The Greatest NBA Players of All Time

Michael Jordan is the consensus greatest basketball player of all time — six titles, six Finals MVPs and a perfect Finals record — with LeBron James the statistical challenger right behind him. Here is the all-time NBA ranking as fans and experts actually agree on it, from Jordan and LeBron through the legends, with our take on the debates that define the sport.

The order follows the fan and expert consensus — we don’t invent our own. Where the debate is genuinely open, our note says how we lean. Every player here comes from an era you can draft in the game, where our engine rates each season against its own time. How the ratings work →

1. 1
   Michael Jordan1984–2003

   6× champion5× MVP6× Finals MVP

   Our take: 6-for-6 in the Finals with a Finals MVP every time — the cleanest championship résumé in the sport keeps him first.

2. 2
   LeBron James2003–present

   4× champion4× MVPAll-time leading scorer

   The statistical GOAT case — longevity and all-around numbers no one matches. Jordan-vs-LeBron is the defining debate in basketball.

3. 3
   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar1969–1989

   6× MVP (record)6× championHeld the scoring record for 39 years
4. 4
   Magic Johnson1979–1991

   5× champion3× MVP3× Finals MVP
5. 5
   Bill Russell1956–1969

   11× champion5× MVPThe greatest winner in team sports
6. 6
   Wilt Chamberlain1959–1973

   4× MVP100-point game50.4 points per game in 1962
7. 7
   Larry Bird1979–1992

   3× MVP3× champion2× Finals MVP
8. 8
   Tim Duncan1997–2016

   5× champion2× MVP3× Finals MVP

   The greatest power forward ever and the quiet anchor of a two-decade dynasty.

9. 9
   Shaquille O'Neal1992–2011

   4× champion3× Finals MVP2000 MVP
10. 10
    Kobe Bryant1996–2016

    5× champion2× Finals MVP18× All-Star
11. 11
    Hakeem Olajuwon1984–2002

    2× champion1994 MVP2× Defensive Player of the Year
12. 12
    Stephen Curry2009–present

    4× champion2× MVP (one unanimous)All-time three-point leader

    Our take: rewired how the game is played — the most influential player of his generation, ranking aside.

13. 13
    Kevin Durant2007–present

    2× champion2× Finals MVP2014 MVP
14. 14
    Oscar Robertson1960–1974

    1964 MVP1971 championAveraged a triple-double in 1962
15. 15
    Jerry West1960–1974

    1972 championFirst-ever Finals MVPThe NBA logo
16. 16
    Karl Malone1985–2004

    2× MVP14× All-NBA2nd all-time scorer
17. 17
    Kevin Garnett1995–2016

    2004 MVP2008 champion2008 Defensive Player of the Year
18. 18
    Dirk Nowitzki1998–2019

    2007 MVP2011 champion and Finals MVP14× All-Star
19. 19
    Julius Erving1971–1987

    1981 MVP3× champion (ABA and NBA)Took the game above the rim
20. 20
    Moses Malone1974–1995

    3× MVP1983 champion and Finals MVP12× All-Star

A consensus ranking, not our invention — aggregated from the fan and expert lists people actually argue over. Names and honors are public record. Draft any of these eras for real in Draft Challenger.