Best Shooting Guards of All Time

Few would argue that James Harden, Bradley Beal, Jrue Holiday, and Devin Booker are some of the best shooting guards in the NBA today. As for who are the best shooting guards of all time, that is something that is up for debate.

If the only prerequisite is someone who scores lots of points, James Harden is the obvious choice. But many would argue that there is more to being the best than just scoring points.

Most of the debates about the best NBA shooting guards of all time tend to sound the same and involve the same names. Why? Their excellence is undeniable, but their rank as one of the best shooting guards of all time is just the writer’s perception.

So, rather than try to rank the best shooting guards of all time, here are the top ten in no particular order split into two groups:

Allen Iverson

While relatively small for an NBA player, he made up for it by being relentless and more athletic than most. He was rarely on a good team, so he never won an NBA title. But he did win MVP once and the scoring title four times which qualifies him as one of the best shooting guards of all time.

George Gervin

Gervin spent the bulk of his 14-year career in San Antonio (1974-85), where he made nine all-star teams. He won the NBA scoring title in four of his first five years in the NBA and averaged 20+ points a game every year of his career, but his last (in Chicago).

Ray Allen

Allen, a two-time NBA champion and 10X all-star, is widely considered to be the best shooter of all time. He holds the record for most career three-pointers with 2973 and shot 40 percent from being the arc in his career.

Reggie Miller

Miller made the second-most three-pointers of all time and hit an incredible 39.5 percent during his career. He is one of seven players to ever shoot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent or better from three-point range, and 90 percent from the free-throw line for a season.

Sam Jones

He was one of the top-scoring threats in the game during his day, especially when making bank shots. While he may not have made as many all-stars (six) or All-NBA teams (three) as some guys on this list, he won the second-most NBA titles in NBA history with ten (his teammate, Bill Russell, won 11). 

Dwayne Wade

A three-time NBA Champion, Finals MVP, 12X All-Star, and one-time scoring champ, Wade was a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end of the court as well as offensive—with and without LeBron James on the roster.

Michael Jordan

Widely considered not one of the best shooting guards of all time but the best, his accolades speak for themselves—5X MVP, 6X NBA champion, six Finals MVPs, a career scoring average of 30.1 points per game, and a ten-time scoring champion.

Kobe Bryant

Along with a relentless work ethic and legendary drive, his resume speaks for itself– 18-time All-Star, 15 All-NBA Team selections, 12-time All-Defensive selections, five NBA championships, 2X Finals MVP, and 2X scoring champion.  He would not be one of the best shooting guards of all time but the best, if not for Michael Jordan.

Jerry West

He is one of the most prolific scorers of all time (and one-time scoring champion) and was named an All-Defensive Team selection five times. West was so well respected he is the only player to win NBA Finals MVP from the losing team.

Clyde Drexler

He was one of the most prolific scorers in the game during his day. A 10 All-Star and five-time All-NBA Team selection, he won his first and only NBA title after getting traded to the Rockets (while Jordan was playing baseball).