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Steve Lipofsky at basketballphoto.com, Jordan by Lipofsky 16577, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who are the top NBA players of the 1990s? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Patrick Ewing: a 20-10 machine and an imposing force on both ends of the court, Ewing made eight All-Star teams, five All-NBA teams, and an All-Defensive team during the decade while posting averages of 24+ points and 11+ rebounds per game.
9. Clyde Drexler: though he was generally overshadowed by Michael Jordan, Drexler was a dynamic player in his own right, earning seven All-Star and four All-NBA selections while averaging 20+ points, 6+ rebounds, and 5+ assists for the decade and winning an NBA title with the Houston Rockets.
8. Shaquille O’Neal: the 1992-1993 Rookie of the Year, O’Neal averaged 27+ points and 12+ rebounds per game for the decade while winning a scoring title and making six All-Star and All-NBA teams.
7. Scottie Pippen: the Robin to Jordan’s Batman on six Chicago Bulls championships teams, Pippen made seven All-Star and All-NBA teams and nine All-Defensive teams with a steals crown in the 1990s with averages of 19+ points, 7+ rebounds, and 5+ assists per game; moreover, in 1994-1995, he became just the second player in NBA history to lead his team in every major statistical category.
6. Charles Barkley: a double-double machine and the league MVP in 1992-1993, Barkley was an 8x All-Star and 7x All-NBA pick who put up 22+ points and 11+ rebounds per game for the decade.
5. John Stockton: a model of consistency, Stockton led the league in assists 7x and steals once during the decade with eight All-Star, nine All-NBA, and four All-Defensive selections on 14+ points and 11+ assists per game.
4. David Robinson: starting off the decade as Rookie of the Year, Robinson averaged 24+ points and 11+ rebounds per game and was also 1994-1995 MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, an 8x All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive pick, and a scoring, rebounding, and blocks leader, topping off the 1990s by leading the San Antonio Spurs to their first championship.
3. Karl Malone: perfecting the art of the pick-and-roll with teammate Stockton, Malone averaged 27+ points and 10+ rebounds per game in the 1990s and won two MVP awards while making the All-Star and All-NBA teams every year (there was no All-Star Game in 1999) along with three All-Defensive nods.
2. Hakeem Olajuwon: the 1993-1994 MVP and 2x Finals MVP on back-to-back championship teams, Olajuwon made seven All-Star teams, eight All-NBA teams, and six All-Defensive teams with a pair of Defensive Player of the Year awards, a rebounding crown, and three blocks titles on 24+ points and 11+ rebounds per game; he is the only player in NBA history to win regular season MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, an NBA title, and Finals MVP in the same season.
1. Michael Jordan: widely regarded as the GOAT, Jordan did it all in the 1990s even with a two-year hiatus to play baseball: with averages of 30+ points, 6+ rebounds, and 5+ assists per game, he was a 7x scoring champion, 4x MVP, 7x All-Star, 7x All-NBA, 7x All-Defensive, 2x steals leader, and 6x NBA champion, winning Finals MVP each time.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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Countdown 58: Top 10 MLB Players of the 1990s
