Throughout the NBA's long history and ever-evolving style of play, a manifold of talents have emerged through the ranks and established themselves as some of the very best in the sport. Among all the positions on the court, none has evolved more than the point guard.
The roles and responsibilities of a point guard focus on initiating offensive plays, directing the team's positioning and controlling the tempo. Despite these defensive attributes, they are now expected to contribute significantly at both ends of the floor. Notable point guards Magic Johnson and Stephen Curry, who represented Californian teams the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, transcended the game from their output in two different areas - assisting and scoring.
From those with record-breaking feats to championship titles and individual accolades, GIVEMESPORT has researched and ranked the best ten ever point guards in NBA history, highlighting the very best in the following key factors:
Ranking Factors:
Longevity - a long career is imperative to being considered one of the best in their sport.
NBA Championships - the quantity of titles earned on the basketball court.
Individual accolades - achievements, awards and impressive statistical showings achieved.
Legacy - how fellow players, coaches and the wider basketball fanbase saw each respective player.
10 Bob Cousy
Boston Celtics, Cincinnati Royals
Bob Cousy Boston Celtics
Bob Cousy was the first prominent player to make a name for himself in the NBA, featuring in a stacked Boston Celtics team for his whole career. Cousy won six NBA Championships, the second highest for any point guard.
He was an integral part of the Celtics' famous dynasty in the 1960s, winning five titles in a row from 1959 to 1963. He is widely recognised as the first truly legendary point guard in the NBA, and was the first player to reach 4,000, 5,000 and 6,000 career assists.
Cousy's contributions to the game extended further as he earned the MVP award in 1957, and wrapped up 13x All-Star appearances in a row from 1951 to 1963.
Bob Cousy's Career Stats
Years Active
Teams
NBA Championships
NBA All-Star Appearances
MVPs
9 Russell Westbrook
Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets
Russell Westbrook Los Angeles Clippers Denver Nuggets
Although still an active player, it's fair to say that Russell Westbrook's prime years are behind him. At 36, he arrives on this list as one of the best in his position and one to never win an NBA championship.
In his prime, Westbrook could do absolutely everything on the court. His output and numbers in all key statistical categories were simply incredible, and he holds the all-time record for the most triple-doubles, recording double figures in points, rebounds, and assists in a single match.
He is one of only three players in NBA history to average a triple-double in a season, a feat he achieved on four separate occasions. He won the MVP award in 2017, in addition to leading the league in scoring twice, and is a three-time NBA assists leader.
Russell Westbrook's Career Stats
Years Active
Teams
NBA Championships
MVPs
NBA All-Star Appearances
8 Chris Paul
New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs
Phoenix Suns
© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Another once-in-a-generation talent to never lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy is Chris Paul. The newly-turned 40-year-old is still playing at a high standard, even appearing in every regular-season game during the 2024/25 season.
Despite several near-misses in his lifelong quest for an NBA title, Paul has the accomplishments and statistics to back up his greatness. He led the charts in steals on six occasions, producing record-breaking numbers, showcasing his impeccable defensive instincts.
Paul also topped the NBA in assists on five different occasions, which earned him the nickname "Point God". His zero title wins may halt him from rising even further on this list, but his two-decade-long career of impressive consistency cements his legacy among the all-time point guards lists.
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Chris Paul's Career Stats
Years Active
Teams
NBA Championships
MVPs
NBA All-Star Appearances
7 Steve Nash
Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers
Steve Nash
Steve Nash is yet another example of an illustrious career without getting over the line and delivering an NBA Championship. His long career has seen plenty of individual success, but not for the three franchises he represented.
His legendary status mainly occurred with the Phoenix Suns, in two separate stints from 1996 to 1998 and 2004 to 2012. During his second stint, he finished the league as the NBA assists leader on five separate occasions.
He was named the NBA MVP in both the 2005 and 2006 seasons, becoming one of the few point guards to win the award back-to-back. He came runner-up in the 2007 shortlist, almost making it a three-peat, but he missed out to Dirk Nowitzki.
Steve Nash's Career Stats
Years Active
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NBA Championships
MVPs
NBA All-Star Appearances
6 John Stockton
Utah Jazz
John Stockton
This list wouldn't be complete without mentioning John Stockton - a point guard who set records that will never likely be beaten. When he was selected by the Utah Jazz, his impact and contribution to the organisation still speaks volumes to this day.
Stockton holds the all-time NBA records for both career assists and steals by considerable margins, displaying almost two decades of unmatched consistency. Despite this, he was unfortunate to never win an MVP.
Incredibly, he led the franchise to two NBA Finals appearances. Although they fell short and lost to the Chicago Bulls dynasty on both occasions, Stockton's contributions to the sport saw him named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
John Stockton's Career Stats
Years Active
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NBA Championships
MVPs
NBA All-Star Appearances
5 Isiah Thomas
Detroit Pistons
Isiah Thomas
Another player who remained loyal to the franchise that drafted him, Isiah Thomas's 13-year-long career with the Detroit Pistons is still talked about to this day.
The Pistons won back-to-back Championships in 1989 and 1990, respectively, with Thomas playing a vital role in the team's overall success. He ensured the franchise regained the title in 1990 before being awarded the Finals MVP award for his efforts.
His 12 consecutive NBA All-Star features further demonstrated his greatness, including earning two NBA All-Star Game MVPs in 1984 and 1986. Thomas' playstyle made him a key asset to all the teams he played in.
Isiah Thomas' Career Stats
Years Active
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NBA Championships
Finals MVPs
NBA All-Star Appearances
4 Oscar Robertson
Cincinnati Royals, Milwaukee Bucks
Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals
We briefly mentioned Westbrook's accolades of becoming one of only three players to average a triple-double, but Oscar Robertson was the first to complete this in 1962 in his third NBA season.
Robertson followed up his record-breaking season with his only MVP accolade in 1964, but his decade-long stint with the Cincinnati Royals resulted in no NBA Championships to his name.
He felt that a change was in order, leaving for the Milwaukee Bucks, where he finished the rest of his career. His consistency and six-time NBA assists leader tally were finally met with reward as he secured his first and only NBA title in 1971.
Oscar Roberton's Career Stats
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3 Jerry West
Los Angeles Lakers
NBA and Lakers legend Jerry West
In his 15-year-long career as the number one starting point guard, it took 12 attempts to finally secure Jerry West his first and only title for the Los Angeles Lakers.
A regular fixture of the legendary Lakers-Celtics rivalry, West played in an incredible nine NBA Finals, often facing the dominant Boston teams of the 1960s. To put into perspective, West is the only player to win Finals MVP while representing the losing team, completing this feat in 1969.
His greatness lies further as he led the league in scoring in 1970, before leading the assists charts in 1972. These performances contributed to 14 consecutive All-Star appearances from 1961 to 1974.
Jerry West's Career Stats
Years Active
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NBA Championships
Finals MVPs
NBA All-Star Appearances
2 Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors
stephen-curry-30
Stephen Curry's impact on the game of basketball is simply unparalleled, with his ability to be unguardable and his shot-making ability from the outer ring. His four NBA Championships cements his legacy as the greatest ever player to represent the Golden State Warriors.
Curry is a two-time MVP winner, becoming the only unanimous winner in NBA history, an NBA Finals MVP winner, an 11-time All-Star appearance maker, leader in three-pointers, and holder of countless other accolades.
He's a more unorthodox point guard due to his shooting ability and off-ball movement, but these attributes, in addition to the traditional methods, make him a dangerous threat to all opposition.
Stephen Curry's Career Stats
Years Active
Teams
NBA Championships
MVPs
Finals MVPs
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1 Magic Johnson
Los Angeles Lakers
Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
At number one, it had to be Magic Johnson. The Los Angeles Lakers drafted him first overall in the 1979 draft, and he certainly lived up to the expectations that came with that draft pick.
He teamed up with world-class shooter Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become part of the "Showtime" era that saw huge amounts of success in the 1980s. Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar won five Championships, with the former providing countless shots for the best part of a decade.
Johnson is the all-time leader in average in assists per game in both the regular season and postseason, averaging 11.19 and 12.35, respectively, with his uncontested greatness shown through three MVPs and three Finals MVPs.
Magic Johnson's Career Stats
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NBA Championships
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Finals MVPs
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