15 Best NBA Players From The 70s

15 Best NBA Players From The 70s

The 70s was one of the most exciting eras in the basketball universe whereby the NBA boasted captivating players, shocking rivalries and memorable moments. Players then performed optimally going on to be standouts in the annals of history.

Physicality, Versatility and mental fortitude were the order of the day in the 70s and players had to be adaptive to the game that requires physical contact, aggressiveness and durability to succeed. To be great then you had to have it all. The players’ toughness and tenacity on the court ensured that they won games, won finals and eventually won NBA championships season after season.

The game, which was centred on teamwork, also had its most talented players, who appeared to be in a class marginally above the rest. These players distinguished themselves from the competition by competing in high-stakes games under extreme pressure and still coming out on top. They not only excelled individually but also steered their teams to success. Let’s discover more about these legendary players from the 1970s, including who they are and what made them so successful.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

1971–72 National Basketball Association program, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Many believe Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was a centre in the NBA for 20 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, where he earned six NBA Most Valuable Player honours. He led the Milwaukee Bucks to its first NBA championship at age 24 in 1971. Kareem was chosen for the NBA All-Star Game 19 times, made the All-NBA Team 15 times, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team 11 times.

Kareem won six NBA championships with two separate teams, twice being named MVP. He also coached and won two more titles. He had the most points of any active or past NBA player from 1984 until 2023, until he was eclipsed by LeBron James.

2. Bob Lanier

St. Bonaventure 1968 Yearbook, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Bob Lanier was a centre for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks.  Lanier took part in eight NBA All-Star Games during his 14 NBA seasons, winning the 1974 game’s Most Valuable Player award. Despite a long history of knee problems, he was effective in helping his teams succeed.

3. Julius Erving 

National Basketball Association press photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

American basketball player Julius Erving is a former professional basketball player who helped legitimize the American Basketball Association and was the most well-known member of that league until it merged with the National Basketball Association following the 1975–1976 season.

Erving enjoyed success with the ABA’s Virginia Squires, New York Nets (now the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets), and NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, winning three championships, four Most Valuable Player awards, and three scoring titles with ABA’s Virginia Squires and New York Nets. He was the only player to be chosen as the Most Valuable Player in both the ABA and the NBA. He was well renowned for slam dunks from the free-throw line in Slam Dunk Contests.

4. Bill Walton

Sport Magazine, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Bill Walton is a retired professional basketball player from the United States. He was a UCLA Bruins basketball player who won three straight national collegiate Players of the Year awards (1972-1974) while guiding the Bruins to NCAA titles in 1972 and 1973 and an 88-game winning run. He led the Portland Trail Blazers to an NBA title in 1977 after being taken first overall in the 1974 NBA draft.

He was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 1977. In 1993, Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1986, Bill won his second NBA title with the Boston Celtics. He is a 1993 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 

5. Walt Frazier 

The Sporting News Archives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Walter Frazier is a former professional basketball player in the NBA who led the New York Knicks to the franchise’s only two championships (1970 and 1973) as their floor general and top perimeter defender. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honoured him with an induction in 1987. 

6. Bob McAdoo

Unknown University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Robert McAdoo is a former professional basketball player and coach from the United States. He was a five-time NBA All-Star and was voted NBA Most Valuable Player in 1975 during his 14-year career in the National Basketball Association. During the Los Angeles Lakers Showtime era in the 1980s, he won two NBA titles.

7. Elvin Hayes

George Gojkovich, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Former NBA player Elvin Hayes was renowned for his skill on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. Hayes, who led the Washington Bullets to the 1978 NBA Championship, is frequently recognized as one of the best power forwards in NBA history. In addition to his longevity, Hayes is renowned for having missed just nine games throughout his 16-season career and ranking third all-time in NBA minutes played (at 50,000).

8. Moses Malone

Basketball_Legends.jpg: Cpl. Lameen Witterderivative work: JoeJohnson2, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

American basketball player Moses Malone competed professionally from 1974 to 1995, starring in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association. He was a centre who won three MVP awards for the NBA, was selected for the All-NBA Team eight times, and appeared in the NBA as an All-Star 12 times. In 1983, Malone led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA championship and was named the MVP of the league and Finals

9. Pete Maravich

Robert Kingsbury, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

From 1970 through 1980, American professional basketball player Peter Maravich competed in the NBA. With 3,667 points scored and an average of 44.2 points per game, Pete Maravich holds the record for most points scored in a single NCAA Division I game. He had a 10-year professional basketball career and played for three different NBA clubs until being forced to retire in 1980 due to injuries.

Maravich, one of the youngest inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, was regarded as one of the greatest offensive minds of all time as well as one of the greatest ball handlers.

Related: Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Pete Maravich

10. John Havlicek

The Sporting News, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

American professional basketball player John Havlicek played his whole career for the NBA Boston Celtics, where he won eight NBA titles during his sixteen seasons with the franchise. He is among the only four players to have ever won eight NBA Championships, and Havlicek is one of three with an unbreakable 8-0 record in NBA Finals.

He was admitted as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984 and is largely regarded as one of the finest players in the history of the sport. By scoring 26,395 points and playing in 1,270 games, he is the Celtic’s all-time leader in points. He averaged 28.9 points per game with his best scoring season coming during the 1970-71 season. 

11. Dave Cowens

Robert Kingsbury, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Retired basketball professional player David Cowens primarily played centre but sometimes occasionally played power forward in the NBA. Cowens played for the Boston Celtics for the majority of his playing career. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 1971 and the NBA Most Valuable Player award in 1973. He won NBA titles in 1974 and 1976 while playing with the Celtics. In 1991, he received his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

12. Rick Barry 

Golden State Warriors, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Rick Barry is a retired American professional basketball player. Barry is regarded as one of the game’s top scorers and all-around performers in history. He is the only player to have led the NCAA, ABA, and NBA in game-to-game scoring during a season. He is the all-time leader in scoring for the ABA in both regular seasons (30.5 points per game) and postseason play (33.5), and his 36.3 points per game in the NBA Finals are the most ever. Also, in Game 7 of the playoffs in any league, Barry is the only player to have reached the 50 points mark. In both leagues, he is one of just four players to have been part of a championship team.

13. Jerry West 

Malcolm W. Emmons, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Jerry West is an American former basketball player. He was a point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1960 to 1974. His silhouette was incorporated into the NBA logo. He had a tremendously highly successful career and got voted 12 times into the All-NBA First and Second Teams. He was also selected into the NBA All-Star Team 14 times. West was the 1972 All-Star MVP and won the 1972 title.

With 46.3 as his average points per game in a playoff series, he holds the NBA record for the highest points per game. He has been in nine NBA Finals and is the first player in league history to win Finals MVP honours despite playing for the losing team in 1969. West was chosen for the NBA 35th Anniversary Team and received induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.

Also Read: 35 Best White Basketball Players of All Time

14. Connie Hawkins 

The Sporting News Archives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

American basketball player Connie Hawkins played professionally from 1961 until 1976. In 1992, he received his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Connie Hawkins was also named to the ABA’s All-Time Team. Hawkins only spent seven seasons playing in the NBA because of knee issues. He was named to the All-NBA First Team in the 1969–1970 campaign. He was an All-Star from 1970 to 1973. 

Hawkins’ performances in the ABL, ABA, and NBA helped him establish himself as one of the best of the 1970s, even though he was unable to play in the NBA when he was at his peak.

15. Willis Reed

New York Knicks, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Willis Reed was a basketball player who played professionally for ten years, from 1964 to 1974, with the NBA’s New York Knicks. Reed was chosen for the All-NBA squad five times and seven times in the NBA All-Star, including once on the first team in 1970 when he won the NBA Most Valuable Player award. He won the NBA championship twice (1970 and 1973), and each time, the NBA Finals MVP award was given to him.

Related: 30 Of The Best NBA Players From The 80s