Best Basketball Players in History: Style, strategy, game technique, and outstanding skills are what have defined each of the players who have won the most important basketball competition in the world. At 73 years old, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has been in charge of bringing together exceptional talents for this sports area.
Consequently, it is recognized as the most prestigious competition in the world. Continue reading this article you will learn everything about the best basketball players in history (NBA), their awards, career, skills, and much more.
Best Basketball Players: The Passion To Win For a Ring
Made up of 30 franchises that, in turn, play 29 rivals in 82 games, the NBA has become a true championship of stars fighting to win the biggest prize: a 14-carat gold ring with diamonds and sapphires. Now, what does it take to be a winner? The answer lies with the most successful competitors and best basketball players in the history of the NBA.
1. Bill Russell: The King of Defense
He had the audacity to win 11 NBA championships. This giant was characterized by having a height of 2.06m and for his intensity in the defense of the game. Also, Bill Russell developed a skill that other players lacked: the ability to recover rebounds, which made him the winner of many NBA awards. The rest is history.
He won the NBA All-Star 12 times and was part of the Boston Celtics and became a key player for the team. Having accumulated 14,522 points and 21,620 rebounds in his career, he announced his retirement from competition and still holds this record by appearing on the list of the best NBA players. Today he is 88 years old and is remembered for his physique, skill, and technique in the game of basketball.
2. Michael Jordan: the best NBA player in history?
It can be said that this is one of the best, most emblematic, and mediatic players in the NBA league. He stood out for his dexterity, agility to stay in the air, and having an extraordinary defense, that’s why he had the nickname “Air Jordan”. He won 6 NBA awards, accumulating 30.1 points in his entire career. He was part of the Chicago Bulls team. His fame was such that he even starred in the 1997 movie Space Jam, which was a complete success.
Cover image of Sports Illustrated magazine for 50 times and the best athlete of the 20th century are just some of his most important records. Also, it is estimated that his estate is valued at 1,600 million dollars. This basketball star also had the honor of receiving the Defender of the Year Award in the 1987-1988 season.
Elegance, style, technique, strategy, and agility are what defined Michael Jordan, an athlete who has been a sports icon in the world, even wearing sportswear that still immortalizes his name. For all those reasons, Jordan tops the list of the best players in the NBA.
3. ‘Magic’ Johnson: The magician of the Lakers team
There are many reasons why ‘Magic’ Johnson became the number 1 of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979. And it is that this talented player won 5 NBA awards thanks to his particular fast-break technique and speed that made him in the best of his season in rebounds and annotations. In 1980, 1982, and 1987 he won one of the best awards in the NBA: Finals MVP.
This athlete always stood out for the incredible passes that led him to be a giant in basketball. He was honored by being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002. Throughout his career, he had brilliant participation and received many important awards that made him one of the best and most outstanding players in the history of the NBA.
In fact, in 1991, after the announcement that he suffered from the HIV virus, it was shown that he had the full support of his fans, who did not hesitate to show solidarity in the world to one of the best players in history.
4. Tim Duncan: An Outstanding Player
Being part of the San Antonio Spurs, this player won 5 NBA awards and accumulated 22.22 points throughout his career. Also, he claims to be the player who has obtained the most rebounds in a game by accumulating 25 in 2003. He also won the Finals MVP award on 3 occasions. In the year 2020, he entered the long-awaited Hall of Fame.
Another of his important records is having won the NBA in 3 different decades. Without a doubt, a great feat. In addition to that, he was always loyal to his team throughout his career, which makes him a disciplined and confident player. He won important prizes and in 2016 he announced his withdrawal from this competition. This is another legend and one of the best players in the NBA.
5. Kobe Bryant: the promise of basketball
Son of renowned basketball player Joe Bryant, he stood out for having won 5 NBA awards and being one of the most talented players in the competition. His great debut in the NBA was in 1996 and from then on his great talent stood out, although it was not easy, he finally won many awards such as 1 MVP of the season.
NBA Salaries and Earnings 2022 | US Basketball Players Salaries
Likewise, he was chosen as the Best Quintet in the NBA eleven times and appeared in the All-Star 2 times. He also won the All-Star Game 4 times. It should be noted that in 2020 this talented player died at the age of 43 due to a helicopter accident along with one of his daughters. All this makes him worthy of being in the ranking of the best basketball players.
6. Shaquille O’Neal: The Dominant
Many are the recognitions that this player who was born in New Jersey in 1972 has obtained, that is why we bring him to this list of best players. Only in his first week in the NBA did he become the Best Player of the Week. And it is that this athlete won 4 prizes in the most important league of professional basketball. In addition, he obtained other important awards like in the year 2000 when he won the MVP of the season.
Shaquille O’Neal has been described as one of the most dominant competitors in the history of the NBA. His accumulated points reach 28,596, which places him in the 8th position in scoring in this competition. During his career, he competed for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat. His retirement was in 2011 and since then he has left an important mark on the world of basketball.
It must be said that Shaquille O’Neal stood out for his dominant presence as he imposed his own style of play applying what he himself called a “black tornado” a turn that was as risky as it was effective to score points. This earned him to win important prizes and be among the best players.
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Although not everything is rosy, he had a great weakness and it was the lack of ability to shoot and that was what his rivals used to face him. Even so, he developed the defense like no other and managed, in most cases, to win. He is also part of the Hall of Fame since 2016. Undoubtedly, he is one of the most emblematic of the NBA.
