5. Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal was the most powerful player to ever play the game. His size tells you everything you need to know about his dominance. Shaq was 7’1, 365 pound, and he could do any move he wanted to. Even if the defender knew his most common move—the drop step—was coming, he would still bounce right off you and score a bucket even if he was getting fouled in the process. The only difference between him and the modern-day big man nowadays in the NBA is that he struggled immensely when it came to shooting. He was a strict shooter from the paint. He was still so good from down there that no one could stop him. His rebounding was good throughout his whole career as he averaged 11 rebounds a game, which accumulates to his resume as there is no comparable big man ever in the history of the NBA.

4. Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson was a player like no other. Although he was 6’9, he played every position dominantly. In his first ever season when he appeared in the NBA Finals, he started at the center position and dropped 42 points. In that game, he also played every position and helped the Lakers to a championship win as a rookie. Although he was very versatile, his main position was point guard. To be his height and as allusive as he was is rare to see out of any human being. He changed the game by showing the skills he had passing the ball. His numbers are insane, with five championships, nine first team All-NBA selections, and three MVP’s. He is the greatest point guard all time and it shows with his stats as he goes down as one of the greatest players of all time.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 

Kareem is the all time leading scorer in the NBA with an astonishing 38,387 points. There is no player that is one-thousand points away from that number, although LeBron James could potentially pass him in the future. He created the skyhook shot, which really helped him gain the number of points he had. The skyhook ruled his game and dominated the era he played in. The skyhook was a shot with the arm out to the side with the ball and you would shoot it over your head and no one could block it at the time. He also won many awards including six MVPs and one of them coming when his team didn’t even make the playoffs. He is the only player to do that in NBA history. Kareem also won six rings in his time in the NBA. He brought crazy numbers to the board and is an inspiration to many people now in the NBA.

2. Michael Jordan

Many people think that Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time. He did win many awards but I don’t think he would be as dominant as he was in the NBA today. He won three rings in a row with the Bulls, then left to play baseball and then came back to win 3 more in a row. He did get a lot of help from his teammates like Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. Without those two players, he was still insane. He is the only player to be 40 years old and average 20 points per game in history. Michael Jordan also won a defensive MVP in 1988, which shows he was also a dominant defender. There is no one comparable to Jordan besides LeBron James.

1. LeBron James 

LeBron James is arguably the best player of all time. Some might say he is behind Jordan, but we all have to realize the era he is playing in and dominating. He plays with some players that are putting up crazy numbers like James Harden, Curry, Kevin Durant, and many more. Even with all these crazy players he has to get through to get to the championship, he still gets there. LeBron and the Cavaliers became the first team to come back from 3-1 in the NBA Finals against arguably the best team to ever be in the league: the 2016 Golden State Warriors. LeBron put up two back to back 41 point games and a clutch block to lead the Cavaliers to win the championship. That was when he became the GOAT. I don’t believe Michael Jordan could have done it with the team LeBron played on. LeBron also created a huge difference in teams. All the years he was on the Cavaliers, they were a playoff team, but the next years when he left the Cavs, they were the worst team in the NBA and won very few games. Plus the most recent championship he got with the Lakers puts a cherry on top. That just proves he is the greatest of all time.