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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 | |