I recently saw a top 30 list out of BDawg that, while relatively uncontroversial, has inspired me to make my own list in response, a list that will likely be quite controversial but is one that I believe to be true. Since so many of my rankings are so controversial, it’s only fair that I offer a brief description for my picks. But before I write another one of my typical rambling introductions, let’s get right into the list.
Wilt Chamberlain
The Greatest Athlete in NBA history, and the most dominant player in history. The GOAT regardless of whether or not you believe he really scored the hundred, I could go on about Wilt all day. Read my Wilt article along with those by WiltTheGoat and FijianThunder for a deeper dive into the Chamberlain GOAT case.
LeBron James
The all-time NBA scoring leader, LeBron James holds pretty much every record Wilt doesn’t. Bron just barely beats out MJ in the old over-discussed debate.
Michael Jordan
Jordan rounds out my list of players with a reasonable GOAT case. You simply can’t rank him any lower than 3 with his two three-peats and complete two-way dominance.
Bill Russell
The greatest defender in NBA history, Bill Russell won eleven rings in thirteen seasons. The greatest winner of all time is also one of the most disrespected players of all time, right from when he was traded on draft night over some petty racial BS.
Stephen Curry
The only unanimous MVP in NBA history, Stephen Curry was the engine behind the wins record 73-9 Warriors. Curry has proven that he can win a ring without that true costar, and as great as Durant is, he’d be ringless without Steph. Oh, and he also single-handedly revolutionized the game of basketball.
Tim Duncan
The Spurs were the dynasty that could never die. They made the playoffs 22 years in a row, a league record, almost entirely thanks to Duncan, who also led the team to five rings. Tim Duncan is the epitome of the quiet superstar, and he never really had that MVP-level teammate in his superb tenure in San Antonio.
Kobe Bryant
The man, the myth, the legend Kobe Bryant is probably lower than some people would like him to be here at #7. But, we have to acknowledge that the Black Mamba is an all-time great player who outworked everyone else throughout the league to get his 5 NBA Championships.
Larry Bird
Bird was the main rival of the Showtime Lakers, achieving just about as much success without having a top-15 teammate of all time. As much as I am far from a Celtics fan, Bird won the right way.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The former all-time leading scorer, developer of the unguardable hook shot and six-time champion, it’s hard to deny Kareem is an all-time great. However, he is slightly overrated. He only has one ring in “his decade” (the 1970s) and he won that alongside fellow top-30 guy Oscar Robertson, and never won another ring even while the league was watered down due to the ABA until getting another superteam with Magic and Worthy.
Julius Erving
This ranking, I will admit, would be called blasphemy by old heads and young folks alike. But the OGs would probably be saying I ranked Dr. J too low. People forget that the ABA was basically just as good as the NBA, and Erving was the ABA’s undisputed GOAT. He won 2 ABA championships (more pre-merger than Kareem with less help) and one in the NBA as well, with over 30,000 points in his career. Erving, while not quite in GOAT talks, has become probably the most underrated player ever.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaq is another extremely dominant center who won rings with multiple teams, bringing superstar shooting guards Kobe and Wade to the promised land at younger ages than they could have done without Shaq. There was no stopping the 4-time champ Diesel in his prime, and there’s a reason he’s the only 100 overall player in the history of 2k.
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem has one of the greatest post games of all time, and two rings as the clear number one option in one of the toughest eras in NBA history, even without MJ. Ranking Hakeem this low feels disrespectful.
Nikola Jokic
Arguably deserving of every single MVP of the 2020s, Nikola Jokic seems to be attempting to answer the long-asked question of who is “That Guy” of the 2020s. He has dominated in the regular season and the playoffs alike, without the type of star help that other players have had this decade.
John Stockton
The all time assists and steals leader, Stockton is one of the greatest players in one of the greatest eras in NBA basketball. Putting up a good fight against MJ’s Bulls was the highest mountaintop of his extremely long career, and he’s the second greatest point guard of all time.
Nasty Man
Not gonna give him the glory of saying his name, but he’s the 3rd leading scorer in NBA history.
Moses Malone
The second ABA guy on this list, Malone is one of the greatest big men of all time. Led the ‘83 Sixers to a ring, it would be disrespectful to rank this three-time MVP any lower than this.
John Havlicek
The second-best player, and offensive engine, of the Bill Russell Celtics, the dynasty never would’ve been the same if not for John Havlicek. He’s an eleven-time All-NBA guy who won a Finals MVP
Oscar Robertson
The original triple double machine, Oscar Robertson is the greatest player in Kings history and a champion alongside Kareem for the Bucks. He arguably deserved the 1962 MVP, which says a LOT, although he would win the award two years later.
Kevin Durant
KD is the ultimate plug and play guy. He’s extremely versatile and a two time FMVP playing alongside Steph Curry. While those rings did come with a dynasty of players around him, they do still carry some weight alongside his individual accolades both before and after leaving GSW.
Elgin Baylor
The original volume scoring wing, Elgin Baylor is probably the player who is the most disrespected in terms of being left out of the canon of the NBA. Baylor spent his whole career as a Laker and years later couldn’t stand the color green because of the Celtics, an anecdote showing how competitive he was.
George Mikan
Have you ever done the Mikan drill? That was named after George Mikan, the league’s first true superstar and the man behind its first dynasty. Mikan influenced the NBA in ways too many to count, and he has an extremely strong resume as well, including 5 championships as the best player on the team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SGA’s 2025 season was one of the greatest individual performances of all time, and this year he’s showing it wasn’t a fluke. Winning MVP, FMVP, and the scoring title in the same season hasn’t been done in a LONG time, and he was one of the best defensive players in the league at the same time. Can’t wait to see Shai keep moving up the rankings.
Kawhi Leonard
The two-time Finals MVP always steps up in the biggest moments. From his memorable buzzer beater to consistent lockdown defense and taking down both of the two dynasties of the 2010s, Kawhi would be way higher if it weren’t for availability concerns.
Dwyane Wade
A three-time champion, Wade is one of the greatest SGs in the history of the league. While his achievements have been somewhat overlooked because of the otherworldliness of his draftmate LeBron, Wade is a very accomplished player himself over a very long period of time and has consistently embodied the winning Heat Culture.
Magic Johnson
Yes, I’m ranking Magic at 25. He wasn’t a great scorer or a great defender, and while he was one of the most prolific playmakers in the history of the league, that isn’t enough to propel him above some of the other players on this list. Kareem and Worthy were both very major factors in all of Magic’s rings, and I think he is among the more overrated players in league history. Still, it would be disrespectful to leave him off this list, as he is a 5x champion and a star on all of those teams.
What do you think of this list? Who are my biggest snubs, and who shouldn’t be as high as they are? Looking forward to the debates in the comments, I know this list is controversial, but I believe it to be true. Thanks for reading!