NBA: Top five forwards of all time

Making a list of the top 5 forwards was harder than I imagined. Ranking the top 5 guards on the other hand, was easy, because guards, in general, either facilitate or score. They styles of play are remarkably similar. They’re quick, agile and are generally good shooters.

Forwards though are more complex. They are versatile players by nature and this makes it all the more harder to rank them. Almost every top notch forward scores, assists, rebounds, defends – in short, does pretty much everything which can be done in Basketball.

Also, each forward has a unique style. Some are scoring, some are athletic, some are defensive, you get the gist.

5. Larry Bird; 1979-1992, Boston Celtics

Career Averages: 24.3 ppg; 10.0 rebounds; 6.3 assists; 1.7 steals

Larry Legend was one of the sharpest shooters to have ever played in this position. He played for the Celtics his entire career and was part of one of the most dominant frontcourts of all time along with Robert Parish and Kevin McHale.

He is a 3 time NBA Champion, 2 time NBA Finals MVP and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998, six years after his retirement in 1992. Bird was one of the best free throw shooters of all time. He led the league in free throw shooting % 4 times.

Since retiring, Bird was the head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997-2000. He then took over the post of the President of Basketball operations of the Pacers team in 2003.

Bird is the only player in NBA History to have been named the MVP, Coach of the year and Executive of the year.

4. Julius Erving; 1976-1987, Philadelphia 76ers (He played 5 years in the ABA, 1971-76 with the Virginia Squires and NY Nets)

Career Averages: 24.2 ppg; 8.5 rebounds; 4.2 assists; 2.0 steals, 1.7 blocks

Dr. J is one of the most regal players to have ever played in the NBA. There was just something about watching Doc play. You knew he was the man in control and that irrespective of how tough the situation was, he would somehow always come out on top (sometimes literally).

He is an NBA Champion and was named the NBA MVP once. Erving is the only player to have been named the Most Valuable Player in both the ABA and the NBA.

I could rant on about his scoring, rebounding or defensive abilities. However, there’s one thing which is much more significant than all his awards and statistics put together.

Erving changed the perception of the dunk. Back in his time, it was just a way for the bigs to showcase their brute strength. In general, it was considered unsportsmanlike. Erving however, revolutionised the dunk. He showed that it could be done with finesse. His “slam dunk” became so popular that it is now an official part of the NBA All-Star weekend.

This high flying wonder remains one of the most impactful Forwards of all time.For his efforts, he was inducted in to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

3. Elgin Baylor; 1958-1972, Los Angeles Lakers

Career Averages: 27.4 ppg; 13.5 rebounds; 4.3 assists

Baylor was a fore-runner of a whole new class of forwards. At 6’5″, he ushered in an era of players who played at both Shooting Guard and Small Forward.

He was the pioneer of the mid-air clutch shots. Baylor simply did not obey the laws of gravity. He used to hang in the air, twist and turn and somehow land the ball into the basket. This style of play was later improved on by future mid-air marvels like Dr. J, Michael Jordan and Connie Hawkins.

At 6’5″, the number of RPG he has accumulated is simply spectacular. In fact, he averaged 15+ rebounds each game during his first four seasons. He would probably credit that to his incredible vertical.

Baylor is a Hall of Famer and was the former General Manager of the Los Angeles Clippers for 22 years. He even won the NBA Executive of the year award in 2006.

2. Tim Duncan; 1997-Present, San Antonio Spurs

Career Averages: 20.2 ppg; 11.2 rebounds; 3.2 assists; 0.7 steals; 2.3 blocks

The Mr. Fundamental should probably be called Mr. Consistent.He’s never led the league in points or rebounds or even shots blocked per game. But he’s still regarded as the greatest PF to have ever played the game. The speaks of his consistency – game after game and season after season

How would one describe Duncan? He’s not a flashy player, he’s not very intense nor is he very expressive. He’s quiet, consistent and sticks to the fundamentals. These attributes have earned him 4 Championship rings, 2 MVP awards, 3 Finals MVP awards and 14 All-Star roster slots over a career spanning 16 years, so far.

Last season, nobody reckoned that the San Antonio Spurs would post a deep playoff run. They called them “old, soft and boring”. An apt description, but they failed to take into account the never-say-die attitude and leadership of Duncan. The Spurs did not win the title, but Duncan sent out a message, loud and clear: His hunger for yet another ring still remains unsatiated.

1. LeBron James; 2003-Present, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat

Career Averages: 27.8 ppg; 7.3 rebounds; 6.9 assists; 1.7 steals; 0.8 blocks

28 years old, a 2 time NBA Champion, 4 time MVP, 2 time NBA Finals MVP, 9 time All-Star, Scoring Champion and currently, the best player on the planet.

Most people wouldn’t agree with my decision that James is the greatest forward of all time. But, consider this. He’s playing in one of the most competitive eras of all time. He’s played in the NBA for 10 seasons and is one of the most versatile players in the league right now. He’s not a pure scorer like Kobe Bryant or Carmelo Anthony but his career points per game is the higher than any player active, and third all time.

LeBron has led the Heat to the playoffs five times, to the NBA finals thrice and to the title the last two years. He’s improving every year, is healthy and shows no signs of slowing down.

While he may not have a ton of seasons left in him, it’s safe to say that he has at least 5-6 seasons left. And we know that “The King” won’t stop until he becomes the Greatest of all time.