Top 100 Greatest NBA Players

I have no problem with Steph Curry being up here, but above Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen and Wade this early in his career? Come on now ESPN...

@meepmoop, what about him? Surely you aren't trying to say he should be on this list because he had one good season where he won the MVP?

KD! Better than Isiah. I feel that Isaiah is underrated because no one remembers the bad boy pistons. If KD didn’t cherry pick, and go to the Warriors. He would have less championships, actually none at all. Isiah was the only effective scorer on that team and he lead the offense to two championships. The other pistons played mostly only defense. Isiah also played through a back injury his whole career.

well the things he achieved comparing to ewing is already more valuable so I think there's no arguement about that. He is considered as the second best point guard in history behind Magic already but I agree that right now he shouldn't be above Pippen and Dwade not until he ends his career but he revolutionized the 3 point shot like no player ever did before.

The second best point guard is Isaiah Thomas

Well I got Nate Thurmond but missed Jerry West...

So you missed Westbrook too because you have to type west in to make westbrook

I think that Tom Chambers Should be on this list instead of Blake griffin.

Manu is a key member of four championship teams

Wasn’t Luis scola also on that Argentina team

@st49ers I would love to see the data that informed your claim that individual stats are inflated and that basketball was more of a team sport in the past. Wilt Chamberlain AVERAGED 50 ppg in a season, and yet he struggled for most of his career to win his first championship. Meanwhile, look at the Spurs today. It seems to me that there have always been some teams led by individual stars, and others led by a strong team offense (and defense). I think the main argument in question is whether players should be ranked by overall quality of career, or by highest peak. If players are ranked by highest peak, young players like Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant would already be higher than many of the old legendary players, and thus age wouldn't matter.

And to add on, teams averaged 34 more possessions in wilts era than today. If you took today’s possessions and applied them to wilts numbers, he would be averaging 34.1 points per game. James Harden currently is averaging 36 a game. If you took Kobe’s 81 point game and applied the amount of possessions to Wilts era, Kobe would have scored 114 points in that game.

and to add on this. Its very easy to score nowadays compare to the "No Blood no Foul" ears in late 80's and early 90s. I think if we will talk about top 100 players of all time it should be about their individual stats not an achievement of the team. I wouldn't put Manu in top 100 basically because he is great but not superstar potential. Myabe if he was in other team he could put up big numbers but he wasn't

EVERY SINGLE ONE EXCEPT FOR SIDNEY MONCRIEF DAMMIT

I'm still impressed!

still the best point guard the bucks had, I wouldn't say it's robinson because he only spent 4 years with the bucks

I feel you bro, seeing Curry at #23, Westbrook and Harden on the list over Danny Ainge who didn't make it...

Scalabrine?

There's a lot of rankings that are off on this list. It's almost as if ESPN focuses too much on the recent years. Shaq above Kobe? Yes, Kobe's had some injury prone, poor years recently. But so did Shaq. And last time I checked, Kobe has more rings and is higher on the all time scoring list. Karl Malone is also way too low. Yeah he didn't win any rings, but he's second on the all time scoring list. I've also always thought Walton was overrated. He had one good year in the NBA where the Blazers won the ring. The rest of the time he was injured. Finally, and most controversially, Lebron is a great player and deserves to be on this list. However, placing him 3rd, above so many greats, is a bit much, especially when several of those other greats have more championships in tougher eras.

Karl Malone, like many other great players of the 90's, probably would have had some championship rings if he hadn't had the misfortune to play at the same time as Michael Jordan.

Same with Charles Barkley

I Love Shaq but I have to agree Kobe should be above him. karl Malone is a beast but yeah he was underrated because he didnt won any ring just like john stockton too they're both underrated. I guess that's jsut how analysts analyze things. Rings first before anything else. I'm a lebron hater but I think It's just right that he is at the top coz he's already in the GOAT Talks already,

Duncan over Kobe? They both won five championships, what makes Duncan better

In my Opinion, Sidney Moncrief is the most underrated basketball player ever

To me the most surprising thing about this list isn't the placement of players or omissions...but the fact that Vince Carter is still ACTIVE!!

I had the same reaction. Feels like he's been around since the 70s. :-)

True that VINSANITY!!

kobe Bryant should for sure be ahead of LeBron for the 3rd all time spot. I'm not hating on LeBron Because I like LeBron but kobe has had a better career by far

very debatable IMO. KObe has more rings and achievements but statistically wise Lebron has better stats.

Stop it

if kobe isn't 3rd then at least top 10

No Jack Sikma. He played forever, has a ring, scored 17,000 points despite being on two mostly mediocre teams, led centers in FT% and was the first big man to master the 3-point shot. Not a top 50, but I think he makes top 100. Clearly a lot of subjectivity with this list, not a lot of science or math involved.

Who?

Jack Sikma is Good but the NBA produced SO MANY talented BIg Man and Power Forwards so I think he shoudn't really be in top 100 maybe top 30 centers but not top 100 players

Small update needed when you get a chance. Duncan just retired.

Here's a greatest ever quiz without any opinion, based solely on career win-shares: http://www.jetpunk.com/user-quizzes/103225/top-50-nba-players

this quiz is an outrage how is LeBron so damn high he is a bum he is basically the smartest kid on the shortbus. nobody in this era should be on the list period nothing but overrated bums

I disagree lebron should be on here but curry shouldnt because he only just became good

they're both deserved to be here. I hate lebron but he's in the goat talks. Curry just revolutionized the 3 point shot no one has ever did. You guys just hatin. He deserves it.

Curry doesnt deserve to be on this list aleast toward the top maybe around 60 And add Kyrie Irving

Love above Kemp, Ben Wallace, Steve Kerr, Horace Grant, etc?

Steve Kerr was a bench player!

Kemp got destroyed by injuries man, Ben Wallace maybe but steve kerr is a role player

Lister Blister?

I'm sorry but Allen Iverson should be way higher. I know it's not your decision Quizmaster but just my opinion

When you get Lanier, Cunningham, and Arizin, but forget Harden

So I get Dave DeBusschere and Earl Mornroe, and miss Dr. J, the Admiral, and Pistol Pete.

KOBE

81/100 first try

I realize that this is not the quizmaster's list, but Aldridge should be on here over Blake Griffin (the most overrated basketball player in the world)

Your wrong there Lebron James he's so overrated if he's top 3 why isn't Black Mamba.

Ur just hating on LeBron. He should be higher than Kareem. At least LeBron came back to a Cleveland . Kareem just stayed with the lakers and had a supporting cast LBJ a will never have. Also, the only reason Kareem scores so much was because he played 21 seasons.

When you get Billy Cunningham but miss Dr. J

Garnett, Kobe and Duncan have retired, making them no longer 'active' players....

Kevin love and gasol shouldn't be in here. They haven't proved themselves as hall of fame players

The most avid NBA fans among you should take my NBA Stats Leaders by Year quiz.

I love Manu Ginobili as much as the next guy, but he does not deserve to be on this list.

I disagree.

I'm sorry, is this a 100 Greatest Players in Argentina list?

Needs to be updated, Paul Pierce is retiring this year.

Got #100 first, made me laugh; totally didn't expect him, but I always type Kemp first

harden hasnt played a full career

Steve Nash?

I remember Artis Gilmore. And I blank on Steph Curry. Argh.

Haven't followed basketball since the Bulls dynasty fell apart after 1998, so I didn't do well on this. I know a few random players from the last 20 years, but not nearly enough. As for why ESPN placed so many active guys on the list, keep in mind that it's their nature to be biased in favor of the modern era. After all, "today's players aren't as good as the ones from yesteryear" isn't exactly a good business model. Everyone's got biases, and it makes sense for ESPN to be biased in favor of the modern day since actively promoting the people playing now is good business for them. That doesn't make the list good or bad inherently, I'm just saying to consider the source.

Considering I know hardly any NBA history, 67-100, I'll take that.

I'm happy with the 4 points that my limited knowledge of basketball, NBA Jam, common last names, and reading the comments was able to cobble together for me.

Need to update Nowitzski, Wade and Bosh to now say 2019.

also it says that alonzo mourning retired in 2004 but he actually finished in 2008

I can’t blog yet so I can only say this here. RIP Wes Unseld, one of the most underrated big men. He and Wilt Chamberlain are the only people who have won MVP as a rookie. He died of Pneumonia age 74

Guys I have NBA unique quizzes. Quizzes you haven't seen yet. Pleasee try guys. I'll appreciate it. Thanks. I put a lot of effort in it

RIP Mamba

Got two just by guessing "Jones" lol. Cool quiz

Where is derrick rose!?

Where is Tom Chambers, come on ESPN

vince carter has officially retired plz update

I have absolutely no idea how George Milan managed to get higher than Allen Iverson.