Have you ever wondered who the greatest small forward of all time is? Before I talk about the top 5, I thought I should tell you what a small forward is. A small forward is usually the 3rd tallest player in the starting lineup, they are usually about 6 foot 5 to 6 foot 7. They are decent shooters, who have good ball skills, and can drive to the basket. Now, let’s talk about the top 5 small forwards of all time.
Number 5 Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen was drafted in 1987 by the Bulls with the 5th overall pick. In his career, he won 6 NBA championships and he was the sidekick or the greatest player of all time Michael Jordan. In his career, he never won a league MVP but he is known for his elite defense skills. He was also a 7-time all-star and won the all-star MVP in 1994.
Number 4 Julius Erving
Julius Erving was drafted in 1972 to the Bucks with the 12th overall pick. In his career he managed to win 3 NBA championships and also had 4 league MVPs. Julius Erving has 30,026 career points putting him just over 30,000 career points. He also was an all-star 16 times which is a lot.
Number 3 Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant was drafted in 2007 to the SuperSonics with the 2nd overall pick. In his career, he managed to win 2 NBA championships and also 1 league MVP. Kevin Durant is a 6 foot 11 three-point shooter which is rare to see. His unique play style has made him one of the greatest scorers in the league and one of the greatest of all time. He has been on 10 all-star teams and also had 4 scoring titles in his career.
Number 2 Larry Bird
Larry Bird was drafted in 1978 to the Celtics with the number 6 overall pick. He never ended up joining another NBA team. Larry Bird is a 3-time NBA champion and a 3-time league MVP. He played in the NBA for 13 years which is not a long time compared to other NBA players. Larry Bird in his time, was by far the best 3 point shooter.
Number 1 Lebron James
Lebron James was drafted in 2003 with the number 1 overall pick. In his career he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, then the Heat, then back to the Cavaliers, and currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is a 4 time NBA champion and also has 4 league MVPS. Lebron James is the only player to lead a team to a 3 to 1 comeback in the NBA finals. His best years were the years when he played on the Miami Heat. Lebron James is the only NBA player to ever have more than 40,000 career points. Lebron James is known to be the second greatest player of all time.
In conclusion, there are a lot of great small forwards in the NBA. The greatest one is easily Lebron because his stats are a lot better than every other small forward. An honorable mention would be Elgin Baylor who was a great NBA player that played for the Los Angeles Lakers. If you want to learn more about these NBA small forwards, click on this website.
