NBA All-time Player Tiers: The 20 greatest players ever, ranked

Who are the best players in NBA history?
Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant
Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant / VINCENT LAFORET/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next

No conversation dominates NBA discussion like the topic of who's the greatest of all time. It's taken on a life of its own in NBA culture with other sports such as baseball and football not having nearly as many discussions surrounding the topic.

While the discussion is often subjective, there is a general consensus of who is a top 20 player all time, though it can be hard to compare eras with early generations playing without a shot clock, then playing at breakneck pace once it was implemented.

Later, there was the beginning of the three-point era, though it wasn't widely used for 20 years, until the mid-90s. Now, it has become the backbone of NBA offenses. All that being said, who ranks among the 20 greatest players in NBA history? Let's answer that question.

Honorable mentions:

22) Giannis Antetokounmpo

21) Nikola Jokic

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been on a tear over the last five seasons, posting 29.8 points on 56.9% shooting, 11.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game.

The historic stretch saw him make five all-star teams, win Defensive Player of the Year, two league MVPs, Finals MVP, and a championship. Giannis is just 30 years old and has a chance to continue his stellar play over the next several seasons and climb up this list.

It's hard to believe that the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA draft would become a top 20 player all-time in 10 seasons but here we are. Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic won an impressive three league MVPs, a championship, and a Finals MVP in a five-year span, completing one of the most incredible runs in NBA history. At only 30 years old, he can add to his resume and climb up this list.