The important NBA players are:
Bill Russell
Russell, a 12-time all-star, averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 56.1 percent from the free-throw line while shooting 44 percent overall. With the Celtics, where he spent 13 seasons, he won 11 NBA championships.
Jerry West
West shot 47.4 percent from the field and 81.4 percent from the free-throw line for an average of 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. His silhouette serves as the NBA’s logo, and he only won one championship in 1972.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Twenty NBA seasons were played by Abdul-Jabbar, including six with the Milwaukee Bucks and 14 with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a two-time Finals MVP and an all-star in 19 of those seasons. Kareem shot 55.9 percent from the field and 72.1 percent from three throughout those two full decades. He has a average of 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists a game.
Julius Irving, Virginia Squires (ABA)
Irving averaged 24.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game over the course of 16 professional seasons. This includes five in the ABA and 11 in the NBA. He also shot 50.6 percent from the field and 77.7 percent from the charity stripe. In 1983, Irving led the Sixers to a championship and three MVP awards in the ABA.
Larry Bird
All 13 of Larry Legend’s league seasons were spent with Boston, and he made the all-star team 12 times. On 49.6% of his shots, 37.6% of his three-point attempts, and 88.6% of his free throw attempts, he averaged 24,3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists a game. With the Celtics, Bird earned three MVPs, two MVPs of the Finals, and three championships.
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson averaged 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 11.2 assists over the course of 13 seasons, all spent with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also shot 52.0 percent from the field and 84.8 percent from the charity stripe. Johnson won five championships, was the MVP twice, and the Finals MVP three times. No wonder he is one of the most important NBA players.
Michael Jordan
Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game in 15 NBA seasons. He was named an all-star 14 times. He had field-goal percentages of 49.7%, 3-point percentages of 32.7%, and free-throw percentages of 83.5 percent. In addition to winning all six NBA Finals, Jordan also won five league MVP awards.
Kobe Bryant
Over the course of 20 seasons, all spent with the Lakers, Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while shooting 44.7 percent, 32.9 percent from three, and 83.7 percent from the line. He participated in 18 All-Star games and captured five titles, one MVP, and two Finals MVPs.
LeBron James, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers
James has averaged 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists a game over the course of 19 seasons. He shot 50.5 percent overall, 34.6 percent from three, and 73.4 percent from the line. James has four championships, four MVPs, and four MVPs of the finals.
Stephen Curry
Lastly, Stephen is one of the most important NBA players. Curry has been a member of the Warriors for all 13 of his professional seasons. He shoots 47.3 percent from the field, 42.8 percent from three, and 90.8 percent from the free-throw line. He averaged 24.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.5 assists a game. Eight-time all-star Curry has won four championships and been named the league MVP twice.