Despite being in an era where team basketball and ball movement are the norms, there is still an assortment of dominant 1-on-1 players who give it to defenses every night. Superstar offensive players often have unbelievable one on one skills, and that has been the case throughout history. When a play breaks down, and a coach can’t save the day, the 1-on-1 stars are often required to carry the burden and get to work. However, what if there was a list to combine the greatest one on one players throughout history?
We all know the likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant come to mind when you think of scoring, but some modern NBA stars come to mind as well. James Harden went on an offensive tear during his final seasons with the Houston Rockets, and even today, Kevin Durant might be the most unstoppable scorer in history when taking into account his length and skills. Other elite 1-on-1 players in the game include Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, and Joel Embiid, among others. Are these names included in the rankings of the best offensive players ever?
It is time to rank the greatest 1-on-1 players of all time, taking into account skills, mentality, and track record. Without further ado, here is the list of the 10 greatest 1-on-1 players in NBA history with three honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
Stephen Curry
Career Stats: 24.6 PPG, 47.5% FG, 42.7% 3-PT FG, 90.9% FT
Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter of all time, and that alone places him in the conversation for the ten greatest 1-on-1 scorers. The only reason he misses out is that he is more of an off-ball scorer, running through screens and launching threes at a rapid pace. Curry is definitely more of a team player, and his championship rings are a testament to that.
It is also tough for a point guard standing only 6’3” to be a dominant 1-on-1 player because bigger defenders can always play a role in affecting shots. Regardless, Stephen Curry is still a dominant 1-on-1 player thanks to his dribbling, but he just misses out on the top ten, although he deserves an honorable mention.
Dwyane Wade
Career Stats: 22.0 PPG, 48.0% FG, 29.3% 3-PT FG, 76.5% FT
Dwyane Wade does not get enough credit for being one of the five greatest shooting guards to have ever lived. His defense and shot-blocking must be applauded, but it was his offense that drove him to greatness. A young “Flash” was simply unguardable because of his elite speed, explosiveness, and finishing ability. Very few players could slice to the rim as effectively as Wade could.
As he aged, Dwyane relied a little bit more on his mid-range shot, and that was also a deadly offensive move to defend. The shooting guard was also a master at drawing fouls, averaging 7.1 FTA over his career, nailing 76.5% of them on average. As a clutch scorer from inside and mid-range, Wade is one of the all-time great one-on-one players.
Carmelo Anthony
Career Stats: 22.5 PPG, 44.7% FG, 35.5% 3-PT FG, 81.4% FT
Since his career tapered off quite hard, fans and media will tend to forget just how dominant Carmelo Anthony was in his prime. With the Denver Nuggets, we saw arguably the scariest scorer of all time. He had the size to post up any defender with ease and the explosiveness to get to the rim anytime he wanted. He also had a silky smooth jumper with a very soft touch.
In a nutshell, prime Melo was simply unguardable. Even with the New York Knicks, injuries set him back a bit, but he was still a dominant scorer and one of the most clutch stars we have ever seen. Carmelo Anthony will forever be remembered as one of the great one-on-one scorers as we inch closer to the top ten list.
10. Kyrie Irving
Career Stats: 23.4 PPG, 47.2% FG, 39.1% 3-PT FG, 88.5% FT
Respect must be given to Kyrie Irving, who is the single greatest ball-handler of all time and the 10th-best one-on-one scorer in NBA history. He is simply too talented with the ball in his hands, and he very well might be the greatest dribbler we have ever seen. Kyrie can break any defender’s ankles, and he is truly unstoppable on offense, even today when he has left multiple teams in complete disarray for whatever reason.
Kyrie Irving has no weakness and is an elite marksman who can step back or turn around with ease. Averaging 39.1% from deep over his career, the player must be defended with two defenders or he will get buckets from anywhere. Remember, there is a reason why Kyrie Irving hit the game-winning shot over Stephen Curry in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals because he is near-perfection in one-on-one situations.
9. Hakeem Olajuwon
Career Stats: 21.8 PPG, 51.2% FG, 20.2% 3-PT FG, 71.2% FT
Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon is the most skilled big man ever. What the superstar center was able to accomplish with the Houston Rockets was iconic because even if he stood 7’0” and weighed 255 lbs, he had the footwork and handles of a guard. Olajuwon was unstoppable in the paint and basically had every move and counter-move in the book, including the patented “Dream Shake.”
Even when defenders forced Hakeem to stay out of the paint, he could nail mid-range jumpers automatically. From the line, despite being a center, Olajuwon shot a career 71.2% which will work considering how often bigs struggle with free throws. There was simply no answer for Hakeem at his peak, which is why he won back-to-back Finals MVPs in 1994 and 1995.
8. Shaquille O’Neal
Career Stats: 23.7 PPG, 58.2% FG, 4.5% 3-PT FG, 52.7% FT
It was not pretty to watch at all, but Shaquille O’Neal had no answer in his prime. He was too big and too powerful for any defender in NBA history to handle, and he absolutely dominated the post. From post-hooks to monster flushes, Shaq had enough moves to score the ball every time without fail. Remember, O’Neal managed three straight Finals MVP awards with the Lakers between 2000 and 2002 because of his dominance.
While Shaq was a center and needed a guard to get him the ball, he was so incredibly dominant in one on one situations that he has to appear on the list. O’Neal was truly one of a kind, and he deserves to be on this list of amazing one-on-one scorers, even if he was a putrid free-throw shooter and didn’t have a jumper.
7. LeBron James
Career Stats: 27.2 PPG, 50.5% FG, 34.4% 3-PT FG, 73.5% FT
No all-time great scorers list is complete without the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. LeBron James is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history because he uses his size and skill to get to the basket at will. By surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in total career points this season, there is no more debate that The King has to be mentioned among the greatest scorers ever, even if he lacked a wide arsenal of offensive moves.
It is true that James isn’t a naturally gifted shooter, although he is a battering ram inside and cannot be stopped when he gets ahead of steam. There still hasn’t been a player as great as The King when it comes to attacking the basket and finishing inside with force. As he has aged, James has revolutionized his game to include a fadeaway mid-range jumper and can also stroke the three better. James wouldn’t have been able to shatter Kareem’s record if he didn’t work on his offensive game, and he has managed to rank 7th all-time in one-on-one offense.
6. James Harden
Career Stats: 24.7 PPG, 44.2% FG, 36.3% 3-PT FG, 86.0% FT
We must always be fair when discussing a player’s greatness. James Harden, as of right now, is no longer the most unstoppable offensive force in the NBA because he has aged and lost his quickness. However, at his best and even when on a roll today, Harden cannot be handled one on one because he is too strong and too quick for any defender. When attacking the rim, it was either two easy points or, often times three because of the way he drew fouls.
Harden has mastered the ability to draw fouls and create space for his patented step-back three. In the modern NBA, with little defensive resistance, Harden is taking full advantage of the referees and has been doing it for a long time. Ranking third all-time in threes made and sixth in free throws made, James Harden is easily one of the greatest one-on-one talents ever.
5. Tracy McGrady
Career Stats: 19.6 PPG, 43.5% FG, 33.8% 3-PT FG, 74.6% FT
The only reason Tracy McGrady isn’t mentioned more alongside Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Jerry West is because of the never-ending injuries that plagued his career. T-Mac with the Orlando Magic was the single best scorer in the league, and he was unguardable even with two or three defenders draped on him. McGrady was far too explosive and too skilled to handle because he had no weakness. He could shoot over anybody and score at the rim every time, a reason why he won two scoring titles.
After joining the Houston Rockets, McGrady became more of an all-around superstar, but he was still a dominant scorer. His 13 points in 33 seconds is a testament to how great he is. Injuries derailed him, as he could have been remembered for being much greater, but T-Mac was a bucket every time down the floor. Amazingly enough, McGrady’s greatest attribute might have even been his passing ability because he had an unbelievable offensive IQ as well.
4. Allen Iverson
Career Stats: 26.7 PPG, 42.5% FG, 31.3% 3-PT FG, 78.0% FT
There is no top-five scorers list without Allen Iverson. The Answer was arguably the most dominant pound-for-pound scorer that we have ever seen because he had the strongest desire out of every player on the court. He wanted to win and often willed the ball into the basket. After all, he had four scoring titles to his name as a 6’0” guard.
The Answer was also tremendously gifted with speed and handles and might be the best scorer in motion ever. We often saw how Iverson would need to take a few dribbles before getting into his rhythm and nailing mid-range shots or attacking the rim. Amazingly, if Iverson stood a couple of inches taller, he might be the single most dominant offensive player ever but nonetheless retired as an elite scorer.
3. Kevin Durant
Career Stats: 27.3 PPG, 49.9% FG, 38.4% 3-PT FG, 88.6% FT
Kevin Durant, the Slim Reaper, enters the top five as an all-time great scorer. Durant has no weakness, using a mix of his 7-foot tall frame and high-arcing release to dominate the defense. Even today, at age 34 years old, the player cannot be stopped by any single defender. Throughout his career, the four-time scoring champion cannot be handled one on one, no matter who is guarding him.
He can just shoot right over him every time. If a coach puts a taller defender on him, KD will blow past him for easy baskets at the rim. When competing against Durant, it is very similar to picking your poison. He will either hurt you from the perimeter or at the basket because he is too skilled and too talented to be defended by anybody. Durant literally took what George Gervin did and added an elite three-point shot.
2. Kobe Bryant
Career Stats: 25.0 PPG, 44.7% FG, 32.9% 3-PT FG, 83.7% FT
The late and great Kobe Bean Bryant is the second-greatest one on one scorer in NBA history. Kobe had every move in the bag and every counter move in case the defender knew what Kobe was doing. Bryant’s head fakes and pump fakes before drilling jumpers were iconic, and he made them look so effortless and beautiful as well.
Even if a defender did not fall for Kobe’s fakes, he was skilled enough to drain contested jumpers with a hand or two in his face. Kobe was one of the most feared scorers and was also a world-class athlete in his prime, meaning he could attack the rim at any given time. At a young age, Bryant could finish over multiple defenders at the rim. As he aged, Bryant had an elite post-game with beautiful footwork, and that meant the Lakers legend had zero weaknesses on offense.
1. Michael Jordan
Career Stats: 30.1 PPG, 49.7% FG, 32.7% 3-PT FG, 83.5% FT
Michael Jordan is the best one on one player of all time. He might not be as creative at making tough shots like Kobe was, but he was incredibly methodical at scoring the ball. Jordan never had to rush to get a bucket, reading the defense and deciding which way to score on each possession. MJ was literally a phenom because he could not be stopped going left or right, and has a fadeaway jumper as his secret weapon.
There is a reason why Michael Jordan has 10 scoring titles and is regarded as the greatest player to have ever played the game. He had unbelievable efficiency at scoring the ball and did so better than anyone else when defended one on one. When discussing the greatest offensive players ever, let alone the greatest one-on-one player, nobody has yet to top what Jordan did with the Chicago Bulls.
