Basketball debates are exhausting. You know the ones. You’re at a bar or scrolling through a comment section, and someone starts screaming about rings. Then someone else brings up "advanced analytics." Pretty soon, you’re comparing a guy who played against part-time insurance salesmen in the 50s to a 6'9" cyborg who spends a million dollars a year on his body.
It’s messy. Honestly, it’s mostly subjective.
But if we’re talking about all time great nba players, we have to move past the simple "who has more jewelry" argument. If rings were the only thing that mattered, Bill Russell is the undisputed king and Robert Horry is better than Michael Jordan. We know that's not how it works. To really rank these guys, you’ve got to weigh peak dominance against longevity, and era-specific context against raw skill.
The GOAT Tier: It’s Smaller Than You Think
Most people settle on two names: Michael Jordan and LeBron James. That’s it. That’s the list.
Jordan is the "perfect" winner. Six trips to the Finals, six rings, six Finals MVPs. He never even let a series go to a Game 7 once he reached the mountain top. People forget how terrifying he was on defense, too. He wasn't just a scorer; he was a 9-time All-Defensive First Team selection. If he stayed in the league instead of playing baseball, does he have eight rings? Probably.
Then you’ve got LeBron.
As of early 2026, LeBron James is still out here defying every law of biology. He’s the all-time leading scorer. He’s top five in assists. He’s essentially a 1st-ballot Hall of Famer three times over if you split his career into decades. The "better vs. greater" argument usually lives here. LeBron might be the better all-around basketball player—the passing, the IQ, the size—but Jordan often holds the title of greater because of the unblemished peak.
But wait. We’re ignoring the guy who actually held the scoring record for nearly 40 years.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has six MVPs. Six! That’s more than Jordan or LeBron. His skyhook was literally unblockable. If you value the "body of work" above all else, Kareem has a resume that looks like a CVS receipt. It just goes on forever.
The Big Man Problem
Why don't we talk about Wilt Chamberlain more?
Basically, his stats look like they were glitched. He averaged 50 points per game in a season. He once grabbed 55 rebounds in a single game against Bill Russell. People dismiss him because the pace was faster back then, but he was also a track star in a 7-foot body.
On the flip side, you have Bill Russell. 11 rings. He didn't care about scoring. He cared about fast breaks and psychological warfare. If you’re building a team to win a single game for the fate of the universe, you might pick Russell, even if he couldn't shoot a jump shot to save his life.
The Modern Shift: Why Curry and Jokic Changed the Math
The way we view all time great nba players changed forever around 2015.
Before Stephen Curry, we ranked players by how much they could "bully" their way to the rim. Then Steph started pulling up from 35 feet. He didn't just win; he broke the geometry of the court. He’s the only unanimous MVP in history (2016). When you talk about influence, Steph is top three. He changed how every kid in every gym in the world plays the game.
And then there's Nikola Jokic.
He doesn't look like an elite athlete. He looks like he’d rather be racing horses in Serbia—which, to be fair, he usually would. But as of the 2025-26 season, Jokic has firmly moved into the "Top 15 ever" conversation for most serious historians. His efficiency is through the roof. He’s a center who functions as a point guard.
It’s weird. It’s effective. It’s legendary.
The Kobe and Shaq Paradox
You can't talk about greatness without the Lakers' duo.
Shaq was the most dominant force since Wilt. Period. From 2000 to 2002, there was no "strategy" for him. You just fouled him and hoped he’d miss the free throws. He was a 300-plus pound wrecking ball with the footwork of a ballerina.
Kobe Bryant, though, is the one people get most heated about.
Analytics nerds used to hate Kobe because of his "inefficient" long twos. But players? Players worship him. His "Mamba Mentality" wasn't just a marketing slogan; it was a level of preparation that arguably exceeded Jordan's. Five rings. 81 points in a game. Two jerseys retired. If you don't have Kobe in your top 10, you’re probably looking at a spreadsheet instead of the game.
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What Everyone Gets Wrong About Eras
One of the biggest myths is that "defense was better in the 90s."
Sorta.
The 90s were more physical, sure. You could get away with a clothesline tackle. But modern "help" defense and zone schemes are way more sophisticated. Back then, "illegal defense" rules meant you had to stay on your man. This created massive spacing for guys like Jordan to work one-on-one. Today, if you’re a star, you’re seeing three bodies every time you cross the timeline.
Also, can we stop saying old-school players couldn't play today?
Larry Bird would be a monster in 2026. Imagine a 6'9" guy with his passing vision and shooting touch in an era where teams take forty 3-pointers a game. He’d average a 30-point triple-double. Same with Magic Johnson. A 6'9" point guard who can run the break is a cheat code in any century.
The "Real" Criteria for Greatness
If you want to evaluate these legends like an expert, stop looking at the back of a trading card. Look at these three things instead:
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- Relative Dominance: How much better were they than the #2 guy at the time? (Jordan and Shaq win here).
- Portability: Would their game work in 1970 and 2026? (LeBron and Hakeem Olajuwon win here).
- Winning Floor: If you put them on a mediocre team, how many wins do they "guarantee"?
Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is often the most underrated guy on these lists. He’s the only player to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP in the same season (1994). He had no All-Star teammates for that first title. None. That is an insane carrying job that almost never gets mentioned.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Debate
Stop arguing in circles. Next time you’re ranking the greats, use these steps to keep the conversation grounded:
- Define your terms. Are you talking about "Peak" (best 3-year stretch) or "Career" (total stats)? Most people conflate the two.
- Account for the "Why." Don't just say Tim Duncan is boring. Acknowledge that he anchored the winningest culture in modern sports history for two decades.
- Watch the tape. Stats lie. The "eye test" still matters. Seeing how Shaq made 7-footers look like middle schoolers tells you more than his True Shooting percentage ever will.
- Value the defense. Half the game happens on the other end. That's why Kevin Garnett and David Robinson deserve more love than they usually get.
The list of all time great nba players isn't a fixed document. It's a living thing. As guys like Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama continue to climb the ladder, we have to keep adjusting our lens. But for now, the Mount Rushmore is still guarded by the ghosts of the 90s and the longevity of the modern era.