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Last updated Oct 6, 2026

Regular-season impact only · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded

All-Time NBA Regular-Season Rankings

An exploratory comparison of NBA careers relative to each player's own league. Compare best three, best five, best ten, and total regular-season value.

76 NBA seasons · 4,811 careers · 25,093 player-seasons included

Featured comparisonLarry Bird vs. Magic Johnson: Why Bird ranks higher all timeRead the analysis →

Historical evidence is exploratory. Seasons through 1972–73 reconstruct missing box-score inputs. The Historical Defense Estimate is contextual and correlational, and the published ranges do not include structural model uncertainty.

Peak-weighted career ranking

How Peak-weighted works

50% Best 3 average + 30% Best 5 average + 20% Best 10 average. Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes receive 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights. The overlapping windows give the best three seasons 74% of the score. Lower is better. A qualified season requires 450 minutes. Missing seasons receive a replacement finish one place below the median qualified-player field size across that player's qualified seasons. MVP voting, championships, and playoff results are not inputs.

Full methodology →

3,165 eligible for this ranking · 1,646 without a 450-minute qualified season

Lower is better. Use View for the evidence or Compare to put two careers side by side.

Swipe for more career stats →

1Kareem Abdul-JabbarLAL / MIL · 9 No. 1 · 13 top-five · Career Value #2
Early seasons estimated		1.021.0all-time #11.0all-time #11.1all-time #1910,294#2
2Michael JordanCHI / WAS · 8 No. 1 · 12 top-five · Career Value #4
1.041.0all-time #21.0all-time #21.2all-time #289,327#4
3Wilt ChamberlainLAL / PHI / PHW / SFW · 7 No. 1 · 14 top-five · Career Value #3
Historical estimate		1.061.0all-time #31.0all-time #31.3all-time #379,955#3
4LeBron JamesCLE / LAL / MIA · 6 No. 1 · 15 top-five · Career Value #1
1.101.0all-time #41.0all-time #41.5all-time #4612,143#1
5Kevin GarnettBOS / BRK / MIN · 3 No. 1 · 10 top-five · Career Value #6
1.501.0all-time #81.4all-time #82.9all-time #737,631#6
6David RobinsonSAS · 4 No. 1 · 8 top-five · Career Value #22
1.541.0all-time #61.2all-time #63.4all-time #846,085#22
7Jerry WestLAL · 2 No. 1 · 13 top-five · Career Value #13
Historical estimate		1.571.3all-time #111.6all-time #92.1all-time #526,443#13
8Nikola JokićDEN · 5 No. 1 · 7 top-five · Career Value #12
1.601.0all-time #51.0all-time #54.0all-time #1656,557#12
9Larry BirdBOS · 4 No. 1 · 7 top-five · Career Value #20
1.601.0all-time #71.2all-time #73.7all-time #1246,247#20
10Bob PettitMLH / STL · 3 No. 1 · 7 top-five · Career Value #40
Historical estimate		1.861.0all-time #92.0all-time #123.8all-time #1434,307#40
11Magic JohnsonLAL · 1 No. 1 · 11 top-five · Career Value #16
1.911.7all-time #171.8all-time #112.7all-time #616,378#16
12Elgin BaylorLAL / MNL · 2 No. 1 · 6 top-five · Career Value #30
Historical estimate		2.031.3all-time #141.8all-time #104.1all-time #1724,809#30
13Stephen CurryGSW · 2 No. 1 · 6 top-five · Career Value #14
2.191.3all-time #132.2all-time #144.3all-time #1926,430#14
14Giannis AntetokounmpoMIL · 1 No. 1 · 9 top-five · Career Value #27
2.211.7all-time #182.2all-time #153.6all-time #915,415#27
15Shaquille O'NealBOS / CLE / LAL / MIA / ORL / PHO · 2 No. 1 · 8 top-five · Career Value #25
2.271.3all-time #122.4all-time #184.4all-time #2025,683#25
16Chris PaulGSW / HOU / LAC / NOH / NOK / OKC / PHO / SAS · 0 No. 1 · 8 top-five · Career Value #8
2.402.0all-time #222.2all-time #163.7all-time #1307,175#8
17Oscar RobertsonCIN / MIL · 0 No. 1 · 8 top-five · Career Value #10
Early seasons estimated		2.442.0all-time #232.4all-time #213.6all-time #1106,676#10
18Kevin DurantBRK / GSW / HOU / OKC / PHO / SEA · 0 No. 1 · 7 top-five · Career Value #9
2.482.0all-time #242.4all-time #223.8all-time #1507,059#9
19Dolph SchayesPHI / SYR · 0 No. 1 · 7 top-five · Career Value #68
Historical estimate		2.742.0all-time #252.2all-time #175.4all-time #2203,383#68
20James HardenBRK / CLE / HOU / LAC / OKC / PHI · 2 No. 1 · 5 top-five · Career Value #11
2.751.3all-time #162.4all-time #196.8all-time #2726,560#11
21John StocktonUTA · 0 No. 1 · 9 top-five · Career Value #5
2.892.7all-time #302.8all-time #233.6all-time #1007,983#5
22Julius ErvingPHI · 2 No. 1 · 6 top-five · Career Value #39
2.971.3all-time #152.0all-time #138.5all-time #3424,430#39
23Karl MaloneLAL / UTA · 0 No. 1 · 5 top-five · Career Value #7
3.192.3all-time #263.2all-time #255.3all-time #2107,363#7
24Bill RussellBOS · 0 No. 1 · 10 top-five · Career Value #19
Historical estimate		3.363.0all-time #333.4all-time #284.2all-time #1806,251#19
25Dwyane WadeCHI / CLE / MIA · 1 No. 1 · 6 top-five · Career Value #31
3.451.7all-time #192.4all-time #209.5all-time #3914,807#31
26Bob LanierDET / MIL · 0 No. 1 · 5 top-five · Career Value #41
Early seasons estimated		3.692.3all-time #273.2all-time #267.8all-time #3004,221#41
27Tracy McGradyATL / DET / HOU / NYK / ORL / TOR · 1 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #37
3.782.0all-time #213.2all-time #249.1all-time #3714,478#37
28Bob CousyBOS / CIN · 0 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #67
Historical estimate		3.812.7all-time #313.6all-time #297.0all-time #2903,393#67
29Charles BarkleyHOU / PHI / PHO · 0 No. 1 · 6 top-five · Career Value #23
4.013.3all-time #384.0all-time #315.7all-time #2306,058#23
30Tim DuncanSAS · 0 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #15
4.073.3all-time #404.2all-time #365.7all-time #2406,394#15
31Hakeem OlajuwonHOU / TOR · 0 No. 1 · 5 top-five · Career Value #18
4.293.7all-time #464.2all-time #346.0all-time #2506,267#18
32Manu GinóbiliSAS · 0 No. 1 · 5 top-five · Career Value #65
4.373.3all-time #393.8all-time #307.8all-time #3103,407#65
33Kobe BryantLAL · 0 No. 1 · 5 top-five · Career Value #21
4.473.7all-time #474.2all-time #356.9all-time #2806,096#21
34Scottie PippenCHI / HOU / POR · 0 No. 1 · 3 top-five · Career Value #29
4.732.3all-time #284.0all-time #3311.8all-time #4604,934#29
35Kawhi LeonardLAC / SAS / TOR · 0 No. 1 · 3 top-five · Career Value #44
4.833.3all-time #445.0all-time #418.3all-time #3304,051#44
36Walt FrazierCLE / NYK · 0 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #54
Early seasons estimated		4.963.0all-time #344.0all-time #3211.3all-time #4403,675#54
37Clyde DrexlerHOU / POR · 0 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #26
5.024.0all-time #514.8all-time #397.9all-time #3205,593#26
38Joel EmbiidPHI · 1 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #97
5.092.7all-time #295.0all-time #4011.3all-time #4212,842#97
39Sam JonesBOS · 0 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #77
Historical estimate		5.234.7all-time #585.2all-time #436.7all-time #2603,218#77
40Anthony DavisDAL / LAL / NOH / NOP · 0 No. 1 · 2 top-five · Career Value #38
5.253.7all-time #505.2all-time #459.3all-time #3804,452#38
41Vince CarterATL / DAL / MEM / NJN / ORL / PHO / SAC / TOR · 1 No. 1 · 3 top-five · Career Value #32
5.653.7all-time #455.2all-time #4211.3all-time #4314,805#32
42Dirk NowitzkiDAL · 0 No. 1 · 2 top-five · Career Value #24
5.814.7all-time #595.6all-time #479.0all-time #3606,053#24
43Jimmy ButlerCHI / GSW / MIA / MIN / PHI · 0 No. 1 · 2 top-five · Career Value #42
5.914.3all-time #546.0all-time #519.7all-time #4004,191#42
44Jason KiddDAL / NJN / NYK / PHO · 0 No. 1 · 2 top-five · Career Value #17
6.125.0all-time #616.4all-time #568.5all-time #3506,267#17
45Ed MacauleyBOS / STL · 3 No. 1 · 3 top-five · Career Value #174
Historical estimate		6.381.0all-time #103.4all-time #2724.3all-time #8732,034#174
46Tom GolaNYK / PHW / SFW · 0 No. 1 · 3 top-five · Career Value #153
Historical estimate		6.953.3all-time #435.8all-time #4917.7all-time #6302,193#153
47John HavlicekBOS · 0 No. 1 · 2 top-five · Career Value #34
Early seasons estimated		6.995.3all-time #657.2all-time #6310.8all-time #4104,586#34
48Andrei KirilenkoBRK / MIN / UTA · 0 No. 1 · 2 top-five · Career Value #92
7.214.3all-time #566.4all-time #5715.6all-time #5602,937#92
49Paul ArizinPHW · 1 No. 1 · 1 top-five · Career Value #132
Historical estimate		7.305.0all-time #606.8all-time #5813.8all-time #5212,458#132
50Wes UnseldBAL / CAP / WSB · 0 No. 1 · 1 top-five · Career Value #47
Early seasons estimated		7.566.0all-time #747.0all-time #6112.3all-time #4803,998#47