NBA History Point Guards: We have seen the point guard position in the NBA adapt and develop throughout the years in a significant way. The point guard has played a crucial role in the NBA’s history, maybe more so than any other position, from the defensive and playmaking masters of the past to the skilful, airborne, and scoring point guards of the present. Today, we count down the top five point guards from each decade to see how things have evolved. Join us as we journey down memory lane with the finest point guards to ever play in NBA history.
We’ll begin in the 1950s when the pioneers of the position shaped the NBA and upcoming generations. As we ascend to the 2020s, we will base our rankings on the subsequent decades:
1950-1959
1960-1969
1970-1979
1980-1989
1990-1999
2000-2009
2010-2019
2020-Present
It goes without saying that the players’ accomplishments during the aforementioned seasons will determine these rankings. The ideal rankings for each basketball decade have been created by taking into account sophisticated analytics, stats, awards, and accomplishments, where appropriate.
Let’s now examine the top point guards in NBA history, broken down by decade.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 1950s
1. Bob Cousy
2. Bob Davies
3. Slater Martin
4. Larry Costello
5. Jack George
Point guard Bob Cousy, who went by the moniker “The Houdini of the Hardwood” due to his dazzling passes and touches, captained the Boston Celtics throughout most of the 1950s and the 1960s. During his tenure with the Celtics, which lasted from 1951 to 1963, Cousy contributed to the team’s six NBA titles, two of which came in the 1950s. Cousy concluded with three scoring titles, six assists titles, the 1957 MVP honour, and nine All-Star selections between 1950 and 1959.
Bob Davies and Slater Martin rank second and third, respectively, after Cousy for their play during the 1950s. In the 1950s, Davies was the team captain of the Rochester Royals, averaging 14.2 points and 4.8 assists per game while garnering four All-Star selections. He assisted in guiding the Royals to their lone championship in their history in 1951. Martin started as the starting point guard for the Hawks in 1957–1959 and the Lakers in 1950–1956, respectively. Martin would win five NBA titles and make seven appearances on the All-Star team in the 1950s. He would average 10.3 points and 3.9 assists per game over the remainder of the decade.
On the list of the best point guards of the 1950s, Larry Costello comes in second and Jack George comes in third. Costello starred in twelve seasons, but only four of those are regarded as taking place in the 1950s. But Costello’s two All-Star selections, 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game ensure that he makes this list. George played for the Philadelphia Warriors his whole playing career, averaging 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game to help them win the 1956 NBA championship. George was selected twice for the team of All-Stars.
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Three of Tony Parker’s four career NBA titles came in the 2000s, making him one of the most successful point guards of all time. In addition, Parker won the MVP award for the 2007 Finals when the team defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers. One of the most reliable point guards in NBA history, Chauncey Billups is renowned for his effectiveness when he gets fouled out of the game. In the 2000s, Parker was selected to the All-NBA Team once and as an All-Star three times. Chris Paul, who played for four years in the 2000s, comes in fifth place. With the Hornets, he won back-to-back assists, stole championships in 2008 and 2009, and was second in the MVP vote in 2008.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 1960s
1. Oscar Robertson
2. Lenny Wilkens
3. Guy Rodgers
4. Bob Cousy
5. Larry Costello
A new generation of point guards prepared to elevate the position would be brought to us in the 1960s. One of the best players who have ever played the position in terms of scoring, playmaking, passing, rebounding, and defending is Oscar Robertson. Throughout the decade, Robertson would win nine All-Star selections, seven assists titles, a scoring title, 1961 Rookie of the Year, and 1964 MVP. As the best point guard of the 1960s and a top-three player of all time, he capped up his career in 1962 by becoming the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for the whole season.
Lenny Wilkens played with the St. Louis Hawks from 1961 to 1968 then for a single season with Seattle in 1969. He was chosen for six All-Star teams during this span, averaging 16.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. Guy Rodgers played for the Bucks, Bulls, and Warriors in the 1960s. In this period, Rodgers averaged 12.4 points and 8.2 assists per decade, winning two assists crowns and being selected to four All-Star teams.
In terms of the 1960s, Larry Costello and Bob Cousy are unique. Even though their careers were coming to a close, they were still contributing enough to championship teams. Throughout the 1960s, Cousy would win four more NBA titles and be selected for four All-Star teams, while Costello would win one championship in 1967 and be selected for four All-Star teams.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 1970s
1. Walt Frazier
2. Tiny Archibald
3. Dave Bing
4. Norm Van Lier
5. Jo Jo White
In addition, the 1970s produced some of the best point guards in NBA history, leading to a decade of thrilling Walt Frazier, by far the most entertaining of all. Frazier guided the Knicks to two NBA titles in 1970 and 1973 while serving as their point guard from 1970 to 1977. He was selected as an All-Star seven times in a row, as well as six times as an All-NBA Team and six times as an All-Defensive Team member. Willis Reed would have received the MVP award in place of Frazier for the Knicks’ two Finals victories. Throughout the 1970s, Frazier averaged 20.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.9 steals a game.
When it comes to their accomplishments throughout the 1970s, Frazier is closely followed by Tony Archibald and Dave Bing. In 1973, Archibald not only became the only player to lead the NBA in assists and scoring but also earned three of his six career All-Star selections. He averaged 23.0 points, 7/6 assists, and 1.2 steals a game between 1971 and 1979. Dave Bing played for the Pistons and Bullets during the 1970s, where he averaged 19.2 points, 6.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He went on to win five All-Star selections and two All-NBA Team choices.
Norm Van Lier and Jo Jo White are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. From 1970 to 1979, Norm Van Lier played for the Royals, Bulls, and Bucks. He earned his place on this list during his Bulls tenure in the mid-1970s by being selected three times as an All-Star, six times as a member of the All-Defensive Team, and once as an All-NBA Team.
From 1970 until 1979, Jo Jo White played for the Boston Celtics. White was awarded Finals MVP and assisted the Celtics in winning the NBA championship in 1974. In addition to helping them win another NBA title in 1976, he was selected to seven consecutive All-Star teams from 1971 and 1977. He would average 18.2 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals a game over the course of the decade.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 1980s
1. Magic Johnson
2. Isiah Thomas
3. Dennis Johnson
4. Maurice Cheeks
5. John Stockton
Magic Johnson, the best point guard to ever play the position, was born in the 1980s. Magic Johnson led the Showtime Lakers, one of the greatest NBA dynasties of the 1980s, from his 1980 rookie season, which concluded with an NBA championship and Finals MVP award, until winning his fifth NBA title in 1988. In addition, Magic won two of his three career MVP titles and three Finals MVP honours during the decade, making him the obvious choice to be the greatest point guard of the 1980s.
Isiah Thomas was chosen as the second-greatest point guard of the 1980s since he captained a legendary NBA squad in that decade as well. From 1982 to 1989, Thomas averaged 20.3 points, 9.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. He was selected for eight All-Star teams and five All-NBA Teams. Thomas won the 1990 NBA Finals MVP trophy and assisted in leading the Pistons to consecutive titles in 1989 and 1990.
The final three for this decade are John Stockton, Maurice Cheeks, and Dennis Johnson. In the 1980s, Johnson was a three-time All-Star for the Suns and Celtics, and he won titles with Boston in 1984 and 1986. When Cheeks was starting to reach his prime with the Utah Jazz in 1983, John Stockton was just starting to enter his prime with the 76ers. Cheeks was selected to four All-Star teams.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 1990s
1. John Stockton
2. Gary Payton
3. Tim Hardaway
4. Kevin Johnson
5. Anfernee Hardaway
Point guards were instrumental in the success of their teams throughout the 1990s, which was one of the best periods in NBA basketball history. John Stockton of the Utah Jazz, who would go on to win seven assists titles and one steals title during the decade, was undoubtedly the best. In addition, he was selected six times for the All-Star team and guided the Jazz to two NBA Finals trips (1997 and 1998). When Stockton retired in 2003, he had the record for most assists and steals in NBA history, which is still in effect in 2023.
Not only is Gary Payton one of the greatest trash talkers in NBA history, but he’s also considered the finest defensive point guard by many. As a member of the Seattle SuperSonics for the entirety of the 1990s, Payton was selected five times for the All-Star team, six times for the All-NBA team, six times for the All-Defensive team, and in 1996 he was named Defensive Player of the Year. Payton averaged 18.2 points, 7.4 assists, and 2.1 steals a game throughout his 13 years with the team. In 1996, he also assisted Seattle in making it to the NBA Finals.
One of the best ball handlers in NBA history is Tim Hardaway. He averaged 19.4 points and 9.0 assists per game while playing for the Warriors and Heat in the 1990s, earning him five nominations to the All-Star team. Throughout the 1990s, Kevin Johnson was selected five times as an All-NBA Team and as a three-time All-Star for the Phoenix Suns. In 1993, he also aided in their run to the NBA Finals. Because of his contributions to the Orlando Magic throughout the decade, Penny Hardaway comes in at number five on our list. Hardaway was chosen three times for the NBA Team and four times as an All-Star.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 2000s
1. Steve Nash
2. Jason Kidd
3. Tony Parker
4. Chauncey Billups
5. Chris Paul
There has never been a better time in history for two-way point guards than the 2000s. Steve Nash, the two-time MVP of the Phoenix Suns, has to take the top slot as the finest player of the decade. Although he played in two All-Star seasons with Dallas as well, he was the MVP of the Suns in 2006 and 2007, leading one of the most explosive offences in NBA history. Three of Nash’s five career assist championships came during the 2000s, when he averaged 16.2 points and 9.2 assists per game.
Jason Kidd is one of the most effective point guards in NBA history on all fronts. During his time with the Suns, Nets, and Mavericks in the 2000s, Kidd was selected for eight All-Star teams, four assists titles, eight All-Defensive Team selections, five All-NBA Team selections, and eight All-Star selections. In 2002 and 2003, Kidd led the unimpressive Nets team to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances, averaging 16.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 9.4 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.
Three of Tony Parker’s four career NBA titles came in the 2000s, making him one of the most successful point guards of all time. In addition, Parker won the MVP award for the 2007 Finals when the team defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers. One of the most reliable point guards in NBA history, Chauncey Billups is renowned for his effectiveness when he gets fouled out of the game. In the 2000s, Parker was selected to the All-NBA Team once and as an All-Star three times. Chris Paul, who played for four years in the 2000s, comes in fifth place. With the Hornets, he won back-to-back assists, stole championships in 2008 and 2009, and was second in the MVP vote in 2008.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 2010s
1. Stephen Curry
2. Chris Paul
3. Russell Westbrook
4. Kyrie Irving
5. Damian Lillard
In the 2010s, Stephen Curry’s extraordinarily prolific and effective three-point shooting single-handedly altered the nature of basketball forever. It would enable him to win three NBA titles in 2015, 2017, and 2018 in addition to two MVP honours in 2015 and 2016. After guiding the Warriors to 73 victories and winning the scoring and steals titles with averages of 30.1 points and 2.1 steals per game, Curry became the NBA’s only unanimous MVP in 2016. Everyone who stepped onto the floor aspired to be the next great three-point shooter, and Curry’s effect was evident at all basketball levels across the world.
Chris Paul was a two-way star with the Rockets, Clippers, and Hornets during the 2010s. Over the next ten games, Paul would average 18.4 points, 9.6 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, capturing two and then four steals crowns. Russell Westbrook trails Paul by a few points on a number of 2010s NBA record-setting achievements. Throughout the season, he averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game, earning him the title of MVP in 2017. Westbrook ends the 2010s barely behind Paul with two scoring titles, two assist crowns, and an MVP.
An NBA title was something that neither Paul nor Westbrook achieved throughout their careers, and Kyrie Irving was a major contributor to that achievement. He was a part of one of the biggest upsets in NBA history in 2016—the game-winning three-pointer in Game 7 of the NBA Finals that sealed the series. Kyrie won one NBA title in the 2010s and was named Rookie of the Year in addition to being a six-time All-Star. In the 2010s, Damian Lillard emerged as one of the best point guards ever, both overall and for three-point shooting, winning four All-Star and four NBA Team selections.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 2010s
1. Stephen Curry
2. Luka Doncic
3. Kyrie Irving
4. Damian Lillard
5. Trae Young
We can only evaluate these point guards based on the four seasons from 2020 through 2023 because the 2020s are still very much in progress. Out of all these point guards, only one, Stephen Curry in 2022, guided his club to an NBA title while winning MVP of the Finals. Luka Doncic is the clear favourite to lead this list at the conclusion of the decade after being selected as an All-Star and All-NBA Team player in each of the previous four seasons.
Despite being towards the twilight of their NBA careers, Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving are both All-Star calibre players. Despite the fact that they have both had difficulty staying on the floor for a variety of reasons, they have demonstrated their excellence by being playmakers, scorers, and high-impact players for their teams. In addition to being one of the best playmaking and scoring guards in the NBA, Trae Young is moving in that direction. Young is one of the more talented young guards in the NBA right now and can bring the best out of his teammates.
This is the list of Top Five Point Guards in NBA History. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
