If you’ve spent more than five minutes in an NBA Twitter argument or a deep Reddit thread, you’ve seen it. Someone drops a number—usually something like 27.9 or 28.5—and suddenly the "Greatest of All Time" debate gets a lot more complicated. They’re talking about per rating nba all time (Player Efficiency Rating), and honestly, it’s one of the most polarizing numbers in the sport.
People love to hate it. Critics say it’s a "dinosaur stat" from a simpler era of analytics. But then you look at the leaderboard. When the names at the top are Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Nikola Jokić, you have to admit the math is doing something right.
What is PER, anyway?
Basically, PER is a "catch-all" stat created by John Hollinger back when he was writing for ESPN. It tries to take everything a player does—points, rebounds, blocks, assists—and boil it down into one single number.
The goal was simple: compare players regardless of how fast their team plays or how many minutes they get. Hollinger set the league average at 15.00 every single year. So, if a guy has a 15.0, he’s a solid rotation piece. If he’s hitting 30.0? You’re looking at a historic, MVP-level season.
The Mount Rushmore of PER Rating NBA All Time
When we talk about the all-time leaders, we aren't just looking at who had one good week. We're looking at sustained, career-long dominance. As of 2026, the list has been completely shaken up by the modern era of "positionless" basketball.
The Current Career Leaders (Minimum 15,000 Minutes)
- Nikola Jokić: 28.47
- Michael Jordan: 27.91
- LeBron James: 26.94
- Anthony Davis: 26.87
- Shaquille O'Neal: 26.43
Wait. Jokić over Jordan?
Yeah, it’s a lot to process.
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Before you throw your phone across the room, remember how PER works. It loves efficiency. Jokić is a center who passes like a point guard and shoots like a sniper. He rarely takes "bad" shots and he gobbles up rebounds. Since PER rewards volume and efficiency, it’s basically a laboratory-grown metric for a guy like The Joker.
Michael Jordan held the crown for decades. His career 27.91 is absurd when you consider he played through the physical, slow-paced 90s and then had those "old man" years in Washington that dragged his average down. If MJ had retired in 1998, his number would be even more untouchable.
Why Do Active Players Rank So High?
You've probably noticed that four of the top ten players are still active. Joel Embiid, Luka Dončić, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are all hovering in that elite 25.5 to 28.0 range.
Is the modern NBA just better? Not necessarily.
There's a "longevity tax" in basketball stats. When a player is in their prime—like Luka or Giannis—their career average is at its peak. Once they hit their late 30s and start playing 20 minutes a night off the bench, that per rating nba all time will start to dip. LeBron is the anomaly here; he’s been so good for so long that his "decline" is still better than most players' peaks.
The "Broken" Side of the Formula
We have to be honest: PER is not a perfect science. Hollinger himself has admitted it has blind spots.
The biggest issue? Defense. PER can track blocks and steals because they show up in a box score. But what about a guy like Bruce Bowen or Draymond Green? They might lock down the opponent's best player for 40 minutes, but if they don't get a steal, PER thinks they did nothing.
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It also has a weird quirk with shooting. The formula is weighted in a way where taking more shots—even if you aren't incredibly efficient—can actually raise your PER as long as you stay above a certain (fairly low) shooting percentage. This is why high-volume "bucket getters" sometimes look better than they actually are.
Big Men vs. Guards
If you look at the top 20, it’s very "big man" heavy. David Robinson (26.18), Wilt Chamberlain (26.16), and Bob Pettit (25.45) all sit high.
Why? Rebounds.
Bigs who rebound at a high rate and shoot high-percentage layups or dunks are PER darlings. It’s much harder for a point guard like Steph Curry (23.48) to crack the top ten because he relies on threes (which are lower percentage) and doesn't get 12 rebounds a night.
The Greatest Single Seasons Ever Recorded
While career averages tell one story, the single-season peaks tell another. This is where the "Year for the Ages" comes in.
- Nikola Jokić (2021-22): 32.85
- Wilt Chamberlain (1961-62): 31.82
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019-20): 31.86
- Michael Jordan (1987-88): 31.71
That 1988 Jordan season is legendary. He won MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same breath. But modern players are finding ways to game the efficiency system. Between the spacing of the floor and the increase in assists from the "point-center" position, we are seeing PER numbers that would have been unthinkable twenty years ago.
Is PER Still Relevant in 2026?
In a world of EPM (Estimated Plus-Minus) and DARKO, PER feels a little bit like a flip phone. It’s simple. It’s reliable for a quick glance. But it doesn't tell the whole story.
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Today's front offices use tracking data that measures how fast a player runs, how close a defender is when they shoot, and even "gravity"—how much a player pulls defenders away from the hoop just by standing there. PER can't see any of that.
But for us fans? It’s a great historical bridge. It lets us see that David Robinson’s "Admiral" years were actually more statistically dominant than most people remember. It confirms that Shaq in 2000 was a literal cheat code.
How to Use PER Without Being "That Person"
If you're going to use per rating nba all time in a debate, keep these things in mind:
- Context is king. Don't compare a 2020s center to a 1960s guard. The roles are too different.
- Look at the minutes. A bench player with a 22.0 PER in 10 minutes a game isn't better than a starter with a 19.0 in 38 minutes. It's much harder to stay efficient when the defense is focused on you.
- Check the defense. If a player has a high PER but their team gives up 120 points a night, take that rating with a grain of salt.
Actionable Takeaways for Stats Nerds
If you want to truly understand player value, don't stop at PER. Go to sites like Basketball-Reference or Cleaning the Glass. Look at how a player's PER compares to their Win Shares or Value Over Replacement Player (VORP). Usually, the truth lies somewhere in the middle of those three numbers.
Next time you see a list of the all-time leaders, don't just look at the ranking. Look at the names. If a guy is surrounded by Hall of Famers, he’s probably doing something special, even if the formula isn't perfect.
Start your own research by comparing these three specific eras:
- The "Big Man" Era (1960-1975): Look at Wilt vs. Kareem.
- The "Hero Ball" Era (1990-2005): Compare Jordan to Kobe.
- The "Efficiency" Era (2015-Present): Watch how Jokic and Giannis are breaking the scale.
Understanding the evolution of the per rating nba all time isn't about finding one "best" player. It's about seeing how the game itself has changed from a battle in the paint to a game of surgical efficiency.