The Official GOAT List: Ranking the Greatest Basketball Players of All Time

Basketball Players

This isn’t a Hall of Fame tour. It’s a basketball civil war.

If you’ve ever argued about the best NBA player of all time or the greatest basketball player ever, this is where it gets settled — or explodes.

Jordan vs LeBron. Kobe vs everybody. Curry broke the math. Shaq broke backboards. Iverson broke the culture. KD broke the internet. Wilt made the record book look broken.

Pick what you believe greatness is — prime vs career, rings vs skill, aura vs résumé — then build your GOAT List and defend it.

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1. MICHAEL JORDAN

Michael Jordan is currently the #1 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 83.1% head-to-head battles.

2. LEBRON JAMES

LeBron James is currently the #2 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 59.1% head-to-head battles.

3. LARRY BIRD

Larry Bird is currently the #3 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 54.3% head-to-head battles.

4. KOBE BRYANT

Kobe Bryant is currently the #4 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 53.3% head-to-head battles.

5. KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is currently the #5 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 49.4% head-to-head battles.

6. BILL RUSSELL

Bill Russell is currently the #6 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 49.2% head-to-head battles.

7. STEPHEN CURRY

Stephen Curry is currently the #7 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 47.4% head-to-head battles.

8. MAGIC JOHNSON

Magic Johnson is currently the #8 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 43.6% head-to-head battles.

9. WILT CHAMBERLAIN

Wilt Chamberlain is currently the #9 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 43.3% head-to-head battles.

10. SHAQUILLE O'NEAL

Shaquille O'Neal is currently the #10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 36.6% head-to-head battles.

11. KEVIN DURANT

Kevin Durant is currently the #11 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 25.2% head-to-head battles.

12. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO

Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently the #12 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 22.0% head-to-head battles.

13. ALLEN IVERSON

Allen Iverson is currently the #13 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 17.5% head-to-head battles.