Top 5 Shooting Guards of All-Time

The NBA is getting more athletic as time goes on. The NBA pace today is also as quick as ever and is tailor-made for scoring and for offensive players. I’m here to discuss my top 5 shooting guards in NBA history.

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5. Allen Iverson

The pound-for-pound best player I have watched. Listed at only six feet, there was no stopping Allen Iverson from scoring during his peak. Iverson was a player who scored at will, who elevated the crossover move, and was a magician with the ball, in which he created opportunities to score for himself and for his teammates. Although, Iverson didn’t have the longevity of the players listed above him, he did lead the league in minutes seven times during his career. Allen Iverson changed the culture of the NBA and the heart he had and the tenacity he played with, it was hard not like and appreciate the greatness he displayed. He also led the league in scoring for four straight seasons. However; his greatest feat, in my opinion, is when he carried an overachieving Philadelphia 76ers team to the NBA Finals. Although, Iverson never won a champion, he brought style and flare that forever changed the NBA along with carrying the Philly franchise for years. Career stats: 26.7 PPG, 6.2 APG, 3.7 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 42.5% from the field and 78.0% from the free throw line. Accolades: MVP, 11x All-Star, 7x All-NBA selection, 4x Scoring Champ, 3x Steals Champ, 2x All-Star Game MVP, and Rookie of the Year.

4. Jerry West

As time passes, I feel like a lot of people forgot how good Jerry West was as a player. During his career, he averaged over than 25 points per game in a season – eleven times. As good as Jerry West was in the regular season, he was even better in the playoffs. During the 1964-1965 playoffs, Jerry West averaged an insane 40.6 points per game. Despite losing consciously to the Boston Celtics, Jerry West always performed at his highest. For instance, he won Finals MVP despite losing to Boston, as he averaged 37.9 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game during that series. Which proved he was clearly the best player during the entire series. Jerry West would continue to have awe-inspiring clutch playoff performances through the rest of his career. He also played suffocating defense as he made the All-Defensive Team five times. Known as “The Logo”, many forget how good Jerry West was and I wanted to refresh your memory. Career stats: 27.0 PPG, 6.7 APG, 5.8 RPG, 2.6 SPG, 47.4% from the field and 81.4% from the free throw line. Accolades: Finals MVP, 14x All-Star, 12x All-NBA selection, 5x All-Defensive, Scoring Champ, Assist Champ, All-Star Game MVP, and an NBA Champion.

3. Dwyane Wade

Coming off a final four appearance during his final year at Marquette, and from the moment Wade came into the league, he had that “IT” factor. Wade wasn’t hyped up like Michael & Kobe coming into the league. However; Wade proved to be the second best at his position for large portion of his career. Wade was as tough as they come, as he thrived at driving and finishing in the paint. Wade had great athleticism which made him a very good and pesty defender. Wade cemented his legacy when he had one of the greatest clutch performances in NBA Finals history. During the 2006 Finals, he was named Finals MVP, as he averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. One of Wade’s most underrated attributes is his leadership. When LeBron came to Miami, Wade taught LeBron how to win, as they would go on to win two championships. In my opinion, this is one of Wade’s greatest achievements during his fantastic career. Career stats: 22.0 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.7 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 48% from the field and 76.5% from the free throw line. Accolades: Finals MVP, 13x All-Star, 8x All-NBA selection, 3x All-Defensive, Scoring Champ, All-Star Game MVP, and a 3x NBA Champion.

2. Kobe Bryant

Spending his whole twenty-year career in LA, Kobe demonstrated what it meant to be a true Laker. One of the greatest scorers in NBA history, he made scoring looked so easy, scoring 33,643 points in his career (4th All-Time). Kobe averaged 30 points per game – three different seasons and led the league in scoring twice. Kobe lived for the big moments as everyone knew when it was the 4th quarter and time to close the game out, it was KOBE TIME!!! Including a performance, we may never see again when he scored a career-high 81 points (second-highest of All-Time). Kobe was just as tenacious defensively, as he was named to the All-Defensive Team twelve-times. Kobe was the ultimate winner as he was a five-time NBA Championship which included him and the Lakers three-peating. Only a few teams in NBA history accomplished such a feat. His competitive nature and drive to be great set him apart from his peers. Nobody can deny that Kobe is the ultimate winner and one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Career stats: 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 44.7% from the field and 83.7% from the free throw line. Accolades: MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 18x All-Star, 15x All-NBA selection, 12x All-Defensive, 2x Scoring Champ, 4x All-Star Game MVP, and a 5x NBA Champion.

1. Michael Jordan

There’s no debate as to who’s number 1 on my list. It’s obviously Michael Jordan! I haven’t seen anyone at his position who dominated and shut down the league like he did. In my opinion, not only is Michael Jordan the best shooting guard of all-time, he’s also the greatest player of all-time. As we previously knew even before his documentary “The Last Dance”, he was just a different breed and a cut above anyone else. Besides the insane amount of winning, his will to win, how easy he made scoring looked, and how good he was defensively set him apart from everyone else. Michael Jordan averaged over 30 points per game – eight different seasons along with leading the league in scoring 10 times. Michael Jordan led the league in PER (Player Efficiency Rating) seven times and led the league in Win Shares – nine times. Jordan was just as good on the defensively end, as he was the first player to achieve at least 200 steals and 100 blocks in a season, in which he did it twice. Jordan also won Defensive Player of the Year (which was rare for guards to win) along with being a nine-time All-Defensive First Team. Then here’s where Jordan is infamously known for, his playoffs performances and the clutch shots. Everyone knew down the stretch and at the end of games that the ball was going through Jordan. And he would close out games and make clutch shots time after time whether it was in the regular season, the playoffs, or the NBA Finals. Nobody performed at the highest level and delivered as often as Jordan did. There’s so much more you can say about Michael Jordan and these are the reasons why I believe he is the greatest shooting guard and player in NBA history. His career stats and accolades explain as to why many believes he is the GOAT! Career stats: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 49.7% from the field and 83.5% from the free throw line. Accolades: 5x MVP, 6x Finals MVP, 14x All-Star, 11x All-NBA selection, 9x All-Defensive, 10x Scoring Champ, 3x Steals Champ, 3x All-Star Game MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and a 6x NBA Champion.