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
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Tier 4) All-NBA level

20) Kevin Durant

19) John Havlicek

18) John Stockton

Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant's first 11 seasons alone is among the greatest stretches in NBA history. He averaged an incredible 27.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4 assists per game while making 10 All-Star teams and 10 All-NBA first teams.

He also won an MVP award with the Oklahoma City Thunder and won two championships and two Finals MVPs with the Golden State Warriors. Whatever happens next is gravy, but KD is on pace to reach 30,000 career points in 2024-25, making him an all-time great.

Boston Celtics great John Havlicek is arguably the greatest player in team history after a strong career. He has the most points in Celtics history, which is probably worthy of inclusion on this list alone, not to mention that he was one of the best all-around players in league history. He averaged a terrific 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and made 8 all-defensive teams. Not only that but he managed to win eight championships, tied for the third most all-time, making him the ultimate winner.

Utah Jazz legend John Stockton's consistency over the course of his 19-year career was staggering. He missed only 22 games during his career, led the NBA in assists nine times and steals twice, and holds the all-time record in total assists and steals. Stockton and Karl Malone led the Jazz to the NBA Finals back-to-back years in the 1990s but ran into Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Not winning a championship hurt both of their resumes but Stockton is one of the all-time greats.