NBA: Ranking The Top 10 Best Point Guards of All-Time
Steve Nash has retired from the Los Angeles Lakers. Nash will go down in NBA history as one of the best point guard of all-time, but where does he rank? So many great point guards have played in the league, and the debate never ends on who should be No. 1.
We compiled a list of the top 10 NBA point guards of all-time below.
10. Steve Nash
The recently retired point guard out of South Africa ranks No. 10 on our list. Nash was without a doubt one of the best distributors of the basketball of the 21st century averaging 8.5 assists per game. Nash led the NBA in assists multiple times and won two MVP awards. Unfortunately, lack of playoff success and defense held him back. While many may find his place at No. 10 unfair, he did make the list ahead of Allen Iverson.
9. Bob Cousy
Maybe the most underrated point guard ever. Bob Cousy made his mark with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s and early '60s. Cousy would win six NBA titles with the club before retiring, and he led the NBA in assists eight consecutive seasons from 1952 to 1959. But, as everyone knows, Cousy couldn't make it to the NBA Finals until the great Bill Russell arrived in 1956. As good as Cousy was, Russell was the driving force of those Celtics.
8. Tony Parker
Another underrated point guard. That tends to happen when you play on the San Antonio Spurs, and Tim Duncan steals the highlights. Parker has won four (and counting) NBA Championships with the Spurs including the 2007 NBA Finals MVP Award. Parker won't wow you with his stats, but he was always clutch in the postseason. Parker has also made nearly half of his career shots from the field.
7. Walt Frazier
If only the New York Knicks could have Walt Frazier on their roster today. Frazier led the Kicks to their only two NBA Championships in 1970 and 1973, each against the Los Angeles Lakers. Frazier didn't put up video game numbers, but he finish his career as a seven time NBA All-Star.
6. Gary Payton
You could make a case Gary Payton was the best defensive point guard of all-time. Payton made his mark with the Seattle Supersonics from 1990 to 2003, but he later helped the Miami Heat win a title in 2006. Payton was an underrated 3-point shooter as well, who was widely considered one of the best trash talkers of his generation.
5. Oscar Robertson
If only Fantasy Basketball was around when Oscar Robertson played. This man could do everything on the court. In just his second year he averaged a triple double for the entire season, scoring 30.8 points per game, 12.5 rebounds per game, and dishing out 11.4 assists per game. Although an unbelievable point guard who could do virtually everything, it's important to know that the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks that finally won the championship were led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar more than Robertson.
4. Jason Kidd
In all honesty, NBA fans really underestimate how great of a career Jason Kidd really had. The former No. 2 overall draft pick made a huge mark with the Suns, New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks. Kidd led the NBA in assists per game five times in his career, all while playing good defense. Kidd also ranks fifth all-time in three point shots made.
3. Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas really did epitomize the 1980s. Thomas was the leader of the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons squad that won back to back championships. He had a tough set of teammates around him, but he was the toughest of the bunch. He'll always be remembered for his Game 6 performance in the 1988 Finals when he put on a great show with a hurt ankle.
2. John Stockton
Probably the best pure passer of the basketball ever, John Stockton is the Dan Marino of the NBA. Stockton has the most assists and steals in NBA history, and in incredibly consistent fashion, he led the league in assists nine straight years from 1987 to 1995. He didn't win an NBA Championship (thanks to Michael Jordan), but he did make it to two Finals in the late '90s with the Utah Jazz.
1. Magic Johnson
In the end, you have to go with Magic Johnson. Johnson accomplished everything a player could imagine in the NBA. He averages the most assists per game in NBA history with 11.9, and he led the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA Championship victories. Johnson isn't just regarded as the best point guard of all-time, many fans even believe he is the best player ever.
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