NBA: Top 5 guards of all time

I recently read an article which quoted Michael Jordan as saying that he could have beaten LeBron James one-on-one in his prime, but wouldn’t be so sure of beating Kobe Bryant in his prime. Reading this article got me thinking once again about the never ending debate: “Who’s better? Jordan or Bryant or James?”.

Now, we cannot really compare Jordan and Bryant to James. After all, the former two are guards, while James is a forward and they have plenty of physical disparities. But what we can do, is compare players who play at the same positions. I chose the older traditional format and decided to compare Guards with Guards, Forwards with Forwards, and centers with centers. So, this article is the first of 3 such articles. Today, we’ll take a look at the top 5 guards to have ever played in the NBA.

Who am I to make such a list? Just another NBA fan and sportswriter, who wants to end this debate once and for all.

Methodology

Ranking the top 5 guards of all time is, well, insane. However, I have tried to be a little methodical about it.

Firstly, I should have seen them play, even if it’s only on videos on the internet. I cannot possibly take into account players like Bob Cousy or Paul Arizin merely because I heard that they were legends.

Secondly, I did not base this list solely on statistics. Stats are great, but nobody needs a list compiled by a person if they merely want to compare statistics. All you need is a website which gives you PER or win shares or usage % or some other designer stat. So, I considered the totality of their statistics, how much each player impacted his team and how highly they were regarded both on and off the court.

Also, all players on this must be well known enough that I don’t have to dig enough statistics to show how good each of them was.

Now that we have established that, let’s get started.

5. Kobe Bryant, 1996-Present, Los Angeles Lakers

Career Averages: 25.5 PPG; 5.3 rebounds; 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals

That’s right. This list is so talented that Bryant, possibly one of the most lethal scorers in the history of the game, is ranked at no. 5.

Bryant has won 5 NBA Championships, 1 MVP award, has been named to the All-Star roster 15 times and has led the league in scoring twice. He’s played an incredible 220 games and has been the leader of the Los Angeles Lakers ever since Shaq left.

A protegé of Phil Jackson’s (there’s one more of his on this list), Bryant is one of the fiercest competitors this game has ever seen. His never-say-die attitude has made him one of the longest playing guards in the NBA right now.

Will he able to rebound from his injuries, carry the Lakers one last time and be able to add to his 5 championship rings? Probably not. But if there’s one thing which we have learnt watching this guy play, it’s this: Don’t count out the Mamba.

4. Jerry West, 1960-1974, Los Angeles Lakers

Career Averages: 27.0 ppg; 5.8 rebounds; 6.7 assists

Every single NBA fan has seen West without actually realizing it. Jerry West is the player who’s silhouette currently serves as the NBA logo, thus earning him the nickname, “The Logo”.

West is arguable the greatest Laker ever. He played for them his entire career, coached them for 4 years, and was their general manager from 1982-2002, winning 5 championships, 1 as a player and 4 as an executive.

West’s nickname during his career as a player was “Mr. Clutch” for his ability to make a big play in a clutch situation, such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.

Among retired players, there are only 4 players, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan and Elgin Baylor, who exceed his career average of 27 PPG. Currently, West serves as a head consultant for the Golden State warriors, and also owns an undisclosed minority stake in the franchise.

3. Oscar Robertson; 1960-1974, Cincinnati Royals, Milwaukee Bucks

Career Averages: 25.7 ppg; 7.5 rebounds; 9.5 assists

During the first eight years of his career, “The Big O” had just two seasons, in which he averaged less than 30 PPG. Robertson was a player who managed to stack up the stats like noone else.

He was a 6’5″ Guard, and he averaged a triple double season in the 1961-62 season with 30.8 p/12.5 /11.4 a. He also came close to averaging triple-doubles in four other seasons.

One of the biggest contributions he made to the game wasn’t one he made as a player. It was one as an activist, as a fighter for the players. In 1970, the players filed an anti-trust suit, named the Oscar Robertson suit, led to an extensive reform of the league’s strict free agency and draft rules and, subsequently, to higher salaries for all players.

Robertson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.

2. Magic Johnson, 1979-1991; 1995-1996 Los Angeles Lakers

Career Averages: 19.5 ppg; 7.2 rebounds; 11.2 assists; 1.9 steals

A unique player if there ever was one. The tallest player to play as a Point Guard, the 6’9″ Johnson is a 5 time NBA Champion and a 3 time MVP.

Johnson teamed up with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and together the duo took the Lakers to unparalleled heights. Johnson was so talented that right from his rookie year, he was expected to be the man who could help Abdul-Jabbar win a championship. Together, they won five championships.

Magic was more like a bigger Oscar Robertson, except Magic didn’t have the same scoring prowess. However, for a 6’9″ player, his ball handling skills were incredible. He could also fill in as a SF/PF due to his height.

1. Michael Jordan; 1984-1998; 2001-2003 Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards

Career Averages: 30.1 ppg; 6.2 rebounds; 5.3 assists; 2.3 steals

Honestly, did you expect anyone else?

Jordan is the greatest offensive player to have ever graced this game, period. He won 6 championships with the bulls. The first three-peat came between 1991 and 1993 following which Jordan retired to pursue a career in baseball, which in short was disastrous. He returned to the NBA in 1995 and joined his fellow teammate Scottie Pippen. Together, they achieved yet another three-peat from 1996-98.

He played an incredible role in popularising the game and was part of the 1992 and 1996 dream teams.

Jordan played two forgettable seasons for the Washington Wizards. Forgettable? Maybe by his standards. In fact, he averaged 20+ PPG during both those seasons.

This protegé of Phil Jackson was probably the main reason why the game of basketball even reached countries like ours.