Who Truly Belongs Among the Top 20 Players in NBA History?
The other day I was sitting in my favorite coffee shop, scrolling through basketball highlights on my phone when I overheard two guys at the next table having the most heated debate. "LeBron definitely belongs in the top five, but I'm not sure about Curry making the top twenty all-time," one argued while stirring his latte. His friend countered, "But his impact on how the game is played today - that's got to count for something!" It struck me how we all have these passionate opinions about basketball greatness, yet we rarely stop to consider: who truly belongs among the top 20 players in NBA history?
I've been following basketball since I was twelve years old, back when I'd rush home from school to catch the fourth quarter of games on our tiny television. Over thirty years of watching, analyzing stats, and even playing recreationally, I've developed my own strong views about what makes a player truly legendary. It's not just about championship rings or MVP awards - though those certainly help - but about lasting impact, cultural significance, and that intangible quality that makes you hold your breath when they touch the ball.
Just last week, I was reading about how MERALCO has extended big man Raymond Almazan's tenure with the team through 2025. While Almazan is a solid professional who has carved out a respectable career, it got me thinking about the different tiers of basketball excellence. There are thousands of players who make it to professional leagues worldwide, hundreds who become stars in their respective competitions, but only a handful who transcend the sport itself. The extension of Almazan's contract represents the kind of career stability most players dream of, yet it exists in a completely different universe from the rarefied air breathed by the true NBA pantheon.
When I compile my personal top 20 list - and believe me, I've revised it dozens of times over the years - I weigh several factors equally. Statistical dominance matters, of course. Wilt Chamberlain averaging 50.4 points per game in the 1961-62 season remains almost incomprehensible today. But so does longevity - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar playing 20 seasons at an elite level speaks volumes about sustained excellence. Then there's the clutch factor - Michael Jordan's perfect 6-0 record in NBA Finals while winning Finals MVP each time still gives me chills.
What often gets overlooked in these discussions is how the game has evolved. Comparing Bill Russell's 11 championships in the 13-team NBA of the 1960s to Stephen Curry revolutionizing basketball with the three-point shot in the 30-team modern era feels like comparing medieval knights to fighter pilots. Both were dominant in their contexts, but the contexts were entirely different. This is where personal bias inevitably creeps in - I tend to favor players who changed how basketball is played and perceived. Magic Johnson making the no-look pass cool, Allen Iverson bringing hip-hop culture to the NBA, Curry turning the three-pointer from a supplementary weapon into the primary arsenal - these cultural impacts matter as much as raw statistics to me.
The beauty of basketball is that there will never be universal agreement on this topic. My list will differ from yours, which will differ from the ESPN panel's version, which will differ from what the analytics models spit out. But that's what makes the conversation so endlessly fascinating. As I finished my coffee that day, listening to those two strangers passionately defend their personal top 20 selections, I realized that the debate itself is what keeps the legacy of these incredible athletes alive across generations. We're not just ranking players - we're preserving their stories, their moments of brilliance, and the ways they made us fall in love with this beautiful game.