I remember sitting in a barbershop last week when the conversation inevitably turned to basketball. Two guys were passionately arguing about who deserves to be called the greatest point guard ever - Magic Johnson or Stephen Curry. That got me thinking about how we evaluate greatness across different eras, and it reminded me of a question that never seems to get settled: who truly are the best players in NBA history by position?
Let me take you back to 1991 when Magic Johnson announced his HIV diagnosis. I was just a kid then, but I'll never forget how the sports world stood still. Here was this 6'9" point guard who revolutionized basketball, making the no-look pass as iconic as the slam dunk. Magic averaged 19.5 points, 11.2 assists, and 7.2 rebounds over his career while winning five championships. But here's what fascinates me - we're talking about a guy who played center in Game 6 of the 1980 Finals as a rookie and dropped 42 points with 15 rebounds. That versatility makes these positional debates so complicated. When we talk about the best point guards, are we considering pure playmakers like John Stockton, who holds the unbreakable record of 15,806 career assists, or are we including these hybrid players who redefine what their position can be?
The center position presents another fascinating case study. I've always been partial to Hakeem Olajuwon's game - his footwork was like watching poetry in motion. The Dream averaged 3.1 blocks per game during his prime while also putting up 27.8 points. But then you have Shaquille O'Neal, who was so dominant during the Lakers' three-peat that he made the entire league look like they were playing a different sport. From 1999 to 2002, Shaq averaged 28.7 points and 12.3 rebounds while shooting 57.4% from the field. The numbers are staggering, but they don't capture the sheer intimidation factor he brought every night.
This reminds me of the upcoming Pacquiao-Barrios fight set for July 20 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. What makes that fight compelling isn't just the technical skill - it's the narrative of a legend facing a hungry challenger. Similarly, when we debate the best shooting guards, we're not just comparing Michael Jordan's six championships and 30.1 career scoring average to Kobe Bryant's 81-point game or James Harden's 36.1 points per game in 2019. We're weighing entire careers against moments of pure brilliance, much like how fight fans will be analyzing every round of that July showdown in Vegas.
The forward positions might be the toughest to judge. I've always felt Larry Bird doesn't get enough credit for how he transformed the power forward role. Sure, he put up 24.3 points and 10 rebounds per game for his career, but his court vision and shooting touch at 6'9" created the blueprint for today's stretch fours. Meanwhile, LeBron James has essentially created his own position - part small forward, part point guard, part freight train heading to the basket. His longevity is absurd - 20 seasons averaging 27.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists. Those numbers feel like they're from a video game, not real life.
What strikes me about these debates is how much context matters. Bill Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons, which is absolutely mind-blowing, but he played in an era with only 8-14 teams. Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game and 50.4 points per game season in 1962 are statistical anomalies we'll never see again, but the competition level was different. It's like comparing boxing eras - the Pacquiao-Barrios fight will be analyzed through the lens of Pacquiao's age and Barrios's prime years, similar to how we contextualize NBA greats across different generations.
If I had to pick my personal all-time starting five, I'd go with Magic at point guard, Jordan at shooting guard, LeBron at small forward, Tim Duncan at power forward, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at center. That gives me the all-time scoring leader in Kareem (38,387 points), the ultimate winner in Duncan (5 championships), the perfect combination of scoring and playmaking in LeBron, the clutch gene of Jordan, and the unparalleled court vision of Magic. But here's the thing - tomorrow I might change my mind and put Curry in for his revolutionary shooting or Shaq for his pure dominance.
The beauty of basketball is that these debates will never be settled, much like how fight fans will be arguing about Pacquiao's legacy regardless of what happens on July 20 at the MGM Grand. What makes sports incredible isn't finding definitive answers - it's having these conversations that connect generations of fans. So next time you're debating the best players by position, remember that there are no wrong answers, only different perspectives shaped by the eras we've witnessed and the moments that took our breath away.
