Greatest shooting guards of all time

NBA shooting guards arguably define the sport. In a sport where the goal is to put the ball in the bucket, that’s exactly what these guys are supposed to do. Granted, it is a little more nuanced than that, but you'll see that all of these guys were primarly known for their scoring ability. Here is a ranking of the top-10 best NBA shooting guards of all time:

10. Pete Maravich

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	FG %	FT %	3PT %	Games played
24.2	4.2	5.4	1.4	.441	.820	N/A	658

One of the most exciting players of his time, “Pistol Pete” dazzled NBA audiences in the 1970s. In the words of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he was “perhaps the greatest creative offensive talent in history…[with] Globetrotter-like dribbling, ability to toss a no-look pass with pinpoint accuracy, or make a fall-away jumper with two defenders draped on him. The court was his personal playground, every night was a show.”

9. Earl Monroe

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	FG %	FT %	3PT %	Games played
18.8	3.0	3.9	1.0	.464	.807	N/A	926

Another flamboyant guard of the 1970s, “Earl the Pearl” was a second overall pick who went on to have a solid NBA career, winning an NBA championship and being named to four NBA All Star teams. His jersey is retired by two teams, the Knicks and the Wizards.

8. Reggie Miller

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	FG %	FT %	3PT %	Games played
18.2	3.0	3.0	1.1	.471	.888	.395	1389

Although he doesn’t have much hardware to back up his impressive NBA career, neither do many other excellent players of the 1990s thanks to one Michael Jordan. Although the player one position higher than him on this list currently holds the NBA record for career three-point field goals made, Miller did hold that record when he retired in 2005.

7. Ray Allen

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	FG %	FT %	3PT %	Games played
19.4	4.1	3.4	1.1	.452	.894	.402	1221

Often regarded as the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history, Ray Allen is known for his smooth, quick-release shot and was also a primary scorer early in his career. An NBA champion and 10-time All-Star, Allen may still have a championship to add to his resume with the Miami Heat. As mentioned earlier, he holds the NBA record for career three-point field goals made.

6. Clyde Drexler

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	FG %	FT %	3PT %	Games played
20.4	6.1	5.6	2.0	.472	.788	.318	1086

Having had the pleasure to interview Clyde Drexler, I can verify firsthand that he is an incredible classy guy which is remarkable considering how great he was. Ironically, he has an NBA championship and 10 NBA All Star appearances to his name exactly like Ray Allen. Similar to LeBron James, Drexler was an incredibly well-rounded player—he is one of only three players in NBA history with 20,000 points, 6000 rebounds, and 6000 assists.

5. George Gervin

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	FG %	FT %	3PT %	Games played
26.2	4.6	2.8	1.2	.511	.844	.297	791

Gervin defines scoring greatness as the above stat line shows. 26.2 points per game and over 51 percent from the field is unparalleled. The Iceman has four scoring titles and nine All-Star appearances to support his regular season greatness. If it weren’t for his lack of playoff resume, Gervin would be No. 4 on this list.

4. Dwyane Wade

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	FG %	FT %	3PT %	Games played
24.8	5.1	6.1	1.8	.489	.768	.289	662

Yes, 31-year-old Dwyane Wade is already one of the greatest shooting guards of all time. A two-time NBA champion who led his team to the 2006 title with one of the greatest playoff performances of all time (per ESPN), Wade is also a nine-time All Star, NBA scoring champion, and Sportsman of the Year. His overall greatness may be subject to debate once his career is over after teaming up with LeBron James but in terms of individual, he’s already No. 4 as a shooting guard.

3. Jerry West

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	FG %	FT %	3PT %	Games played
27.0	5.8	6.7	N/A	.474	.814	N/A	932

The man in the NBA logo had an illustrious career despite his small stature at 6’2” and 185 pounds. A Laker for the entire duration of his career, he won a scoring title in 1970, an NBA championship in 1972, and was a 14-time All-Star.

2. Kobe Bryant

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	FG %	FT %	3PT %	Games played
25.5	5.3	4.7	1.5	.454	.837	.336	1235

The Black Mamba. Not much to say that you don’t already know about the five-time champion and prolific NBA scorer. Two-time scoring champion, NBA MVP, 15-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA First Team…and he’s still adding on at age 34. Quite simply, Kobe is one of the greatest NBA players of all time.

1. Michael Jordan

Points	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	FG %	FT %	3PT %	Games played
30.1	6.2	5.3	2.3	.497	.835	.327	1072

The greatest player of all time is, of course, also the greatest shooting guard of all time. Some of his many accomplishments: six-time NBA champion and Finals MVP, five-time NBA MVP, 14-time All-Star, 10-time scoring champion, three-time steals champion. A great quote that epitomizes the career of Jordan from coach Doug Collins after MJ’s game-winner against the Cavs in the 1989 playoffs: “that play was ‘give the ball to Michael and everyone else get the @##@#% out of the way.’”

Check out the rest of our "greatest of all time" series where we have ranked the top-10 point guards, centers, and overall players in NBA history.

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