All-time NBA Players #33 - #26. Only NBA Finalists here
Relax, this is just to honor the greats
Eric Apricot says: This is an original series written by a friend of DubNationHQ.com. This analyzes and ranks the Top 75ish NBA players of all time. Some of you will be angered, some will think you can do better, but hopefully everyone can find something to enjoy in this journey appreciating the great historical achievements by past and present players.
The Top 75ish NBA Players series index with full details on the ranking process
We intend for the series pieces to come out each week, covering approximately 10 players per piece.
Notation: * Means active player.
33 (tied) Oscar Robertson (210 BEAST points)
Honors
Champion (25)
Runner-up (5)
MVP (20)
MVP runner-up points (9)
11x All NBA (9x First Team) (31)
All Star (12)
6x assists season leader (12)
Rookie of the Year (1)
Olympic Gold (3)
3x NCAA Player of the Year (2x clean sweep) (5)
repeat consensus NCAA award (2)
3x NCAA scoring champion (3)
threepeat NCAA scoring champion (2)
Individual career stats
top 30 total points (10)
top ten in total assists (15)
top 20 points per game regular season (2)
top 5 assists per game regular season (5)
top 5 assists per game playoffs (10)
top 5 assists per game Finals (10)
top 20 Win Shares regular season (5)
top 75 Win Shares playoffs (5)
Bonus points
triple double average over 5 seasons (unbreakable points) (10)
30 point clear triple double (30;12;11) for whole season (5)
100+ career triple doubles (3)
More controversy? Let’s get this out of the way - Oscar Robertson is absolutely one of the greats. His crowning glory was the ring he won as a young Lew Alcindor’s running partner after being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks later in his career. A fitting capper to an all-time great career, which began with complete dominance at the college level and a Gold medal at the 1960 Olympics. A precursor to the Dream Team, that team was stacked with Robertson as one of the lead stars alongside Jerry West, pummelling opponents by an average margin of 42.4 points.
But also a lot of his case rests on his insane statistical production in the early era of the NBA and of course being the first, and for a long time, only player to average a triple double over a season. Then Russell Westbrook kind of took the sheen off that accomplishment, though in Robertson’s case he was always highly efficient even if his usage was sky-high.
The real issue for our beast is that those statistical exploits didn’t actually lead to a whole lot of winning. In ten seasons in Cinncinati, the Big O averaged a triple double across his first 5 (nuts!) but only made the playoffs 6 times, and out of the first round only twice. That in an era where there were only 9 teams for most of the time. From 1967 the league started expanding but 8 teams (more than half!) made the playoffs and Robertson’s Royals only made it once in 1967 before he was traded to Milwaukee in 1970. That’s not to disrespect a great of the game, but it does just give our beast pause for thought about just how high up to place him.
Nonetheless, Oscar Robertson is clearly one of the early stars of the game. He had an immense impact on the league off the court too as the Players Association president who played a big hand in creating free agency, no doubt partly influenced by toiling for much of his career on a not very good team.
32 Jason Kidd (212 BEAST points)
Honors
Champion (30)
2x Runner-up (10)
MVP runner-up points (6)
6x All NBA (5x First team) (17)
9x All Defense (18)
5x assists season leader (10)
All Star (10)
2 x Olympic Gold (6)
Rookie of the Year (1)
Individual career stats
Top 5 total assists (20)
Top 5 total steals (20)
top 20 total threes (5)
Three categories bonus for 50% top 5 (10)
top 10 assists per game regular season (3)
top 20 assists per game playoffs (3)
top ten assists per game Finals (5)
top 30 steals per game regular season (1)
top 20 steals per game playoffs (3)
top 20 threes per game Finals (3)
top 30 total assists in Finals (3)
top 30 total steals Finals (3)
top 20 total threes Finals (5)
top 75 Win Shares playoffs (5)
top 50 Win Shares regular season (2)
top 20 RAPM (10)
Bonus points
100+ career triple doubles (3)
One of the great point guards of the game, Kidd’s passing ability was incredible, his nose for rebounds in the backcourt well honed, and his three ball… well he went from Ason Kidd to retiring in the top 10. Kidd drove the New Jersey Nets, with no-one else really of great quality on the roster, to back-to-back NBA Finals. He got his ring with Dirk and the Mavs late on, but he was definitely a critical player on that team. Also he did actually play some defense. Let’s see if he can imbue that spirit into his backcourt in Dallas.
31 Isiah Thomas (221 BEAST points)
Honors
2x Champion (60)
Repeat (15)
Finals MVP(20)
Runner-up (5)
three consecutive Finals (5)
MVP runner-up point (1)
5x All NBA (3x First team) (13)
All Star (12)
assist season leader (2)
NCAA Champion (2)
NCAA Final Four MVP (1)
Individual career stats
top ten assists (15)
top 20 total steals (5)
top 30 total assists in Finals (3)
top 20 total steals in Finals (5)
top 30 total threes Finals (3)
top 30 points per game Finals (2)
top 10 assists per game regular season (3)
top 10 assists per game playoffs (5)
top 10 assists per game Finals (5)
top 30 steals per game regular season (1)
top 10 steals per game playoffs (5)
Top 5 steals per game Finals (10)
top 30 threes per game Finals (2)
top 20 TS% Finals (10)
top 75 Win Shares playoffs (5)
Bonus points
most points in a Finals quarter (3)
third most steals per game in a Finals series (3)
Zeke! Michael Jordan’s least favorite player. Also New York after what he did in his tenure as GM there. Nonetheless Isiah was an absolute beast on the court. He was the last small guy to lead his team to a title before Steph. His toughness, dribbling, playmaking and scoring ability was absolutely at the core of those Pistons teams. They weren’t just goons beating people up. I do love a villian, and so it appears does our beast.
30 Moses Malone (226 BEAST points)
Honors
Champion (25)
Finals MVP (15)
Runner-up (5)
3x MVPs (2 under 50 wins) (40)
Repeat MVP (10)
Runner-up MVP points (4)
8x All NBA (4x First Team) (20)
2x All Defense (4)
All Star (12)
6x rebounding season leader (12)
Individual career stats
top 20 points (15)
Top 5 rebounds (20)
top 30 blocks (3)
top 30 blocks Finals (3)
top 20 rebounds per game regular season (2)
top 10 rebounds per game playoffs (5)
top 5 rebounds per game Finals
top 20 points per game Finals (3)
top 10 blocks per game Finals (5)
top 20 Win Shares regular season (5)
top 75 Win Shares playoffs (5)
Bonus points
12-1 almost fo’fo’fo’ (3)
The better Malone on this list, Moses seemingly grabbed every offensive rebound there was in the late 1970s/ early 1980s. He gets a bit lost in the shuffle but he was a three-time MVP (albeit two of those his team won less than 50 games), and the missing piece for the 76ers that finally got Dr J and co over the hump.
*29 Giannis Antetokounmpo (228 BEAST points)
Honors
Champion (30)
Finals MVP (20)
2x MVP (50)
Repeat MVP (15)
MVP Runner-up points (8)
8 x All NBA (6x First Team) (22)
Defensive Player of the Year (5)
DPOY + MVP bonus (25)
5x All Defense (10)
All Star (9)
Most Improved Player (1)
Olympics top scorer (2)
Olympics second team (2)
Individual career stats
top 20 points per game playoffs (3)
top 20 rebounds per game playoffs (3)
top 20 TS% regular season (5)
top 50 TS% playoffs (3)
Top 75 regular season Win Shares (1)
top 50 RAPM (3)
Bonus points
top 10 points per game in a Finals series (5)
60-point game (1)
50-point playoff game (in Finals) (5)
No failure for Giannis here. One of the most dominant international players of all time, he’s thrived in the three point era without any real hint of a jump shot. In his younger days he had so many crazy dunks I was oft transported to my misspent youth playing Dhalsim on Streetfighter 2, limbs all extended improbably to k-o his opponents.
Then he just flat out dominated on both ends of the court and could have easily been a threepeat MVP but for the narrative element of modern voting. His championship effort was epic, including that 50-point (and 5-block) closeout game.
Over time he’ll likely rise up the list a bit as he racks up more stats and accolades. Of course should he end up finally forcing a trade to the Warriors after another not-a-failure season and winning another ring or two with Steph he’d really vault up the charts…
28 Bob Cousy (230 BEAST points)
Honors
6x Champion (1 not top 3 player) (78)
Runner-up (3)
threepeat (10)
repeat (5)
MVP (20)
MVP runner-up points (2)
12x All NBA (10x 1st team) (34)
8x assists season leader (16)
All Star (13)
NCAA champion (2)
Individual career stats
top 20 total assists (5)
Top 5 assists in Finals (15)
top 20 points in Finals (5)
top 30 total rebounds in Finals (3)
top 30 assists per game regular season (1)
top 10 assists per game playoffs (5)
Top 5 assists per game Finals (10)
Bonus points
50 in a playoff game (3)
Next up is an undisputed legend from the mists of time - the Houdini of the hardwood. At the time of the draft the Celtics brass reportedly didn’t want him, deeming his playstyle “too flashy”. Lol. Fortunately for them circumstances transpired to land him in Boston. Cousy quickly became the engine of the earliest Celtics teams and a superstar in his own right. 6 rings, one MVP and 12 All NBA appearances later, he proved to be the prototype point guard that so many others followed. Despite playing 60+ years ago he’s still etched in plenty of the statistical record charts too.
27 John Stockton (232 BEAST points)
Honors
2x Runner-up (10)
11x All NBA (2x First Team) (24)
5x All Defense (10)
9x season assist leader (18)
2x season steals leader (4)
All Star (10)
2 x Olympic Gold (6)
Individual career stats
top career assists (25)
top career steals (25)
top 30 assists in Finals (3)
top 30 steals Finals (3)
top 5 assists per game regular season (5)
top 5 assists per game playoffs (10)
top 5 assists per game Finals (10)
top 10 steals per game regular season (3)
top 20 steals per game playoffs (3)
top 5 steals per game Finals (10)
top 50 TS% playoffs (3)
top 10 Win Shares regular season (10)
top 30 Win Shares playoffs (15)
top 5 RAPM (20)
Bonus points
most assists in a playoff game (5)
The other half of Utah’s not very dynamic but deeply effective duo. Stockton gets underrated compared to Malone but he created all those easy buckets for his teammate (and others too) and was an extremely pesky defender.
Beast recognises all those statistical achievements, including topping the all time charts for both assists and steals by some margin. The advanced stats also give him a healthy boost, including an unbelievable top 5 ranking in RAPM which, as you will of course recall from our detailed intro article, only includes data from 1996/7 onwards - so covers only the late prime and tail end of his very lengthy NBA career. That just shows what an impact he had on the floor compared to the company he kept.
26 Dirk Nowitzki (236 BEAST points)
Honors
Championship (30)
Finals MVP (20)
Runner-up (5)
MVP (25)
MVP runner up points (7)
12x All NBA (4x First Team) (28)
All Star (13)
FIBA World Cup MVP (1)
FIBA World Cup top scorer (1)
FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team (1)
Bundesliga MVP (1)
Individual career stats
top 10 points (20)
top 20 total threes (5)
top 30 total rebounds (3)
top 30 points per game playoffs (2)
top 20 points per game Finals (3)
top 20 rebounds per game Finals (3)
top 30 TS% playoffs (5)
top 25 TS% Finals (5)
top 10 Win Shares regular season (10)
top 20 Win Shares playoffs (20)
top 10 RAPM (15)
Bonus points
50-40-90 at 20ppg+ (10)
50-point playoff game (3)
Dirk was the international pioneer that really broke down the barrier for European players. As the first international superstar, the sharp shooting Nowitzki won his well deserved MVP trophy then of course lost his cool and smashed a hole in the wall at Oracle Arena.
He got that ring at the end in dramatic fashion, humbling the Heat’s super team and earning the love and respect of every non-Miami based NBA fan, which is most of us to be fair.
Here’s a load of one legged fadeaways and other assorted feats.
Next up the top 25!
The NBA GM survey is out if you want something to get mad about
https://www.nba.com/news/2024-25-nba-gm-survey
I’ve found this series fun and totally reasonable. Perfect? Of course not, but for sure I couldn’t produce something even remotely as good.
But this has gotten me thinking about the “fairness” of comparing across eras. So - if you did this again, but drew a line to only consider the modern era, where would you draw it? My first guess is 1979/80 (first year of the 3 point shot). Sure, the 80s were very different from the 2010s, but fundamentally pretty similar? I didn’t start watching until the 90s, and even then mostly just watched the playoffs.