The Best Player Ever from Every NBA Franchise

Not every NBA franchise has an MJ or a LeBron, but every team has their own GOAT. Here are all 30 teams’ best player ever…

Every NBA franchise has their own best player ever, though not all best players are created equal. For some franchises, one name is synonymous with the the team. For others, it’s a handful of names vying for the top spot. Some teams’ best player retired decades ago, while others’ are still playing today. Not every NBA franchise has an MJ or a LeBron, but every team has their own GOAT.

So what makes someone the best player in a franchise’s history? That depends on the team, of course, but it usually means some combination of longevity, team records, and hopefully some winning. It’s not just about best player ever to don the jersey. Peak performance matters, but so does showing up night after night for your franchise for a decade or longer in some cases.

Let’s take a look at the best player ever from every NBA franchise, then check out the worst player ever from every NBA franchise here!

Atlanta Hawks — Dominique Wilkins

Unless you grew up watching Bob Pettit dominate the 50s and 60s, Dominique Wilkins is almost certainly the player you associate most with the Hawks franchise. The Human Highlight Reel averaged 26 points a game over 12 seasons for Atlanta. Nique won a scoring title and led the Hawks to eight playoff appearances, and he was one of the best dunkers and most prolific scorers in league history. Wilkins was such a good dunker he once beat Michael Jordan in a dunk contest, and he’s often back as a judge today.

Boston Celtics — Bill Russell

While there are certainly many Celtics legend, only Russell and Larry Bird have a true claim to the Boston throne. Larry Legend was an all timer, but Russell’s winning ways tip the scales in his favor. In 13 seasons with the Celtics, Russell won an incredible 11 championships. He won four rebounding titles and five MVPs and is widely recognized as one of the best defenders and rebounders in league history. Bill Russell was also the leader of the winningest team in major U.S. sports history. He was also an important civil rights pioneer as the first black superstar in the NBA. He retired in 1969 as the undisputed GOAT.

Brooklyn Nets — Jason Kidd

It’s a shockingly weak Nets field. The only other real choice is Julius Erving, but he played only three ABA seasons with the Nets. We’ll stick with Kidd, who averaged 15 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists a game over seven seasons with the Nets, and he also led them to shocking back to back appearances in the NBA Finals. Jason Kidd was Russell Westbrook back in the day, a walking triple double, and he leads the Nets all time in assists and steals.

Charlotte Hornets — Kemba Walker

Yes, seriously. Walker has played his entire eight year career for Charlotte, and he is still getting just a little bit better each season. Now he’s a three time All Star and hosted All Star Weekend in Charlotte, and the team will no doubt hope to keep him this summer. Kemba leads Charlotte all time in points, and he just edged ahead of Gerald Wallace and Muggsy Bogues for the all time lead in win shares. You might associate players like Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, and Glen Rice with the Hornets, but only Kemba has done it this long for them.

Chicago Bulls — Michael Jordan

What else needs to be said about Air Jordan? MJ made six NBA Finals and won the championship each time, being named Finals MVP in all six tries. He was a 10 time scoring champ and a five time league MVP. He made the All Defense Team nine times and was recognized as the Defensive Player of the Year in 1988. Jordan averaged 31.5 points a game for the Bulls and, quite frankly, did anything he wanted on the court. When the game was on the line, Jordan always came through. He was an icon on and off the court, and many would still say he is the greatest of all time.

Cleveland Cavaliers — LeBron James

LeBron may not have played his whole career with the Cavs, but he’s obviously the greatest player in franchise history. In 11 seasons with Cleveland, James won two MVPs and a scoring title and led the Cavs to five NBA Finals. He won only one of them but it was against the vaunted 73–9 Golden State Warriors and an iconic 3–1 comeback with a block for the ages, bringing a championship back to Cleveland for the first time in decades. Lebron averages 26 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in 152 playoff games with Cleveland and always pushed inferior teammates to their limits. The kid from Akron, Ohio, was called The Chosen One coming out of high school, and he was everything Cleveland fans hoped for and more. He will go down as one of the greatest players in the history of basketball.

Dallas Mavericks — Dirk Nowitzki

Nowitzki has almost three times as many win shares as his next closest Mavericks competitor. He has scored over 31,000 points in his career, all of them for Dallas, which ranks him seventh all time and should see him pass Wilt Chamberlain by the end of the season when he presumably heads into retirement. Nowitzki was the league MVP in 2007, but his playoff run in 2011 cemented his legacy as he led the Mavericks to their only NBA championship, knocking off LeBron James and his vaunted Miami Heat teammates in their first season together. Nowitzki is one of the greatest international players in NBA history.

Denver Nuggets — Alex English

If you were expecting Carmelo Anthony, you probably didn’t watch much basketball in the 80s when Alex English and Dan Issel ruled the Rockies. English averaged almost 26 points a game in 11 seasons with the Nuggets, winning a scoring title and making eight All Star Games. He leads Denver all time in games, minutes played, field goals, points, offensive rebounds, and assists. He is one of only 11 players in NBA history to score 25 points a game in eight straight seasons, and he scored more points than any other player in the 80s.

Detroit Pistons — Isiah Thomas

We’ll stick with conventional wisdom in Isiah Thomas, though this race is probably closer than you think. Thomas leads the Pistons all time in points, assists, and steals, and he’s a Hall of Famer who made 12 All Star Games. The Baby Faced Assassin was the point guard of the Bad Boy Pistons and helped them win two championships, and he was named Finals MVP for one of them. He got a lot of help from teammates like Bill Laimbeer, Joe Dumars, and Dennis Rodman, but Thomas is still the greatest player in Detroit history.

Golden State Warriors — Wilt Chamberlain

The Warriors are one of the more difficult teams to choose a best all time player for. Rick Barry is the conventional choice for his great run in the 70s that included a championship and a Finals MVP. It’ll probably be Steph Curry in another few years, with another ring or two and some more longevity, but he’s really only been this Steph for five or six years. And that’s not enough to beat five and a half years of Wilt the Stilt. Chamberlain averaged 41 points and 25 rebounds a game with the Warriors, the greatest statistical stretch in NBA history. He won league MVP as a rookie and had the top three scoring seasons and the top three rebounding seasons in NBA history, all in half a decade with the Warriors. Wilt Chamberlain was incredible.

Houston Rockets — Hakeem Olajuwon

James Harden may be on his way to a second straight MVP, but he can’t even sniff Hakeem Olajuwon. The Dream helped the Rockets to back to back NBA titles in the mid 90s, winning Finals MVP both years. He was league MVP one of the years as well and was one of the best defensive players in league history and probably the game’s best international player of all time. Olajuwon leads the Rockets all time in blocks and steals, along with points and rebounds of course, and he was a true ambassador for the game.

Indiana Pacers — Reggie Miller

Look away, Spike Lee. The Knick Killer will always be remembered as one of the most clutch players in NBA history, and he’s also the most accomplished Pacer by leaps and bounds. Miller scored over 25,000 points in 18 seasons with Indiana and is one of the greatest shooters in league history. He was arguably underappreciated and would surely be even better in today’s run and gun shootout NBA. Reggie never quite got that ring, but he did lead the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals six different times.

Los Angeles Clippers — Chris Paul

Chris Paul played only six seasons with the Clippers, but they were the prime of the career of the best point guard so far this century. Paul routinely averaged just shy of 20 points and 10 assists a game, leading the league in assists twice and steals three times with the Clippers. He was one of the league’s best defensive guards and one of its most efficient scorers along with being an elite passer and outstanding leader on and off the court. Blake Griffin may have been more exciting, but CP3 was always the engine that made Lob City tick.

Los Angeles Lakers — Magic Johnson

What an impossible choice. Four Lakers have a legit claim to the crown. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won five rings with Los Angeles in the back half of his career. Kobe Bryant won five, too. Both rank among the all time NBA greats, thanks in part to unparalleled longevity that helped boost their career numbers. Jerry West never matched Kareem or Kobe in rings, but he did make the Finals nine times in a 12 year period. Still, we’re tipping the scales in Magic’s favor. The gregarious personality was the face of the Showtime Lakers en route to five championships of his own, and his numbers only don’t match up because HIV stole his 30s away from his career. Magic was a three time MVP and was one of the league’s most versatile players, averaging 11 assists a game for his career while starting at center as a rookie in the Finals. Quibble if you want, but one of those four is the pick, unless of course LeBron finds a way to usurp them all. The Lakers are an embarrassment of riches.

Memphis Grizzlies — Marc Gasol

Take your pick between Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. The two have been the faces of the Grit n Grind Grizzlies for the past decade and are practically inseparable. Gasol leads the franchise in points, rebounds, and blocks. Conley leads the Grizz in assists and will pass Gasol in points by the end of the season. Gasol tips the scale with his defense, which helped him win a Defensive Player of the Year and pushed him to three All Star Games. Conley, sadly, still has never been an All Star.

Miami Heat — Dwyane Wade

It might feel like Dwyane Wade was a second banana now, but he was always at least 1B to LeBron’s 1A, and he also won a title with the Heat before LeBron James even arrived. Flash at his peak was one of the game’s most unstoppable scorers, and NBA fans should count themselves grateful that Wade was able to adapt his game and continue to be great through endless injury nicks and niggles. Wade is a 13 time All Star and a three time NBA champion, and he remains one of the game’s most recognizable faces. NBA fans best enjoy his final ride over the next few months.

Milwaukee Bucks — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem might not be the best Lakers player ever, but he’s definitely it for the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo still has a long ways to go to measure up. Kareem began his career in Milwaukee and averaged over 30 points and 15 rebounds a game in six seasons there. He won three MVP awards in six seasons with the Bucks and helped them win their only championship in franchise history in 1971. Even in just six seasons, Abdul-Jabbar is the Bucks all time leader in points and rebounds, and he would be in blocks too if we had been counting them. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the greatest players in NBA history.

Minnesota Timberwolves — Kevin Garnett

Garnett is the greatest player in Minnesota history to an almost comical degree. He leads the Timberwolves all time in games, minutes, points, steals, assists, rebounds, blocks, and free throws. He’s more than doubled his closest competitor, Kevin Love, in rebounds and almost tripled the next closest scorer, Andrew Wiggins. Garnett made 10 All Star teams with the Timberwolves. All other Wolves players have combined for eight All Star appearances. Minnesota had never even made the playoffs without Kevin Garnett until last year. No NBA franchise is more encompassed in one single player.

New Orleans Pelicans — Chris Paul

Anthony Davis looked all set to pass Chris Paul for the best New Orleans player mantle, but who knows if he’ll ever get there now given all the trade talk? Paul edges Davis in franchise win shares, and he finished second in the 2008 MVP race, one spot better than the Brow ever attained. CP3 led the then-Hornets to the playoffs three of his six years and won at least 37 games every year. Davis’s Pelicans have only hit that number twice. Paul is just the more efficient and better player, and he is the only best player listed for two different NBA franchises here.

New York Knicks — Walt Frazier

Patrick Ewing beats out Frazier in longevity and career numbers, but Walt Frazier is the more beloved Knick thanks to the two NBA championship he brought to New York in the 70s. Frazier scored 19 points a game over a decade with the Knickerbockers, and he played in seven All Star Games and was named to the All Defense team seven times, too. Today Clyde is the iconic voice of the Knicks and continues to be beloved for his style and his catchphrases.

Oklahoma City Thunder — Gary Payton

Is Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook the greatest Thunder player of all time? It doesn’t matter, because Oklahoma City’s franchise records include those of the Seattle Super Sonics, and Gary Payton did far more for this franchise than either one of them. The Glove was one of the best guard defenders in NBA history, making nine All Defense teams and winning one Defensive Player of the Year. He made nine All Star Games and was the heart of one of the league’s most exciting franchises throughout the 90s. Westbrook recently replaced him as the franchise scoring leader, and he’ll catch him in assists in a year or two, but Payton remains the standard for now.

Orlando Magic — Dwight Howard

It’s amazing how quickly we’ve forgotten what a great player Dwight Howard was at his peak for the Magic before back injuries derailed his career. Howard won the rebounding title five times and was the best defender in the league during his time in Orlando, three times named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. He was a rim runner extraordinaire in an offense a decade ahead of the game, and he was the pivot man for an NBA Finals team. Players like Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, and Tracy McGrady may be remembered more fondly in Orlando, but Howard is their greatest player.

Philadelphia 76ers — Julius Erving

It’s a tight race between Julius Erving and Charles Barkley for top historic 76er, but we’ll give a slight edge to Dr. J over the Round Mound of Rebound in two of the best NBA nicknames ever. Barkley hit the better peak as a Sixer since Erving played his best years in the ABA, but Dr. J matched Barkley’s MVP win and won the one thing Barkley wasn’t able to win: a ring. Erving averaged 22 points a game and made the All Star Game all 11 seasons in Philadelphia. Interestingly enough, neither of them leads the franchise in all time win shares. That honor goes to Dolph Schayes by a fairly wide margin, but Schayes dominated in the 50s for the Syracuse Nationals, so we’ll stick with the modern guys.

Phoenix Suns — Steve Nash

Quick, who leads the Phoenix Suns in all time win shares? How many guesses would it have taken you to come up with Shawn Marion? The Matrix was awesome, and so was Amar’e Stoudemire, but Steve Nash was the little engine that could that made everything go in Mike D’Antoni’s seven seconds or less offense. He’s one of 11 players in history to win back to back MVP awards, heading up a high flying offense as the league assist leader five times. As a Sun, Nash shot 50% from the field, 44% from downtown, and 91% from the line, nearly joining the 50/40/90 club for his career in Phoenix. Imagine how good he’d be in today’s NBA with the green light to seek his own offense.

Portland Trail Blazers — Clyde Drexler

Clyde the Glide was an eight time All Star for the Trail Blazers, and he leads the team all time in points, free throws, steals, and offensive rebounds, a well rounded player that averaged 21 points, six boards, six assists, and two steals a game for Portland. He also led the Blazers to the NBA Finals but faced a common foe there in Michael Jordan, who also blocked him from winning the MVP the same season. Drexler would be part of the gold medal Dream Team that summer, too. It was quite a year for the greatest Blazer ever.

Sacramento Kings — Oscar Robertson

Oscar Robertson is surely the greatest player in franchise history, even if he did it all for the Cincinnati Royals. Robertson nearly averaged a triple double as a rookie, then upped his game and did it his sophomore season. Two years later he won the MVP, and he averaged 29 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds in his decade with the Royals. Eat your heart out, Russell Westbrook. The Big O never reached the NBA Finals before leaving the team, but he remains the best player in franchise history no matter the name.

San Antonio Spurs — Tim Duncan

The race between Tim Duncan and David Robinson is closer than you think, but Duncan is the clear winner. He made an incredible 15 All NBA teams and was also recognized as All Defense 15 different times. Duncan’s statistics are the paradigm of consistency and he was called The Big Fundamental for a reason, doing everything right on both ends of the court. He was the cornerstone of the Spurs dynasty that won five NBA championships, and he was Finals MVP for three of them, adding two season MVP awards as well. Tim Duncan never showed much emotion on the court, but maybe that’s because he was just too busy making winning plays.

Toronto Raptors — Chris Bosh

This is actually one of the most difficult calls on the board between Bosh, Kyle Lowry, and Vince Carter. All of them played six or seven seasons with the Raptors, all of them made five All Star teams, and none were able to get over the hump to the NBA Finals but they each have their own merits. Bosh never made it out of the first round of the playoffs with the Raptors while Carter did once and Lowry got his team to the Eastern Conference Finals. But Bosh had the least help of the trio, but he leads the franchise in rebounds and blocks and is second in points behind DeMar DeRozan, who played a little longer than all three of these Raptors but not quite at their level.

Utah Jazz — Karl Malone

It only seems fair to mention John Stockton with Karl Malone since the two spent an incredible 18 years together with the Utah Jazz. Malone got more accolades, including two MVP awards, and he leads the team in points and rebounds while Stockton leads them in steals and assists. Stockton led the NBA in assists an incredible nine straight seasons, but the Mailman averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds a game over 18 years on the Jazz, and that is incredible production and longevity. He gets the nod here but he couldn’t have done it without an assist or several thousand from Stockton.

Washington Wizards — Wes Unseld

Wes Unseld played his entire career for the Washington franchise. He led the Bullets to the NBA Finals four times in the 70s and helped Washington win its only NBA championship in 1978, in which he was named the Final MVP. Unseld averaged under 11 points a game for Washington but is their all time leader in rebounds, win shares, and value over replacement player. He loved to get a rebound and make his patented two hand pass to start the fast break and get Washington going.

Who do you agree or disagree with? Comment below…

Originally published as a freelance opportunity for thesportsdrop.com.

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