Top 10 Greatest NBA Players of All Time

Dennis Rodman had a great nose for knowing where the basketball was going after hitting the rim. He was relentless in pursing rebounds and was an elite defender of multiple positions.

Rodman who’s a member of two all-time teams: The Bad Boys Pistons and Jordan’s Bulls, possessed absurd strength and stamina, yet his mind games was often highlighted, as it destabilized many teams, sometimes even his own.

The Hall of Famer was a flashy character that broke cultural barriers among athletes; he will be remembered as one of the greatest power forward the game has ever seen.

Pau Gasol//Getty Images

Pau Gasol is one of the greatest international NBA players of all time. Gasol boasted a well-rounded skill-set and was a menace in his heyday.

The Spaniard was a supremely skilled power forward who could shoot, dribble, pass and create for his teammates, as well as rebounding and protecting the rim.

Gasol was a key cog in the Lakers’ two Championship winning teams in the late 2010s. He received the ultimate honor of his jersey being retired up the rafters, joining other Lakers’ great who are immortalized at the Crypto.com 

Elvin Hayes, better known as the “Big E”, is an old-fashioned big man boasting incredible strength and aggression on both ends of the floor. He had explosive scoring ability and relentless rebounding. 

Hayes, a 20-point and 10-rebound guy for each of the first 12 years of his career, possessed a masterful post game with a trademark turnaround jumper. 

Hayes led the NBA in points-per-game as a rookie back in the 1968-69 season, something no player has done since.

Hayes was nicknamed the “Bionic Man” due to his machine-like durability on Hardwood, rarely missing a game until he was 38 years. This was a remarkable feat, considering it came long before conditioning was paramount for NBA athletes.

Bob Pettit was one of the prototype high scorers in the league in the 1950s and 1960s. Pettit was a smooth power forward who defied the norm for his position, as they were only known for grabbing rebounds.

Pettit incorporated scoring into his game and was deadly in transition, as a mid-range scorer. He was the first player in NBA history to reach 20,000 career points despite playing for 11 years.

Pettit’s greatness is summed up by the fact that his St. Louis Hawks are the only team to defeat the Boston Celtics in the finals between 1957 and 1966. He won the Finals MVP in 1958 after exploding for 50 points and 25 rebounds in the deciding game.

Kevin McHale was a two-way power forward, known for his excellent post-up moves, legendary footwork and un-blockable turnaround shot. McHale was a winner and a key component of the Larry Bird-led Boston Celtics that won three championships in the 1980s. 

McHale was credited for putting opponents in the “Torture chamber”, due to his ridiculous array of moves in the paint and physical punishment. This was made possible by his long arms and sharp elbows.

Charles Barkley//Getty Images

Charles Barkley, also known as "The Round Mound of Rebound," was a force to be reckoned with on the court. He terrorized defenses with his unparalleled combination of strength, speed, explosiveness and agility. Despite being listed at 6-foot 6 inches, Barkley whom many considered undersized for a power forward, dominated the boards with unrivalled tenacity.

Although Barkley never got the ever-elusive ring, he left a lasting legacy on the sport, with his outspoken and brash personality complimenting his dominant face-up and post-up game. 

Barkley is credited for paving the way for many of the NBA’s undersized power forwards of today.

Dirk Nowitzki revolutionized the power forward position in the NBA, setting the foundation for what many would start calling stretch-fours in his later years. 

When Dirk joined the league, he was an anomaly. He wasn’t a bruiser like Charles Barkley, he didn’t boast the post moves of Kevin McHale, nor was he the defender that Dennis Rodman was. Instead, the seven-footer could shoot lights out.

Dirk Nowitzki was as tough and competitive as they came. The sweetest-shooting big man had one of the most impossible-to-guard moves ever seen: the “one-legged, high-arching fallaway.” 

A one team player throughout his time in the NBA, Dirk’s elite skill, basketball IQ and shooting prowess shattered the stereotype of the soft European big man.

Kevin Garnett, also known as the “Big Ticket”, had relentless energy and unrivalled passion that made him one of the most fearsome power forwards to have ever played throughout his 20-year NBA career.

KG was one of the first unicorns in the NBA, possessing the size of a center and the all-around skills of a guard. He was a versatile powerhouse on both ends of the floor, elevating his game to unparalleled heights. His raw talent, agility and length was a combination that formed a potent skillset that was a nightmare for opposing power forwards.

Garnett was also known for his ceaseless trash talk and pure intensity that made him the most ferocious competitor of his era. To this day he is remembered for his unwavering commitment to excellence and his indomitable will to win.