Wiki NBA: The Top 10 Players of All Time
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Wiki NBA is a site dedicated to providing the most comprehensive information on the top 10 players of all time.
Michael Jordan the G.O.A.T
Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He was a shooting guard who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.
Jordan entered the league as a 21-year-old rookie with the Bulls in 1984 and quickly became one of its best players, winning Rookie of the Year honors. He scored an average of 28.2 points per game during his rookie season, then averaged 31.5 points per game over his next 10 seasons, leading the NBA in scoring a record 10 times. In addition to his individual successes, Jordan helped lead the Bulls to six NBA Finals appearances, winning six times — making him one of only two players in NBA history to achieve this feat (the other being Bill Russell).
Throughout his career, Jordan was selected to the All-Star team 14 times, Most Valuable Player (MVP) nine times, Defensive Player of the Year once, All-NBA First Team 10 times, All-Defensive First Team nine times, Rookie of the Year once, Slam Dunk Contest champion twice, and received numerous other awards and honors. He retired from basketball in 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards but returned for two more seasons with the Bulls in 2009–10. Afterward he became majority owner and head of basketball operations for Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats from 2010 to present day.
Lebron James the King
Lebron James is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association He is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history James has won four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, four NBA Finals MVP Awards and two Olympic gold medals He has also been selected to sixteen NBA All-Star teams, including thirteen seasons as a starter. James played his first season with the Lakers in 2018–19.
From his rookie year in 2003 to his final season with the Miami Heat in 2013–14, James was a member of teams that lost in the NBA Finals He then returned to the Finals in 2015–16 with Cleveland, winning the series in seven games and earning his first championship. He repeated as champion with the Cavaliers in 2016–17, winning his third ring overall. In 2018, James joined the Lakers via Free agency After one season with Los Angeles he won his fourth title overall as well as Finals MVP honors.
Kobe Bryant the Black Mamba
Kobe Bean Bryant was an American Professional Basketball player. A shooting guard Bryant played his entire 20-season career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Los Angeles Lakers He entered the NBA directly from High School and won five NBA championships Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA team and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons, and ranks third on both the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. He holds the NBA record for the most seasons playing with one franchise for an entire career and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
At 34 years and 104 days old, Bryant became the youngest player in league history to reach 30,000 career points. He became the All-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history on February 1, 2010, when he surpassed Jerry West [8] During his final two seasons, Bryant received criticism for shooting excessively despite his declining production and efficiency;[9][10] he averaged a career-low 41 percent from field goal range in his last season before retiring with a 61-point performance against Utah on April 13, 2016.
Magic Johnson the Showtime Lakers
Born Earvin Johnson Jr. in Lansing, Michigan, in 1959, Magic Johnson was a natural on the basketball court from an early age. He led his high school team to a state championship and was recruited by some of the biggest colleges in the country before ultimately choosing to play for Michigan State University As a freshman, he helped lead the Spartans to an NCAA championship victory over Indiana State University which featured future NBA All-Star Larry Bird
Johnson’s successful college career led to him being selected as the first overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers He quickly became a fan favorite and helped lead the team to several NBA Championships throughout the 1980s, earning MVP honors along the way. He was also part of the “Dream Team” that won gold at the 1992 Olympics.
After announcing his retirement in 1991 due to HIV/AIDS, Johnson made a comeback in 1996 with the Lakers and played until he retired for good in 1996. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 and is widely considered one of the best players of all time.
Larry Bird the Celtics Legend
Larry Bird is an American former professional basketball player who is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time. He played for the Boston Celtics his entire career, winning three NBA championships and two NBA Finals MVP Awards A 12-Ime Nba All-Star, he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player three times. He played his entire professional career for Boston, winning three NBA championships and two Finals MVPs.
Born in West Baden Springs, Indiana, Bird began his college career at Indiana State University He was drafted into the NBA by the Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft He finished his rookie season averaging 21.3 points per game (ppg), 10.4 rebounds per game (rpg), and 4.5 assists per game (apg), en route to earning NBA Rookie of the Year honors. He led the Celtics to 49 wins in his second season, and their first playoff appearance since 1966–67. With averages of 29.9 ppg, 10.7 rpg, and 6.1 apg during the 1980–81 season, he was named that season’s NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). The 1981–82 campaign saw him average a triple-double for a second straight year: 21 ppg, 10 rpg, and 9 apg to go along with 50 percent shooting from the field and 90 percent accuracy from the Free Throw Line he repeated as MVP as a result.
Bill Russell the Ultimate Winner
Bill Russell is often considered the greatest winner in the history of sports. He led the Boston Celtics to an unprecedented 11 championships in his 13-year career. In addition to his accomplishments on the court, Russell was also a trailblazer off it. He was one of the first African American players to achieve mainstream success in the NBA and used his platform to speak out against social injustice. His impact on the game of basketball is still felt today and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
Wilt Chamberlain the Big Dipper
Wilt Chamberlain nicknamed “Wilt the Stilt” and “The Big Dipper”, was an American basketball player who played center for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the Warriors from 1959 to 1962 and for the Sixers from 1963 to 1968. He is widely considered one of the greatest and most dominant players in NBA history He holds numerous NBA records that have never been broken, including single-game scoring and rebounding totals.
Chamberlain was born in 1936 in Philadelphia, into a family of nine children. His father worked as a curator at the beet sugar factory while his mother was a homemaker. When Chamberlain was four years old, his family moved to Overbrook Farms, an affluent suburb of Philadelphia where he became good friends with future NBA Star Bill Russell. As a youngster, Chamberlain showed an interest in basketball and developed his skills very quickly. When he entered Overbrook high school in 1950, he was already 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m) tall and could dunk a basketball without using a running start.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the Skyhook
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history He played for 20 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers winning six NBA Championships and a record-setting 19 NBA All-Star Appearances He is also the all-time leading scorer in NBA history with 38,387 points.
Abdul-Jabbar was known for his trademark “skyhook” shot, which was nearly impossible to block. He perfected this shot under the tutelage of coach John Wooden at UCLA, where he won three NCAA Championships After being drafted by the Bucks in 1969, he quickly became one of the best players in the league. In 1971, he was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year.
He went on to win five MVP Awards and 10 NBA Scoring titles. He retired in 1989 as the league’s all-time leading scorer. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
Oscar Robertson the Big O
Oscar Robertson nicknamed “the Big O”, is an American retired professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks The 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 205 lb (93 kg) Robertson played point guard and was a 12-time All-Star, 11-time member of the All-NBA team and one-time winner of the MVP Award in 14 seasons during the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 1962, he became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season.
Robertson is also regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history He was ranked as the 36th best player in history by ESPN’s #NBArank project, and was also named to the list of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history announced at the league’s 50th anniversary celebration in 1996.
Tim Duncan- the Spurs
Tim Duncan is a retired American professional basketball player He played his entire 19-year career with the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest power forwards of all time and is a five-time NBA Champion
Duncan started out his college career at Wake Forest where he was a two-time NCAA All-American. He was drafted first overall by the Spurs in 1997 and quickly became their star player He led the Spurs to victory in the 1999 NBA Finals and was named the Most Valuable Player of the series. Duncan continued to lead the Spurs to success over the next two decades, winning NBA titles in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.
Duncan is a two-time NBA MVP and was named to 15 NBA All-Star teams. He was also named to the All-NBA First Team ten times and the All-Defensive First Team nine times. He retired in 2016 as the Spurs’ all-time leader in points, rebounds, and blocks.