Era Ball
Best NBA Players by Era: 1950s–2020s Tier Overview for Era Ball Drafts
The Greatest Players, Decade by Decade
The pantheon by era: Russell and Wilt defined the 60s, Kareem the 70s, Magic and Bird the 80s, Jordan the 90s, Duncan and Kobe the 2000s, LeBron and Curry the 2010s, Jokic and Giannis the 2020s.
Every figure below comes from the historical public record — championships, MVP awards and career numbers — through the 2024-25 season. None of it is an in-game Era Ball rating: the game's own values for these players live at eraball.com. Use this page as draft prep: knowing which names dominated which decade is exactly the knowledge a cross-era draft rewards.
A quick decade map before the tiers. The 1950s were George Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers and the first MVP, Bob Pettit (1956). The 1960s belong to Bill Russell (11 championships in 13 seasons) and Wilt Chamberlain (the 100-point game, and a 50.4 points-per-game season in 1961-62), with Oscar Robertson averaging a triple-double in 1961-62 and Jerry West alongside. The 1970s were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's — six MVPs spread from 1971 to 1980 — with Julius Erving transcending the ABA and Bill Walton's 1977 Trail Blazers title.
The 1980s paired Magic Johnson (five titles, three MVPs, Finals MVP as a rookie in 1980) against Larry Bird (three straight MVPs from 1984 to 1986, three titles) until Isiah Thomas's Pistons went back-to-back in 1989 and 1990. The 1990s were Michael Jordan's six-for-six Finals (six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, and a career 30.1 points per game), interrupted by Hakeem Olajuwon's back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. The 2000s ran through Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's three-peat (2000-02), Tim Duncan's five Spurs titles, and Dirk Nowitzki's 2011 Mavericks. The 2010s belonged to LeBron James (four MVPs, four titles, and the NBA's all-time scoring lead since February 2023) and Stephen Curry (four titles, all-time three-point leader, the first unanimous MVP in 2016). The 2020s so far: Giannis Antetokounmpo's 2021 title to go with two MVPs, and Nikola Jokic's three MVPs (2021, 2022, 2024) plus the 2023 championship — with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander capping 2024-25 as MVP, scoring champion and Finals champion.
- Eras covered1950s–2020s
- BasisHistorical public record
- Stats through2024-25 season
- Guide updated2026-10-16
All-Time Tier List by Historical Record
| Tier | What it means | Picks |
|---|---|---|
| S | The pantheon — consensus greatest ever |
|
| A | All-time icons |
|
| B | Decade definers |
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| C | Era stars and modern headliners |
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Rating basis: Tier placement is our editorial read of the historical record — career accomplishments, championships, MVPs and volume stats through 2024-25. It is NOT an in-game Era Ball rating; the game's own player values are visible only at eraball.com.
Player Era FAQ
Are these tiers Era Ball's in-game ratings?
No. Tier placement here is an editorial read of the historical record through the 2024-25 season. The game's own player values are only visible in Era Ball itself at eraball.com.
Which decade has the deepest talent?
By historical consensus the 1980s and the 2010s are the most stacked — Magic, Bird, Isiah, and the tail of Kareem in the 80s; LeBron, Curry, Durant and Kawhi in the 2010s.
Why does the 1950s list look so short?
The NBA was a much smaller league in the 1950s — fewer teams and a shorter schedule. Fewer players means fewer era-defining names, which is exactly how the historical record shows it.
Last checked and updated on October 16, 2026. Game updates can retire codes and shift tier rankings without notice — the date above is when this page was last verified against the live game.