The 50 greatest players in NBA history, ranked by win shares

Earvin Magic Johnson #32 of the Los Angeles Lakers, Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls during an NBA Finals basketball (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Earvin Magic Johnson #32 of the Los Angeles Lakers, Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls during an NBA Finals basketball (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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NBA great Elvin Hayes is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
NBA great Elvin Hayes is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Greatest NBA Player #45: Elvin Hayes-120.76

Elvin Hayes is a name that tends to slip through the cracks when talking about the greatest players, but he has the numbers to be in the conversation. Hayes spent the entirety of his career with the Rockets and the Washington Bullets and was one of the best big men of his generation.

In fact, his rookie season was one of the best ever. Right out of the gate, Hayes posted an eye-popping 28.4 points and 17.1 rebounds per game. He continued that astounding production throughout his career, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game 10 times.

Actually, Hayes, along with players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain, and Moses Malone, are one of just seven players to average at least 20 points and 12 rebounds over their careers. They weren’t empty stats either; Hayes, along with Wes Unseld, helped lead the Bullets to three Finals appearances and their only NBA championship in 1978.

He capped that run by having a dominant series against the Sonic, averaging 20.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2 blocks. While winning a title is the ultimate goal, it doesn’t factor into win shares, but his 27,313 points and 16,279 rebounds do.

Those are impressive numbers, but he was held back by his poor shooting for a big man, plus blocks and steals weren’t fully counted during his career. Had he shot better, and had they been, then he would be significantly higher on this list.