Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks set to win his second straight MVP award this season, and FS1’s Nick Wright believes he is already one of the 10 greatest guards of all time. Wright first shared his top 10 list on First Things First on Tuesday, but left out one big name: Stephen Curry.
It appeared to be the hottest of hot takes, but Wright later revealed on X that he had simply made an error by omitting Curry. The Golden State Warriors icon is fourth on his list, and here’s what the updated top 10 looks like.
1. Michael Jordan
2. Magic Johnson
3. Kobe Bryant
4. Stephen Curry
5. Jerry West
6. Isiah Thomas
7. Oscar Robertson
8. Dwyane Wade
9. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
10. Chris Paul
Wright initially had Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy at 10th, so we know who just missed the cut. Cousy won six titles, one MVP, and eight assists titles in the 1950s and 60s, but can’t crack the top 10. The era he played in obviously plays a part in that.
With that out of the way, let’s look at the 10.
Michael Jordan is at the top, and that’s not a surprise. Jordan won six titles, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, one DPOY, and 10 scoring titles in his career. Wright believes LeBron James is the GOAT, but he isn’t going to put any guard over the Chicago Bulls icon. Jordan has the highest career scoring average in NBA history in both the regular season (30.1) and playoffs (33.4).
Magic Johnson comes in at second, so Wright thinks he is the greatest point guard, not Curry. Johnson won five titles, three Finals MVPs, three MVPs, and four assists titles. Like Jordan, he holds the record for highest assists per game in the regular season (11.2) and playoffs (12.3).
Wright had another Los Angeles Lakers icon next in Kobe Bryant. Bryant won five titles, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, and two scoring titles. He was the closest thing we had seen to Jordan.
Curry then slots in at four. The 38-year-old has won four titles, one Finals MVP, two MVPs, and two scoring titles so far with the Warriors. Curry is the greatest shooter we have ever seen and is the second-most popular selection nowadays for the greatest point guard of all time behind Johnson.
We return to the Lakers for the fifth spot with Jerry West. West won one title, one Finals MVP, and one scoring title in his career. The reason he doesn’t have more accolades is that he played in the same era as Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.
Russell’s Celtics famously beat West’s Lakers in the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s. The last meeting was in 1969, and the latter played so well in that series that he was named Finals MVP despite being on the losing side. That remains the only instance when a player from the winning team did not win the award.
Isiah Thomas was another guard who had to go up against Goliaths. Despite playing in the same era as Jordan, Johnson, and Larry Bird, Thomas won two titles, one Finals MVP, and one assists title with the Detroit Pistons. Pulling that off, considering the competition he was up against, is remarkable.
Oscar Robertson was in the same boat as West in the 1960s. Playing in that era contributed to Robertson winning just one title, one MVP, and six assists titles. He’d at least pull off something that no one else could back then: average a triple-double for an entire season.
After a host of players from the distant past, we get a more recent one in Dwyane Wade at eight. Wade won three titles, one Finals MVP, and one scoring title in his career. Had it not been for injuries, he might have achieved a lot more.
Gilgeous-Alexander is right behind Wade, and he’ll likely pass him sooner rather than later. The 27-year-old has won one title, one Finals MVP, one MVP, and one scoring title. The Thunder are favorites to win it all yet again, and if they do, Gilgeous-Alexander might climb up a few spots for Wright.
Lastly, we get to Gilgeous-Alexander’s former teammate, Chris Paul. Paul is the only player on this list to have never won a title, but he isn’t a bad selection. He did win five assists titles and was one of the best point guards in the NBA for over a decade.
So, all in all, this is a solid list.
