The 50 greatest players in NBA history, ranked by win shares
By Cal Durrett
Greatest NBA Player #5: Michael Jordan-214.02
Had Michael Jordan not retired for a season and a half in his prime or continued playing after the Bulls’ second 3-peat then he would have absolutely ranked higher. Even with those stops and starts, he is still fifth in win shares, though he is seen as the greatest ever by many. He is definitely up there, given that he is the most dominant two-way guard the game has ever seen.
Jordan led the league in scoring 10 times, and his 30.1 career scoring average is tied with Wilt for the highest in NBA history. As impressive as that is, he also made 10 All-Defensive teams and won Defensive Player of the Year. His impact on both ends of the floor helped lead the Bulls on a historic run where they won more than 78% of their games during their two 3-peats.
Being the best player on a team that won an average of 64.5 games during his peak is a big reason why he has 214-win shares. Had he not retired twice during that unprecedented stretch, he could have realistically added another 30+ to his total pushing him into the top 3. That doesn’t ultimately matter much, since he is already considered to be the Goat.