The 15 Greatest NBA Players of the 1980s
The NBA almost died in the late 1970s. Attendance was falling, ratings were low, and the Finals were being aired on tape delay. Then two rookies arrived in 1979: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. What followed was the most dramatic decade-long revival in the history of professional sports. The Lakers and Celtics dominated. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won his sixth and final MVP. A young Michael Jordan debuted. The 1980s saved basketball.
Here are the 15 greatest NBA players of the decade that transformed the sport.
Top 15 Rankings
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson is the greatest point guard in NBA history and the defining player of the 1980s. Five championships, three MVPs, three Finals MVPs, and a transformation of what the point guard position could be. At 6'9", he played every position in his career — including starting at center in a 1980 Finals game as a rookie and scoring 42 points with 15 rebounds. The Showtime Lakers were the most entertaining team in basketball history, and Magic was the engine.
Larry Bird
The Hick from French Lick is the greatest pure scorer and competitor the small forward position has ever produced. Three consecutive MVPs (1984-86), three championships with Boston, and a scoring and shooting ability that no forward in the 1980s could match. Bird was also one of the great trash talkers and clutch performers in NBA history — his nickname "Larry Legend" was earned, not given. He and Magic Johnson saved the NBA, and the debate over which one was better defined the entire decade.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The greatest scorer in NBA history won two more championships and his sixth MVP in the 1980s. His skyhook — arguably the most unstoppable single shot in basketball history — worked at every level from youth basketball to the NBA Finals. At 7'2" with extraordinary footwork and touch, Kareem was the foundation of the Showtime Lakers' five championships. He's the all-time leading scorer with 38,387 career points and the most MVPs in league history with six.
Moses Malone
Moses Malone is the most underrated superstar in NBA history. He won three MVPs (1979, 1982, 1983), led the 76ers to their only championship since 1967 in 1983 — going 12-1 in the playoffs after predicting "Fo, Fo, Fo" (four sweeps) before the postseason began — and averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds per game through the decade. Drafted directly from high school in 1974, he played 21 professional seasons. His impact on the 76ers dynasty and his relentless offensive rebounding made him one of the most valuable players of his era.
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas led the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons to back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990, building one of the most physical and effective defensive teams in league history. At 6'1", he was one of the best mid-range scorers and playmakers of his era — his 1984 playoff performance against the Knicks (16 points in 94 seconds of a game) remains one of the most stunning individual moments in NBA postseason history. In an era dominated by Magic and Bird, Thomas was the third-best point guard in the league and won the same number of titles.
Dominique Wilkins
The Human Highlight Film was the most electrifying player of the 1980s. Dominique Wilkins averaged over 26 points per game for the decade and won consecutive Slam Dunk Contests in 1985 and 1990. His battles with Larry Bird in the 1988 playoffs — both men trading 47-point performances in a Game 7 — are considered the greatest individual duel in NBA history. He never won a championship, but his combination of athleticism, scoring, and entertainment value made him one of the most beloved players of his generation.
Michael Jordan (1980s)
Jordan in the 1980s was not yet the six-time champion he'd become, but he was already the most dominant individual player in the game. He averaged 37.1 points per game in 1986-87, won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1988, and scored 63 points in a single playoff game against the Celtics in 1986 — a record that still stands. He enters this list at #7 for the 1980s specifically because Magic, Bird, Kareem, and Moses were winning championships while Jordan was carrying a young Bulls team largely by himself.
James Worthy
Big Game James was the consummate winning player — clutch, efficient, and irreplaceable on the Showtime Lakers. He won three championships and was named Finals MVP in 1988 after averaging 22 points per game in the series. His combination of athleticism, mid-range shooting, and defensive versatility made him one of the best small forwards of the decade. He's underrated because he played alongside Magic and Kareem, but his individual contributions to three championships speak for themselves.
Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale is widely considered the greatest low-post scorer in NBA history. His footwork, variety of post moves, and ability to get any shot he wanted against any defender was unprecedented for a big man. He won three championships with the Celtics and was a perpetual All-NBA selection throughout the decade. His 1985-86 Celtics team — McHale, Bird, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, and Danny Ainge — is considered one of the five greatest teams in NBA history.
Robert Parish
The Chief was the most underappreciated member of the Celtics dynasty. While Bird and McHale got the headlines, Parish was the anchor of Boston's defense and their most consistent performer night after night. He won three championships, made nine All-Star appearances, and is one of only a handful of players in NBA history to play in four different decades. His longevity and consistency made him the quiet foundation of the greatest frontcourt of the 1980s.
Julius Erving (Dr. J)
Dr. J's impact on basketball extended far beyond statistics. He won the MVP in 1981, led the 76ers to the 1983 championship alongside Moses Malone, and was the most exciting player in the game through the early part of the decade. His ability to play above the rim, his grace and artistry, and his role in bridging the ABA to the NBA made him one of the most important players in basketball history. By the late 1980s his statistical prime had passed, but his 1980-83 run was genuinely elite.
Patrick Ewing
Ewing arrived in 1985 as the #1 overall pick and immediately became one of the most dominant centers in the league. By the end of the decade he was averaging over 22 points and 10 rebounds while establishing himself as the anchor of a resurgent New York Knicks franchise. His 1980s numbers place him on the All-Decade team without question, and his arrival signaled the transition toward the center-heavy 1990s game.
Adrian Dantley
Adrian Dantley was the most efficient scorer of the 1980s who doesn't get nearly enough credit in historical discussions. He won two scoring titles and averaged nearly 27 points per game across the decade while shooting over 54% from the field — an extraordinary figure for a perimeter player. His ability to draw fouls and convert free throws made him one of the most difficult players to defend in the halfcourt. He's the prototypical "great player who never quite got his due" of his era.
Alex English
Alex English scored more points in the 1980s than any other player — more than Bird, more than Magic, more than Dominique. His consistent 25+ scoring averages across a decade of Denver basketball were remarkable, even if the Nuggets rarely translated that production into playoff success. He's the most overlooked great scorer in NBA history, a Hall of Famer whose individual productivity rivaled anyone in the game.
Charles Barkley
Barkley entered the league in 1984 and by the end of the decade was already one of the most dominant power forwards in basketball. His rebounding ability at 6'4" defied physics, and his offensive game — versatile, physical, impossible to stop in the post — made him a nightmare matchup for every team. His 1980s numbers place him on the fringe of the decade's top 15, a preview of the MVP season he'd have in 1993.
The 1980s in the 82-0 game offer elite options at every position — Magic at PG, Bird at SF, Kareem at C, and Dominique or Barkley at the forwards. If you land on 1980s Lakers or Celtics, you're in great shape at multiple positions simultaneously.
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