The 10 Most Entertaining NBA Players of All Time

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Oct 21, 2014

The 10 Most Entertaining NBA Players of All Time

Michael Jordan

He brought the NBA from the world of sports to the world of entertainment with his tongue-wagging dunks, his 60-point outbursts and his must-see commercials. Before Air Jordan became the best player, he was the ultimate showman.

Julius Erving

Hang time is an elusive concept. Does it exist? Can players make themselves stay in the air longer? We never thought much about it until Dr. J arrived to the NBA with a surreal aerial game and, if that wasn't enough, a friendly personality and an all-world Afro.

Pete Maravich

His career was shortened by knee problems and he never went to an NBA Finals, but Maravich was among the game's most charismatic showmen. He loved to make acrobatic no-look passes in the open floor.

Magic Johnson

The engine driving the Lakers' Showtime offense, Magic was a one-man fast break. Playing a freewheeling style Magic—along with some guy named Bird—dragged the NBA out of the tape-delayed postseason era to unprecedented popularity.

LeBron James

Blessed with the speed and playmaking of a guard and the size and strength of a power forward, James is electric. The evolution of his game—the improved jump shot, the presence in the post—has made him arguably the toughest player to guard, ever.

Larry Bird

Sure, he didn't dunk much, but true basketball fans appreciated all the little things Bird did. Most of all, it was competitive spirit. Few, if any, wanted it more.

Allen Iverson

He could whoosh right by you, break your ankles with a crossover (remember, Mr. Jordan?) and sometimes elevate over you. You could knock him down, but you had to catch him first, and, anyway, he always got right back up. The Answer wasn't fun to guard, but he sure was fun to watch.

Charles Barkley

What a gift to fans. The game's greatest personality resided in the body of one of its greatest athletes. He'd throw down a 360 dunk over a center one minute, spout wry commentary two hours later and then throw someone through a nightclub window in the wee hours of the next morning.

George Gervin

One thing he could do was finger roll. From anywhere. Another was score in bunches, including 33 points in a quarter (and 63 in that game) to win the 1978 scoring title. "He's the one player I would pay to see," said Jerry West. Yep.

Earl Monroe

Dervishing, double-pumping, almost mummer-strutting, Earl the Pearl had a spin-dribble style never seen before or duplicated since. When he turned his back on an opponent, he would win over the crowd.