The point guard position in the NBA is something that has
been in a constantly dynamic state from the days of Bob Coust to Magic
Johnson and now players like Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook. There are the
traditionally small, pass-first point
guards (Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul) and the players like Irving and Rose who are
multi-faceted and are coveted for their ability to facilitate for others but
also create for themselves. The greatest NBA point guards of all time may vary
wildly in how they played the game but one thing is for sure: all fit the bill
as excellent ball-handlers.
So, while there is an extensive list of great NBA point
guards, here are the top 10 of all time:
10. Gary Payton
Points
|
Rebounds
|
Assists
|
Steals
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3PT%
|
Games played
|
16.3
|
3.9
|
6.7
|
1.8
|
.466
|
.729
|
.317
|
1335
|
The Glove had a long and impressive career that only saw one
championship because there was only really one team that won the
Finals in the 1990s. While Tony Parker may give him a run for his money on this
10-spot, Payton was a premiere defensive point guard who earned a spot on nine All-Defensive First Teams and won the 1996
Defensive Player of the Year award.
9. Walt Frazier
Points
|
Rebounds
|
Assists
|
Steals
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3PT%
|
Games played
|
18.9
|
5.9
|
6.1
|
1.9
|
.490
|
.786
|
N/A
|
825
|
A significant cog in the two championships that the New York
Knicks won in the early 70s, Frazier put up an incredible 36 points and
dished out 19 dimes in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals. Like Payton, Frazier was also
known for his ability to force turnovers and was named to seven All-Defensive
First Teams.
8. Steve Nash
Points
|
Rebounds
|
Assists
|
Steals
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3PT%
|
Games played
|
14.4
|
3.0
|
8.5
|
0.7
|
.491
|
.904
|
.428
|
1201
|
Now that we’ve covered our basis on the point guards that
played defense, it’s time to get into some that were not quite as involved on
that side of the basketball (it's a joke...well, maybe not). Nash is known for being a relatively lackadaisical
defender but his two MVP awards outshine those deficits. Although he may never
win that first NBA championship, Nash was an incredible point guard who could
thread the needle with the best passers of all time.
7. Allen Iverson
Points
|
Rebounds
|
Assists
|
Steals
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3PT%
|
Games played
|
26.7
|
3.7
|
6.2
|
2.2
|
.425
|
.780
|
.313
|
914
|
Too many lists that I’ve read have not given enough love to
this guy. I’ll admit that I was never a huge fan of Iverson during his playing
days…well maybe aside from this.
But there is no denying his greatness; The Answer made the crossover an art and
was arguably the best basketball player pound-for-pound at 6’0”. His style of play doesn't exactly scream "point guard" but Iverson was the prelude to players today like Westbrook, Irving, Parker, and Derrick Rose who aren't PGs in the traditional sense. In terms of legacy, AI’s at seven but if you
ask me who I’d draft as a GM, Iverson as a rookie or in his prime is easily in
the top-five.
6. Jason Kidd
Points
|
Rebounds
|
Assists
|
Steals
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3PT%
|
Games played
|
12.7
|
6.3
|
8.7
|
1.9
|
.400
|
.785
|
.349
|
1380
|
Although he never had the flashiness of Iverson’s scoring or
Nash’s passing, Jason Kidd has been the model of consistency for nearly two
decades in the NBA. For the vast majority of his career, he was known as a pass-first
point guard but even improved his outside shooting after joining Dirk Nowitzki
in Dallas during 2008. After adding an NBA title to a host of other accomplishments
(All-Star appearances, league leading assist numbers, First Team awards both
All-NBA and All-Defensive), he solidified his legacy with the greatest of all
time.
5. Bob Cousy
Points
|
Rebounds
|
Assists
|
Steals
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3PT%
|
Games played
|
18.4
|
5.2
|
7.5
|
N/A
|
.375
|
.803
|
N/A
|
924
|
The man who ran point for Bill Russell’s 60s Celtics boasts six
rings and an MVP award. He led the NBA in assists for eight consecutive years
and was known for flashy “street ball”-type moves. Even though his field goal
percentage verged on terrible, the star PG was named to an incredible 10
All-NBA First Teams. Cousy dominated a generation of basketball and put up astounding
assist numbers despite the fact that there was no shot clock in the early 50s.
4. Isiah Thomas
Points
|
Rebounds
|
Assists
|
Steals
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3PT%
|
Games played
|
19.2
|
3.6
|
9.3
|
1.9
|
.452
|
.759
|
.290
|
979
|
Although his post-playing career has proven to be less than
impressive, Isiah Thomas led the “Bad Boys” to back-to-back NBA championships
in 1989 and 1990. Not only that but in the 1988 NBA Finals, Thomas had one of
the greatest playoff performances of all time after a third quarter ankle sprain (albeit in a losing effort). He
owns most of the statistical records in Detroit and nearly averaged 20 points and
10 assists for his career.
3. John Stockton
Points
|
Rebounds
|
Assists
|
Steals
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3PT%
|
Games played
|
13.1
|
2.7
|
10.5
|
2.2
|
.515
|
.826
|
.384
|
1504
|
John Stockton is the best traditional point guard in NBA
history. With the all-time NBA records in both assists (15,806) and steals
(3,265), he and Karl Malone tore up the Western conference during the 90s. Known
as the ultimate pick and roll point man, he also was able to score at an
incredibly efficient rate (over 50 percent from the field and 38 percent from
three).
2. Oscar Robertson
Points
|
Rebounds
|
Assists
|
Steals
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3PT%
|
Games played
|
25.7
|
7.5
|
9.5
|
N/A
|
.485
|
.838
|
N/A
|
1040
|
Often considered the LeBron James of his day, Oscar Robertson was a do-it-all point guard. At 6’5”, the Big O averaged a
triple-double for an entire season.
Not only that but he was less than a half a rebound or assist away from
averaging one in three more seasons.
Often considered one of the most well-rounded players in NBA history, he also
has the hardware (NBA champion and MVP) to back up his case as one of the
greatest.
1. Magic Johnson
Points
|
Rebounds
|
Assists
|
Steals
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3PT%
|
Games played
|
19.5
|
7.2
|
11.2
|
1.9
|
.520
|
.848
|
.303
|
906
|
Five-time NBA champion, three-time MVP, nine-time All-NBA
First Team, four-time NBA assists leader…Magic Johnson is up there as one of
the greatest NBA players of all time. He is
the best point guard of all time without a doubt. At 6’9”, he was quite a bit
more versatile than most PGs (who were a solid half-foot shorter) but the No. 1
overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft had a career that was great from the get-go. The only
rookie ever to win the Finals MVP award, he finished off the 76ers in the
1980 Finals with 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals…as the starting center.
Check out the rest of our "greatest of all time" series where we have ranked the top-10 shooting guards, centers, and overall players in NBA history.
Check out the rest of our "greatest of all time" series where we have ranked the top-10 shooting guards, centers, and overall players in NBA history.