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Andy Lyons /Allsport1 of 30
The '90s were a great time for the NBA. The fouls were hard, the rivalries were heated, and the talent was unparalleled. But who were the top players of the decade? Of course we know who #1 will be so no shocker there, but the rest of the list is full of the best players the league has ever seen.
*A quick note, in order to be on the list the player has to have played at least 5 seasons during the decade, which eliminates Magic, Bird, Kobe and Isaiah Thomas. Sorry.*
30. Dan Majerle
When Majerle was drafted in 1988 the Suns fans booed him. Cotton Fitzsimmons, the Suns coach at the time, told them they would regret ever booing him. In 2003 I'm sure they changed their minds as he was inducted into the Suns' "Ring of Honor."
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Getty Images2 of 30
29. Brad Daugherty
Although his career was cut short due to back problems, Daugherty retired as the Cleveland Cavaliers all time leading scorer and rebounder as well as being a five time NBA All-Star.
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Tom Hauck /Allsport3 of 30
28. Glen Rice
The three time All-Star is still the Charlotte Hornet's all time leading scorer with a scoring average of 23.5 points per game. He's also 11th all time in three point shots with 1,559.
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Doug Pensinger /Allsport4 of 30
27. Mitch Richmond
Voted to 5 All-NBA teams, Richmond has the most career points of any eligible player who hasn't been elected to the NBA Hall of Fame.
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Tim Defrisco/ALLSPORT5 of 30
26. Chris Webber
As a member of the Fab Five at Michigan, Webber had huge expectations coming into the league in 1994. He did not disappoint. He won Rookie of the Year with Golden State and had successful runs with the Wizards, Kings, and 76ers before retiring in 2007 with the Pistons.
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Robert Laberge /Allsport6 of 30
25. Danny Manning
After averaging 22.8 points per game and being an All-Star selection in '93, Manning suffered from numerous injuries which forced him into a sixth man role. He thrived averaging 13.5 points per game while playing only 26 minutes per game.
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Jamie Squire/Getty Images7 of 30
24. Latrell Sprewell
Despite his post-NBA troubles, Sprewell was a dominant force in the league averaging 24.2 points per game in 1996 and helping the Minnesota Timberwolves reach the Western Conference finals in 2004.
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Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images8 of 30
23. Joe Dumars
Michael Jordan described Joe Dumars as the best defender he ever faced in the NBA. He was a six time all star and was elected to the All-Defensive first team four different times.
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Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images9 of 30
22. Penny Hardaway
Hardaway spent the best part of his career playing alongside Shaq with the Orlando Magic. He was a 4-time All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist, a member of the NBA All-Rookie team and the reason we all love Lil' Penny.
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Craig Jones /Allsport10 of 30
21. Shawn Kemp
One of the most explosive athletes ever in the NBA, Kemp led the Seattle Sonics to a franchise-record 64 wins and their first Finals appearance in 1996. He was a six-time All-Star and was named to the Seattle SuperSonics' 40-year anniversary team.
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Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images11 of 30
20. Dominique Wilkins
Known as the Human Highlight Film, Wilkins won two slam dunk contests and was a nine-time NBA All Star. Other than his last three season, Wilkins never averaged less than 20 points per game.
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Ezra O. Shaw/Allsport12 of 30
19. Dikembe Mutombo
One of the greatest shot blockers to ever play, Mutombo is second all time in blocked shots, and won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times.
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Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images13 of 30
18. Kevin Johnson
Before becoming the mayor of Sacramento, Johnson was a dominant point guard for the Phoenix Suns. He was the first player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 assists, a .500 field goal percentage, and 2 steals in a season.
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RHONA WISE/AFP/Getty Images14 of 30
17. Tim Hardaway
Hardaway has the distinct honor of reaching 5,000 points and 2,500 assists faster than any other player except for Oscar Robertson and became the 7th player in NBA history to average 20+ points per game and 10+ assists in a season.
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TOM MIHALEK/AFP/Getty Images15 of 30
16. Alonzo Mourning
Mourning's decorated career includes an NBA championship, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, 7 NBA All-Star selections and the second place spot on the Miami Heat's all time leading scorer list (9,459 points).
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Otto Greule/Getty Images16 of 30
15. Gary Payton
The only point guard to ever win the Defensive Player of the Year award, Payton retired as one of the all time greats finishing 3rd all time in steals, 7th in assists, 21st in points, and 7th in minutes played. He is also the only player in NBA history to have 20,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 8,000 assists and 2,000 steals in a career.
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Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images17 of 30
14. Grant Hill
It's hard to imagine how great Hill could have been if it were not for injuries throughout his career. Despite those, he was the 1995 co-Rookie of the Year, a seven-time NBA All Star, and had more points, rebounds, and assists in his first six seasons than anyone other than Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, and Lebron James.
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Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images18 of 30
13. Chris Mullin
The four-time All Star put up some of the most ridiculous shooting numbers in the '90s, averaging over 50 percent shooting from the field and over 40 percent from three point range during the decade. He was also part of the original Olympic Dream Team.
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Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images19 of 30
12. Dennis Rodman
His personal life has definitely gathered more attention, which is unfortunate because Rodman was one of the most dominant defensive players of all time. He was an 8-time NBA All-Defensive selection, 2-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and a 5-time NBA Champion.
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Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport20 of 30
11. Clyde Drexler
Drexler holds the all-time record for offensive rebounds by a guard in NBA history. He was also a ten-time All-Star, Olympic Gold Medalist, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.
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Otto Greule/ Getty Images/ Allsport21 of 30
10. Reggie Miller
Known for his precise shooting, Miller retired with the record for most 3-point field goals made and led the NBA in free throw percentage five times. He was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2012.
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Andy Lyons /Allsport22 of 30
9. Scottie Pippen
One of the best small forwards of all time, Pippen made seven All-Star teams, eight NBA All-Defensive First Teams in a row, and is the only player in history to win an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year twice.
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GEORGE FREY/AFP/Getty Images23 of 30
8. Karl Malone
Malone's incredible career includes holding the record for most free throws attempted and made in NBA history, most defensive rebounds, and second all-time on the NBA career scoring list ahead of Michael Jordan and only trailing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images24 of 30
7. David Robinson
Robinson was given just about every honor an NBA player can receive including MVP, Rookie of the Year, 10-time All-Star, 3-time Olympian, and leading the league in scoring (93-94), rebounding (90-91), and blocked shots (91-92). He was also only the 4th player to ever score over 70 points in an NBA game.
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Dale Tait/NBAE via Getty Images25 of 30
6. John Stockton
Just to put into perspective how dominant Stockton was at the point guard position, his 15,806 assists not only lead the NBA all-time, it's nearly 4,000 more than Jason Kidd who is second. Stockton also has the all-time record for steals at 3,265, nearly a thousand more than 2nd place which is, you guessed it, Jason Kidd.
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Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images26 of 30
5. Charles Barkley
Known as one of the most outspoken and dominant players ever in the NBA, he not only won league MVP in 1993 and was voted to eleven All-Star games, he was also one of four players in NBA history to record at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists in their career.
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Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images27 of 30
4. Patrick Ewing
Ewing was the foundation of the Knicks in the '90s finishing in the top ten in field goal percentage, rebounds per game, total rebounds, points per game, and blocks in the NBA 8 different times. He was also an 11-time NBA All-Star.
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Stephen Dunn /Allsport28 of 30
3. Shaquille O'Neal
Shaq exploded into the NBA and was unstoppable for two decades. Along with Kobe Bryant, he won three straight NBA championships, was the 1993 Rookie of the Year, 1995 Scoring Champion, and a fifteen-time All-Star.
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Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images29 of 30
2. Hakeem Olajuwon
Arguably the greatest center to ever play in the NBA, Olajuwon took over the NBA after Michael Jordan retired. The Dream won back to back NBA championships and Finals MVPs in 1994 and 1995, making every other big guy in the league look ridiculous. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2008.
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VINCENT LAFORET/AFP/Getty Images30 of 30Next: 100 Greatest Wrestlers of the 90s
1. Michael Jordan
No surprise here. What do you possibly say about the greatest of all time? He won 6 NBA championships and Finals MVPs, 10 NBA scoring titles, and every other award you can win. What made Jordan so dominant was his will to win. He refused to lose and therefore made everyone around him better. He was also named ESPN's Top Athlete of the 20th centuy.
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