Ever thought of the NBA legends and icons who pushed their limits as power forwards? Blending size and strength to their advantage, these players are the best at their position in NBA history.

From scoring rebounds or making those free throws, these players were just fascinating to watch. Curated using historical evaluation metrics from Bleacher Report and ESPN, here are the 10 greatest power forwards to ever play the game.

10. Dennis Rodman

The five-time NBA Champion was a menace when it came to being vigilant near the board.

With averaging 13.1 rebounds per game and having a 58.4 free-throw percentage, he was the rebound king throughout his career.

9. Elvin Hayes

Another iconic rebounder and a defensive menace, Elvin Hayes averaged 12.5 rebounds in his career.

Hayes was a lethal power forward thanks to his free-throw percentage of 67%.

Not only that, but he averaged 21 points throughout his career. He was named to the NBA All-Star team 12 times and averaged two blocks per game with a total of 1,771 blocks in his career.

8. Bob Pettit

Do you want a power forward in your lineup who could score, averaging 26.4 points in his career? Yes please.

As one of the first power forwards in the sport, Bob Pettit, the 11-time All-Star, had astonishing free-throw ability. He finished his career with a 76.1 free-throw percentage.

7. Dave DeBusschere

Eight-time All-Star DeBusschere was the tank of the 1970s, with career stats of 16.1 points and 69.9 FT percentage.

He was an integral part of the New York Knicks' 70's championship runs in 1970 and 1973.

6. Kevin McHale

Equipped with arguably the most sophisticated low-post footwork in basketball history, McHale was an unstoppable force.

Players did not want to foul McHale due to his incredible free-throw accuracy.

McHale had a free-throw percentage of 79.8, which made him a force to reckon with. He also boasted 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, making him a juggernaut.

5. Kevin Garnett

15-time All-Star Kevin Garnett was one of the most versatile players, averaging 17.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

He was also defensively stout, averaging 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.

4. Charles Barkley

The Hall of Famer and 11-time All-Star grabbed 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.

While being 6'6", he played tremendously well as a power forward, which gave him the nickname of "The Round Mound of Rebound".

3. Dirk Nowitzki

Nowitzki was the Dallas Mavericks' backbone, winning the NBA title with them in 2011.

He averaged a massive 20.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and an 87.9% FT percentage.

2. Karl Malone

Having played for the Utah Jazz for almost his entire career, he is one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history.

He averaged 25 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. However, the 14-time All-Star couldn't win an NBA title in his career.

1. Tim Duncan

Five-time NBA champion and 15-time All-Star Duncan was the face of the San Antonio Spurs for almost two decades.

He averaged 19 points, 10.8 rebounds, and three assists per game. Also, his defensive abilities were on par, with him making 2.2 blocks per game.

So this was our list of the greatest power forwards in the NBA's history. Who do you think should make it to the list? Or who is your favorite among these legends?

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Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Koushik Biswas