To give you a peek behind the curve, our kickoff in-office meeting for this book was on October 11, 2024. And as you can imagine, the last 10 months were an avalanche of nonstop heated debates (like, at each other's throats at times), a gazillion follow-up meetings, a pplethora of spreadsheets with updated iterations of our top 500 rankings, a whole lotta research and we can go on and on about how crazy You have to even try to make such a list in such a way without losing your mind.
But if someone is going to do this and try to do it right, you know it will be violent. Yes, there are some other media that are similar to the rankings, but always separate from others, we never introduce the game just from the POV of Statistics Nerds, nor just celebrate Hoopers based on honors. Cultural impact can be measured in many ways, and includes many different variables and celebrates those who have had a profound impact on basketball culture have been at the forefront of our work for over 30 years.
So, you might be wondering what exactly we are using as a criterion for rankings. For beginners, the parameters for being eligible for this roster are as simple as possible: as long as players are playing in an NBA season, they will be eligible. If a person only plays in the ABA, BAA, NBL, etc. but hasn't had at least one season in the NBA, then they're out. However, there are some important ABA players who either have never played in the NBA game or have so limited NBA time that they aren't on the main list and who we think is important for highlighting, so you should definitely check out our top 20 ABA rankings at the end of the book, along with some glorious mentions.
Now, as for the work system that is taken into account when deciding on each player ranking, this is a lengthy list that includes the following: career and season statistics, longevity, victory, championship, championship, awards and honors, records or records, cultural influences, cultural influences on the style of the game, cultural influences in the courts and the court impacts they have played. As you can see, we try to consider a wide range of contributions, while also considering variables and situations.
There is only one obvious fact in this ranking, and that is that there is no correct answer. That is its beauty. There are eight billion people on this planet with different perspectives, prospects, preferences, styles, beliefs and ideas. We are all inspired by different things, and when it comes to basketball, the definition of greatness is subjective.
Sports continues to prove that this is one of several things people still like to do as a community. Whether it's watching games, hoops, fantasy leagues, or debates at a barber shop or lunch table, it brings people together in ways that nothing else can still be done these days.
So, ultimately, the goal here is not to claim that our list is the most accurate ranking you might find (though we are modestly saying our list is actually like this, despite some bias we may be), but to invite the basketball community to celebrate all the greatness this game has given us while laughing at different people in *healthy* we can evaluate different ways of playing.
We also hope this is a basketball history book for young people who may not be listed in the OGS listed on these pages. Frankly, even with our staff’s research and fact-checking process, it’s a great opportunity for us to learn and remind us of all the great praise and records that OGS stacked up on the day.
The staff who helped create this list are a diverse group in a different generation. We also sent the list to respected journalists who do not work from an external perspective on SLAM. So for those who are not on the list but think they should have a name, let me formally waive any ownership of my disclaimer – ultimately (more or less) end up being the average ranking of ideas and votes for each contributor.
The first first 500 issues were released in 2011. A lot of changes have occurred since then. The new name joins the exclusive club, with some of the original rankings slipping from this updated version. For the retained names, many saw an improvement in ranking, while others dropped several slots, depending on where new names were placed to join this updated list, taking into account the latest achievements of those active players.
We must acknowledge our good friend Al Stark, who pushed us toward the original 500 concepts in 2011 and then got this updated version again last year. His knowledge, enthusiasm and appreciation of the game is second to none – this book, or the original list, without him putting the battery on our backs. Thanks to writers Michael Bradley, Ryan Jones and Ben Osborne for all the text.
We hope you enjoy browsing through these pages to learn interesting facts about the greatest hoops of the game. We added some icons for each player to illustrate the All-Star nods, MVP awards and NBA championships they won, and, when applicable, next to the applicable Hall of Fame stickers is the names of those who have reached that prestigious milestone.
Most importantly, we want you to participate in the discussion that this list will naturally bring to your larger community because at the end of the day, it is the biggest gift this sport has given us, and it is an opportunity to share a shared passion with others.
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