Legends
The players who defined the game, written up in full — with the career record behind the reputation.
Shooting guard · United States
basketballMichael Jordan
1984–2003
32,292
career points
30.1
points a game
6
NBA titles
He has the highest scoring average in NBA history and the highest in playoff history, and he went to six Finals, won six, and was named the best player in all six.
Center · United States
basketballKareem Abdul-Jabbar
1969–1989
38,387
career points
24.6
points a game
6
MVP awards
He scored more points than anyone in the history of basketball and held the record for thirty-nine years, won six MVPs, and did almost all of it with one unguardable shot.
Point guard · United States
basketballMagic Johnson
1979–1991, 1996
10,141
career assists
11.2
assists a game
5
NBA titles
He was six foot nine and he played point guard, holds the highest assists average in NBA history, and won a championship and the Finals MVP at twenty in a game he played at centre.
Center · United States
basketballWilt Chamberlain
1959–1973
31,419
career points
100
points in one game
23,924
career rebounds
On 2 March 1962 he scored 100 points in a basketball game. He led the league in rebounding eleven times, led it in assists once as a centre, and in fourteen seasons he never fouled out.
Forward · United States
basketballLarry Bird
1979–1992
21,791
career points
24.3
points a game
3
NBA titles
He was slow and he could not jump, and he was the best shooter in any building he walked into. Three championships, three MVP awards in a row, and thirteen seasons for one club.
Shooting guard · United States
basketballKobe Bryant
1996–2016
33,643
career points
81
points in one game
5
NBA titles
Twenty seasons and one franchise, 81 points against Toronto at twenty-seven, and 60 in his last game at thirty-seven on a body that was finished.