50 Greatest Players in NBA History
The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History ( German 50 best players in the NBA history ), also known as the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team , or 50 NBA's Top known were, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the North American basketball - professional league National Basketball Association (NBA ) compiled. The names of the players were officially announced on October 29, 1996 by David Stern , Commissioner of the NBA, in New York City . This happened in the Grand Hyatt Hotel, which stands on the site of the former Commodore Hotel. There the contracts for the National Basketball Association were signed on June 6, 1946.
Halfway through the NBA All-Star Games held on February 9, 1997 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland , the players were honored with a personal performance. Three actors were unable to attend the ceremony. Pete Maravich died in January 1988 at the age of only 40. His two sons were present for him. Jerry West and Shaquille O'Neal were unable to travel due to illness.
The jury
A group of u. a. former players, coaches, journalists and general managers. Former players were not allowed to vote for themselves. The judges could make their choice regardless of game position or rankings.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Marv Albert , Al Attles , Red Auerbach , Elgin Baylor , Dave Bing , Larry Bird , Marty Blake , Fran Blinebury , Bill Bradley , Hubie Brown
- Wilt Chamberlain , Mitch Chortkoff , Bob Cousy , Billy Cunningham , Chuck Daly , David DuPree , Wayne Embry , Julius Erving , Joe Gilmartin , Sam Goldaper ,
- Alex Hannum , Lester Harrison , John Havlicek , Chick Hearn , Red Holzman , Phil Jasner , Magic Johnson , Johnny Kerr , Leonard Koppett , Bob Lanier , Frank Layden
- Leonard Lewin , Jack McCallum , Dick McGuire , George Mikan , Bob Pettit , Harvey Pollack , Jack Ramsay , Willis Reed , Oscar Robertson , Bill Russell , Bob Ryan
- Dolph Schayes , Bill Sharman , Gene Shue , Isiah Thomas , Wes Unseld , Peter Vecsey , Jerry West
Facts
- At the time of the election, 11 players were still active on the list (in italics ). Shaquille O'Neal was the last to retire in June 2011.
- Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon is the only non-American on the list.
- Bill Sharman and Lenny Wilkens are the only ones of the 50 to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both players and coaches. Wilkens is the only one who was also elected one of the 10 Greatest Coaches in NBA History at the same time as the 50 Greatest Players were voted in NBA History .
The 50 players showed the following common statistics at the beginning of the 1996/97 season .
- 107 NBA championships won
- 17 NBA Rookie of the Year Awards
- 36 top scorer titles
- 447 All-Star Game nominations
- 923,791 points scored
- 410,327 rebounds
The list
| Surname | Nat. | Item |
Team (playing times) |
Games |
Pts total |
Pts.- ∅ per game |
Reb. | Branches. |
NBA title |
All star | Hall of Fame | swell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (* 1947) |
|
C. |
Milwaukee Bucks ( 1969/70 - 1974/75 ) Los Angeles Lakers ( 1975-76 - 1988/89 ) |
1,560 | 38,387 | 24.6 | 17,440 | 5,660 | 6th | 19th | 1995 | 1 , 2 |
|
Nate Archibald (* 1948) |
|
PG |
Cincinnati Royals / Kansas City-Omaha / Kansas City Kings ( 1970 - 1976 ) New York Nets ( 1976-1977 ) Boston Celtics ( 1978 - 1983 ) Milwaukee Bucks ( 1983-1984 ) |
876 | 16,481 | 18.8 | 2,046 | 6,476 | 1 | 6th | 1991 | 1 , 2 |
|
Paul Arizin (1928-2006) |
|
SF | Philadelphia Warriors ( 1950 - 1962 ) | 713 | 16,266 | 22.8 | 6.129 | 1,665 | 1 | 10 | 1978 | 1 , 2 |
|
Charles Barkley (born 1963) |
|
PF |
Philadelphia 76ers ( 1984 - 1992 ) Phoenix Suns (1992-1996) Houston Rockets ( 1996 - 2000 ) |
1,073 | 23,757 | 22.1 | 12,546 | 4.215 | 0 | 11 | 2006 | 1 , 2 |
|
Rick Barry (born 1944) |
|
SF |
San Francisco / Golden State Warriors ( 1965 - 1967 , 1972 - 1978 ) Houston Rockets ( 1978 - 1980 ) |
794 | 18,395 | 23.2 | 5,168 | 4.017 | 1 | 8th | 1987 | 1 , 2 |
|
Elgin Baylor (born 1934) |
|
SF | Minneapolis / Los Angeles Lakers ( 1958 - 1971 ) | 846 | 23,149 | 27.4 | 11,463 | 3,650 | 0 | 11 | 1977 | 1 , 2 |
|
Dave Bing (born 1943) |
|
PG / SG |
Detroit Pistons ( 1966 - 1975 ) Washington Bullets ( 1975 - 1977 ) Boston Celtics ( 1977-1978 ) |
901 | 18,327 | 20.3 | 3,420 | 5,397 | 0 | 7th | 1990 | 1 , 2 |
|
Larry Bird (born 1956) |
|
SF / PF | Boston Celtics ( 1979 - 1992 ) | 897 | 21,791 | 24.3 | 8,974 | 5,695 | 3 | 12 | 1998 | 1 , 2 |
|
Wilt Chamberlain (1936-1999) |
|
C. |
Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors ( 1959 - 1965 ) Philadelphia 76ers ( 1965 - 1968 ) Los Angeles Lakers ( 1968 - 1973 ) |
1,045 | 31,419 | 30.1 | 23,924 | 4,643 | 2 | 13 | 1979 | 1 , 2 |
|
Bob Cousy (born 1928) |
|
PG |
Boston Celtics ( 1950 - 1963 ) Cincinnati Royals ( 1969-1970 ) |
924 | 16,960 | 18.4 | 4,786 | 6,955 | 6th | 13 | 1971 | 1 , 2 |
|
Dave Cowens (born 1948) |
|
C / PF |
Boston Celtics ( 1970 - 1980 ) Milwaukee Bucks ( 1982-1983 ) |
766 | 13,516 | 17.6 | 10,444 | 2,910 | 2 | 7th | 1991 | 1 , 2 |
|
Billy Cunningham (born 1943) |
|
SF / PF | Philadelphia 76ers ( 1965 - 1972 , 1974 - 1976 ) | 654 | 13,626 | 20.8 | 6,638 | 2,625 | 2 | 4th | 1986 | 1 , 2 |
|
Dave DeBusschere (1940-2003) |
|
PF / SF |
Detroit Pistons ( 1962 - 1968 ) New York Knicks ( 1968 - 1974 ) |
875 | 14,053 | 16.1 | 9,618 | 2,497 | 2 | 8th | 1983 | 1 , 2 |
|
Clyde Drexler (born 1962) |
|
SG / SF |
Portland Trail Blazers ( 1983 - 1995 ) Houston Rockets ( 1995 - 1998 ) |
1,086 | 22,195 | 20.4 | 6,677 | 6.125 | 1 | 10 | 2004 | 1 , 2 |
|
Julius Erving (born 1950) |
|
SF | Philadelphia 76ers ( 1976 - 1987 ) | 836 | 18,364 | 22.0 | 5,601 | 3.224 | 1 | 11 | 1993 | 1 , 2 |
|
Patrick Ewing (* 1962) |
|
C / PF |
New York Knicks ( 1985 - 2000 ) Seattle Supersonics ( 2000-2001 ) Orlando Magic ( 2001-2002 ) |
1,183 | 24,815 | 21.0 | 11,607 | 2,215 | 0 | 11 | 2008 | 1 , 2 |
|
Walt Frazier (* 1945) |
|
PG |
New York Knicks ( 1967 - 1977 ) Cleveland Cavaliers ( 1977 - 1980 ) |
825 | 15,581 | 18.9 | 4,830 | 5,040 | 2 | 7th | 1987 | 1 , 2 |
|
George Gervin (* 1952) |
|
SG / SF |
San Antonio Spurs ( 1976 - 1985 ) Chicago Bulls ( 1985-1986 ) |
791 | 20,708 | 26.2 | 3,607 | 2.214 | 0 | 9 | 1996 | 1 , 2 |
|
Hal Greer (born 1936) |
|
SG / PG |
Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers ( 1958 - 1973 ) |
1,122 | 21,586 | 19.2 | 5,665 | 4540 | 1 | 10 | 1982 | 1 , 2 |
|
John Havlicek (1940-2019) |
|
SF / SG | Boston Celtics ( 1962 - 1978 ) | 1,270 | 26,395 | 20.8 | 8.007 | 6.114 | 8th | 13 | 1984 | 1 , 2 |
|
Elvin Hayes (* 1945) |
|
PF / C |
San Diego / Houston Rockets ( 1968 - 1972 , 1981 - 1984 ) Baltimore / Capital / Washington Bullets ( 1972 - 1981 ) |
1,303 | 27,313 | 21.0 | 16,279 | 2,398 | 1 | 12 | 1990 | 1 , 2 |
|
Magic Johnson (born 1959) |
|
PG / SG / PF | Los Angeles Lakers ( 1979 - 1991 , 1996 ) | 906 | 17,707 | 19.5 | 6,559 | 10.141 | 5 | 12 | 2002 | 1 , 2 |
|
Sam Jones (born 1933) |
|
SG / SF / PG | Boston Celtics ( 1957 - 1969 ) | 871 | 15,411 | 17.7 | 4,305 | 2,209 | 10 | 5 | 1984 | 1 , 2 |
|
Michael Jordan (born 1963) |
|
SG / SF |
Chicago Bulls ( 1984 - 1993 , 1995 - 1998 ) Washington Wizards ( 2001 - 2003 ) |
1,072 | 32,292 | 30.1 | 6,672 | 5,633 | 6th | 14th | 2009 | 1 , 2 |
|
Jerry Lucas (* 1940) |
|
PF / C |
Cincinnati Royals ( 1963 - 1969 ) San Francisco Warriors ( 1969 - 1971 ) New York Knicks ( 1971 - 1974 ) |
829 | 14,053 | 17.0 | 12,942 | 2,730 | 1 | 7th | 1980 | 1 , 2 |
|
Karl Malone (* 1963) |
|
PF |
Utah Jazz ( 1985 - 2003 ) Los Angeles Lakers ( 2003-2004 ) |
1,476 | 36,928 | 25.0 | 14,968 | 5,248 | 0 | 14th | 2010 | 1 , 2 |
|
Moses Malone (1955-2015) |
|
C / PF |
Buffalo Braves ( 1976 ) Houston Rockets ( 1976 - 1982 ) Philadelphia 76ers ( 1982 - 1986 , 1993-1994 ) Washington Bullets ( 1986 - 1988 ) Atlanta Hawks ( 1988 - 1991 ) Milwaukee Bucks ( 1991 - 1993 ) San Antonio Spurs ( 1994- 1995 ) |
1,329 | 27,409 | 20.6 | 16,212 | 1,796 | 1 | 12 | 2001 | 1 , 2 |
|
Pete Maravich (1947–1988) |
|
SG |
Atlanta Hawks ( 1970 - 1974 ) New Orleans / Utah Jazz ( 1974 - 1980 ) Boston Celtics ( 1980 ) |
658 | 15,948 | 24.2 | 2,747 | 3,563 | 0 | 5 | 1987 | 1 , 2 |
|
Kevin McHale (born 1957) |
|
PF | Boston Celtics ( 1980 - 1993 ) | 971 | 17,335 | 17.9 | 7.122 | 1,670 | 3 | 7th | 1999 | 1 , 2 |
|
George Mikan (1924-2005) |
|
C. | Minneapolis Lakers ( 1948 - 1956 ) | 439 | 10.156 | 23.1 | 4.167 | 1,245 | 5 | 4th | 1959 | 1 , 2 |
|
Earl Monroe (* 1944) |
|
SG / PG |
Baltimore Bullets ( 1967 - 1971 ) New York Knicks ( 1971 - 1980 ) |
926 | 17,454 | 18.8 | 2,796 | 3,594 | 1 | 4th | 1990 | 1 , 2 |
|
Hakeem Olajuwon (* 1963) |
|
C. |
Houston Rockets ( 1984 - 2001 ) Toronto Raptors ( 2001-2002 ) |
1,238 | 26,946 | 21.8 | 13,748 | 3,058 | 2 | 12 | 2008 | 1 , 2 |
|
Shaquille O'Neal (born 1972) |
|
C. |
Orlando Magic ( 1992 - 1996 ) Los Angeles Lakers ( 1996 - 2004 ) Miami Heat ( 2004 - 2008 ) Phoenix Suns ( 2008-2009 ) Cleveland Cavaliers ( 2009-2010 ) Boston Celtics ( 2010-2011 ) |
1,207 | 28,596 | 23.7 | 13,099 | 3,026 | 4th | 15th | 2016 | 1 , 2 |
|
Robert Parish (* 1953) |
|
C. |
Golden State Warriors ( 1976 - 1980 ) Boston Celtics ( 1980 - 1994 ) Charlotte Hornets ( 1994 - 1996 ) Chicago Bulls ( 1996-1997 ) |
1.611 | 23,334 | 14.5 | 14,715 | 2,180 | 4th | 9 | 2003 | 1 , 2 |
|
Bob Pettit (* 1932) |
|
PF / C | Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks ( 1954 - 1965 ) | 792 | 20,880 | 26.4 | 12,851 | 2,369 | 1 | 11 | 1971 | 1 , 2 |
|
Scottie Pippen (* 1965) |
|
SF |
Chicago Bulls ( 1987 - 1998 , 2003-2004 ) Houston Rockets ( 1998-1999 ) Portland Trailblazers ( 1999 - 2003 ) |
1,178 | 18,940 | 16.1 | 6.135 | 7,494 | 6th | 7th | 2010 | 1 , 2 |
|
Willis Reed (* 1942) |
|
C / PF | New York Knicks ( 1964 - 1974 ) | 650 | 12,183 | 18.7 | 8,414 | 1,186 | 2 | 7th | 1982 | 1 , 2 |
|
Oscar Robertson (* 1938) |
|
PG |
Cincinnati Royals ( 1960 - 1970 ) Milwaukee Bucks ( 1970 - 1974 ) |
1,040 | 26,710 | 25.7 | 7,804 | 9,887 | 1 | 12 | 1980 | 1 , 2 |
|
David Robinson (* 1965) |
|
C. | San Antonio Spurs ( 1989 - 2003 ) | 987 | 20,790 | 21.1 | 10,497 | 2,441 | 2 | 10 | 2009 | 1 , 2 |
|
Bill Russell (* 1934) |
|
C. | Boston Celtics ( 1956 - 1969 ) | 963 | 14,522 | 15.1 | 21,620 | 4,100 | 11 | 12 | 1975 | 1 , 2 |
|
Dolph Schayes (1928-2015) |
|
PF / C | Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers ( 1949 - 1964 ) | 1,059 | 19,247 | 18.2 | 11,256 | 3,072 | 1 | 12 | 1973 | 1 , 2 |
|
Bill Sharman (1926-2013) |
|
SG |
Washington Capitols ( 1950-1951 ) Boston Celtics ( 1951 - 1961 ) |
711 | 12,665 | 17.8 | 2,779 | 2,101 | 4th | 8th | 1976 2004 |
1 , 2 |
|
John Stockton (born 1962) |
|
PG | Utah Jazz ( 1984 - 2003 ) | 1,504 | 19,711 | 13.1 | 4,051 | 15,806 | 0 | 10 | 2009 | 1 , 2 |
|
Isiah Thomas (* 1961) |
|
PG | Detroit Pistons ( 1981 - 1994 ) | 979 | 18,822 | 19.2 | 3,478 | 9,061 | 2 | 12 | 2000 | 1 , 2 |
|
Nate Thurmond (1941-2016) |
|
C / PF |
San Francisco / Golden State Warriors ( 1963 - 1974 ) Chicago Bulls ( 1974 - 1976 ) Cleveland Cavaliers ( 1976 - 1977 ) |
964 | 14,437 | 15.0 | 14,464 | 2,575 | 0 | 7th | 1985 | 1 , 2 |
|
Wes Unseld (1946-2020) |
|
C. | Baltimore / Capital / Washington Bullets ( 1968 - 1981 ) | 984 | 10,624 | 10.8 | 13,769 | 3,822 | 1 | 5 | 1988 | 1 , 2 |
|
Bill Walton (born 1952) |
|
C. |
Portland Trail Blazers ( 1974 - 1979 ) San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers ( 1979 - 1985 ) Boston Celtics ( 1985 - 1987 ) |
468 | 6.215 | 13.3 | 4,923 | 1,590 | 2 | 2 | 1993 | 1 , 2 |
|
Jerry West (born 1938) |
|
PG / SG | Los Angeles Lakers ( 1960 - 1974 ) | 932 | 25.192 | 27.0 | 5,376 | 6.238 | 1 | 14th | 1980 | 1 , 2 |
|
Lenny Wilkens (* 1937) |
|
PG |
St. Louis Hawks ( 1960 - 1968 ) Seattle Supersonics ( 1968 - 1972 ) Cleveland Cavaliers ( 1972 - 1974 ) Portland Trail Blazers ( 1974-1975 ) |
1,077 | 17,772 | 16.5 | 5,030 | 7.211 | 1 | 9 | 1989 1998 |
1 , 2 |
|
James Worthy (born 1961) |
|
SF / PF | Los Angeles Lakers ( 1982 - 1994 ) | 926 | 16,320 | 17.6 | 4,707 | 2,791 | 3 | 7th | 2003 | 1 , 2 |
See also
Web links
- nba.com: The NBA at 50 (English)
- basketball-reference.com: 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (English)
- landofbasketball.com: NBA Data: 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ nba.com: NN: 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. On: NBA website; New York, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2017 (in English).
- ↑ NN: NBA at 50 celebrates legends of league. On: NBA website; New York, August 26, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2017 (in English).
- ↑ youtube.com: Video of the ceremony (English)