When you think of some of the most dominant players to ever play in the NBA, you think of the likes of Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlain. 7-foot-plus behemoths who bullied opposition stars into submission and physically overwhelmed them with their power and strength.
There have been several reigns of terror throughout NBA history, not least Michael Jordan's era of supremacy in the 1990s, which saw the Chicago Bulls icon win five of the decade's MVP awards and lift six titles. Whether it's players who have dominated through their size, or those who have stamped their mark with their skill, we have decided to name the 10 most dominant NBA players of all-time.
Having gotten AI to rank it previously, just how many changes are there from that list to this? Find out below.
Ranking Factors
How much/how long they were able to overwhelm opponents for
Whether they dominated via their strength or skill
Stats
Individual and team awards
10 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks celebrates winning the 2021 NBA Championship.
The star of the Milwaukee Bucks, it has been quite the incredible transformation for Giannis Antetokounmpo ever since he stepped foot into the league. While he was of a similar height back then, the Greek Freak has well and truly filled out into his body, and has now turned into an absolute battering ram of a player.
Giannis' power and pace make him virtually unstoppable in transition, able to get from coast-to-coast in a matter of a few strides down the court. A nightly guarantee of a double-double, Giannis won back-to-back MVPs in 2019 and 2020, while he has also won the Defensive Player of the Year award too.
9 Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic accepts the MVP award from Adam Silver.
The greatest passing big man bar none, Nikola Jokic's dominance has not been through running through people with his elite athleticism like some others on this list. Instead, the Joker's ability to dominate comes from his unrivalled passing skills from the center position, leading fast breaks with his elite vision, and throwing bounce passes through a crowded half-court.
A three-time winner of the MVP award, Jokic has well and truly dominated the first-half of the 2020s, and given that he remains only 30, you would back him to continue his grip as one of the best - if not the best - players in the NBA right now. Indeed, even the 2024/2025 NBA season only saw him narrowly miss out on his fourth MVP award to Oklahoma City Thunder star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
8 LeBron James
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James after winning the 2016 NBA Finals. Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
The greatest player of the modern generation, LeBron James' dominance has quite incredibly, extended to three different decades. Not only was he a freak of nature and an athletic specimen during the 2000s with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he then emerged into an explosive superstar with a growing feel for the game in the 2010s with the Miami Heat, and is now a basketball savant with the Los Angeles Lakers in the final years of his career.
His trophy cabinet has multiple NBA titles and MVP awards, and his ability to score from all three levels has made him a dangerous player to guard. In his prime, James' athleticism could see him drive by players like they weren't there, putting his shoulder down and sending wanting defenders into oblivion. Now, LeBron's dominance comes through his basketball smarts, and he has continued to evolve quite remarkably.
7 Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker
The man known as the 'Big Fundamental', Tim Duncan was the cornerstone of the San Antonio Spurs' incredible success during the late 1990s, 2000s and the 2010s. While the Spurs had Gregg Popovich at the helm, it was Duncan who held things together on the court, provide the defensive backbone and leadership the team needed.
Duncan is unsurprisingly, widely regarded as the greatest power forward of all-time, and he dominated in his own unique, unassuming way. A monster defensively who could rebound well, offer rim protection and cut off passing lanes, Duncan was underrated offensively too, working his post magic to great effect with a variety of hook shots and turnaround jumpers.
6 Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon Patrick Ewing
Now onto the man who arguably put together the greatest individual season in NBA history. Hakeem Olajuwon's dominant 1993/1994 campaign saw him sweep virtually all the awards for the Houston Rockets, winning the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP prizes. That's not to mention him being named to the All-Star team and the All-NBA First Team either.
Olajuwon was a defensive marvel, twice leading the league in rebounding in back-to-back years, and also topping the charts for blocks on three occasions. The Dream's dominance was on both ends of the floor, which made him all the more impressive to say the least.
5 Bill Russell
Bill Russell
The most successful player in NBA history, Bill Russell finds himself on fifth place in a list of the 10 most dominant players ever. The Boston Celtics legend helped win 11 titles for the iconic franchise, while he was named the league's Most Valuable Player on five occasions, including for a spell of three years in a row between 1961 and 1963.
Russell would also lead the league in rebounding four times, and was named to the All-Star team for 12 years in a row. His battles with the legendary Wilt Chamberlain - who spoiler alert features higher up on this list - were incredible, and created a rivalry that captured the attention of basketball fans up and down the country.
4 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Lew Alcindor Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
In the argument for being the greatest scorer the game has ever seen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record for the most MVP awards won in NBA history - and it's no surprise why. A star with the Milwaukee Bucks where he won his first NBA title, Abdul-Jabbar would taste yet more championship success following his move to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he joined forces with the likes of Magic Johnson and James Worthy.
Abdul-Jabbar's iconic sky-hook shot is arguably the most unstoppable single move to have ever been seen in the NBA. Such was his outright dominance, that not only was he named to the All-Star team a whopping 19 times, he led the league in rebounding once, twice in scoring, and four times in blocks. Abdul-Jabbar could simply do it all.
3 Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Many people's undisputed greatest NBA player of all-time, Michael Jordan simply did it all. The star of the Chicago Bulls' iconic pair of three-peats in the 1990s, Jordan simply transcended the game of basketball, with his name even familiar to those who weren't interested in the game itself.
A five-time winner of the MVP award, Jordan's run in the 1990s saw him dominate some legendary names, some of whom can be found in the Hall of Fame alongside him. Whether it was Karl Malone and John Stockton from the Utah Jazz, or Charles Barkley from the Phoenix Suns, Jordan had the answer to them all, and dominated on both ends of the floor.
2 Shaquille O'Neal
Kobe Bryant Shaquille O'Neal Los Angeles Lakers holding trophy
Kobe Bryant Shaquille O'Neal Los Angeles Lakers
Coming in at second on this list - and arguably hard done by to not be first - is Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq's three-year run with the Los Angeles Lakers when they won their three-peat - he would win the Finals MVP award on each occasion - is perhaps the single-most dominant run of any player in NBA history. O'Neal was simply unstoppable, with teams resorting to the 'Hack-a-Shaq' technique just to stop him dunking all over them.
While he had significant help from a young Kobe Bryant, O'Neal was the biggest factor and point of difference in those title triumphs for the Lakers. His mere presence in the paint had teams scrambling to throw double teams at him, which would only just result in an easy kickout to one of the many shooters the Lakers had out on the perimeter.
1 Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Our choice for the most dominant NBA player in history, is Wilt Chamberlain. A 7 foot 1 center who belied his height with extraordinary athleticism and football, Chamberlain had the league in a muddle, scratching their heads as to how to best stop him. It was in Philadelphia where Chamberlain enjoyed his most success, winning his first title there and four MVP awards.
As if to underline just how dominant he was, Wilt also led the league in scoring for seven years in a row from 1960, was the scoring champ for a quite unprecedented 11 times, and even topped the charts for assists in 1968 as if to prove a point. Chamberlain's haul of NBA records are also unlikely to ever be broken, including being the only player to average 30 points and 20 rebounds per game in a season - an achievement he accomplished a remarkable seven times.