Who Is the Greatest of All Time in the NBA?

We take a look at the greatest players in NBA history and try to answer the question: who is the greatest of all time?

Introduction

There is no clear consensus on who the greatest NBA player of all time is. This is largely due to the fact that there is no clear-cut definition for the term “greatest.” Some people might argue that the greatest player is the one with the most individual awards, while others might say that the player with the most team success is the greatest. There are a multitude of other factors that could be considered as well, such as individual statistics, contribution to the game, and postseason success.

Because there is no clear consensus on who the greatest player of all time is, there is bound to be a great deal of debate on the topic. Below are three of the most commonly cited candidates for the title of greatest NBA player of all time.

Statistics

The National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league in North America. The league was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America. It is composed of 30 teams, 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. The NBA is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, the other being Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League.

Regular season

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the regular season is when each team plays 82 games which determine their seed in the playoffs. The regular season standings are based on a point system, with teams earning two points for a win and one point for a loss. The team with the most points at the end of the regular season is crowned the NBA champion.

There have been many great players in the NBA, but only one can be crowned the greatest of all time. This title is often given to players who have had sustained success over many years, and it can be difficult to compare players from different eras. However, some statistical measures can be used to make an objective comparison between players.

One such measure is points per game (PPG), which gives an indication of how many points a player scores on average over the course of a season. Another important measure is field goal percentage (FGP), which shows what percentage of shots a player makes. These two statistics can be used to compare players across different eras and determine who is the greatest of all time in the NBA.

As of the 2019-20 season, there have been four players who have averaged at least 30 PPG over their careers: Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. Of these four players, Jordan has the highest career average at 30.12 PPG, followed by Chamberlain at 30.07 PPG, Bryant at 25.30 PPG, and James at 25.20 PPG.

In terms of FGP, Chamberlain holds the record for career average at .727, followed by Jordan at .497, James at .484, and Bryant at .455.

Comparing these two statistics, it is clear that Chamberlain is the greatest scorer in NBA history, while Jordan is the greatest shooter. Both players are considered to be among the greatest of all time in the NBA, but Chamberlain edges out Jordan as the overall greatest player in NBA history.

Playoffs

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional men’s basketball league in North America, composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament annually held after the conclusion of the regular season to determine the league’s champion for that season.

Championships

The word “champion” gets thrown around a lot in the NBA, but there’s only one way to truly become a champion: by winning an NBA championship. Championships are the ultimate goal for any NBA team, and the players who win them are remembered forever. But who are the greatest players of all time when it comes to winning championships?

Regular season

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional men’s basketball league in North America, composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB),[3] which is recognized by FIBA (also known as the International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States. The NBA is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. NBA players are the world’s best paid athletes by average annual salary per player.[4]

The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[5] The BAA was renamed the National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with its rival National Basketball League (NBL). The league’s several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located adjacent to the league’s head office.

The regular season begins in October and ends in April, with each team playing 82 games. From 1967 until 1984, each team played an additional 10 games (66 games total) against 10 selected opponents.[21] These selected opponents were not necessarily common opponents within a divisional alignment; rather they were arranged such that each played 42 home games and 40 away games. Starting with the 1985–86 season, each team plays a balanced schedule of 82 regular season games: 41 home games and 41 away games. Each team plays every other team twice during this stretch: once at home, once on their opponent’s home court. Over five seasons from 1982 to 1987, teams faced each other an average of 3.2 times a year; during that same period from 2004 to 2009 they faced each other 2.8 times on average.[22][23][24]

Playoffs

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament among 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference, which was originally called the Divisional Semifinals and Divisional Finals, and then the Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals before being renamed in 2013. The NBA Finals is played between the champions of each conference.

All-Star appearances

In order to be considered the greatest player of all time, one must look at not only the stats, but also the intangibles. One stat that is often overlooked is the number of All-Star appearances. This stat not only shows how good a player was during their career, but also how respected they were by their peers.

Here is a list of the top 5 players with the most All-Star appearances:

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 19
2. Kobe Bryant – 18
3. LeBron James – 16*
4. Kevin Garnett – 15
5. Tim Duncan – 15

*Active

Conclusion

After analyzing the careers of dozens of NBA greats, it’s tough to argue against LeBron James as the greatest player of all time. He has shown an incredible ability to elevate his game in the biggest moments, and his teams have consistently been among the best in the league. His individual awards and championship trophies speak for themselves, and he shows no signs of slowing down. In the end, there can be only one “GOAT,” and right now, that title belongs to LeBron James.