The Official GOAT List: Ranking the Greatest Basketball Players of All Time
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.
1. MICHAEL JORDAN
Michael Jordan is currently the #1 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 82.6% head-to-head battles.
2. LEBRON JAMES
LeBron James is currently the #2 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 57.5% head-to-head battles.
3. LARRY BIRD
Larry Bird is currently the #3 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 55.4% head-to-head battles.
4. KOBE BRYANT
Kobe Bryant is currently the #4 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 53.0% head-to-head battles.
5. BILL RUSSELL
Bill Russell is currently the #5 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 50.4% head-to-head battles.
6. KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is currently the #6 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 48.7% head-to-head battles.
7. STEPHEN CURRY
Stephen Curry is currently the #7 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 46.6% head-to-head battles.
8. MAGIC JOHNSON
Magic Johnson is currently the #8 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 43.7% head-to-head battles.
9. WILT CHAMBERLAIN
Wilt Chamberlain is currently the #9 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 43.6% head-to-head battles.
10. SHAQUILLE O'NEAL
Shaquille O'Neal is currently the #10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 35.7% head-to-head battles.
11. KEVIN DURANT
Kevin Durant is currently the #11 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 24.1% head-to-head battles.
12. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently the #12 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 23.8% head-to-head battles.
13. ALLEN IVERSON
Allen Iverson is currently the #13 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time winning 16.7% head-to-head battles.
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