Most Popular NBA Players in History

They became household names for their incredible talents and personalities.

Most Popular NBA Players of All Time

Shaquille O'Neal with Kobe Bryant and Rick Fox on the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers

It's said trying to gauge true greatness should never turn into a popularity contest. Take a cold, objective approach. Rely solely on facts and expert opinions to come to your conclusions.

But what if we do want to turn it into a popularity contest? Then, we can make our own rules. No sport has seen its players shoot into the stratosphere of fame over the last 40 years like the NBA. This rise has coincided with the league making basketball one of the most popular sports in the world.

And to get to the very top of the food chain (where you're really feeling the love) takes a little charisma. And talent, of course. What it doesn't take necessarily? Championships. Though rings don't hurt.

These are the most popular players in NBA history.

30. David Robinson

Born: Aug. 6, 1965 (Key West, Florida)

High school: Osbourn Park High School (Manassas, Virginia)

College: Navy

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 230 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1989-2003)

Teams: San Antonio Spurs

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1999, 2003), NBA MVP (1995), 10-time NBA All-Star (1990-96, 1998, 2000, 2001), 10-time All-NBA Team (1990-96, 1998, 2000, 2001), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1992), eight-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1990-96, 1998), NBA Rookie of the Year (1990), NBA Sportsmanship Award (2001), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: David Robinson brought a wholesome, All-American guy type of energy to the NBA that fans ate up when he joined the San Antonio Spurs two years after he was drafted. Robinson still had to fulfill his military service after playing for the Naval Academy.

When Robinson did play, he turned around the entire franchise and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 1995. The biggest knock on Robinson was he lacked killer instinct when it came to close games or the playoffs.

He still was able to win two NBA championships late in his career playing with Tim Duncan, and Robinson's career average of 3.0 blocks per game is one of the best in league history.

29. Isiah Thomas

Born: April 30, 1961 (Chicago, Illinois)

High school: St. Joseph High School (Westchester, Illinois)

College: Indiana

Position: Point guard

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1981-94)

Teams: Detroit Pistons

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1989, 1990), NBA Finals MVP (1990), 12-time NBA All-Star (1982-93), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1984, 1986), five-time All-NBA Team (1983-87), NBA All-Rookie Team (1982), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: What many NBA fans understand about Isiah Thomas now is essentially what they learned about him from the lauded 2020 documentary "The Last Dance" about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. That Thomas was essentially an archvillain.

For all of his failings, this Jordan-authored history ignores the fact Thomas was actually one of the most popular players in the NBA throughout his career, and when he led the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back championships, his popularity briefly moved into the Magic/MJ/Bird realm of NBA stardom.

Thomas has done little to add to his legacy since his career was over, failing at almost every attempt at coaching, management and ownership on different levels of basketball from the CBA to the NBA to college basketball and even the WNBA.

28. Vince Carter

Born: Jan. 26, 1977 (Daytona Beach, Florida)

High school: Mainland High School (Daytona Beach, Florida)

College: North Carolina

Position: Small Forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 220 pounds

Career: 22 seasons (1998-2020)

Teams: Toronto Raptors (1998-2004), New Jersey Nets (2004-09), Orlando Magic (2009-10), Phoenix Suns (2010-11), Dallas Mavericks (2011-14), Memphis Grizzlies (2014-17), Sacramento Kings (2017-18), Atlanta Hawks (2018-2020)

Career highlights: Eight-time NBA All-Star (2000-07), two-time All-NBA Team (2000, 2001), NBA Rookie of the Year (1999), NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2000), NBA Sportsmanship Award (2020), NBA Teammate of the Year (2016)

Bottom line: Vince Carter might be the greatest dunker who ever lived. He also played an NBA record 22 seasons before he retired in 2020.

"Vinsanity" took over the NBA in the early 2000s, and Carter was the first superstar for the Raptors and the first Canadian basketball superstar. Carter teamed with cousin Tracy McGrady for several seasons in Toronto, and his impact on the game north of the border can't be understated.

Seventeen seasons after Carter last played a game for Toronto, he's still the most recognizable player in the team's history.

27. George Mikan

Born: June 18, 1924 (Joliet, Illinois)

Died: June 1, 2005 (age 80, Scottsdale, Arizona)

High school: Joliet Catholic High School (Joliet, Illinois)

College: DePaul

Position: Center

NBA career: 8 seasons (1947-54, 1956)

Teams: Minneapolis Lakers

Career highlights: Five-time BAA/NBA champion (1949, 1950, 1952-54), four-time NBA All-Star (1951-54), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1953), NBA 75th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: If one player is responsible for propping up the NBA in its infancy, it's the late George Mikan, who led the Minneapolis Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 1952 to 1954.

In the early days of the NBA, Mikan was the player most associated with the league — a 6-foot-10, 250-pound center who averaged 23.1 points and 13.4 rebounds for his career.

Mikan also was one of the toughest players in NBA history. By the time his decade-long pro career was over, he'd suffered a broken bone 10 times and had to get stitches 16 times.

26. Chris Paul

Born: May 6, 1985 (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

High school: West Forsyth High School (Clemmons, North Carolina)

College: Wake Forest

Position: Point guard

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds

Career: 17 seasons (2005-present)

Teams: New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Los Angeles Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-present)

Career highlights: Ten-time NBA All-Star (2008-16, 2020), NBA All-Star Game MVP (2013), nine-time All-NBA Team (2008. 2009, 2011-16, 2020), nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2008, 2009, 2011-17), NBA Rookie of the Year (2006)

Bottom line: However you may feel about Chris Paul's incessant complaining to referees throughout his almost 20 years in the NBA, he's crafted a career that's impossible to look past as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history.

Paul's appeal falls in line with several other uber-popular guards in NBA history like John Stockton and Allen Iverson. There's just something about seeing a 6-footer going against giants and coming out on top that makes a player connect with the masses.

Even without an NBA title, the only remaining debate on Paul's career is where he ranks among the greatest point guards of all time.

25. Hakeem Olajuwon

Born: Jan. 21, 1963 (Lagos, Nigeria)

High school: Muslim Teachers College (Lagos, Nigeria)

College: Houston

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot, 255 pounds

Career: 18 seasons (1984-2002)

Teams: Houston Rockets (1984-2001), Toronto Raptors (2001-2002)

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1994, 1995), two-time NBA Finals MVP (1994, 1995), NBA MVP (1994), 12-time NBA All-Star (1985-90, 1992-97), 12-time All-NBA Team (1986-81, 1993-97, 1999), nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997), NBA All-Rookie Team (1985)

Bottom line: In the early 1990s, there was an obsession with NBA players coming over from Africa thanks in no small part to the charismatic, humble Hakeem Olajuwon, who shot to fame with the University of Houston before becoming a two-time NBA champion with the Houston Rockets.

One of the greatest centers in NBA history, Olajuwon was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft — just two spots ahead of Michael Jordan.

There was very little Olajuwon couldn't do on a basketball court on the offensive or defensive end of the floor. He also led the NBA in blocks three times and averaged a staggering 4.6 blocks per game in the 1989-90 season.

24. Tim Duncan

Born: April 25, 1976 (Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands)

High school: St. Dunstan's Episcopal School (Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands)

College: Wake Forest

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds

Career: 19 seasons (1997-2016)

Teams: San Antonio Spurs

Career highlights: Five-time NBA champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), three-time NBA FInals MVP (1999, 2003, 2005), two-time NBA MVP (2002, 2003), 15-time NBA All-Star (1998, 2000-11, 2013, 2015), 15-time All-NBA (1998-2009, 2013), 15-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1998-2010, 2013, 2015), NBA Rookie of the Year (1998)

Bottom line: Arguably the greatest power forward in NBA history, Tim Duncan won five NBA titles with the Spurs in his 19-year career and became one of the league's most popular players with a style that flew in the face of what we believe the modern pro athlete should be.

That is, Duncan let his play do the talking. You don't have to be bombastic to get things done. And Duncan — given the unfortunate nickname "The Big Fundamental" by Shaquille O'Neal — ended up being one of the most beloved players in NBA history and the only player selected to the All-NBA team and the NBA All-Defensive Team for 13 consecutive seasons.

23. Steve Nash

Born: Feb. 7, 1974 (Johannesburg, South Africa)

High school: St. Michaels University School (Victoria, British Columbia)

College: Santa Clara

Position: Point guard

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 178 pounds

Career: 19 seasons (1996-2015)

Teams: Phoenix Suns (1996-1998, 2004-2012), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-2015)

Career highlights: Two-time NBA MVP (2005, 2006), eight-time NBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2005-08, 2010, 2012), seven-time All-NBA Team (2002, 2003, 2005-08, 2010)

Bottom line: Steve Nash seemed like he was made of pure scrap iron for most of his NBA career, bouncing around the court and off of other players like he was inside of a pinball machine. And fans ate it up.

There might not be anyone in NBA history with a sports background quite like Nash. Nash, a two-time Most Valuable Player with the Phoenix Suns, grew up in Canada playing hockey before turning his focus to basketball.

That could explain why he always seemed to have blood on his jersey.

22. Karl Malone

Born: July 24, 1963 (Summerfield, Louisiana)

High school: Summerfield High School (Summerfield, Louisiana)

College: Louisiana Tech

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 250 pounds

Career: 19 seasons (1985-2004)

Teams: Utah Jazz (1985-2003), Los Angeles Lakers (2003-04)

Career highlights: Two-time NBA MVP (1997, 1999), 14-time NBA All-Star (1988-98, 2000-02), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1989, 1993), 14-time All-NBA (1988-2001), four-time All-NBA Defensive Team (1988, 1997-99), NBA All-Rookie Team (1986)

Bottom line: Think whatever you want of Karl Malone now. From the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, he was one of the NBA's most popular players.

"The Mailman" had a rugged style of play that we have rarely seen since. Someone that big and strong and athletic would have been a star in any era. Like a few other players on this list, Malone hasn't done much to burnish his legacy since his career was over. He was already hard at work losing fans before he was done playing.

We can't deny how popular Malone was in his heyday, just like he can't deny he never won an NBA championship. Facts.

21. Kevin Garnett

Born: May 19, 1976 (Greenville, South Carolina)

High school: Farragut Academy (Chicago, Illinois)

College: None

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 240 pounds

Career: 21 seasons (1995-2016)

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-2007, 2015-16), Boston Celtics (2007-13), Brooklyn Nets (2013-15)

Career highlights: NBA champion (2008), NBA MVP (2004), 15-time NBA All-Star (1997, 1998, 2000-11, 2013), NBA All-Star Game MVP (2003), nine-time All-NBA Team (1999-2005, 2007, 2008), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2008), 12-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2000-09, 2011, 2012), NBA All-Rookie Team (1996)

Bottom line: Kevin Garnett came straight out of high school to the NBA and played a staggering 21 seasons. It is one of the longest careers in NBA history and one in which he won over fans all over the world with his charismatic personality.

He was at his best with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he spent the first 12 years of his career and was named NBA Most Valuable Player in 2004 when he averaged 24.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.

Garnett forced a trade to the Boston Celtics in 2007, where he won his only NBA title in 2008.

20. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Born: Dec. 6, 1994 (Athens, Greece)

Youth club: Filathlitikos (Athens, Greece)

College: None

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 242 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (2013-present)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks

Career highlights: Two-time NBA MVP (2019, 2020), four-time NBA All-Star (2017-20), four-time All-NBA Team (2017-20), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2020), three-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2017, 2019, 2020), NBA Most Improved Player (2017), NBA All-Rookie Team (2014)

Bottom line: The Milwaukee Bucks had no idea what they were getting when they drafted Greek phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. He grew three inches in the year after he was drafted, and since making his NBA debut just a shade past his 18th birthday, Antetokounmpo has become one of the greatest players of his generation.

He was a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player award winner by the time he was 25 years old and continues to gain worldwide fame. After playing out a four-year, $100 million contract extension signed in 2020, Antetokounmpo signed a five-year, $228 million extension with the Bucks in December 2020. Then, he led the team to the NBA championship in 2021.

Want to know more about Antetokounmpo? Read the brilliant biography written by Mirin Fader, "Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP." It was released in 2021, and the paperback will include an update on the Bucks' title.

19. Jerry West

Born: May 28, 1938 (Chelyan, West Virginia)

High school: East Bank High School (East Bank, West Virginia)

College: West Virginia

Position: Guard

NBA career: 14 seasons (1960-74)

Career highlights: NBA champion (1972), NBA Finals MVP (1969), 14-time NBA All-Star (1961-74), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1972), 12-time All-NBA (1962-73), five-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1969-73), NBA 75th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Jerry West — "The Logo" — is still the only player in NBA history to win NBA Finals MVP honors on a team that didn't win the championship.

West spent his entire career with the Lakers and won his lone NBA title in 1972 toward the end of his career. Every year he played, West won over more fans as the sports world had to witness what seemed like West's unending heartbreak, losing to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals for six years in a row.

As an NBA executive, he's won eight championships (six with the Lakers and two with the Golden State Warriors) and is in the discussion as one of the greatest general managers in NBA history.

18. Reggie Miller

Born: Aug. 24, 1965 (Riverside, California)

High school: Riverside Polytechnic High School (Riverside, California)

College: UCLA

Position: Shooting guard

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 185 pounds

Career: 18 seasons (1987-2005)

Teams: Indiana Pacers

Career highlights: Five-time NBA All-Star (1990, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000), three-time All-NBA Team (1995, 1996, 1998), NBA Citizenship Award (2004)

Bottom line: One of the best players in NBA history to never win an NBA title, Reggie Miller played his entire career with the Indiana Pacers.

The famous "Knick Killer" once scored eight points in nine seconds to beat the Knicks in the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals and is currently No. 2 in NBA history for made 3-pointers behind Ray Allen.

Miller's unusual shot style was developed early in his life. He lets go of the ball at an unusually high point and at an unusually high angle, which he said was a necessity when playing against older sister and fellow Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller.

It's pretty amazing in retrospect that Miller was able to achieve the amount of fame and popularity he did. The Pacers haven't had a player come close to that level since his career ended.

17. Dominique Wilkins

Born: Jan. 12, 1960 (Paris, France)

High school: Washington High School (Washington, North Carolina)

College: Georgia

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 230 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1982-1997, 1999)

Teams: Atlanta Hawks (1982-94), Los Angeles Clippers (1994), Boston Celtics (1994-95), San Antonio Spurs (1996-97), Orlando Magic (1999)

Career highlights: Seven-time All-NBA (1986-89, 1991, 1993, 1994), NBA All-Rookie Team (1983), two-time NBA Slam Dunk champion (1985, 1990)

Bottom line: "The Human Highlight Film" Dominique Wilkins spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Atlanta Hawks, where he established a legacy as one of the most exciting players in NBA history. If you grew up in the 1980s, odds are you had a poster of 'Nique at one point.

Wilkins was a marvel on the basketball court — few players have been as creative or had as much success playing above the rim. What doesn't get enough credit is his mid-range game. Through hard work, Wilkins developed a pop-and-drop jumper that was almost impossible to defend.

Wilkins won his lone NBA scoring title in 1986 with the Hawks and was also a two-time NBA Slam Dunk champion with the franchise.

16. James Harden

Born: Aug. 26, 1989 (Los Angeles, California)

High school: Artesia High School (Lakewood, California)

College: Arizona State

Position: Shooting guard

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 220 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (2009-present)

Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder (2009-12), Houston Rockets (2012-20), Brooklyn Nets (2020-22), Philadelphia 76ers (2022-present)

Career highlights: NBA MVP (2018), eight-time NBA All-Star (2013-20), seven-time All-NBA Team (2013-15, 2017-20), NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2012), NBA All-Rookie Team (2010)

Bottom line: James Harden is one of the greatest pure scorers in NBA history. His unique style of play has defied critics and skeptics alike for the majority of his 12 seasons in the league. And his personality — kind of an oddball with a frontiersman-like beard — has made him one of the more endearing stars of all time.

While his failures in the playoffs and big games are as epic as any player in NBA history, the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player forced his second trade in three years in early 2022 when the Brooklyn Nets shipped him to the Philadelphia 76ers.

15. Bill Russell

Born: Feb. 12, 1934 (Monroe, Louisiana)

High school: McClymonds High School (Oakland, California)

College: San Francisco

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 215 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1956-1969)

Teams: Boston Celtics

Career highlights: Eleven-time NBA champion (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969), five-time NBA MVP (1958, 1961-63, 1965), 12-time NBA All-Star (1958-69), 11-time All-NBA (1958-68)

Bottom line: Bill Russell was the centerpiece of the greatest dynasty in NBA history, winning 11 NBA championships in his 13 NBA career. The five-time NBA Most Valuable Player needed to define toughness to succeed in his era, with his direct counterpart none other than Wilt Chamberlain, the only other player besides Russell to grab 50 rebounds in a single game.

Russell averaged a staggering 22.5 rebounds per game for his career, and his dominance in the NBA Finals was so complete that the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award was eventually named after him.

14. Dwyane Wade

Born: Oct. 20, 1971 (Pompano Beach, Florida)

High school: Richards High School (Oak Lawn, Illinois)

College: Marquette

Position: Shooting guard

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 224 pounds

Career: 15 seasons (2003-18)

Teams: Miami Heat (2003-16, 2018-19), Chicago Bulls (2016-17), Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-18)

Career highlights: Three-time NBA champion (2006, 2012, 2013), NBA Finals MVP (2006), 13-time NBA All-Star (2005-16, 2019), eight-time All-NBA (2005-07, 2009-13), three-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2005, 2009, 2010)

Bottom line: Dwyane Wade is one of the greatest NBA players of all time, making the All-Star team 13 times in 15 seasons and winning three NBA titles with the Miami Heat. Wade won NBA Finals MVP in 2006 with Shaquille O'Neal as a teammate, then paired up with LeBron James and Chris Bosh to win two more NBA titles in 2012 and 2013.

Wade was a tough, physical matchup for other guards and was willing to sacrifice his body to win games. He also was charismatic off the court with movie-star looks and one of the more engaging, introspective NBA personalities of all time.

13. Charles Barkley

Born: Feb. 20, 1963 (Leeds, Alabama)

High school: Leeds High School (Leeds, Alabama)

College: Auburn

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 252 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1984-2000)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (1984-92), Phoenix Suns (1992-96), Houston Rockets (1996-2000)

Career highlights: NBA MVP (1993), 11-time NBA All-Star (1987-97), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1991), 11-time All-NBA Team (1986-96), NBA All-Rookie Team (1985), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Charles Barkley cemented his legacy as one of the NBA's best players of all time in four years with the Phoenix Suns, where he won his only NBA Most Valuable Player award in 1993 when he averaged 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists and played in his only NBA Finals.

Off the floor, few players in NBA history have been as popular during their career as Barkley, and no player has been able to increase their fame and popularity off the floor as he has following his career, thanks to 20 years as an analyst on "Inside the NBA."

12. Larry Bird

Born: Dec. 7, 1956 (West Baden Springs, Indiana)

High school: Springs Valley High School (French Lick, Indiana)

College: Indiana State

Position: Small forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 220 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1979-92)

Teams: Boston Celtics

Career highlights: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986), two-time NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986), three-time NBA MVP (1984-86), 12-time NBA All-Star (1980-88, 1990-92), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1982), 10-time All-NBA (1980-88, 1990), three-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1982-84), NBA Rookie of the Year (1980), three-time NBA Three-Point Contest champion (1986-88), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Larry Bird is one of the greatest players in NBA history, and few players could measure up to "Larry Legend" in his prime. But Bird's popularity and fame go well beyond what he did on the court. In short, he's an icon to basketball fans all over the world.

Bird was drafted by the Boston Celtics a full year before he joined the team. He led the franchise to three NBA championships in 13 seasons and won three NBA Most Valuable Player awards as well.

Bird's career is even more amazing when you consider that back injuries decimated the latter half of his career. He only played six games in 1988-89, 60 games in 1990-91, and 45 games in 1991-92, his final season.

11. Kevin Durant

Born: Sept. 29, 1988 (Washington, D.C.)

High school: Montrose Christian School (Rockville, Maryland)

College: Texas

Position: Forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 240 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (2007-present)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-16), Golden State Warriors (2016-19), Brooklyn Nets (2019-present)

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (2017, 2018), two-time NBA Finals MVP (2017, 2018), NBA MVP (2014), 10-time NBA All-Star (2010-19), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2012, 2019), nine-time All-NBA Team (2010-14, 2016-19), NBA Rookie of the Year (2008)

Bottom line: Kevin Durant is another one of the greatest players in NBA history, and he's immensely popular with the under-30 crowd today. But don't bring him up in Oklahoma City, where he left the team in free agency after the Thunder blew a 3-1 lead to the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference finals to go play for the Warriors.

What has made Durant so popular throughout his career is his openness about his feelings about fans and NBA life in general. Few players in recent memory have put themselves out there like KD.

Is he too sensitive? Sure. Do we love him even more because of it. Definitely.

10. Wilt Chamberlain

Born: Aug. 21, 1936 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Died: Oct. 12, 1999 (age 63, Bel Air, California)

High school: Overbrook High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

College: Kansas

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 275 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1959-73)

Teams: Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors (1959-63), Philadelphia 76ers (1965-68), Los Angeles Lakers (1968-73)

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1967, 1972), NBA Finals MVP (1972), four-time NBA MVP (1960, 1966-68), 13-time NBA All-Star (1960-69, 1971-73), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1960), 10-time All-NBA Team (1960-68, 1972), two-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1972, 1973), NBA Rookie of the Year (1960), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Wilt Chamberlain's popularity benefited largely from playing in an era where news didn't travel particularly fast and the public learned about someone's personality more through word of mouth than anything else.

In other words, if the general public had been given access to who Chamberlain really was, we doubt he would have been as popular.

What made Chamberlain so popular was more "The Legend of Wilt" than the man himself. He only won two NBA titles and was famously indifferent toward the game itself throughout his career.

9. Allen Iverson

Born: June 7, 1975 (Hampton, Virginia)

High school: Bethel High School (Hampton, Virginia)

College: Georgetown

Position: Point guard

Height/weight: 6-foot, 165 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1996-2010)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (1996-2006, 2009-10), Denver Nuggets (2006-08), Detroit Pistons (2008-09), Memphis Grizzlies (2009)

Career highlights: NBA MVP (2001), 11-time NBA All-Star (2000-10), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2001, 2005), seven-time All-NBA Team (1999-2003, 2005), NBA Rookie of the Year (1997)

Bottom line: Allen Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft and led the 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001 — the same year he won his lone NBA MVP award.

"The Answer" played with reckless abandon for someone his size. His fearlessness and rebellious attitude made him one of the most popular players in NBA history and one of pop culture's all-time greatest antiheroes.

Iverson did it on both ends of the floor as well. He led the NBA in scoring four times and led the NBA in steals three times despite never earning a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Team, which is a travesty.

8. Yao Ming

Born: Sept. 12, 1980 (Shanghai, China)

High school: None

College: None

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot-6, 310 pounds

NBA career: 9 seasons (2002-11)

Career highlights: Five-time All-NBA (2004, 2006-09), eight-time NBA All-Star (2003-09, 2011), NBA All-Rookie Team (2003)

Bottom line: The NBA reportedly brings in around $1 billion per year from China alone. The league doesn't see even a small percentage of that money without the outsized influence of 7-foot-6 Chinese center Yao Ming, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft.

Yao was nothing short of a phenomenon when he began his pro career at 17 years old in China, playing for the Shanghai Sharks. That phenomenon made the leap into the NBA at the age of 22 and became a five-time All-NBA selection before injuries cut his career short.

If we're talking about worldwide fame and popularity, few can compare to Yao.

7. LeBron James

Born: Dec. 30, 1984 (Akron, Ohio)

High school: St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (Akron, Ohio)

College: None

Position: Guard/forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 250 pounds

Career: 19 seasons (2003-present)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-2010, 2014-2018), Miami Heat (2010-2014), Los Angeles Lakers (2018-present)

Career highlights: Four-time NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020), four-time NBA MVP (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020), four-time NBA Finals MVP (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020), 18-time NBA All-Star (2005-2022), three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008, 2018), 18-time All-NBA Team (2005-2020), six-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2009-14), NBA Rookie of the Year (2004)

Bottom line: Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and 15-time All-NBA pick LeBron James is one of the toughest and most durable players of all time. He's also one of the best.

For all of his popularity, we can't put James higher on this list because he's also one of the most hated players of all time. Few players in professional sports history generate as many heated debates as James and what his legacy will ultimately be — a debate that boils down to whether James or Michael Jordan is the greatest player who ever lived.

6. Steph Curry

Born: March 14, 1988 (Akron, Ohio)

High school: Charlotte Christian School (Charlotte, North Carolina)

College: Davidson

Position: Point guard

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (2009-present)

Teams: Golden State Warriors

Career highlights: Three-time NBA champion (2015, 2017, 2018), two-time NBA MVP (2015, 2016), six-time NBA All-Star (2014-19), six-time All-NBA Team (2014-19), NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2015), NBA Sportsmanship Award (2011), NBA All-Rookie Team (2010)

Bottom line: Not too many players in NBA history have actually changed the way the game is played. Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry is one of them.

Curry, the son of longtime NBA guard Dell Curry, turned the league on its head with his shooting ability. Steph teamed with Klay Thompson to form one of the greatest backcourts in NBA history and has won three NBA titles, playing in the NBA Finals in five consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2019.

Off the court, Curry's seemingly unflappably positive approach to the game and life and his continual annoyance of superstar LeBron James has made him beloved.

5. Julius Erving

Born: Feb. 22, 1950 (East Meadow, New York)

High school: Roosevelt High School (Roosevelt, New York)

College: Massachusetts

Position: Small forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 210 pounds

Career: 9 seasons (1976-87)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers

Career highlights: NBA champion (1983), NBA MVP (1981), 11-time NBA All-Star (1977-87), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1977, 1983), seven-time All-NBA Team (1977, 1978, 1980-84), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: What's really amazing about Dr. J's dominance in his nine seasons in the NBA is that he spent the first five seasons of his career in the ABA, where he was arguably the greatest player in that league's history.

Dr. J won MVP honors in both leagues and won championships in both leagues, teaming with Moses Malone to win the 1983 NBA championship. It was also during the regular season in 1983 that Dr. J orchestrated perhaps the greatest in-game dunk of all time — the "Rock the Cradle" dunk over Michael Cooper of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Without Dr. J, the NBA doesn't make it through its cocaine-addled era of the late 1970s and early 1980s. He kept the league relevant when it was at its lowest point.

4. Kobe Bryant

Born: Aug. 23, 1978 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Died: Jan. 26, 2020 (age 41, Los Angeles, California)

High school: Lower Merion High School (Ardmore, Pennsylvania)

College: None

Position: Shooting guard

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 212 pounds

Career: 20 seasons (1996-2016)

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers

Career highlights: Five-time NBA champion (2000-02, 2009, 2010), two-time NBA Finals MVP 2009, 2010), NBA MVP (2008), 18-time NBA All-Star (1998, 2000-16), four-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011), 15-time All-NBA (1999-2013), 12-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2000-04, 2006-12)

Bottom line: The late Kobe Bryant's legacy was defined by him being a winner. He won five NBA titles in 20 seasons. In the final game of his career, Bryant scored 60 points on 22-of-50 shooting in a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz, including 10-of-12 from the free-throw line and 6-of-21 from beyond the three-point arc.

Bryant surprisingly only won the NBA Most Valuable Player award once in his career, in 2008, but also was a 12-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection.

Bryant's popularity was twofold. A wave of fans adopted him early in his career and stuck it out the whole way, and a second wave begrudgingly gave their respect after he won his final two championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.

3. Magic Johnson

Born: Aug. 14, 1959 (Lansing, Michigan)

High school: Everett High School (Lansing, Michigan)

College: Michigan State

Position: Point guard

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 220 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1978-91, 1996)

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers

Career highlights: Five-time NBA champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), three-time NBA Finals MVP (1980, 1982, 1987), three-time NBA MVP (1987, 1989, 1990), 12-time NBA All-Star (1980, 1982-92), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1990, 1992), 10-time All-NBA (1982-91), NBA All-Rookie Team (1980), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Magic Johnson is perhaps the greatest point guard of all time, one of the most exciting, dynamic players in NBA history and a global sports icon.

Magic's rivalry with Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird, which started in the 1979 NCAA championship game between Michigan State and Indiana State, put the NBA on the path to becoming the global behemoth it is today, generating approximately $8 billion in revenue annually.

Johnson was the guiding force behind the Lakers' "Showtime" era and led the franchise to five NBA titles in the 1980s.

2. Shaquille O'Neal

Born: March 6, 1972 (Newark, New Jersey)

High school: Cole High School (San Antonio, Texas)

College: LSU

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 325 pounds

Career: 19 seasons (1992-2011)

Teams: Orlando Magic (1992-1996), Los Angeles Lakers (1996-2004), Miami Heat (2004-2008), Phoenix Suns (2008-2009), Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-2010), Boston Celtics (2010-2011)

Career highlights: Four-time NBA champion (2000-02, 2006), three-time NBA Finals MVP (2000-02), NBA Most Valuable Player (2000), 15-time NBA All-Star (1993-98, 2000-07, 2009), three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2000, 2004, 2009), 14-time All-NBA (1994-2006, 2009), three-time All-NBA Defensive Team (2000, 2001, 2003), NBA Rookie of the Year (1993), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Shaquille O'Neal is one of the greatest centers in NBA history, included in a group that includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. Aside from being a four-time NBA champion, Shaq also is a 15-time All-Star and 14-time All-NBA pick.

What has catapulted him into the stratosphere of most popular athletes of all time is his personality. At one point during his career, the dude had platinum-selling albums and was headlining big-budget movies.

Post-career, he's essentially been "Uncle Shaq" to a whole new generation of NBA fans on "Inside the NBA" alongside fellow former players Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.

1. Michael Jordan

Born: Feb. 17, 1963 (Brooklyn, New York)

High school: Laney High School (Wilmington, North Carolina)

College: North Carolina

Position: Shooting guard

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 210 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1984-1993, 1995-1998, 2001-2003)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (1984-1993, 1995-1998), Washington Wizards (2001-2003)

Career highlights: Six-time NBA champion (1991-93, 1996-98), six-time NBA Finals MVP (1991-93, 1996-98), five-time NBA MVP (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998), 14-time NBA All-Star (1985-93, 1996-98, 2002, 2003), three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998), 11-time All-NBA (1985, 1987-93, 1996-98), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988), nine-time All-NBA Defensive Team (1988-93, 1996-98), NBA Rookie of the Year (1985)

Bottom line: If you want to make the case for exactly how popular Michael Jordan is, consider this. Almost 20 years since he played in his last NBA game and 25 years since he won his last NBA championship, Jordan's signature "Air Jordan" shoes still outsell the signature shoes of current NBA stars at almost a 4-to-1 pace.

During his playing career with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan's popularity and fame weren't really comparable to other athletes but more in line with the biggest movie stars and musicians in the world.

Since his playing career ended, that love seems to have only grown. Look no further than the 10-part documentary "The Last Dance" as a living reminder of exactly what his impact is in popular culture.