NBA’s Greatest Legends and GOAT Debate

Basketball history is full of legends, but a few names rise above all for greatness.

Leading the pack is LeBron James, the first NBA player ever to score 50,000 combined regular

season and playoff points, and still going strong in 2025. Just behind him

in the GOAT debate is Michael Jordan, a 6× NBA Champion and scoring machine who dominated the

80s and 90s with unmatched competitiveness. Other perennial top 10 greats include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,

the all-time scoring leader before LeBron broke his record and a 6× MVP, Magic Johnson with

his unparalleled playmaking, Larry Bird’s sharpshooting, and Tim Duncan’s fundamental dominance

in the paint. Wilt Chamberlain’s record-setting 100-point game and Shaquille O’Neal’s sheer force