Check out the previous entries in ClutchPoints' 100 greatest NBA players of all time series based on Josh Eberley's E-Rank: 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51
As we enter the top 50, the peak of the mountain is now in view. Legends of every era abound from 50-41 … but also an active 27-year-old who just stamped his Hall of Fame resume.
E-Rank Insight: Of the 23 factors, being the best player on a championship team and winning the MVP award were rewarded with the highest boost.
A question for you the reader: The MVP awards are all equal in the history books, but do you think MVP winners should’ve been given more or less weight for the year they won the award?
Check out the gallery for players 50-41 on the list.
50. Kevin McHale 419.6 (75th Anniversary Team)
Kevin McHale was Manu Ginobili before Manu Ginobili. The pivotal second-best player on a dynasty team that effortlessly switched roles whenever the team needed it. Sixth Man of the Year but also an All-NBA player who saw his name on Defensive Player of the Year and MVP ballots. A highly efficient scorer and defensive jack of all trades.
49. Clyde Drexler 423.8 (75th Anniversary Team)
If Damian Lillard had won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks, it’s insane how similar their careers might’ve been. Clyde Drexler carried the torch for a long time on a damn good Portland Trail Blazers team that reached the NBA Finals twice, only to lose to the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls. Drexler's second chapter as a Houston Rocket, winning as the No. 2 option — albeit on an already proven title team — solidified his high standing on this list.
48. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 429.5
If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander retired tomorrow, he’d be in the Hall of Fame. Again, this exercise will always be subjective. Someone out there right now is wondering, why is SGA ahead of Luka Doncic or Jayson Tatum, or any of the modern names we’ve already seen appear? But that’s the wrong question. The reality is that SGA has already run the gauntlet: Champion, MVP, Finals MVP, scoring champion, All-NBA First Team, and an extremely high analytical peak. The right question is this: How high is he going to finish? Because people need to be prepared for the ball to keep rolling.
47. Willis Reed 438.45 (75th Anniversary Team)
His return to the floor in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals might be one of the league's all-time most legendary moments. Twice Willis Reed saw Wilt Chamberlain across him in the NBA Finals. On both occasions, Reed left with the ring and the Finals MVP. With an MVP to his name as well, Reed was just an absolute titan of the sport.
46. Allen Iverson 446.6 (75th Anniversary Team)
There was no boost or bonus for influence on the culture of the sport, and still Allen Iverson is way up in the top 50. He didn’t win a ring, he wasn’t overly efficient, and his statistical peak isn’t remarkable in the grand scheme. But his resilience and creativity as a scorer and profound impact on the sport as a whole led him to four scoring titles and an MVP award. AI also came close to a ring, but he was thwarted by Shaq and Kobe's Los Angeles Lakers.
45. Walt Frazier 448.025 (75th Anniversary Team)
Arguably the coolest man in basketball history, period. Walt Frazier’s smooth game made him a two-way superstar in the heart of Madison Square Garden. Frazier and Willis Reed formed a truly formidable pairing. Frazier’s 36 points, 19 assists, and seven rebounds in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals remains one of the greatest closeout efforts in league history. A lockdown perimeter defender, a conductor of the offense, and a cultural icon, Frazier remains the beacon of the Knicks’ greatest era of basketball.
44. Artis Gilmore 453.25
How Artis Gilmore missed the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team is beyond my understanding. Even if you discount his time in the ABA tremendously, he was a six-time NBA All-Star and one of the best shot blockers of all time. He retired as the league’s all-time leader in field goal percentage, a hyper-efficient traditional big in the era where they were most valued. Winning an MVP and a title before he even came to the NBA can’t just be ignored!
43. George Gervin 453.45 (75th Anniversary Team)
The Iceman had one of the best nicknames in NBA history to go along with arguably the best at-the-rim finishing moves for 50 years. George Gervin won four scoring titles, made nine All-NBA/ABA Teams, and earned 12 All-Star nods to form an impeccable resume. Few players would’ve benefited more from a legacy and narrative-changing championship run than Gervin.
42. Dolph Schayes 464.4 (75th Anniversary Team)
A pioneer of the forward position, Dolph Schayes was one of the first true stars of the NBA’s early years. His consistency and durability were unmatched in his time. A champion and 12-time All-Star, Schayes’ shooting range was way ahead of his era. Fortunately for Schayes and Syracuse, he was able to sneak a championship out just prior to the era of Boston green.
41. Gary Payton 479.35 (75th Anniversary Team)
Only a few players have been so elite in a specific facet of the game that every prospect to come after them gets the “could be the next” treatment when they show comparable promise in that skill set. Gary Payton is that guy for perimeter defense, as every young guard with some fire and talent as a perimeter defender gets the comparison drawn. In a time of giants, Payton’s Defensive Player of the Year rings loud. One can’t help but wonder what happens if The Glove drew the Michael Jordan assignment the entirety of the 1996 NBA Finals.
