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Honorable Mention: John Stockton
Career Statistics 13.1 PTS, 10.5 AST, 2.2 STL, 21.8 PER
Honors 11x All-NBA (2x First Team), 5x All-Defense, 10x All-Star It’s over. It’s done. 2017 marks the year that John Stockton is no longer a top 5 point guard in NBA history. Regardless, Stockton is arguably the greatest play-maker in NBA history. All substance and very little flash, Stockton actually participated in post-season basketball every single season of his 19 year career. Stockton led the league in assists for 9 straight seasons in 1984-1996, until finally being dethroned by Mark Jackson in 1997.
5. Chris Paul
Career Statistics 18.7 PTS, 9.9 AST, 2.3 STL, 25.7 PER
Honors 8x All-NBA (4x First Team), 9x All-Defense (7x First Team), 9x All-Star, Rookie of the Year Despite his lack of postseason success, Chris Paul is still the greatest floor general of his generation and one of the best point guards in NBA history. At just 6-feet tall, Paul is arguably the best two-way point guard in NBA history and is comfortable in both pass-first and score-first roles. Unfortunately, Paul’s lack of hardware is always going to hurt his legacy, but perhaps there is enough time to right the ship before he sails into retirement.
4. Stephen Curry
Career Statistics 22.8 PTS, 6.8 AST, 43.8 3PT%, 23.4 PER
Honors 2x NBA Champion, 2x MVP, 4x All-NBA (2x First Team), 10x All-Star A lot of people don’t want to give Stephen Curry the respect that he deserves, and many believe it is too early in his career to begin comparing him to the all-time greats. With that being said, how many point guards in NBA history can say they are a two-time NBA champion and a two-time league MVP? The answer is only one: Magic Johnson. With his long-range shooting, Steph has revolutionized the game of basketball in a way we haven’t seen since Michael Jordan’s heyday. With how dominant the Warriors’ have been in recent years, it looks as though Steph will be adding more hardware in the years to come.
3. Oscar Robertson Career Statistics 25.7 PTS, 9.5 AST, 7.5 REB, 23.2 PER
Honors 1x NBA Champion, 1x MVP, 11x All-NBA (9x First Team), 12x All-Star, Rookie of the Year
At times, Oscar Robertson can feel like the forgotten man when it comes to NBA legends – but that doesn’t change how great he was during his time. Until this previous season, Oscar Robertson was the only player in NBA history to successfully average a triple-double during the regular season. Robertson could genuinely do everything on the basketball court and undoubtedly helped inspire some of the greatest players in NBA history.
2. Isiah Thomas Career Statistics 19.2 PTS, 9.3 AST, 1.9 STL, 18.1 PER
Honors 2x NBA Champion, 1x Finals MVP, 5x All-NBA (3x First Team), 12x All-Star, Rookie of the Year
Standing at 6-foot-1, he is the shortest Finals MVP in NBA history. That tells you everything you need to know about Isiah Thomas, and the toughness with which he approached the game. Thomas was a double-double machine during the 1980s, and helped carry the notorious Bad Boy Pistons to 3 straight Finals appearances and 2 NBA championships. Isiah was sandwiched between the Larry Bird/Magic Johnson rivalry and the dominance of Michael Jordan, but a quick look through the NBA history books will demonstrate how great he was at the point guard position.
1. Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Career Statistics 19.5 PTS, 11.2 AST, 7.2 REB, 24.1 PER
Honors 5x NBA Champion, 3x Finals MVP, 3x MVP, 10x All-NBA (9x First Team), 12x All-Star
One of the most unique and unusual guards in league history, Magic Johnson completely revolutionized the point guard position when he was drafted in 1979. At 6-foot-9, Johnson could see right over the heads of opposing point guards and on the defensive end, his massive size advantage made up for his lack of quickness. Johnson was essentially a power forward with point guard skills, and his unique combination of size and skill propelled the Showtime Lakers to 9 Finals appearances and 5 NBA championships.
Did I miss any of your favorite point guards? Let me know if you agree or disagree – @awrashoo