Top 5 players in NBA history

Let’s talk about the NBA top-notch players in the past. What far do the modern-day players need to go to surpass the excellence their legendary predecessors have established? What differentiates one leadership from another? Who all are the top players in the history of the NBA? After weighing in all the factors and on the basis of voting, experts have created a list of the cream of the crop. Let’s read. 

1. Michael Jordan  

MJ, as we call him, is the GOAT. He played 15 seasons for the Bulls and Wizards. His career average 5.3 assists, 30.1 points, and 6.2 rebounds in 1,072 regular-season games. To his name went 5 MVP Awards and was the choice for the 14 All-Star Games. In 2009, he also registered his name into the hall of fame. There is no need to define his prowess any more, the stats say it all. With six-time NBA Finals MVP, nine-time All-Defensive teamer, 10-time scoring leader, and many more he was right at the top in the list. 

Statistics: 1984-93, 1995-98, 2002-04: 30.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.3 apg, 214.0 Win Shares, 5-time MVP, 11-time All-NBA, 6-time champion

2. LeBron James 

Another progenitor of the American Professional Basketball. LeBron Raymone James Sr. played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. His name is widely popular among the best players in NBA history. LeBron has earned this spot and is still not done. To his name, he already has the eighth-most assists in league history. He is already on his way towards becoming the first player to be inducted into the Finals MVP with three different teams. He has only one spot to go further!

Statistics: 2003-present: 27.1 ppg, 7.4 RPG, 7.4 APG, 236.1 Win Shares, 4-time MVP, 15-time All-NBA, 3-time champion 

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 

This American former professional basketball player is known for playing 20 seasons of NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is known for being the top-notch scorers in National Basketball Association history. To his name, he has six MVP wins in a total of 10-years. He finished in the top five in the voting nine other times. We can talk about his longevity as a consistent elite player from the fact - his two finals were in a gap of 14 years. As a rookie in 1969-70, his average was 28 points in every game. The fact that stands out Kareem is that, even after 17 seasons, his average was 23.4 on an elite team. Throughout NBA history his sky-hook is the most popular. 

Statistics: 1969-89: 24.6 ppg, 11.2 RPG, 2.6 bpg, 273.4 Win Shares, 6-time MVP, 15-time All-NBA, 6-time champion

4. Bill Russell 

William Felton Russell is a popular American former basketball player. From 1956 to 1969, he played NBA’s center for the Boston Celtics. He has way more overwhelming numbers of championship rings than fingers - that’s how he is often described. This makes him earn the fourth rank on this list. He was a real team player and the consummate winner who sacrificed his individual stats for winning a game for the team. He led the Celtics to spiel off an unmatched 11 titles in 13 seasons. Throughout his career, his average was somewhere around 6-8 blocks per game. In his final three seasons, he also took on player-coach duties and still managed to win the titles. With his elite basketball skills, his name looks synonymous with WINNING. That is why he is one of the most successful NBA players of his generation. 

Statistics: 1956-69: 15.1 ppg, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 163.5 Win Shares, 5-time MVP, 11-time All-NBA, 11-time champion

5. Magic Johnson 

Magic Johnson is an American former professional basketball player. He has also been the former NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations. He is popularly known to have played Lakers point guard for 13 seasons. It is unjustifiable to call him the "best point guard ever”, in a generation where positionless basketball is all rampant. Playing in the 1980 championship for the Lakers, in place of an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as a rookie, Johnson put up seven assists, 42 points, three steals, and 15 rebounds. Of his first 12 NBA seasons, he appeared in the Finals, in which he won five seasons. In league history, Magic is seen as the most elite passer. With his ball skills, flare for the dramatic, and full-court speed, it is fair enough to place him at the fifth position in the list. 

Stats: 1979-91, 1996: 19.5 ppg, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, 155.8 Win Shares, 3-time MVP, 10-time All-NBA, 5-time champion