The 100 Most Famous Basketball Players of All Time

Ranked by Wikipedia link data — the closer to #1, the more famous.

Michael Jordan remains the measuring stick for basketball fame, followed by Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal. From there the list runs through every era of the sport, ranked by Wikipedia link counts rather than rings or scoring titles. How many of the 100 could you name with ten minutes on the clock?

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  1. Michael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan, also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman, former professional basketball player, and…
  2. Kobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player.
  3. LeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball…
  4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  5. Shaquille O'NealShaquille Rashaun O'Neal, commonly known as Shaq, is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst…
  6. Magic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is an American businessman and former professional basketball player.
  7. Edi Rama
  8. Larry BirdLarry Joe Bird is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
  9. Carl Lewis
  10. Stephen CurryWardell Stephen Curry II, also known as Steph Curry, is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors…
  11. Kevin DurantKevin Wayne Durant, also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the…
  12. Nick Nolte
  13. Wilt Chamberlain
  14. Bill Russell
  15. Mahershala Ali
  16. Charles Barkley
  17. Tim Duncan
  18. Dennis Rodman
  19. Jüri Ratas
  20. Dirk Nowitzki
  21. Yao Ming
  22. Giannis AntetokounmpoGiannis Sina Ougko Antetokounmpo is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National…
  23. Caitlyn Jenner
  24. Hakeem Olajuwon
  25. James Naismith
  26. Karl Malone
  27. Jim Thorpe
  28. Dwyane Wade
  29. George Floyd
  30. Luka DončićLuka Dončić is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
  31. Dražen Petrović
  32. Allen Iverson
  33. Derrick Rose
  34. Tom Selleck
  35. Chris Paul
  36. Pete Hegseth
  37. Pau Gasol
  38. Tony Parker
  39. Scottie Pippen
  40. Russell Westbrook
  41. Jackie Joyner-Kersee
  42. Arvydas Sabonis
  43. Kyrie Irving
  44. James Harden
  45. Paul Robeson
  46. Kevin Garnett
  47. Steve Nash
  48. Jerry West
  49. Bob Beamon
  50. Carmelo Anthony
  51. Nikola Jokić
  52. Julius Erving
  53. J. Cole
  54. Marion Jones
  55. John Stockton
  56. Anthony Davis
  57. Ray Allen
  58. Dwight Howard
  59. Klay Thompson
  60. Blake Griffin
  61. Kawhi Leonard
  62. Paul Pierce
  63. Bob Cousy
  64. Kane
  65. Chris Bosh
  66. David Robinson
  67. Manu Ginóbili
  68. Reggie Miller
  69. Brittney GrinerBrittney Yvette Griner is an American professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball…
  70. Jeremy Lin
  71. Dikembe Mutombo
  72. Phil Jackson
  73. Vlade Divac
  74. Oscar Robertson
  75. Moses Malone
  76. Tracy McGrady
  77. Babe Didrikson Zaharias
  78. Toni Kukoč
  79. Marc Gasol
  80. Paul Wight
  81. Damian Lillard
  82. Jim Brown
  83. Devin Booker
  84. Ricky Rubio
  85. Vince Carter
  86. Patrick Ewing
  87. Metta Sandiford-Artest
  88. Isiah Thomas
  89. Chauncey Billups
  90. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
  91. Paul George
  92. Franz Vranitzky
  93. Jason Kidd
  94. Rajon Rondo
  95. Peja Stojaković
  96. Andrei Kirilenko
  97. Kevin Love

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Name 100 Basketball Players

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