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

Tier 3) Superstar level

16) Kyrie Irving

15) Luka Doncic

14) Tony Parker

13) Walt Frazier

12) Damian Lillard

11) Russell Westbrook

10) Gary Payton

Former number one pick Kyrie Irving hasn't always lived up to expectations but if you doubt his talent, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest ball handlers and finishers in NBA history. With career averages of 22.6 points and 6.3 assists, seven All-Star appearances, and a championship, Irving has already had a better career than most top point guards and is still young enough to add to his resume.

Joining his current teammate Kyrie Irving on the list is Luka Doncic. Although he only has six seasons under his belt, he is already a five-time All-Star and has five all-NBA first-team appearances. He is also one of only two players on this list to have led the NBA in scoring. Given his impressive start and that he is only 25 years old, he could very well be a top-5 point guard all time if he continues on this pace.

Six-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA champion Tony Parker had a long and extremely successful career as a member of the San Antonio Spurs. He was noted for his blazing fast speed and ability to slice his way to the rim and finish. He ranks as one of the most effective finishers in NBA history despite being just 6'2, partially thanks to his lethal floater and craftiness around the rim.

New York Knicks legend Walt Frazier is best remembered for his incredible game seven performance in the 1970 NBA Finals, where he dropped 36 points, 19 assists, and 7 rebounds. That helped the Knicks secure their first of two titles in three seasons.

Frazier's spent 10 years with the Knicks and made seven consecutive all-star teams by averaging 19.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 6.1 rebounds while also being a menace on defense, making seven straight all-defense teams. His all-around game as a scorer, rebounder, passer, and defender, as well as being a key part of two championship teams, means that Frazier is one of the best of the best point guards.

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Damian Lillard isn't thought of as a pure point guard but he is the ideal modern shot creator. Through the first 12 years of his career, from 2012-13 to 2023-24, Lillard's put up incendiary numbers, averaging 25.1 points on an unconscious 37.1% from three on 8.4 attempts and 6.7 assists. That production show allow him to shoot up this list.

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook is closer to the end of his career than the beginning but he can still put the finishing touches on a stellar career. His brute attacks to the basket made Westbrook a nightmare to stop, averaging 21.7 points per game over his career. He also often was able to set up his teammates for easy shots too.

Westbrook has a strong chance to jump past Magic Johnson in all-time assists for sixth place with two more solid seasons and he already ranks third in rebounds per game and 10th in assists per game by a point guard all-time. As with many top point guards, he has yet to win a ring but has a chance now that he is in Denver.

Hall of Famer Gary Payton is often remembered for his defense and trash talking but he was a lot more than that. His durability and longevity allowed him to score nearly 22,000 points—fifth-most among point guards all-time. He also racked up nearly 9,000 career dimes, 10th-most all-time.

Payton even led the Seattle Supersonics to the NBA Finals, where they went toe-to-toe with Michael Jordan and the Bulls. He didn't win a championship then but finally got one in 2006 with the Miami Heat, capping an outstanding career.