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Billy Knight

The&nbsp;top&nbsp;shooting guards of the 70s include some of the most legendary players in NBA history. And that is really saying something. From 'Pistol' Pete to the logo himself, Jerry West.&nbsp;The&nbsp;greatest&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;shooting guards&nbsp;from the 1970s were also among the most prolific scorers the league has ever seen. Take the Ice Man George Gervin for example. The best NBA shooting guards from the 70s certainly made their mark on the game. Some of the top 70s shooting guards won NBA championships while other 70s SGs were known more their signature styles like Earl &quot;The Pearl&quot; and &quot;The Pistol.&quot; The best&nbsp;NBA shooting guards from the 1970s were a truly diverse group that came from different backgrounds. Vote for your favorites now!

1980s

Maurice Cheeks

The <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-point-guards-in-nba-history?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest point guards</a> of the 80s had a diverse background with many having success at the college level before making the jump to the NBA. After success at Michigan State, Magic Johnson, for example, ran point for the Showtime Lakers during the&nbsp;80s&nbsp;- winning five championships in a span of nine seasons (which certainly qualifies him as a top 80s point guard).&nbsp;But the&nbsp;former&nbsp;Spartan legend had company. Isiah Thomas, also on this list of great 80s point guards, helped Indiana win the NCAA title in 1981. Several other players who laced it up&nbsp;during the decade&nbsp;were considered to be among the greatest point guards in NBA history. These&nbsp;athletes played during a transformative and transitional time in league history. So with that, here's a list of the&nbsp;greatest point guards of the 1980s. Definitely some of the best PGs to ever play basketball.

Adrian Dantley

Small forward is arguably the most challenging position in all of basketball. It Requires the speed of a shooting guard with the power of a power forward. It requires brains and brawn in order to become one of the greats. When you're looking for the best 70s small forwards, this list has a bunch for you to look through! Check out this list of best 70s NBA small forwards and vote for your favorites, and vote down the forwards from the 70s you don't think stack up.&nbsp;Whether looking at the great Connie Hawkins, Bernard King or the fantastic Bill Bradley, there are plenty of the top 1970s NBA small forwards for you to look through! Many of these greatest NBA small forwards of the 1970s have gone on to enter the hall of fame, and it's easy to see why!So take a look at this list of the best 1970s SFs from the NBA and vote for your favorites! Then check out some of our other sports lists to see where your favorite players stack up!&nbsp;

Connie Hawkins

Power forward, or &quot;the post,&quot; requires a strong, tall player to stand with their backs to the basket. They're a critical position, so here is a list of the best 70s power forwards for you to peruse! Check out this list of 1970s power forwards&nbsp;to find some of the toughest players in the game! Vote for your favorite top 70s power forwards, and down vote the ones you don't think make the grade.&nbsp;When thinking about the greatest NBA power forwards from the 70s, people like Bobby Jones, Moses Malone, and Connie Hawkins are always in the conversation. The&nbsp;best 70s NBA power forwards&nbsp;were greatly influential in how the game is played today and this list of the best 70s NBA PFs, like Dave Debusschere, remind you that these were some truly tremendous players.So take a look at this top 1970s NBA power forwards and vote for your favorites!

Jerry West

The top <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-point-guards-currently-in-the-nba?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">NBA point guards</a>&nbsp;of the 1960s played during a time when the league was still finding its identity. And subsequently, they helped mold the NBA into what is today. The <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-point-guards-in-nba-history?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest point guards</a> of the 60s were still exciting in their own way even though the game back then was a lot more based on, well, &quot;fundementals.&quot; Of course, the Boston Celtics dominated the NBA during the decade. But there were still plenty of great NBA point guards during the 1960s. While the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-minnesota-timberwolves-point-guards/ranker-nba?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best point guards</a> of the 60s were scattered throughout the NBA, Red Auerbach's team had several on its roster. The 60s NBA point guard may not have garnered the headlines that big men like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain did but the top NBA PGs from the decade were impressive in their own way. With that, here's a list of the&nbsp;greatest point guards of the 1960s. Definitely some of the best PGs to ever play basketball.

Jeff Hornacek

The&nbsp;top&nbsp;shooting guards of the 80s are some very, very familiar names and are without question some of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-top-nba-players-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest NBA players</a> to ever take the court. It is important to note that the&nbsp;best&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;shooting guards&nbsp;from the 1980s were a&nbsp;dynamic group of athletes that truly changed the game. True trendsetters. The greatest NBA shooting guards from the 80s came into the league with tremendous pedigrees.&nbsp;Some&nbsp;of the top 80s shooting guards&nbsp;dominated the&nbsp;college game and carried that success into the NBA. The best&nbsp;NBA shooting guards from the 1980s also helped strengthen the league's global brand and inspired today's international stars.&nbsp;With that,&nbsp;here's a list of the&nbsp;greatest NBA&nbsp;shooting guards of the 1980s.

Walt Bellamy

In the NBA, the&nbsp;top 1970s NBA centers&nbsp;were the most important part of the team. The man in the middle dominated that particular era of basketball. The &quot;big man&quot; is normally the tallest man on the team, with a lot of strength and body mass. It's a necessary component for a successful team, so naturally, the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-centers-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest NBA centers</a> from the 70s makes for a great list to look through! Vote for your favorites among the best 70s NBA centers and vote down the players you don't think are among the greatest NBA centers from the 70s!When discussing the best 70s centers, Wilt &quot;The Stilt&quot; will never be far from people's thoughts. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton are considered some of the best NBA centers of the 1970s, and many more are in this list!&nbsp;So take a look at this best NBA centers 70s and vote for your favorites!&nbsp;

Earl Monroe

The greatest&nbsp;shooting guards of the 60s were a talented group of athletes that really are who anyone who wants to learn how to play basketball should watch. These men knew how to play the game the right way, and wouldn't you know it, score at the same time.&nbsp;The top NBA&nbsp;shooting guards&nbsp;of the 1960s played during an era dominated by big men like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell but still managed to make their mark on the league. The best NBA shooting guards from the 60s were also versatile, with many of them playing the point or sliding over to small forward as well. The best&nbsp;NBA SGs from the decade included guys that had great success after their playing careers were over and icludes several absolute legends of basketball.&nbsp;

Point Guards

Kenny Anderson

While the greatest '90s <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-point-guards-currently-in-the-nba?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">NBA point guards</a> may not be as memorable as the current roster of talent at the position, there are still a number of stars that were at the top of their game during the time. These top NBA point guards of the 1990s put on a display of basketball IQ and fundamental soundness on the court. The 90s saw Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls&nbsp;dominate&nbsp;pro basketball. The Bulls used a variety of point guards, including John Paxson, B.J. Armstrong, Randy Brown, Steve Kerr and Ron Harper, to win six titles in eight seasons. That's not to say the decade was completely devoid of exciting point guard play. However, those manning the position&nbsp;just didn't necessarily lead their respective teams to winning&nbsp;an NBA title. So with that, here's a list of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-point-guards-in-nba-history?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest point guards</a> of the 1990s. These 90s PGs are some of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-point-guards-in-nba-history?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best point guards of all time</a>. Who do you think is the top NBA point guard of the nineties? A Decade that changed basketball forever.

Horace Grant

Power forward, or &quot;the post,&quot; requires a strong, tall player to stand with their backs to the basket. They're a critical position, so this is a list of the best 80s power forwards for you to peruse! Check out this list of&nbsp;1980s power forwards&nbsp;to find some of the toughest players in the game! Vote for your favorite top 80s power forwards, and down vote the ones you don't think make the grade.&nbsp;&nbsp;When &nbsp;thinking about the greatest NBA power forwards from the 80s, people like Larry Nance, Charles Oakley and Kevin Willis are always in the conversation. And, of course, you can't talk about the&nbsp;best 80s NBA power forwards&nbsp;without bringing up Larry Bird, and this list of the best NBA PFs 80s, like Otis Thorpe, will remind you that these were some truly great players.&nbsp;So take a look at this top 1980s NBA power forwards and vote for your favorites! Then take a look at some of our other sports lists to see the best of the best!

1960s

Zelmo Beaty

In the NBA, the best 60s centers were the most important part of their respective teams. The &quot;big man&quot; was even more important back in the 60s than it is today because the NBA used to be a distinctly less athletic league. If you had a true force in the middle, there was really no stopping you. It was a necessary component for a successful team, so naturally, the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-centers-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest NBA centers</a> from the 60s makes for a great list to look through! Vote for your favorites on this list of the best 60s NBA centers and vote down the ones you don't think are among the greatest NBA centers from the 60s!When discussing the top 1960s NBA centers, Wilt &quot;The Stilt&quot; has to be in the conversation. Connie Hawkins and Bill Russell are considered some of the best NBA Centers of the 1960s, and many more are in this list! If you don't think Bill Russell should be on this list then you probably shouldn't even be looking at this list. Seriously.So take a look at this best NBA centers of the 60s list and vote for your favorites!&nbsp;

80s Sports

David Thompson

Small forward is arguably the most challenging positions in all of basketball. Requiring the speed of a shooting guard with the power of a power forward, it requires brains and brawn in order to become one of the greats. If&nbsp;you're looking for the best 80s small forwards, this list is perfect for you! Take a look at this list of the top 1980s <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-current-nba-small-forwards/ranker-nba?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">NBA small forwards</a> and vote for the ones you like! Don't think someone should be on this best NBA SFs 1980s list? Vote them down!One can't talk about the best SFs of the 80s and 90s without bringing up the legend, Larry Bird. but there are plenty of others as well! Clyde Drexler is considered to be one of the greatest NBA small forwards of the 1980s, as is the estimable Detlef Schrempf. With this list of NBA small forwards from the 80s, you really can't go wrong.So take a look at this list of 1980s small forwards and vote for your favorites! Then take a look at some of our other lists across the decades and see how your favorites stack up!&nbsp;

Jason Williams

This list ranks the&nbsp;<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-point-guards-in-nba-history?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best point guards in the NBA</a> during the&nbsp;2000s.&nbsp;The top 00s <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-point-guards-currently-in-the-nba?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">NBA point guards</a> include players that are considered to be the best to ever play the position. Jason Kidd and Steve Nash come to mind as some of the best basketball minds to ever play. The greatest NBA point guards of the 2000s were true showmen, like Chris Paul and Tony Parker. Not showmen in a flashy sense... but their speed of play and their knack for getting their entire teams involved (which is what makes for an exciting NBA game). Some of the top NBA 00s point guards won individual awards, including league MVP honors. Others have gone from being one of the best 00s point guards to being an NBA head coach (Jason Kidd). Vote for you favorites now!

poll

Who are the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-point-guards-in-nba-history?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best point guards</a> currently in the NBA? Certainly, this list includes some of the greatest point guards playing right now, and potentially some of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-top-nba-players-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">top NBA players of all time</a>. Having an awesome point guard gives any NBA team a huge advantage. It&#39;s a deep position, one often filled by a true leader. Vote for the current players at PG that you think are the most important, key players for their respective teams, and if your favorite player isn&#39;t listed, add him. You can also re-rank this list of point guards in any order you want.

Outstanding point guards who are currently playing in the NBA are certainly among the overall <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/top-current-nba-players?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">top current NBA players</a> too (Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry,&nbsp;and Kyrie Irving&nbsp;come to mind immediately). You also can&#39;t forget about up-and-coming stars like&nbsp;Shai Gilgeous-Alexander,&nbsp;Collin Sexton, Trae&nbsp;Young, and&nbsp;De&#39;Anthony Melton, who are all leaving their mark on the 2019-20 season.

The highly skilled NBA players on this list can make or break a team&#39;s performance on the court. They are lightning fast players who manage to effectively defend the perimeter. These point guards are expert ball handlers who are able to think very quickly and react so fast that the opponent is left completely off kilter.

Brad Daugherty

In the NBA, the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-centers-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest NBA centers</a> from the 80s were the missing&nbsp;piece&nbsp;of the puzzle on any team. The&nbsp;&quot;big man&quot; is normally the tallest man on the team, with a lot of strength and body mass. It's a necessary component for a successful team, so naturally, the greatest NBA centers from the 80s makes for a great list to look through! Vote for your favorites among the best 80s NBA centers and vote down the ones you don't think are among the best NBA centers!When discussing the top 1980s NBA centers, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has got to be in the conversation. Patrick Ewing and Hakeem &quot;The Dream&quot; are also considered some of the best NBA Centers of the 1980s.So take a look at this best NBA centers 80s and vote for your favorites!&nbsp;

Johnny Kerr

Power forward, or &quot;the post,&quot; requires a strong, tall player to stand with their backs to the basket. They're a critical position, so here is a list of the best 60s power forwards for you to peruse! Check out this list of the best 60s NBA power forwards to find some of the toughest players to ever play the game! Vote for your favorite top 60s power forwards, and vote down the ones you don't think make the grade. Back in the 60s, the NBA was a different place than it is today. Back then it was truly a &quot;man's game&quot; and the players on this list exemplify that perfectly.When thinking about the greatest NBA power forwards from the 60s, people like Bob Boozer and Paul Silas are always in the conversation. Tough, gritty, 1960s power forwards were greatly influential in how the game is played today.So take a look at these top 1960s NBA power forwards and see who might be your favorite. Don't forget to vote for who you think the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-greatest-power-forwards-in-nba-history?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best power forwards</a> of the 60s are!

Paul Arizin

Small forward is arguably the most challenging position in all of basketball. Requiring the speed of a shooting guard with the power of a power forward. It requires brains and brawn in order to become one of the greats. When you're looking for the best 60s small forwards, this list has a bunch for you to look through! Check out this list of the best 60s NBA small forwards and vote for your favorites, and vote down the forwards from the 60s you don't think stack up.&nbsp;Tom Heinsohn, who jumps around positions, and Rick Barry, considered by many to be one of the greatest NBA small forwards of all time, are on this list but there are plenty of others that could be the best 1960s SFs to choose from! This list of top 1960s small forwards will have you covered!&nbsp;So take a look at our list of the greatest NBA small forwards from the 1960s and vote for your favorites! After looking through this list of the best&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;SFs&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;1960s, check out some other sports lists to see where everyone stacks up!&nbsp;

90s Sports

Allan Houston

The&nbsp;top&nbsp;90s NBA shooting guards enjoyed illustrious careers in the league and are part of (arguably) the NBA's golden age. That's not a proper nickname for the decade but with all of these stars it is hard to really argue.&nbsp;The&nbsp;greatest&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;shooting guards&nbsp;from the 1990s were also a&nbsp;memorable group of players that became icons. More than icons. Michael Jordan everybody. Michael Jordan.Some of the best shooting guards of the 90s were known as pure scorers while other top SGs of the 90s were lockdown defenders.&nbsp;Some&nbsp;of the top 90s NBA shooting guards&nbsp;had success in the previous decade while others were just starting their career and dominated later. The best&nbsp;NBA shooting guards from the 1990s were also one-man corporations with portfolios that included numerous endorsement deals.&nbsp;Here's a list of the&nbsp;greatest NBA&nbsp;shooting guards of the 1990s. Definitely some of the best SGs in NBA history.

Kevin Durant

There have been some pretty outstanding <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/top-10-current-nba-players?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">professional basketball players</a> in the past couple of decades. But, what the basketball world has witnessed during the 2010s is nothing short of extraordinary. These are the best 2010s small forwards. The very best NBA small forwards of the 2010s. Take a look at this list of the best SFs from the 2010s and see if you agree.These are the guys who truly make the game of basketball fun and entertaining. They are some of the most versatile players on the court. From Lebron James, to Kevin Durant, to Carmelo Anthony, this list is jam packed with mega-stars. Make sure to vote for who you think best SFs of the 2010s are. A lot of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/top-10-small-forwards?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">top NBA small forwards</a> of the 2010s are some of the NBA's top stars. Period. So you have your work cut out for you while voting.

Detlef Schrempf

Small forward is arguably the most challenging position in all of basketball. It Requires the speed of a shooting guard with the power of a power forward. It requires brains and brawn in order to become one of the greats. When you're looking for the best 2000s small forwards, this list has a bunch for you to look through! Check out this list of best 2000s <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/top-10-small-forwards?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">NBA small forwards</a> and vote up your favorites, and vote down the forwards from the 2000s you don't think stack up. From all time greats like Carmello Anthony and Lebron James, to great position players like Luol Deng, there are plenty of the top 2000s NBA small forwards for you to look through! Many of the greatest NBA small forwards of the 2000s have gone on to become some of the most popular players in the history of the NBA.So take a look at this list of the best 2000s SFs from the NBA and vote up your favorites! These are the greatest NBA small forwards of the 2000s!

NBA Players Over the Decades

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The greatest NBA&nbsp;point guards of the 1970s&nbsp;were certainly a diverse group. From Walt &quot;Clyde&quot; Frazier, to &quot;Big O&quot;, Lenny Wilkens to &quot;Pistol&quot; Pete. The top 70s point guards&nbsp;of the&nbsp;NBA played the game with a unique style that fans loved. It was an era of silky smooth point guard play. Please look at any of Walt Frazier's fur coats to confirm this. The <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-point-guards-in-nba-history?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest point guards</a> of the 70s&nbsp;definitely had an impact on the NBA that many still feel today.&nbsp;While many of the best <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-point-guards-currently-in-the-nba?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">NBA point guards</a> of the 70s didn't win a championship, they still achieved legendary status.&nbsp;The 70s NBA point guard helped set the stage for the game's explosion in popularity the following decade. With that, here's a list of the&nbsp;greatest point guards of the 1970s.&nbsp;Truly&nbsp;a&nbsp;group that is&nbsp;among the best PGs to ever play basketball.

Best Point Guards of the 1970s, Ranked by Votes

The Best NBA Point Guards of the 1970s

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Pete Maravich

Peter Press Maravich (June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. Maravich was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and raised in the Carolinas.  Maravich starred in college at Louisiana State University (LSU) while playing for his father, head coach Press Maravich. He played for three NBA teams until injuries forced his retirement in 1980 following a ten-year career. He is the all-time leading  NCAA Division I scorer with 3,667 points scored and an average of 44.2 points per game. All of his accomplishments were achieved before the adoption of the three point line and shot clock, and despite being unable to play varsity as a freshman under then-NCAA rules.One of the youngest players ever inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Maravich was cited by the Hall as "perhaps the greatest creative offensive talent in history". In an April 2010 interview, Hall of Fame player John Havlicek said that "the best ball-handler of all time was Pete Maravich". Maravich died suddenly at age 40 during a pick-up game in 1988 as a consequence of a previously undetected heart defect.

Walt Frazier

Walter "Clyde" Frazier (born March 29, 1945) is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association. As their floor general, he led the New York Knicks to the franchise's only two championships (1970 and 1973), and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. Upon his retirement from basketball, Frazier went into broadcasting; he is currently a color commentator for telecasts of Knicks games on the MSG Network.

Oscar Robertson

Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "The Big O", is an American retired professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. The 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 205 lb (93 kg) Robertson played  point guard and was a 12-time All-Star, 11-time member of the All-NBA Team, and one-time winner of the MVP award in 14 seasons. In 1962, he became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. In the 1970–71 NBA season, he was a key player on the team that brought the Bucks their only NBA title to date. His playing career, especially during high school and college, was plagued by racism.Robertson is a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, having been inducted in 1980 for his individual career, and in 2010 as a member of the 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team and president of the National Basketball Players Association. He also was voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. The United States Basketball Writers Association renamed their College Player of the Year Award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in his honor in 1998, and he was one of five people chosen to represent the inaugural National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class in 2006. He was ranked as the 36th best American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN.Robertson was also an integral part of Robertson v. National Basketball Ass'n of 1970. The landmark NBA antitrust suit, which was filed when Robertson was the president of the NBA Players' Association, led to an extensive reform of the league's strict free agency and draft rules and, subsequently, to higher salaries for all players.

Nate Archibald

Nathaniel "Tiny" Archibald (born September 2, 1948) is an American retired professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the NBA, most notably with the Cincinnati Royals, Kansas City–Omaha Kings and Boston Celtics. In 1991, he was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Archibald was a willing passer and an adequate shooter from midrange. However, it was his quickness and speed and shiftiness that made him  difficult to guard in the open court, as he would regularly drive past defenders on his way to the basket.

Jerome Alan West (born May 28, 1938) is an American basketball executive and former player. During his active career West played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His nicknames included Mr. Clutch, for his ability to make a big play in a clutch situation, such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks; The Logo, in reference to his silhouette being incorporated into the NBA logo;  Mr. Outside, in reference to his perimeter play with the Los Angeles Lakers; and Zeke from Cabin Creek, for the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia. West played the small forward position early in his career, and he was a standout at East Bank High School and at West Virginia University, where he led the Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA championship game. He earned the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honor despite the loss. He then embarked on a 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and was the co-captain of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team, a squad that was inducted as a unit into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
West's NBA career was highly successful. Playing the guard position, he was voted 12 times into the All-NBA First and Second Teams, was elected into the NBA All-Star Team 14 times, and was chosen as the  All-Star MVP in 1972, the same year that he won the only title of his career. West holds the NBA record for the highest points per game average in a playoff series with 46.3. He was also a member of the first five NBA All-Defensive Teams (one second, followed by four firsts), which were introduced when he was 32 years old. Having played in nine NBA Finals, he is also the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team (1969). West was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980 and voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996.
After his playing career ended, West took over as head coach of the Lakers for three years. He led Los Angeles into the playoffs each year and earned a Western Conference Finals berth once. Working as a player-scout for three years, West was named general manager of the Lakers prior to the 1982–83 NBA season. Under his reign, Los Angeles won six championship rings. In 2002, West became general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies and helped the franchise win their first-ever playoff berths. For his contributions, West won the NBA Executive of the Year Award twice, once as a Lakers manager (1995) and then as a Grizzlies manager (2004). West's son, Jonnie, played college basketball for  West Virginia.

slaft

Vernon Earl Monroe (born November 21, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player. He played for two teams, the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks, during his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Both teams have retired Monroe's number. Due to his on-court success and flashy style-of-play, Monroe was given the nicknames "Black Jesus" and "Earl the Pearl". Monroe was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.

Dennis Johnson

Dennis Wayne Johnson (September 18, 1954 – February 22, 2007), nicknamed "DJ", was an American  professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. He was an alumnus of Dominguez High School, Los Angeles Harbor College and Pepperdine University.A prototypical late bloomer, Johnson overcame early struggles and had a successful NBA playing career. Drafted 29th overall in 1976 by the Seattle SuperSonics, Johnson began his professional career as a shooting guard. He eventually led the Sonics to their only NBA championship in 1979, winning the Finals MVP Award. After a short stint with the Phoenix Suns, he became the starting point guard for the Boston Celtics, with whom he won two more championships. Johnson was voted into five All-Star Teams, one All-NBA First and one Second Team, and nine consecutive All-Defensive First and Second Teams. Apart from his reputation as a defensive stopper, Johnson was known as a clutch player who made several decisive plays in NBA playoffs history.The Celtics franchise has retired Johnson's #3 jersey, which hangs from the rafters of the TD Garden, the home arena of the team. On April 5, 2010, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame officially announced that Johnson had been posthumously elected to the Hall. He was formally inducted on August 13. He is considered by several sports journalists to be one of the most underrated players of all time.

Dave Bing

David Bing (born November 24, 1943) is an American retired Hall of Fame basketball player, former mayor of Detroit, Michigan, and businessman.
After starring at Syracuse University, Bing played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a guard for the Detroit Pistons (1966 to 1975), Washington Bullets (1975 to 1977), and Boston Celtics (1977–78). During his career, he averaged over 20 points and six assists per game and made seven NBA All-Star appearances, winning the game's Most Valuable Player award in 1976. The Pistons celebrated his career accomplishments with the retirement of his #21 jersey. In addition, he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all-time.
Bing founded Bing Steel, a processing company that earned him the National Minority Small Business Person of the Year award in 1984. Soon the business grew into the multimillion-dollar Detroit-based conglomerate, the Bing Group, one of the largest steel companies in Michigan.
Bing entered Detroit politics as a Democrat in 2008, announcing his intentions to run for mayor in the city's non-partisan primary to finish the term of Kwame Kilpatrick, who had resigned amid a corruption scandal. After winning the primary, Bing then defeated Interim Mayor Kenneth Cockrel, Jr. and was sworn in as mayor in May 2009. Later that year, Bing was re-elected to a full term. However, he lost most of his power to Detroit's emergency manager Kevyn Orr, had numerous health problems, and suffered approval ratings as low as 14%. Bing thus did not seek re-election in 2013 and was succeeded by politician and businessman Mike Duggan.

Jo Jo White

Joseph Henry White (November 16, 1946 – January 16, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. As an amateur, he played basketball at the University of Kansas and represented the U.S. men's basketball team during the 1968 Summer Olympics. As a professional, he is best known for his ten-year stint with the Boston Celtics of the NBA, where he led the team towards two NBA championships and set a franchise record of 488 consecutive games played. White was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Calvin Murphy

Calvin Jerome Murphy (born May 9, 1948) is an American retired professional basketball player who played as a guard for the NBA's San Diego/Houston Rockets from 1970 to 1983, and is a current member of the Houston Rockets' AT&T Sportsnet TV broadcast team. Standing at a height of 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m), Murphy has the distinction of being the shortest NBA player inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and to play in an NBA All-Star Game (the latter since tied by Isaiah Thomas in 2016).

Gail Goodrich

Gail Charles Goodrich Jr. (born April 23, 1943) is an American retired professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is best known for scoring a then record 42 points for UCLA in the 1965 NCAA championship game vs. Michigan, and his part in the Los Angeles Lakers' 1971–72 season. During that season the team won a still-record 33 consecutive games, posted what was at the time the best regular season record in NBA history, and also won the franchise's first NBA championship since relocating to Los Angeles. Goodrich was the leading scorer on that team. He is also acclaimed for leading UCLA to its first two national championships under the legendary coach John Wooden, the first in 1963–64 being a perfect 30-0 season when he played with teammate Walt Hazzard. In 1996, 17 years after his retirement from professional basketball, Goodrich was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Lenny Wilkens

Leonard Randolph Wilkens (born October 28, 1937) is an American former basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been inducted three times into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first in 1989 as a player, as a coach in 1998, and in 2010 as part of the 1992 United States Olympic "Dream Team", for which he was an assistant coach.  He is also a 2006 inductee into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
Wilkens was a combined 13-time NBA All-Star as a player (nine times) and as a head coach (four times), was the 1993 NBA Coach of the Year, won the 1979 NBA Championship as the head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics, and an Olympic gold medal as the head coach of the 1996 U.S. men's basketball team.
During the 1994–95 season, Wilkens set the record for most coaching wins in NBA history, a record he held when he retired with 1,332 victories.  Wilkens is now second on the list behind Don Nelson, who broke it in 2010. He won the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2010–11 NBA season. Wilkens is also the most prolific coach in NBA history, at 2,487 regular season games, 89 more games than Nelson, and over 400 more than any other coach, and has more losses than any other coach in NBA history, at 1,155.

Maurice Edward Cheeks (born September 8, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player and is currently an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons. Cheeks was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2018.

Norm Nixon

Norman Ellard Nixon (born October 11, 1955) is an American retired professional basketball player who spent twelve seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A two-time NBA All-Star, he won two NBA championships with the Lakers over the Philadelphia 76ers at the onset of their Showtime era in the 1980s.

Norm Van Lier

Norman Allen Van Lier III (April 1, 1947 – February 26, 2009) was an NBA basketball player and television broadcaster who spent the majority of his career with the Chicago Bulls.

World B. Free

World B. Free (born Lloyd Bernard Free; December 9, 1953) is an American retired professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1975 to 1988. Free was known as the "Prince of Midair" as well as "All-World".

Kevin Porter

Kevin Porter (born April 17, 1950) is a retired American professional basketball player. He played ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and led the league in assists in four of those seasons.
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Porter graduated from DuSable High School, then played point guard at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. He played ten seasons (1972–1981; 1982–1983) in the NBA as a member of the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, Detroit Pistons, and New Jersey Nets. One of the most talented passers in league history, Porter led the league in both assists per game and total assists four times during his career.

Lucius Allen

Lucius Oliver Allen, Jr. (born September 26, 1947) is an American former professional basketball player.
In 1999, the Topeka Capital-Journal named Lucius Oliver Allen, Jr. of Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas as the greatest Kansas high school basketball player of the 20th century. Allen was a prep All-American player under head coach Walt Shublom and was named consensus first-team all-state as a junior and senior as he led Wyandotte to back-to-back Class AA state championships in 1964 and '65.
Prior to his National Basketball Association (NBA) career, he was a starter on two of coach John Wooden's UCLA NCAA Championship teams, in 1967 and 1968, playing alongside Lew Alcindor. These teams are considered by many to be the greatest in men's college basketball history. After being suspended for his senior year at UCLA for receiving a second citation for possessing a small quantity marijuana, Allen was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1st round (3rd pick) of the 1969 NBA draft and retired in 1979. As a member of the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks team, which also featured Alcindor, Allen earned an NBA championship ring. He also played with Alcindor, now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, for two seasons, from 1975–77, in Los Angeles, but not winning a championship in either of those years. Allen was traded the following season to the Kansas City Kings, winning the division championship in 1979, and retired from basketball after that season.
Allen played 10 years in the NBA for four teams. His highest scoring average was 19.1 points per game, during the 1974–75 season. Part of the way through that season he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers after playing with the Milwaukee Bucks since the 1970–71 season.
He was inducted into the Pac-12 Conference men's basketball Hall of Honor on March 16, 2013.
After finishing his basketball career, which included a high school state championship, college national championship, and an NBA championship, Allen turned his attention to coaching aspiring players in the Los Angeles area.

Don Buse

Donald R. Buse (born August 10, 1950) is a retired American professional basketball player.
A 6'4" (1.93 m) guard from the University of Evansville, Buse played 13 seasons (1972–1985) in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association as a member of the Indiana Pacers, the Phoenix Suns, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Kansas City Kings.

Louie Dampier

Louis Dampier (born November 20, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player.
A 6-foot-tall guard, Dampier is one of only a handful of men to play all nine seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA) (1967–1976), all with the Kentucky Colonels. He also was one of just two players to play all nine ABA seasons with the same team; the other was Byron Beck of the Denver Rockets, later renamed the Nuggets.
After the ABA–NBA merger in 1976 Dampier also played three seasons (1976–1979) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the San Antonio Spurs.  Dampier was inducted as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

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James Silas

James Edward Silas (born February 11, 1949) is a retired American professional basketball player, at the guard position. Born in Tallulah, Louisiana, Silas played the majority of his career with the Dallas Chaparrals/San Antonio Spurs of the ABA/NBA. His nicknames include "The Snake", "Captain Late" and "The Late Mr. Silas", the latter two referring to the fact that Silas seemed to play his best late in games.

Slick Watts

Donald Earl "Slick" Watts (born July 22, 1951) is an American former basketball player.Watts was not selected by any team in the 1973 NBA draft, but his coach at Xavier University of Louisiana was a cousin of Bill Russell, who was the coach and general manager for the Seattle SuperSonics. Russell gave Watts a tryout, and he signed with the SuperSonics as a free agent. After making the roster for the 1973–74 season as a reserve, he played more frequently the following season and became a starter for the 1975–76 season. That season, he led the NBA in total assists, assists per game, total steals, steals per game, and made NBA All-Defense First-Team. He was the first player to lead the league in assists and steals in the same season.In 1976, Watts also received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for his outstanding service to the community.Watts' career declined after 1976, however, and he retired from the league after six seasons, due to injury. He played 4½ years with the Sonics, half a season with the New Orleans Jazz, and one season with the Houston Rockets.He picked up the nickname "Slick" because he was one of the first players to shave his head, unusual at the time. He was also known for wearing his headband off-center.After his playing career, Watts became a physical education teacher at Dearborn Park elementary school and a basketball coach at Franklin High School in the Seattle area and took up tennis. In 2001, Watts spent 22 days in a hospital with sarcoidosis, which caused his weight to drop by almost 50 pounds before his condition improved. He ended his post-basketball career teaching physical education for nearly 20 years at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary in Seattle before retiring in 2017.

Ernie DiGregorio

Ernest DiGregorio (born January 15, 1951), also known as "Ernie D.", is an American former National Basketball Association player. He was the 1973–74 NBA Rookie of the Year and holds the NBA rookie record for assists in a single game with 25. Due to a severe knee injury suffered early in DiGregorio's professional career, he played only five NBA seasons.

Bob Weiss

Robert William Weiss (born May 7, 1942) is an American professional basketball coach and former professional basketball player and coach.

Clem Haskins

Clem Smith Haskins (born August 11, 1943) is an American retired college and professional basketball player and college basketball coach. In the fall of 1963, he and star player Dwight Smith became the first black athletes to integrate the Western Kentucky University (WKU) basketball program. This put Western Kentucky at the forefront to integrate college basketball in the South.Haskins served 13 years (1986–1999) as head coach of the University of Minnesota's men's basketball team, but was forced to resign due to his part in the University of Minnesota basketball scandal. Due to his actions in the scandal, he was given a seven-year show cause penalty which effectively ended his coaching career.

The greatest NBA&nbsp;point guards of the 1970s&nbsp;were certainly a diverse group. From Walt &quot;Clyde&quot; Frazier, to &quot;Big O&quot;, Lenny Wilkens ...