Image: Wiki Commons by Keith Allison
About This Quiz
From downtown! Here comes the alley-oop! Are you ready to take the assist and bring your knowledge down the lane?Â
We're talkin' nothin' but net with this ultimate quiz! Do you think you have what it takes to recognize the greatest basketball players in NBA history? Will you leave it all on the court or will you pack your hightop kicks and head back to the locker room? It's time to see just how well you know the Tom Bradys of the NBA - a.k.a. the GOATs!
From the days of Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the new era of LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the NBA has scouted, drafted and cultivated a long list of incredible players. Sports columnists and fans for the ages will debate the question until the end of time. Who are the greatest players to have ever graced this game? Be it Michael Jordan's dunk, Shaquille O'Neal's towering presence or Ray Allen's 3-point slice of heaven, each player featured in this quiz has earned his spot. So we want to know, can you recognize them all? It's time to make your way to center court. Can you win the tip-off? Wilt you ace this quiz? Remember to play through to the buzzer and be sure not to travel!
Michael Jordan
Arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. He not only won six NBA championships, but he was named the Finals MVP each time!
Dirk Nowitzki
Dwyane Wade
Jason Kidd
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Jason Kidd
Moses Malone
Moses Malone was a center in the NBA from 1974 to 1995. He was a 12-time All-Star and scored 29,580 points throughout his career. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.
Karl Malone
Clyde Drexler
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Clyde Drexler
John Stockton
Kobe Bryant
Over the course of his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant scored 33,643 points and won five NBA championships! Both of his numbers, 8 and 24, were retired by the Lakers on December 18, 2017. He wore each number for 10 years.
Kevin Garnett
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Kevin Garnett
LeBron James
Stephen Curry
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon was the No. 1 overall pick of the 1984 NBA draft. He played 17 of his 18 NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets, and he retired with the Toronto Raptors in 2002. He had a career total of 26,946 points.
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Julius Erving
Oscar Robertson
Oscar "The Big O" Robinson was a point guard for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks from 1960 to 1974. A 12-time NBA All-Star, he helped lead the Bucks to the championship in 1971. He was named Mr. Basketball USA in 1956.
Elgin Baylor
Kawhi Leonard
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Jerry West
Jerry West was a point guard and shooting guard with the Lakers from 1960 to 1974. During his career, he recorded more than 25,000 points, 5,366 rebounds and 6,238 assists. He later coached the team from 1976 to 1979.
Kawhi Leonard
Bob Cousy
Magic Johnson
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Magic Johnson
Isiah Thomas
Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce was selected by the Boston Celtics in the 1998 NBA draft. Ten years later, he won the championship with the team and was named Finals MVP. Did you know that his nickname, "The Truth," was given to him by Shaquille O'Neal?
Allen Iverson
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Allen Iverson
Walt Frazier
Clyde Drexler
Karl Malone
Karl Malone had a decorated career in the NBA. He is a two-time league MVP and a 14-time All-Star. Considered one of the best power forwards in NBA history, he currently holds the record for most free throws attempted and made.
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Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki played with the Dallas Mavericks since the beginning of his career in 1998. He retired with the team in 2019. He not only won the NBA championship with the team in 2011, but he was also named Finals MVP. He was named MVP of the league in 2007 - the same year he became a member of the 50-40-90 club!
Clyde Drexler
Bob Pettit
Reggie Miller
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Reggie Miller
George Mikan
Julius Erving
Julius Erving played professional basketball for 16 seasons with the Virginia Squires, New York Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. He retired, as an All-Star with a total of 30,026 points! He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. He was known by his nickname, Dr. J.
Elvin Hayes
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Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history and he is only 10 years into his career. He has already won three NBA championships with the Warriors and was named NBA MVP in 2015 and 2016.
Elvin Hayes
Patrick Ewing
Shaquille O’Neal
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Shaquille O’Neal
Larry Bird
Tim Duncan
LeBron James
LeBron James is the present day Michael Jordan if you will! The No. 1 draft pick of 2003, James has won three championships, three Finals MVP awards, four NBA MVP awards and was named an All-Star 15 out of 16 seasons thus far. Will he reach six championships like Jordan? Time will tell.
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Charles Barkley
Along with his successful NBA career, Charles Barkley was a member of the U.S. Olympic "Dream Team" that won gold in 1992 and 1996. Did you know that he has been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame twice? Once in 2006 for his own career, and again in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team."
Tim Duncan
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Bill Russell
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Bill Russell
Chris Paul
Chris Paul is a nine-time NBA All-Star and earned the title of All-Star Game MVP in 2013. He was also the 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year. He has also been the president of the National Basketball Players Association since 2013.
Dominique Wilkins
Dwight Howard
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Dwight Howard
Elvin Hayes
Dolph Schayes
Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen is considered one of the best small forwards of all time. He played 17 seasons in the NBA, mostly with the Chicago Bulls who retired his No. 33 on December 9, 2005.
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Dolph Schayes
John Stockton
John Stockton played his entire 19-year career with the Utah Jazz. He holds the records for most career assists and steals. Throughout his career, he had 15,806 assists and 3,265 steals.
Tim Duncan
Kevin McHale
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Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant was selected second overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2007 NBA draft. He went on to become the 2008 Rookie of the Year and joined the 50-40-90 club in 2013. He is a two-time NBA champion and a Finals MVP!
Kevin McHale
Dwight Howard
Walt Frazier
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Walt Frazier
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade has played in the NBA since 2003, mostly with the Miami Heat. He is Miami's all-time leader in points, games, shots made, shots taken and steals. He also has three NBA championships and one Finals MVP award.
Reggie Miller
Ray Allen
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Ray Allen
Wilt Chamberlain
Patrick Ewing
Kevin Garnett
Did you know that Kevin Garnett was the first NBA player in 20 years to be drafted directly out of high school? He was selected by the Timberwolves in 1995 and retired in 2016 with 26,071 points, 14,662 rebounds and 5,445 assists.
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Oscar Robertson
Stephen Curry
David Robinson
David Robinson played his entire 15-season career as a center for the San Antonio Spurs. A decorated player, he helped the Spurs win championships in 1999 and in his final year, 2003. His No. 50 was retired by the Spurs that same year.
Patrick Ewing
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Steve Nash
Steve Nash was a point guard in the NBA for 18 seasons. He played with the Suns, Mavericks and Lakers, and is a four-time member of the 50-40-90 club. He was named NBA MVP in 2005 and 2006.
Oscar Robertson
Kawhi Leonard
Chris Paul
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Chris Paul
Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd was the NBA assists leader five times during his 19-year playing career? Immediately following his retirement in 2013, he became the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.
Moses Malone
Dwyane Wade
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Dwyane Wade
Elgin Baylor
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history to score 100 points in a single game. On March 2, 1962, the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the New York Knicks 169 - 147. Chamberlain scored 100 of the Warriors' points during that game. In addition to his many accomplishments, "Wilt the Stilt" was also a two-time NBA champion.
LeBron James
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Clyde Drexler
Clyde Drexler was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1983 and finished his career with the Houston Rockets in 1998. He is a 10-time NBA All-Star and helped lead the Rockets to victory in the 1995 title series!
LeBron James
Scottie Pippen
George Mikan
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George Mikan
Jerry West
Kevin Durant
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing attended Georgetown University and was part of the NCAA championship team in 1984. Though he never won an NBA title, he played in the NBA for 17 seasons and scored 24,815 points. His No. 33 was retired by the Knicks in 2003.
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Kevin Durant
Walt Frazier
Walt Frazier was selected fifth overall by the New York Knicks in the 1967 NBA draft. As a point guard, he helped lead the team to two championships, in 1970 and 1973. He retired with a total of 15,581 points, 4,830 rebounds and 5,040 assists.
Jason Kidd
Clyde Drexler
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Clyde Drexler
Hakeem Olajuwon
John Havlicek
John Havlicek is one of three NBA players who have won eight championships. A career-long small forward and shooting guard for the Boston Celtics, he helped lead the team to eight titles: 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966 (his first four years in the league0, 1968, 1969, 1974 and 1976. His nickname, Hondo, is said to have been inspired by the John Wayne movie of the same name.
Rick Barry
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Rick Barry
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal was the 1993 Rookie of the Year, and the remainder of his career sure lived up to it. Throughout his 19 years in the NBA, he earned four championship titles, three Finals MVP awards, and he was twice-named league scoring champion.
Steve Nash
Julius Erving
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Julius Erving
Bob Cousy
Allen Iverson
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas played his entire career with the Detroit Pistons. He was the NBA assists leader in 1995 and won two championships with the team, in 1989 and 1990. He later became the head coach of the Indiana Pacers and then of the New York Knicks.
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Allen Iverson
Chris Paul
Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy finished his 13-year career with 16,960 points, 4,786 rebounds and 6,955 assists. He was the first president of the National Basketball Players Association, a labor union formed in 1954 to represent NBA players.
Scottie Pippen
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George Mikan
George Mikan was such a force on the court that the NBA had no choice but to introduce two new rules. The first was the "Mikan Rule" - also known as the goaltending rule - and the other was the creation of the shot clock. Mikan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959.
Scottie Pippen
Dirk Nowitzki
Kobe Bryant
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Kobe Bryant
Oscar Robertson
Rick Barry
Rick Barry was a small forward who played for the Warriors, Oaks, Caps, Nets and Rockets during his career, which spanned from 1965 to 1980. He was famous for his underhand free throw shots and made nearly 90 percent of them throughout his career! He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.
Paul Pierce
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Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson played with Los Angeles from 1979 to 1991, did a year-long stint as their coach in 1994 and returned as a player in 1996. He is a five-time champion, three-time Finals MVP and three-time league MVP.
Paul Pierce
Kawhi Leonard
Kobe Bryant
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Dolph Schayes
Dolph Schayes played 16 seasons in the NBA, from 1948 to 1964, and was a 12-time All-Star. He won the championship with the 76ers in 1955. Schayes was the 1951 rebounding leader.
Kobe Bryant
Karl Malone
Kevin Garnett
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Kevin Garnett
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (formerly Lew Alcindor) is a six-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP. He was the first overall pick out of UCLA in 1966 and retired in 1989 with a total of 38,387 points and 17,440 rebounds!
Elgin Baylor
John Stockton
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