The point guard position is the most valuable position on the court. In the modern NBA, if a team doesn’t have a great point guard, it will not bring championships to that organization, with few exceptions. Today we’re looking at the five best point guards in NBA history.
Disclaimer: The competitions the player participated in were decisive in compiling this list. Players who played before 1975 are not on this list.
Honorable Mentions
Jason Kidd, Oscar Robertson, Chris Paul and Isiah Thomas
Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook, one of the most athletic basketball players of all time, ranks fifth. Mr. Triple-Double had the most dominant MVP season of all time, totaling 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a sixth-place finish. Due to a lack of productivity in recent years, Westbrook has flown under the radar of the best point guards of all time. However, in his younger years, he was a force to be reckoned with.
Awards: 1x MVP, 9x All-NBA, 9x All-Star, 2x All-Star MVP, 2x Scoring Champion, 3x Assist Champion, NBA 75th Anniversary Team, 1x Olympic Gold Medalist
John Stockton
The best true point guard comes in at number four. Stockton is what every coach wants; a tricky guy who can pass the ball to scorers and also cause turnovers on defense. Stockton has the most steals and assists in NBA history and will hold that record for a long time. The lack of championships is the reason he is not higher on this list.
Awards: 11x All-NBA, 10x All-Star, 1x All-Star MVP, 5x 2nd Defensive Team, 9x Assist Champion, 2x Steal Champion, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, NBA 75th Anniversary Team, HOF Member
Steve Nash
When the word “underrated” is mentioned, one cannot fail to mention Steve Nash, who is the most underrated 2-time MVP the NBA has ever had. The two-time MVP was one of the first players in the modern NBA to be both an elite passer and an elite shooter. Nash averaged 17.2 points and 11 assists during those seasons while making about 44% of his shots from behind the three-point line.
Awards: 2x MVP, 8x All-Star, 7x All-NBA, 5x Assist Champ, NBA 75th Anniversary Team, HOF member
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson was something the NBA had never seen before at the time. A 6’1″ flashy point guard who could run defenders into the ground. Johnson is one of the best primetime players the NBA has ever seen and one of the greatest superstars to ever grace the court. Magic was so dominant and popular that his fans traveled all over the country to see him and fellow great center Kareem-Abdul Jabbar play.
Awards: 3x MVP, 10x All-NBA, 12x All-Star, 2x All-Star MVP, 5x NBA Champion, 3x Finals MVP, All-Rookie Team, NBA 75th Anniversary Team, 1x Olympic Gold Medalist, HOF Member
Stephen Curry
The greatest shooter of all time is indisputably at the top of this list. What Curry did for the sport of basketball will change the way the game is played forever. According to RPubs, there were about 42,000 three-point attempts in Curry’s rookie season across the league. In 2022, there were about 90,000 three-point attempts. Influential is the only way to describe Curry’s play in his career. He is the first unanimous MVP, the NBA’s best three-point shooter of all time, and his career three-point percentage of 40.8% ranks him at the top. That’s not even taking into account the fact that Curry led the Warriors to six Finals, winning four of them, and led the Golden State Warriors to a 73-9 record in 2016.
Awards: 2x MVP, 10x All-NBA, 10x All-Star, 1x All-Star MVP, 4x NBA Champion, 1x Finals MVP, 2x Scoring Champion, 1x Steal Champion, NBA 75th Anniversary Team, 1x Olympic Gold Medalist
Why curry instead of magic?
For the past few seasons, this has been the second biggest debate in basketball, right after who was better: Michael Jordan or Lebron James. Magic Johnson undoubtedly has better accolades than Stephen Curry, but we can look at two things: the competition and the impact each player has on the game of basketball.
When it comes to competition, Curry beats Magic hands down. The NBA 40 years ago looked very different than it does today. Magic has the physique to play in the modern NBA, but he doesn’t have the scoring ability to be a superstar in today’s game. At the last Olympics, for example, Stephen Curry and his Team USA played against 41 NBA players last season, while Magic Johnson’s 1992 Dream Team played against 12 NBA players.
Playing styles may be different, but 41 NBA players are not comparable to 12
As we’ve mentioned before, Stephen Curry changed the game of basketball and the way offense is run. More teams at every level of basketball are attempting three-point shots more often than they were 40 years ago. Additionally, kids are shooting from five feet behind the three-point line at a young age. We can thank Stephen Curry for that.
