30 Of The Best NBA Players From The 80s

30 Of The Best NBA Players From The 80s

The 80s was an era where intense competition was the order of the day in basketball. This was the time when players did their best and left it all on the court every time they played. Brimming with talent, the NBA boasted multiple All-Stars and future Hall of Famers who every time they entered the court carved their way to stardom. Basketball then was so physical with athletes ferociously fighting for every rebound out in the paint. 

Numbers don’t lie and we can see by how the players in the 1980s or those who were drafted in the era went on to achieve legendary status in the sport, surpassing numerous accolades and gaining numerous accolades while at it. Their performance was nothing short of exemplary hence leading their respective teams to the top. The skill, passion and dedication of these big-game players were standard and still act as a blueprint for current NBA players.

In the 1980s, basketball was also like entertainment where each game was exhilarating in every way possible. As compared to the present day, technology then was a little bit moderate but that did not stop these basketball players to showcase their optimal performance on the court providing spectators worldwide with jaw-dropping scenes. Leaving behind unforgettable impressions, their feats are unforgettable, some unfathomable and also inspiring to current and future generations.

Analyzing the 1980s, it is evident that NBA players back then are the Crème de la crème to ever play the game proving that dedication and hard work is pivotal to success. As we celebrate them along with their achievements, let us find out who are 30 of the best NBA players from the 80s.

1. Magic Johnson

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Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr., an American professional basketball player, is widely regarded as the greatest point guard of all time. Johnson played professionally for several years in a career that spanned 13 years. After winning a national championship with Michigan State in 1979, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Johnson first overall in the 1979 NBA draft. During the Showtime era, Johnson led the team to five NBA championships. 

Johnson’s career accomplishments include nine NBA Finals appearances, three NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA MVP Awards, 12 All-Star Games, and nine All-NBA First Team selections.

Related: Top 10 Interesting Facts About Magic Johnson

2. Larry Bird

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Larry Bird played professionally in the National Basketball Association from 1979 to 1992. He is considered to have had a fantastic experience playing basketball, and many fans and analysts consider him to be one of the best basketball players of all time. He was selected to the NBA All-Star team 12 times. He helped the Celtics win the NBA titles in 1981, 1984, and 1986, as well as two finals MVP awards.

Bird is the only player to have won three straight regular-season MVP awards, joining Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. He had a reputation for being a clutch performer who excelled in high-stakes, high-pressure games. In the 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1988 regular seasons, he finished second four times.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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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 awards. 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.

4. Michael Jordan

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The former basketball player is one of the most well-known figures in the sport. He even has a biography in the National Basketball Association honouring him as the best basketball player of all time. He played fifteen NBA seasons for the Chicago Bulls, winning six NBA championships. His statistics suggest that he was a fantastic basketball player.

After successfully guiding the United States Basketball Team to the Olympics and earning gold medals in 1984, he began playing for the Chicago Bulls. The athlete had a tremendous career, and even after retiring, he did not disappear from the scene, as he purchased a stake in the Washington Wizards and was named President of the club’s basketball operations. Michael Jordan is also a successful businessman.

5. Isiah Thomas

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Isiah Thomas, a former professional basketball player and coach from the United States, currently works as a commentator for NBA TV. The 12-time NBA All-Star was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and designated one of the 50 and 75 Greatest Players in NBA History. He spent his whole professional playing career with the National Basketball Association’s Detroit Pistons. Thomas is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and point guards of all time. He played for the Detroit Pistons for 15 years, from 1981 to 1994, and guided them to NBA titles in 1989 and 1990.

6. Julius Erving

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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.

7. Dominique Wilkins

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Dominique Wilkins is a former American professional basketball player who spent much of his career with the National Basketball Association’s Atlanta Hawks. Wilkins was a nine-time NBA All-Star, a member of the All-NBA Team seven times, and is regarded as one of the most acrobatic slam dunkers in NBA history, garnering the moniker “the Human Highlight Film”. In the 1985–86 NBA season, Wilkins had the most points scored.

Before his retirement in 1999, Wilkins played for Panathinaikos Athens during which time he won his first championships—the FIBA European League and the Greek Cup—as well played for Fortitudo Bologna, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Orlando Magic.

8. Hakeem Olajuwon

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Hakeem Olajuwon is a former professional basketball player who played centre in the National Basketball Association from 1984 to 2001 for the Houston Rockets and, in his final season, the Toronto Raptors. In 1994 and 1995, he led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA titles. In 2008, Olajuwon was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2016, he was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest centres of all time, as well as one of the best basketball players of all time.

Also Read: Top 10 Facts about Hakeem Olajuwon

9. Moses Malone

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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.

10. James Worthy

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American sports analyst, host, and former professional basketball player James Worthy spent his entire playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Worthy was a three-time NBA champion, a two-time All-NBA Team member, a seven-time NBA All-Star, and the NBA Finals MVP in 1988. Both the 50th and 75th-anniversary teams for the NBA both included him.

11. Kevin McHale

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Kevin McHale, an American former basketball player, played his whole professional career with the Boston Celtics. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and is largely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time. McHale was a member of the league’s best frontline in history, along with centre Robert Parish and small forward Larry Bird. The triumvirate led the Celtics to three NBA championships—in 1981, 1984, and 1986—as well as five visits to the NBA Finals.

McHale spent the first five years of his career largely on the bench with the Celtics, earning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1984 and 1985. Between 1984 and 1991, the fast, long-armed McHale appeared in seven NBA All-Star Games while owning a wide range of offensive plays around the hoop. He was named to the All-NBA First Team as a forward in 1987. He was the NBA’s leading field goal shooter in 1986-87 and 1987-88, averaging 60.4 per cent. McHale was named to the NBA All-Defensive First or Second Team six times.

12. Patrick Ewing

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Patrick Ewing is a former professional basketball player who most recently coached the men’s basketball team at Georgetown University. He spent the majority of his NBA career as the starting centre for the New York Knicks before finishing his career with brief stints with the Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic. Ewing is recognized as one of the best centres of all time, having played a key role in the New York Knicks’ success in the 1990s.

13. Clyde Drexler

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Former NBA player Clyde Drexler spent the majority of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers before concluding with the Houston Rockets during his 15 seasons of professional basketball play. He was selected for the NBA’s 50th and 75th-anniversary teams, and he was a ten-time All-Star. Drexler was a member of the 1992 United States Olympic squad known as “The Dream Team” and won a gold medal. He also won an NBA championship with Houston in 1995.

14. Karl Malone

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As one of the best power forwards in NBA history, Karl Malone played professionally as a basketball player for the NBA from 1985 to 2004. With the Utah Jazz, where he played for his first 18 NBA seasons (1985–2003), Malone and colleague John Stockton were a fearsome team. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player award twice, was selected to the NBA All-Star team fourteen times, and made the first team of the All-NBA eleven times. In addition to holding the record for the most free throws attempted, his 36,928 career points rank third all-time in the NBA after LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

15. Charles Barkley

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Former professional basketball player Charles Barkley spent 16 seasons with three different teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Although he was smaller than the average power forward, he made up for it with muscle and aggression to become one of the NBA’s best rebounders. He was a skilled player with the capacity to make plays, score goals, and defend. Barkley won the 1993 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in addition to being an 11-time NBA All-Star and 11-time member of the All-NBA Team. He was selected for the 50th and 75th-anniversary teams of the NBA.

16. Robert Parish

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Having played 21 seasons as a centre in the NBA, Robert Parish, a retired professional basketball player, is tied for second place all-time in the league’s record books. His 1,611 games played in his career set an NBA record. Parish excelled at late-game rebounding, high-arching jump shots, and excellent defence.

He joined star forward Larry Bird and forward Kevin McHale on the Boston Celtics, forming what is regarded as the best frontcourt in NBA history. Throughout seven seasons in the 1980s, they won three titles and appeared in five NBA finals. Later, he played for the Charlotte Hornets for two more seasons and the Chicago Bulls for one more, the latter of which saw him help the Bulls win the NBA title in 1996–1997 at the age of 43 becoming the oldest player to win a championship.

17. Scottie Pippen

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Former professional basketball player Scotty Pippen spent 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association, where he played for the Chicago Bulls and won six NBA titles. Pippen, who is regarded as one of the all-time great small forwards, worked closely with Michael Jordan to elevate the Bulls to championship status and to spread NBA culture internationally in the 1980s and 1990s.

Eight times in a row, Pippen was selected for the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and three times for the All-NBA First Team. He played in the NBA All-Star Game seven times and won the All-Star Game MVP in 1994.

18. Adrian Dantley

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Former professional basketball player Adrian Dantley spent 15 seasons playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Six-time NBA All-Star Dantley has also been selected for the All-NBA team twice and has won the NBA scoring title twice. At the time of his retirement, Dantley was ninth on the all-time NBA scoring list. In 2008, he was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

19. Alex English

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In the second round of the 1976 National Basketball Association draft, the Denver Nuggets selected Alexander English. He played for the Nuggets from 1979 to 1989, and during that time, the team made the NBA playoffs nine times in a row, won two Midwest Division championships, and advanced to the 1985 Western Conference Finals. English had a 15-year NBA career with four different clubs, averaging 21.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. In the 1980s, English had the highest point total of any NBA player. He made the All-NBA Second Team three times and was selected to eight NBA All-Star teams. In the 1982–83 NBA season, English had the most points scored. 

20. Sidney Moncrief

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Former professional basketball player Sidney Moncrief spent ten seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks during his 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He won the first two NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1983 and 1984 and was a five-time NBA All-Star. 2019 saw his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

21. Terry Cummings

Terry Cummings is a retired professional basketball player who spent 18 years in the National Basketball Association. Cummings was named Rookie of the Year, a two-time All-Star, a two-time All-NBA pick, and a key member of multiple postseason teams while in Milwaukee and San Antonio.

22. Bill Laimbeer

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The majority of Bill Laimbeer’s playing career was spent with the Detroit Pistons. Before helping the Pistons win back-to-back NBA titles, he was a key contributor to their domination in the middle of the 1980s. Laimbeer was a capable shooter and rebounder who gained notoriety for his rough style and for consistently committing harsh fouls that were frequently flagrant. Laimbeer played a key role in the Pistons’ back-to-back NBA Championship victories in 1989 and 1990. He is a four-time NBA All-Star. 

23. Mark Aguirre

Mark Aguirre is a former NBA basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks as the first overall choice in the 1981 NBA draft. Aguirre was an NBA player from 1981 to 1994, winning two championships with the Detroit Pistons after being moved from Dallas in exchange for Adrian Dantley. Aguirre was a three-time All-Star for the Dallas Mavericks. He was also the first Mexican-American to win an NBA championship.

24. Joe Dumars

Joe Dumars is a retired NBA basketball player who played from 1985 to 1999. On offence, he could play shooting guard or point guard and was an excellent defender. He was a member of the Detroit Pistons for his whole fourteen-year career. Dumars and Isiah Thomas formed one of the best backcourts in NBA history in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He won two NBA titles, one in 1989 and one in 1990.

25. Otis Thorpe

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Former NBA player Otis Henry Thorpe represented several clubs during his career as a professional basketball player. He was a 1992 NBA All-Star and helped the Houston Rockets win the NBA title in 1994.

26. Rolando Blackman

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Four-time NBA All-Star Rolando Blackman played professionally for several years as a basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks. His career lasted 16 years, from 1981 to 1997.

27. Larry Nance

Former professional basketball player Larry Nance spent 13 seasons (1981–1994) with the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association. He was selected NBA All-Star three times.

28. Fat Lever

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Former professional basketball player Lafayette “Fat” Lever competed in the National Basketball Association. Later, he worked as the Sacramento Kings’ director of player development and a colour analyst for Kings radio broadcasts. He is a two-time NBA All-Star once in 1988 and 1990.

29. Jack Sikma

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Former professional basketball centre Jack Sikma played for the Seattle SuperSonics and was a seven-time NBA All-Star. He was selected by the SuperSonics with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 1977 NBA Draft. He and Seattle won the NBA title in 1979. Sikma later played for the Milwaukee Bucks till the end of his playing career. He made the playoffs eleven times in his thirteen-year career and atypically made a name for himself as a centre who shot accurately.

30. Alvin Robertson

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Former professional basketball player Alvin Robertson competed in the National Basketball Association from 1984 to 1993 and again from 1995 to 1996. With a career average of 2.71 steals per game, Robertson holds the record for the most steals per game played. He is also the only player to have ever recorded a season with 300 or more steals, which he did in the 1985–86 season. He is also the only guard in NBA history to have recorded a quadruple-double.

Related: Top 30 Best Lakers Basketball Players Of All Time