1. Michael Jordan
He is ranked first because he won 6 NBA championships and 5 MVP awards. He also went 6-0 in the Finals and was Finals MVP every time. He led the league in scoring 10 times and was a great defender too. Most experts say he’s the greatest overall.
2. LeBron James
LeBron has 4 NBA titles and 4 MVPs. He’s the all-time leading scorer and has been to the Finals 10 times. He’s played at a high level for over 20 years. His ability to do everything on the court makes him one of the most complete players ever.
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem won 6 MVPs (the most ever) and 6 NBA championships. He scored the most points in NBA history until LeBron passed him. His skyhook was unstoppable. He was also great on defense and consistent for 20 seasons.
4. Magic Johnson
Magic won 5 championships and 3 MVPs. He was the best passer ever and played point guard even though he was 6’9”. He led the “Showtime” Lakers and made the team one of the best in the 1980s. He also won Finals MVP as a rookie.
5. Larry Bird
Bird won 3 championships and 3 MVPs in a row, which almost no one else has done. He was a great shooter, passer, and rebounder. He led the Celtics to many Finals in the 1980s and was known for playing smart and tough.
6. Shaquille O’Neal
Shaq won 4 championships and was Finals MVP 3 times. He was the most dominant center of his time, especially in the early 2000s. He was huge, strong, and had good footwork. Teams had to change their defense just to try to stop him.
7. Tim Duncan
Duncan won 5 championships and 2 MVPs. He led the Spurs for almost 20 years and was great on both offense and defense. He was very consistent and never had a losing season. He’s called the best power forward of all time.
8. Kobe Bryant
Kobe won 5 NBA championships and 1 MVP. He was known for scoring, especially in tough moments. He made 18 All-Star teams and was great on defense too. He played his whole career with the Lakers and inspired a lot of younger players.
9. Stephen Curry
Curry has 4 NBA titles and 2 MVPs (one of them was unanimous). He changed the way the game is played by making the 3-point shot a main part of offense. He’s the best shooter ever and helped make the Warriors a dynasty.
10. Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt had crazy stats, like scoring 100 points in one game and averaging 50 points a season. He won 2 championships and 4 MVPs. He was way ahead of his time in size and athleticism. His stats are still hard to believe even today.
