Every NBA Team's Greatest Player of All Time
Who is every NBA team's GOAT?
That was one of the most pressing questions coming out of B/R's top 100 NBA players of all time voting process.
To decide, we're using our recently release Top 100 rankings while imposing a one-appearance-per player limit. If someone is a candidate for multiple teams (i.e. LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson), we'll link them to the franchise they are most associated with and/or spent the longest.
In some case, we're playing musical chairs. To use LeBron as an example, there's no other good GOAT choice for the Cleveland Cavaliers. But Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers have some very strong GOAT candidates.
We'll use more subjectivity for players who aren't claimed by a single franchise. For eligibility, we prefer a franchise GOAT candidates spend at least half of their career with that team. This will penalize someone like Wilt Chamberlain, who finished above Stephen Curry in our GOAT rankings but built up the majority of his resume on the Lakers. Them's the breaks.
Atlanta Hawks: Bob Pettit
1 of 30
Top Accolades (with Hawks): 1x Champion, 2x MVP, 11x All-NBA, 11x All-Star, Rookie of the Year, 2 Scoring Titles
Total Seasons Played (with Hawks): 11
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 38
Dominique Wilkins deserves a shout-out here, but Bob Pettit finished above him (No. 50) in our top-100 ladder. He also just might be the right answer.
Pettit is the franchise's all-time leader in rebounds and ranks second in total points. If that doesn't do it for you, he racked up multiple league MVPs and spearheaded the organization's only championship to date by going through Bill Russell and the dynastic Boston Celtics in 1957-58.
Boston Celtics: Bill Russell
2 of 30
Top Accolades (with Celtics): 11x Champion, 5x MVP, 11x All-NBA, 12x All-Star, 4 Rebounding Titles
Total Seasons Played (with Celtics): 13
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 5
Bill Russell goes unchallenged for this spot when looking at just the rankings. That probably doesn't change even when factoring in anecdotal boosts.
Building a case for Larry Bird is possible, though far from a sure thing. Russell is perhaps the greatest defensive player of all time and won more championships than anyone else in NBA history. His 11 rings are enough to fill three to four dynasties.
No other Boston Celtics legend comes close to rivaling his total-rebound count, and the same would probably be said about blocks if they were tracked during his era. For good measure, his longevity in Beantown still has him in the top 10 of both franchise scoring (eighth) and assists (sixth).
Brooklyn Nets: Jason Kidd
3 of 30
Top Accolades (with Nets): 3x All-NBA, 5x All-Star, 6x All-Defense, 2x Assist Champion
Total Seasons Played (with Nets): 7
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 33
Considerations for the Brooklyn Nets franchise get rough after Jason Kidd and Julius Erving. The latter finished higher in the overall top 100 (No. 20), but a greater share of his career played out in Philadelphia.
That leaves Kidd. And as far as default options go, this is pretty darn good.
Kidd's time at once went by in a flash and lasted longer than many might remember. The then-New Jersey Nets were a bonafide contender with him running the show, an era that makes up the bulk of his statistical peak.
Nobody else has dished more assists, picked up more steals or made more All-Star teams while representing the franchise, and Kidd is among the top six in both total points and rebounds to boot. The longer you think about it, the more he becomes the only sensible answer.
Charlotte Hornets: Alonzo Mourning
4 of 30
Top Accolades (with Hornets): 2x All-Star
Total Seasons Played (with Hornets): 3
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 87
Three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets is all it takes for Alonzo Mourning to grab the franchise's GOAT crown.
Knowing he is most affiliated with the Miami Heat, who acquired him after his third year, this says a lot about the organization's overarching history. But the 6'10" big man was an absolute force right out of the gate.
Even now, Mourning remains the Hornets' all-time leader in blocks and is one of just four players to make multiple All-Star games while repping Charlotte. He joins Larry Johnson, Glen Rice and Kemba Walker, none of whom cracked our top 100.
Chicago Bulls: Michael Jordan
5 of 30
Top Accolades (with Bulls): 6x Champion, 5x MVP, 6x Finals MVP, 11x All-NBA, 12 All-Star, 9x All-Defense, 1x Defensive Player of the Year, NBA Rookie of the Year, 10 Scoring Titles
Total Seasons Played (with Bulls): 13
Overall Top-100 Rank: 1
So, like...if not Michael Jordan, then who?
He ended up being our overall GOAT. Even offering an honorable mention for the Chicago Bulls would be disrespectful. Frankly, the franchise is still coasting off his 13-year tenure more than a quarter-century later.
Think about this: The gap between Jordan and the galaxies-away field would be even wider if not for his mid-prime sabbatical, and had he just kept on playing in the three seasons before he joined the Washington Wizards in 2001.
Granted, MJ doesn't need the cushion. He already paces the franchise in total points, rebounds, assists and steals without an imminent threat to his throne in sight, and Artis Gilmore is the only player to notch more blocks in a Bulls uniform.
Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James
6 of 30
Top Accolades (with Cavaliers): 1x Champion, 2x MVP, 1x Finals MVP, 10x All-NBA, 10x All-Star, 2x All-Defense, 1x Scoring Champion, Rookie of the Year
Total Seasons Played (with Cavaliers): 11
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 2
Assuming LeBron James sticks with the Los Angeles Lakers into next season, they will lay claim to his longest consecutive single-team tenure. That's about the only way you can argue associating him more with Hollywood than the Cleveland Cavaliers—and it's a wildly flimsy leg on which to stand.
LeBron's 11 seasons with his hometown team are comfortably more than he's spent with the Lakers, and he dominates the franchise's all-time ranks. Not only is he first all-time in total points scored, but he more than doubles up the second-place Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He leads the organization in total rebounds, holds a comically wide margin on total assists and steals and cracks the top five in total blocks.
Throw all of that out the window, and the 2016 championship speaks for itself. LeBron captained a 3-1 Finals comeback against the burgeoning dynasty of the Golden State Warriors to earn the city of Cleveland its first-ever NBA title and its first championship across all sports in 52 years.
Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki
7 of 30
Top Accolades (with Mavericks): 1x Champion, 1x MVP, 1x Finals MVP, 14x All-Star, 12x All-NBA
Total Seasons Played (with Mavericks): 21
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 18
Dirk Nowitzki is the only acceptable option for the Dallas Mavericks' GOAT even if you ignore his top-100 placement.
His one-franchise tenure is unprecedented, rivaled only by Kobe Bryant's two decades with the Los Angeles Lakers and Udonis Haslem's 20 seasons on the Miami Heat. That standalone longevity is made all the more impactful thanks to a 2011 title over the Big Three-era Heat, and a career resume that includes pioneering the way bigs play and how they are viewed.
It will be interesting to see how long it takes someone to rival Nowitzki in the Mavs' all-time pecking order. Luka Dončić seemed like a given, but his time with the team was cut unexpectedly short after six-and-a-half seasons. Though his exit will be remembered for plenty of other reasons, it may also end up being the catalyst for Dirk remaining Dallas' inarguable GOAT for, well, forever.
Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokić
8 of 30
Top Accolades (with Nuggets): 1x Champion, 3x MVP, 1x Finals MVP, 7x All-Star, 7x All-NBA
Total Seasons Played (with Nuggets): 10
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 17
Nikola Jokić put this decision to bed long before B/R's band of basketball sickos pegged him as a top-20 player of all-time. Neither Carmelo Anthony (No. 60) nor Alex English (No. 76) is anywhere near entering his orbit.
Winning the 2023 title goes a long way, as do his statistical vitals. He is already first in total rebounds and assists in Denver Nuggets history and will grab the top spot in points and steals if he stays in the Mile High City for a few more years.
Really, though, the legacy he's leaving behind sews this up more than anything else. He is one of only 10 players to secure three league MVPs, and he might not be done yet. He has also numbed us to triple-doubles even more so than Russell Westbrook, and he'll go down as one of best passers the Association has ever seen, if not the best.
Detroit Pistons: Isiah Thomas
9 of 30
Top Accolades (with Pistons): 2x Champion, 1x Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 5x All-NBA, 1x Assist Champion
Total Seasons Played (with Pistons): 13
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 27
Isiah Thomas' on-court legacy has endured the distance of time. He isn't flat-out considered the greatest point guard ever, but he continues to be mentioned in that debate while also coming up in the "Pound-for-Pound GOAT" discourse.
This is one crown for which he doesn't have to scrap and claw.
Bob Lanier (No. 82), Chauncey Billups (No. 91) Joe Dumars (No. 96), Dave Bing (No. 99), Ben Wallace (unranked) and Bill Laimbeer (unranked) are the only other names worth mentioning. None of them come close to having Thomas' overall credentials or historical cachet. He is the franchise's all-time leader in points, assists and steals, and it's not even kind of close.
Zeke's legend is only strengthened by serving as both the face of the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons and an actual Michael Jordan foil.
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry
10 of 30
Top Accolades (with Warriors): 4x Champion, 2x MVP, 1x Finals MVP, 11x All-Star, 11x All-NBA, 2x Scoring Champion, 1x Steal Champion
Total Seasons Played (with Warriors): 16
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 10
Wilt Chamberlain finished ahead of Stephen Curry in the all-time rankings at No. 9, but he seems equally remembered for his five-plus seasons with the Golden State Warriors and the five years he played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Since his tenure with the Dubs doesn't account for at least half his career, pivoting to Curry feels fitting, particularly since he would be the consensus answer independent of his top-100 finish.
Spending your entire career with one franchise while also operating at the peak of your powers for noticeably longer than a decade is unheard of these days. Steph looms as one of the final exceptions.
The Baby Faced Assassin's credentials speak for themselves. His imprint on the game might be even louder. His brand of offense essentially birthed new extremes on both ends of the floor—for how players look to score, and how defenses go about trying to stop them.
Curry may never be universally considered the greatest point guard of all time or even a consensus top-10 player ever. However, his place atop the Warriors' own franchise ranks is beyond reproach.
Houston Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon
11 of 30
Top Accolades (with Rockets): 2x Champion, 1x MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 12x All-NBA, 12x All-Star, 9x All-Defense
Total Seasons Played (with Rockets): 17
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 12
Hakeem Olajuwon picks up the Houston Rockets GOAT trophy without much resistance. James Harden (No. 34) and Moses Malone (No. 21) are his closest challengers, and neither has the ties that he does to the organization.
Both of the franchise's only titles were headlined by The Dream, culminating in a pair of Finals MVPs. He is also the clubhouse's all-time leader in points, rebounds, steals and blocks and is in the top five for assists.
This is another instance in which it's difficult to see a viable runner-up emerge anytime soon. Chances are we're at least decades away from any necessary relitigation. If and when we get there, the person chasing this throne will have to contend with the iconic Dream Shake and all the (deserving) cool points it infuses into Hakeem's legacy.
Indiana Pacers: Reggie Miller
12 of 30
Top Accolades (with Pacers): 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA
Total Seasons Played (with Pacers): 18
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 54
Paul George is the sole other Indiana Pacers legend who appeared in B/R's top 100, and he finished 24 spots behind Reggie Miller, checking in at No. 78. Discarding the rankings might give PG a slightly better case, but there's no overcoming the longevity bump.
Miller is a one-team Hall-of-Famer. That's as renowned as you can be without winning a title. Of course, it helps that he came close. The Pacers appeared in five conference finals and one NBA Finals over the course of his 18 seasons, all in an impressive seven-year span.
Some may be ready to envision a scenario in which Tyrese Haliburton eventually unseats Miller. That's a somewhat fair exercise on the heels of his leading Indiana to consecutive conference finals and within one victory of an NBA title this past year.
Still, the gap separating Haliburton and everyone else from Miller remains cosmic in scale and scope. Miller was easily the best shooter of all time until Stephen Curry came along, and he leads the Pacers franchise in total points, assists, made threes and steals without an imminent threat on his tail.
Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Paul
13 of 30
Top Accolades (with Clippers): 5x All-NBA, 5x All-Star, 6x All-Defense, 2x Assist Champion, 3x Steals Champion
Total Seasons Played (with Clippers): 6
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 30
Chris Paul edges out Kawhi Leonard (No. 32) on the top-100 board by two spots and almost assuredly earns this crown in any casual conversations that don't take all-time rankings into account.
Blake Griffin, who did not crack the top 100, has a claim to the honor based on longevity and his own personal evolution. But CP3's arrival in 2011 is what put the Los Angeles Clippers on the map. They went from an NBA laughingstock to a caps-lock DESTINATION, and they haven't looked back since.
Six seasons isn't the longest tenure, especially in this type of discussion. But it was enough time for Paul to become the franchise's all-time assist leader and rank second in steals. And if you look at postseason numbers specifically, CP3 is the Clippers' leader in minutes, points, assists and steals.
Los Angeles Lakers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
14 of 30
Top Accolades (with Lakers): 5x Champion, 3x MVP, 1x Finals MVP, 10x All-NBA, 13x All-Star, 7x All-Defense, 3x Blocks Champion
Total Seasons Played (with Lakers): 14
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 3
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the quintessential example of how franchise GOATs contrast with individual rankings. He routinely places ahead of Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson in overall all-time discussions, but you won't catch anyone putting him in front of them when looking at Los Angeles Lakers GOATs alone.
In this case, though, our criteria demands it.
Abdul-Jabbar spent the vast majority of his career in purple and gold and finished comfortably ahead of Kobe (No. 11) while just edging out Magic (No. 4) in our all-time pecking order. This can ring a little hollow when Kareem doesn't pace the franchise in any category other than blocks, but his entire body of work is hardly something at which to sneeze.
Memphis Grizzlies: Pau Gasol
15 of 30
Top Accolades (with Grizzlies): 2002 Rookie of the Year, 1x All-Star
Total Seasons Played (with Grizzlies): 7
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 62
Off-the-head nominations for the Memphis Grizzlies franchise will prominently feature Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and maybe even Ja Morant before getting to Pau Gasol. However, none of them made the top-100 cut.
Pau's tenure with the organization (six years and change) lasted longer than many remember, in large part because he's most associated with the Los Angeles Lakers. They were home to his All-NBA selections and championships.
But Gasol played long enough and well enough on the Grizz to still rank inside the top six of total points (fourth), rebounds (third), assists (sixth) and blocks (second). Though they may not be his primary team, he is far more than a footnote in their history.
Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade
16 of 30
Top Accolades (with Heat): 3x Champion, 1x Finals MVP, 8x All-NBA, 13x All-Star, 3x All-Defense, 1x Scoring Champion
Total Seasons Played: 16
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 23
Dwyane Wade's short stints with the Chicago Bulls (Three Alphas!) and Cleveland Cavaliers are the largest of misnomers in hindsight. Spending your entire career with one franchise is less likely than ever, but the Miami Heat and Flash never should've divorced, not even for a second.
That did nothing to mess with Wade's place atop the organizational pedestal, though. LeBron James is the best player ever to suit up for the franchise, but Wade is its greatest. He spent over a decade-and-a-half in Miami, won a title as its lead star before LeBron ever arrived and is the main reason why James ever wore a Heat jersey at all.
Mentioning anyone else here doesn't sit right. LeBron doesn't have the longevity, and he already hit his one-team quota. Ditto for Shaquille O'Neal, minus earning a franchise-GOAT title. Alonzo Mourning is a Heat icon, but Wade has distanced himself from him and everyone many times over. (Mourning is also the Charlotte Hornets' GOAT in this exercise, in perhaps the saddest/LOL-est of defaults.)
No one else has ever cleared 10,000 career points in a Heat uniform. Wade is at 21,000-plus. He is also the franchise leader in assists and steals by wide margins, and he ranks second in total blocks, behind only Mourning.
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo
17 of 30
Top Accolades (with Bucks): 1x Champion, 2x MVP, 1x Finals MVP, 1x DPOY, 9x All-NBA, 9x All-Star, 5x All-Defense, 1x Most Improved Player
Total Seasons Played (with Bucks): 12
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 24
Letter of the law would require us to go with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (No. 3) or Oscar Robertson (No. 14) as the Milwaukee Bucks' GOAT. That is why we put the one-team-per-player and longevity rules in place.
Neither Kareem nor Big O spent even half of their careers with the franchise. Abdul-Jabbar may have the more dominant peak, but that's not a given. He's also more associated with the Los Angeles Lakers. That means Robertson would have to be the pick and, well, spoiler alert: He's appearing elsewhere.
Giannis Antetokunmpo is the right answer. He is the clubhouse leader in total minutes, points, rebounds, assists, blocks, All-NBA selections and All-Star appearances. He's not far away from the franchise lead in steals, too.
Not that he needs it. Anecdotally, statistically, emotionally—it doesn't matter. He is already the Bucks' GOAT.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Garnett
18 of 30
Top Accolades (with Timberwolves): 1x MVP, 8x All-NBA, 10x All-Star, 8x All-Defense, 4x Rebounding Champion
Total Seasons Played (with Timberwolves): 14
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 16
Good luck to anyone trying to turn this into a debate. Maybe Anthony Edwards gets there one day, but he has yet to enter the top-100 discourse.
Even without that qualifier, Kevin Garnett's Minnesota Timberwolves portfolio remains rivaled by no one.
Hindsight has a way of picking apart the loyalty KG showed to the franchise. How many titles might he have won if he left sooner? It's a fair question. But the romantics in all of us can appreciate what it means to build up a resume with one franchise that's incapable of being eroded—or even potentially beaten—over time.
Garnett is the only player with more than two All-NBA selections as a member of the Timberwolves. He's also the franchise leader in all five major stat categories— points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks—and he won't be ceding those thrones to anyone in the near future.
New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis
19 of 30
Top Accolades (with Pelicans): 3x All-NBA, 6x All-Star, 3x All-Defense, 3x Blocks Champion
Total Seasons Played (with Pelicans): 7
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 45
Chris Paul (No. 30) finishes ahead of Anthony Davis on the all-time ladder and is more frequently chosen as the New Orleans Pelicans' franchise GOAT. That is fair outside the confines of our one-team-per-player stipulation.
CP3's time with the franchise is remembered more fondly, and his exit was far less messy and drawn out, even when factoring in #BasketballReasons. Davis' organizational resume nonetheless stands up against CP3's own.
Both made three All-NBA squads during their time with the franchise. Injuries and all, Davis was selected to more All-Star teams in New Orleans (six to four). Paul is the team's all-time leader in assists and steals. Davis paces the organization in points, rebounds and blocks.
There is a real discussion to be had here when accounting for playoff success. But with our top-100 criteria in place, there's no debate.
New York Knicks: Patrick Ewing
20 of 30
Top Accolades (with Knicks): Rookie of the Year, 11x All-Star, 7x All-NBA, 3x All-Defense
Total Seasons Played (with Knicks): 15
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 40
Patrick Ewing and Walt Clyde Frazier (No. 43) are the lone possible answers for the New York Knicks. The former finished higher up the top-100 food chain, albeit just barely, so the honor is his free and clear.
Frazier is more synonymous with the Knicks, as he starred on their only two championship teams and has retained close, front-facing ties with the organization in the decades since. He is the franchise's all-time leader in assists and ranks second in the number of All-NBA (six) and All-Star appearances (seven) racked up while donning orange and blue.
Ewing's longevity appears to be working in his favor over Clyde's championship body of work. He is the leader in All-NBA (seven) and All-Star selections (11), and he also paces the franchise in total minutes, points, rebounds, steals and blocks.
The debate between Ewing and Frazier is splitting-hairs close, both in top-100 parlance and the pantheon of Knicks greats. Our panel gave the nod to The Big Fella. Another one might give the edge to Clyde.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant
21 of 30
Top Accolades (with Thunder): 1x MVP, 2008 Rookie of the Year, 6x All-NBA, 7x All-Star, 4x Scoring Champion
Total Seasons Played (with Thunder): 9
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 13
Before Kevin Durant was a superstar mercenary prone to changing teams once every three years, he was by far and away the best player in the history of the Oklahoma City Thunder organization. That includes their days as the Seattle Supersonics.
Exiting after nine seasons suppresses some of KD's franchise rankings. Gary Payton (nine) and Russell Westbrook (eight) have more All-NBA and All-Star selections. And KD does not finish atop the Thunder rankings in any of the major five stat categories.
The legacy Durant left behind in Oklahoma City is...complicated. The same will be said for his NBA resume at large once he retires. He is seemingly a consensus top-15 player of all-time without an indelible tie to any one organization. This discussion will get even more difficult (awkward?) over time if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander keeps raking in MVPs and championships.
For now, this is more about where KD stands relative to the league's entire history. And his No. 13 finish easily outstrips those of Westbrook (No. 48), Payton (No. 53) and SGA (No. 108).
Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard
22 of 30
Top Accolades (with Magic): 3x Defensive Player of the Year, 6x All-NBA, 6x All-Star, 5x All-Defense, 4x Rebound Champion, 2x Block Champion
Total Seasons Played (with Magic): 8
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 52
There is an alternate universe in which Shaquille O'Neal (No. 6) stays with the Orlando Magic long enough to lock in this honor—or at least isn't primarily associated with the Los Angeles Lakers. There may even be a parallel dimension in which Penny Hardaway (No. 134) never suffers injuries and contends for this honor, both inside the top-100 parameters and in general.
In our actual reality, though, Dwight Howard clears the GOAT bar cleanly and without the faintest signs of interference.
Howard's heyday unfolded almost exclusively in Orlando. Many forget or downplay it now, but there was a time in which he was considered the center du jour—and one of the stars every team would kill to build around.
Howard's accolades with the Magic are both unrivaled and untouchable in both the near and distant futures. Nobody else has more than four All-NBA or All-Star selections sporting their uni, and he leads the franchise in total minutes, points, blocks and even made free throws (!).
Philadelphia 76ers: Julius Erving
23 of 30
Top Accolades (with Sixers): 1x NBA champion, 1x MVP, 11x All-Star, 7x All-NBA
Total Seasons Played (with Sixers): 11
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 20
This is one of the situations in which the confines of our top-100 criteria is a godsend. Having a more open-ended discussion about the Philadelphia 76ers' GOAT inevitably leads to a handful of candidates earning consideration, including Charles Barkley (No. 25), Allen Iverson (No. 36) and Dolph Schayes (No. 56), along with Moses Malone (No. 21) and Wilt Chamberlain (No. 9).
Wilt is the strongest replacement in this specific discussion because he's the only one who finished ahead of Julius Erving on the top-100 ladder. But he didn't spend nearly enough time with the franchise to get that nod.
Three of Erving's four MVP honors came with the ABA franchise that turned into the Brooklyn Nets. He could theoretically be moved into their GOAT spot. But he logged more seasons in Philly, where he won both an NBA championship and MVP award.
Erving amassed enough other accolades to earn primary association with Philly as well. He is fourth in total points, seventh in rebounds, fourth in assists, third in steals and first in blocks. Schayes is the only player to tally more All-NBA and All-Star selections while with the franchise.
Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash
24 of 30
Top Accolades (with Suns): 2x MVP, 5x All-NBA, 6x All-Star, 5x Assist Champion
Total Seasons Played (with Suns): 10
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 35
Steve Nash almost became a footnote in Phoenix Suns lore after getting traded to the Dallas Mavericks before his third season. Returning to the team as a free agent in 2004 ended up paving the way for the single best body of work in franchise history.
We can quibble over the merit of his MVPs and whether Charles Barkley (No. 25) warrants more consideration. That debate won't last very long.
Whatever you think of them, those MVPs still belong to Nash. And his footprint on the organization isn't rivaled by anyone else.
Walter Davis is the only other Suns player with as many All-Star selections, and Kevin Johnson is the only one to match his five All-NBA bids. Nash is the team's all-time leader in assists, and above all, he championed a new wave of offense under head coach Mike D'Antoni as the poster boy for the Seven Seconds or Less era.
Portland Trail Blazers: Clyde Drexler
25 of 30
Top Accolades (with Blazers): 8x All-Star, 5x All-NBA
Total Seasons Played (with Blazers): 12
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 39
Those in consideration for the top-100 players of all time are seldom considered underrated. Clyde Drexler is the mother of all exceptions. He pops up in all sort of gaudy statistical filters designed to prop up the cases of players ranked ahead of them.
Take his 11-plus seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. Michael Jordan was the only other player during that span to average at least 20 points, five assists and two steals per game while shooting 50 percent or better from inside the arc.
Getting the go-ahead over Bill Walton (No. 55) is not controversial in this setting. Drexler easily clears him on our top-100 ladder. The discussion is closer under less specific circumstances.
Yet even there, Drexler's longevity stands out. He ranks in the franchise's top three of total points (second), rebounds (second), assists (three), steals (first), All-Star selections (eight) and All-NBA nods (five).
You can go with Walton or Damian Lillard (No. 64) if you're so inclined. But in the context of all-time greats outside of the Portland bubble, Drexler's argument is pretty airtight.
Sacramento Kings: Oscar Robertson
26 of 30
Top Accolades (with Kings): 1x MVP, 1961 Rookie of the Year, 10x All-NBA, 10x All-Star, 7x Assist Champion
Total Seasons Played (with Kings): 10
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 14
Oscar Robertson is most associated with the Milwaukee, the team he repped for his NBA title. But he spent 10 seasons on the now-Sacramento Kings franchise as a member of the Cincinnati Royals, with whom he won his lone MVP.
The sample size demands that Big O falls under the Kings' umbrella. And his ranking compared to Chris Webber's (90) ensures that he's named the organization's GOAT for these purposes, which is quite fitting when looking at his resume.
Robertson is the franchise leader in total minutes, points and assists, and he's third in total rebounds. (Steals and blocks were not tracked when he played.) His 10 All-Star selections are four more than the next-closest names (Jerry Lucas, Jack Twyman, Mitch Richmond) while his 10 All-NBA nods double up those in second place (Lucas, Richmond, Webber).
San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan
27 of 30
Top Accolades (with Spurs): 5x Champion, 2x MVP, 3x Finals MVP, 15x All-NBA, 15x All-Star, 15x All-Defense
Total Seasons Played (with Spurs): 19
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 7
Tim Duncan is basically a top-10 consensus player of all time. He only ever suited up for the San Antonio Spurs.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to calculate this GOAT answer.
Our top-100 criteria renders this a no-brainer. Even without it, this is one of the easiest decisions of any GOAT exercise. Its effortlessness is matched only by LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls.
Duncan is the Spurs' all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, All-Star appearances and All-NBA nods, and he has top-six totals in both assists (third) and steals (sixth). This case was closed before it ever opened.
Toronto Raptors: Vince Carter
28 of 30
Top Accolades (with Raptors): 1999 Rookie of the Year, 6x All-Star, 2x All-NBA
Total Seasons Played (with Raptors): 7
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 65
Less than one-third of Vince Carter's career was spent with the Toronto Raptors, and to some, he will be most remembered for his time with the then-New Jersey Nets. But his seven overall seasons in The Great North were unquestionably the best he looked in the Association.
It wasn't just the aerial exploits, though those certainly popped. It was the ease with which he could drill ridiculously tough shots off the dribble or cut through defenses at warp speed. Toronto was where Carter set a course for a top-40-or-so career, before injuries later robbed him of cobbling together the necessary resume.
Kyle Lowry (No. 113) is more frequently recognized as the G(R)OAT. Raptors fans have more of a connection with him and DeMar DeRozan (No. 120). Neither of them finished in the top 100, and while Tracy McGrady (No. 59) had a slightly better ranking, his three-season tenure in Toronto isn't long enough to earn him the default.
Anyway, Carter remains inside the top six of total points (fourth), steals (sixth) and blocks (fourth) for the franchise. He's tied for the lead in All-NBA selections with DeRozan and Pascal Siakam (two), and Lowry is the only player to net more All-Star selections (six) in a Raptors jersey.
Utah Jazz: Karl Malone
29 of 30
Top Accolades (with Jazz): 2x MVP, 14x All-Star, 14x All-NBA, 4x All-Defense
Total Seasons Played (with Jazz): 18
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 22
Remove the top-100 results from the equation, and this becomes a toss-up between Karl Malone and John Stockton (No. 29). The latter seldom earns better billing in all-time exercises, if only because The Mailman was the more prolific scorer. But Stockton has a stranglehold on the NBA's all-time assists leaderboard by what might turn out to be an uncatchable margin.
Malone's sustained peak won out in this case, and it's going to keep Stockton at bay in most others.
The Mailman is the franchise's all-time leader in points (and third overall in league history) and rebounds. He also secured a few more All-Star and All-NBA selections than his pick-and-roll partner.
This may not be enough to sway some people. That's fine. Malone's two league MVPs can do the rest of the lifting for those who remain unconvinced.
Washington Wizards: Elvin Hayes
30 of 30
Top Accolades (with Wizards): 1x Champion, 8x All-Star, 6x All-NBA, 2x All-Defense, 1x Rebound Champion
Total Seasons Played (with Wizards): 9
Overall Top-100 Ranking: 47
Wes Unseld (No. 70) is more commonly identified as the Washington Wizards' GOAT. He spent more seasons in the nation's capital (13) and won the Finals MVP in 1978. However, Elvin Hayes' larger body of work props him up in the overarching top-100 ballot.
Rest assured, though: Hayes has the Wizards-specific clout to prevent this from looking truly ridiculous outside the comfy confines of our criteria.
Hayes is the clubhouse leader in All-Star selections (eight) and All-NBA appearances (six) as well as total points and blocks. His arrival in 1972 is also what cemented the franchise as serious title contenders—and, eventually, actual champions.
Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Breaking News")
