Statistics and praise aside, it can be said that for NBA players, consolidating their legacy is the most important thing to win in the playoffs, and at the highest level.
Ring culture may be frown by some, but overall it makes sense why elite-level NBA players are expected to win. After all, the NBA is a sport where singles can change the fate of a team, at least more important in other sports.
Today, we'll take a look at the best NBA players of all time (at least: 100 playoff games). Some of this list, such as who is the first, may be surprised.
Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images
Record: 77-35
Playoffs career data: 9.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, 45.0 fg%
Vincent Laforet/AFP via Getty Images
Record: 116-53
Playoffs career data: 6.4 ppg, 9.9 RPG, 1.2 APG, 49.0 fg%
Rick Stewart/Getty Images
Record: 115-53
Playoffs career data: 9.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, 46.8 fg%
Bob Donnan – America's movement today
Record: 108-50
Playoffs career data: 19.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.2 APG, 40.5 3P%
Winslow Townson-Usa Sports Today
Record: 86-40
Playoffs career data: 6.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 50.7 FG%
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Record: 110-52
Playoffs career data: 11.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 6.1 APG, 44.7 FG%
Tim DeFrisco/Allsport/Getty Images
Record: 128-62
Playoffs career data: 19.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 12.3 APG, 50.6 fg%
Otto Greule Jr/Allsport/Getty Images
Record: 96-47
Playoffs career data: 21.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.2 APG, 54.4 fg%
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Record: 102-50
Playoffs career data: 27.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 6.2 APG, 39.7 3p%
Focus on sports/Getty images
Record: 93-46
Playoffs career data: 5.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 0.9 APG, 57.4 fg%
Getty Images
Record: 72-36
Playoffs career data: 3.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.3 APG, 52.7 fg%
Andrew D. Bernstein/nbae by Getty Images
Record: 70-35
Playoffs career data: 7.9 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 47.1 FG%
USA Today Sports
Record: 119-60
Playoffs career data: 33.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.7 APG, 48.7 FG%
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Record: 89-45
Playoffs career data: 6.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.8 APG, 50.5 fg%
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Record: 85-43
Playoffs career data: 4.3 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 1.2 APG, 42.6 fg%
Malcolm Emmons – USA Today Sports
Record: 69-35
Playoffs career data: 19.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 40.2 fg%
Stephen Dunn / Allsport
Record: 120-63
Playoffs career data: 13.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 48.2 fg%
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Record: 136-72
Playoffs career data: 17.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 5.0 APG, 44.4 fg%
Robert Laberge/Getty Images
Record: 111-59
Playoffs career data: 11.2 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.1 APG, 53.0 fg%
Malcolm Emmons-USA Network Today.
Record: 154-83
Playoffs career data: 24.3 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 3.2 APG, 53.3 fg%
Malcolm Emmons – America's Sports Today
Record: 100-54
Playoffs career data: 18.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 44.7 FG%
Focus on sports/Getty images
Record: 107-58
Playoffs career data: 16.2 PPG, 24.9 RPG, 4.7 APG, 43.0 fg%
Tom Hack/Getty Images
Record: 71-40
Playoffs career data: 6.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 44.4 FG%
Walter Iooss Jr. /Sports Illustry by Getty Images Illustration
Record: 67-38
Playoffs career data: 6.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, 36.7 FG%
Dick Raphael/Nbae by Getty Images
Record: 74-42
Playoffs career data: 12.0 ppg, 3.1 RPG, 2.6 APG, 45.3 fg%
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Record: 155-89
Playoffs career data: 7.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 42.6 fg%
Howard Smith – America's Sports Today
Record: 94-54
Playoffs career data: 3.7 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.3 APG, 40.4 fg%
Focus on sports/Getty images
Record: 70-41
Playoffs career data: 20.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 8.9 APG, 44.1 FG%
Getty Images
Record: 70-41
Playoffs career data: 9.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 0.8 APG, 46.8 fg%
Andrew D. Bernstein/nbae by Getty Images
Record: 75-44
Playoffs career data: 6.3 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 2.6 APG, 49.4 fg%
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Record: 184-108
Playoffs career data: 28.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 7.2 APG, 49.7 fg%
Jonathan Daniel / Allsport
Record: 78-46
Playoffs career data: 8.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.3 APG, 48.2 fg%
Rick Stewart/Getty Images
Record: 71-42
Playoffs career data: 12.0 ppg, 9.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 46.8 fg%
Manny Rubio – America's Sports Today
Record: 108-64
Playoffs career data: 22.0 ppg, 6.9 RPG, 4.8 APG, 43.6 fg%
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Record: 74-44
Playoffs career data: 11.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 47.6 fg%
Kevin Cox/Getty Images
Record: 157-94
Playoffs career data: 20.6 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, 50.1 fg%
Record: 81-49
Playoffs career data: 8.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.0 APG, 43.6 fg%
Mark J. Redlas – America's movement today
Record: 161-98
Playoffs career data: 8.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.2 APG, 42.2 fg%
Jason Miller/Getty Images
Record: 105-64
Playoffs career data: 7.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.2 APG, 38.8 3P%
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Record: 95-58
Playoffs career data: 8.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 0.8 APG, 47.5 fg%
Jayne Kamin-oncea-Imagn Image
Record: 90-55
Playoffs career data: 21.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.0 APG, 51.3 fg%
Andrew D. Bernstein/nbae by Getty Images
Record: 135-83
Playoffs career data: 14.0 ppg, 4.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, 43.3 fg%
Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images
Record: 135-85
Playoffs career data: 25.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.7 APG, 44.8 FG%
Focus on sports/Getty images
Record: 69-44
Playoffs career data: 16.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, 46.5 fg%
Andrew D. Bernsteinnbae by Getty Images
Record: 68-44
Playoffs career data: 15.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 4.6 APG, 46.2 fg%
Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Record: 71-46
Playoffs career data: 24.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.9 APG, 44.0 fg%
Getty Images
Record: 77-50
Playoffs career data: 5.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 39.5 fg%
John Ruthroff/AFP via Getty Images
Record: 137-89
Playoffs career data: 17.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.1 APG, 46.1 FG%
Alonzo Adams-Usa Sports Today
Record: 107-70
Playoffs career data: 9.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.5 APG, 45.8 fg%
Tim de Frisco / Allsport
Record: 61-40
Playoffs career data: 7.2 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 2.0 APG, 43.6 fg%
