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The Basketball 100: The Story of the Greatest Players in NBA History
Listening Length = 20 hours and 46 minutes
With a foreword by Charles Barkley, The Basketball 100 is a celebration of basketball by way of the 100 greatest players to ever grace the court in the history of the NBA.
Over the course of 100 luminous player profiles, the best sports newsroom on the planet paints vivid portraits of the game’s most compelling characters. There’s George Mikan, who was cut from his high school team because he wore glasses, then went on to become the fledgling NBA’s first transcendent star. Gary Payton, called “The Glove” for his skintight defense, who talked as much trash to his teammates as he did to his opponents on the court. Dennis Rodman, who started playing basketball at age 20, and in a few short years went from working as a janitor at the airport to being one of the strangest superstars that sport has ever known. Allen Iverson, who drew inspiration from hip hop for his inimitable style and swagger, on and off the court. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was so dominant in the paint that they changed the rules—and Steph Curry, who was so dominant outside it that he seemed to expand the very boundaries of the court.
The Basketball 100, edited by award-winning reporters David Aldridge and John Hollinger, also answers the game’s toughest, most important questions: How should we weight championship rings, versus statistical profiles, versus the “eye test”? Were the great players of yesteryear, like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, propelled by the inferior athleticism of their competition or would they have been transcendent in any era? And of course, who’s the GOAT—MJ or LeBron? Speaking of GOATs, for the book, Hollinger (inventor of the statistical metric PER) has created a new benchmark, GOAT Points.
Wonderfully written, authoritative, and full of joy, The Basketball 100 is a fitting tribute to the greatest sport in the world.
PLEASE NOTE: With the purchase of this title, an accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
With a foreword by Charles Barkley, The Basketball 100 is a celebration of basketball by way of the 100 greatest players to ever grace the court in the history of the NBA.
Over the course of 100 luminous player profiles, the best sports newsroom on the planet paints vivid portraits of the game’s most compelling characters. There’s George Mikan, who was cut from his high school team because he wore glasses, then went on to become the fledgling NBA’s first transcendent star. Gary Payton, called “The Glove” for his skintight defense, who talked as much trash to his teammates as he did to his opponents on the court. Dennis Rodman, who started playing basketball at age 20, and in a few short years went from working as a janitor at the airport to being one of the strangest superstars that sport has ever known. Allen Iverson, who drew inspiration from hip hop for his inimitable style and swagger, on and off the court. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was so dominant in the paint that they changed the rules—and Steph Curry, who was so dominant outside it that he seemed to expand the very boundaries of the court.
The Basketball 100, edited by award-winning reporters David Aldridge and John Hollinger, also answers the game’s toughest, most important questions: How should we weight championship rings, versus statistical profiles, versus the “eye test”? Were the great players of yesteryear, like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, propelled by the inferior athleticism of their competition or would they have been transcendent in any era? And of course, who’s the GOAT—MJ or LeBron? Speaking of GOATs, for the book, Hollinger (inventor of the statistical metric PER) has created a new benchmark, GOAT Points.
Wonderfully written, authoritative, and full of joy, The Basketball 100 is a fitting tribute to the greatest sport in the world.
PLEASE NOTE: With the purchase of this title, an accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
752 pages, Hardcover
First published November 26, 2024
150 people are currently reading
518 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
December 1, 2024
A thoroughly unexceptional ranking of the best players in NBA history. Part of the problem is that there have been so many of these types of lists in recent years that there isn't a shred of mystery about who is going to be at the top. If you find anything about what is said here to be illuminating, you haven't read much about these players. And while the writing here isn't as dull and formulaic as The Athletic book on the 100 greatest football players, there's nothing much that stands out here. The nasty stuff is kept to the barest details, and the gushing about some of these players gets really nauseating as you go along. Much of it reads like stuff churned out by PR teams. For my money, the rankings done by Bill Simmons are more interesting and entertaining.
August 4, 2024
As a lifelong basketball fan, I immensely enjoyed my journey through the 750+ page "The Basketball 100," an arguable yet entirely entertaining and informative countdown through the NBA's 100 greatest players of all-time.
If you're a basketball fan, you're going to disagree. That's a given.
True story. I once lost a friend during a debate about the two players likely to be Indiana's two greatest pro players - Reggie Miller (NBA) and Tamika Catchings (WNBA). NOTE: No, Larry Bird doesn't count since he didn't play professionally in Indiana.
See, already arguing.
I argued for Catchings, in case you wondered, and to this day I'm comfortable with that choice. For the record, my friend and I eventually re-connected. We simply don't talk basketball.
He was wrong.
Compiled by The Athletic's foremost basketball writers and analysts, "The Basketball 100" doesn't ignore the ABA entirely (which would be a serious mistake), however, there's no question this countdown emphasizes the NBA's greatest.
What's refreshing with this collection is that it's not a simple case of presenting a basketball bio with stats. We get engaging stories and vivid portraits of some of the game's most compelling players.
For true basketball fans, the inclusion of George Mikan is a must. Cut from his high school team because he wore glasses, he would become the NBA's first true mega-star. There's other familiar names here, of course, from Gary Payton to Dennis Rodman and Allen Iverson to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar among dozens of others. There seems to be a leaning toward contemporary greats (I would argue against inclusion of at least a dozen players) and, of course, we get a bold declaration of the greatest of all-time - no big surprise who's picked, though certainly many will disagree.
"The Basketball 100" explores what all the stats can and should mean in determining the greatest players - championship rings vs. stats? past vs. present? individual success vs. team success?
It's all here.
Basketball is king in Indiana and "The Basketball 100" is befitting of a king. It's a beautifully written countdown filled with authoritative info, stories, and stats. It's a book that truly celebrates the sport of basketball and the greatest players of all-time. If you don't disagree with the list, you're probably not a real basketball fan.
My beloved Reggie Miller is here, of course, though a bit low for my liking. Indiana-born Larry Bird is a no-brainer and, deservedly so, Attucks High School great Oscar Robertson is also given his place of honor here (I will confess disappointment that no ABA Pacer made the list - especially George McGinnis).
"The Basketball 100" is an absolute blast and a must-read for basketball fans. Now then, let's do the same for the WNBA.
If you're a basketball fan, you're going to disagree. That's a given.
True story. I once lost a friend during a debate about the two players likely to be Indiana's two greatest pro players - Reggie Miller (NBA) and Tamika Catchings (WNBA). NOTE: No, Larry Bird doesn't count since he didn't play professionally in Indiana.
See, already arguing.
I argued for Catchings, in case you wondered, and to this day I'm comfortable with that choice. For the record, my friend and I eventually re-connected. We simply don't talk basketball.
He was wrong.
Compiled by The Athletic's foremost basketball writers and analysts, "The Basketball 100" doesn't ignore the ABA entirely (which would be a serious mistake), however, there's no question this countdown emphasizes the NBA's greatest.
What's refreshing with this collection is that it's not a simple case of presenting a basketball bio with stats. We get engaging stories and vivid portraits of some of the game's most compelling players.
For true basketball fans, the inclusion of George Mikan is a must. Cut from his high school team because he wore glasses, he would become the NBA's first true mega-star. There's other familiar names here, of course, from Gary Payton to Dennis Rodman and Allen Iverson to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar among dozens of others. There seems to be a leaning toward contemporary greats (I would argue against inclusion of at least a dozen players) and, of course, we get a bold declaration of the greatest of all-time - no big surprise who's picked, though certainly many will disagree.
"The Basketball 100" explores what all the stats can and should mean in determining the greatest players - championship rings vs. stats? past vs. present? individual success vs. team success?
It's all here.
Basketball is king in Indiana and "The Basketball 100" is befitting of a king. It's a beautifully written countdown filled with authoritative info, stories, and stats. It's a book that truly celebrates the sport of basketball and the greatest players of all-time. If you don't disagree with the list, you're probably not a real basketball fan.
My beloved Reggie Miller is here, of course, though a bit low for my liking. Indiana-born Larry Bird is a no-brainer and, deservedly so, Attucks High School great Oscar Robertson is also given his place of honor here (I will confess disappointment that no ABA Pacer made the list - especially George McGinnis).
"The Basketball 100" is an absolute blast and a must-read for basketball fans. Now then, let's do the same for the WNBA.
November 6, 2025
This is a really cool list of the greatest players! Each player is listed along with their career stats and insight on their ability and impact on the game.
What really stood out to me were some of the contemporary players listed. Obviously there are the bigger legends and soon to be retired greats (LeBron, KD, Curry, etc.) but there are a lot of younger guys here (Giannis, Luka, and more).
This mix of old and young players allows for an detailed, informative appreciation of the past and present.
What really stood out to me were some of the contemporary players listed. Obviously there are the bigger legends and soon to be retired greats (LeBron, KD, Curry, etc.) but there are a lot of younger guys here (Giannis, Luka, and more).
This mix of old and young players allows for an detailed, informative appreciation of the past and present.
March 12, 2025
I thought this was book was amazing and it both helped me relive many memories and moments as well as learn more about memories and moments that I was not apart of especially the ones that happened before I was born/started really watching the NBA. I don’t want to criticize this book too much based on ratings of the players, based on my own opinions, but I did have some problems with them. For example, I believe that the emphasis on championships was a bit too much. I understand that is the ultimate achevievemt for a player especially if you win Finals MVP or are a main contributor to being in the Finals. However, I believe that hurt players that didn’t deserve it like Karl Malone being the best player without a finals was ranked at 17 even though the calculations they used put him at #5. So putting a guy like Kobe Bryant 7 spots ahead of him just seems wrong especially considering that Kobe never even won a FMVP when Shaq was on the court. Speaking of the GOAT points I really enjoyed this section to understand why players were put where they were put and the values they placed on certain accolades all seemed very reasonable to me. It is impossible to truly rank players with different positions and playing in different eras so this was very helpful. However, that’s what made the discrepancies between that list and the list they created enraging to me. For example, how are players like Derrick Rose (an MVP winner), Adrian Dantley, and Chauncey Billups (a FMVP winner) being excluded from this list. Even SGA deserves a spot especially considering where he’s at at such a young age and will clearly be a top player of all time when his career is finished assuming he stays healthy especially considering he should be around 80 right if he were to retire right now. Speaking of younger players though I found some to be overrated such as Luka because especially with championships being such a big focus it’s hard to believe that he already is a top 50 player with how little experience he has under his belt. When we still haven’t seen how he will play past his prime or perhaps he still has a next level to get to in his prime then how do you put him over another great all-time scorer like T-Mac. Which is why I didn’t really mind the exclusion of a guy like SGA but I wish they kept it more consistent. Also, the glazing of Jordan being the best of all time and never being toppled is ridiculous especially when you look at how many more GOAT points LBJ has than Jordan. The only real argument was about never losing in the Finals which is absurd considering that means he got there 10 times (8 straight). Also, the idea that talent in the NBA is decreasing seemed to be horribly untrue to me especially considering everyone can focus exclusively on basketball and training is much better as opposed to guys that worked other jobs in the offseason and didn’t have modern tech. Anyways I’m trying not to rant too much, but I did love this book generally, but I wish they spent more time on other aspects of their career such as college and the Olympics (especially for non-American teams). However, I did enjoy the personal life and I understand the book would probably be too long if they added too much. I also appreciated that there were lots of The Athletic authors involved to get perspectives from writers that clearly knew a lot about these players careers and lives. I also enjoyed the Barkley foreword along with the invention of the shot clock. I definitely agree the men that helped that happen should be put in the Hall of Fame. Apologies for all the ranting and I hope The Athletic creates these for other sports (or at least baseball and football) if they haven’t already done so so then I can read and argue about that.
January 25, 2025
I mean, it's harsh to judge this against Posnanski's Baseball 100, but this book is just not nearly that good. And this is harsh because that book is literally an incredible work of storytelling, research, and sports journalism all combined. But that bar has been set.
What the Baseball 100 had that this book did not have included:
-one author, as opposed to the amalgamation of Athletic writers, who each had their own style and to some extent judgment on players
-depth of story, as opposed to these stories that rarely got into the players' early lives (which is the real source of their eventual greatness)
-depth of judgment (including all leagues in which the players played), as opposed to these stories that mostly only considered the players' time in the ABA/NBA--I know it says NBA in the subtitle, but for a book calling itself the Basketball 100, I find it puzzling that it hardly considered their college careers
-depth of analysis (every player was given a full detail in terms of the qualities and plays they made that made them great), as opposed to the spotty nature of these stories in which for many of them, it seemed that the author assumed that we already knew the player's playing style and thus did not need an actual explanation of what made them great, beyond just some quotes and statistics. Some players had more time given to outside of basketball or after playing career stuff that meant their actual basketball greatness was neglected.
-depth of consideration of history (comparison of eras of baseball), as opposed to almost nothing along these lines. I mean, how can you talk so much about the players in the 60's greatness without dealing with how few teams were in the league at the time? I mean, I love Bill Russell, but you can't tell me he wins that many championships if there were even only 20 teams in the league, meaning more rounds of the playoffs, etc. The book also didn't really deal that much with how rules changes (like the shot clock, three pointers, or when zone defense was allowed or not) impact the consideration of players' historical greatness.
Still, this book was quite enjoyable, and I plowed through it quite quickly. I just would have liked it that much more if it included the things I mention above.
I actually mostly agree with the ranking of players (which I won't give away), so that's not really my quibble. I just wanted more. I also would have liked more quotes/stories from the actual player himself, or even just more from players close to that player. I mean, I don't think there were any quotes in this whole book by LeBron or Michael Jordan for example.
Still, if you love basketball, you will enjoy this book.
What the Baseball 100 had that this book did not have included:
-one author, as opposed to the amalgamation of Athletic writers, who each had their own style and to some extent judgment on players
-depth of story, as opposed to these stories that rarely got into the players' early lives (which is the real source of their eventual greatness)
-depth of judgment (including all leagues in which the players played), as opposed to these stories that mostly only considered the players' time in the ABA/NBA--I know it says NBA in the subtitle, but for a book calling itself the Basketball 100, I find it puzzling that it hardly considered their college careers
-depth of analysis (every player was given a full detail in terms of the qualities and plays they made that made them great), as opposed to the spotty nature of these stories in which for many of them, it seemed that the author assumed that we already knew the player's playing style and thus did not need an actual explanation of what made them great, beyond just some quotes and statistics. Some players had more time given to outside of basketball or after playing career stuff that meant their actual basketball greatness was neglected.
-depth of consideration of history (comparison of eras of baseball), as opposed to almost nothing along these lines. I mean, how can you talk so much about the players in the 60's greatness without dealing with how few teams were in the league at the time? I mean, I love Bill Russell, but you can't tell me he wins that many championships if there were even only 20 teams in the league, meaning more rounds of the playoffs, etc. The book also didn't really deal that much with how rules changes (like the shot clock, three pointers, or when zone defense was allowed or not) impact the consideration of players' historical greatness.
Still, this book was quite enjoyable, and I plowed through it quite quickly. I just would have liked it that much more if it included the things I mention above.
I actually mostly agree with the ranking of players (which I won't give away), so that's not really my quibble. I just wanted more. I also would have liked more quotes/stories from the actual player himself, or even just more from players close to that player. I mean, I don't think there were any quotes in this whole book by LeBron or Michael Jordan for example.
Still, if you love basketball, you will enjoy this book.
February 3, 2025
4.5 stars
February 8, 2025
For the bball fans 🏀
May 11, 2025
Very fun and easy read, my favorite book I’ve read in a while
Read
May 12, 2025:)
December 21, 2024
Excellent. I'll quibble with a few of the rankings, but I learned a great deal about older players who shined before my time.
December 22, 2024
I love these top 100 books. Great sports history. Right on with MJ and LeBron as 1-2.
January 28, 2025
Not gonna lie, this one was *severely* underwhelming for me. I was expecting...I guess a lot more in terms of content? I don't know, perhaps a detailed breakdown of each player's career, certainly more of a deep dive into each one...I guess I was looking for a more fulfilling read. That's not what I got though, as this book is essentially a compilation of newspaper profiles on each player, with varying degrees of quality depending on the player as well as the writer who they are being covered by. There were a few segments I enjoyed; however more than a few of them were ones that I had to put up with. Very disappointed for a book that I was very much looking forward to, but hey, others might enjoy it, and that's why I give it 2 stars and not the 1 I was leaning towards.
May 5, 2025
Lists are something that have given me comfort throughout my life. Whether in the many sports books I digested or the almanacs that filled my mind with exotic locales (Burkina Faso sounded so melodic), I have long had a fixation with lists. It is a fairly ironic thing, being that I am shit at making lists or following said lists. While, I find solace in the reading of lists, I have difficulty in the organization needed; I would combed through the most pointless of stats in a book than cram loose pages of paper into every nook and cranny in my backpack. Needless to say, books that are based on the simple and some might say lazy concept of top whatever have scratched my proverbial itch for decades. Though, not breaking any new ground, this book does a commendable job of highlighting its reasons why for example they view Russell Westbrook to be a “greater” player than Allen Iverson.
Much like the measure of a man is not easy to figure out, oftentimes the greatness of a player is not easily quantifiable. Statistics are by their very nature easy to manipulate based on how you want to frame an argument. Even the authors of this work after devising a scalable model based on numerous factors to create a GOAT point scale, essentially threw it away by realizing that ranking players based on a formula can be just as fraught with error as doing one based on team success or even as arbitrary as the “feels” they invoked.
Even if the math ended up making sense on a purely individual level which it doesn’t, the level of competition and advancements make watching a game from one era to the next seem like a completely different sport. Watching a 6-foot chain-smoker who daylighted as a factory worker compete with the finely tuned modern day athlete is an exercise in futility. Also, the speed and rate of pace has vacillated wildly between eras, not to mention the various rule changes, making it a truly apples versus giraffes level of comparison.
Additionally, there is the success of a team to factor. How do you rate team performance compared to individual performance? Is being a “winner” intrinsic and so conversely is being a “loser” also? Is being a champion who was the fifth best player worth more than being the best player on a losing team? Should subjugating your stats and place for the greater “good” mean something?
Another concern is injury and the what-if question. What do you do with a Bernard King, Bill Walton, Grant Hill, Pete Maravich or countless others, whose careers were shortened and shortchanged due to health? Is it “greater” to have had a peak of 3 or 4 subliminal years or to have been good for a decade and a half? How do you factor in a back injury from Larry Bird compared to Magic Johnson’s career being derailed due to his HIV status? There are so many fascinating arguments to be made and dissected.
With all that being said, I believe this book does a wonderful job with an accurate if not always correct listing. The quibbles are minor and this is an excellent primer for purist and dilettante alike. My favorite profiles were those I was only vaguely familiar with such as Paul Arizin or Nate Thurmond, whose obscurity rendered him a black and white photo from his college days on the 50 greatest player poster, despite playing in noted backwaters like San Francisco and Chicago. There were drawbacks to the concise and complaisant approach that this book took. A number of the profiles felt clichéd, Dave Cowens always plays hard, John Havlichek is constantly moving, Rick Barry is a miserable prick. The authors chosen to write the profiles often had little to no connection to their subject matter which led to some insipid writing. Overall, this is a fine book that in opposition to much of sports media attempts to create discourse without shouting or gesticulating and would make a dandy companion for those who don’t need to hear opinions shouted from the loudest megaphones, as such it is worthy of 3.5 stars rounded up.
Much like the measure of a man is not easy to figure out, oftentimes the greatness of a player is not easily quantifiable. Statistics are by their very nature easy to manipulate based on how you want to frame an argument. Even the authors of this work after devising a scalable model based on numerous factors to create a GOAT point scale, essentially threw it away by realizing that ranking players based on a formula can be just as fraught with error as doing one based on team success or even as arbitrary as the “feels” they invoked.
Even if the math ended up making sense on a purely individual level which it doesn’t, the level of competition and advancements make watching a game from one era to the next seem like a completely different sport. Watching a 6-foot chain-smoker who daylighted as a factory worker compete with the finely tuned modern day athlete is an exercise in futility. Also, the speed and rate of pace has vacillated wildly between eras, not to mention the various rule changes, making it a truly apples versus giraffes level of comparison.
Additionally, there is the success of a team to factor. How do you rate team performance compared to individual performance? Is being a “winner” intrinsic and so conversely is being a “loser” also? Is being a champion who was the fifth best player worth more than being the best player on a losing team? Should subjugating your stats and place for the greater “good” mean something?
Another concern is injury and the what-if question. What do you do with a Bernard King, Bill Walton, Grant Hill, Pete Maravich or countless others, whose careers were shortened and shortchanged due to health? Is it “greater” to have had a peak of 3 or 4 subliminal years or to have been good for a decade and a half? How do you factor in a back injury from Larry Bird compared to Magic Johnson’s career being derailed due to his HIV status? There are so many fascinating arguments to be made and dissected.
With all that being said, I believe this book does a wonderful job with an accurate if not always correct listing. The quibbles are minor and this is an excellent primer for purist and dilettante alike. My favorite profiles were those I was only vaguely familiar with such as Paul Arizin or Nate Thurmond, whose obscurity rendered him a black and white photo from his college days on the 50 greatest player poster, despite playing in noted backwaters like San Francisco and Chicago. There were drawbacks to the concise and complaisant approach that this book took. A number of the profiles felt clichéd, Dave Cowens always plays hard, John Havlichek is constantly moving, Rick Barry is a miserable prick. The authors chosen to write the profiles often had little to no connection to their subject matter which led to some insipid writing. Overall, this is a fine book that in opposition to much of sports media attempts to create discourse without shouting or gesticulating and would make a dandy companion for those who don’t need to hear opinions shouted from the loudest megaphones, as such it is worthy of 3.5 stars rounded up.
December 7, 2024
“Let the debates begin,” concludes Charles Barkley in his foreword to this prodigious book celebrating the 100 greatest players in NBA history.
David Aldridge, John Hollinger and the staff of The Athletic have added a third leg to a sports journalism triple crown, joining Joe Posnanski’s THE BASEBALL 100 and THE FOOTBALL 100 (also authored by The Athletic) as extraordinary compilations that have as their ostensible goal to rank the top athletes in each sport. Like the previous two volumes, THE BASKETBALL 100 is an authoritative and fitting tribute to the game and its iconic players.
This review is not a comparison of the three books, but one difference must be noted. Posnanski is the only author listed for THE BASEBALL 100. His style is unique, and there is occasional repetition of some of the wonderful baseball anecdotes and motifs. I think even Posnanski would agree that his work might have benefited from a final edit. For THE FOOTBALL 100 and THE BASKETBALL 100, The Athletic uses multiple authors whose writing styles and historical perspectives create different views of players, their contributions and the various eras in which they played. Readers must make their own judgment on the end results, but I enjoyed all three treatments.
The format here is the traditional countdown from 100 to 1, but it really is of little significance where your favorites fall on the list. There are vivid player profiles created by some of the best sportswriters in America. Each profile runs five or six pages and concludes with that player’s career statistics and accomplishments. Eighty-two of the 100 are former players, while 18 are still active. The authors also discuss the players who came closest to appearing on the list but ultimately were excluded. Of course, every reader will have an opinion on who should have made the cut. Regardless of what your favorite sport is, debating numbers, achievements and stature is the most enjoyable part of the game.
The first meaningful change for basketball was the appearance of the “big man,” George Mikan. While Mikan places 36th on the list, the authors acknowledge that he probably would merit a top 10 appearance based solely on impact. Before Mikan, basketball was still a developing sport. Jump shots were rare, and the game was dominated by small and fast guards. Mikan was tall at 6’7” but was cut from his high school team because, in addition to being slow and clumsy, he wore glasses. In college he was developed by DePaul University coach Ray Meyer into a dominant player through hard work and drills, some of which continue to be used in basketball today.
The second groundbreaking event was the impact of Black players during the civil rights era in America, and their representation in THE BASKETBALL 100 is dominant. Nine African Americans appear in the top 10, and many have career stories that include racial snubs and affronts. The accomplishments of such players as Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson and Sam Jones are made more significant because of the racism and bigotry they were forced to confront. One of the interesting side notes about Robertson’s career is that his high school team, the Crispus Attucks, lost the Indiana High School championship to Milan, which would be portrayed decades later in the film Hoosiers.
The final element of this history is the growth of basketball as a global sport and the entry into the NBA of such players as Hakeem Olajuwon, Nikola Jokić and Pau Gasol. Each of their stories is part of the book and adds to the glorious portrait of the sport that is vividly recounted here.
Rich in detail, human interest anecdotes and game accounts, THE BASKETBALL 100 will serve as a classic reference book for generations of basketball fans.
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
David Aldridge, John Hollinger and the staff of The Athletic have added a third leg to a sports journalism triple crown, joining Joe Posnanski’s THE BASEBALL 100 and THE FOOTBALL 100 (also authored by The Athletic) as extraordinary compilations that have as their ostensible goal to rank the top athletes in each sport. Like the previous two volumes, THE BASKETBALL 100 is an authoritative and fitting tribute to the game and its iconic players.
This review is not a comparison of the three books, but one difference must be noted. Posnanski is the only author listed for THE BASEBALL 100. His style is unique, and there is occasional repetition of some of the wonderful baseball anecdotes and motifs. I think even Posnanski would agree that his work might have benefited from a final edit. For THE FOOTBALL 100 and THE BASKETBALL 100, The Athletic uses multiple authors whose writing styles and historical perspectives create different views of players, their contributions and the various eras in which they played. Readers must make their own judgment on the end results, but I enjoyed all three treatments.
The format here is the traditional countdown from 100 to 1, but it really is of little significance where your favorites fall on the list. There are vivid player profiles created by some of the best sportswriters in America. Each profile runs five or six pages and concludes with that player’s career statistics and accomplishments. Eighty-two of the 100 are former players, while 18 are still active. The authors also discuss the players who came closest to appearing on the list but ultimately were excluded. Of course, every reader will have an opinion on who should have made the cut. Regardless of what your favorite sport is, debating numbers, achievements and stature is the most enjoyable part of the game.
The first meaningful change for basketball was the appearance of the “big man,” George Mikan. While Mikan places 36th on the list, the authors acknowledge that he probably would merit a top 10 appearance based solely on impact. Before Mikan, basketball was still a developing sport. Jump shots were rare, and the game was dominated by small and fast guards. Mikan was tall at 6’7” but was cut from his high school team because, in addition to being slow and clumsy, he wore glasses. In college he was developed by DePaul University coach Ray Meyer into a dominant player through hard work and drills, some of which continue to be used in basketball today.
The second groundbreaking event was the impact of Black players during the civil rights era in America, and their representation in THE BASKETBALL 100 is dominant. Nine African Americans appear in the top 10, and many have career stories that include racial snubs and affronts. The accomplishments of such players as Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson and Sam Jones are made more significant because of the racism and bigotry they were forced to confront. One of the interesting side notes about Robertson’s career is that his high school team, the Crispus Attucks, lost the Indiana High School championship to Milan, which would be portrayed decades later in the film Hoosiers.
The final element of this history is the growth of basketball as a global sport and the entry into the NBA of such players as Hakeem Olajuwon, Nikola Jokić and Pau Gasol. Each of their stories is part of the book and adds to the glorious portrait of the sport that is vividly recounted here.
Rich in detail, human interest anecdotes and game accounts, THE BASKETBALL 100 will serve as a classic reference book for generations of basketball fans.
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
April 11, 2025
As a basketball enthusiast, there’s a lot to like about this book. For starters, Aldridge and Hollinger, along with various staff members from The Athletic, provide great stories of the 100 best basketball players. Whether it’s about Bill Russell dealing with racism while playing in Boston, or learning about the impact players like Paul Arizin had on the game; these stories are insightful and entertaining. There’s also another chapter at the end of the book that talks about the significance of the 24 second shot clock and how it probably saved the game. All of this was fun to read and provided greater insight on a sport that I love.
But of course, what most people will come for is the ranking of the 100 best players of all time, and in this aspect, the book has hits and misses. While one can certainly disagree with the placement of where some players land on this list, there are other players that have been left out that in my opinion, should have been included. Both Aldridge and Hollinger try and defend their process at the end of the book by giving you their criteria for what matters, but the fact of the matter is: it’s just their opinion. There is NO WAY that some current players should be on this list OR should be rated as highly as they are. I don’t want to spoil the list by giving names, but as a person who has been following the NBA since the early 1970s, some of the names included on this list left me scratching my head, while looking for other names that were left off did exactly the same thing. Was this intentional to spark debate? In some instances, probably. But if they really wanted to give me another chapter, it should have been on WHY some players (who are fairly notable), were left off. With a page count of over 700, I can understand why they didn’t do that; but some of the decisions that went into this list should have to be explained.
Does the book fail because of this issue? No. In fact, it will inspire one to debate the merits of certain players from different generations; and it might even have you going to YouTube to check out video footage of players you may never have had the pleasure of watching on the court. If you’re a basketball enthusiast, you’ll love this book. It’s a great retelling of the history of the game and the time periods that these athletes are from. One of the better sports books I’ve read.
But of course, what most people will come for is the ranking of the 100 best players of all time, and in this aspect, the book has hits and misses. While one can certainly disagree with the placement of where some players land on this list, there are other players that have been left out that in my opinion, should have been included. Both Aldridge and Hollinger try and defend their process at the end of the book by giving you their criteria for what matters, but the fact of the matter is: it’s just their opinion. There is NO WAY that some current players should be on this list OR should be rated as highly as they are. I don’t want to spoil the list by giving names, but as a person who has been following the NBA since the early 1970s, some of the names included on this list left me scratching my head, while looking for other names that were left off did exactly the same thing. Was this intentional to spark debate? In some instances, probably. But if they really wanted to give me another chapter, it should have been on WHY some players (who are fairly notable), were left off. With a page count of over 700, I can understand why they didn’t do that; but some of the decisions that went into this list should have to be explained.
Does the book fail because of this issue? No. In fact, it will inspire one to debate the merits of certain players from different generations; and it might even have you going to YouTube to check out video footage of players you may never have had the pleasure of watching on the court. If you’re a basketball enthusiast, you’ll love this book. It’s a great retelling of the history of the game and the time periods that these athletes are from. One of the better sports books I’ve read.
June 25, 2025
A great first book for basketball fans, kind of exactly like the Baseball 100 and the Football 100 in that this is 100 stories about the 100 greatest players in a particular sport. The stories are about four pages each, until around the top 50 they start going to about 8 pages a player and then around 10. Written by a bunch of writers from the Athletic, some stories are good and some felt incomplete. It's kind of a cliff-notes version of each player. Nothing too in depth. My takeaways are that Elgin Baylor needed to be lower on this list (I won't say where he is). I agreed with the top 10 actually, but in a different order barely. My top five was also what I predicted and would say, only a slightly different order. But if you're learning basketball, yeah you'll read about Baylor, Steph Curry, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, Walt Frazier, Patrick Ewing, Shaq, Larry Bird, Dwayne Wade, Dominique Wilkins, Isiah Thomas, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Sam Jones, George Mikan, Jerry West, Steve Nash, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, James Worthy, Paul Gasol, Scottie Pippen, Nate Thurmond, Bob McAdoo, Dave Cowen, John Havelchick, Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Gary Payton, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Bernard King, Oscar Robertson, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Magic JOhnson and many, many more. Took me a while to read as the book is just short of 700 pages.
January 31, 2025
I really enjoyed this book, especially the stories about players from past eras. As a child of the ’90s, reading about MJ, Shaq, Barkley, Malone, and Olajuwon brought a strong sense of nostalgia. It was also fascinating to see how different the league was in its formative years compared to today. The book highlights challenges players faced, such as needing offseason jobs in the ’50s and ’60s just to make ends meet and fighting civil rights injustices while competing at the highest level.
That said, the book isn’t perfect. I couldn’t help but compare it to Bill Simmons' The Book of Basketball (2009). In many ways, this feels like a spiritual successor, especially in its attempt to rank contemporary players against historical greats. (I know these lists are subjective, but Nikola Jokić is criminally underrated here.) However, where Simmons infused his writing with wit, humor, and an unfiltered take on players’ personalities and games, this book often reads like an extended version of a basketball card—dry and overly polished. There are exceptions, such as the section on Pippen’s feud with Jordan over The Last Dance documentary, but those moments are rare.
Still, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to any basketball history fan.
That said, the book isn’t perfect. I couldn’t help but compare it to Bill Simmons' The Book of Basketball (2009). In many ways, this feels like a spiritual successor, especially in its attempt to rank contemporary players against historical greats. (I know these lists are subjective, but Nikola Jokić is criminally underrated here.) However, where Simmons infused his writing with wit, humor, and an unfiltered take on players’ personalities and games, this book often reads like an extended version of a basketball card—dry and overly polished. There are exceptions, such as the section on Pippen’s feud with Jordan over The Last Dance documentary, but those moments are rare.
Still, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to any basketball history fan.
December 1, 2024
"The Basketball 100" is an engaging and thought-provoking book that aims to answer some of the most challenging questions in the world of basketball. Edited by award-winning reporters David Aldridge and John Hollinger, this collection presents a ranking of the top 100 players of all time, while also delving into the game's most important aspects and debates.
While the authors' selections and rankings are sure to spark discussion and disagreement among basketball fans, the book's in-depth analysis and thorough examination of each player's career make it a fascinating read for anyone who loves the sport.
"The Basketball 100" goes beyond simply listing the greatest players, offering insights into what made each individual so exceptional and how their impact extended beyond the court. From Julius Erving's telegenic appeal and diplomatic demeanor to Allen Iverson's unquestioned heart and intensity, the book provides a rich tapestry of stories that capture the essence of basketball greatness. I enjoyed this one!
** Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review **
While the authors' selections and rankings are sure to spark discussion and disagreement among basketball fans, the book's in-depth analysis and thorough examination of each player's career make it a fascinating read for anyone who loves the sport.
"The Basketball 100" goes beyond simply listing the greatest players, offering insights into what made each individual so exceptional and how their impact extended beyond the court. From Julius Erving's telegenic appeal and diplomatic demeanor to Allen Iverson's unquestioned heart and intensity, the book provides a rich tapestry of stories that capture the essence of basketball greatness. I enjoyed this one!
** Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review **
March 13, 2025
For me, a much needed primer on the NBA history through its’ players. Having a DIL and SIL who played the game and being married to a UK grad (I know college) made picking up The Basketball 100 a must right before NCAA March Madness. Celebrating basketball all the way back to my college days. The gamesmanship of sleeping outside for season tickets to watch Clark Kellogg at a university known for its football history is a memory I love.
I did enjoy the intertwining of stories - interviews of players and those who played with/knew them. Use of statistics as well as memories and relationships with others and organizations helped me see the NBA in a broader light. Each player was brought to the reader via athleticism, personality and their contribution to the game.
This is a large volume of material so i really focused in on names I knew and top 10 GOAT as well as players still in the league.
Chris Paul and Joel Emblid stories have me looking for more on them, perhaps biographies.
Charles Barkley gives a great forward - I could read forever about him or listen to audio by him.
Great read for all, good writing, great perspective on business, people and contributions.
I did enjoy the intertwining of stories - interviews of players and those who played with/knew them. Use of statistics as well as memories and relationships with others and organizations helped me see the NBA in a broader light. Each player was brought to the reader via athleticism, personality and their contribution to the game.
This is a large volume of material so i really focused in on names I knew and top 10 GOAT as well as players still in the league.
Chris Paul and Joel Emblid stories have me looking for more on them, perhaps biographies.
Charles Barkley gives a great forward - I could read forever about him or listen to audio by him.
Great read for all, good writing, great perspective on business, people and contributions.
November 26, 2024
4.5 stars
The Athletic is a sports journalism department of The New York Times. The writers covering the NBA have compiled player profiles of the athletes they believe belong on the 100 all-time greats list.
As soon as I received the book in the mail, I flipped to the back to make sure they got the #1 player correct. Thankfully, they made the right choice so I knew I could take the rest of the rankings seriously. The profiles were interesting and they often included quotes by other players and coaches on how they viewed that particular athlete’s skills. Every era of the NBA is well represented with players. While career stats were listed along with other achievements at the end of each profile, I wish the years played as well as with what team(s) were more predominantly featured rather than maybe being mentioned in the actual article. In some cases the profile was not as detailed as I would have expected with that information.
The GOAT Points section was a nice addition as it had more of a mathematical approach to determining the ranks. Crazy how the lists differed in terms of the order as well as some players being left off one list or the other. Just goes to show that you really can have an endless debate about the subject. Recommend reading if you are a fan of the NBA.
Thank you William Morrow for sending me a free advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
The Athletic is a sports journalism department of The New York Times. The writers covering the NBA have compiled player profiles of the athletes they believe belong on the 100 all-time greats list.
As soon as I received the book in the mail, I flipped to the back to make sure they got the #1 player correct. Thankfully, they made the right choice so I knew I could take the rest of the rankings seriously. The profiles were interesting and they often included quotes by other players and coaches on how they viewed that particular athlete’s skills. Every era of the NBA is well represented with players. While career stats were listed along with other achievements at the end of each profile, I wish the years played as well as with what team(s) were more predominantly featured rather than maybe being mentioned in the actual article. In some cases the profile was not as detailed as I would have expected with that information.
The GOAT Points section was a nice addition as it had more of a mathematical approach to determining the ranks. Crazy how the lists differed in terms of the order as well as some players being left off one list or the other. Just goes to show that you really can have an endless debate about the subject. Recommend reading if you are a fan of the NBA.
Thank you William Morrow for sending me a free advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
October 29, 2025
Very entertaining book for any basketball fan. I wish the book had been written by a single author or maybe two to help with the continuity and the flow, and maybe more discussion over the hairsplitting between rankings. I was very interested in the idea of the stat GOAT points, and it did help show how the rankings were created, but it seemed to almost invalidate itself when the final entry said that there is no comparison to MJ and never will be. "The sky is blue, grass is green, and MJ is the greatest basketball player of all time," were the words used (or something along those lines), but the gap between Lebron and number two on the authors own created metric isn't particularly close. Overall, it is a really fun and easy book to read, just a little daunting in length. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn about the games 100 greatest players.
December 15, 2025
Enjoyable overall. A few quibbles here and there with the order (Kevin Garnett is a top-20?), but they generally get the right people in the right places.
With many of the chapters, it was sort of difficult to understand what distinguished that player from others. Some of the chapters focused too much on off-court behavior (Kyrie & Rodman), while other focused too much on social justice (Russell & Kareem).
This book is obviously seeking to replicate Joe Posnanski's outstanding Baseball 100, but the chapters don't achieve the same level of gravitas as Posnanski's chapters do. Part of this is that baseball stories can be captured and elevated by dramatic moments (GW HR's in the WS), but basketball stories are much less about individual moments. The chapters in Aldridge and Hollinger aren't as compelling.
This will need an update every 10 years or so. Guys like Luka and Jokic will make it a lot higher.
They got #1 right.
With many of the chapters, it was sort of difficult to understand what distinguished that player from others. Some of the chapters focused too much on off-court behavior (Kyrie & Rodman), while other focused too much on social justice (Russell & Kareem).
This book is obviously seeking to replicate Joe Posnanski's outstanding Baseball 100, but the chapters don't achieve the same level of gravitas as Posnanski's chapters do. Part of this is that baseball stories can be captured and elevated by dramatic moments (GW HR's in the WS), but basketball stories are much less about individual moments. The chapters in Aldridge and Hollinger aren't as compelling.
This will need an update every 10 years or so. Guys like Luka and Jokic will make it a lot higher.
They got #1 right.
November 27, 2024
I read a free advance digital review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
Of course, the reader isn’t going to agree with all of The Athletic’s choices of the top 100 players, but that’s OK. It makes for ample room for debate about who is in and out, and where they are placed. And overall, the choices are plausible enough to limit most readers’ outrage.
This is not a stat-heavy book, and that’s fine with me; you can get stats loads of other places. Each player gets a mini-bio that is short enough for the reader to move along quickly, but has enough depth that you are likely to learn something new, even about players you thought you already knew well.
This is an entertaining read for basketball junkies, and designed so that it’s easy to read intermittently.
Of course, the reader isn’t going to agree with all of The Athletic’s choices of the top 100 players, but that’s OK. It makes for ample room for debate about who is in and out, and where they are placed. And overall, the choices are plausible enough to limit most readers’ outrage.
This is not a stat-heavy book, and that’s fine with me; you can get stats loads of other places. Each player gets a mini-bio that is short enough for the reader to move along quickly, but has enough depth that you are likely to learn something new, even about players you thought you already knew well.
This is an entertaining read for basketball junkies, and designed so that it’s easy to read intermittently.
December 28, 2024
Basketball dorks like myself will like this. My inner b-ball snob took exception to some of the rankings on the list but it’s whatever. If you’ve paid attention to the sport over the past 50ish years, you’ll know who’s on the list. This is best read with the Youtube Time Machine nearby being able to pull up highlights and other moments mentioned throughout the book. I didn’t enjoy the experience quite like I did with “The Baseball 100” by Joe Posnanski. THAT is the best sports ball book ever made but this is still pretty good. Some of the players had more pages dedicated to them but then others it was in and out in like 4-5 pages? That was...odd? I’m being nitpicky, please read this basketball fans.
January 5, 2025
This is not really a book to sit down with and read straight through (although that's what I did). It's really more 100 different chapters reflecting these great players. I think by and large Aldridge et al did a pretty good job of ranking these players (of course, as a Bulls fan I agree with and am pleased to see the choice of Michael Jordan as Number One, as well as Scottie Pippen at Number 30). I of course also disagree (in some cases, rather vehemently) with some of the rankings (I've never been that big a fan of Kobe Bryant - to me, he was a ball hog who tried to be a clone of Jordan, and is ranked way too high at #10), but isn't that the point?
July 22, 2025
Ever since Espn came out withe their 75th anniversary list of the top 75 nba players in league history, fans and media have become obsessed with making their own lists. The Athletic does the same with this book, and they do it pretty well. I may not agree with everything on their list, but no one does. We all have our own opinions and takes on certain players. This book welcomes that, and it has a true appreciation for all eras of the game throughout history. The only reason it's not a 5 is because these lists have become repetitive.
March 20, 2025
This book was good cuz I like basketball. But the writing and content is sort of whatever. I often found the writing didn't make sense b/c it would jump around in timelines and I would not know what they're talking about. In terms of content, they mostly just say how a player is good, but they don't actually compare them to anyone else or give reasoning why a player is specifically where they are.
Bill Simmons' Book of Basketball is much better.
Bill Simmons' Book of Basketball is much better.
April 12, 2025
Aggressively "ok"
Hard to recommend this one because if you're into basketball you probably know a little more about most of the players and the vibes than it's telling you and if you're not into basketball it doesn't really give you enough to know more and care.
Maybe I'm being too uncharitable compared to something like Bill Simmons's Book of Basketball which did more or less the same thing but I feel more positive towards that one.
Hard to recommend this one because if you're into basketball you probably know a little more about most of the players and the vibes than it's telling you and if you're not into basketball it doesn't really give you enough to know more and care.
Maybe I'm being too uncharitable compared to something like Bill Simmons's Book of Basketball which did more or less the same thing but I feel more positive towards that one.
May 26, 2025
Really long and really boring. Each article exists by itself and there’s no real discussion about why each player is where they are. If I had a dollar for every time one of the writers used the expression “peak of their powers” I would be able to buy several copies of this book. As a reference guide to different players it’s serviceable, but it pales in comparison to Bill Simmons’ Book of basketball in entertainment and repeated readability
June 24, 2025
Sports culture is not complete without rankings. While the numbers were less at the forefront of my mind, the exploration of the history of the league through the lens of its players is a refreshing read. There was never an age of Plumbers and Cab Drivers as JJ Reddick likes to say, but completing narratives of the experiences that have come to not only shape the past by the present of the league today.
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