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The All-NBA is an innovation that started in the inaugural NBA season in 1946, aimed at honoring the best players in the league every season. Although it started out recognizing ten players split into two teams, first and second, things changed since 1988 after three teams were selected.
Selection in either of the All-NBA teams shows that a player is arguably the best in their position. Chris Paul has continued to stake his claim as one of the best point guards in league history after making his 10th All-NBA selection in the 2021 Second Team. Each of the three All-NBA teams is put together like a standard team, comprised of two guards, two forwards, and one center.
While winning the regular season MVP is the greatest achievement as a player, making it to the All-NBA team selection is equally commendable. It goes a long way in showing just how much a player is valued and recognized by the association.
On that note, let's take a look at the players with the most All-NBA selections in league history.
#5 Karl Malone, 14 All-NBA selections
Karl Malone is considered one of the greatest power forwards in league history and spent all but one year of his 19-year career with the Utah Jazz.
Although Malone is tied with Shaquille O'Neal with 14 All-NBA selections, he has more first-team selections than O'Neal. He ended his career with 11 First Team All-NBA selections, twice in the Second Team, and a Third Team selection.
Malone achieved this in the 19 seasons spent in the league. It is also worth noting that he made the playoffs in each of those nineteen seasons but failed to win a championship.
#4 Tim Duncan, 15 All-NBA selections
Tim Duncan was selected as the first overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1997 NBA draft. The franchise was rewarded for their choice as the forward led the team to five championships.
Duncan started and ended his 19-year career with the Spurs and had 15 All-NBA selections as well as 15 All-Star appearances. He also had 15 All-Defensive selections, eight in the First Team and seven in the Second Team.
Although he is tied with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant with 15 All-NBA selections, he had ten First Team selections, three Second Teams, and two Third Team selections.
#3 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 15 All-NBA selections
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar remains one of the most decorated players in the NBA and is known for his famous skyhook shot. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 1969 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Abdul-Jabbar wasted no time in making his mark as he made an All-Star appearance in his rookie season, followed by an All-NBA First Team selection in his sophomore year. He was so impactful to the extent that he is still the all-time leader in points scored, despite retiring in 1989.
In his 20-year career, Kareem made ten All-NBA First Team selections and five All-NBA Second Team selections. He also won championships with the Milwaukee Bucks and the LA Lakers. His retired number 33 hangs in the rafters of both franchises.
#2 Kobe Bryant, 15 All-NBA selections
January 26, 2020, was one of the saddest days in basketball history as we lost Kobe Bryant to the cold hands of death.
Kobe started his career in 1996 with the LA Lakers and plied his trade with the team until his retirement. He is behind Wilt Chamberlain for the most points scored in a single game with 81.
Although Kobe also has 15 All-NBA selections, he has one more First Team selection than the other two players on the list. He has two selections each for the Second and Third teams.
Kobe was voted posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and holds the number four position in the NBA's all-time points leaders standings.
#1 LeBron James, 17 All-NBA selections
The insistence on LeBron James' GOAT status is continually gaining more traction as he continues to break more records in the league's history. He is the only active NBA player with over ten All-NBA selections.
LeBron broke the tie for the number one spot after his 2020 All-NBA First Team selection. In the recently announced 2021 All-NBA teams, he was selected for the 17th time in his 18-year career.
No other player in the league's history has been that consistent, making the All-NBA for seventeen consecutive seasons. He has been selected 13 times in the First Team, three in the Second Team, and once in the Third Team.
Another milestone worth noting is that he has done it in the least amount of seasons (18) compared to those on this list.
Guess the Lakers players!
