10. Kevin Johnson
Johnson is one of the most underrated guards of all time. In his career, he averaged 18 points per game, nine assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He also shot a great 49.3 percent from the field, and 84 percent from the free-throw line. He was selected to three All-Star teams.
He was selected to four All-NBA teams, three of those being second-team selections. He ranks sixth all-time in assists per game, and was also a solid defensive guard. He was also one of the main players on the Suns team that made the Finals in 1993.
9. Jason Kidd
Kidd is one of the greatest pure point guards ever. In his career, he has made the All-Star team nine times, made the All-NBA team six-times, and was a nine-time selection for the All-Defensive team. He also won the 1995 Co-Rookie of the Year Award, along with Grant Hill. He is also third all-time in triple-doubles in the regular season with 100, and he is second all-time in playoff triple-doubles with eleven.
His career averages are 14.2 points, 9.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds and two steals a game. He has led the league in assists per game five times, and in total assists three times. He has also led the league in total steals once, in 2002.
However, he has never won a ring. That has been the main accomplishment he has failed to achieve, as both times he led his team to the Finals in New Jersey, they were swept by the Lakers and the Spurs.
8. Nate "Tiny" Archibald
Tiny was the first dominant "little man" in the league. He is the only player in the history of the league to have led the league in both scoring and assists in the same season. This occurred in the 1972-73 season, when he averaged an amazing 34 points and 11.4 assists as a member of the Kansas City Royals.
Over his career, he made the All-Star team six times, and he won the All-Star game MVP in 1981. That same year, he won his only championship as a member of the Boston Celtics.
Overall, he made the all NBA teams five times, with three of those being first-team selections. He averaged 19 points and eight assists, along with a fantastic 47 percent from the field.
7. Gary "The Glove" Payton
Payton is one of the greatest offensive and defensive guards of all time. Defensively, he is tied for the record with nine All-NBA first-team selections. He is also the only point guard of all time to have won the Defensive Player of the Year Award, which he achieved in 1996. He also led the league in steals once and is third all-time in total steals.
Offensively, he averaged over 16 points, 6.7 assists and over four rebounds over his 17-year career. He also shot an impressive 47 percent from the field and averaged over 20 points in eight different seasons.
He is also one of the more durable players of all time, as he only missed 25 games in his entire career. He won his only championship in 2006, as a member of the Miami Heat.
6. Walt "Clyde" Frazier
Frazier is considered by many to be the greatest defensive point guard of all time. He was selected to the All-NBA defensive team seven times, all of them as first-team selections. He was also selected to the All-NBA team six times, with four of those being first-team selections. He made the All-Star team seven times, and he won an All-Star MVP in 1975.
Offensively, he was one of the most all around point guards as he averaged 19 points, six rebounds, six assists, and two steals over his career. He also shot a fantastic 49 percent from the field.
He led the Knicks to two championships in 1970 and in 1973. He had one of the greatest postseason performances of all time in Game Seven of the 1970 Finals against the Lakers, as he scored 36 points and 19 assists to lead the Knicks to their first championship in their history.
5. Bob Cousy
Cousy was the lead guard of eight Boston Celtics championship teams. In his 14 year career, he made the all star team 13 times and averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds. He also led the league in both total assists and assists per game for eight consecutive season from the 1952-1953 season through the 1959-1960 season.
He won two All-Star MVPs in 1954 and in 1957. He also was the first point guard of all time to win an MVP Award, which he achieved in the 1956-1957 season. Finally, he was selected to 12 All-NBA teams, 10 of those being first-team selections.
4. John Stockton
Stockton is the all-time leader in both total assists with 15,806, and the all-time leader in total steals with 3,265. Over his 20-year career, he averaged 13.5 points and 10.5 assists, along with three rebounds and 2.2 steals. He also shot an amazing 51.5 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from the three-point line, and 82 percent from the free-throw line.
He was also a very good defensive guard, as he was selected to five All-NBA defensive teams, all second-team selections. He led the league in both total assists and assists per game for nine consecutive seasons, from the 1987-1988 season through the 1995-1996 season.
However, he never won a championship with the Jazz, as they lost both times they advanced to the Finals against the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.
3. Isiah Thomas
Thomas was one of the best scoring point guards of all time. In his career, he averaged 19.2 points, 9.3 assists, and 3.6 rebounds, along with two steals per game. He also shot a solid 45.2 percent from the field, and was one of the most clutch players of all time. He led the "Bad Boy" Pistons to back-to-back championships in the late 1980s.
He was selected to 11 All-Star games, and won the All-Star MVP twice, in 1984 and 1986. He also won the 1990 Finals MVP, as he led the Pistons over the Portland Trailblazers for their second-straight championship.
He was selected to five All-NBA teams, with three of them being first-team selections. He led the league in total assists twice and in assists per game once.
2. Oscar "The Big O" Robertson
Oscar is probably the greatest player statistically, besides Wilt. Over his career, he averaged 26 points, 9.5 assists, and 7.5 rebounds, while also shooting a tremendous 49 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free-throw line.
He is also the only player of all time to average a triple double for an entire season, which he accomplished in the 1961-62 season. He averaged 32 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists that season.
He made the All-Star team 12 times, won three All-Star game MVPs, won an MVP award in the 1963-64 season, and was selected to 11 All-NBA teams, nine of those being first-team selections.
He led the league in assists per game seven times and he won one scoring title. He is fourth all-time in total assists, and tenth all-time in total points scored. He also won one championship with the Bucks, in the 1970-71 season.
1. Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Magic Johnson is the greatest basketball players of all time. He is far and away the best team player ever, and he was one of the biggest winners in the history of the league.
During his career, he led the Lakers to nine Finals appearances in the toughest era of all time—the '80s—while winning five of them. His career averages are 19.5 points, 11.2 assists, 7.2 rebounds, and two steals per game. He also shot a tremendous 52 percent from the field, and a very good 85 percent from the free-throw line.
He was selected to 12 All-Star teams, and he made the All-NBA team nine times, all first-team selections. He won three consecutive MVPs, and three total Finals MVPs. He also won two All-Star game MVPs. He ranks third all-time in total assists, and first all-time in assists per game.
Finally, he also had the greatest postseason performance of all-time in Game Six of the 1980 Finals against the Sixers. The Lakers were up 3-2, and Kareem was injured and couldn't play, so Magic started at center, and also played forward and guard. Magic scored 42 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and had six assists to lead the Lakers over Doctor J and the Sixers and win the Lakers' first championship since their legendary 1971-72 team.
I will making a list of the top 10 shooting guards of all time in the next couple of days.
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about 1 month ago
Good list. although I do think nash should have been number 10 cause of those 2 MVPs. and by the way troy, Magic is the greatest of all time.
about 1 month ago
one of the better lists ive seen on this website...its hard to argue with you...besides little things of course...
by the way...did the http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-GreatestPointGuards help influence any of your picks...
about 1 month ago
Marcel,
This list is airtight and ironclad. One of the true displays of a writer putting basketball *knowledge & reality* above, his emotions.
You should consider *using this article as teaching-utilitii* for Erick Blasco, Gaz, shawn, Matt, Jeff and a few other pro-Racist mindsets on this site.
from about 1 month ago
OK i thought you got kicked off why are you back???
about 1 month ago
Although my list would feature the same 10 players, I'd have them in a lil' different order:
10-Kevin Johnson
9-Gary Payton
8-Jason Kidd
7-John Stockton
6-Bob Cousy
5-Tiny Archibald
4-Clyde Frazier
3-Isiah Thomas
2-Oscar Robertson
1-Magic Johnson
from about 1 month ago
wow, big surprise! yungCaucasoid moves two blacks players up the list and moves two white players down the list. racist!
about 1 month ago
Interesting list. Check this one out. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/9699-no-1-no-1s-the-best-nba-point-guards-by-decade
about 1 month ago
John Stockton is number 1. Nash is nowhere near a top 10 point guard in the history of the NBA. Again how can be on a list of top 10 of all time when he's not even in the top 10 right now?
from about 1 month ago
You don't think Nash is a top 10 PG in the league RIGHT NOW??
Whose better, CP3, Derron Williams, Kidd (maybe) and who else?
about 1 month ago
Think you gotta put Nash in there over KJ. That's the only change I would make.
about 1 month ago
I like this list...I would say that the quintessential purest point guard this game has ever seen was Stockton but Earving had more personality and charisma and even though clutch was Stock's middle name he never won a championship, so this does hold some weight against him not being the best of all time, even if Stockton is "the most quintessential of all time"
from about 1 month ago
Just b/c you do not win a championship doesn't make you less of a player. I f we are goin' by rings to measure who the greatest is Russell has it locked air tight.
from about 1 month ago
you are right, most players have not won any rings but in the eyes of many people, Stockton could never be #1 becasue of this fact, which is a little unfair, but I stick to my story of him being the most quintessential of all time. Even if he is not technically a champion, in the eyes of many Jazz fans he is.
about 1 month ago
~John Stockton couldn't create his own shot, like great PG's must do when the half-court set isn't successful
~John Stockton got a lot of steals, but wasn't very good at containing other PG's
~John Stockton showed in The NBA Finals, he didn't have the courage nor tenacity, to get it done
~John Stockton's 20 years of NBA basketball, doing mainly two things, inadvertantly put him as the all-time leader in those two categories.
~Karl Malone's handling of John Stockton's passes, is *the quintessential reason* for most of Stockton's success----versus Stockton's abilities, themselves.
John Stockton's lack of speed, athleticism, and agility, cost him dearly ----especially during the later-rounds of the playoffs! And *it is what it is* whether folk want to face it or not.
from about 1 month ago
Oh Yeah, you forgot to say that John Stockton isn't black. Who's the racist?
from about 1 month ago
yes, another big surprise.... yungCacasoid picks a white player to criticize, even though there was only two on the list of ten! racist!
from about 1 month ago
oh and we all know he hates steve nash also, but he was not on list so we dont have another racist attack on a white player skills. thanks to small miracles1
from about 1 month ago
You make some compelling arguments here—but it's worth noting that Stockton is one of the best clutch shooters of all time.
He could hit a big shot at any time, any place...something Karl Malone couldn't do if the man guarding him sat down on the floor.
It's also unfair to hold Stockton's lack of a title against him when he had to face MJ and the Bulls both times he had a legitimate chance at it.
about 1 month ago
I agree with Sam, this is one of the best lists I've ever seen on this website. I also agree that Magic was THE best player in the history of the NBA.
about 1 month ago
How come Tim Hardaway isn't on the list he is definitely better then Kevin Johnson? Kevin Johnson is the best point guard the Suns ever have had play for them.
about 1 month ago
I would say that Celtic legend Dennis Johnson should be on the list at number 10 and not Kevin Johnson.
about 1 month ago
I agree with the 9 of the players selected, but i definately think Tim Hardaway should be on the list. Also, I think JOhn Stockton should definately be in the top three. Eventhough he wasn't as flashy as the others, he still had more accomplishments than most on the list.
My list would have been as follows:
10-Tim Hardaway
9-Bob Cousy
8-Jason Kidd
7-Tiny Archibald
6-Gary Payton
5-Isiah Thomas
4-Clyde Frazier
3-John Stockton
2-Oscar Robertson
1-Magic Johnson
about 1 month ago
Micah,
You should have got kicked off, so...purge your registration immediately, anyway--------please?
from about 1 month ago
micah since yuu dont share yungcacuasids racist mindset, you must go! only white haters are allowed on bleacher report!
about 1 month ago
would take jerry west mr clutch for the lakers for many many years! over a couple guys on this list! taht s all!
from about 1 month ago
he's a two guard Thomas in the truest sense, I'm sure he'll be on the next one.
about 1 month ago
Unbelievable list Marcel!
Hard to argue with...I'd say that the only potential omissions (as others have pointed out) are Tim Hardaway, Steve Nash, and Dennis Johnson.
Dennis Johnson has the rings...Tim Hardaway has that long range three and the killer crossover. And Steve Nash?
At his peak, perhaps the best offensive point guard the game has seen since Magic or Oscar (though I know Yung would disagree).
Here would be my list:
10) Nash
9) Kidd
8) Tiny
7) Payton
6) Cousy
5) Frazier
4) Isiah
3) Stockton
2) Big O
1) Magic
about 1 month ago
oh yeah do a two guard list! lol thomas was gail goodrich the point guard? when keith erickson played did west become the point? did pat riley play swing forward and guard? i think west handled the ball quite a bit! thomas
about 1 month ago
KJ? RU Serious? I left Tiny off my list because he doesn't rank in the top 15 for all time Assists.
Here's My 10:
10. Gary Payton
9. Steve Nash
8. Allen Iverson
7. Bob Cousy
6. Jason Kidd
5. Clyde Fraiser
4. Isiah Thomas
3. John Stockton
2. Oscar Robinson
1. Magic Johnson
about 1 month ago
Allen Iverson are you crazy but at least you included Nash in list. Anyway I thought Iverson was 2.
from about 1 month ago
People have tried to make Iverson a 2, but at his size, and with his ball handling and passing, yes passing, ability he is a 1. A scoring point guard, a shoot-first point guard, but a point guard.
about 1 month ago
boys,
Cant believe some of you fellas are so Low on Stockton. He may never have won a ring, but in his day, he was an excellent on the ball defender, applied pressure and got the best out of players like Malone, who was over rated and a choke artist. He was a great shooter, when compared to some of the list (Kidd, Cousy, Frazier) and he played hurt. The records weren't flukes, but i think that he led the NBA in apg as well........i knoe his last 4 seasons he was operating at about half speed, but at half speed and at 41, he was still one of the pest PG's in the leaague........Plus he was hard, he would set (moving) screens on bigger men, take charges and played i think the best pass i ever saw which was an 75 footer over scottie pippen (i think) to malon in the finals,
He never won because his supporting cast wasn't good enough, and he played in a golden era of the NBA
Like the rest of the list, I would take Kidd over Payton though
Gk
about 1 month ago
Stockton is not in the top three because he didnt win a championship, and i agree that Tim Hardaway should have been on the list along with Mark Price!!!!
from about 1 month ago
see what I mean.... there are still people who wont consider Stockton the best beacause he never won a championship, consequently he can never be the number 1 best point guard...but Stockton was indeed clutch, he shot almost 52% for his career, I was there, I remember...and he could indeed create his own shot, I dont think half of the people on here even saw Stockton in action as much as I have....true story
about 1 month ago
Poor Stockton, one of the many robbed of a title while Jordan was in his prime!
about 1 month ago
Kidd's Nets team didn't get swept by the Spurs just so you know
about 1 month ago
mike,
get it right, liar, I don't hate Steve Nash. I just hate the way you and other pro-Racist overrate the undeserved White athlete...especially those, of the *dead-weight of minimal contribution* texture. Thats not Steve Nash's fault. It's your. Face this. As a matter of fact, Steve Nash openly stated that he didn't deserve (Kobe's) MVP Award, while even alluding to how "if the league gave this trophy to the best player, every year, then I wouldn't even be in the running!"
He's been one of my all-time favorites every since that show of Integrity, Honesty ---AND REFUSAL!--- to parlay within *the undeserved privileges* of White-skin. Period.
Now, mike, you have a clue!
from about 1 month ago
if you were pinochio yur nose would strech to china after that commnet!
about 1 month ago
awwwww, wutzamatta wittle fella?
Mad because 'ole yungCaucasoid gets to enjoy, how Nash, doesn't take too kindly to *having the privileges of White-skin* lumped onto his plate?
Don't cry, wittle fella, there's plenty of other *dead-weight Caucasoids* who love to toil in 'the pass' that you like to give out via their lack of athleticism ---while controlling the segment of society--- which delves out the athletic opportunities.
from about 1 month ago
oh gee willikers! he called me wittle fella -- twice !! i feel so ashamed and sad :-( i'm gonna tell my mom ur name calling. waaahhhhhh!!
about 1 month ago
Where's Mo Cheeks he's was the career leader in steals for sometime and assists. And he was the point guard on probably the greatest team in NBA History 82-83 76ers. But I can deal w/the list.
about 1 month ago
Laura Shanette just read your bio and now I see why you such a huge Stockton fan. I liked Stockton to but i hated Karl Malone because he was just so clutch and pure kinda wish he was on my team at the time!lol
from about 1 month ago
are you sayng Karl was clutch or Stock? I hope you werent sayin Karl was clutch...UTAH would have 2 championships if it wasnt for Malone missing all those clutch free throws.....
about 1 month ago
John Stockton certainly belongs in the top-ten-pack. Also, Jerry West should replace Nash...I say put Nash at around #15 or so. And Mo Cheeks and Dennis Johnson? Those two were great...they come within a hair of cracking my top ten. Most of the posts I've read here make perfect sense... except for a couple people accusing others of being racist. WTF is that all about?
about 1 month ago
Thanks Flying Hawaiin. I was wrong. The Nets lost 2-4 to the Spurs, not swept like I said.
about 1 month ago
I agree with most of your picks. You can't argue with Magic at number one, but I do think that Nash should take the place of Kevin Johnson, and Tiny should get moved up, Stockton too.
about 1 month ago
Tough to argue with that list. Maybe a shuffling of the bottom five. Maybe. But people can argue those points all day (and, it seems, they already have).
My question for you would be this: Who is Number 11?
from about 1 month ago
Steve Nash is #11 because of his two MVP awards.
about 1 month ago
Steve Nash belongs on this list. Oh, and sorry, but the greatest team player of all time was none other than BILL RUSSELL. Since the West was slightly less weak when KJ made the Finals as the abysmal state of the East when Kidd made it, I'll put Nash at #8 and kick Kidd off.
about 1 month ago
Great list! It's hard to debate your choices here. The arguments for Nash are mildly valid, but one of his MVP's actually belongs to Kobe and who would you take off. DJ wasa great PG but he played with one of the best teams in NBA history and even then for only a few years. Mo Cheeks may have been a cut above KJ if only for his consistency. Still, great effort!
about 1 month ago
Hey !!! are u kidding me , how about Allen Iverson he must be, and he is number 1 point guard ever
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