One of the most popular team ball games is basketball. This dynamic and quite entertaining sport is loved by millions of fans around the world.
Basketball fans know that the most brilliant professionals of this game are included in the NBA. Therefore, the most vivid basketball confrontations are held there.
The NBA stars, like the stars of the world pop scene, gather stadiums for their performances, receiving six-figure fees for the games held.
We present you the 10 most famous basketball players in the world, famous for their excellent game.
10. Dennis Rodman
Professional basketball player Dennis Rodman played for various NBA clubs. During his sports career, he managed to become the owner of five champion rings.
He became popular with fans of the game due to his unique style of aggressive struggle for selection, as well as a rather tough fight in defense.
Rodman was recognized as the best in rebounds on average for a game over seven consecutive NBA seasons, and this, in turn, is an undoubted record.
Despite the brilliant success in the sports field, Rodman was also able to realize his other talents. He acts in films, writes books, takes part in wrestling fights.
And the basketball player was remembered for his scandalous antics. This includes numerous fights, and dressing up as a woman, and even a joint dinner with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
9. Scotty Pippen
This athlete managed to become the NBA champion six times in the Chicago Bulls team.
Also two times Scotty Pippen He was awarded the title of Olympic champion in the US national team.
According to many analysts, Pippen is one of the most underrated NBA players. Giving all his strength to the team and long-time partner in Chicago, a real star - Michael Jordan, he thereby lowered his rating in the eyes of sports analysts, although they always spoke about his unique professional abilities.
8. Tim Duncan
This American basketball player played for the club San Antonio Spurs for 19 years. During this time, he managed to become the NBA champion 5 times, to win the Universiade and the American Championship.
It is interesting that Duncan became the only basketball player in the history of the NBA, who in the first 13 seasons was included simultaneously in the national teams of all stars and all defense stars.
Tim Duncan, according to most respected experts, is the strongest heavy forward in the history of the NBA and its personification of the first 15 years of this century.
His manner of playing was not distinguished by mystery and sophistication, however, throughout his sports career, it enabled the whole team to dramatically improve performance.
7. Karl Malone
Stability is a sign of mastery. These words must be the motto Karl Malone. Over the course of 19 seasons, his shots in the basket and passes regularly reached the goal, thanks to which he managed to take second place in the ranking of the most successful basketball players in the history of the NBA.
In the NBA, Malone played for the Utah Jazz club, where he managed to connect with John Stockton into one of the most successful tandems in the league. Successfully playing combinations, their duo became one of the most powerful NBA attack forces of the 90s.
Rumor has it that Karl Malone loved to train in stuffy rooms and purposefully looked for gyms where it would be unbearably hot. They also say that most of the time spent in the gym, he devoted to working with free weights.
6. Kobe Bryant
In the professional sports biography of this NBA player, there are many brilliant victories and not a single drop, with the exception of numerous injuries.
The most spectacular moments of the games with his participation will forever be remembered by millions of his fans. For more than twenty years on his author’s techniques, all the wisdom of basketball has been taught by the NBA beginners.
This outstanding modern basketball player, fans have long called “Black mamba“. He played on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Throughout his sports career, Bryant managed to win five NBA champion titles. As part of the US national team, twice managed to win the Olympic Games.
In addition to professional sports Kobe Bryant devotes his time to his own business - he is the owner of the brand K.O.B.E.
5. LeBron James
LeBron became a three-time NBA champion and was repeatedly recognized as the most valuable player in the final games of the playoff series.
James lebron became the second after the legendary Michael Jordan, who was able to carry out a triple double at the match of the stars and set a record for the number of “dry” wins in the playoff series.
4. Magic Johnson
Johnson throughout his brilliant sports career played in the Los Angeles Lakers. There he held the position of point guard. For his professional basketball fate, he became the NBA champion 5 times. In 1992, he won Olympic gold.
Magic johnson known not only as an outstanding basketball player, but also as an active defender of the rights of HIV-infected people. The athlete himself was diagnosed with this terrible diagnosis back in 1991. Then Magic took this news as a sentence, in connection with which he decided to say goodbye to his sports career.
However, after a while, he managed not only to find the strength in himself to combat a serious illness, but also by all possible means to draw public attention to this problem and help people who find themselves in a similar situation.
Thanks to intensive care for his health, Magic has been able to successfully deal with this disease for 19 years.
3. Larry Bird
In the United States, there is an opinion that white people are not given to achieve prominent success in basketball. However sports biography Larry Byrd - explicit confirmation of the opposite.
This athlete, possessing outstanding physical parameters (born weak, and in addition with a cleft lip), for many years was the leader of the famous “Boston” and became a real NBA legend and the personification of intellectual basketball.
This illustrious American basketball player has dedicated his entire professional career to the Boston Celtics Club. He became the champion of the Olympics, Universiade, and also won the highest award in the NBA championship.
Byrd is considered by many experts to be one of the strongest basketball players in the entire history of the NBA, as well as a universal player who, throughout his sports career, has been systematically in the top 10 most effective players.
2. Shaquille O`Neal
The name of this athlete forever entered the history of basketball. In the NBA, he spent about one and a half thousand matches. The weak point of the legendary athlete is a free throw.
In 1996, he managed to win the title of Olympic champion. At the same time Shaquille O’Neal was listed as the 50 best basketball player in NBA history.
In addition to the sports career itself, Shaquille quite successfully tried his hand as a commentator, basketball expert, film actor and even rapper.
1. Michael Jordan
Probably the name of this American athlete for a simple layman is the very personification of basketball. He held the position of attacking defender of the Chicago Bulls. Six times, mainly thanks to his efforts, the team became the NBA champion and won gold twice at the Olympics.
Michael Jordan is an official of the Nike brand. Throughout his career, Michael has not only reached sporting heights, but also made a significant contribution to the popularization of this game around the world. By the way, he is the first among basketball players to become a dollar billionaire.