After its formational years in the 1960s, the 1970s saw the NBA struggle to gain popularity. Stars like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain retired at the beginning of the decade. Professional basketball needed a new face to carry the league. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn’t possess a whole lot of charisma, and most of the flashy athletes played in the rival American Basketball Association (ABA). Diehard historians and fans of the game can appreciate the artistry on display during these ten years, though, even if games were tape-delayed and the league floundered in the lead-up to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird’s arrivals in the 1980s. The best players of the 1970s range from Hall-of-Famers to barrier breakers!
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made basketball look too easy for much of the decade. In fact, there hasn’t ever been a clearer choice for the best player of a 10-year stretch than the Captain during the 1970s. Abdul-Jabbar won five MVPs with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, but he certainly needed Magic Johnson to help him win more championship hardware during the back half of his career.
2. Julius Erving
Julius Erving would most certainly be closer to the GOAT debate if he had played more of his career in the NBA instead of the ABA. Intelligent basketball fans are capable of comprehending the greatness Dr. J exhibited for the New York Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers. Erving soared through the sky, his signature afro glistening in the heavens as he brought down tomahawk slams nightly!
3. John Havlicek
John Havlicek was the symbol of consistency in the NBA during the 1970s, and he served as the anchor of a Boston Celtics team that needed leadership after the dynastic years of yesteryear. Havlicek was one of the first small forwards who could pass, shoot, rebound, and defend, much like a modern wing player. He’s one of the absolute best players never to win MVP.
4. Rick Barry
Rick Barry was a certified bucket-getter. The condescending patriarch of the Barry family (several of his children starred in the NBA, too) took over games with a killer instinct and a potpourri of scoring skills. Barry was the best player in both the NBA and the ABA for a small stretch, leading both leagues in scoring and winning the 1975 NBA title with the Golden State Warriors before they were known for such greatness.
5. Willis Reed
Willis Reed retired in 1974 after bringing eternal glory to New York City. The Knicks have never won much of anything since the legendary center left the team, and his impact on the Big Apple should never go unnoticed. Reed combined finesse and power to take over games on the interior against some of the game’s best big men.
6. Bill Walton
Bill Walton’s prodigious skills in the post served as a precursor to some of the all-around centers who came after him, such as Arvydas Sabonis and Hakeem Olajuwon. Walton preferred to get his teammates involved and score when necessary, and his Portland Trail Blazers teams certainly would have carved out a dynastic dent in NBA lore if the center’s lower body wouldn’t have faltered.
7. George Gervin
George Gervin slithered through ABA and NBA defenses with finger rolls and smooth lay-ins around the rim. Gervin’s complicated career didn’t include an NBA championship, but he garnered four scoring titles and brought respect and relevance to the San Antonio Spurs long before David Robinson and Tim Duncan showed up in the 1990s and 2000s.
8. Dave Cowens
Dave Cowens could be seen dunking over his peers and wiping up their sweat on the hardwood diving for a loose ball. The Celtics center often behaved like a role player on the court, unaware that he was the star of the whole show. Cowens stands as one of the most underrated, yet beloved Boston athletes of his era.
9. Pete Maravich
Pete Maravich supplied league-saving magic to the court anytime his flopping hair and baggy socks careened through the defenders of the 1970s. Pistol Pete shot the ball from nearly half-court and rocketed laser passes through a tapestry of limbs while entertaining millions of fans in New Orleans and Atlanta.
10. Jerry West
Jerry West would rank close to number one on the list if the 1960s were incorporated into the equation. As it is, Mr. Clutch closed his career in the 1970s with a championship and several All-NBA First Team accolades. West’s supreme skills in the backcourt and fierce defensive tenacity allowed him to compete at the highest level, even after this athleticism started to wane.
11. Elvin Hayes
Elvin Hayes would have received more adulation had he possessed a more exciting style or played for a better franchise than the Washington Bullets. The Big E overcame the circumstances he was given, capitalizing on his offensive skills to win a championship and blaze a trail for the power forwards of the 1980s and beyond.
12. Nate Archibald
Nate Archibald towered amongst the trees at only 6 feet 1 inch tall, often scoring and assisting at rates only larger players were capable of before and since Tiny’s retirement. Archibald could take over a game with thorough completeness and reckless creativity, and he helped Larry Bird win a title with the Celtics late in his career.
13. Bob McAdoo
Bob McAdoo possessed a short peak with the Buffalo Braves early in the decade, culminating in a jaw-dropping MVP season in 1975. McAdoo averaged 34 points and 14 rebounds per game during that campaign, setting a new standard for scoring at the center position and challenging Dave Cowens and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for positional supremacy.
14. Walt Frazier
Walt Frazier nearly took the torch from Jerry West and became arguably the greatest combo guard of the first half of the 1970s. Clyde could swipe the ball from the opposition as quickly as he could fire off a jump shot or run the fast break. Frazier always came in clutch and supplied ample support for Willis Reed during the New York Knicks title runs.
15. Gail Goodrich
Gail Goodrich revolutionized the concept of a high-octane scoring guard who could get points in a hurry. The Lakers benefited from Goodrich dropping a routine 22 points per game or more in four consecutive seasons between 1971 and 1975. His chemistry with Jerry West helped the older legend fade gracefully into the twilight of his career.
16. Artis Gilmore
Artis Gilmore was one of the most physically imposing centers while playing in both the ABA and the NBA. Gilmore won an ABA chip with the Kentucky Colonels in 1975 by overpowering smaller defenders and crushing the glass with ferocity. Gilmore complemented George Gervin in San Antonio during the latter part of his NBA career.
17. Dan Issel
Dan Issel is a name even the most dedicated fan might have forgotten about. Issel was a hometown favorite in Denver while playing his hard-nosed style of basketball. Seven different seasons of over 20 points per game proved Issel was more than just the janitor for his team, but also the franchise’s cornerstone.
18. Jo Jo White
Jo Jo White extended the point guard haven the Boston Celtics lived within after Bob Cousy retired. White managed a basketball like few others, always understanding when to make the right play, typically supplementing the All-Star contributions of John Havlicek and Dave Cowens.
19. Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal became better known as the coach of the Phoenix Suns during the 1990s, but he applied his leadership skills to the court well before he sat on the bench. Westphal had a season averaging 25 points per game with the Suns in 1978 and made five All-Star teams.
20. Dave Bing
Dave Bing probably didn’t get enough shine because he paled in comparison to Jerry West and Walt Frazier, but Bing has as good of an argument as anybody after those two legends at the guard position in the 1970s. Playing the majority of his career with the Detroit Pistons, Bing was adept at shooting and finishing around the rim.
21. Bob Lanier
Bob Lanier competed hard against the likes of Kareem, Dave Cowens, and Artis Gilmore during the 1970s. Lanier’s steady scoring inside and sturdy defense led to eight All-Star births. An NBA title would have catapulted him up the listings, but he remains an iconic center of the decade and one of Detroit’s finest players.
22. David Thompson
David Thompson struggled with personal issues such as drug use that cut his career short, but he demonstrated the athletic direction the league was going when he electrified audiences for the Denver Nuggets and Seattle SuperSonics. Thompson’s blinding speed and hops bamboozled opponents in the backcourt.
