The NBA has long been home to some of the most gifted athletes basketball has ever produced, and across every era the league has showcased dominant centers, dazzling guards, prolific scorers, and defensive masterminds.

One player who unquestionably belongs in discussions surrounding the NBA’s all-time greats is Charles Barkley. The former Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns superstar has become a fan-favourite thanks to his role on TNT’s Inside the NBA, where his unfiltered opinions and self-deprecating humour have made him one of basketball’s most entertaining personalities.

At times, though, Barkley’s media success can overshadow just how dominant he was as a player during the late 1980s and 1990s. Despite standing only 6-foot-6, Barkley routinely battled with much bigger forwards and centers, earning the NBA MVP award in 1993 with Phoenix. He was also selected to the All-NBA First Team five times, including four consecutive appearances beginning in 1988.

Even with all of his accomplishments, Barkley has previously admitted he does not place himself among the very top names in NBA history. Speaking alongside former players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Barkley revealed his personal top 10 NBA players of all time, and several legendary figures surprisingly failed to make the cut.

10

Jerry West

Jerry West remains one of the defining figures in NBA history and is widely viewed as one of the greatest point guards ever. Forever connected with the Los Angeles Lakers, West excelled not only as a player, but later as a coach and executive as well.

During his playing days, West earned 14 All-Star selections and captured his lone NBA championship in 1972. His influence on the game was so significant that he remains one of the few players to win Finals MVP honours despite ending up on the losing side of the series.

9

Hakeem Olajuwon

A dominant center who led the Houston Rockets to back-to-back championships in the mid-1990s, Hakeem Olajuwon was a nightmare match-up on both offence and defence. Whether he was rejecting shots with perfect timing or dazzling defenders with his iconic footwork in the post, Olajuwon possessed one of the most complete skill sets ever seen from a big man.

It speaks volumes about ‘The Dream’ that he is remembered not only as one of basketball’s greatest overall talents, but also as one of the finest defenders in league history.

8

Tim Duncan

In a career that took him from the 1990s, the 2000s, and then the 2010s, Tim Duncan had an important role in much of the San Antonio Spurs’ legendary success over the three decades that he competed in. Widely regarded as one of the best power forwards of all time, if not the best, Duncan combined his incredible IQ for the game with a genuinely good touch out of the post.

Whether he was leading from the front, or deferring to some of his superstar teammates and simply doing what was needed, Duncan was the ultimate glue that held everything together for the Spurs even despite their different iterations and eras of the team.

7

LeBron James

In one of the big shocks of Barkley’s ranking, LeBron James comes in at no.7 on his all-time list. The Los Angeles Lakers star often comes up in the GOAT conversations alongside Michael Jordan, but for Barkley, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

6

Kobe Bryant

Ahead of LeBron James comes Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant. The Black Mamba had the same kind of elite, win-at-all-costs mentality that made Michael Jordan great, and it was perhaps no surprise that the latter seemed to respect Bryant a lot when the two shared the same court during the late ’90s and early 2000s.

A man who would often step up in the playoffs, Bryant’s peak carried the Lakers to titles and an MVP award. Having seen Shaquille O’Neal take the Finals MVP award for each season of their three-peat at the turn of the century, Bryant came into his own once Big Diesel had left.

5

Bill Russell

The most successful player in NBA history, Bill Russell’s haul of championships will likely never be touched again. In the argument for the best player to put on a Boston Celtics jersey, Russell and his teammates would dominate the NBA during their legendary run.

An 11-time champion, Russell is one of only eight players to have achieved the Triple Crown – winning the NCAA championship, the NBA title, and Olympic Gold. A five-time MVP, Russell’s greatness on the court was matched off it, and his work in trying to ensure greater equality for African Americans in a time of deep discontent was nothing short of extraordinary.

4

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Until he was passed by LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held the record for the most points in NBA history. The master of the ‘sky-hook shot’, the Los Angeles Lakers legend was an unstoppable force from the post for much of his incredible career. With a record six NBA MVP awards to his name – one more than Michael Jordan – Abdul-Jabbar is mostly recognised for his achievements with the Lakers, but his time with the Milwaukee Bucks should not be forgotten either.

He won the title, MVP, and Finals MVP award with the Bucks in 1971, while he was also named to the All-NBA First Team and NBA All-Defensive Second team too that year – what perhaps makes it even more remarkable, is that his achievements in 1971 came just two years after he came into the league.

3

Wilt Chamberlain

In third place, and in Barkley’s eyes, the greatest center of all time, comes Wilt Chamberlain. While Chamberlain may have lost numerous potential NBA titles to his perennial rival at the time, Bill Russell, there’s no questioning the greatness that the giant center achieved during his time in the league.

The only man to have scored 100 points in a game, Chamberlain is said to hold a total of 72 records in the NBA, while some of his eye-catching statistics include registering 55 rebounds in a contest and never fouling out. Chamberlain’s legacy may well be tied to Russell and his losing battle in terms of the number of championships won by either man, but their rivalry has stood the test of time and is an indication of just how great they both were.

2

Oscar Robertson

Much like the conclusion drawn with Wilt Chamberlain, Barkley ranking Oscar Robertson as the second-greatest player of all time, means he considers him the best point guard in NBA history. In GIVEMESPORT’s list of the best PGs of all time, Magic Johnson takes top spot, and it is intriguing to see that the Los Angeles Lakers star misses out completely on Barkley’s list.

However, that is not to disrespect the incredible player and Hall of Famer that Robertson is in his own right. The NBA’s MVP in 1964, Robertson was voted in as an All-Star on 12 separate occasions, while he was named to the All-NBA First Team an impressive nine times too.

His one championship came with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 when he was playing alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while one of his most astonishing achievements was averaging a triple double over an entire season in 1962. He was the first player in NBA history to do so until Russell Westbrook and Nikola Jokic joined him in the 21st century.

1

Michael Jordan

The greatest of all-time for Shaquille O’Neal, as well as for Barkley, Michael Jordan’s accomplishments in the 1990s beggars belief. A multiple-time MVP and multiple-time champion, Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to unprecedented success.

Speaking after watching The Last Dance documentary, Barkley admitted his admiration for Jordan only increased after seeing what he had to contend with, particularly during his early years in the league in the late 1980s.