There have been numerous greats from all different time periods to grace the small forward position during their NBA careers. Today, we will present and provide evidence for the six best players at small forward in basketball history. That list will, of course, include LeBron James, Larry Bird, Kevin Durant, Julius Erving, Scottie Pippen, and Kawhi Leonard. Across the board, these six players have had the stats, accolades, and impact on their teams in order to be presented as the top six ever at the small forward position. Now, it is time for our formula to let us know how that ranking should look.
As always, the categories will look like this. There are 10 different categories in which we will compare our six small forwards. For each category, players will receive points based on where they finish compared to their peers in that specific category. First place will receive six points, while last place will receive just one. If there is a tie, both players are rewarded the same amount of points in order to make it as fair as possible. Now that the rules are established let’s get into our breakdown.
Using our most accurate formula, here are the greatest small forwards of all time.
As always, we begin with the best stats category to kick off our small forward breakdown using our most accurate formula. LeBron James is quite literally the King of Stats, and that is talking on both a per-game and longevity basis. LeBron is the NBA’s all-time leader in points while ranking top 10 in assists and accumulating over 10,000 rebounds. He will be the first player to ever record 40,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists in NBA history. There is zero chance any other player at the small forward position wins this category besides LeBron James.
Larry Bird and Julius Erving were fierce rivals on the basketball court, and they both round out the top three in this category. Bird is one of the few players in NBA history that averaged over 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game for their entire career along with being one of the game’s greatest shooters. Erving was an ABA and NBA legend who dominated both sides of the ball, averaging 20.0 steals and over 1.5 blocks per game in his entire career. Kevin Durant is also one of the game’s greatest scorers, but his lack of numbers everywhere else earns him only three points in this category.
To wrap up this best stats category, Scottie Pippen and Kawhi Leonard bring home the two points and one point it has to offer. Kawhi Leonard was the slightly more talented offensive player statistically, while Pippen boasts better defensive numbers.
Of course, Leonard is the more accomplished defender, but that story is coming just a bit later on. If you have the urge to flip Leonard and Pippen in this category, feel free, but they both end up toward the bottom regardless.
To many, winning an NBA championship is the most important part of an NBA player’s legacy. However, championship bias can be detrimental to an impartial ranking of that player. With our formula, the NBA championship ranks on the same playing field as their stats and other accolades, giving a proper and reasonable ranking to each player.
1. Scottie Pippen – 6 NBA Championships (6 Points)
2. LeBron James – 4 NBA Championships (5 Points)
3. Larry Bird – 3 NBA Championships (4 Points)
T4. Kevin Durant – 2 NBA Championships (3 Points)
T4. Kawhi Leonard – 2 NBA Championships (3 Points)
6. Julius Erving – 1 NBA Championship (1 Point)
When it comes to NBA championships, Scottie Pippen leads all small forwards on this list with six. Pippen won his six championships by way of two three-peats alongside Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls. Although Pippen was never honored with the accolades that come with six NBA titles, he played a pivotal role as a defender and playmaker.
Without Pippen, the Bulls may still be searching for their first NBA title.
