- Several of the NBA’s top 20 players ever played shooting guard such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Jerry West
- Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are the only two shooting guards who rank in the top 10 for total points scored in NBA history
- Jerry West is the only player in NBA history to win Finals MVP while playing for the losing team
We are back with our most accurate formula to determine the greatest NBA players in every position. You have seen us use this formula before when discussing the overall NBA GOAT as well as the greatest NBA point guards. Today, it is time to move on to one of the most curious positions in NBA history, the shooting guard.
Before you, we have a consensus top six shooting guards in NBA history, including two top-five players in NBA history. These shooting guards include Michael Jordan, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, James Harden, Allen Iverson, and Clyde Drexler. Using stats, accolades, and their impact on team success, we have developed the most accurate formula possible to determine who the greatest player at the shooting guard position is.
While we all can gather who will rank in the top spot before the list even begins, the rest of the results may surprise you in the end. The formula will look like this. There are 10 different categories that we will break down. All six players will receive points from each category with six being the most for the player that wins that category and one being the least amount of points a player can receive. Second place will receive five points, third place will get four points, and so on. If two players are tied, they will receive the same amount of points relative to their place in that category’s standings. In the end, the results will be tallied up and we will declare a winner.
Now, let’s see who is the greatest shooting guard in NBA history using the most accurate formula.
Best Stats
When it comes to who has the best stats, we have to look at the totality of their career and how they remained consistent throughout. Of course, we gave an extra look at their peaks as well but we must rank the entirety of their career numbers rather than just a few select seasons for the most accurate formula to work. Here are the results.
1. Michael Jordan – 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG (6 Points)
2. Jerry West – 27.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG (5 Points)
3. Kobe Bryant – 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG (4 Points)
4. James Harden – 24.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG (3 Points)
5. Allen Iverson – 26.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.2 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG (2 Points)
6. Dwyane Wade – 22.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG (1 Point)
When it comes to stats, Michael Jordan is not only the King of the shooting guards, but he reigns supreme over pretty much every player that ever lived. It is kind of difficult to argue with his 30.1 PPG scoring average which is an NBA record as well as his 2.3 SPG which speaks volumes about the two-way defensive menace that he was. There will be even more on that a little later as well.
Coming in second to scoop up five points is Jerry West, a surprising spot in this category that I am sure will rile fans up. Of these six players however, West has the second-highest PPG with 27.0 PPG and the second-most amount of assists at 6.7 APG. He also has a career 2.6 SPG average on defense which is incredible to think about considering defensive stats were only available in his final season in 1973-74. Could you imagine what they would look like at the peak of his career?
Kobe Bryant clearly hurt himself the final two seasons of his career or his averages would look a lot better. He currently has the fourth-highest PPG of these six players and scoops up four points for his spot in this category. James Harden is another high-scoring shooting guard with the ability to make plays for himself and others at an elite level. With his leading 7.0 APG out of this group as well as being a 24.7 PPG scorer in his career, he gets three points for his standing in this category.
Bringing up the rear in this group are two incredibly talented shooting guards who put up amazing numbers in their careers as well. Allen Iverson ranks third amongst all players here with a scoring average of 26.7 PPG. He is also one of three players here to average at least 2.0 SPG in his career, allowing him to sneak in and grab two points for the category. Last but not least, Dwyane Wade gets one point despite 22.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.4 APG, and 1.5 SPG being considered a pretty elite career if you ask me.
Most NBA Championships
NBA championships are the next category up and one of the most important, yet it doesn’t weigh heavier in our formula than anything else. NBA championships are obviously a team accomplishment but the four players who have actually won them in our category were one of, if not the most important reasons why their teams became NBA champions.
1. Michael Jordan – 6 NBA Championships (6 Points)
2. Kobe Bryant – 5 NBA Championships (5 Points)
3. Dwyane Wade – 3 NBA Championships (4 Points)
4. Jerry West – 1 NBA Championship (3 Points)
T5. Allen Iverson – 0 NBA Championships (2 Points)
T5. James Harden – 0 NBA Championships (2 Points)
Michael Jordan is the leading shooting guard on our list with six NBA championships in six attempts with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan and the Bulls won their six championships by way of two three-peats from 1991 through 1993 and 1996 through 1998. Above everyone else, Jordan shined in every Finals series he was in, leading both teams in scoring all six times and bewildering fans with incredible defensive plays, and highlight clutch moments that will live on forever in NBA history.
Kobe Bryant was also a member of a three-peat early on in his career with Shaquille O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000 through 2002. While Shaq was the most dominant player in the NBA at the time, there was no better second option than Bryant who averaged 22.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 5.1 APG over the course of those three Finals wins. Bryant would then lead the Lakers to two more NBA championships in 2009 and 2010, this time as their leading man. In those two Finals wins, Bryant averaged 30.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 5.3 APG.
The final shooting guard with multiple titles on this list is Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. As a young man in 2006, Wade led the Heat to their first NBA Finals victory over the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, Wade averaged 34.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 3.8 APG to win the title. Wade would also capture two more championships when Miami went back-to-back in 2012 and 2013. In those two Finals alongside LeBron James and Chris Bosh, he averaged 20.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.8 APG combined.
Jerry West was able to capture one NBA championship in his career but it should have been much more. West was a career 1-8 in the NBA Finals in his lifetime with the Los Angeles Lakers and averaged 30.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 5.6 APG in his Finals career that spanned 55 games. West captured his only championship with Los Angeles in 1972 when they defeated the New York Knicks. Wilt Chamberlain was named Finals MVP but West contributed greatly with 19.8 PPG and 8.8 APG.
Finally, there are two players on our list who never hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy as NBA champions. Allen Iverson and James Harden were each granted one chance at the NBA Finals in their career and each lost in five games at the time. Iverson’s 76ers lost in five games to the Lakers in 2001 and Harden’s Thunder lost to the Heat in 2012. While Harden still has a chance to add to this category, that window is closing rapidly and will need to happen soon if it is going to at all.
Most MVP Awards
The MVP award is one of the single-most important individual awards there are in the NBA. For one season, the player named MVP was more valuable to his team’s success than any other player in the league that year. Accumulating MVP awards is no easy task so it is no secret why we should honor those that did it the most.
1. Michael Jordan – 5 MVP Awards (6 Points)
T2. Kobe Bryant – 1 MVP Award (5 Points)
T2. James Harden – 1 MVP Award (5 Points)
T2. Allen Iverson – 1 MVP Award (5 Points)
T5. Dwyane Wade – 0 MVP Awards (2 Points)
T5. Jerry West – 0 MVP Awards – (2 Points)
They didn’t name it the Michael Jordan MVP Trophy in 2022-23 for no reason. Jordan was the winner of five MVP trophies in his career which ties him for second all-time with Bill Russell and one award behind Kareem’s record of six. Jordan was named MVP in the 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998 seasons, meaning he won the MVP award the same season he won the NBA championship four different times in his career making him the only player in NBA history to accomplish that feat that many times.
From Jordan, we see a dropoff in the MVP at shooting guard with three different players winning one in their careers. Kobe Bryant won his only MVP in 2008 averaging 28.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 5.4 APG while leading the Lakers to 57 wins. Bryant does have an argument for more than one MVP in his career without any doubt. James Harden was named MVP in 2018 when he won his first of three straight scoring titles averaging 30.4 PPG and 8.8 APG. Allen Iverson is also a one-time MVP award winner in 2001 with the 76ers. Iverson would win his second scoring title with 31.1 PPG and a steals title with 2.5 SPG.
Then, there are the two players who did not win MVP in their careers. Dwyane Wade and Jerry West are definitely at the top of the list of greatest NBA players to never capture an MVP considering the amount of MVP-worthy seasons they both had in their careers. Fortunately for them, not winning an MVP still gets them two points each in our formula so they don’t walk away completely empty-handed.
Most Finals MVP Awards
In many ways, the Finals MVP can mean more to a player than winning the MVP award. While the MVP honors you for your work during the regular season, the Finals MVP means that the player was the absolute best on the biggest stage in the game, the NBA Finals. Being directly responsible for a team winning an NBA title and being honored with a Finals MVP has to be an indescribable feeling.
1. Michael Jordan – 6 Finals MVP Awards (6 Points)
2. Kobe Bryant – 2 Finals MVP Awards (5 Points)
T3. Jerry West – 1 Finals MVP Award (4 Points)
T3. Dwyane Wade – 1 Finals MVP Award (4 Points)
T5. James Harden – 0 Finals MVP Awards (2 Points)
T5. Allen Iverson – 0 Finals MVP Awards (2 Points)
One of the most unbreakable records in NBA Finals history is Michael Jordan’s six NBA championships with six Finals MVP awards. He is the NBA record-holder for most Finals MVPs and the rightful winner of this category by a long shot. Every time he stepped on the court in the NBA Finals, Jordan was the consensus best player on the court, leading his team to victory every time in no more than six games. For his Finals career, Jordan averaged 33.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 6.0 APG, and 1.8 SPG in 35 total games.
The only other player on this list with multiple Finals MVP awards is Kobe Bryant. While Shaq stole the show for their 2000-2002 three-peat, Bryant was the star in their 2009 win over the Orlando Magic and 2010 win over the Boston Celtics. In 2009, Kobe averaged 32.4 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 7.4 APG to win the award in a five-game series win. In a seven-game thriller over the Celtics in 2010, Bryant won the award again averaging 28.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 3.9 APG.
The next two shooting guards were each honored once with a Finals MVP in their careers. Jerry West is still the only player in NBA history to win the Finals MVP in a loss. He won the inaugural Finals MVP after a seven-game loss to the Celtics in the 1969 NBA Finals averaging 37.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 7.4 APG. Dwyane Wade led the Heat to their first championship in 2006 with a comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks. After falling down 2-0 in the series, Wade led Miami to four straight wins and was named Finals MVP averaging 34.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 3.8 APG.
Allen Iverson and James Harden come up empty in this category as well. In terms of a breakdown, there isn’t much more to say than if you want to be named Finals MVP, you have to win an NBA championship first. It’s just the way it has been for 53 years after West’s 1969 win.
Most Defensive Player Of The Year Awards
The Defensive Player of the Year is an award that many players take a ton of pride in. Being named the best defender in the NBA is not usually a guard’s award but it has been done by only one player on our list today.
1. Michael Jordan – 1 Defensive Player Of The Year Award (6 Points)
T2. Kobe Bryant – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (5 Points)
T2. Jerry West – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (5 Points)
T2. Dwyane Wade – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (5 Points)
T2. Allen Iverson – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (5 Points)
T2. James Harden – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (5 Points)
The one player we are talking about as the Defensive Player of the Year is, of course, Michael Jeffrey Jordan. In 1988, Jordan had one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history when he won both the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. That season, he would average 3.2 SPG to lead the NBA along with 1.6 BPG. He had a total of 259 steals and 131 blocks on the season while winning the scoring title to add on top of it.
As for the other five shooting guards on this list, none of them have ever been honored with a Defensive Player of the Year award. Dwyane Wade was closest to the honor when he finished top-three in both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year voting back in 2009. Kobe Bryant was also an accomplished defender but never came as close as Wade or Jordan to winning the award either.
Most All-NBA Team Selections
For NBA players, being named to an All-NBA Team means that they were one of the best overall players at their position in the NBA. It also means they rank in the top 15-20 overall players in the NBA depending on their positions and other factors. However, being named to an All-NBA Team can also mean a big payday and bonuses for players who have the stipulation worked into their contract which is seen far more often in today’s game than even 20 years ago.
1. Kobe Bryant – 15 All-NBA Team Selections (6 Points)
2. Jerry West – 12 All-NBA Team Selections (5 Points)
3. Michael Jordan – 11 All-NBA Team Selections (4 Points)
4. Dwyane Wade – 8 All-NBA Team Selections (3 Points)
T5. Allen Iverson – 7 All-NBA Team Selections (2 Points)
T5. James Harden – 7 All-NBA Team Selections (2 Points)
For these elite NBA shooting guards, Kobe Bryant finally snags a category with his 18 All-NBA Teams in his 20-year career. Of those 18 selections, 11 selections were to the First Team, two were to the Second Team, and two were to the Third Team. Surprisingly, Jerry West comes in second and earns five points for his 12 All-NBA Teams in 14 seasons. Of West’s 12 selections, 10 were to the First Team and two were to the Second Team.
Michael Jordan, despite being the only Defensive Player of the Year here, finishes third with his 11 career All-NBA Team selections in 15 seasons. A total of 10 of those 11 selections were to the First Team and only one was to the Second Team in 1985. With eight All-NBA selections, Dwyane Wade finishes fourth and collects three more points. Wade would collect just two First Team selections in 2009 and 2010 while earning three selections to each the Second and Third Team.
James Harden and Allen Iverson bring up the rear again in this category with seven All-NBA Team selections each. Six of Harden’s selections were to the First Team and one was to the Second Team in his career so far. Meanwhile, Iverson earned three selections to each the First and Second Team in his career while getting one selection to the Third Team in 2006.
Most All-Defensive Team Selections
Another accolade that can earn a player some extra money in any particular season is the All-Defensive Team selection. Being selected to an All-Defensive Team whether it be the First or Second Team is an honor in the highest regard, especially for those shooting guards who are considered solely scorer and offensive players.
1. Kobe Bryant – 12 All-Defensive Team Selections (6 Points)
2. Michael Jordan – 9 All-Defensive Team Selections (5 Points)
3. Jerry West – 5 All-Defensive Team Selections (4 Points)
4. Dwyane Wade – 3 All-Defensive Team Selections (3 Points)
T5. James Harden – 0 All-Defensive Team Selections (2 Points)
T5. Allen Iverson – 0 All-Defensive Team Selections (2 Points)
Kobe Bryant not only has the most All-Defensive Team selections by a shooting guard, but he has the most in NBA history by any guard, period. Bryant was a swarming on-ball defender and a sneaky pest when lurking off the ball. His 12 selections to the All-Defensive team include nine First Team and three Second Team selections. Michael Jordan finishes second again with nine All-Defensive Team selections, all of which were to the First Team in his career. Jordan led the NBA in steals three times in his career as well, leading to those First Team selections.
Jerry West and Dwyane Wade are two of the more underrated defenders in NBA history. Although not as accomplished All-Defensive Teams-wise as Bryant and Jordan, the two present their own case as the best defenders on this list. West earned five All-Defensive Team selections to Wade’s three but Wade had to compete with numerous elite defenders at his position including Kobe Bryant and Tony Allen. He could have easily had more in his career.
As for Allen Iverson and James Harden, they bring up the rear once again with zero All-Defensive Team selections. This was different for Iverson who won three steals titles in his career and was never named to an All-Defensive Team again due to the competition at the position. As for Harden, he has never been revered as an elite defender thus no All-Defensive Team selections in his career either.
Most All-Star Selections
One accolade that has seemed to lose its allure over the years is a selection to the NBA All-Star Game. While it often means that a player has reached star or superstar status, the game has gotten so watered down with voting over the years, nobody seems to care about it anymore. However, it is another accolade that can earn a player a nice bonus on his paycheck.
1. Kobe Bryant – 18 All-Star Selections (6 Points)
T2. Michael Jordan – 14 All-Star Selections (5 Points)
T2. Jerry West – 14 All-Star Selections (5 Points)
4. Dwyane Wade – 13 All-Star Selections (3 Points)
5. Allen Iverson – 11 All-Star Selections (2 Points)
6. James Harden – 10 All-Star Selections (1 Point)
The longer a player with superstar status plays the game, the longer fans will want to see him play in the NBA All-Star Game. Bryant was named to 18 All-Star Games in 20 seasons with the Lakers in the NBA and won four All-Star Game MVP awards to go with it. Bryant treated every All-Star Game as if it were a real regular season game and went all-out no matter the situation.
Both Jerry West and Michael Jordan take home second-place points with 14 All-Star selections each. West earned an All-Star selection every season of his career while Jordan only missed one in 15 seasons. Dwyane Wade brings home fourth-place points with his 13 All-Star selections while Iverson and Harden conclude the category again with 11 and 10 All-Star selections respectively.
Total Win Shares
For a more direct measure of impact on team success, we take a look at these four players in terms of the win shares they accumulated over their careers. Win Shares are a general way of looking at this but it is still the only stat that can be linked to one’s impact on the court.
1. Michael Jordan – 214.02 Win Shares (6 Points)
2. Kobe Bryant – 172.7 Win Shares (5 Points)
3. Jerry West – 162.6 Win Shares (4 Points)
4. James Harden – 158.0 Win Shares (3 Points)
5. Dwyane Wade – 120.7 Win Shares (2 Points)
6. Allen Iverson – 99.0 Win Shares (1 Point)
When you lay claim as the greatest basketball player in NBA history, you better be toward the top of the leaderboard in total win shares. Well, Michael Jordan ranks first among shooting guards and is the only player on this list who has more than 200 in his career. Kobe Bryant comes closest with 172.7, accumulating them over 20 seasons but never leading the NBA like Jordan did on nine occasions.
Jerry West is another player with over 150 wins shares along with James Harden who finished his career with 158.0. West would lead the league once in total win shares in 1970 when he recorded 15.2 Meanwhile, Harden led the NBA five times in total win shares all coming between 2015 and 2020 with the Houston Rockets in his prime.
Hanging behind in this category are both Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson. For Iverson, he is the only player on this list that failed to reach 100 win shares in his career and never led the NBA once, not even in his 2001 MVP season. Wade would never lead the NBA either but accumulated over 120 win shares in his career with five seasons of over 11.0 in his career.
PER
Now, we will take a look at these players and their efficiency based on PER. This is the only stat that measures overall efficiency and not just how efficient a player was while shooting the ball. Let’s take a look at the results of our final category.
1. Michael Jordan – 27.91 PER (6 Points)
2. James Harden – 24.4 PER (5 Points)
3. Dwyane Wade – 23.5 PER (4 Points)
T4. Jerry West – 22.9 PER (3 Points)
T4. Kobe Bryant – 22.9 PER (3 Points)
6. Allen Iverson – 20.9 PER (1 Point)
There is a ton to be said for being considered the most efficient player at your position in the NBA. There is even more to be said about being the all-time leader in PER. Well, prepare for a mouthful because Michael Jordan is both. With a 27.91 PER, Jordan has the highest PER in NBA history as one of the most efficient players ever during his 15-year career. Jordan led the NBA seven seasons in a row from 1987 through 1983 when he was at elite superstar status.
The battle for second here came down to Dwyane Wade and James Harden. Wade would finish just 0.9 behind Harden for the Honor and Harden’s peak has to account for that difference. Harden led the NBA in PER in his 2018 MVP season and recorded a rating above 25.0 six times in his career. Wade led the NBA once in 2007 in PER as well with a rating just under 30.0 and recorded six seasons of his own with a rating above 25.0.
Jerry West and Kobe Bryant were never ones to be called efficient but their PER hangs right at average for their careers. It is a stat that Kobe never led in but did have three different seasons in which his rating was above 25.0. As for West, he led the NBA in both 1969 and 1979 in PER but had just one season in which it was over 25.0.
Who Is The Greatest NBA Shooting Guard Of All-Time?
1. Michael Jordan – 56 Points (7 Categories Won)
2. Kobe Bryant – 50 Points (3 Categories Won)
3. Jerry West – 40 Points (0 Categories Won)
4. Dwyane Wade – 32 Points (0 Categories Won)
5. James Harden – 30 Points (0 Categories Won)
6. Allen Iverson – 23 Points (0 Categories Won)
Phew! I know that is a ton of information and numbers to process overall but let’s break it down. Our findings yielded little surprise when it came to the top two players on the list. Michael Jordan, the undisputed GOAT, comes in first with an incredible seven category wins while Bryant took home the other three, leaving none for the other four shooting guards. Is that what they mean when they call them selfish? Anyway, it should be no surprise as these two are the consensus top shooting guards ever with 11 championships between them along with eight Finals MVPs, six MVPs, and countless individual accolades that make them top-five players in NBA history.
What may be surprising about this list is how Jerry West finishes ahead of Dwyane Wade. West gets heavily underrated and disrespected by today’s fans and media members for the era he played in but the fact remains, he is one of the greatest players and Finals performers in NBA history. Wade is as well but I think it is time we start talking about West being far more advanced in his ranking than we tend to give him credit for.
As for Harden and Iverson, this by no means makes them bad basketball players. Remember, we are trying to come up with the GOAT of the position and that means that some players do not belong in the conversation. Harden and Iverson are those two players when it comes to shooting guards. Can they be considered top-five and top-six at the position? Absolutely, nobody is saying they can’t. However, the top-three territory is reserved for the best and Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Jerry West are those three players by a considerable margin.
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