Top 50 Power Forwards of All-Time: The Big Fundamental, Greek Freak, and Mailman Top List

1. Tim Duncan

Throughout Duncan’s entire tenure with the San Antonio Spurs, he was the true definition of the unselfish superstar and was a huge part of creating the franchise’s team-oriented culture. The result: two MVP awards, fifteen trips to the All-Star, All-Defensive, and All-NBA Teams, five championships, and three Finals MVPs. It’s safe to say that Duncan compiled a resume that any NBA player dreams of and did it all while setting an example for future generations. In addition to his ridiculous accolades, Duncan finished his career 14th in scoring, 6th in rebounds, and 4th in blocks. He is by far the best power forward of all time and deserves to be in the conversation for the greatest player of all time, considering his accomplishments.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Greek Freak’s rise to stardom is one of the most impressive stories in the NBA. He was drafted in the latter half of the first round and has made tremendous strides in every season of his career. Giannis has two MVP awards, seven All-Star appearances, five All-NBA First Teams, a Defensive Player of the Year award, an NBA Championship and a Finals MVP to his name. In his short NBA career, he’s already surpassed many of those in his position and could finish amongst the greatest players ever when his career is all said and done.

3. Karl Malone

Without a championship resume to solidify his place amongst the all-time greats, Malone’s position on this list is very fitting, considering he ranks in the top ten for career points and rebounds. The Mailman is the league’s second-highest scorer of all-time, and Malone should stay in the second spot if LeBron James fails to pass him in the next couple of years. Malone was a fourteen-time All-Star and All-NBA Team member and averaged better than ten rebounds per game in his career. Despite his lack of championship success, Malone formed the greatest pick-and-roll duo alongside John Stockton.

4. Kevin Garnett

Garnett is widely recognized as one of the best two-way players in NBA history. Before his success with the Boston Celtics, KG was one of the best players in the NBA in a Minnesota Timberwolves uniform. Garnett won an MVP award with Minnesota and would go on to make 15 All-Star appearances, nine All-NBA selections, and 12 All-Defensive Teams in his career. He is also one of only a few players on this list to win a Defensive Player of the Year award; KG also won an NBA championship with the Celtics during the latter stages of his career. In addition to a terrific NBA resume, Garnett also ranks amongst the best in several all-time categories. He ranks 19th in career scoring and ninth in total rebounds.

5. Dirk Nowitzki

Perhaps the greatest international player of all time, assuming Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic don’t surpass him, Nowitzki ranks amongst the greatest offensive players of all time. Dirk played his entire career with the Dallas Mavericks and was a pillar of loyalty and commitment to an NBA franchise. Nowitzki is one of only seven players ever to reach the 30,000-point milestone and finished sixth in total points, while averaging 20.7 points per game in his career. He was a 14-time All-Star and made 12 All-NBA Teams. In one of the most impressive NBA Finals performances in history, Dirk led the underdog Mavericks to a tile against LeBron James and the Miami Heat while taking home Finals MVP honors.

6. Charles Barkley

Listed at just 6’6”, Barkley may be the greatest undersized big man of all time. He’s one of only four players to tally at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 4,000 career assists. In addition to his personality and fiery on-court attitude, Barkley was as good of a player as advertised. He dominated opponents while making 11 All-Star and All-NBA Teams and even won an MVP award during the 1992-93 season.

7. Bob Pettit

At the height of his career, Petit was the best power forward in the NBA and averaged a double-double throughout his entire career. He retired with one NBA Championship title and an 11-time All-Star and ten-time All-NBA Team member. Petit also holds the third-best rebounding per-game average (16.2 RPG) and trails only Hall of Famers Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.

8. Elvin Hayes

Hayes may be one of the more underrated players in NBA history. He is one of the few players to rank inside the top 25 in career points, rebounds, and blocks. While averaging 21 and 12.5 rebounds in his career, Hayes made twelve All-Star selections and also won an NBA Championship with the Washington Bullets during the 1977 season. His impressive scoring ability helped Hayes finish tenth all-time in career points and was the scoring champion during the 1968-69 season.

9. Anthony Davis

While Davis doesn’t make the top five on this list, he’s a top-five talent for the position of all-time. Due to Davis’ size and skill set, he is one of the best players in the NBA when he is healthy. However, injuries have cost Davis a lot of equity in this department. Still, Davis has won an NBA Championship and made eight All-Star Teams, while being selected for four All-NBA Teams and All-Defensive Teams. Davis is one of the best defensive players in the game and has led the league in blocks three times.

10. Kevin McHale

Another Celtic great on the greatest power forwards of all time list, McHale was a highly skilled big man who progressed from sixth-man to starter to NBA star. He averaged just under 18 points and 7.5 rebounds for his career and made seven All-Star selections, six All-Defensive Teams, and three championships with Boston.

11. Dennis Rodman

The Worm was arguably the best defensive player in the game’s history. Not only did Rodman win five titles with the Chicago Bulls, but he made eight All-Defensive Teams and won Defensive Player of the Year twice. Many consider Rodman to be the best rebounder ever, and at 6’7”, Rodman led the NBA in rebounding seven times. He is also first in all-time offensive rebounding percentage and second in all-time defensive rebounding percentage.

12. Draymond Green

What Draymond Green lacks in individual stats compared to other players on this list, he makes up for with his resume, leadership, defense, and championship pedigree. Green has been one of the most essential pieces for the Golden State Warriors‘ dynasty, which has won four NBA Championships in the past decade. He’s a four-time Champion and four-time All-Star; Green also won Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and has made eight All-Defensive Teams. His winning impact for the Warriors’ franchise cannot be overstated.

13. Chris Webber

Before going down with a knee injury in 2003, Webber was among the top power forwards in the game and even finished as high as fourth in the MVP race during the 2000 season. He was a five-time All-Star and All-NBA member who averaged better than 20 points per game in his career while pulling down nearly ten rebounds.

14. Jerry Lucas 

Lucas is one of the top rebounders of all-time, finishing his career with the 17th-most rebounds (12,942). In his Hall of Fame career, Lucas won Rookie of the Year in 1963, All-Star Game MVP in 1964, and was a 7-time All-Star. In 11 of his 13 seasons in the NBA, Lucas averaged at least 11 rebounds per game. His best rebounding season came in 1965, where he averaged 21.1 boards per game. Lucas also won an NBA championship during the 1972 season as a member of the New York Knicks.

15. Kevin Love

Before his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Love dominated the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Love’s two most celebrated individual accomplishments came in 2010 when he put up 30 points and 30 rebounds in a game versus the New York Knicks and when he scored 34 points in first quarter in 2016 against the Portland Trail Blazers. Love’s career accolades include five All-Star selections and an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

16. Chris Bosh

Before joining LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on the Miami Heat, Bosh was one of the top players at his position for the Toronto Raptors. The 11-time All-Star has 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in his career, in addition to two championships with Miami. His selflessness may have resulted in lesser individual stats; however, that selflessness allowed him to compete for championships at the end of his career while still being an All-Star caliber player.

17. Amar’e Stoudemire

In Stoudemire’s prime, he was a top ten player at his position with the Phoenix Suns and was one of the more athletic big men in the NBA. As Steve Nash’s pick-and-roll partner, Stat would make six All-Star selections and three All-NBA Teams. His career averages are just under 19 points and 8 rebounds per game.

18. Tom Heinsohn

Tom Heinsohn was a key contributor for the Boston Celtics dynasty that won double-digit championships; he was apart of eight of those NBA Championships during his nine NBA seasons, while also making six All-Star teams. Heinsohn also secured four All-NBA selections during his time with Boston, while holding career averages of close to 19 points and nine rebounds.

19. LaMarcus Aldridge

Perhaps the only accolade that Aldridge failed to achieve tremendous career is a championship ring; however, even without it, he was amongst the greatest power forwards ever. Before his time with the San Antonio Spurs, Aldridge was amongst the best in the NBA during his tenure with the Portland Trailblazers. He’s a seven-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA team selection. The NBA veteran also has career averages of 19.1 points and 8.1 rebounds.

20. Dave DeBusschere

DeBusschere was a top player in the league in the 1960s and 1970s. DeBusschere made three All-Star appearances with the Detroit Pistons before making five straight selections with the New York Knicks from 1969-1973. He was an excellent scorer and rebounder throughout his career, highlighted by his 16.1 points and 11 rebounds per game averages. DeBusschere also made six All-Defensive Teams and won two NBA Championships in his 13 seasons in the league.

21. Vern Mikkelsen

In the 1950s, Mikkelsen starred for the Minneapolis Lakers and went on to win four titles in his career. Mikkelsen was also a six-time All-Star and made the All-ABA Team four times. He averaged just below a double-double in his career and was only one of six players to eclipse the 10,000 career-point marks at the time he retired from basketball.

22. Tom Chambers

Chambers was the NBA’s first unrestricted free agent and was one of the best scorers in league history, averaging at least 20 points per game in six seasons. He scored more than 20,000 points in his career, along with four All-Star appearances (including an All-Star Game MVP) in five seasons and two All-NBA selections.

23. Shawn Kemp

One of the game’s greatest dunkers, Shawn Kemp starred for the Seattle SuperSonics in the late 1990s and was a perennial All-Star from 1992-1997. He made six All-Star appearances and was selected to three All-NBA Teams. Before losing much of his athleticism due to injuries, Kemp posted 18 points, and ten rebounds on a nightly basis. His place on my list would be higher had he and Seattle not run into Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the NBA Finals.

24. Maurice Lucas

Lucas was a four-time All-Star early on in his career with the Portland Trailblazer, averaging nearly 18 points and 11 rebounds in those six years. In the 1976 season, Lucas averaged 20.2 points and 11.4 rebounds and helped Portland win a title that year. Lucas also made an All-Star appearance later on in his thirties with the Phoenix Suns.

25. George McGinnis

Even with a relatively short career (11 seasons), which featured four seasons in the ABA, McGinnis still ranks quite high on our list of greatest power forwards of all time. In McGinnis’ first five seasons in the NBA, he made three All-Star teams and averaged just shy of 21 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two steals per game. McGinnis is an Indiana legend, as he was born there, went to college at Indiana University, and then played the majority of his professional career for the Indiana Pacers.

26. Bobby Jones

When discussing the most versatile and impactful defenders in the history of the NBA, Bobby Jones’ will inevitably come up in conversation. Jones made nine consecutive All-Defensive Teams, with eight of those being First Teams. His play earned him four All-Star selections and an NBA Championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1982-83 season.

27. Blake Griffin

Before being hobbled by injuries, Blake Griffin was amongst the best in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers. The former number one overall pick is a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA Team member. He’s most known for his high-flying and thunderous dunks and would be higher on this list if he had a championship resume and avoided the injury bug later in his career.

28. Bailey Howell

Bailey Howell was one of the best forwards in the 1960s when he played for the Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, and Boston Celtics. In that stretch, he made six All-Star teams and won two NBA Championships; Howell also secured an All-NBA selection in 1963. Further, Howell posted close to 20 points and 10 rebounds in the ’60s on an impressive 48% shooting from the field, which was highly efficient during that era.

29. Jermaine O’Neal

In the early 2000s, O’Neal was amongst the top big men in the NBA. He made six straight All-Star appearances from 2001-2006, three All-NBA teams, and was awarded the NBA’s MIP during the 2001-02 season. In those six years, O’Neal averaged around 20 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Averaging 1.8 blocks for his career, O’Neal finished number 23rd on the all-time block list.

30. Zach Randolph

Randolph began his career in Portland in 2001. By year three, he was already a 20-point, 10-rebound per night player, and would achieve that feat six more times in his career. After bouncing around the league for a few seasons, Randolph found a home with the Grizzlies; he helped jumpstart the “Grit-and-Grind” era for Memphis. He was a two-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA Team selection with Memphis and would help the team make numerous playoff appearances.

31. Larry Nance

Nance carved out a very successful career with the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers. One of the best high-flyers that the game has ever seen, Larry Nance made 3 All-Star appearances and All-Defensive Teams in his 14 NBA seasons. Nance recorded 12 seasons of double-digit points and seven rebounds per game.

32. Carlos Boozer

From 2002-2012, Boozer was among the power forwards in the NBA. With the Utah Jazz, Boozer made two All-Star games and one All-NBA Team. A highly efficient player, Boozer shot 52.1 percent from the field in his career and almost averaged a double-double. Alongside Deron Williams, Boozer and the Jazz made the playoffs several times before he signed with the Chicago Bulls in 2010.

33. Terry Cummings

Terry Cummings was just a few seasons shy of appearing in four different decades; he played in the 80s (1982), 90s, and one year in the 2000s (1999-00 season.) As a player, Cummings was known as a score-first and score-second player, averaging over 22 points per game in his first eight seasons. Shortly after the end of the 80s, though, Cummings’ scoring numbers fell off and he filled a different but much-needed role for teams: veteran leadership and experience.

34. Elton Brand

Brand entered the league before the 1999 season and went on to win ROY while averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. He made two All-Star selections with the Clippers and averaged at least 20 points and 10 rebounds six times in his seventeen-year career. Despite most of his success coming early on in his career, Brand was a steady role player off the bench and could be counted on for his rebounding and interior presence.

35. Rudy Tomjanovich

In the 1970s, Tomjanovich was a perennial All-Star who made the All-Star team five times, four of which were consecutive seasons from 1974 through 1977. A truly efficient player, Tomjanovich shot better than 50 percent from the field in his career while averaging just a shade under 17.5 points per game.

36. Rasheed Wallace

Wallace was one of the more underrated big men at his position during his time in the NBA. Many fans remember Wallace’s on-court antics more than his play, as Wallace racked up more than 300 technical fouls throughout his career (NBA record 41 during the 2000-01 season). Despite the number of technical fouls he picked up, Wallace was a terrific player and made the All-Star game four times while winning an NBA Championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2003.

37. Buck Williams

Williams’ career was a model of consistency and efficiency. The 17-year NBA veteran averaged a double-double for his entire career and led the league in field goal percentage twice. Williams made the All-Star game three times and was also an excellent defender, as he made four All-Defensive Team selections.

38. Kevin Willis

In Willis’ twenty-five-year career, he played for eight different teams, and most prominently, the Atlanta Hawks. With the Hawks, Willis made the All-Star and All-NBA Teams once while averaging double-digit points every season, but his rookie year for the team. From 1991-1995, Willis grabbed more than ten rebounds per game, including a career-high 18 rebounds per game in 1994. Willis also won a championship with the San Antonio Spurs during the 2002-03 season.

39. Antawn Jamison

Jamison was a multiple-time All-Star with the Washington Wizards early on in his career. A tremendous scorer, Jamison put up 20 points and seven rebounds per season six times in his career. His career averages include 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

40. Pascal Siakam

A winner of the NBA’s Most Improved Player award during the 2018-19 season, Pascal Siakam came out of nowhere to become a two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, and a key piece of an NBA Championship team. Siakam has averaged between 21 and 24 points for four consecutive seasons while also pulling down close to eight boards and dishing roughly five assists. While Siakam is not known for his perimeter shooting, he finds numerous other ways to score the ball offensively.

41. David West

Before stints with the Spurs, Pacers, and Warriors, West starred for the New Orleans Hornets during the mid to late 200s. With the Hornets, West was a 2-time All-Star who averaged better than 17 points and 7 rebounds in six of his eight seasons with the team. West and Chris Paul formed one of the better pick-and-roll duos in the NBA before West was utilized as more of a role player in the late stages of his career.

42. Otis Thorpe

Over 19 NBA seasons, Otis Thorpe displayed a high level of consistency in both the scoring and rebounding departments. The one-time All-Star and NBA Champ (for the Houston Rockets) averaged 14 points and 8.2 rebounds on 54.6 percent shooting during his career.

43. Harry Gallatin

Harry “The Horse” Gallatin spent the majority of his NBA career in the 1950s and was one of the more influential players in that era. Gallatin posted double-double averages (points and rebounds) in eight consecutive NBA seasons. In that period, Gallatin made seven All-Star teams and was a two-time All-NBA selection.

44. Zion Williamson

Injuries have plagued Zion Williamson’s career thus far, but in the few seasons he has stayed healthy, he has been one of the most dominant forces in the paint in the NBA due to his freakish vertical athleticism and strong frame. Williamson is destined for greatness so long he can stay on the court and continue playing.

45. Lamar Odom

Odom is most notably known for his time with both Los Angeles teams. He was drafted by the Clippers before the 1999 season and made the All-Rookie Team while posting 16.6 points 7.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Odom was one of the league’s top 6th men and helped the Lakers win two NBA Championships in the 2000s; he was also awarded the NBA’s 6MOTY award during the 2010-11 NBA season.

46. Horace Grant

Despite somewhat average individual stats, Horace Grant finished his career as a winner. The one-time All-Star won four rings in his NBA career and was one of the better defenders at his position, making the All-Defensive Team four times. Grant was extremely effective as a scorer, highlighted by his 50.1 shooting percentage, and was an excellent option for the Chicago Bulls.

47. Paul Silas

Silas is regarded as one of the best rebounders and defenders in NBA history, regardless of position. He averaged just under 10 rebounds for his career and ranks 21st in career rebounds with 12,357. Silas averaged 11 or more rebounds in eight of his eighteen seasons, including a career-high 13 rebounds per game in 1972 for the Boston Celtics. Silas also won three rings with Boston while making the All-Defensive Team five times.

48. Paul Millsap

Millsap’s long, successful career spanned roughly 16 seasons, and during that stretch, he was a four-time All-Star selection and even made an All-NBA Defensive Team in 2016. As a player, Millsap was known for his post-play; he displayed an excellent IQ in the paint, knowing exactly when to gain position and how to use his elite footwork and touch around the rim to score at a high level.

49. Danny Manning

At the height of his career, Manning was an All-Star level player for the Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta Hawks in the early 1990s. The 2-time All-Star recorded eleven straight seasons of double-digit scoring averages and averaged 20 points or more two times in his career.

50. Larry Johnson

Upon entering the league in 1991, Larry Johnson went on to win ROY as he averaged 9.2 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. The following season, Johnson made the All-Star game and led the league in minutes per game. In his 10-year career, Johnson made 2 All-Star selections and was also a part of the All-NBA team during the 1992 season.