With the National Basketball Association season near the halfway point and the All-Star game in sight, I began to think about the best players in the history of the league. After reading an article on the best A to Z players in baseball history, I was inspired to write an article reflecting the best A to Z players in basketball history. My only criteria is that the player must be retired, which excludes several current players who may make this list when they retire.
With that being said, my list is as follows:
A: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the obvious choice. He came out of UCLA in 1969 and played in the NBA through 1989. The 7′ 2″ center was Rookie of the Year, 6 time NBA champion, 6 time MVP, 2 time NBA Finals MVP, and 19 time all-star. He finished his career with 38,387 points, 3,189 blocks, 17,440 rebounds, and 5,660 assists.
There was competition here between Charles Barkley, Rick Barry, Larry Bird, and Elgin Baylor. My nod goes to Larry Bird, who came out of Indiana State in 1979. He played his entire career with the Boston Celtics and was a 3 time NBA champion, 3 time MVP, and 9 time All-NBA First Team. One of the best all around players in league history, Bird finished his career with 21,791 points, 8,794 rebounds, 5,695 assists, and 1,556 steals.
C: Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain dominated the league like no other player in history. He scored 100 points in a game against the Knicks in 1962, a season in which he averaged 50 points per game. He was a 4 time MVP, 7 time All-NBA First Team, and 2 time NBA champion. He finished his career with 31,419 points, 23,924 rebounds, and 4,643 assists.
D: Clyde Drexler
This came down to Adrian Dantley and Clyde Drexler. Dantley was a better pure shooter and scorer, but Drexler was a more complete player. Drexler came out of Houston in 1983 and was a 10 time all-star during his 16 year career. He finished his career with 22,195 points, 6,677 rebounds, 6,125 assists, and 2,207 steals.
E. Julius Erving
This was an easy selection. Julius “Dr J.” Erving came to the 76ers in 1976 after dominating the American Basketball Association. He was an 11 time NBA All-Star, 5 time All-NBA First Team, and an NBA champion in 1983. For his professional career, Erving scored 30,026 points, 10,525 rebounds, 5,176 assists, 2,272 steals and 1,941 blocked shots.
Walt Frazier was a guard drafted by the New York Knicks in 1967. He was a 7 time all-star, 4 time All-NBA First Team, and 2 time NBA champion. Over an 825 game career, Frazier scored 15,581 points, had 5,040 assists, and 4,830 rebounds.
G: George Gervin
George Gervin was one of the top scoring guards in professional basketball history. He played in the ABA and NBA and combined to score 26,595 points. Known as “The Ice Man”, Gervin had a smooth jump shot and made 50 percent of his shots from the floor and 84 percent from the free throw line. Gervin was a 9 time NBA all-star, and 5 time All-NBA First Team.
H: John Havlicek
The three best players in this category were Elvin Hayes, Connie Hawkins and John Havlicek. I go with Havlicek, who played his entire 16 year career (1962 – 1978) with the Boston Celtics. He was a 13 time all-star and 8 time NBA champion. Havlicek finished his career with 26,395 points, 8,007 rebounds, and 6,114 assists.
I: Dan Issel
Some people might argue for Allen Iverson, but for me Dan Issel was the best player for the “I” category. Issel came out of the University of Kentucky and played 5 years in the ABA before playing his entire 10 year NBA career with the Denver Nuggets. Issel was a 6 time NBA all-star and scored 27,482 points and had 11,133 rebounds in his career.
J: Michael Jordan
Earvin “Magic” Johnson was a great player who would have been the choice for “J” had it not been for Michael Jordan. Perhaps the greatest player of all time, Jordan came out of North Carolina in 1984. Michael Jordan was a 6 time NBA champion, 14 time all-star, 10 time NBA-All First Team, and 9 time All-Defensive First Team. For his career, Jordan scored 32,292 points, 6,672 rebounds, 5,633 assists, and 2,514 steals.
K: Bernard King
Bernard King was drafted by the New Jersey Nets out of Tennessee in 1977. A 6′ 7″ forward, King was a 4 time all-star, and 2 time All-NBA First Team. Knee injuries cut King’s career short, but in 874 games he scored 19,655 points, and had 5,060 rebounds.
Bob Lanier was drafted first overall by the Detroit Pistons in 1970. The 6′ 11″ inch center out of St. Bonaventure was a 6 time all star. Lanier played 14 seasons, scored 19,248 points, had 9,698 rebounds, 3,007 assists and 1,100 blocked shots.
M: Karl Malone
This was a close call between Moses Malone and Karl Malone, with Moses holding the edge in blocked shots and rebounding, but Karl Malone better career statistics in scoring, assists and steals. The edge goes to Karl Malone, who was a 14 time all-star, and 2 time MVP. For his career, Malone score 36,928 points, had 14,968 rebounds, 5,248 assists, and 2,085 steals.
N: Larry Nance
Larry Nance was a 6′ 9″ forward, who was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 1981. Nance was a 3 time all-star during his 14 year career with the Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers. For his career, Nance scored 15,687 points, had 7,352 rebounds, and 2,027 blocked shots.
O: Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon was drafted out of Houston by the Houston Rockets in 1984. Olajuwon was a 12 time all-star, 6 time All-NBA First Team, and 2 time NBA Finals MVP. He played 18 seasons ad finished his career with 26,946 points, 13,748 rebounds, and 3,830 blocked shots.
P: Bob Pettit
Bob Pettit was drafted by the Milwaukee Hawks in 1954. Pettit, a 6′ 9″ forward, was Rookie of the Year, a 10 time All-NBA First Team selection, and NBA champion in 1958. He retired at the age of 32 after 792 games, 20,880 points and 12,849 rebounds.
Q: Robert Quick
There have only been a handful of players with a last name starting with “Q. The best was Robert Quick, who played from 1968 through 1972. Quick appeared in 142 games, scored 848 points, and 395 rebounds.
R: Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in 1970. Known as the “Big O”, Robertson played 14 seasons with the Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. He was a 12 time all-star, 9 time All-NBA First Team, and NBA MVP in 1964. For his career, Robertson scored 26,710 points, had 7,804 rebounds, and 9,887 assists.
John Stockton was drafted out of Gonzaga by the Utah Jazz in 1984. He was a 10 time all-star, 2 time Olympic gold medalist, and 2 time All-NBA First Team. Stockton scored 19,711 points, 15,806 assists, and 3,265 steals over a 19 year career.
T: Nate Thurmond
Nate Thurmond was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors in 1963. He played 14 seasons, was a 7 time all-star and 3 time member of the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. For his career, Thurmond scored 14,437 points and 14,464 rebounds.
U: Wes Unseld
Wes Unseld was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in 1968. He was Rookie of the Year and All-NBA First Team in 1969 and a 5 time all-star. Unseld played until 1981 and scored 10,624 points and 13,769 rebounds in 984 games.
V: Kiki Vandeweghe
Kiki Vandeweghe played for the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trailblazers, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers from 1980 to 1993. He was an excellent shooter and a 2 time all-star. For his career, Vandeweghe scored 15,980 points.
W: Jerry West
Jerry West was drafted in 1960 by the Minneapolis Lakers. He played his entire career with the Lakers, was an all-star every season, and 10 times All-NBA First Team. In 932 career games, West scored 25,192 points, 6,238 assists, and 5,376 rebounds.
X: No player with the last name starting with “X”
Y: George Yardley
George Yardley was drafted by the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1950. He played in the NBA from 1953 through 1960. Yardley, a 6′ 5″ forward and guard, scored 9,063 points and 4,220 rebounds in 472 games.
Z: Max Zaslofsky
Max Zaslofsky played in the BAA from 1946 to 1949 and in the NBA from 1949 through 1956. He was a 6′ 2″ guard who played in 540 professional games and scored 7,990 points.
