In this article, we have compiled a list of the best point guards of all time. If there is one position that can make or break a basketball team, it is the point guard. The point guard brings the ball upcourt, initiates the offense, and decides how the team gets itself into its points. While it may seem like a simple question, who are the greatest point guards of all time? It’s tough to pick a few among many great point guards. But Magic Johnson is the best point guard of all time. This can be irrefutably proven by a number of stats, accolades, and awards. Magic’s eleven NBA finals appearances, five NBA titles, and three MVPs make him the most accomplished point guard of all time.
Also, in this article, we have compiled a list with the names of a few great point guards. Some of the names might be left off, but these are the top 7 greatest point guards of all-time in the NBA on our list.
Top point guards of all time
| Rankings | Best PG of all time |
|---|---|
| 1. | Magic Johnson |
| 2. | Stephan Curry |
| 3. | Isiah Thomas |
| 4. | Jerry West |
| 5. | Chris Paul |
| 6. | Russell Westbrook |
| 7. | Kyrie Irving |
1. Magic Johnson is the best point guards of all time
Magic Johnson is the greatest point guard in the history of the game. His achievements and records as a point guard are unmatched. Magic had great individual stats. His career average was 19 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists, one steal, and 0.4 blocks per game. He also had a 48% field goal percentage and a 31% 3-point percentage. Magic led the Lakers to 5 NBA Championships over 13 years playing alongside fellow Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, and others.
Despite being 6′ 9″, Magic’s most commonly used shot was the hook shot because he could shoot it over almost anyone. Magic also had a deadly fast break that could get past any defender. He was also an adept passer and a good defensive player. He holds the NBA record for career assists (10,141). He also has the highest assist per game average in NBA history (11.2).
2. Stephan Curry
Stephen Curry is the second-greatest point guard of all time. Not only that, but he’s also the greatest shooter to ever play in the NBA. The amount of records he has broken and will continue to break just shows how much he has dominated his position throughout his career. He has led the Golden State Warriors to more wins than any other team in the history of the National Basketball Association and has redefined what it means to be a point guard.
Steph Curry demonstrated once again why he is the best point guard in the world in 2022. Following his fourth NBA Championship and first career Finals MVP, the superstar point guard is expected to lead the Golden State Warriors back to the top of the standings and into playoff contention in 2023.
He has won three championships, two MVP awards, and four scoring titles so far. He has led his team to the Finals five times and won an average of 56 games every year of his career. The way Steph has been able to completely dominate his position and still have so much respect from his peers around the league is astonishing and unique. He’s been able to do this because of his incredible work ethic and all the hard work he put in during college and high school.
3. Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas is the third-best point guard ever. He led the Detroit Pistons’ “Bad Boys,” who won back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990. Isiah Thomas, the 12-time NBA All-Star, was also named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Thomas played for the Indiana Hoosiers, leading them to the 1981 NCAA championship as a sophomore and declared for the NBA draft. He became the 2nd overall pick in the 1981 NBA draft for the Detroit Pistons, playing alongside Dave Bing and Vinnie Johnson for a team that would eventually be nicknamed The Bad Boys. It is due to its reputation for lockdown defense under coach Chuck Daly.
4. Jerry West
Jerry West is the fourth-best point guard of all time. He won an NBA championship as a player in 1972 and another as an executive in 1980. He is 6’2″. He is from West Virginia. He played for the Lakers, beginning in 1960 and ending his career with them in 1974. Jerry West was also an adventurous player whose career achievements and records in the National Basketball Association (NBA) have made him a legend. He has been named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Also, his profile is on the NBA’s official logo. He was born in Cheylan, West Virginia, on May 28, 1938.
He became MVP of the finals in 1969, even though his team lost to Boston. He averages 27 points per game over his career. In the 1961-1962 season, he averaged 30 points per game. Only three players in NBA history have averaged more than 30 points per game over an entire season (Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kobe Bryant).
5. Chris Paul
Chris Paul is the fifth-best point guard in basketball history. The Clippers with Chris have made it to the playoffs every year since he joined them in 2011. Despite his relatively small stature at 6 feet tall, Chris Paul is known as a physical player and is not afraid to play against other tall players on the court. That is one of his strengths- it is part of what makes him an aggressive and effective player.
Chris Paul is one of the smartest players in professional basketball. His ability to read defenses and make split-second decisions with the ball also makes him an offensive threat. He can score or set up plays for his teammates at any time in a game. He’s been so good at this over his career that many people consider him one of the greatest point guards of all time.
6. Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook is the greatest statistical anomaly in the history of basketball. Westbrook became the second player since Michael Jordan to get a triple-double while scoring less than 20 points. He also happens to be one of the best rebounding point guards ever. His career rebounds per game average are second to only Michael Jordan.
After spending his first 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he got traded to the Houston Rockets in 2019. Later he joined the Lakers, where he continues to play. Westbrook has represented the United States national team twice, winning gold medals in the 2010 FIBA World Championship and also the 2012 Summer Olympics. Furthermore, in 2017, ESPN ranked Westbrook number three on its list of NBA players with the highest career player efficiency rating (PER).
7. Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving is the seventh-best point guard of all time on our list. He has already won an NBA championship (with LeBron James), an Olympic gold medal (also with LeBron), and a Rookie of the Year award. Kyrie is one of the four players in NBA history to score 25,000 points and 5,000 assists before age 29. He is also the youngest player to score 40 in a playoff game.
Kyrie has a lot of moves that can make him unstoppable, like his famous step-back move, his crossovers, his floaters, and so on. Kyrie Irving is a great finisher around the rim, even with guys trying to block his shot. He is a great passer as well. Furthermore, Irving has of the best handles in the game today, and he uses this to his advantage by getting past defenders for easy layups.
Also, check out: Ranking the best NBA Defenders of All time
Conclusion
So here is the article on the greatest point guards of all time in the NBA. Also, please let us know your thoughts in the comments. The source for the information is Yung Mustard. This topic is subject to change, hence our website (www.beginbasketball.com) does not claim that the data is accurate.
