Ranking the best small forwards all time is honestly a nightmare. You’ve got eras clashing, stats that don’t tell the whole story, and the simple fact that the position has changed more than almost any other in basketball. Back in the day, a small forward was basically just a "big wing" who could rebound and maybe hit a mid-range jumper. Now? They’re the primary ball-handlers, the defensive anchors, and the guys taking ten threes a game.
It’s messy.
If you ask a Celtics fan from the 80s, they’ll tell you Larry Bird is the undisputed king. Talk to a kid wearing a modern jersey, and they’ll laugh if you suggest anyone but LeBron James. Both are right, in a way, but the nuance is where the real debate lives. We aren't just looking at who scored the most points. We are looking at who changed the geometry of the court.
The Mount Rushmore of the wing
When we talk about the absolute peak of this position, four names usually clear the pack. Most lists start with LeBron James and Larry Bird, followed closely by Kevin Durant and Julius Erving. But even within this elite group, the "best" depends on what you value.
LeBron is the statistical anomaly. As of early 2026, his longevity isn't just impressive; it's borderline terrifying. He’s the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, but honestly, his passing is what makes him the greatest small forward for most. He essentially functioned as a 6-foot-9 point guard for two decades.
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Then there’s Larry Legend. People forget how mean Bird was on the court. He wasn't the fastest, but he was probably the smartest. He won three straight MVPs from 1984 to 1986. Nobody has done that since. If his back hadn't given out, the "LeBron vs. Bird" debate might be a lot closer than the stats currently suggest.
Kevin Durant is basically a 7-foot shooting guard. It’s a cheat code. He’s got four scoring titles and two rings, though critics always point to the "superteam" aspect of his Golden State years. Still, pure bucket-getting? He’s likely the best we've ever seen.
The Dr. J factor
You can't have this conversation without Julius Erving. He’s the bridge between the old-school game and the modern high-flying era. Before Mike, there was the Doctor. He won an NBA title in 1983 and was the MVP in 1981, but his ABA legacy—three MVPs and two titles—often gets sidelined in these rankings. That’s a mistake. He brought flair and verticality to the small forward spot that changed how the game was marketed.
Why defensive stoppers matter more than you think
It’s easy to get blinded by PPG. But the best small forwards all time list has to include the guys who turned the lights out on the opponent's best player.
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Scottie Pippen is the gold standard here. He was the Robin to Michael Jordan’s Batman, sure, but he was also the primary reason those Bulls defenses were so suffocating. He made 10 All-Defensive teams. He could guard point guards and power forwards in the same quarter.
Kawhi Leonard is the modern version of that. When he’s healthy—which, let's be real, is the big "if"—he’s arguably the most effective two-way player in history. His 2014 and 2019 Finals MVPs weren't just about scoring; they were about him being a defensive "magnet" for steals and blocks. He’s got two Defensive Player of the Year awards to back that up.
The forgotten legends
- Elgin Baylor: The man averaged 27 points and 13 rebounds for his career. Think about that. He was a 6-foot-5 small forward pulling down double-digit boards every night. He just happened to play in the same era as Bill Russell’s Celtics, which kept him ringless.
- John Havlicek: Eight rings. He was the ultimate "winning player." He didn't care about the spotlight; he just ran everyone else into the ground with his conditioning.
- Rick Barry: Often remembered for his underhanded free throws, but he was a scoring machine who led the Warriors to a title in 1975.
The 2026 perspective: Who is climbing?
The list isn't static. We’re seeing guys like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown climb the ranks rapidly. Tatum already has a ring and multiple First Team All-NBA selections. By the time he’s done, he might be bumping names like James Worthy or Paul Pierce out of the top ten.
And then there's the youth. Jalen Williams in Oklahoma City is already showing he’s a massive reason the Thunder have become a defensive powerhouse. We also have to keep an eye on Cooper Flagg as he enters the league—the "archetype" of the small forward is shifting back toward high-IQ, multi-positional defenders who can also initiate the offense.
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The complexity of the "Best" label
Honestly, there is no perfect list. If you want a guy to carry a bad team to the playoffs, you take LeBron. If you want a guy to hit a shot with the game on the line while talking trash to the entire opposing bench, you take Bird. If you need a pure, unguardable offensive weapon, it’s KD.
The "Small Forward" label is kinda becoming obsolete anyway. In today's positionless NBA, these guys are just "wings" or "forwards." But the impact of the best small forwards all time is what defined the league's most iconic eras.
Actionable insights for fans and collectors:
- Look beyond the PPG: When evaluating all-time greatness, check the "Win Shares" and "VORP" (Value Over Replacement Player). It highlights guys like Pippen and Havlicek who did the "dirty work" that doesn't always show up on a highlight reel.
- Respect the ABA: If you’re looking at Dr. J or Rick Barry, don't ignore their ABA stats. The talent gap wasn't as wide as some people think, especially in the mid-70s.
- Watch the health trends: For modern players like Kawhi Leonard or Kevin Durant, total games played is becoming a huge factor in their "all-time" standing. Longevity is a skill.
- Contextualize the "Superteam": Evaluate whether a player’s rings came as the undisputed "Alpha" or as part of a collective. This is why Bird’s three-peat of MVPs is often held in higher regard than KD’s Golden State championships.
The debate will keep raging, but that’s the fun part. Whether it's LeBron’s power, Bird’s precision, or Dr. J’s flight, the small forward position remains the most exciting spot on the floor.
To dive deeper into the history of the game, you should check out the Basketball-Reference career leaderboards for VORP and Win Shares to see how these players compare across different eras of efficiency.