Top 25

Top 25 Basketball Players

The NBA will be hitting the hardwood again come October and often times basketball is ignored here in Canada, especially when hockey hits the ice.I love hoops but it took me a while to actually care enough about the NBA. Let’s be honest, there were no Canadian teams when I was a youngster.

When the Toronto Raptors came about I was 16. Michael Jordan was still in the mix. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson had retired.

My dad was a Los Angeles Lakers fan. One of his favourite players was Jerry West and he always talked about the Lakers dynasty of the ’70s.

Before the Raptors, I was a casual Minnesota Timberwolves fan. Why? It was one of the first pro sports teams to homage to my second favourite animal. Speaking of favourites, here are my Top 25 players. I grew up playing NBA Jam and would use the Super Sonics tandem of Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton.

25. Player: Allan Houston, SG
Teams: Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks
Active: 1993 to 2005
24. Player: Horace Grant, PF
Teams: Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Seattle Super Sonics, Los Angeles Lakers
Active: 1987 to 2004
23. Player: Kareem (Lew) Abdul-Jabbar, C
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers
Active: 1969 to 1989
22. Player: Antonio McDyess, PF
Teams: Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs
Active: 1995 to 2011
21. Player: Chris Mullin, SF
Teams: Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers
Active: 1985 to 2001
20. Player: Jalen (the Natural) Rose, SF
Teams: Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns
Active: 1994 to 2007
19. Player: Kevin Johnson, PG
Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns
Active: 1987 to 2000
18. Player: Hakeem (the Dream) Olajuwon, C
Teams: Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors
Active: 1984 to 2002
17. Player: Dominique (the Human Highlight Film) Wilkins, SF
Teams
: Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic, Fortitudo Bologna, Parthinaikos
Active: 1982 to 1999
16. Player: David (the Admiral) Robinson, C
Teams: San Antonio Spurs
Active: 1989 to 2003
15. Player: Dikembe (Mount) Mutombo
Teams: Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets
Active: 1991 to 2009
14. Player: Chris (CB4) Bosh, PF
Teams: Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat
Active: 2003 to 2017
Player: Gary (the Glove) Payton, PG
Teams:
Seattle Super Sonics, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat
Active:
1990 to 2007
12. Player: Jerome (Pooh) Richardson, PG
Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Adecco Milano
Active: 1989 to 2000
11. Player: Kevin (the Second Coming) Durant, SF
Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors
Active: 2007 to Present
10. Player: Ray (Sugar) Allen, SG
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle Super Sonics, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat
Active: 1996 to 2014
9. Player: Shawn (Reign Man) Kemp, C
Teams: Seattle Super Sonics, Portland Trailblazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic
Active: 1989 to 200316
8. Player: (Doctor) Julius Erving, SF
Teams: Virginia Squires, New York Nets, Philadelphia 76ers
Active: 1971 to 1987
7. Player: Russell (Beastbrook) Westbrook, PG
Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder
Active: 2008 to Present
6. Player: Patrick (Hoya Destroya) Ewing, C
Teams
: New York Knicks, Seattle Super Sonics, Orlando Magic
Active
: 1985 to 2001
5. Player: Antonio Davis, C
Teams
: Parthinaikos, Philips Milano, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks
Active
: 1990 to 2006
4. Player: Clyde (the Glide) Drexler, SG
Teams
: Portland Trailblazers, Houston Rockets
Active
: 1983 to 1998
3. Player: Jerome (Junkyard Dog) Williams, PF
Teams
: Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks
Active
: 1996 to 2005
2. Player: Steve (Captain Canada) Nash, PG
Teams
: Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers
Active
: 1996 to 2015
1. Player: Reggie (Miller Time) Miller, SG
Teams
: Indiana Pacers
Active
: 1987 to 2005

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