Two years ago, in anticipation of its 75th season, the NBA revealed its top 75 players. The league kept the original 50, and added 26 new players. Here are the new 26, ranked.
LeBron James - 27.1/7.5/7.1, 20x All-Star, 4x NBA champion, 4x MVP/Finals MVP, 3x ASG MVP, 2004 Rookie of the Year, 13x All-NBA 1st team, 2008 scoring champion, 2020 assists leader
Kobe Bryant - 25.0/5.2/4.7, 18x All-Star, 5x NBA champion, 2x Finals MVP, 2008 NBA MVP, 4x ASG MVP, 2x scoring champion, 9x All-Defensive 1st team
Tim Duncan - 19.0/10.8/3.0/2.2, 15x All-Star, 5x NBA champion, 3x Finals MVP, 2x NBA MVP, 10x All-NBA 1st team, 8x All-Defensive 1st team, 1998 Rookie of the Year
Stephen Curry - 24.8/6.4/4.7, 10x All-Star, 4x NBA champion, 2022 Finals MVP, 2x scoring champion, 4x All-NBA 1st team, all-time 3-point leader
Kevin Durant - 27.3/7.0/4.4, 14x All-Star, 2x NBA champion, 2x Finals MVP, 2x ASG MVP, 4x scoring champion, 2014 NBA MVP, 2008 Rookie of Year
Kevin Garnett - 17.8/10.0/3.7, 15x All-Star, 2008 NBA champion, 2004 NBA MVP, 2008 Defensive Player of the Year, 9x All-Defensive 1st team, 4x rebounding champion
Dwyane Wade - 22.0/5.4/4.7, 13x All-Star, 3x NBA champion, 2006 Finals MVP, 2010 ASG MVP
Dirk Nowitzki - 20.7/7.5/2.4, 14x All-Star, 2011 NBA champion, 2011 Finals MVP, 2007 NBA MVP, 4x All-NBA 1st team
Giannis Antetokounmpo - 23.3/9.7/3.8, 8x All-Star, 2021 NBA champion, 2021 Finals MVP, 2x NBA MVP, 2020 Defensive Player of the Year, 5x All-NBA 1st team, 2017 Most Improved Player
Allen Iverson - 26.7/6.2/3.7, 11x All-Star, 2001 NBA MVP, 2x ASG MVP, 4x scoring champion, 2x steals leader, 1997 Rookie of the Year
Kawhi Leonard - 20.0/6.4/3.0, 6x All-Star, 2x NBA champion, 2x Finals MVP, 2020 ASG MVP, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 2015 steals leader
Steve Nash - 14.3/8.5/3.0, 8x All-Star, 2x NBA MVP, 5x assists leader, 4x 50/40/90
Russell Westbrook - 21.2/8.2/7.2, 9x All-Star, 2017 NBA MVP, 2x All-NBA 1st team, 2x scoring champion, 3x assists leader
James Harden - 24.3/7.1/5.6, 10x All-Star, 2018 NBA MVP, 6x All-NBA first team, 3x scoring champion, 2x assists leader, 2012 Sixth Man of the Year
Jason Kidd - 12.6/8.7/6.3, 10x All-Star, 2011 NBA champion, 5x assists leader, 5x All-NBA 1st team, 4x All-NBA Defensive team, 1995 Co-Rookie of the Year
Chris Paul - 17.6/9.4/4.5, 12x All-Star, 2013 ASG MVP, 7x All-Defensive first team, 6x steals leader, 5x assists leader, 2006 Rookie of the Year
Bob McAdoo - 22.1/9.4/2.3, 5x All-Star, 2x NBA champion, 1975 NBA MVP, 3x scoring champion
Dominique Wilkins - 24.8/6.7/2.5, 9x All-Star, 1986 scoring champion, 1986 All-NBA first team
Ray Allen - 18.9/4.1/3.8, 10x All-Star, 2x NBA champion
Carmelo Anthony - 22.5, 6.2, 2.7, 10x All-Star, 2013 scoring champion, 12th on all-time scoring list
Paul Pierce - 19.7/5.6/3.5, 10x All-Star, 2008 NBA champion, 2008 Finals MVP
Reggie Miller - 18.2/3.0/3.0, 5x All-Star
Anthony Davis - 24.1/10.6, 9x All-Star, 2020 NBA champion, 2017 ASG MVP, 4x All-NBA first team, 3x blocks leader
Gary Payton - 16.3/6.7/3.9, 9x All-Star, 1996 Defensive Player of the Year, 2006 NBA champion, 9x All-Defensive 1st team
Damian Lillard - 25.1/6.7/4.2, 8x All-Star, 2024 ASG MVP, 2013 Rookie of the Year
Dennis Rodman - 7.3/13.1, 2x All-Star, 5x NBA champion, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 7x rebounding leader (1992-1998)
James is arguably the game's greatest player, depending on who you ask. The same can be said for Bryant. James was the more complete player, while Bryant could get you anything that was needed to win, and has a mentality that is second only to Michael Jordan.
Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward ever, followed arguably by Kevin Garnett. In between them here are Curry and Durant, whose careers will always be linked. Durant gets the edge over Garnett due to longevity (Garnett, at age 32 in 2009, suffered an injury that he never truly recovered from. Durant, in contrast, has been able to come back stronger from his injuries and because of his playing style can still go at a high level). Garnett was the more complete player, though. Curry and Durant are quite interchangeable, but Curry's edge in championships gives him a higher ranking, though individually, it could be argued that Durant is the better player.
Nowitzki beat Wade in 2011, but Wade defeated Nowitzki first, in 2006 at age 24. Nowitzki also is part of one of the major upsets in history, his 67-win Mavericks defeated in 2007 by the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors. Still, his leading the Mavericks to the 2011 championship over the Heat bodes well for him when making lists like this one.
Antetokounmpo gets the nod over Leonard because of consistency, while Iverson gets the nod over Leonard for showing up and playing no matter what. Iverson's 2001 run where he stopped the Lakers from a perfect postseason remains one of the most impressive accomplishments in league history.
Nash gets the edge over Westbrook for being a better shooter and floor general, while Westbrook gets the nod over Harden because of his triple-double stretch in Harden's time. Jason Kidd over Chris Paul because of championships, and McAdoo edges Wilkins because of the MVP and rings.
Ray Allen over Carmelo Anthony because he hit one of the biggest shots in league history, and who can forget his 51-point performance in Game 6 of the 2009 first round series against the Bulls, despite losing. One of the best individual performances that you will see. Anthony over Pierce because he's one of the all-time scorers in history. Despite Pierce's Finals MVP, it could easily be argued that Garnett was the best player on those Celtics.
Anthony Davis is more talented than Reggie Miller, but Miller as the main guy led his team further in a more difficult era. Gary Payton wasn't the offensive player that Lillard is, but his defense more than makes up for it. Though he won his title later in his career, he did a good job on Jordan in the 1996 Finals, and the Sonics took two straight from the Bulls to make the series interesting. Rodman comes in last, but only because his biggest impact was strictly on one end. Though he could pass and was a very smart player, his defense is where he made his money. Unquestionably, he is the best rebounder of the modern era, and one of the best defensive players of all-time. In actuality, he is probably also the best defensive player of the modern era. To be in the Hall of Fame strictly for your prowess on one end speaks volumes about how special that one talent is.
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