The NBA has a rich history, which dates back nearly 68 years, which is full of decorated organisations and players. During that time, we’ve seen our fair share of greats come and go, but which players in the game’s history stand out above the rest?
Shaquille O’Neal
The Hall of Fame centre transformed the game with a mixture of dexterity, explosiveness as well as size, the likes of which the league had never seen before. As a four-time NBA champion and three-time Finals MVP, O’Neal averaged a double-double during a career that spanned almost 20 years. O’Neal was an All-Star 15 times and earned the 1999-2000 MVP award. The fun-loving big man utilised his outsize personality in order to become a global pitchman and analyst after retiring.
Kobe Bryant
Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant characterised the 2000s. He was drafted – as soon as he left high school – in the NBA draft of 1996 by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th global pick. The Los Angeles Lakers had calculated a deal the day before obtaining the pick from the Hornets so allowing them to take Bryant. His rookie contract with the Lakers totalled $3.5 million.
Bryant was an all-time great scorer with a killer instinct which struck fear into his opponents. He earned his nickname for being as lethal on the court as the poisonous black mamba. Bryant played in the NBA for nearly 20 years, bagging five championships along the way, including three in a row. To this day, he is still one of the most cold-blooded shooters of all time, making 17 game-winning shots in his career as well as another seven game-tying shots that led to victories in overtime.
Kobe Bryant was known for his outstanding athleticism and clutch shots. You can find highlight footage of vicious dunks and game-winners with there being no time left on the clock. What can’t be gotten out of a highlight reel is the player’s laser focus and mental strength he had.
Kobe was experienced and fluent in many languages, as well as English, Spanish, and Italian. Kobe is well-known for learning French so that he could trash-talk Tony Parker. Also, he heckled Luka Doncic from the side line in his mother tongue of Slovenian. Bryant’s mind was as dangerous as was his physical skills in any given basketball game during his career.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is the man who captained the Chicago Bulls to six series of NBA Finals. He was a six-time NBA champion. In addition, he “carried” six-time Finals MVP awards. Michael Jordan also earned the Defensive Player of the Year in 1988.
As well, during the regular season, “Mr. Air” has five more MVP awards and he really deserves to be an icon both on – as week as off – the basketball court. Besides inspiring titles and achievements, the leader of best NBA players of all time is also a model of competitive spirit and would be someone who would always congratulate a winning team or share online betting horse racing tips. Jordan excelled in attack and was passionate in defence.