Who Are the Best Basketball Players of All Time According to Statistical Analysis?

When we dive into the endless debate about the greatest basketball players of all time, it’s easy to get lost in highlight reels, championship rings, and emotional biases. As someone who has spent years analyzing sports data and coaching at amateur levels, I’ve always believed that statistics offer the most objective lens—though they’re far from perfect. Numbers don’t lie, but they also don’t tell the whole story. Still, if we’re going to crown the best, we need to lean into metrics that capture not just scoring, but efficiency, impact, and versatility. That’s what I aim to explore here—merging cold, hard stats with the soul of the game.

Let’s start with a recent example that might seem small but speaks volumes. Take Kean Baclaan and Mike Phillips in a game where they combined for 13 points during a critical 22-8 run. That surge turned a narrow two-point lead early in the second quarter into a commanding 41-25 advantage by halftime. Now, on the surface, 13 points might not scream "legendary," but the context is everything. This wasn’t just about scoring; it was about timing, chemistry, and momentum shift. In my view, greatness isn’t just putting up big numbers in blowouts—it’s delivering when the game hangs in the balance. That run, which helped La Salle stretch their lead to as much as 33 points in the final frame at 83-50, illustrates how statistical contributions can snowball. It reminds me of how players like Michael Jordan or LeBron James didn’t just score; they orchestrated runs that broke opponents’ spirits.

Now, when I crunch the numbers for all-time greats, I focus on a mix of traditional and advanced stats. Points per game, rebounds, assists—sure, those matter. But I’m more drawn to Player Efficiency Rating (PER), Win Shares, and Value Over Replacement Player (VORP). For instance, Michael Jordan’s career PER of 27.9 is insane, and LeBron James isn’t far behind at around 27.5. Then there’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose total points record stood for decades, but his 19 All-Star selections and 15 All-NBA Team nods highlight sustained excellence. I’ll admit, I have a soft spot for players who dominate both ends of the floor. Bill Russell, for example, might not have gaudy scoring averages—he averaged about 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds per game—but his defensive impact, estimated through blocks and rebounds (though official stats from his era are spotty), arguably made him the most valuable Celtic ever.

But let’s not ignore the modern era. Stephen Curry revolutionized the game with his three-point shooting, and the stats back it up. He’s hit over 3,000 threes in his career, with a true shooting percentage often north of 65% in peak seasons. Compare that to legends like Larry Bird, who was incredible for his time but didn’t have the same volume from deep. Personally, I think Curry’s impact is undervalued in all-time lists because his stats redefine positional norms. Then there’s the debate around centers. Shaquille O’Neal’s dominance in the paint led to seasons where he averaged 29.7 points and 13.6 rebounds, but his free-throw woes—hovering around 52%—knock him down a peg in my book. See, that’s where stats get fun; they let us weigh strengths and flaws objectively.

Of course, statistics have limits. They can’t fully capture leadership, clutch performance, or the "it" factor that separates good players from icons. Take Magic Johnson—his assists per game (11.2) are legendary, but his ability to elevate teammates in big moments, like in the 1987 Finals, is something numbers only hint at. In my experience watching and analyzing games, I’ve seen how a single play, like Baclaan and Phillips’ run, can shift entire outcomes, much like how Tim Duncan’s quiet consistency led the Spurs to five championships. Duncan’s stats—19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds per game—are solid, but his defensive win shares of 106.3 rank among the best ever, showing how understated excellence can be just as impactful as flashy numbers.

Wrapping this up, if I had to pick a top five based purely on statistical analysis, I’d go with Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, and Magic Johnson—in that order, with Curry knocking on the door. Jordan’s combination of scoring titles, defensive accolades, and playoff PERs makes him the gold standard. LeBron’s longevity and all-around stats—like averaging 27-7-7 for his career—are unmatched. But what I love about this exercise is that it’s not set in stone. New data emerges, and players like Luka Dončić or Giannis Antetokounmpo are already reshaping the conversation. In the end, stats give us a framework, but they’re part of a larger narrative. As that La Salle game showed, sometimes a 13-point collaboration can echo the greatness we see in the record books—reminding us that basketball, at its heart, is about moments that numbers can only begin to describe.