Throughout its history, the NBA has seen a number of legendary stars come and go, but arguably some of the best players to have ever stepped foot on the court have been those who have predominantly been small forwards. Whether it is some of the best dunkers the game has ever seen, or gifted three-level scorers, the NBA has never been short of great small forwards in any period.
In the modern era, the likes of LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Jayson Tatum have all taken centre stage in the league at one point or another - two of them even feature on our best players in the NBA right now list - but do any of the current crop of players make it onto the all-time list for their position? Well, below is a ranking of the 10 best small forwards in the history of the NBA.
Ranking Factors
Recent individual and team performances (play-offs included)
Individual awards like MVPs, DPOYs, All-Star appearances and All-NBA selections
Team achievements like NBA titles
Stats including points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals
Impact on their team and how important they are
10 James Worthy
Arguably one of the more underrated players of the Los Angeles Lakers' dominance in the 1980s, James Worthy was a critical piece behind the franchise's legendary dynasty. Able to play at the three or the four, Worthy's speed and athleticism made him an absolute nightmare for opposition defenders, leaving them in his wake when he drove to the basket, or with the strength and touch to post up when needed too.
A transition monster for the Showtime Lakers, Worthy would win the NBA title three times, and even picked up the Finals MVP too. He would make the All-Star team seven times, while he was named to the All-NBA third team on a couple of occasions as well.
|James Worthy's Career Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|17.6|
|Assists per game|3.0|
|Rebounds per game|5.1|
|Steals per game|1.1|
|Blocks per game|0.7|
|Career awards|1x NBA Finals MVP, 7x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Third Team|
|NBA titles|3|
|---|
9 Dominique Wilkins
Known as 'The Human Highlight Film', Dominique Wilkins goes down as one of the most explosive players of all-time. While his dunking skills were legendary - it's often a reference point even to this day - Wilkins could score as good as anyone, using his physicality and athleticism to fill the stats sheet.
With nine All-Star selections to his name, Wilkins would earn a total of seven All-NBA selections, including one to the First Team in 1986. His performances that season saw him become the NBA scoring champion, but the Atlanta Hawks simply struggled to make significant inroads in the play-offs. An Eastern Conference semi-finals was the best they could do, with their 1988 run seeing Wilkins battle against Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics all the way to a Game 7 before losing.
|Dominique Wilkins' Career Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|24.8|
|Assists per game|2.5|
|Rebounds per game|6.7|
|Steals per game|1.3|
|Blocks per game|0.6|
|Career awards|9x All-Star, 1x All-NBA First Team, 4x All-NBA Second Team, 2x All-NBA Third Team|
|NBA titles|0|
|---|
8 John Havlicek
John Havlicek
Spending his entire career with the Boston Celtics, John Havlicek's skill and achievements can sometimes be overlooked in the modern era given he played during the 1960s and 1970s. But his accolades are second-to-none, and his importance to the Celtics' success during that period cannot be understated. A 13-time All-Star, Havlicek would lift the NBA title an astonishing eight times, making him one of the most successful players in league history.
Add to that, his four All-NBA First Team selections and his Finals MVP award in 1974 award, and it's no wonder his no.17 jersey is retired by the Celtics. But Havlicek wasn't just known for his scoring either, with his defence up there with the best. He earned eight NBA All-Defensive selections, including five of them coming for the First Team from 1972-1976, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Celtics history.
|John Havlicek's Career Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|20.8|
|Assists per game|4.8|
|Rebounds per game|1.6|
|Steals per game|0.4|
|Blocks per game|0.1|
|Career awards|1x NBA Finals MVP, 13x All-Star, 4x All-NBA First Team, 7x All-NBA Second Team, 5x NBA All-Defensive First Team, 3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team|
|NBA titles|8|
|---|
7 Kawhi Leonard
One of the best two-way players in the league, Kawhi Leonard's famed defensive capabilities have been instrumental in helping the likes of the San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors to NBA titles. Leonard's performances for Toronto in particular during their championship-winning run was nothing short of sensational, with his buzzer-beating shot against the Philadelphia 76ers in a Game 7 elimination match etched into folklore.
A supreme defensive stopper who can lockdown the league's best and strip them of the ball too, Leonard is a machine whose scoring skills have developed as the years have gone by. Now with the Los Angeles Clippers, there's no questioning a fit and firing Leonard automatically catapults them into a potential contender.
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|Kawhi Leonard's Career Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|20.1|
|Assists per game|3.1|
|Rebounds per game|6.4|
|Steals per game|1.7|
|Blocks per game|0.6|
|Career awards|2x NBA Finals MVP, 6x All-Star, 3x All-NBA First Team, 3x All-NBA Second Team, 2x DPOY, 3x NBA All-Defensive First Team, 4x NBA All-Defensive Second Team|
|NBA titles|2|
|---|
6 Scottie Pippen
For all of Michael Jordan's greatness, without Scottie Pippen, the Chicago Bulls would not have enjoyed the extraordinary success they did during the 1990s. While Air Jordan was the undisputed main man, it was Pippen's selflessness, defensive work and facilitation that ensured the Bulls didn't just become a stoppable one-man team. Pippen played the game the Bulls needed from him, picking up the scoring slack when required, taking on the toughest opposition assignment on a nightly basis, and helping the likes of Dennis Rodman clean up the boards.
It was to his detriment that Jordan was around in terms of winning personal accolades, but Pippen still earned seven All-Star nods and three All-NBA First-Team selections. The Bulls legend was unsurprisingly named to the All-Defensive First Team on a total of eight occasions, while he was the NBA steals leader in 1995. A true icon in the Bulls' franchise history.
|Scottie Pippen's Career Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|16.1|
|Assists per game|5.2|
|Rebounds per game|6.4|
|Steals per game|2.0|
|Blocks per game|0.8|
|Career awards|7x All-Star, 3x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 2x All-NBA Third Team, 8x NBA All-Defensive First Team, 2x NBA All-Defensive Second Team|
|NBA titles|6|
|---|
5 Elgin Baylor
Much like John Havlicek, Elgin Baylor perhaps doesn't get the recognition that he should do from the modern generation. Standing at just 6 foot 5, Baylor was on the shorter side for a small forward, but he played bigger than he was and had an IQ that was off the charts when it came to reading the game. The no.1 draft pick in 1958, Baylor became a 11-time NBA All-Star and a 10-time member of the All-NBA First-Team during his career.
It was unfortunate for Baylor and the rest of his Lakers teammates that he played during one of the most dominant teams of all-time in the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics, but he still more than made his mark on the league. Still the leading rebounder in Lakers history with over 11,000, Baylor finished his career averaging a double-double of over 25 points and 13.5 rebounds per game.
|Elgin Baylor's Career Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|27.4|
|Assists per game|4.3|
|Rebounds per game|13.5|
|Steals per game|N/A|
|Blocks per game|N/A|
|Career awards|11x All-Star, 10x All-NBA First Team, ROTY|
|NBA titles|0|
|---|
4 Julius Erving
Known simply as 'Dr J', Julius Erving was one of the biggest stars of the American Basketball Association (ABA) before it merged into the NBA after the 1975/1976 season. During his 16 years as a player, none of his teams ever missed the play-offs, while he arguably brought the art of dunking into the mainstream, even being named the ABA's Slam Dunk champion in 1976.
One of the greatest players of all-time, Erving also holds the distinction of being the only man to be voted the MVP in both the ABA and the NBA. His dominance in both associations has seen his jersey number retired by both the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers.
|Julius Erving's Career Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|24.2|
|Assists per game|4.2|
|Rebounds per game|6.7|
|Steals per game|1.7|
|Blocks per game|1.5|
|Career awards|1x NBA MVP, 3x ABA MVP, 11x All-Star, 5x ABA All-Star, 5x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 4x All-ABA First Team, 1x All-ABA Second Team, 1x ABA All-Defensive First Team|
|NBA/ABA Titles|3|
|---|
3 Kevin Durant
One of the greatest and purest scorers in NBA history, Kevin Durant has long been one of the league's best players since breaking through with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Standing at 6 foot 11, the 'Durantula' has belied his height with exceptional footwork, handles and touch. After being unable to get over the line with the Thunder, Durant made the rather controversial move to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016, who had won an NBA record 73 regular season games the year before.
In Golden State, Durant would win his only two titles of his career, receiving the Finals MVP awards on both occasions. Aside from being named the NBA's MVP in 2014 while with the Thunder, Durant is a 15-time All-Star, and has been the scoring champ in four seasons (including three times in a row between 2010 and 2012).
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|Kevin Durant's Career Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|27.2|
|Assists per game|4.4|
|Rebounds per game|7.0|
|Steals per game|1.0|
|Blocks per game|1.1|
|Career awards||
|NBA titles||
|---|
2 Larry Bird
Nicknamed 'Larry Legend', the tales of Larry Bird's extraordinary feats and skills while with the Boston Celtics is well-known. Who can ever forget the time Bird walked into the locker room before the three-point contest at the 1988 All-Star weekend and simply asked 'Who's playing for second?'. A three-time NBA champ - he won Finals MVP on each of those occasions - Bird was a huge part of the legendary rivalry that the Celtics had with Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bird would win three NBA MVPs on the spin from 1984-1986, and was named an All-Star on 12 occasions. A versatile player who could play at the four too, Bird was one of the first players of his era to take advantage of the newly-adopted three-point line at the time, and was a key part of the gold medal-winning 1992 US Olympic basketball side known as the 'Dream Team'.
|Larry Bird's Career Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|24.3|
|Assists per game|6.3|
|Rebounds per game|10.0|
|Steals per game|1.7|
|Blocks per game|0.8|
|Career awards||
|NBA titles||
|---|
1 LeBron James
One of the greatest basketball players of all-time, LeBron James' position as the best small forward in NBA history is secure. Having surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the game's leading scorer, James continues to cement his legacy even further with performances that belie his age. Amid all the hype and expectation that came with his entry into the league over 20 years ago, there's no questioning 'King James' has more than surpassed that.
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Multiple titles and MVP awards are just some of the accolades James has picked up during his legendary tenure, and you wouldn't put it past him to further add to those before his time is up. One of the best scorers and finishers the game has ever seen, LeBron's passing and vision has developed significantly during his latter years, to the point where his assist numbers have shot through the roof - indeed, he now ranks in the top-five all-time in that category too. James is simply the undisputed best small forward in NBA history, and nobody really even comes close.
|LeBron James' Career Stats|
|Stat|Number|
|Points per game|27.0|
|Assists per game|7.4|
|Rebounds per game|7.5|
|Steals per game|1.5|
|Blocks per game|0.7|
|Career awards|4x MVP, 4x NBA Finals MVP, 21x All-Star, 13x All-NBA First Team, 3x All-NBA Second Team, 4x All-NBA Third Team, 1x ROTY|
|NBA titles|4|
|---|
Stats taken from ESPN and Basketball Reference (Correct as of 23/05/2025)