Look, trying to rank the absolute best to ever lace them up is a fool’s errand. You’re basically asking for a fight. Every time someone drops a list of the top 100 nba basketball players of all time, a keyboard war breaks out in the comments.
"How is Kobe so low?"
"Wilt would average 50 today!"
"Ring culture is a myth!"
It never ends. But honestly, that's the beauty of it. Basketball is the only sport where one guy can truly dictate the entire outcome of a game, so we obsess over who that "one guy" really is. As we sit here in early 2026, the conversation has shifted. LeBron James is 41 years old and somehow still putting up 25-6-6 lines for the Lakers. He just passed the 50,000 total career point mark (including playoffs) last year. It’s stupid. It’s literally unprecedented.
But does that make him better than Mike? Or Kareem? Let's get into the weeds.
The Mount Rushmore Problem
Most people start the top 100 nba basketball players of all time list with the same four names: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell. After that, it gets messy.
Michael Jordan remains the gold standard for many because of the "killer instinct" and the 6-0 Finals record. It’s hard to argue with a guy who never let a series go to seven games in the Finals. But then you look at LeBron. He has the most points in the history of the sport. He’s closing in on top five in assists and rebounds. He's been the best player on the floor for 23 straight seasons.
Kareem usually gets the short end of the stick in these debates, which is kind of wild. The man has six MVPs. Six! He held the scoring record for nearly 40 years. His skyhook was, and remains, the most unguardable shot in the history of the league. If you aren't putting him in your top three, you're basically admitting you didn't watch the 70s or 80s.
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Then there's Bill Russell. Eleven rings. You can't even fit them on both hands. People say "oh, he played against plumbers," but that's such a lazy take. He revolutionized defense. He played in an era where the pace was blistering and he still dominated the glass.
Why the Middle of the List is Harder
Ranking the top 10 is easy. Ranking the 40th to 60th best players? That’s where you lose your mind.
Take a guy like James Harden. As of January 2026, he’s officially moved into the top 10 of the all-time scoring list, passing Shaq. Think about that. A "scoring guard" who people love to hate for his foul-baiting is statistically more prolific than the Most Dominant Ever. Where do you put him? He hasn't won a ring as the main guy. Does that drop him to 35? 50?
And what about the new era? Nikola Jokic is 30 years old. He has three MVPs and a championship where he led everyone in basically every stat. He’s currently leading the 2025-26 season in rebounds and assists per game. Nobody has ever done that. Not Wilt, not Oscar, not Magic. If he retired tomorrow, is he top 15? Probably.
The Eras That Get Forgotten
We tend to suffer from "recency bias." It’s natural. We see Steph Curry hit a shot from the logo and we think he's the greatest guard ever. But you have to remember guys like Jerry West. The "Logo" himself averaged 27 points a game before the three-point line existed.
- Elgin Baylor: He was basically the prototype for LeBron and Dr. J, but he never won a ring.
- Oscar Robertson: The original triple-double king. People forget he did that while teams were only scoring about 110 points a game.
- Moses Malone: The most underrated superstar in history. Three MVPs and he owned the offensive glass.
The Skill vs. Accolade Debate
This is where the top 100 nba basketball players of all time lists usually fall apart. Are we ranking who was the "best" at basketball or who had the "greatest" career?
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If it's skill, Kyrie Irving is top 20. His handle and finishing are arguably the best we've ever seen. But if it's career greatness, he might not even crack the top 50 because of the games missed and the lack of sustained MVP-level dominance.
Conversely, Tim Duncan is the boring pick. He didn't have a flashy crossover. He didn't jump over people. He just won five rings and stayed elite for two decades. He’s the "Big Fundamental." In most expert circles, he’s a lock for the top 10, even though his highlights aren't as fun to watch as Allen Iverson's.
Speaking of AI, he’s the ultimate litmus test. Statistically, he wasn't efficient. He shot a lot. But his impact on the culture and his ability to carry a mediocre Sixers team to the Finals against the powerhouse Lakers in 2001 gives him "weight" that numbers can't capture.
The "Modern" Legends Moving Up
We are currently watching history. Kevin Durant is now playing for the Houston Rockets in 2026, and even at 37, he’s still a top 10 player in the league. He passed 31,000 points recently. He’s arguably the most efficient high-volume scorer to ever live.
Then you have Victor Wembanyama. It's too early to put him in a top 100 list, right? Maybe. But he’s led the league in blocks for two straight years and he’s doing things a 7-foot-3 human shouldn't be able to do. By the time we update this list in 2030, he might be top 30.
Luka Doncic is another one. He’s currently with the Lakers—yeah, that happened—and he’s averaging 33 points a game. He’s on pace to break almost every "youngest to X" record.
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Stats You Should Actually Care About
Forget raw points for a second. If you want to know who the real monsters are, look at Win Shares or Player Efficiency Rating (PER).
- Michael Jordan (27.91 PER)
- Nikola Jokic (27.92 PER - currently the highest ever)
- LeBron James (27.11 PER)
- Anthony Davis (Wait, really? Yeah, AD is incredibly efficient when healthy)
Stats don't tell the whole story, though. You have to account for the "eye test." You have to account for how the rules changed. In the 90s, you could hand-check. Today, you can't touch a shooter. Does that mean MJ would average 45 today? Maybe. Or maybe the zone defenses of today would frustrate him more than the man-to-man of the 80s.
Final Reality Check
The truth is, there is no perfect list. You’re always going to overvalue the guys you grew up watching. If you grew up in the 60s, Bill Russell is your GOAT. If you grew up in the 90s, it's Jordan. If you're a Gen Z fan, it's LeBron or maybe even Steph.
But when you look at the top 100 nba basketball players of all time, try to appreciate the evolution. The game didn't get "worse" or "softer." It got more skilled. The floor spacing is better, the shooting is literal magic, and the athletes are bigger and faster.
However, the legends of the past would have adapted. Imagine Wilt Chamberlain with modern sports science and a 2026 training regimen. He’d be a terrifying hybrid of Giannis and Shaq.
To really understand where these players rank, you should look into the "Hall of Fame Monitor" on sites like Basketball-Reference or check out the updated ELO ratings that analysts use to compare eras. It helps strip away some of the emotion—though emotion is half the fun of being a fan.
Next time you're arguing about this at a bar or on Twitter, just remember that the difference between #12 and #25 is usually just one lucky bounce in a Game 7. It's that close.
What you can do next: Start by looking at the career "Value Over Replacement Player" (VORP) for your favorite legends; it’s a great way to see how much they actually moved the needle compared to an average player of their time. Or, better yet, go watch some old tape of Hakeem Olajuwon’s footwork—it'll remind you why "The Dream" is still a top 10 lock for anyone who actually knows the game.