NBA is the largest basketball tournament in the world, and it is no hiding that the NBA roster is dominated by talent, including both black and white athletes. This article features the list of 41 best white players to ever set foot on the NBA Court. This list includes all the big names who have played the game to the best who are playing the game right now.
Names like Larry Bird, Luka Dončić, and Kevin Love are featured in this list. There may be some names of players that you haven’t even heard of yet. Stick right here with the article to find out who are the best 41 white players to ever grace the court of the NBA tournament.
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1. Larry Bird
Larry Bird is widely known by his nickname “The Hick From French Lick” and is widely regarded as the best white player to ever play in the NBA. Larry’s full name is Larry Joe Bird, and he was born on 7 December 1956; he is a retired American professional basketball player who played for Boston Celtics. He is also a former coach and recently served as the President of Basketball Operations for the Indiana Pacers in the NBA.
Bird played as a power forward and small forward for 13 seasons for the Celtics. He is a 12-time NBA all-star and has received the NBA Most Valuable Player award three consecutive times in his career. He spent his entire career at Bostom Celtics and won three NBA championships and two NBA finals Most Valuable Player awards.
2. Dirk Nowitzki
Nowitzki is a retired German professional basketball player who cemented his name in the history Dallas Mavericks. He was chosen as the ninth pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1998 NBA Draft. He was then immediately traded to Dallas Mavericks, where he played his entire 21-year-long NBA career.
Nowitzki is regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of his time; he won the most valuable player of the League award in 2007, won the League and became the champion in 2011, and was a fourteen-time NBA all-star. He is remembered for his scoring ability, his accuracy when shooting from outside, his versatility, and his fadeaway jump shot which became his trademark.
3. Nikola Jokić
Our first center-position white NBA player is Nikola Jokic; he is a Serbian professional basketball player who currently plays for Denver Nuggets. He won the Most Valuable Player award in the NBA for the 2020-21 season and is a three-time All-Star who has been named to the All-NBA Team on three different occasions.
He is widely known by his nickname “the Joker” and was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft. He also represents the Serbian National team, where he plays an important role.
4. John Stockton
Regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time, John Stockton holds the number four position on our list. He played his entire career for the Utah Jazz, and the team made it to the playoffs for each of the 19 seasons he played for them. Stockton, along with his teammate Karl Malone led the Jazz to their only two-time NBA final appearances in 1997 and 1998.
John is a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee and a ten-time NBA All-Star. He was also part of the dream team for the United States (the 1992 men’s Olympic basketball team). He holds the title for one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history and is regarded as the best point guard of all time because of his NBA records for most steals and career assists.
5. Luka Dončić
Luka Dončić is a professional basketball player of the Dallas Mavericks hailing from the country of Slovenia. He shined very early on in his career as a youth player for the Union Olimpija before signing for Real Madrid at the mere age of just thirteen. He joined the senior team at the age of 16 and led the Madristas to the 2018 Euro League title.
He was named ACB’s most valuable player and Euro League MVP at the age of nineteen. He then went on to win back-to-back ACB best young player and Euro League Rising Star awards. In the 2018 NBA Draft, Dončić was selected by Dallas Mavericks and made his long-awaited move to the United States.
6. Jerry West
Mr. Clutch himself, Jerry West, is known worldwide for his decisive plays in the most clutch moments in NBA history. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers and is famous for his buzzer-beating 60-foot shot against New York Knicks that tied the 1970 NBA Finals.
He is an Olympic gold medalist and a Hall of Famer at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He holds the record for the highest points per game average in NBA with a staggering 46.3 score. He also coached Los Angeles Lakers for three years and was named one of the 50 greatest players in the NBA in 1996.
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7. Steve Nash
An eight-time All-Star, Seven times All NBA Selection, and two-time NBA Most Valuable player Steven Nash is a former Canadian basketball player and professional basketball coach.
He played for some big teams in the NBA, such as the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Phoenix Suns. He played 18 seasons in his career and currently serves as a head coach for the Brooklyn Nets in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
8. Pete Maravich
Commonly known as Pistol Pete, Peter Press Maravich was an American professional basketball player born in Pennsylvania and raised in Carolina. He started his career playing for his father, who was the head coach at Louisiana State University. He retired early due to injury but has played for three NBA teams and had a team-year career run.
He is the youngest player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was labeled as the greatest creative talent in history. John Havlicek, a Hall of Famer, stated that Pete Maravich was the best ball handler of all time. Pete died at the age of 40 during a pick-up game due to an undetected heart condition.
9. Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale sure does have a very common name. There are two other individuals apart from the American Professional Basketball Player who has gained a name for themselves. He played for the Boston Celtics and had a successful playing career, and he is remembered by the fans of the Boston Celtics.
10. John Havlicek
Havlicek was an American professional basketball player who played for Boston Celtics. He is among the very few players in the National Basketball Association to have won the championship eight times in his career.
Havlicek is regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball. He was inducted as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984. He is also one of the only three players in the NBA to have a record of 8-0 in NBA Final series outcomes.
11. Rick Barry
Rick Barry is a retired professional basket player from America who has played both in the NBA and in the American Basketball Association (ABA). He is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee and is the father of current NBA player Canyon Barry and also to the former NBA players Jon Barry, Brent Barry, and Drew Barry.
He is infamously known for his unorthodox style of shooting technique. It was an effective underhand free throw that made them the only player to lead the scoring charts of the NBA, ABA, and NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association).
12. Bill Walton
William Theodore Walton III, commonly known by his sports career name Bill Walton is an American retired basketball player who also worked as a television sportscaster later on. He had a pretty successful career right from the start, where he won two NCAA Championships with UCLA Bruins in 1972 and 1973.
In the NBA, he won one Most Valuable Player (MVP) award and two NBA championships. Walton’s career was hampered by numerous foot injuries. He also has to undergo several surgeries because of them later on. In 1993, He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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13. Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy may have had the most decorated career of any player on this list. Cousy is an American retired basketball player who played for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He had a very successful career with the Celtics, leading the league for 8 years in assists, playing in six NBA Championship teams, and being in 13 NBA All-Star teams in his 13 seasons of play.
He won the 1957 NBA most valuable player award and was named to 12 All-NBA first and second teams. He introduced a new style of passing and ball-handling skills, which earned him the nickname the Houdini of the Hardwood. After his career, he became a broadcaster for Celtic games and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
14. Chris Mullin
A two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and a two-time Hall of Fame Inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Chris Mullim is an American retired professional basketball player and a former head coach for the St. John’s Red Storm. He also was the special advisor to Sacramento Kings and served as the general manager of the Golden State Warriors.
He played the shooting guard and small forward positions in the NBA and was also a member of the 1982 and 1992 U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Teams. He retired after the 2000-01 season playing for Golden State Warriors and had an exceptional NBA career.
15. Paul Gasol
A six-time NBA All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection, twice on the third team and twice on the second team. Paul Gasol Sàez is a Spanish retired basketball player who played for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA.
He also played for Los Angeles Lakers and has won two NBA Championships with them. He was titled as the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2002 and is one of the only three non-American players to have won that award.
He also has a pretty successful international career where he has won a FIBA World Cup title, two Olympic silver medals, one Olympic bronze medal, and three EuroBasket titles all with the Spanish National team. He is also the elder brother of fellow NBA player Marc Gasol.
16. Bob Pettit
The first-ever recipient of the Most Valuable Player award in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Robert Lee Pettit Jr.(commonly known as Bob Pettit) is an American retired basketball player who played for the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks.
He has also won the MVP award four times in the NBA All-Star games. This feat only matches Kobe Bryant in all of the NBA to date. 1970 was the year Pettit was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
17. Peja Stojaković
Peja or Predrag Stojaković is a Serbian retired basketball player who most recently served as the director and manager of player personnel and development of the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He mostly played the small forward position most of his career and was infamous for his three-point shooting.
He won the NBA three-point championship two times and became the first-ever European player to win one of the All-Star weekend competitions. He is a staggering 6ft 10 and has 1,760 three-point goals in his entire career. At the time of his retirement, he ranked 10th in the all-time three-point goals table, but he is ranked in 23rd position now.
18. George Mikan
George Mikan is considered a legend in basketball history. He is nicknamed Mr. Basketball, and he plays the game with thick round spectacles on the court; Mikan is seen by all the fans of the game as a pioneer of professional basketball. He redefined the game and forced many changes in the NBA rules with his game style.
His shot-blocking, prolific rebounding, and talent to shoot over small defenders with his versatile hook shot, the Mikan Drill. He frequently used the underhand free throw shooting technique long before Rick Barry made it his signature weapon on the court.
He had a very successful career where he won seven BAA, NBL, and NBA championships and an All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award. He was so dominant on the court that many rule changes had to be made in the NBA.
The introduction of the goaltending rule, the extension of the foul lane (known as the Mikan Rule), and the creation of the shot clock are some of the rules that were influenced or created because of Mikan. After his professional basketball career, Mikan became one of the founding members of the American Basketball Association (ABA).
He died in his long battle with diabetes in 2005; the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Mikan as a member in 1959, and in 1996, he was elected to be one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players ever.
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19. Jason Williams
Jason Chandler Williams played as a point guard for twelve seasons and belonged from West Virginia. He earned the nickname White Chocolate because of his style of play.
He is most famous for his career with the Miami Heat, but he also played for Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, and Orlando Magic throughout his career. He was named one of the top 25 players of all time in the Miami Heat’s history in 2007 by Miami Heat.
20. Arvydas Sabonis
We all know basketball is the game of big men, and Arvydas Sabonis truly stood up to the statement. Standing at a height of 7ft 3, he was a true big man playing the game. Sabonis is a Lithuanian retired basketball player and a businessman. He has played a bunch of leagues during his professional career and has spent seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States.
He played the center position and won a gold medal for the Soviet Union in the 1988 Olympics held in South Korea. He won bronze medals as well for the Soviet Union in later Olympics of 1992 and 1996. He retired as a professional basketball player in the year 2005. He is regarded as one of the best centers and big-man passers to have ever played the game.
For his great contributions to international basketball, Sabonis was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame and later on was also inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also voted to become the president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation on October 24, 2011.
21. Kevin Love
Kevin Wesley Love is an American Professional Basketball player who is a five-time NBA All-Star and one-time champion playing for team Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a member of the gold medalist United States team at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2010 FIBA World Championship.
He is the son of the former NBA player Stan Love, and he shone right from the start during his college days when he played for the UCLA Bruins and made his team reach the finals of the 2008 NCAA tournament. He set the longest streak of consecutive games, recording double figures in rebounds and points since the NBA and ABA merger.
22. Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol Sáez is a basketball player for the Bàsquet Girona in the Liga ACB; he hails from Spain. He plays the center position and is a three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Team Member. In 2013 he was named the Defensive Player of the Year with Memphis Grizzlies, and he won the NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
He has been a regular member of the Spain National Team and has won two FIBA World Cup titles and two Silver medals in the Olympics. He has also won a silver medal, two bronze medals, and two titles in the EuroBasket.
23. Mark Price
William Mark Price played most of his career for the Cleveland Cavaliers; he played for a total of 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He spent the last three years of his career with Orlando Magic, Washington Bullets, and Golden State Warriors, consisting of one season with each.
He most recently served as the head coach for the UNC Charlotte 49ers. He was a standard player with nothing much flashy up his sleeve and playing the game as it should be played.
24. Jerry Lucas
Jerry Ray Lucas was a star from his early career as a basketball player. He received a national award during his days as a high school player and was a college star at Ohio State. He won a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics, and this was all before he started playing as a professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association (NBA).
He was named All-NBA first teams three times and is a seven-time NBA All-Star. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1964, and the consecutive year in 1965 won the MVP award of the NBA All-Star game. He is still, to date, the only three-time Big Ten player of the year and also a two-time NCAA player of the Year and a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee.
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25. Gail Goodrich
Gail Charles Goodrich is an American retired basketball player who is best known for his then-record score of 42 points for UCLA vs. Michigan in the 1965 NCAA championship game. He also played a pivotal role for the Los Angeles Lakers in their 1971-72 season, during which the team won a still record of 33 consecutive games.
This record at that time was the best regular season record in NBA history for any team. He also won the Laker’s first NBA championship after relocating to Los Angeles. Goodrich was the top scorer in that team and has also topped the scoring charts for UCLA in its first two national championships.
26. Tom Chambers
Thomas Doane Chambers is a four-time NBA All-Star and a retired professional basketball player who played for Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He not only had a strong shot but was known for his high-flying dunks.
Chambers is one of the two players, along with Antawn Jamison, with 20,000 or more career points needed to be eligible but was not elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
27. Dave DeBusschere
David Albert DeBusschere was an American Professional Basketball player who played for the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also was a coach and had a career as a Major League Baseball Player.
He did not have a special style of play but played the game by the textbook. He was named one of the 50 greatest players of all time in NBA history in 1996. He also made it into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
28. Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf is an American-German retired professional basketball player who played in the small forward and power forward positions. He was drafted by Dallas Mavericks in the 1985 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. He was a three-time NBA All-Star and a two-time NBA sixth man of the Year.
Detlef played in the NBA for a total of sixteen seasons, during which he played for multiple teams. He has played for Indiana Pacers, Portland Trailblazers, and Seattle Supersonics; he reached the NBA finals with Seattle Supersonics.
29. Jeff Hornacek
Jeffery John Hornacek is an American Professional basketball coach and former Professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He mostly played the shooting guard position in his career.
And has played for Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and Philidelphia 76ers. He most recently served as the head coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
30. Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge is an American former Professional Baseball and basketball player who played for the Pheonix Suns, Boston Celtics, Portland Trailblazers, and Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently serving as the President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics.
Danny was an exceptional talent from his early young days; he won the John R. Wooden Award for the most outstanding male college basketball player and was also named national basketball college player of the Year. He primarily played in the shooting guard position and did very well in that role. After this career as a player, he coached Phoenix Suns for three seasons.
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31. Vlade Divac
Vlade Divac is a Serbian former Professional basketball player and basketball executive. He is currently positioned as the President of basketball operations and general manager of the Sacramento Kings. He played the center position and is widely known for his exceptional passing skills.
He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame for his contributions to international games. Apart from his basketball career, Divac also has a humanitarian career as well. He helps the needy and children back in his hometown.
32. Kyle Korver
Arguably the best 3-point shooter in NBA history, Kyle Korver is an American former basketball player who currently works as a player development coach for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Korver is ranked third all-time in three-point goal percentage and ranks fourth all-time in the three-point goals made category. His shooting technique was fine, and he could score goals consistently from the three-point line.
33. Gordon Hayward
Gordon Daniel Hayward is a basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets, hailing from America. He played college basketball for two seasons with the Butler Bulldogs and was selected by the Utah Jazz in the 2010 NBA Draft.
He led the Butler Bulldogs to the championship finals of the NCAA Tournament. He later on signed with Boston Celtics in 2017 and was also selected for the NBA All-Star.
34. Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Poringis is a versatile player who plays both power forward and center positions for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
He is a Latvian who started his career with youth teams in his hometown. He played with the youth teams for some time and qualified for the tryouts for the Baloncesto Sevilla youth squad.
He spent many years in the junior squad of Sevilla and represented them in the Nike International Junior Tournament, which resulted in his promotion to the senior squad.
He rose to new heights there and became the star of the team and the youngest player to receive the EuroCup Basketball Rising Star award. Finally, in the 2015 NBA draft, he was selected by the Knicks as the fourth overall pick.
35. Bill Laimbeer
Bill Laimbeer is a former professional basketball player who is currently serving as the coach of the Las Vegas Aces of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). He had a pretty good career in his prime with Detroit Pistons, where he played for eleven years.
He played the center position and has played with hall-of-Famers Isiah Thomsan, Joe Dumars, and Dennis Rodman. He is a four-time NBA All-Star and has won two NBA championships with Pistons. He has also been twice named WNBA’s Coach of the Year.
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