Best NBA Players of the 1990s
THe Best to Play the bUlk of their careers in the 1990s..
List activity
1.1K views
• 1 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
26 people
- Director
- Producer
- Hakeem Olajuwon, is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2016, he was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. Listed at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), Olajuwon is considered one of the greatest centers ever to play the game. He was nicknamed "The Dream" during his basketball career after he dunked so effortlessly that his college coach said it "looked like a dream."
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Olajuwon traveled from his home country to play for the University of Houston under head coach Guy Lewis. His college career for the Cougars included three trips to the Final Four. Olajuwon was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the first overall selection of the 1984 NBA draft, a draft that included Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. He combined with the 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) Ralph Sampson to form a duo dubbed the "Twin Towers". The two led the Rockets to the 1986 NBA Finals, where they lost in six games to the Boston Celtics. After Sampson was traded to the Warriors in 1988, Olajuwon became the Rockets' undisputed leader. He led the league in rebounding twice (1989, 1990) and blocks three times (1990, 1991, 1993).
Despite very nearly being traded during a bitter contract dispute before the 1992-93 season, he remained in Houston where in 1993-94, he became the only player in NBA history to win the NBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP awards in the same season. His Rockets won back-to-back championships against the New York Knicks (avenging his college championship loss to Patrick Ewing), and Shaquille O'Neal's Orlando Magic. In 1996, Olajuwon was a member of the Olympic gold-medal-winning United States national team, and was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He ended his career as the league's all-time leader in blocks (3,830) and is one of four NBA players to record a quadruple-double. - Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Shaquille O'Neal is a retired professional American basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA on TNT. He is considered one of the greatest players in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. He was one of the tallest and heaviest players ever. O'Neal played for six teams over his 19-year career.
O'Neal's individual accolades include the 1999-2000 MVP award, the 1992-93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other players are Willis Reed in 1970 and Michael Jordan in 1996 and 1998. Largely due to his ability to dunk the basketball, O'Neal ranks third all-time in field goal percentage (58.2%). O'Neal was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. He was elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017.
In addition to his basketball career, O'Neal has released four rap albums, with his first, Shaq Diesel, going platinum. O'Neal is an electronic music producer, and touring DJ, known as Diesel. He has appeared in numerous films and has starred in his own reality shows.- Transportation Department
Karl Malone is known for I'm Fine, Thanks (2012).- Actor
- Producer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Reggie Miller is an American retired professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Indiana Pacers.
Miller was known for his precision three-point shooting, especially in pressure situations and most notably against the New York Knicks. When he retired, he held the record for most career 3-point field goals made. He is fourth on the list behind Stephen Curry, Ray Allen, and James Harden. A five-time All-Star selection, Miller led the league in free throw accuracy five times and won a gold medal in the Atlanta 1996: Games of the XXVI Olympiad (1996).
Miller is widely considered the Pacers' greatest player of all time. He worked as an NBA commentator for TNT. On September 7, 2012, Miller was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.- Stunts
- Actor
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Charles Barkley is an American retired professional basketball player who is an analyst on Inside the NBA (1988).
Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominant power forwards. An All-American power forward at Auburn University, he was drafted as a junior by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 5th pick of the 1984 NBA draft. He was selected to the All-NBA First Team five times, the All-NBA Second Team five times, and once to the All-NBA Third Team. He earned eleven NBA All-Star Game appearances and was named the All-Star MVP in 1991. In 1993 with the Phoenix Suns, he was voted the league's Most Valuable Player, and during the NBA's 50th anniversary, named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games and won two gold medals as a member of the United States' "Dream Team". Barkley is a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2006 for his individual career, and in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team".
Charles Barkley was popular with the fans and media and made the NBA's All-Interview Team for his last 13 seasons in the league. He was frequently involved in on- and off-court fights and sometimes stirred national controversy, in 1993 when he declared that sports figures should not be considered role models. Though shorter than the typical power forward, Barkley used his strength and aggressiveness to become one of the NBA's most dominant rebounders. He was a versatile player who had the ability to score, create plays, and defend. In 2000, he retired as the fourth player in NBA history to achieve 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists.
Since retiring as a player, Barkley has had a successful career as an NBA analyst. He works with Turner Network Television (TNT) alongside of Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson as a studio pundit for its coverage of NBA games. Barkley has written several books and has shown an interest in politics. In October 2008, he announced that he would run for Governor of Alabama in 2014, but he changed his mind.- Visual Effects
- Actor
- Animation Department
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Scottie Pippen is an American former professional basketball player. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. Scottie Pippen, along with Michael Jordan, played an important role in transforming the Chicago Bulls into a championship team and in popularizing the NBA around the world during the 1990s.
Considered one of the greatest small forwards of all time, Pippen was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team eight consecutive times and the All-NBA First Team three times. He was a seven-time NBA All-Star and was the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1994. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History during the 1996-97 season, and is one of four players to have his jersey retired by the Chicago Bulls (the others being Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, and Michael Jordan). He played a main role on both the 1992 Chicago Bulls Championship team and the 1996 Chicago Bulls Championship team which were selected as two of the Top 10 Teams in NBA History. During his 17-year career, he played 12 seasons with the Bulls, one with the Houston Rockets and four with the Portland Trail Blazers, making the postseason sixteen straight times.
Scottie Pippen is the only NBA player to have won an NBA title and Olympic gold medal in the same year twice (1992, 1996). He was a part of the 1992 U.S. Olympic 'Dream Team' which beat its opponents by an average of 44 points. Pippen was a key figure in the 1996 Olympic team. Pippen wore number 8 during both years.
Pippen is a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (for his individual career, and as a member of the 'Dream Team'), having been inducted for both on August 13, 2010. On December 8, 2005, the Chicago Bulls retired his number #33, while his college, University of Central Arkansas, retired his number #33 on January 21, 2010, as well.- Production Manager
- Producer
- Location Management
Grant Hill was born in Australia. He is known for Cloud Atlas (2012), Titanic (1997) and The Thin Red Line (1998).- Latrell Sprewell was born on 8 September 1970 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Clyde Drexler is an American former professional basketball player who was the commissioner of the Big3 3-on-3 basketball league. Nicknamed "Clyde the Glide", Drexler played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), spending a majority of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers before finishing with the Houston Rockets. He was a ten-time NBA All-Star and named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Drexler won an NBA championship with Houston in 1995, and earned a gold medal on the 1992 United States Olympic team known as "The Dream Team". He was inducted twice into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in 2004 for his individual career and in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team". Drexler serves as a color commentator for Houston Rockets home games.
On February 13, 2009, Drexler participated in the NBA All-Star Weekend's Celebrity Game. Other celebrities participating included Basketball Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, National Football League wide receiver Terrell Owens, actor Chris Tucker and four Harlem Globetrotters.- Director
- Writer
- Editor
John attended Sunderland University (2007-2011) and received a first for his final film "Wheelies". He also received a first for his overall degree in Media Production Video and New Media. He went on to study at Shiney Row college for a teaching qualification. He received a PTLLS award in March 2012. He is currently in pre-production for his new film "First Time".- Actor
- Producer
Mitch Richmond graduated from Boyd Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, in 1984. He attended Moberly Area Junior College in Missouri for two years before transferring to Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, in 1986. In his two seasons as a Wildcat, Mitch averaged over 20.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest and led his team to the Elite Eight of the 1988 NCAA tournament, where they lost to the University of Kansas, their in-state and in-conference rival who ultimately won the national title. Mitch Richmond played on the 1988 United States men's Olympic basketball squad, earning a bronze medal. Following his Olympic experience, Mitch turned his sights to the National Basketball Association. The Golden State Warriors had selected Mitch with their first-round draft choice, the #5 selection overall. Mitch rewarded the Warriors by having an outstanding first season, culminating in his being named the Rookie of the Year in 1989. In Golden State, he teamed with Chris Mullin and Tim Hardaway to lead a high-scoring offense which earned the nickname Run-TMC, after the first initials of the offensive stars. After playing for Golden State, the Sacramento Kings and the Washington Bullets, Mitch played one final season as a reserve for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001-2002, garnering an NBA championship ring. Mitch finished his career with a scoring average of 21.0 points per game, with a total of 20,497 points.- Actor
- Producer
Anfernee 'Penny' Hardaway is an American college basketball coach for the Memphis Tigers and a former professional player. Hardaway played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where as an exceptionally tall point guard, he was an NBA All-Star in his first few seasons.
Hardaway was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 1993 NBA draft (third pick overall), but was traded along with three future first-round picks to the Orlando Magic. Two days before the draft, Hardaway participated in a pick-up basketball game with several Magic players and impressed the organization enough to make the draft day trade. He started out the season at the shooting guard position while he learned the point guard position from veteran Scott Skiles. By mid-season he took over point guard duties from Skiles. He immediately made an impact on the league, winning the MVP award at the inaugural Schick Rookie Game. Hardaway helped the Magic to their first playoff berth and first 50-win season. He averaged 16 points, 6.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds per game while his 190 steals ranked 6th in the league. He recorded his first career triple double on April 15 when he registered 14 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds against the Boston Celtics. For his efforts he was named to the NBA All-Rookie first team and was the runner-up for Rookie of the Year to Chris Webber.
During the 1994-95 NBA season, the Magic won a franchise record 57 games while Hardaway averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. He was named a starter in his first NBA All-Star game and was named All-NBA First Team. The highlight of the playoff run was the second-round defeat of the Chicago Bulls. Along with Shaquille O'Neal, he led his team to the NBA Finals, where they were swept by the Houston Rockets. Despite the sweep Hardaway averaged 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 8 assists in the series, while shooting 50% from the field.
During the summer of 1996, Hardaway played on the 1996 US Olympic Games Basketball Team, which won a gold medal. Hardaway averaged 9 points, 4.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in the eight games. His two biggest contributions were in the quarterfinal game against Brazil where he chipped in 14 points and in the Gold Medal game against Yugoslavia where he scored 17 points.- Transportation Department
- Additional Crew
Chris Mullen is known for Everything, Everything (2017), While She Was Out (2008) and Stan Helsing (2009).- A 6-8 forward who is one of the top shooters in basketball, Rice left the Wolverines as the leading scorer in Big Ten history with 2,442 points. A member of the The Sporting News All-America Second Team as a senior, he powered Michigan to the NCAA Championship in 1989 with a string of performances that ranked among the best in NCAA Tournament history, averaging 30.7 points for the tournament and eclipsing Bill Bradley's record of 184 points in the process. Rice unleashed a 31-point, 11-rebound effort against Seton Hall in the NCAA Championship Game to earn Most Outstanding Player honors for the Final Four. He also captured the Jesse Owens Award as the Big Ten Athlete of the Year for 1989.
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Gary Payton played his high school basketball at Skyline High School in Oakland, California before attending Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Throughout his four-year career at OSU, he became one of the most decorated basketball players in OSU history. During his senior year, Payton was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine as the nation's best player in 1990. He was a consensus All-American in 1990; three-time All-Pac-10 selection, and named the Pac-10 conference's 1987 Freshman of the Year. He was the MVP of the Far West Classic tournament three times and was the Pac-10 Player of the Week nine times. He also was named to the Pac-10's All-Decade Team. At the time of his graduation, he held the school record for points, field goals, three-point field goals, assists, and steals. During his career at OSU, the Beavers made three NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT appearance. He was elected into OSU's Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
At the conclusion of his college career, he was the second overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. During his NBA career, he has been on the All-NBA First-Team in 1998 and 2000; the All-NBA Second Team in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2002; and the All-NBA Third Team in 2001. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine consecutive seasons (1994-2002), and was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 1996. He has been selected to the NBA All-Star Team nine times and was voted as a starter in 1997 and 1998. He was a member of the gold medal-winning 1996 and 2000 U.S. Men's Olympic Basketball Teams.
He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks along with Desmond Mason for Ray Allen, Kevin Ollie and Ronald Murray in February 2003. The Los Angeles Lakers signed him as a free agent in July 2003.- Alonzo Mourning was born on 8 February 1970 in Chesapeake, Virginia, USA. He is an actor, known for Space Jam (1996), Like Mike (2002) and Arli$$ (1996). He has been married to Tracy Mourning since 30 August 1997. They have three children.
- Patrick Ewing is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and head coach of the Georgetown University men's basketball team. He played most of his career as the starting center of the NBA's New York Knicks and also played briefly with the Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic.
Patrick Ewing played center for Georgetown for four years, where he played in the NCAA Championship Game three times and was named as the 16th greatest college player of all time by ESPN. He had an eighteen-year NBA career, predominantly playing for the New York Knicks, where he was an eleven-time all-star and named to seven All-NBA teams. The Knicks appeared in the NBA Finals twice (1994 & 1999) during his tenure. He won Olympic gold medals as a member of the 1984 and 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball teams. In a 1996 poll celebrating the 50th anniversary of the NBA, Ewing was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He is a two-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts (in 2008 for his individual career, and in 2010 as a member of the 1992 Olympic team). Additionally he was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame as a member of the "Dream Team" in 2009. His number 33 was retired by the Knicks in 2003. - Tim Hardaway was born on 1 September 1966 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor, known for Forget Paris (1995), Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992) and The Sport Jerks (1998). He has been married to Yolanda Adkins since 15 May 1993. They have two children.
- Composer
- Actor
- Music Department
JOHN "JABO" STARKS is perhaps best known in his role as drummer of The James Brown Band for many years.He was one of the key figures in the creation of Funk music, and had played on many of James Brown's hit records in the 1960's and 1970's . Prior to playing for Brown, he was the drummer for legendary Blues man Bobby "Blue" Bland.- Dragan Petrovic is known for Hemijsko - Gumarska industrija 'Miloje Zakic' (1985).
- Allan Houston is an American retired professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1993 to 2005. A shooting guard, Houston played nine seasons for the New York Knicks; he was a member of the Knicks' 1999 NBA Finals team. Houston made the NBA All-Star Team twice and won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. men's basketball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
As of July 2019, Houston served as special assistant to the general manager for the New York Knicks and general manager of the Knicks' G League team, the Westchester Knicks.