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Explore rankings
Last updated Jul 22, 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

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.

Overall career ranking

How Overall works

(Best 3 average + Best 5 average + Best 10 average) ÷ 3 − repeat-#1 bonus. The average of Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 league finishes, minus a small maturity-adjusted bonus for repeated #1 seasons. Lower is better. A qualified season requires 450 minutes; missing slots count as a #25 finish. 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.

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1Kareem Abdul-JabbarLAL / MIL · 9 No. 1 · 13 top-five · Career Value #2
Early seasons estimated		0.031.0all-time #11.0all-time #11.1all-time #1910,294#2
2Michael JordanCHI / WAS · 8 No. 1 · 12 top-five · Career Value #4
0.071.0all-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		0.101.0all-time #31.0all-time #31.3all-time #379,955#3
4LeBron JamesCLE / LAL / MIA · 6 No. 1 · 15 top-five · Career Value #1
0.171.0all-time #41.0all-time #41.5all-time #4612,143#1
5David RobinsonSAS · 4 No. 1 · 8 top-five · Career Value #22
0.871.0all-time #61.2all-time #63.4all-time #846,085#22
6Larry BirdBOS · 4 No. 1 · 7 top-five · Career Value #20
0.971.0all-time #71.2all-time #73.7all-time #1246,247#20
7Kevin GarnettBOS / BRK / MIN · 3 No. 1 · 10 top-five · Career Value #6
1.021.0all-time #81.4all-time #82.9all-time #737,631#6
8Nikola JokićDEN · 5 No. 1 · 7 top-five · Career Value #12
1.081.0all-time #51.0all-time #54.0all-time #1656,557#12
9Jerry WestLAL · 2 No. 1 · 13 top-five · Career Value #13
Historical estimate		1.181.3all-time #111.6all-time #92.1all-time #526,443#13
10Bob PettitMLH / STL · 3 No. 1 · 7 top-five · Career Value #40
Historical estimate		1.581.0all-time #92.0all-time #123.8all-time #1434,307#40
11Magic JohnsonLAL · 1 No. 1 · 11 top-five · Career Value #16
1.811.7all-time #171.8all-time #112.7all-time #616,378#16
12Elgin BaylorLAL / MNL · 2 No. 1 · 6 top-five · Career Value #30
Historical estimate		1.911.3all-time #141.8all-time #104.1all-time #1724,809#30
13Stephen CurryGSW · 2 No. 1 · 6 top-five · Career Value #14
2.111.3all-time #132.2all-time #144.3all-time #1926,430#14
14Shaquille O'NealBOS / CLE / LAL / MIA / ORL / PHO · 2 No. 1 · 8 top-five · Career Value #25
2.211.3all-time #122.4all-time #184.4all-time #2025,683#25
15Giannis AntetokounmpoMIL · 1 No. 1 · 9 top-five · Career Value #27
2.241.7all-time #182.2all-time #153.6all-time #915,415#27
16Chris PaulGSW / HOU / LAC / NOH / NOK / OKC / PHO / SAS · 0 No. 1 · 8 top-five · Career Value #8
2.632.0all-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		2.672.0all-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
2.732.0all-time #242.4all-time #223.8all-time #1507,059#9
19James HardenBRK / CLE / HOU / LAC / OKC / PHI · 2 No. 1 · 5 top-five · Career Value #11
3.011.3all-time #162.4all-time #196.8all-time #2726,560#11
20John StocktonUTA · 0 No. 1 · 9 top-five · Career Value #5
3.022.7all-time #302.8all-time #233.6all-time #1007,983#5
21Dolph SchayesPHI / SYR · 0 No. 1 · 7 top-five · Career Value #68
Historical estimate		3.202.0all-time #252.2all-time #175.4all-time #2203,383#68
22Julius ErvingPHI · 2 No. 1 · 6 top-five · Career Value #39
3.491.3all-time #152.0all-time #138.5all-time #3424,430#39
23Bill RussellBOS · 0 No. 1 · 10 top-five · Career Value #19
Historical estimate		3.533.0all-time #333.4all-time #284.2all-time #1806,251#19
24Karl MaloneLAL / UTA · 0 No. 1 · 5 top-five · Career Value #7
3.612.3all-time #263.2all-time #255.3all-time #2107,363#7
25Dwyane WadeCHI / CLE / MIA · 1 No. 1 · 6 top-five · Career Value #31
4.271.7all-time #192.4all-time #209.5all-time #3914,807#31
26Charles BarkleyHOU / PHI / PHO · 0 No. 1 · 6 top-five · Career Value #23
4.343.3all-time #384.0all-time #315.7all-time #2306,058#23
27Tim DuncanSAS · 0 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #15
4.413.3all-time #404.2all-time #365.7all-time #2406,394#15
28Bob CousyBOS / CIN · 0 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #67
Historical estimate		4.422.7all-time #313.6all-time #297.0all-time #2903,393#67
29Bob LanierDET / MIL · 0 No. 1 · 5 top-five · Career Value #41
Early seasons estimated		4.442.3all-time #273.2all-time #267.8all-time #3004,221#41
30Tracy McGradyATL / DET / HOU / NYK / ORL / TOR · 1 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #37
4.522.0all-time #213.2all-time #249.1all-time #3714,478#37
31Hakeem OlajuwonHOU / TOR · 0 No. 1 · 5 top-five · Career Value #18
4.623.7all-time #464.2all-time #346.0all-time #2506,267#18
32Kobe BryantLAL · 0 No. 1 · 5 top-five · Career Value #21
4.923.7all-time #474.2all-time #356.9all-time #2806,096#21
33Manu GinóbiliSAS · 0 No. 1 · 5 top-five · Career Value #65
4.983.3all-time #393.8all-time #307.8all-time #3103,407#65
34Ed MacauleyBOS / STL · 3 No. 1 · 3 top-five · Career Value #174
Historical estimate		5.231.0all-time #103.4all-time #2712.8all-time #5132,034#174
35Sam JonesBOS · 0 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #77
Historical estimate		5.524.7all-time #585.2all-time #436.7all-time #2603,218#77
36Kawhi LeonardLAC / SAS / TOR · 0 No. 1 · 3 top-five · Career Value #44
5.543.3all-time #445.0all-time #418.3all-time #3304,051#44
37Clyde DrexlerHOU / POR · 0 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #26
5.574.0all-time #514.8all-time #397.9all-time #3205,593#26
38Scottie PippenCHI / HOU / POR · 0 No. 1 · 3 top-five · Career Value #29
6.042.3all-time #284.0all-time #3311.8all-time #4704,934#29
39Anthony DavisDAL / LAL / NOH / NOP · 0 No. 1 · 2 top-five · Career Value #38
6.063.7all-time #505.2all-time #459.3all-time #3804,452#38
40Walt FrazierCLE / NYK · 0 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #54
Early seasons estimated		6.103.0all-time #344.0all-time #3211.3all-time #4503,675#54
41Joel EmbiidPHI · 1 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #97
6.112.7all-time #295.0all-time #4011.3all-time #4312,842#97
42Luka DončićDAL / LAL · 0 No. 1 · 3 top-five · Career Value #60
6.243.3all-time #424.4all-time #3811.0all-time #4203,487#60
43Dirk NowitzkiDAL · 0 No. 1 · 2 top-five · Career Value #24
6.424.7all-time #595.6all-time #479.0all-time #3606,053#24
44Vince CarterATL / DAL / MEM / NJN / ORL / PHO / SAC / TOR · 1 No. 1 · 3 top-five · Career Value #32
6.473.7all-time #455.2all-time #4211.3all-time #4414,805#32
45Jason KiddDAL / NJN / NYK / PHO · 0 No. 1 · 2 top-five · Career Value #17
6.635.0all-time #616.4all-time #568.5all-time #3506,267#17
46Jimmy ButlerCHI / GSW / MIA / MIN / PHI · 0 No. 1 · 2 top-five · Career Value #42
6.684.3all-time #546.0all-time #519.7all-time #4004,191#42
47John HavlicekBOS · 0 No. 1 · 2 top-five · Career Value #34
Early seasons estimated		7.785.3all-time #657.2all-time #6310.8all-time #4104,586#34
48Neil JohnstonPHW · 0 No. 1 · 4 top-five · Career Value #197
Historical estimate		8.043.3all-time #414.2all-time #3716.6all-time #6701,924#197
49Bill WaltonBOS / LAC / POR / SDC · 0 No. 1 · 3 top-five · Career Value #211
8.092.7all-time #325.6all-time #4616.0all-time #6501,824#211
50Paul ArizinPHW · 1 No. 1 · 1 top-five · Career Value #132
Historical estimate		8.325.0all-time #606.8all-time #5813.8all-time #5412,458#132