Greatest NBA Players of All Time: 30-65

This is part two in a list of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. I recommend that you begin with part one, 1-29, if you haven't read that already.

Note: all stats and evaluations are through the NBA's 2024-25 season (Thunder over Pacers).

The Top 39

The next tier rounds out my top 39 players. In chronological order:

Dolph Schayes
Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers, 1949-64
Power forward
18,438 points (18.5); 11,256 rebounds (11.3); 3,072 assists (3.1)
38.0% 2P, 84.9% FT, 48.7% TS
142 Wins Shares, .192 WS/48, WSHM 163.6

A rookie in the NBA's inaugural season, Schayes set and held career records for scoring and rebounds (though both were broken long ago). Twelve-time All-NBA selection. Three of his six first-team selections came before there was an official MVP Award, but he was nonetheless a top-ten MVP vote-getter six times, including second place (to Bill Russell) in 1958.

Almost certainly would have been Finals MVP in 1955 if the award had existed; he was the leading scorer and rebounder in the series, and he led the winning Nationals in FG%.

Elgin Baylor
Minneapolis / Los Angeles Lakers, 1958-72
Small forward
23,149 points (27.4); 11,463 rebounds (13.5); 3,650 assists (4.3)
43.1% 2P, 78.0% FT, 49.4% TS
104 Wins Shares, .148 WS/48, WSHM 122.1

There are ten players who have been first-team All-NBA at least ten times: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Bob Cousy, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Bob Pettit, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor. As pointed out in the George Mikan entry, that was easier in the '50s and '60s — four of the ten players listed played in that era — but it's still impressive.

Baylor is the Lakers' all-time rebounding leader, and he has exceptional per-game statistics. Top-five in MVP voting seven times. He played in seven NBA Finals, and ranks among the all-time postseason leaders in points (21st) and rebounds (10th). He averaged 40.6 ppg and 17.9 rpg in the 1962 Finals.

John Havlicek
Boston Celtics, 1962-78
Small forward / Shooting guard
26,395 points (20.8); 8,007 rebounds (6.3); 6,114 assists (4.8)
43.9% 2P, 81.5% FT, 49.2% TS
132 Wins Shares, .136 WS/48, WSHM 133.9

Thirteen-time All-Star, 11 times All-NBA. Eight-time NBA champion, six of them as a teammate of Bill Russell and two more after Russell's retirement. Top-ten in MVP voting seven times, with first-place votes in five seasons. Excellent defensive player. NBA Finals MVP in 1974.

The NBA Finals MVP Award debuted in 1969. If it had started one year earlier, I think Havlicek would have an additional win. In the 1968 series, Havlicek averaged 48.5 minutes (including overtime), led the Celtics in scoring (27.3) and assists (6.7), and ranked second on the team in rebounds (8.7).

Rick Barry
San Francisco / Golden State Warriors, 1965-67, 1972-78; Oakland Oaks / Washington Caps, 1968-70; New York Nets, 1970-72; Houston Rockets, 1978-80
Small forward
25,279 points (24.8); 6,863 rebounds (6.7); 4,952 assists (4.9)
46.0% 2P, 29.7% 3P, 89.3% FT, 52.5% TS
129 Wins Shares, .162 WS/48, WSHM 143.7

NBA Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star with the Warriors, then jumped to the ABA and made their All-Star game four times in four years, before returning to the NBA to make six more All-Star Games. Won championships in both leagues, and was named NBA Finals MVP in 1975. Ten-time All-League selection, including five years first-team All-NBA. Top-five in MVP voting six times, three in each league.

Artis Gilmore
Kentucky Colonels, 1971-76; Chicago Bulls, 1976-82, 1987; San Antonio Spurs, 1982-87; Boston Celtics, 1987-88
Center
24,941 points (18.8); 16,330 rebounds (12.3); 3,050 assists (2.3)
58.2% 2P, 15.0% 3P, 69.8% FT, 62.3% TS
190 Wins Shares, .193 WS/48, WSHM 191.4

Fifth all-time in rebounds, retired as the all-time leader in field goal percentage. Led his league in blocks three times, rebounds five times, and FG% six times. ABA MVP in 1972, and runner-up (to Dr. J) in 1974. ABA Playoffs MVP in 1975. Also a six-time All-Star in the NBA. The Bulls improved by 20 games in Gilmore's first season there. He ranks 14th in WSHM, between Shaq and Harden.

Scottie Pippen
Chicago Bulls, 1987-98, 2003-04; Houston Rockets, 1998-99; Portland Trail Blazers, 1999-2003
Small forward
18,940 points (16.1); 7,494 rebounds (6.4); 6,135 assists (5.2)
50.7% 2P, 32.6% 3P, 70.4% FT, 53.6% TS
125 Wins Shares, .146 WS/48, WSHM 134.8

Seven-time All-NBA selection and member of the Dream Team, but most known as Robin to Michael Jordan's Batman. Exceptional defensive player, eight-time first-team All-Defensive selection, 1995 steals leader. Pippen is one of three players (the others are LeBron James and Dr. J) ranked among the all-time top 25 in postseason points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Pippen is second (to James) in postseason steals, and one of only 14 players with over 1,000 assists in the postseason.

The six players to officially rank among the all-time top 25 in at least four major postseason counting stats are LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Julius Erving, and Scottie Pippen. That's awfully select company for Pippen.

Gary Payton
Seattle SuperSonics, 1990-2003; Milwaukee Bucks, 2003; Los Angeles Lakers, 2003-04; Boston Celtics, 2004-05; Miami Heat, 2005-07
Point guard
21,813 points (16.3); 5,269 rebounds (3.9); 8,966 assists (6.7)
50.1% 2P, 31.7% 3P, 72.9% FT, 52.8% TS
146 Wins Shares, .148 WS/48, WSHM 146.9

Led the NBA at various times in assists, steals, and three-pointers. Fifth all-time in steals (2,445). Nine-time first-team All-Defensive selection, 1996 Defensive Player of the Year. Nine-time All-NBA selection and ranked sixth or higher in MVP voting six times. He is one of only 29 players with that many top-6 MVP finishes, and — for those of you who object to carefully calibrated endpoints — only 36 with at least five top-7 finishes.

Jason Kidd
Dallas Mavericks, 1994-96, 2008-12; Phoenix Suns, 1996-2001; New Jersey Nets, 2001-08; New York Knicks, 2012-13
Point guard
17,529 points (12.6); 8,725 rebounds (6.3); 12,091 assists (8.7)
42.9% 2P, 34.9% 3P, 78.5% FT, 50.7% TS
139 Wins Shares, .133 WS/48, WSHM 135.6

First-team All-NBA five times. Third all-time in assists and steals, good rebounder for his position. The Nets doubled their win total in his first season there, improving by 26 games and reaching the NBA Finals in back-to-back seasons after three straight years below .400. Kidd led the NBA in triple-doubles 11 times, which is a record.

Players who are Pareto optimal for career points, rebounds, and assists — that is, no one is ahead of them in all three categories: LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Chris Paul, John Stockton, Jason Kidd.

Steve Nash
Phoenix Suns, 1996-98, 2004-12; Dallas Mavericks, 1998-2004; Los Angeles Lakers, 2012-14
Point guard
17,387 points (14.3); 3,642 rebounds (3.0); 10,335 assists (8.5)
51.8% 2P, 42.8% 3P, 90.4% FT, 60.5% TS
130 Wins Shares, .164 WS/48, WSHM 144.7

Three great point guards of the same era in a row, though all with different styles. Nash was an exceptionally efficient shooter in all phases, and led the league in assists six times. Seven All-NBA selections, including three first-team, and two-time NBA MVP.

Dwyane Wade
Miami Heat, 2003-16, 2018-19; Chicago Bulls, 2016-17; Cleveland Cavaliers, 2017-18
Shooting guard
23,165 points (22.0); 4,933 rebounds (4.7); 5,701 assists (5.4)
50.2% 2P, 29.3% 3P, 76.5% FT, 55.4% TS
121 Wins Shares, .162 WS/48, WSHM 138.3

Thirteen All-Star selections — one of only 15 players with so many. Eight years All-NBA. Top-ten in MVP voting seven times. 2006 NBA Finals MVP.

Kawhi and AD