
Sam Jones 1958 1969 17.7 4.9 2.5 .456 .803 92.3 .182
Michael Jordan 1985 2003 30.1 6.2 5.3 2.3 0.8 .497 .327 .835 214.0 .250
Jerry Lucas 1964 1974 17.0 15.6 3.3 0.4 0.3 .499 .783 98.4 .147
Karl Malone 1986 2004 25.0 10.1 3.6 1.4 0.8 .516 .274 .742 234.6 .205
Moses Malone 1977 1995 20.6 12.2 1.4 0.8 1.3 .491 .100 .769 167.1 .178
Pete Maravich 1971 1980 24.2 4.2 5.4 1.4 0.3 .441 .667 .820 46.7 .092
Kevin McHale 1981 1993 17.9 7.3 1.7 0.4 1.7 .554 .261 .798 113.0 .180
George Mikan 1949 1956 23.1 13.4 2.8 .404 .782 108.7 .249
Earl Monroe 1968 1980 18.8 3.0 3.9 1.0 0.3 .464 .807 77.4 .125
Shaquille O'Neal 1993 2011 23.7 10.9 2.5 0.6 2.3 .582 .045 .527 181.7 .208
Hakeem Olajuwon 1985 2002 21.8 11.1 2.5 1.7 3.1 .512 .202 .712 162.8 .177
Robert Parish 1977 1997 14.5 9.1 1.4 0.8 1.5 .537 .000 .721 147.0 .154
Bob Pettit 1955 1965 26.4 16.2 3.0 .436 .761 136.0 .213
Scottie Pippen 1988 2004 16.1 6.4 5.2 2.0 0.8 .473 .326 .704 125.1 .146
Willis Reed 1965 1974 18.7 12.9 1.8 0.6 1.1 .476 .747 74.9 .156
Oscar Robertson 1961 1974 25.7 7.5 9.5 1.1 0.1 .485 .838 189.2 .207
David Robinson 1990 2003 21.1 10.6 2.5 1.4 3.0 .518 .250 .736 178.7 .250
Bill Russell 1957 1969 15.1 22.5 4.3 .440 .561 163.5 .193
Dolph Schayes 1950 1964 18.5 12.1 3.1 .380 .849 141.8 .191
Bill Sharman 1951 1961 17.8 3.9 3.0 .426 .883 83.4 .178
John Stockton 1985 2003 13.1 2.7 10.5 2.2 0.2 .515 .384 .826 207.7 .209
Isiah Thomas 1982 1994 19.2 3.6 9.3 1.9 0.3 .452 .290 .759 80.7 .109
Nate Thurmond 1964 1977 15.0 15.0 2.7 0.5 2.1 .421 .667 78.0 .104
Wes Unseld 1969 1981 10.8 14.0 3.9 1.1 0.6 .509 .500 .633 110.1 .147
Bill Walton 1975 1987 13.3 10.5 3.4 0.8 2.2 .521 .000 .660 39.3 .142
Jerry West 1961 1974 27.0 5.8 6.7 2.6 0.7 .474 .814 162.6 .213
Lenny Wilkens 1961 1975 16.5 4.7 6.7 1.3 0.2 .432 .774 95.5 .120
James Worthy 1983 1994 17.6 5.1 3.0 1.1 0.7 .521 .241 .769 81.2 .130