A decade-by-decade look at the greatest players to play the point guard position in the NBA.
Over the years in the NBA, the point guard position is one we have watched evolve and change drastically as time has gone on. From the defensive and playmaking gurus of yesterday to the sharp-shooting, high-flying, and scoring point guards of today, the point guard has been as or more important to the story of the NBA than any other position in NBA history. Today, we take a trip down memory lane with the greatest point guards to ever touch the court in the NBA to take a look at how things have changed over the years by counting down each decade’s five greatest point guards.
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We will start in the 1950s when the pioneers of the position helped shape the NBA and future generations to come. We will work our way up to the 2020s, basing our rankings on the following decades:
1950-1959
1960-1969
1970-1979
1980-1989
1990-1999
2000-2009
2010-2019
2020-Present
These rankings will, of course, be based on what the players accomplished between those seasons listed above. Stats, accolades, achievements, and advanced analytics have all been taken into consideration where applicable to come up with the perfect rankings for each decade of basketball.
Now, let’s take a look at the greatest point guards in NBA history by decade.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 1950s
1. Bob Cousy
2. Bob Davies
3. Slater Martin
4. Larry Costello
5. Jack George
For most of the 1950s and the decade that followed, the Boston Celtics were led by point guard Bob Cousy who was aptly nicknamed “The Houdini of the Hardwood” for his flashy handles and passes. Cousy played with the Celtics from 1951 through 1963, helping them win six NBA championships including two in the 1950s. Between 1950 and 1959, Cousy finished with three scoring titles, six assists titles, the 1957 MVP award, and nine All-Star appearances.
Coming in second and third behind Cousy for their play in the 1950s are Bob Davies and Slater Martin. Davies led the Rochester Royals in the 1950s, earning four All-Star appearances and averaging 14.2 points and 4.8 assists per game. In 1951, he helped lead the Royals to their only championship in franchise history. Martin was the starting point guard for the Lakers from 1950-1956 and for the Hawks from 1957-1959. During the 50s, Martin would earn seven All-Star appearances and win five NBA championships. Over the course of the decade, he would average 10.3 points and 3.9 assists per game.
Larry Costello and Jack George make up the last two spots for the greatest point guards during the 1950s. Only four of Costello’s 12 seasons count toward the 1950s but two All-Star selections and 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game are sufficient enough for his spot on this list. George spent most of his time with the Philadelphia Warriors where he also earned two All-Star selections and helped them win the 1956 NBA championship averaging 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 1960s
1. Oscar Robertson
2. Lenny Wilkens
3. Guy Rodgers
4. Bob Cousy
5. Larry Costello
In the 1960s, we would be introduced to some new point guards ready to take the position to another level. Oscar Robertson is simply one of the greatest ever to play the position as an all-around, scorer, playmaker, passer, rebounder, and defender. Robertson would take home the 1961 Rookie of the Year, 1964 MVP, nine All-Star selections, seven assists titles, and a scoring title during the decade. He also became the first player in NBA history to ever average a triple-double for an entire season in 1962, putting the cherry on top of his career as the greatest point guard during the 1960s and top-three ever.
Lenny Wilkens spent from 1961 to 1968 with the St. Louis Hawks and one season in 1969 with Seattle. During this time, he averaged 16.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game with six All-Star selections to his name. Guy Rodgers spent the 60s with the Warriors, Bulls, and Bucks. During this time, Rodgers won two assists titles and earned four All-Star selections while averaging 12.4 points and 8.2 assists for the decade.
Larry Costello and Bob Cousy are two of a kind when it comes to the 1960s. Both were reaching the end of their careers but still producing enough on championship teams. Cousy would secure four more NBA championships and four All-Star selections during the 1960s while Costello won one championship in 1967 and earned four All-Star selections as well.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 1970s
1. Walt Frazier
2. Tiny Archibald
3. Dave Bing
4. Norm Van Lier
5. Jo Jo White
The 1970s also gave us some of the greatest point guards in NBA history for a decade of entertainment led By the most entertaining of all, Walt Frazier. As the point guard of the Knicks from 1970 through 1977, Frazier led them to two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973. He earned seven straight All-Star selections, was an All-NBA Team selection six times, and an All-Defensive Team selection six times. Frazier could have easily been Finals MVP for both of the Knicks’ Finals wins but the honors would go to Willis Reed instead. Frazier averaged 20.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game for the entirety of the 1970s.
Tony Archibald and Dave Bing are just behind Frazier for what they accomplished during the 1970s. Archibald became the only player to lead the NBA in scoring and assists in 1973, earning three of his six career All-Star appearances as well. From 1971-1979, he averaged 23.0 points, 7/6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Dave Bing spent the ’70s with the Pistons and Bullets where he went on to earn five All-Star appearances and two ALl-NBA Team selections averaging 19.2 points, 6.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
In the fourth and fifth spots are Norm Van Lier and Jo Jo White. Norm Van Lier’s entire career lasted from 1970 through 1979 with the Royals, Bulls, and Bucks. In the mid-70s with the Bulls, he earned his spot on this list with three All-Star selections, six All-Defensive Team selections, and one All-NBA Team selection.
Jo Jo White would be a member of the Boston Celtics from 1970 through 1979. In 1974, White would help the Celtics win the NBA title and be named Finals MVP. He would help them win another NBA championship in 1976 as well and earned seven straight All-Star appearances from 1971 through 1977. In the decade, he would average 18.2 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 1980s
1. Magic Johnson
2. Isiah Thomas
3. Dennis Johnson
4. Maurice Cheeks
5. John Stockton
The 1980s would give us the greatest player to ever play the point guard position, Magic Johnson. From his 1980 rookie campaign that ended with an NBA championship and Finals MVP award to securing his fifth NBA title in 1988, Magic Johnson led one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties during the 1980s, the Showtime Lakers. Magic would also secure a total of three Finals MVP awards and two of his three career MVP awards during the decade making him the clear and easy choice for the GOAT point guard of the ‘80s.
Isiah Thomas also led an iconic NBA team during the 1980s which led to his being selected as the second-greatest point guard of the 1980s. Thomas averaged 20.3 points, 9.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per game from 1982 through 1989 with eight All-Star selections and five All-NBA Team selections. Thomas helped lead the Pistons to back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990 with a Finals MVP award in 1990.
Dennis Johnson, Maurice Cheeks, and John Stockton take the last three spots for this decade. Johnson was a three-time All-Star during the 1980s with the Suns and Celtics who won championships in 1984 and 1986 with Boston. Cheeks earned four All-Star selections and helped the 76ers win a championship in 1983 while John Stockton was just beginning to enter his peak years with the Utah Jazz.
1. John Stockton
2. Gary Payton
3. Tim Hardaway
4. Kevin Johnson
5. Anfernee Hardaway
The 1990s were one of the greatest eras of NBA basketball with point guards making an impact left and right for their franchises. At the top was none other than John Stockton of the Utah Jazz who would go on to win seven assist titles and one steals title during the decade. He also earned six All-Star selections and led the Jazz to two NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998. In 2003, Stockton retired as the NBA’s all-time leader in assists and steals, a record that still stands today in 2023.
Gary Payton is widely considered to be the greatest defensive point guard in NBA history as well as one of the game’s elite trash-talkers. Payton would spend the entirety of the 1990s with the Seattle SuperSonics where he went on to earn five All-Star selections, six All-NBA Team selections, six All-Defensive Team selections, and a Defensive Player of the Year award in 1996. Payton helped lead Seattle to the NBA Finals in 1996 and averaged 18.2 points, 7.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game in 13 years with the team.
Tim Hardaway is one of the most elite ball-handlers in NBA history. During the 1990s, he earned five All-Star selections with the Warriors and Heat averaging 19.4 points and 9.0 assists per game. Kevin Johnson was a three-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA Team selection during the 1990s for the Phoenix Suns. He also helped lead them to an NBA Finals appearance in 1993. Penny Hardaway takes the fifth spot on our list for the work he did with the Orlando Magic during the decade. Hardaway was a four-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA Team selection.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 2000s
1. Steve Nash
2. Jason Kidd
3. Tony Parker
4. Chauncey Billups
5. Chris Paul
As far as two-way point guards go, there was never a better era than the 2000s. The first-place spot for the greatest of the decade has to belong to two-time MVP from the Phoenix Suns Steve Nash. While he did spend two All-Star seasons with Dallas as well, his MVP seasons would come in 2006 and 2007 with the Suns as he ran one of the most potent offenses in NBA history. In the 2000s, Nash averaged 16.2 points and 9.2 assists per game with three of his five career assists titles.
Jason Kidd should be considered one of the better all-around point guards in NBA history. During the 2000s with the Suns, Nets, and Mavericks, Kidd won four assists titles and earned eight All-Star selections as well as eight All-Defensive Team selections and five All-NBA Team selections. In 2002 and 2003, Kidd led a lackluster Nets roster to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances averaging 16.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 9.4 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.
Tony Parker is one of the winningest point guards ever with three of his four career NBA championships coming in the 2000s. Parker would also be named the 2007 Finals MVP in a sweep over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Chauncey Billups is one of the most clutch point guards in NBA history and is known for his efficient work from the free-throw line. Parker was a three-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA Team selection in the 2000s. Chris Paul takes home the fifth spot for his four years played in the 2000s. He won back-to-back assists and steals titles with the Hornets in 2008 and 2009 and finished second in MVP voting in 2008.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 2010s
1. Stephen Curry
2. Chris Paul
3. Russell Westbrook
4. Kyrie Irving
5. Damian Lillard
During the 2010s, Stephen Curry single-handedly changed the game of basketball forever with his incredibly voluminous and efficient three-point shooting. It would help him win two MVP awards in 2015 and 2016 as well as three NBA championships in 2015, 2017, and 2018. Curry became the NBA’s only unanimous MVP in 2016 after leading the Warriors to 73 wins with a scoring title and steals title averaging 30.1 points per game and 2.1 steals per game. Curry’s influence could be seen all over the world at all levels of basketball as anyone who hit the court wanted to be the next great three-point shooter.
Chris Paul was a two-way God during the 2010s with the Hornets, Clippers, and Rockets. Paul would go on to win two steals titles and four steals titles during the decade averaging 18.4 points, 9.6 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. Russell Westbrook is just behind Paul with numerous achievements that made NBA history during the 2010s. In 2017, he became MVP when he averaged a triple-double for the entire season with 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game. Westbrook’s MVP, two scoring titles, and two assists titles bring him just behind Paul for the 2010s.
Kyrie Irving played a large role in accomplishing something that neither Paul nor Westbrook did in their careers, an NBA title. In 2016, he helped lead one of the biggest upsets in NBA history including the series-sealing three-pointer in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. During the 2010s, Kyrie was Rookie of the Year and a six-time All-Star with one NBA championship. Damian Lillard became one of the greatest three-point shooting point guards and overall point guards ever in the 2010s as well with four All-Star selections and four All-NBA Team selections.
The 5 Greatest Point Guards Of The 2010s
1. Stephen Curry
2. Luka Doncic
3. Kyrie Irving
4. Damian Lillard
5. Trae Young
With the 2020s nowhere near over yet, we can only judge these point guards based on the four seasons from 2020 through 2023. Only one of these point guards has led his team to an NBA championship with a Finals MVP and that was Stephen Curry in 2022. Luka Doncic has been an All-Star and All-NBA Team selection in each of the last four seasons and should be the consensus favorite to rank at the top of this list by the end of the decade.
Both Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard are at the back end of their primes as NBA players but are still All-Star and All-NBA-level talent. Although they have both struggled to stay on the court for various reasons, they have proven they are elite when available to their teams as scorers, playmakers, and high-impact players. Trae Young is heading toward that category as well as one of the NBA’s premier scoring/playmaking guards. Young has the ability to get the most out of his teammates and is one of the more promising young guards in the NBA today.
