SN 140: Picking all-time All-NBA teams and GOAT seasons from the best players in NBA history
Since its founding in 1946, over 5,000 players have stepped onto an NBA court. Just over 250 have made an All-NBA team.
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We took those 250-plus All-NBA seasons and narrowed it down to just 15 names for one definitive all-time All-NBA team.
A few basic ground rules:
- Unlike today’s revised position-less All-NBA rules, positions matter. Two guards, two forwards, one center.
- Unlike the actual All-NBA awards which honor regular season only, we factored in playoff performance.
- We picked s
- No player can make it more than once. Could Michael Jordan’s single seasons have taken up three (or more?) of the guard spots? Probably. But we’re spreading the wealth.
That’s it! No minimum game requirements. No championship or bust. No MVP or bust. Remember, these are based on singular seasons and NOT entire careers.
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There haven’t been cuts like this since MJ’s high school varsity team. Centers were the biggest victims, where only three spots meant that Bill Russell, Shaquille O’Neal, and Nikola Jokic (yes, really) were left off. Yikes!
And they were far from the only snubs.
After looking at the statistics, team success, and historical legacy, we narrowed down 15 of the greatest seasons from the greatest players in the league. Our names pull across various eras, from Wilt Chamberlain in the 60’s to the present day. Excellence translates across eras.
Here are the top 15 individual NBA seasons of all time.
All-time First-Team All-NBA
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Guard: Michael Jordan (1990-91)
Box score stats: 31.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.7 steals, 1.0 blocks
Individual honors: Scoring champion, MVP, Finals MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team
Overview: The greatest season from the greatest player of all time. This was a 27-year-old Jordan who was in his athletic prime, pulling off aerial maneuvers that nobody has done since. He won his first of six rings this season, beating Magic Johnson’s Lakers in the Finals.
The hard part isn’t slotting in MJ, but rather choosing which season. MVP and DPOY in 1987-88? MVP and 72-10 in 1995-96? If we didn’t limit just one season per player, those two would certainly be in the mix.
SN ARCHIVE (2003): The one that forever changed Michael Jordan’s legacy as a winner
Guard: Stephen Curry (2015-16)
Box score stats: 30.1 points, 6.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 45.4 percent from 3
Individual honors: Scoring champion, MVP, All-NBA First Team
Overview: Sorry, Magic. The other guard spot opposite MJ goes to the only unanimous MVP season in league history.
Curry changed the game and ushered in the 3-point revolution. At times, it looked like he was playing an entirely different sport. It was the only time in his career that he hit the prestigious 50/40/90 club, shooting an incredible 50/45/91 in one of the greatest shooting displays ever. That year, the Warriors won a record-setting 73 regular-season games, while Curry shattered his own single-season NBA record with 402 three-pointers (previous record: 286).
Is the 3-1 blown lead a great look? Admittedly, no. But it also isn’t enough to undo a transcendent body of work that’s unlike any other player in league history. Curry reimagined efficient scoring in ways no player before or since has been able to duplicate.
Forward: LeBron James (2011-12)
Box score stats: 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.9 steals
Individual honors: MVP, Finals MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team
Overview: After losing an equal-parts heartbreaking and head-scratching 2011 Finals, LeBron became the undisputed man on the Heat, leading them to his first title. He was the most dominant offensive player in the league, showing off a stronger post game to go along with his dynamic passing and driving.
King James was a true two-way force, finishing fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting while playing in Miami’s ultra-aggressive blitz-heavy scheme that showed off his athletic traits. He won his third MVP, earning Finals MVP too after recording a triple-double in the clinching game.
Like Jordan, there’s a few viable LeBron variants. 2008-09 is borderline unimpeachable from strictly a numbers perspective, analogous to late 80s MJ. Then there’s the later-career ultimate Queen of the Chessboard that snatched souls with his Einstein-esque IQ. We opted for somewhere in the middle.
SN ARCHIVE (2003): Is LeBron James overrated?
Forward: Larry Bird (1983-84)
Box score stats: 24.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.8 steals, 88.8% FT
Individual honors: MVP, Finals MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive Second Team
Overview: This was the year Bird truly became Larry Legend. It was also the last year where his back was fully healthy.
The Hick from French Lick claimed the first of his three consecutive MVPs in 1984 and led the Celtics to a grueling seven-game victory over the rival Lakers in the Finals. Bird’s combination of elite rebounding, creative passing, ahead-of-his-time shooting, and strong defense cemented him as the best player in the world.
Imagine Larry Legend’s playmaking in today’s game with more spacing and wider passing lanes.
Center: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-71)
Box score stats: 31.7 points, 16.0 rebounds, 57.7% FG
Individual honors: MVP, Finals MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive Second Team, scoring title
Overview: This was the first year that Kareem led the league in scoring, and only his second season as a pro. His efficiency was outstanding, relying on his unstoppable sky hook to finish second in the league in field goal percentage. The Bucks blew teams out on a nightly basis, going on a then-record 20-game winning streak en-route to the championship. That 1970-71 Bucks team — not Jordan’s Bulls, Bird’s Celtics or the Steph/KD Warriors — still holds the record for average scoring margin per game across both the regular season and playoffs.
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All-Time Second-Team All-NBA
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Guard: Kobe Bryant (2007-08)
Box score stats: 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.8 steals, 45.9% FG
Individual honors: MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team, All-Star
Overview: In Kobe Bryant’s lone MVP season, he got the Lakers to the Finals, playing through a torn ligament in his finger and going through all 82 games during the regular season. He upped his game when it mattered, averaging a league-high 30.1 per game in the playoffs.
The Lakers fell short to a good Celtics team in the Finals but won the next two. This was Bryant’s best year despite that loss. He was a maniacal two-way player with a competitive streak that rivaled his idol, Michael Jordan.
SN ARCHIVE (2008): Forget ‘the next MJ’, this is Kobe Bryant’s time
Guard: Magic Johnson (1986-87)
Box score stats: 23.9 points, 12.2 assists, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 52.2% FG
Individual honors: MVP, Finals MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Star
Overview: Eight years into his career, Pat Riley told Magic that he needed to become more of a scorer. The results were devastating for the rest of the league.
Magic set a career-high in points while still leading the league in assists. He capped off the season with a sky hook to beat the Celtics in the Finals, reclaiming his throne as the best player in basketball.
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Forward: Kevin Garnett (2003-04)
Box score stats: 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 2.2 blocks
Individual honors: MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team, Rebounding Champion
Overview: KG delivered one of the most versatile seasons in NBA history, leading the Timberwolves to the best record in the West.
Garnett was the league’s ultimate Swiss Army Knife, leading his team in almost every major statistical category. He provided intensity and versatility on defense that few have ever matched.
SN ARCHIVE (1996): 19-yr-old KG is already Minny’s Big Ticket
Forward: Tim Duncan (2002-03)
Box score stats: 23.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.9 blocks
Individual honors: MVP, Finals MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team
Overview: With David Robinson retiring and a young Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili still finding their footing, Duncan anchored the Spurs to a title. His closeout performance in the Finals, recording 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and 8 blocks, is the stuff of legends. The Big Fundamental was a defensive force, and his iconic bank shot led kids to practice the technique across driveways throughout America.
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Center: Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94)
Box score stats: 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 3.7 blocks
Individual honors: MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Finals MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team
Overview: Olajuwon remains historically one of the NBA’s most underrated inner-circle icons. Not here!
Olajuwon achieved the Triple Crown of basketball honors, becoming the only player to win MVP, DPOY, and Finals MVP in the same season. The Dream Shake was an unstoppable flurry of footwork that has been often studied but never replicated. His monster rim protection made him one of the best defensive centers of his era.
Hakeem’s two rings were one of the biggest carry jobs in NBA history. He led a Rockets team without another All-Star to the promised land, solidifying his place as the most skilled big man to ever play.
Perhaps the real shame is we never got to see Olajuwon’s Rockets vs. Jordan’s Bulls.
SN ARCHIVE (1983): Akeem, The Dream
All-Time Third-Team All-NBA
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Guard: Oscar Robertson (1963-64)
Box score stats: 31.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 48.3% FG
Individual honors: MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Star Game MVP, Assist Leader
Overview: While he is famous for averaging a triple-double in 1962, this was the season that The Big O reached his peak, securing his only MVP award sandwiched between a stretch of dominance from Russell and Chamberlain.
Robertson led the Cincinnati Royals to 55 wins and the second-best record in the league, showing that a guard could dominate in an era of great centers.
SN ARCHIVE (1970): Big O gives the Bucks a double-edge sword
Guard: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2024-25)
Box score stats: 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 54.1% FG
Individual honors: MVP, Finals MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team
Overview: Plenty of candidates here including the best seasons by Jerry West, Dwyane Wade, Tracy McGrady and James Harden, among others. Ultimately, we went with SGA.
Gilgeous-Alexander became the first guard since Michael Jordan to win MVP, Finals MVP, and the scoring title in the same year. His three-level scoring and clutch buckets led the youngest roster in history to a championship and one of the most stifling defenses of all time. Nobody has slithered to the rim or generated so much power in such a compact frame than Shai with his iron shoulder bump.
(Editor’s note: This story was published before the conclusion of the 2026 playoffs. There’s a case he’s been even better this season and if the Thunder cap it off with a back-to-back title, SGA’s 2025-26 may slide into this spot… or higher. Stay tuned.)
Forward: Kevin Durant (2013-14)
Box score stats: 32.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.7 blocks
Individual honors: MVP, Scoring Champion, All-NBA First Team, All-Star
Overview: With Russell Westbrook sidelined for much of the season, Durant went on a scoring tear. He had a streak of 41 consecutive games with 25 or more points, breaking Michael Jordan’s modern-day record. That led to a near-unanimous MVP award and one of the most emotional speeches in history, famously calling his mother «the real MVP.»
Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019-20)
Box score stats: 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks
Individual honors: MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team
Overview: Giannis joined Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players to win MVP and DPOY in the same season. He led the Bucks to a historic pace before the season was interrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak, putting up these monstrous numbers in only 30.4 minutes per game. It was one of the most efficient per-minute statistical season in the history of the sport.
Center: Wilt Chamberlain (1961-62)
Box score stats: 50.4 points, 25.7 rebounds, 48.5 minutes, 50.6% FG
Individual honors: Scoring champion, All-NBA First Team, All-Star
Overview: A statistical anomaly that will never be replicated. Wilt averaged more minutes per game than there are in a regulation NBA game (due to overtime) and set the all-time record with his 100-point game against the Knicks. While he didn’t win the title this year, his sheer mathematical dominance is the peak of individual basketball production. At the end of the day and much to the chagrin of plumbers pundits, we simply could not leave off the most dominant statistical season ever.
SN ARCHIVE (1979): Inside Cavs’ attempt to lure Wilt back to the NBA
Biggest All-time All-NBA snubs
Choosing only 15 seasons leaves out truly historic, inner-circle MVP seasons. As mentioned at the top, the centers in particular offer a near-impossible job.
What do you do with Russell who won MVP in 1961-62 and knocked out Chamberlain in the playoffs? Or Shaq who finished one vote shy of winning unanimous MVP? Or Jokic, an offense unto himself who has authored arguably the two best offensive seasons ever? Talk to 20 different experts and you very well may get 20 different combinations.
Anyways, here are the seasons we considered when sifting through the best of the best.
Biggest guard snubs: Jerry West (1964-65), Chris Paul (2007-08), Dwyane Wade (2008-09), Tracy McGrady (2002-03), James Harden (2017-18)
Biggest forward snubs: Karl Malone (1991-92), Dirk Nowitzki (2006-07), Bob Pettit (1958-59), Charles Barkley (1992-93)
Biggest center snubs: Bill Russell (1961-62), Nikola Jokic (2021-22), Shaquille O’Neal (1999-00), David Robinson (1993-94)
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