The 25 Greatest Players of the NBA's Golden Era

From Magic and Bird to Shaq and Reggie.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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The '80s and '90s were a golden age for basketball. The period started with the drafting of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, and ended with Michael Jordan winning his sixth NBA title. In between these bookending events, the league experienced a resurgence on the strength of the performance of its many incredibly talented players. The NBA faced severe likability problems after the brutal era of '70s basketball, and the competitive yet aesthetically-pleasing basketball played by the new waves of '80s and '90s stars like Magic, Dr. J and Jordan regenerated fan interest in the league and inspired the stars of today who grew up watching it.

While the list of talented players from this period is surely longer, we took a look at the 25 Greatest Players of the NBA's Golden Era.

RELATED: The 25 Greatest NBA Players of the '80s

RELATED: The 25 Greatest NBA Players of the '90s

RELATED: The 20 Best NBA Players of the 2000s

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25. Bernard King

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24. Adrian Dantley

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23. Alex English

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22. Chris Mullin

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21. Reggie Miller

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20. Gary Payton

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19. Dennis Rodman

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18. Clyde Drexler

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17. Shaquille O'Neal

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16. Dominique Wilkins

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15. Patrick Ewing

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14. John Stockton

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13. Kevin McHale

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12. Scottie Pippen

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11. Julius Erving

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10. David Robinson

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9. Karl Malone

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8. Moses Malone

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7. Charles Barkley

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6. Isiah Thomas

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5. Hakeem Olajuwon

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4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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3. Larry Bird

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2. Magic Johnson

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1. Michael Jordan

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