Thursday's sports stories
Ranking the NBA's all-time rosters
We compiled and ranked the all-time rosters for all 30 NBA franchises, based on a combination of championship pedigree, roster construction and a dash of gut feeling. Reminder: The ABA is part of the NBA's official record book, so it's part of our rankings, too.
The rankings:
- 30-21: No. 30 Memphis Grizzlies, No. 29 Minnesota Timberwolves, No. 28 Charlotte Hornets, No. 27 Toronto Raptors, No. 26 New Orleans Pelicans, No. 25 Indiana Pacers, No. 24 Los Angeles Clippers, No. 23 Dallas Mavericks, No. 22 Brooklyn Nets, No. 21 Cleveland Cavaliers.
- 20-11: No. 20 Atlanta Hawks, No. 19 Washington Wizards, No. 18 Phoenix Suns, No. 17 Sacramento Kings, No. 16 Orlando Magic, No. 15 Milwaukee Bucks, No. 14 Denver Nuggets, No. 13 Portland Trail Blazers, No. 12 Houston Rockets, No. 11 New York Knicks.
- 10-1: No. 10 Oklahoma City Thunder, No. 9 Utah Jazz, No. 8 Miami Heat, No. 7 Detroit Pistons, No. 6 Chicago Bulls, No. 5 Philadelphia 76ers, No. 4 Golden State Warriors, No. 3 San Antonio Spurs, No. 2 Boston Celtics, No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers.
And now, the rosters ...
30. Memphis Grizzlies
The "Grit and Grind" Grizzlies have a lot of heart, with guys like Tony Allen and Zach Randolph embodying that ethos. But heart only gets you so far, and despite a recent streak of seven straight playoff appearances (2011-17), the NBA's second-youngest franchise sits at the bottom of our rankings.
- Year established: 1995 (as Vancouver Grizzlies)
- All-time record: 824-1,161 (.415)
- NBA Championships: 0
Notes:
- The Gasol brothers were traded for each other, so we never got to see them share a (non-international) court. That fact remains here, keeping the elder Gasol as sixth man and giving Randolph some room to cook.
- Conley is severely under-appreciated. His 73.94 win shares ranks 25th among active players, yet he's never made a single All-Star team.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota's trio of absurdly talented bigs is about the only thing keeping them out of dead last, as their .396 lifetime winning percentage is by far the worst of all teams (Clippers, .410). They've made the playoffs just once since 2004, losing 4-1 to the Rockets in 2018 as the eight-seed.
- Year established: 1989
- All-time record: 980-1,496 (.396)
- NBA Championships: 0
Notes:
- Garnett's one of the best ever, any way you slice it. His 22.66 PER ranks 30th, while his 191.42 WS ranks ninth. He's one of six players to win at least four rebounding titles, and he did it in four straight years (2004-07).
- Love's 31 point, 31 rebound game in 2010 was the first 30-30 game since Moses Malone in 1982, and it's happened just one other time since (Dwight Howard, 2018).
28. Charlotte Hornets
The official history of the Charlotte Hornets includes the original iteration (1988-2002), the expansion Bobcats (2004-14) and the current Hornets (2014-present). But when the original Hornets relocated to New Orleans in 2002, that became its own new franchise in the eyes of the NBA, comprising the Hornets (2002-13) and the renamed Pelicans (2013-present). Get it? Got it. Good.
- Year established: 1988
- All-time record: 1050-1,345 (.438)
- NBA Championships: 0
Notes:
- Curry is tied for 37th place on the all-time 3pt% leaderboard (40.19%), but that mark is only third-best among his own family (Seth, 44.29%; Steph, 43.47%).
- Mourning is one of just six players since the NBA began recording blocks in 1973 with multiple seasons of 20+ pts, 10+ reb and 3+ blk, joining David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, Patrick Ewing and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
27. Toronto Raptors
Despite playing just one season in The Six, Kawhi Leonard was just too important to leave off the squad. Couldn't bring ourselves to make him a starter given he played just 84 games, but the reigning Finals MVP more than deserved sixth man status. (This will be an ongoing debate throughout these rankings: Like, where do we put LeBron on the Lakers' all-time roster? Guess we'll find out.)
- Year established: 1995
- All-time record: 955-1,037 (.479)
- NBA Championships: 1
Notes:
- Carter and his impressive longevity led to one of the wildest stats ever: Of the 4,509 players who have ever played in the NBA, Vince has been teammates with or played against 1,672 (37%) of them.
- Calderón's 2008-09 season will forever be remembered for one specific reason: My guy could not miss from the charity stripe, hitting 151 of 154 attempts. His 98.1% remains the best single-season mark ever.
26. New Orleans Pelicans
Reminder of what I explained in the Hornets write-up: Though the Pelicans are a direct descendant of the original Charlotte Hornets, their history in the eyes of the NBA begins only in 2002, when the Hornets relocated to New Orleans. Also, given who the guards are, I feel pretty comfortable trotting out a three-guard starting lineup.
- Year established: 2002
- All-time record: 673-777 (.464)
- NBA Championships: 0
Notes:
- Paul and Davis never overlapped, which just doesn't seem fair, as the former led the league in steals three times and assists twice, while the latter led the league in blocks three times.
- Oh yeah, Paul led the league in steals three times and assists twice with the Clippers, too. CP3 is really good.
25. Indiana Pacers
Their lineup is indicative of their ABA dynasty, when they won three titles in four years. In the past 31 seasons, they've only failed to make the playoffs six times, but between LeBron's Heat, Billups' Pistons and Jordan's Bulls, they never quite made it to the promised land.
- Year established: 1967 (ABA until 1976)
- All-time record: 2,216-2,078 (.516)
- NBA Championships: 3 (all in the ABA)
Notes:
- Miller's 2,560 made threes ranks second all-time (Ray Allen: 2,973), but he's just one Steph Curry hot streak away from falling to third (Curry: 2,495).
- O'Neal (No. 17 pick in 1996) was the fourth high schooler ever drafted in the first round, following Darryl Dawkins (No. 5 pick in 1975), Kevin Garnett (No. 5 pick in 1995) and Kobe Bryant (No. 13 pick in 1996).
24. Los Angeles Clippers
The Lob City Clippers made the playoffs in six straight years (2012-17), but before that, they were the physical embodiment of futility. From 1977 to 2011, they made the playoffs just four times, and had a losing record in 32 of 35 seasons.
- Year established: 1970 (as the Buffalo Braves)
- All-time record: 1,659-2,383 (.410)
- NBA Championships: 0
Notes:
- Jordan has the highest career field goal percentage ever (66.94%) and led the league in the category five different times, trailing only Shaquille O'Neal (10) and Wilt Chamberlain (9).
- McAdoo is one of just eight players in NBA history with at least three scoring titles, joining Neil Johnston (3), George Mikan (3), Allen Iverson (4), George Gervin (4), Kevin Durant (4), Wilt Chamberlain (7) and Michael Jordan (10).
23. Dallas Mavericks
In 1998, Dallas drafted a lanky German kid named Dirk, and in 2000, tech billionaire Mark Cuban bought the team. A franchise mired in a 10-year playoff drought suddenly got the infusion of fresh blood and talent it needed, making the postseason in 12 straight years — and 15 of the next 16 — and winning its lone title over the infamous Heatles in 2011.
- Year established: 1980
- All-time record: 1,615-1,610 (.501)
- NBA Championships: 1
Notes:
- Nowitzki played a record 21 seasons with the Mavs (no one has played more for a single team). He's also eighth in Win Shares (206.34), 11th in made threes (1,982), sixth in points (31,560) and fourth in games played (1,522).
- Dončić may have limited experience, but his résumé is already undeniable. Just before the shutdown, he passed Kidd for most triple-doubles in franchise history, and in the bubble he became a walking highlight reel. MVPs are a matter of when, not if.
22. Brooklyn Nets
Like the Pacers, the Nets rode an ABA dynasty to their only franchise titles. In fact, those two combined to win five of the seven ABA Championships between 1970-and 1976.
- Year established: 1967 (as the ABA's New Jersey Americans)
- All-time record: 1,859-2,435 (.433)
- Championships: 2 (both in ABA)
Notes:
- Erving spent five years in the ABA, winning MVP three times. He's one of just eight players with over 30,000 career points (ABA and NBA combined) and the only one who started in the ABA.
- Kidd's 107 triple-doubles rank fourth all-time, behind Oscar Robertson (181), Russell Westbrook (146) and Magic Johnson (138).
21. Cleveland Cavaliers
What is there to say other than: Down 3-1; the block; the dagger; and "Cleveland! This is for you!" Also, apologies to NBA champion Matthew Dellavedova for not making the roster. You just missed the cut.
- Year established: 1970
- All-time record: 1,867-2,168 (.463)
- NBA Championships: 1
Notes:
- James is third all-time in scoring (34,241), eighth in assists (9,346), fifth in triple-doubles (94), second in PER (27.49) and third in WS (236.44). Oh yeah, he's also won four MVPs, opened a school and started a voting rights group.
- Price has the third-best FT% in NBA history (.9039), behind only Steve Nash (.9043) and Steph Curry (.9056).
20. Atlanta Hawks
For the first half of the Celtics' mega-dynasty (11 titles 1957–69), the Hawks were their chief rival, meeting them in the finals four times and winning the title in 1958. More recently, Atlanta has enjoyed plenty of regular season success but has made just one conference finals since 1970 (swept by Cavs in 2015).
- Year established: 1949 (as the Tri-Cities Hawks)
- All-time record: 2,766-2,853 (.492)
- NBA Championships: 1
Notes:
- Mutombo is second only to Hakeem Olajuwon in blocks (3,289), and he sits just outside the top 20 in rebounds (12,359).
- Pettit and Kobe Bryant are the only two players with four All-Star Game MVPs. He's also just ahead of Mutombo on the all-time rebounds list (12,849).
19. Washington Wizards
Good luck rebounding against this team. Elvin Hayes (No. 6; 16,279), Walt Bellamy (No. 12; 14,241) and Wes Unseld (No. 13; 13,769) rank in the top 13 all-time, and you've still got Chris Webber (No. 78; 8,124) on the bench.
- Year established: 1961 (as the Chicago Packers)
- All-time record: 2,153-2,616 (.451)
- NBA Championships: 1
Notes:
- Bellamy holds one truly wild record, playing 88 games during the 1968-69 regular season, thanks to a midseason trade from the Knicks to the Pistons.
- Arenas was once one of the most cold-blooded scorers in the league. From 2005 to 2007, his 27.7 ppg ranked fourth behind only Kobe Bryant (31.8), Allen Iverson (30.1) and LeBron James (28.6).
18. Phoenix Suns
Mike D'Antoni and Steve Nash joined Phoenix the same year (2004-05), taking over a 29-win team and proceeding to average 58 wins a season for the next four. The coach with the crazy idea ("seven seconds or less") was the perfect match for one of the most electric point guards to ever play the game. Also, remember when they went 8-0 in the bubble and Devin Booker became arguably a top-15 player in the league?
- Year established: 1968
- All-time record: 2,220-1,987 (.528)
- NBA Championships: 0
Notes:
- Nash is one of just 12 players to win consecutive MVPs, and he's also 11th all-time in 3pt% (42.78%), third in assists (10,335) and second in FT% (90.43%).
- Barkley was an enigma. Listed at 6-foot-6, but apparently closer to 6-foot-4, he's the shortest player to ever win a rebounding title (14.6 in 1986-87), and is also 20th all-time (12,546).
17. Sacramento Kings
The Kings enjoyed a run of success in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but could never get past the Lakers. Before that was a 12-year span with just one postseason appearance, and since then they've missed the playoffs in 14 straight seasons — the longest streak in the league.
- Year established: 1948 (as the Rochester Royals)
- All-time record: 2,593-3,094 (.456)
- NBA Championships: 1
Notes:
- Robertson was famously the only player to average a triple-double for a full season (1961-62) before Russell Westbrook matched him a few years ago.
- Lucas holds two of the top 24 rebounding seasons ever, which is extra impressive when you realize Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain combine to hold 20 of them.
16. Orlando Magic
Yes, having both Dwight Howard and Shaquille O'Neal in the starting lineup looks weird. But I had no other choice (considered starting Horace Grant over Dwight but just couldn't do it). Thankfully, young Shaq was extremely agile, making this frontcourt partnership less unwieldy than you might think.
- Year established: 1989
- All-time record: 1,191-1,294 (.479)
- NBA Championships: 0
Notes:
- McGrady is one of just six players with a 32/6/5 season, joining Michael Jordan, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain.
- O'Neal is 10th all-time in points (28,596), 16th in rebounds (13,099), ninth in blocks (2,732) and tied for second with three Finals MVPs.
15. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks' 1970-71 season was straight out of a movie. A 23-year-old future all-time scoring champion (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) teamed up with an aging yet still prolific point guard (Oscar Robertson) to lead Milwaukee to its only title. Unfortunately, this season didn't go quite as well, nearly getting swept out of the playoffs by the Heat.
- Year established: 1968
- All-time record: 2,185-2,022 (.519)
- NBA Championships: 1
Notes:
- Abdul-Jabbar ranks first all-time in points (38,387) and WS (273.41), fourth in rebounds (17,440) and third in blocks (3,189). He also has the most MVPs (six) and set the record for longest gap between Finals MVP (1971 and 1985).
- Antetokounmpo just joined Michael Jordan (1987-88) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94) as the only players to win MVP and Defensive POY in the same season. Decent company.
14. Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray isn't on this roster yet, but he did just about everything in his power these last couple months to change that. No longer a star in the making — he's simply arrived.
- Year established: 1967 (as the ABA's Denver Rockets)
- All-time record: 2,162-2,133 (.504)
- NBA Championships: 0
Notes:
- Jokić has already put himself in the conversation of greatest passing big men ever, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only seven-footers with at least one season averaging 6.5 assists per game (they've both done it twice).
- Thompson's 73-point performance in April 1978 is tied for fourth-most all time. Unfortunately, the Nuggets still lost by two.
13. Portland Trail Blazers
This team's "what-if" factor is off the charts. Brandon Roy was an ascendant superstar before chronic knee injuries forced him to retire at 28; Bill Walton was one of the best college players ever, but foot injuries held him back as a pro; and Arvydas Sabonis made his NBA debut at age 31, having spent his prime playing in Europe.
- Year established: 1970
- All-time record: 2,169-1,875 (.536)
- NBA Championships: 1
Notes:
- Lillard has (thus far, knock on wood) broken free from the what-if curse. Since entering the league in 2012, he's one of just two players (James Harden) with 600 games, 2,500 rebounds, 3,900 assists and 1,500 made threes.
- Drexler was one of just five players during his career (1983-98) with multiple 20/6/6 seasons (Larry Bird, Grant Hill, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan).
12. Houston Rockets
If we could include all centers and past-their-prime superstars in the starting lineup, the Rockets would jump about five spots. Alas, we cannot, but Houston can still take solace in being perhaps the most opportunistic franchise ever, capitalizing on MJ's brief absence by winning back-to-back titles.
- Year established: 1967 (as the San Diego Rockets)
- All-time record: 2,269-2,019 (.529)
- NBA Championships: 2
Notes:
- Olajuwon is not only the all-time leader in blocks with 3,830 (nearly 600 more than anyone else), but he's also 10th all-time in steals (2,162).
- Harden's 36.13 ppg in 2018-19 is the highest total for anyone not named Wilt Chamberlain or Michael Jordan.
11. New York Knicks
The Knicks have the NBA's worst winning percentage this century, so the fact that their all-time winning percentage is .484 is a testament to just how great they were in their heyday. At least the modern iteration of the franchise will always have Linsanity.
- Year established: 1946
- All-time record: 2,799-2,988 (.484)
- NBA Championships: 2
Notes:
- Ewing has the seventh-most blocks ever (2,894), as well as the 25th-most rebounds (11,607) and 28th-most points (24,815).
- King led the NBA in scoring in 1984 (32.3 ppg) while making just one three-pointer the entire season. Over his 874-game career, King sank just 23 triples.
10. Oklahoma City Thunder
It seems no matter where they're located, the Thunder/Sonics attract absurd talent. Arguably the most athletic guard, the best defensive guard, the second-best shooter and perhaps the single biggest scoring threat in league history all sharing one court.
- Year established: 1967 (as the Seattle SuperSonics)
- All-time record: 2,323-1,957 (.543)
- NBA Championships: 1
Notes:
- Allen has hit more three pointers than any other man in history (2,973), and that will remain true for at least another two years (Steph Curry's at 2,495).
- Westbrook has more triple-doubles (146) than anyone not named Oscar Robertson (181). This year was also the first time in four seasons that he didn't average a triple-double.
9. Utah Jazz
The historic pairing of John Stockton and Karl Malone made the playoffs every year for nearly two decades but never quite reached the promised land. A classic "always the bridesmaid" tale.
- Year established: 1974 (as the New Orleans Jazz)
- All-time record: 2,005-1,701 (.541)
- NBA Championships: 0
Notes:
- Stockton is so far in first place on both the all-time assists (15,806; — compared to 12,091 for Jason Kidd) and steals leaderboards (3,265 — compared to 2,684 for Kidd) that it's almost laughable.
- Eaton is the all-time leader in blocks per game (3.5), and he also holds the single-season record with 5.56 a night across a full 82 games in 1984-85.
8. Miami Heat
They might not have won three, four, five ... championships, but two titles and four straight Finals trips for Miami's Big Three was quite an accomplishment nonetheless. Long live "The Heatles."
- Year established: 1988
- All-time record: 1,335-1,224 (.522)
- NBA Championships: 3
Notes:
- Wade's pre-Big Three years had better never get lost to history. From 2003 to 2010, only four players had even one season of 24/5/6 — Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant had one each, Wade had three and LeBron James had six.
- James averaged at least 25 points on 51% shooting in each of his four seasons with Miami. The rest of the NBA combined for just one such season over that span (Kevin Durant, 2013).
7. Detroit Pistons
Few franchises boast eras as dominant — or monikers as catchy — as the Detroit "Bad Boy" Pistons, who reached five straight conference finals (1986-1991), won two championships and engaged in countless brawls.
- Year established: 1948 (as the Fort Wayne Pistons)
- All-time record: 2,753-2,927 (.485)
- NBA Championships: 3
Notes:
- Billups is one of the most unheralded superstars in recent memory: 3x all-NBA, 2x all-defense, Finals MVP and the fifth-best free throw shooter ever (89.4%).
- Thomas had the numbers — ninth-most assists (9,061), 18th-most steals (1,861) — but his essence was never clearer than in his 25-point third quarter on a freshly sprained ankle in the 1988 Finals.
6. Chicago Bulls
Do I even have to say anything here? If not for one player and one unbelievable decade, they'd legitimately be 15-20 spots lower. But man was that decade something else. Consider this: From December 1990 to June 1998 — save for MJ's baseball stint — the Bulls never lost three straight games.
- Year established: 1966
- All-time record: 2,227-2,135 (.511)
- NBA Championships: 6
Notes:
- Jordan is fifth in total points (32,292) and WS (214.02), second in MVPs (5) and first in points per game (30.12), scoring titles (10), PER (27.91) and Finals MVPs (6).
- Rodman's seven rebounding titles are second to Wilt Chamberlain (11), but they all came in consecutive years, which is a record.
5. Philadelphia 76ers
"The Process" is dead. Long live The Process.
- Year established: 1949 (as the Syracuse Nationals)
- All-time record: 2,896-2,719 (.516)
- NBA Championships: 3
Notes:
- Iverson is one of just six players to average 30+ points per game in at least four different seasons, joining Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan.
- Erving is the only player to win MVP in both the ABA (3x; 1974-76) and NBA (1983).
4. Golden State Warriors
Talk about bookending success — the Warriors won the inaugural NBA (then, the BAA) championship in 1947, and now they've been the West's representative in the past five NBA Finals (prior to this year), winning three.
- Year established: 1946 (as the Philadelphia Warriors)
- All-time record: 2,787-2,998 (.482)
- NBA Championships: 6
Notes:
- Chamberlain played six seasons with the Warriors, leading the league in FG% three times, rebounds four times, minutes fives times and points all six years.
- Curry has played 10 full seasons, and he holds six of the top 16 single-season marks for made threes. He's also the all-time FT% leader (90.56%).
3. San Antonio Spurs
Spurs in the Tim Duncan Era — 19 years, 19 playoff appearances, nine conference finals, five NBA Championships and a .709 winning percentage. The Belichick-Brady partnership might be unmatched across all sports, but Popovich and Duncan aren't far behind.
- Year established: 1967 (as the Dallas Chaparrals)
- All-time record: 2,567-1,718 (.599)
- NBA Championships: 5
Notes:
- Duncan is seventh in rebounds (15,091), sixth in blocks (3,020) and is one of five players with at least three Finals MVPs.
- Robinson is seventh in blocks (2,954) and fourth in blocks per game (2.99). He's also one of six players with a 70-point game.
2. Boston Celtics
When asked why he didn't mind his reserve role, John Havlicek once said, "One thing I learned from Red Auerbach was that it's not who starts the game, but who finishes it, and I generally was around at the finish." It's no wonder they stand alone with 17 rings.
- Year established: 1946
- All-time record: 3,421-2,367 (.591)
- NBA Championships: 17
Notes:
- Russell's 21,620 rebounds rank second all-time (Wilt Chamberlain, 23,924) and his 11 rings (including eight straight and two as a player-coach) are the most ever.
- Bird's combined accolades put him on the short list for top-five all time — 12x All-Star, 10x All-NBA, 3x champion, 3x MVP and 2x Finals MVP. The Hick from French Lick could flat out ball.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
It's not unreasonable to say this roster has eight of the top 20 players in NBA history. And, to preemptively answer your two most burning questions: (1) I know Kareem isn't a forward, but he and Shaq will make it work. (2) Despite only being a Laker for two years, there was simply no leaving LeBron off this roster.
- Year established: 1948 (as the Minneapolis Lakers)
- All-time record: 3,382-2,296 (.596)
- NBA Championships: 16
Notes:
- This roster comprises half of the top-10 all-time scoring leaders: Abdul-Jabbar (No. 1), James (No. 3), Bryant (No. 4), Chamberlain (No. 7) and O'Neal (No. 10).
- 💔 RIP, Mamba: Can't believe it's been eight months since we lost Kobe and Gigi.
Stats, explained: Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is a measure of a player's per-minute productivity (20+ is elite); Win Shares (WS) attempts to divvy up individual credit for team success (6 per season is elite).
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