The Top 10 Greatest Basketball Figures of All Time
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This blog post will countdown the top 10 greatest Basketball figures of all time. From Michael Jordan to Magic Johnson these are the players that have made the biggest impact on the game.
Michael Jordan
Many fans and experts argue that Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. He was a dominant athlete who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1980s and 1990s. Jordan was a phenomenal scorer, rebounder, and defender, and he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player five times. He also won two Olympic gold medals as a member of the United States men’s basketball team
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant (born 1978) is an American former professional basketball player He played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history
Bryant was the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant He entered the league directly from High School and won five NBA Championships with the Lakers. 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 fourth on both the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. He is also the All-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history.
LeBron James
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 basketball players of all time. James has won four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, four NBA Finals MVP Awards two Olympic gold medals an NBA Championship and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award
Magic Johnson
Earvin “Magic” Johnson is a retired American professional basketball player He played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 13 seasons. After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star game winning the All-Star MVP Award After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996 to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for good.
Johnson’s career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games, and ten All-NBA First and Second Team nominations. He led the league in regular-season assists four times, and is the NBA’s all-time leader in average assists per game at 11.2. He is also considered one of the best passers in NBA history On April 7, 1987, Johnson was honored with a statue outside of the Great Western Forum to commemorate his accomplishments with the Lakers organization. In 2000, he was named by Sports Illustrated as one of their 50 Greatest Athletes of All Time Kareem Abdul-Jabbar described him as “the best point guard of all time”.
Larry Bird
There is no denying that Larry Bird is one of the top 10 greatest basketball figures of all time. He was an amazing player and an even better coach. He led the Boston Celtics to three NBA championships and was named the Nba Coach of the Year in 1998. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star and was named the NBA MVP three times. He is also a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame
Bill Russell
Bill Russell is an American retired professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Russell played in twelve NBA Finals winning eleven of them, and was the focal point of the Celtics dynasty that won eight NBA championships in a span of thirteen seasons. Along with Henri Richard of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens he is one of two players to win an NCAA championship an NBA Championship and an Olympic gold medal
A five-Ime Nba Most Valuable Player and a twelve-time All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during his thirteen-year career. Russell was a gifted shot blocker who transformed defense into a highly valued skill, and is widely considered one of the greatest defenders in NBA history He also had a strong competitive streak, highlighted by his unquenchable desire to win.
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain is one of the most famous and influential basketball players of all time. He played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers During his career, he set numerous records, including the single-game scoring record, which still stands today. He was also an outstanding rebounder and blocker. He is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is also known by his birth name Lew Alcindor is an American former professional basketball player He played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers During his career, he was a six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record 19-time NBA All-Star a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. A member of six NBA Championship teams as a player and two more as an Assistant Coach Abdul-Jabbar twice was voted NBA Finals MVP. In 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history NBA retired his jersey number 33 in April 2016. He is the all-time leading scorer in the NBA, and is ranked third all-time in both rebounds and blocks. At the time of his retirement, he held or shared 59 league records. Abdelnaby was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. Lew Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar when he converted to Islam in 1971
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson was one of the most prolific scorers in Basketball History averaging a triple-double for an entire season. He was a trailblazer for players that came after him, and his influence is still felt today.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal, nicknamed Shaq, is a retired professional American basketball player who is widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history He is frequently described as one of the most dominant athletes in any sport. He was a analyst on the television program Inside The NBA on TNT from 2011 to 2016.