The Best Tall Point Guards in NBA History

More so than perhaps any other time in its history, the NBA is currently being dominated by point guards. It’s incredibly rare for so many teams to have such capable ball-handlers, and as fans we are lucky to be able to watch so many stars and future Hall of Famers ply their trade on a nightly basis.

In this year’s draft, a few new names like Dante Exum and Elfrid Payton joined the ranks of the league’s point guards, and both share in common the fact that they are rather tall for the position. Only 236 guards in NBA history have played at least 300 games and stood at least 6’ 4”, and that number is likely under 100 when you’re talking only about point guards.

Perhaps the most famous of all of these big point guards is Los Angeles Lakers great (and legendary tweeter) Magic Johnson, who today turns 55 years old. In honor of Magic’s birthday, we’re taking a look at the Best Tall Point Guards in NBA History.

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Height: 6' 7”

Team(s): Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors

Career stats: 7.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Accolades: None

With current NBA point guard Shaun Livingston, the question surrounding his playing days will always concern what could've been after Livingston suffered a devastating knee injury in 2007 that derailed his career for a year and a half. Indeed, prior to his injury, many felt that Livingston was on-track to become a playmaking and scoring threat in the tall, lanky mold of Penny Hardaway or Magic Johnson. Old highlight mixes from YouTube hint at this potential. Regardless of who Livingston could've been though, the fact remains that in the aftermath of his traumatic injury, he managed to pick up the pieces of his career and make a living in the NBA as a journeyman for hire. Livingston will never make an All-Star team, but that doesn't mean he isn't one of hell of a player.

Height: 6' 6”

Team(s): Philadelphia 76ers

Career stats: 16.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Accolades: Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie 1st Team, 1x NBA Player of the Week, 4x NBA Rookie of the Month

Michael Carter-Williams only has one year of footage to prove he belongs on this list, but winning Rookie of the Year puts him in a special class. You know what kind of players tend to win Rookie of the Year? Perennial All-Stars. Didn't hurt that he began his NBA career with a near quadruple-double opening day victory over the defending world champions, the Miami Heat. Or that he became only the second rookie in history (along with Shaquille O'Neal) to win NBA Player of the Week honors. Sure, there will be those out there who claim his stats were inflated due to playing on a fast-paced (and horrible) Sixers team last season, but 16/6/6 rookie seasons don't happen by chance. Michael Carter-Williams is the tall PG with the brightest current future, and with a Philadelphia squad that looks to come on strong in the next few years, the sky is the limit.

Height: 6' 5”
Team(s): Indiana Pacers, New Jersey Nets
Career stats: 11.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Accolades: None

Vern Fleming starred on some truly abysmal Indiana Pacers teams before help arrived in the way of Reggie Miller in 1987-88. The Pacers won a total of 48 games during Fleming’s first two seasons, and he was forced to adapt to a new position as he adjusted to NBA life. A shooting guard in college, Fleming became a point guard in the NBA as he helped steer the Pacers into legitimacy once his backcourt-mate in Miller arrived, and beginning in 1989-90 they made the playoffs every year under his steady guidance and leadership. As he got into his 30s Fleming became a valuable reserve, putting up very efficient numbers off the bench for the 1994 and 1995 Pacers teams that both reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

Height: 6' 5”
Team(s): Seattle SuperSonics
Career stats: 5.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Accolades: 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team

A tenacious defender and calming presence on offense, Nate McMillan was the steady hand behind some good SuperSonics teams in the 1980s and early 1990s. His career got off to a promising start, as in 1986-87 he set a still-standing record for most assists in a game by a rookie with 25. He’d go on to establish himself as a defensive force, leading the NBA in steals in 1993-94 and making two All-Defensive teams. His play also helped the team, as McMillan’s Sonics reached the playoffs in all but one of his 12 seasons.

Height: 6' 6”
Team(s): Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers
Career stats: 6.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Accolades: 3x NBA Champion, 1989 NBA All-Rookie Second Team

Brian Shaw’s pro career got off to a strange start; after making the All-Rookie team during his first year in the league with the Bird-Parish-McHale Celtics, then basically signed contracts with both the Celtics and an Italian team. After the dispute ended up in court and Shaw was forced to play in Boston, he responded by playing the best basketball of his career and looking like a potential All-Star. While he never quite put it together beyond that, Shaw did serve as a pivotal figure on the Lakers’ three-peat squads (albeit as Kobe’s backup at shooting guard) and earned himself big minutes in each playoff run.

Height: 6' 4”
Team(s): Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers
Career stats: 13.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Accolades: 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team

While few can even recall what the Dallas Mavericks looked like before Dirk Nowitzki, they actually had a strong backcourt thanks to shooting guard Rolando Blackman and their tenacious point guard Derek Harper. While Blackman carried much of the offensive load, Harper still averaged 15.0 points and 6.1 assists per game and helped the Mavs reach the playoffs on six different occasions. He also had a tremendous nose for the ball on defense, and at the time of his retirement ranked not just 17th all-time in assists, but also 11th in steals.

Height: 6' 4”

Team(s): Washington Wizards

Career stats: 17.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.6 SPG

Accolades: 1x NBA All-Star, 2011-12 NBA All-Rookie First Team

John Wall's quickness is what sets him apart from so many other point guards in the league, as his speed allows him to tear across the court with reckless abandon. Able to score and facilitate the offense as a playmaker, Wall is well on his way toward becoming one of the league's top point guards, especially as he and fellow Washington Wizard Bradley Beal work to establish D.C.'s legitimacy in the NBA. Though Team USA may not have had a spot for Wall on their current roster, we'll be surprised if the former Kentucky Wildcat allows himself to be denied from another All-Star appearance in the upcoming season.

Height: 6' 5”

Team(s): Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers

Career stats: 15.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.7​ APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Accolades: 2x Sixth Man of the Year

A dual threat at the shooting guard and point guard positions, Jamal Crawford has been a steady presence off the bench for years now, earning the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year awards in 2010 and 2014. The former Michigan Wolverine started his career with the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks, burdened with the expectation that he could be "The Man" for these teams. However, once Crawford started coming off the bench for squads like the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Clippers, he truly found his groove in the league, able to bolster any team's scoring totals by at least 15 point per game. Crawford is the the type of player that contenders clamor for; he's the missing piece for any team who needs that one guy to take them that extra step towards a championship. While Crawford has no rings to his name yet, it's certainly possible that he could change that fact with the Clippers in the 2014-15 season.

Height: 6' 5”
Team(s): New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, New Jersey Nets
Career stats: 14.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 7.0 APG, 2.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Accolades: 4x NBA All-Star, 2x NBA All-Defensive First Team

Micheal Ray Richardson was on track to become a potential Hall of Famer when drug abuse derailed his promising NBA career, but there’s no arguing with his pre-lifetime ban numbers. An All-Star three times in his first four seasons, Richardson led the league in both assists and steals per game during his second year in the NBA and became a star for the rebuilding Knicks. After he was sent to Golden State as compensation for the Knicks signing Bernard King, though, Richardson’s numbers began to tail off. He enjoyed a brief resurgence in 1984-85, averaging 20.1 points per game and leading the NBA with 3.0 steals per game, but he was banned for life during the following season and at age 30 had played his final game in the league.

Height: 6' 4”
Team(s): Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs
Career stats: 10.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Accolades: 1x NBA All-Star

Starring alongside Dominique Wilkins for the 1980s Atlanta Hawks, Doc Rivers enjoyed a solid run as one of the best point guards in the Eastern Conference for the better part of a decade. A dependable offensive player with a very high motor, he teamed with Wilkins to help the Hawks reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals for three consecutive seasons from 1986 to 1988. Rivers played the best ball of his career during that stretch, as over those three seasons he averaged 13.0 points and 9.4 assists per game, with the assist total being the fifth-best mark in the NBA. He earned only All-Star nod of his career in 1988, when he averaged a career-best 14.2 points per game to go along with 9.3 assists and helped the Hawks push the Celtics to a memorable seven games in the Eastern Conference Semis.

Height: 6' 6”
Team(s): Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers
Career stats: 13.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Accolades: 5x NBA Champion, 1987 NBA All-Rookie First Team

Initially dispatched as a shooting guard with Cleveland and Los Angeles, Ron Harper enjoyed a late career renaissance as the point guard of the Bulls’ second three-peat squad. A gifted scorer forced to adjust when playing with the likes of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Harper reinvented himself as a defensive stopper who could provide additional offense as needed. While he quite suddenly went from scoring nearly 20 points per game to single digits upon heading to Chicago, as their point guard he also helped the Bulls to three NBA titles. He then moved on to the same role with the Lakers, where he provided a veteran backcourt presence alongside Kobe Bryant and won two more rings before retiring.

Height: 6' 7”
Team(s): Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Miami Heat
Career stats: 15.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Accolades: 4x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Third Team, 1994 NBA All-Rookie First Team

Ah, what could have been. Anfernee Hardaway was one of the most talented young players in the NBA after being drafted in 1993, and he immediately established himself as a backcourt force. He was an All-Star four times in his first five seasons, and his two First Team All-NBA nods are amazing when you consider that he made it over guards like Gary Payton, Reggie Miller, Clyde Drexler, and John Stockton. After the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, though, things quickly fell apart for Penny. After playing 60 games in 1999-2000, he managed just four during 2000-01 due to a microfracture surgery that largely robbed him of his athleticism and touched off a new stage of his career that would seem him constantly beset with injuries of all types.

Height: 6' 4”
Team(s): Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, New York Knicks
Career stats: 15.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Accolades: 1x NBA Champion, 5x NBA All-Star, 3x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Second Team

Paul Westphal was a high volume scorer out of the backcourt who capably handled both guard positions for every team he played. After three years (and one ring) playing for the Celtics and sharing ball-handling duties with Jo Jo White, he moved to Phoenix where he made four All-Star appearances in five years and helped the Suns reach the 1976 NBA Finals. After playing in Seattle for a season (where he was once again an All-Star), Westphal battled injuries for the remaining seasons of his career before calling it quits in 1984.

Height: 6' 4”
Team(s): Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics
Career stats: 14.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Accolades: 3x NBA Champion, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 5x NBA All-Star, 1x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Second Team, 6x NBA All-Defensive First Team, 3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team

One of the most underappreciated stars of his era and an excellent scorer as a shooting guard, Dennis Johnson emerged from relative obscurity to become one of the top point guards in the NBA upon joining the Celtics in 1983. DJ was exceptionally durable, never playing in fewer than 72 games in a season and averaging just under 79 per year. As good a distributor of the ball as he was, he was even better on defense; a disruptive force due to his tenacity and size, Johnson made a staggering nine All-Defensive Teams in a row from 1979 through 1987. He also is known as one of the most clutch players of his era, always saving his best for the biggest games and moments.

Height: 6' 4”
Team(s): Seattle SuperSonics, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat
Career stats: 16.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Accolades: 1x NBA Champion, 9x NBA All-Star, 2x First Team All-NBA, 9x All-Defensive First Team, 1996 Defensive Player of the Year

If you want the definition of a tenacious point guard, then Gary Payton is example No. 1. “The Glove” played with an edge and style that made him one of the league’s best players in the 1990s, and one of the few who had both the ability and the self-confidence to go toe-to-toe with Michael Jordan. As fearless as he was talented, Payton set a new standard for high-scoring point guards while at the same time remaining one of the best defenders in the entire NBA; indeed, many hold him as the most complete guard of all-time. He also was exceptionally durable, playing all 82 games nine times and only dipping below 70 games played in his final season.

Height: 6' 4”
Team(s): New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers
Career stats: 18.9 PPG, 6.1 APG, 5.9 RPG, 1.9 SPG
Accolades: 2x NBA Champion, 7x NBA All-Star, 4x All-NBA First Team, 2× All-NBA Second Team, 7× NBA All-Defensive First Team, 1968 NBA All-Rookie First Team

With his inimitable style both on and off the court, Walt “Clyde” Frazier is an undisputed icon of New York basketball. During his prime, he helped bring the Knicks two titles, made seven consecutive All-Star teams, and averaged over 20 points per game. He was also a rock on defense, making the All-Defensive First Team every year from 1969 through 1975. He still holds the Knicks’ franchise record for career assists, and trails only Patrick Ewing in most other major categories despite playing five fewer seasons than him for the team.

Height: 6' 4”
Team(s): Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks
Career stats: 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Accolades: 1x NBA Champion, 10x NBA All-Star, 5x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Second Team, 4x NBA All-Defensive First Team, 5x NBA All-Defensive Second Team, 1995 NBA All-Rookie First Team, 1995 NBA Co-Rookie of the Year

Since 1986, no player has even approached Jason Kidd’s total of 107 triple-doubles. The next closest is Fat Lever, with 42. Kidd could do it all on a basketball court, overcoming his early career shooting woes to become a solid player away from the hoop as well as one who could thread the needle with seemingly impossible passes. He was architect of several excellent Nets teams, groups that probably had no business reaching the NBA Finals but for Kidd’s brilliance. After retiring following the 2012-13 season, he ranked second in NBA history in total assists and steals, as well as third in three-pointers made.

Height: 6' 5”
Team(s): Cincinnati Royals, Milwaukee Bucks
Career stats: 25.7 PPG, 9.5 APG, 7.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG
Accolades: 1964 NBA MVP, 12x NBA All-Star, 9x All-NBA First Team

By winning NBA MVP in 1964, Oscar Robertson became the only player other than Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to win the award during that era. It speaks to how great he was, and how the Big O thrived in an era where defense was not nearly as emphasized as it would be in the years to come. Robertson’s staggering talent is, of course, best represented by his averaging a triple-double in 1961-62, a feat that may never again be matched in NBA history. His performance alongside Lew Alcindor during the 1970-71 season helped earn Robertson his only ring, a deserving accomplishment for an incredible career.

Height: 6' 8”
Team(s): Los Angeles Lakers
Career stats: 19.5 PPG, 11.2 APG, 7.2 RPG, 1.9 SPG
Accolades: 3x NBA MVP, 5x NBA Champion, 12x NBA All-Star, 9x All-NBA First Team

The birthday boy is also the best. Magic Johnson could do absolutely anything on a basketball court, and his brilliance in the open floor is something that we may never again see in basketball. His court vision and passing ability allowed him to pick apart any team in the league, and translate to any era of basketball. He led the NBA in assists four times, won three MVPs, and was an All-Star every single season he was healthy. He simply was the Los Angeles Lakers, and his retirement at age 31 due to his HIV diagnosis remains the only reason he did not rack up even more accomplishments.