50 Greatest Players in NBA History

50 Greatest Players in NBA History

The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team in the league. Fifty players were selected through a vote by a panel of media members, former players and coaches, and current and former general managers. In addition, the top ten head coaches and top ten single-season teams in NBA history were selected by media members as part of the celebration. The 50 players had to have played at least a portion of their careers in the NBA and were selected irrespective of position played.

The list was announced by NBA commissioner David Stern on October 29, 1996, at the hotel Grand Hyatt New York, the site of the Commodore Hotel, where the original NBA charter was signed in 1946. The announcement marked the beginning of a season-long celebration of the league's anniversary. Forty-seven of the fifty players were later assembled in Cleveland, during the halftime ceremony of the 1997 All-Star Game. At the time of the announcement, 11 players were active; all have subsequently retired.

Players selected

List

Eleven players (Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, and John Stockton) were active in the 1996–97 season, during which the list was announced. All have since retired. O'Neal was the last to be active in the NBA, retiring at the end of the 2010–11 season. All of the selected players have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. At the time of the list, only Pete Maravich was deceased.

All 11 members from the 35th anniversary team were selected. Eight of the 10 players from the 25th anniversary team were chosen, with Bob Davies and Joe Fulks—who both last played in the 1950s—being omitted.

Italics	Denotes player who was active in the NBA at the time of induction
All Star	Denotes number of All-Star appearances
HOF Year	Denotes year of Basketball Hall of Fame induction
G	Guard	F	Forward	C	Center
Pos	Position	Pts	Points	Reb	Rebounds
Ast	Assists	MVP	Most Valuable Player

<table><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th>Team(s) played for (years)[a]</th><th>Pos</th><th>Pts</th><th>Reb</th><th>Ast</th><th>Championships won[b]</th><th>MVP won</th><th>Finals MVP won</th><th>All Star</th><th>HOF Year</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</td><td>Milwaukee Bucks (1969–1975) Los Angeles Lakers (1975–1989)</td><td>C</td><td>38,387</td><td>17,440</td><td>5,660</td><td>6 (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)</td><td>6 (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980)</td><td>2 (1971, 1985)</td><td>19</td><td>1995</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nate Archibald</td><td>Cincinnati Royals / Kansas City-Omaha / Kansas City Kings (1970–1976) New York Nets (1976–1977) Boston Celtics (1978–1983) Milwaukee Bucks (1983–1984)</td><td>G</td><td>16,481</td><td>2,046</td><td>6,476</td><td>1 (1981)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>6</td><td>1991</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Paul Arizin</td><td>Philadelphia Warriors (1950–1952, 1954–1962)</td><td>F</td><td>16,266</td><td>6,129</td><td>1,665</td><td>1 (1956)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>10</td><td>1978</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Charles Barkley</td><td>Philadelphia 76ers (1984–1992) Phoenix Suns (1992–1996) Houston Rockets (1996–2000)</td><td>F</td><td>23,757</td><td>12,546</td><td>4,215</td><td>None</td><td>1 (1993)</td><td>None</td><td>11</td><td>2006</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Rick Barry</td><td>San Francisco / Golden State Warriors (1965–1967, 1972–1978) Houston Rockets (1978–1980)</td><td>F</td><td>18,395</td><td>5,168</td><td>4,017</td><td>1 (1975)</td><td>None</td><td>1 (1975)</td><td>8</td><td>1987</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Elgin Baylor</td><td>Minneapolis / Los Angeles Lakers (1958–1971)</td><td>F</td><td>23,149</td><td>11,463</td><td>3,650</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>11</td><td>1977</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dave Bing</td><td>Detroit Pistons (1966–1975) Washington Bullets (1975–1977) Boston Celtics (1977–1978)</td><td>G</td><td>18,327</td><td>3,420</td><td>5,397</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>7</td><td>1990</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Larry Bird</td><td>Boston Celtics (1979–1992)</td><td>F</td><td>21,791</td><td>8,974</td><td>5,695</td><td>3 (1981, 1984, 1986)</td><td>3 (1984, 1985, 1986)</td><td>2 (1984, 1986)</td><td>12</td><td>1998</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Wilt Chamberlain</td><td>Philadelphia / San Francisco Warriors (1959–1965) Philadelphia 76ers (1965–1968) Los Angeles Lakers (1968–1973)</td><td>C</td><td>31,419</td><td>23,924</td><td>4,643</td><td>2 (1967, 1972)</td><td>4 (1960, 1966, 1967, 1968)</td><td>1 (1972)</td><td>13</td><td>1979</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bob Cousy</td><td>Boston Celtics (1950–1963) Cincinnati Royals (1969–1970)</td><td>G</td><td>16,960</td><td>4,786</td><td>6,955</td><td>6 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963)</td><td>1 (1957)</td><td>None</td><td>13</td><td>1971</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dave Cowens</td><td>Boston Celtics (1970–1980) Milwaukee Bucks (1982–1983)</td><td>C</td><td>13,516</td><td>10,444</td><td>2,910</td><td>2 (1974, 1976)</td><td>1 (1973)</td><td>None</td><td>7</td><td>1991</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Billy Cunningham</td><td>Philadelphia 76ers (1965–1972, 1974–1976)</td><td>F</td><td>13,626</td><td>6,638</td><td>2,625</td><td>1 (1967)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>4</td><td>1986</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dave DeBusschere</td><td>Detroit Pistons (1962–1968) New York Knicks (1968–1974)</td><td>F</td><td>14,053</td><td>9,618</td><td>2,497</td><td>2 (1970, 1973)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>8</td><td>1983</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Clyde Drexler</td><td>Portland Trail Blazers (1983–1995) Houston Rockets (1995–1998)</td><td>G</td><td>22,195</td><td>6,677</td><td>6,125</td><td>1 (1995)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>10</td><td>2004</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Julius Erving</td><td>Philadelphia 76ers (1976–1987)</td><td>F</td><td>18,364</td><td>5,601</td><td>3,224</td><td>1 (1983)</td><td>1 (1981)</td><td>None</td><td>11</td><td>1993</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Patrick Ewing</td><td>New York Knicks (1985–2000) Seattle SuperSonics (2000–2001) Orlando Magic (2001–2002)</td><td>C</td><td>24,815</td><td>11,607</td><td>2,215</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>11</td><td>2008</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Walt Frazier</td><td>New York Knicks (1967–1977) Cleveland Cavaliers (1977–1979)</td><td>G</td><td>15,581</td><td>4,830</td><td>5,040</td><td>2 (1970, 1973)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>7</td><td>1987</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>George Gervin</td><td>San Antonio Spurs (1976–1985) Chicago Bulls (1985–1986)</td><td>G</td><td>20,708</td><td>3,607</td><td>2,214</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>9</td><td>1996</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hal Greer</td><td>Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers (1958–1973)</td><td>G</td><td>21,586</td><td>5,665</td><td>4,540</td><td>1 (1967)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>10</td><td>1982</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>John Havlicek</td><td>Boston Celtics (1962–1978)</td><td>F/G</td><td>26,395</td><td>8,007</td><td>6,114</td><td>8 (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976)</td><td>None</td><td>1 (1974)</td><td>13</td><td>1984</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Elvin Hayes</td><td>San Diego / Houston Rockets (1968–1972, 1981–1984) Baltimore / Capital / Washington Bullets (1972–1981)</td><td>F/C</td><td>27,313</td><td>16,279</td><td>2,398</td><td>1 (1978)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>12</td><td>1990</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Magic Johnson</td><td>Los Angeles Lakers (1979–1991, 1996)</td><td>G</td><td>17,707</td><td>6,559</td><td>10,141</td><td>5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)</td><td>3 (1987, 1989, 1990)</td><td>3 (1980, 1982, 1987)</td><td>12</td><td>2002</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sam Jones</td><td>Boston Celtics (1957–1969)</td><td>G</td><td>15,411</td><td>4,305</td><td>2,209</td><td>10 (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>5</td><td>1984</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Michael Jordan</td><td>Chicago Bulls (1984–1993, 1995–1998) Washington Wizards (2001–2003)</td><td>G</td><td>32,292</td><td>6,672</td><td>5,633</td><td>6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)</td><td>5 (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998)</td><td>6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)</td><td>14</td><td>2009</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Jerry Lucas</td><td>Cincinnati Royals (1963–1969) San Francisco Warriors (1969–1971) New York Knicks (1971–1974)</td><td>F</td><td>14,053</td><td>12,942</td><td>2,732</td><td>1 (1973)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>7</td><td>1980</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Karl Malone</td><td>Utah Jazz (1985–2003) Los Angeles Lakers (2003–2004)</td><td>F</td><td>36,928</td><td>14,968</td><td>5,248</td><td>None</td><td>2 (1997, 1999)</td><td>None</td><td>14</td><td>2010</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Moses Malone</td><td>Buffalo Braves (1976) Houston Rockets (1976–1982) Philadelphia 76ers (1982–1986, 1993–1994) Washington Bullets (1986–1988) Atlanta Hawks (1988–1991) Milwaukee Bucks (1991–1993) San Antonio Spurs (1994–1995)</td><td>C</td><td>27,409</td><td>16,212</td><td>1,796</td><td>1 (1983)</td><td>3 (1979, 1982, 1983)</td><td>1 (1983)</td><td>12</td><td>2001</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pete Maravich</td><td>Atlanta Hawks (1970–1974) New Orleans / Utah Jazz (1974–1980) Boston Celtics (1980)</td><td>G</td><td>15,948</td><td>2,747</td><td>3,563</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>5</td><td>1987</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kevin McHale</td><td>Boston Celtics (1980–1993)</td><td>F</td><td>17,335</td><td>7,122</td><td>1,670</td><td>3 (1981, 1984, 1986)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>7</td><td>1999</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>George Mikan</td><td>Minneapolis Lakers (1948–1954, 1956)</td><td>C</td><td>10,156</td><td>4,167</td><td>1,245</td><td>5 (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>4</td><td>1959</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Earl Monroe</td><td>Baltimore Bullets (1967–1971) New York Knicks (1971–1980)</td><td>G</td><td>17,454</td><td>2,796</td><td>3,594</td><td>1 (1973)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>4</td><td>1990</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hakeem Olajuwon</td><td>Houston Rockets (1984–2001) Toronto Raptors (2001–2002)</td><td>C</td><td>26,946</td><td>13,748</td><td>3,058</td><td>2 (1994, 1995)</td><td>1 (1994)</td><td>2 (1994, 1995)</td><td>12</td><td>2008</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Shaquille O'Neal</td><td>Orlando Magic (1992–1996) Los Angeles Lakers (1996–2004) Miami Heat (2004–2008) Phoenix Suns (2008–2009) Cleveland Cavaliers (2009–2010) Boston Celtics (2010–2011)</td><td>C</td><td>28,596</td><td>13,099</td><td>3,026</td><td>4 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)</td><td>1 (2000)</td><td>3 (2000, 2001, 2002)</td><td>15</td><td>2016</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Robert Parish</td><td>Golden State Warriors (1976–1980) Boston Celtics (1980–1994) Charlotte Hornets (1994–1996) Chicago Bulls (1996–1997)</td><td>C</td><td>23,334</td><td>14,715</td><td>2,180</td><td>4 (1981, 1984, 1986, 1997)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>9</td><td>2003</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bob Pettit</td><td>Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965)</td><td>F</td><td>20,880</td><td>12,849</td><td>2,369</td><td>1 (1958)</td><td>2 (1956, 1959)</td><td>None</td><td>11</td><td>1971</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Scottie Pippen</td><td>Chicago Bulls (1987–1998, 2003–2004) Houston Rockets (1999) Portland Trail Blazers (1999–2003)</td><td>F</td><td>18,940</td><td>7,494</td><td>6,135</td><td>6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>7</td><td>2010</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Willis Reed</td><td>New York Knicks (1964–1974)</td><td>C/F</td><td>12,183</td><td>8,414</td><td>1,186</td><td>2 (1970, 1973)</td><td>1 (1970)</td><td>2 (1970, 1973)</td><td>7</td><td>1982</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Oscar Robertson</td><td>Cincinnati Royals (1960–1970) Milwaukee Bucks (1970–1974)</td><td>G</td><td>26,710</td><td>7,804</td><td>9,887</td><td>1 (1971)</td><td>1 (1964)</td><td>None</td><td>12</td><td>1980</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>David Robinson</td><td>San Antonio Spurs (1989–2003)</td><td>C</td><td>20,790</td><td>10,497</td><td>2,441</td><td>2 (1999, 2003)</td><td>1 (1995)</td><td>None</td><td>10</td><td>2009</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bill Russell</td><td>Boston Celtics (1956–1969)</td><td>C</td><td>14,522</td><td>21,620</td><td>4,100</td><td>11 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)</td><td>5 (1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965)</td><td>None</td><td>12</td><td>1975</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dolph Schayes</td><td>Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers (1949–1964)</td><td>F</td><td>18,438</td><td>11,256</td><td>3,072</td><td>1 (1955)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>12</td><td>1973</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bill Sharman</td><td>Washington Capitols (1950–1951) Boston Celtics (1951–1961)</td><td>G</td><td>12,665</td><td>2,779</td><td>2,101</td><td>4 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961)</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>8</td><td>1976</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>John Stockton</td><td>Utah Jazz (1984–2003)</td><td>G</td><td>19,711</td><td>4,051</td><td>15,806</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>10</td><td>2009</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Isiah Thomas</td><td>Detroit Pistons (1981–1994)</td><td>G</td><td>18,822</td><td>3,478</td><td>9,061</td><td>2 (1989, 1990)</td><td>None</td><td>1 (1990)</td><td>12</td><td>2000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nate Thurmond</td><td>San Francisco / Golden State Warriors (1963–1974) Chicago Bulls (1974–1975) Cleveland Cavaliers (1975–1977)</td><td>C</td><td>14,437</td><td>14,464</td><td>2,575</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>7</td><td>1985</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Wes Unseld</td><td>Baltimore / Capital / Washington Bullets (1968–1981)</td><td>C</td><td>10,624</td><td>13,769</td><td>3,822</td><td>1 (1978)</td><td>1 (1969)</td><td>1 (1978)</td><td>5</td><td>1988</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bill Walton</td><td>Portland Trail Blazers (1974–1979) San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers (1979–1985) Boston Celtics (1985–1988)</td><td>C</td><td>6,215</td><td>4,923</td><td>1,590</td><td>2 (1977, 1986)</td><td>1 (1978)</td><td>1 (1977)</td><td>2</td><td>1993</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Jerry West</td><td>Los Angeles Lakers (1960–1974)</td><td>G</td><td>25,192</td><td>5,366</td><td>6,238</td><td>1 (1972)</td><td>None</td><td>1 (1969)</td><td>14</td><td>1980</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Lenny Wilkens</td><td>St. Louis Hawks (1960−1968) Seattle SuperSonics (1968–1972) Cleveland Cavaliers (1972–1974) Portland Trail Blazers (1974–1975)</td><td>G</td><td>17,772</td><td>5,030</td><td>7,211</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>None</td><td>9</td><td>1989</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>James Worthy</td><td>Los Angeles Lakers (1982–1994)</td><td>F</td><td>16,320</td><td>4,708</td><td>2,791</td><td>3 (1985, 1987, 1988)</td><td>None</td><td>1 (1988)</td><td>7</td><td>2003</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Selection process

The list was made through unranked voting completed by 50 selected panelists. Sixteen of the panelists were former players voting in their roles as players, 13 were members of the print and broadcast news media, and 21 were team representatives: contemporary and former general managers, head coaches, and executives. Of the last group, 13 were former NBA players. Players were prohibited from voting for themselves. Only three voting former players (Bill Bradley, Johnny Kerr, and Bob Lanier) were not selected to the team.

Voters

	Denotes voter who was selected to the 50 Greatest Players list
Voter category	As categorized by the NBA

Name	Voter category
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Player
Marv Albert	Media member
Al Attles	Team
Red Auerbach	Team
Elgin Baylor	Team
Dave Bing	Player
Larry Bird	Team
Marty Blake	Team
Fran Blinebury	Media member
Bill Bradley	Player
Hubie Brown	Team
Wilt Chamberlain	Player
Mitch Chortkoff	Media member
Bob Cousy	Player
Billy Cunningham	Team
Chuck Daly	Team
David DuPree	Media member
Wayne Embry	Team
Julius Erving	Player
Joe Gilmartin	Media member
Sam Goldaper	Media member
Alex Hannum	Team
Lester Harrison	Team
John Havlicek	Player
Chick Hearn	Media member
Red Holzman	Team
Phil Jasner	Media member
Magic Johnson	Player
Johnny Kerr	Player
Leonard Koppett	Media member
Bob Lanier	Player
Frank Layden	Team
Leonard Lewin	Media member
Jack McCallum	Media member
Dick McGuire	Team
George Mikan	Player
Bob Pettit	Player
Harvey Pollack	Team
Jack Ramsay	Team
Willis Reed	Team
Oscar Robertson	Player
Bill Russell	Player
Bob Ryan	Media member
Dolph Schayes	Player
Bill Sharman	Player
Gene Shue	Team
Isiah Thomas	Team
Wes Unseld	Team
Peter Vecsey	Media member
Jerry West	Team

Top 10 Coaches in NBA History

50 Greatest Players in NBA History

Alongside the selection of the 50 greatest players was the selection of the Top 10 Coaches in NBA History. The list was compiled based upon unranked selection undertaken exclusively by members of the print and broadcast media who regularly cover the NBA. All 10 coaches named were alive at the time of the list's announcement, and five of them—Bill Fitch, Phil Jackson, Don Nelson, Pat Riley, and Lenny Wilkens—were then active. Seven have since died: Red Holzman in 1998, Red Auerbach in 2006, Chuck Daly in 2009, Jack Ramsay in 2014, John Kundla in 2017, Bill Fitch in 2022, and Wilkins in 2025. Jackson was the last of the ten to coach in the NBA; he announced his retirement after the 2010–11 season. Nelson was the only member to have never won a championship as a coach, even though he won five as a player. Wilkens was the only member of the coaches list to have been selected as a member of the players list. All ten coaches are also members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, with Fitch the last member inducted in 2019.

Coach	Team(s) coached (years)[a]	Coaching record	Championships won as coach[b]	Coach of the Year award(s) won	Year of Basketball Hall of Fame induction	Ref.
Red Auerbach	Washington Capitols (1946–1949) Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1949–1950) Boston Celtics (1950–1966)	938–479 (.662)	9 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966)	1 (1965)	1969
Chuck Daly	Cleveland Cavaliers (1982) Detroit Pistons (1983–1992) New Jersey Nets (1992–1994) Orlando Magic (1997–1999)	638–437 (.593)	2 (1989, 1990)	None	1994
Bill Fitch	Cleveland Cavaliers (1970–1979) Boston Celtics (1979–1983) Houston Rockets (1983–1988) New Jersey Nets (1989–1992) Los Angeles Clippers (1994–1998)	944–1106 (.460)	1 (1981)	2 (1976, 1980)	2019
Red Holzman	Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks (1954–1956) New York Knicks (1967–1982)	696–604 (.535)	2 (1970, 1973)	1 (1970)	1986
Phil Jackson	Chicago Bulls (1989–1998) Los Angeles Lakers (1999–2004, 2005–2011)	1155–485 (.704)	11 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)	1 (1996)	2007
John Kundla	Minneapolis Lakers (1948–1959)	423–302 (.583)	5 (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954)	None	1995
Don Nelson	Milwaukee Bucks (1976–1987) Golden State Warriors (1988–1995, 2006–2010) New York Knicks (1995–1996) Dallas Mavericks (1997–2005)	1335–1063 (.557)	None	3 (1983, 1985, 1992)	2012
Jack Ramsay	Philadelphia 76ers (1968–1972) Buffalo Braves (1972–1976) Portland Trail Blazers (1976–1986) Indiana Pacers (1986–1988)	864–783 (.525)	1 (1977)	None	1992
Pat Riley	Los Angeles Lakers (1981–1990) New York Knicks (1991–1995) Miami Heat (1995–2003, 2005–2008)	1210–694 (.636)	5 (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2006)	3 (1990, 1993, 1997)	2008
Lenny Wilkens	Seattle SuperSonics (1969–1972, 1977–1985) Portland Trail Blazers (1974–1976) Cleveland Cavaliers (1986–1993) Atlanta Hawks (1993–2000) Toronto Raptors (2000–2003) New York Knicks (2004–2005)	1332–1155 (.536)	1 (1979)	1 (1994)	1998

Top 10 Teams in NBA History

50 Greatest Players in NBA History

Also included in the NBA's 50th-anniversary celebration was the selection of the Top 10 Teams in NBA History. The list was compiled based upon unranked selection undertaken exclusively by members of the print and broadcast media who regularly cover the NBA. Teams were chosen from among all single-season individual teams. Each team won the NBA championship, and they combined to average 66 wins per season. The 1995–96 Chicago Bulls had, at the moment, the best single-season record in NBA history with 72 wins.

Six out of the 30 NBA franchises (29 franchises at the time of announcement) had a team named to the list; the Boston Celtics, the Chicago Bulls, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers had two teams selected.

Six players were on the roster of two teams on the list—Wilt Chamberlain with the 1966–67 Sixers and 1971–72 Lakers; James Edwards, Dennis Rodman, and John Salley with the 1988–89 Pistons and 1995–96 Bulls; and Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen with the Bulls in both 1991–92 and 1995–96. Three other individuals both played for and coached honored teams, all of whom completed this "double" with a single franchise—K. C. Jones with the Celtics as a player in 1964–65 and coach in 1985–86, Billy Cunningham with the Sixers as a player in 1966–67 and coach in 1982–83, and Pat Riley with the Lakers as a player in 1971–72 and coach in 1986–87. Phil Jackson, head coach of the Bulls from 1989 to 1998, was the only man to coach two teams that made the list. Although Jackson was under contract to the Knicks as a player in their 1969–70 championship season, he did not play that season as he was recovering from spinal fusion surgery.

The Hall of Famers listed for each individual team are solely those inducted as players, and do not include those inducted in other roles. Players whose names are italicized were inducted after the announcement of the ten best teams.

Season	Team	Record	Roster and head coach	Players in the Hall of Fame	Players on the 50 Greatest Players list	Ref.
1964–65	Boston Celtics	62–18 (.775)	Ron Bonham, Mel Counts, John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, K. C. Jones, Sam Jones, Willie Naulls, Bevo Nordmann, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders, Larry Siegfried, John Thompson, Gerry Ward, coach Red Auerbach[d]	5 (K. Jones, S. Jones, Heinsohn, Russell, Havlicek)[e]	3 (S. Jones, Russell, Havlicek)
1966–67	Philadelphia 76ers	68–13 (.840)	Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Costello, Billy Cunningham, Dave Gambee, Hal Greer, Matt Guokas, Luke Jackson, Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni, Chet Walker, Bob Weiss, coach Alex Hannum[d]	4 (Greer, Chamberlain, Cunningham, Walker)	3 (Greer, Chamberlain, Cunningham)
1969–70	New York Knicks	60–22 (.732)	Dick Barnett, Nate Bowman, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, Bill Hosket, Don May, Willis Reed, Mike Riordan, Cazzie Russell, Dave Stallworth, John Warren, coach Red Holzman[d]	5 (Reed, Bradley, DeBusschere, Frazier, Barnett)	3 (Frazier, DeBusschere, Reed)
1971–72	Los Angeles Lakers	69–13 (.841)	Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Jim Cleamons, LeRoy Ellis, Keith Erickson, Gail Goodrich, Happy Hairston, Jim McMillian, Pat Riley, Flynn Robinson, John Trapp, Jerry West, coach Bill Sharman[d]	4 (Goodrich, West, Chamberlain, Baylor[f])	3 (West, Chamberlain, Baylor)
1982–83	Philadelphia 76ers	65–17 (.793)	J. J. Anderson, Maurice Cheeks, Earl Cureton, Franklin Edwards, Julius Erving, Marc Iavaroni, Clemon Johnson, Reggie Johnson, Bobby Jones, Moses Malone, Mark McNamara, Clint Richardson, Russ Schoene, Andrew Toney, coach Billy Cunningham	4 (Erving, Malone, Cheeks, Jones)	2 (Erving, Malone)
1985–86	Boston Celtics	67–15 (.817)	Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Rick Carlisle, Dennis Johnson, Greg Kite, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Jerry Sichting, David Thirdkill, Sam Vincent, Bill Walton, Scott Wedman, Sly Williams, coach K. C. Jones	5 (McHale, Bird, Parish, Walton, Johnson)	4 (McHale, Bird, Parish, Walton)
1986–87	Los Angeles Lakers	65–17 (.793)	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Branch, Frank Brickowski, Michael Cooper, A.C. Green, Magic Johnson, Wes Matthews, Kurt Rambis, Mike Smrek, Byron Scott, Billy Thompson, Mychal Thompson, James Worthy, coach Pat Riley[d]	4 (Cooper, Johnson, Worthy, Abdul-Jabbar)	3 (Johnson, Worthy, Abdul-Jabbar)
1988–89	Detroit Pistons	63–19 (.768)	Mark Aguirre, Adrian Dantley, Darryl Dawkins, Fennis Dembo, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Steve Harris, Vinnie Johnson, Bill Laimbeer, John Long, Rick Mahorn, Pace Mannion, Dennis Rodman, Jim Rowinski, John Salley, Isiah Thomas, Micheal Williams, coach Chuck Daly[d]	4 (Thomas, Dumars, Dantley, Rodman)	1 (Thomas)
1991–92	Chicago Bulls	67–15 (.817)	B. J. Armstrong, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Bob Hansen, Craig Hodges, Dennis Hopson, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Cliff Levingston, Chuck Nevitt, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Mark Randall, Rory Sparrow, Scott Williams, coach Phil Jackson[d]	2 (Jordan, Pippen)	2 (Jordan, Pippen)
1995–96	Chicago Bulls	72–10 (.878)	Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, Jason Caffey, James Edwards, Jack Haley, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Luc Longley, Toni Kukoč, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Dickey Simpkins, Bill Wennington, coach Phil Jackson[d]	4 (Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Kukoč)	2 (Jordan, Pippen)