Listing the best NBA player in every decade
The NBA's 75th anniversary is here, and the 2021-22 campaign will definitely be special in the sense that the league will celebrate its history at every turn. The NBA often does a great job of looking back at where it comes from, with former players who are legends of the league always showing up on special occasions.
For the 75th anniversary, the league will do the same it did for the 50th anniversary, selecting the best 75 players in history. While it'll definitely be a controversial dynamic, it's always fun to discuss who should be included or who shouldn't.
The NBA turns 75: These players defined the league decade by decade
In this article, however, we will take a broader approach and have a look at the best players from each decade of NBA basketball. Every decade in the league's history has had its fair share of particularly interesting facts and tremendously great players.
While it might be a straightforward exercise, it is not always easy to choose from such a deep talent pool.
Without further ado, let us start.
George Mikan - Late 1940s and 1950s
George Mikan led the NBA's first dynasty in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and the Minneapolis Lakers' center was the most dominant in his era.
Mikan arrived in the league in the 1948-49 season, when it was still known as the Basketball Association of America. In his seven seasons in the BAA/NBA, Mikan won five championships with the Lakers.
He led the league in scoring three times and also led twice in rebounds per game. Mikan averaged 23 points and 13 rebounds per game in his regular-season career, earned six All-BAA/NBA selections and went to four All-Star Games.
Bill Russell - 1960s
Bill Russell is the greatest winner in NBA history as the Boston Celtics' legend won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career. He even won his last two titles while being a player/coach for Boston.
While his overall impact on the game did not really show in terms of scoring, Russell was a dominant defender and definitely the best leader of his era and perhaps in NBA history.
Russell won five NBA MVPs, received 11 All-NBA selections, won an All-Star Game MVP and led the league four times in total rebounds. For his career, Russell averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds and four assists per game.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 1970s
The 1970s were arguably the most competitive era in terms of the number of teams that were able to compete for the NBA championship. There were no back-to-back championships in the 1970s, but there was a center that truly dominated: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Kareem won the first of his six NBA championships in 1971, during his sophomore year with the Milwaukee Bucks. That same year, he won regular-season MVP and received Finals MVP honors.
He averaged 28.6 points, 14.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.5 blocks per game in the 1970s, while making 55.1% of his field goals. He received five of his six MVPs in the 1970s, with the sixth coming right at the end of the decade in the 1979-80 campaign.
Throughout his career, Abdul-Jabbar went to a record 19 All-Star Games, received 15 All-NBA honors, 11 All-Defensive selections and won two Finals MVP awards. Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA's all-time scoring leader, with 38,387 points scored in his career.
Magic Johnson - 1980s
The 1980s in the NBA were defined by the LA Lakers-Boston Celtics rivalry and mainly the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry. While the duel between Magic and Bird is close and will always be subject to debate, there are no questions about who achieved more in the league.
Earvin Johnson won five NBA championships and three Finals MVP awards in his NBA career, all coming in the 1980s. His most stunning performance came in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, when he led the LA Lakers to the championship as a 20-year-old rookie and without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Johnson also won three regular-season MVPs and was the undisputed leader of the 'Showtime' LA Lakers. Johnson was a 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA and led the league four times in assists.