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Rankings: The 25 best left-handed players in NBA history
According to StatHead, there have been just 342 left-handed players on record in the history of the NBA.
To celebrate the accomplished few southpaws to reach the Association, today, we’re going to rank the Top 25 best left-handed players in NBA history.
Let’s get right into it.
Just missed the cut: Zion Williamson, Anthony Mason, Ben Simmons, Jalen Rose, David Lee, Nick Van Exel, Thaddeus Young, De’Aaron Fox
Tayshaun Prince
Top accolades: One NBA title, four All-Defensive 2nd Team selections, one Olympic gold medal
Average stats: 11.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.6 spg, 45.5 FG%
NBA rank: 280th in blocks, 316th in points, 349th in assists
An instrumental piece of the 2003-04 champion Detroit Pistons, lefty Tayshaun Prince was one of the best two-way wings in the league for a while, leveraging those skills into being picked for the 2008 Redeem Team, the American basketball squad that brought back gold for the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Prince wasn’t purely a defender, either, as he had some off-the-dribble shooting ability and could score as a slasher as well. He was far from a star but for a time, Prince was an excellent role player, helping Detroit reach back-to-back Finals and six straight Eastern Conference Finals from 2002-03 through 2007-08.
Derrick Coleman
Top accolades: Two All-NBA 3rd Team selections, one All-Star, one World Cup gold medal
Average stats: 16.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.3 bpg, 44.7 FG%
NBA rank: 94th in blocks, 106th in rebounds, 228th in points
The No. 1 pick of the 1990 NBA Draft, big man Derrick Coleman was quite a player in his prime who could rack up 20 and 10 double-doubles, averaging 20.3 points, 10.7 boards, 3.4 assists and 1.7 blocks for a four-season stretch from his sophomore campaign through his fifth NBA season. In that span, Coleman made one All-Star appearance and had two 3rd Team All-NBA campaigns. The then-New Jersey Nets made the playoffs three times in that stretch, although never making it past the first round. Injuries then took their toll on Coleman, who was never able to regain that early-career elite form during stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets or Pistons before his career ended in 2004-05.
Dick Barnett
Top accolades: Two NBA titles, one All-Star
Average stats: 15.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.8 apg, 45.6 FG%
NBA rank: 143rd in points, 280h in assists, 658th in rebounds
Owner of one of the vaunted retired jerseys in Madison Square Garden, left-handed 2-guard Dick Barnett was a good scorer who was fine coming off the bench or being a starter. Barnett thrived in that Sixth Man role as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, playing behind the likes of Hall-of-Famers Jerry West and Elgin Baylor in the ’60s. He then joined the New York Knicks where he played an integral part in the team’s 1969-70 championship run, playing a smaller part in the team’s 1972-73 title win as well.
Julius Randle
Top accolades: Two All-NBA selections, two All-Stars, one Most Improved Player award
Average stats: 18.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.7 apg, 0.7 spg, 47.0 FG%
NBA rank: 196th in rebounds, 288th in points, 364th in assists
Another Knicks lefty, former Kentucky standout Julius Randle has blossomed into an All-Star, All-NBA-level player since reaching New York, using a strong shoulder and quick first step to attack the basket – at times with reckless abandon but usually leading to good results. Randle can shoot the ball as well, making him a solid scorer, rebounder and creator from his power forward position.
Sam Perkins
Domantas Sabonis 🇱🇹
Top accolades: One All-NBA 3rd Team selection, three All-Stars
Average stats: 15.4 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 4.4 apg, 0.8 spg, 55.1 FG%
NBA rank: 265th in rebounds, 368th in assists, 544th in points
A player who could see himself soar up these rankings over the next few years, Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis is one of the best centers in the league at the moment, a big man capable of scoring, rebounding and creating at a high level – with a face-up game and midrange jumper that are tough to defend. His one deficiency is as a defender, which is the only thing stopping him from being a top-level elite player.
DeAndre Jordan
Top accolades: One NBA title, three All-NBA selections, one All-Star, two All-Defensive 1st Team selections, one Olympic gold medal
Average stats: 8.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 0.9 apg, 1.5 bpg, 67.4 FG%
NBA rank: 37th in rebounds, 38th in blocks, 451st in points
Veteran center DeAndre Jordan saw his peak come at a time when the center position around the NBA was maybe at its lowest point in modern league history, which would explain how he was able to amass three All-NBA team selections – including once as a 1st Teammer – while only being named an All-Star once. Jordan was a beastly rebounder, finisher around the basket and shot-blocker but he was a poor scorer outside of dunking and a porous free-throw shooter, making him a liability late in games.
Lamar Odom
Top accolades: Two NBA titles, one Sixth Man of the Year award. one World Cup gold medal
Average stats: 13.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 3.7 apg, 0.9 bpg, 46.3 FG%
NBA rank: 74th in rebounds, 125th in blocks, 163rd in assists
One of the smoothest lefties of his time, former Los Angeles Lakers swingman Lamar Odom could do a bit of everything – score, rebound, create, dribble and shoot – in a 6-foot-10 package, moving like a guard in a big man’s body. Odom was a dynamic weapon for two Lakers championship teams, playing an important role, mostly off the bench, alongside Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Had he been more selfish, Odom could have put up bigger numbers as a starter on other teams but he loved it in Los Angeles and the city’s NBA fans certainly loved him back during his prime.
Toni Kukoc 🇭🇷
Top accolades: Three NBA titles, one Sixth Man of the Year award, two Olympic silver medals, one World Championship gold medal, two Eurobasket gold medals, one World Championship MVP award, one Eurobasket MVP award, three Euroleague titles, three Euroleague Final Four MVP awards
Average stats: 11.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.0 spg, 44.7 FG%
NBA rank: 211th in assists, 288th in steals, 410th in points
Similarly to Odom, Toni Kukoc was another highly skilled big man who played like a guard in a big man’s body, possessing the ability to shoot, dribble and pass it while standing at 6-foot-10. He also was an important role player on a multi-time champion, in Kukoc’s case with the Chicago Bulls, who could have possibly put up bigger numbers playing for worse teams but accepted a smaller role to win championships in his prime. Kukoc is also a basketball legend for his exploits overseas where he won three straight Euroleague titles, no easy feat, with Croatian club Jugoplastika Split from 1989 through 1991.
Zach Randolph
Mike Conley
Top accolades: One All-Star, one All-Defensive 2nd Team selection
Average stats: 14.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 5.7 apg, 1.4 spg, 43.9 FG%
NBA rank: 38th in assists, 53rd in steals, 142nd in points
A reliable floor general still trucking along despite being in the NBA since the 2007 draft, Mike Conley made a living thanks to his quickness, high basketball IQ and – ironically enough for this article – his ability to finish around the basket over taller opponents with his unique right-handed floater. Conley was never a major star but he was and still is a very dependable point guard who can do some scoring and creating.
Chris Mullin
Top accolades: Four All-NBA Team selections, five All-Stars, two Olympic gold medals
Average stats: 18.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.6 spg, 50.9 FG%
NBA rank: 45th in steals, 81st in points, 175th in assists
One of the members of the “Run TMC” Golden State Warriors of the ’90s, Chris Mullin is underrated as an all-time great guard these days. Mullin could really shoot the basketball, including off the dribble and beyond the arc but thriving as a midrange assassin, as well as create for teammates. Mullin didn’t have much team success in his prime, though, failing to get past the second round until his age-34 season when he was a role player for the Reggie Miller-led Indiana Pacers.
Billy Cunningham
Top accolades: One NBA title, three All-NBA 1st Team selections, four All-Stars, one ABA MVP award
Average stats: 20.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 4.0 apg, 44.6 FG%
NBA rank: 141st in rebounds, 201st in points, 301st in assists
NBA legend Billy Cunningham was an athletic swingman who played with reckless abandon, often diving for loose balls and battling on the glass at an elite rate. Cunningham had a four-year stretch with the Philadelphia 76ers in which he averaged 24.3 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists, making four All-Star appearances in that span and three 1st Team All-NBAs. It was before that when Cunningham helped lead Philadelphia to a championship alongside Wilt Chamberlain, though. That took place in 1966-67 in just Cunningham’s second campaign in the NBA before he even hit his prime.
Gail Goodrich
Top accolades: One NBA title, one All-NBA 1st Team selection, five All-Stars
Average stats: 18.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.7 apg, 45.6 FG%
NBA rank: 62nd in points, 76th in assists, 544th in rebounds
Smooth lefty guard Gail Goodrich was a great scorer in his heyday, possessing a very tidy pull-up midrange jumper off the dribble, one that helped him produce buckets at a high level in his prime. Goodrich is best remembered for his time with the Lakers, the franchise he helped lead to the 1971-72 NBA championship after averaging 23.8 points on 44.5 percent shooting in the ’72 playoffs.
Goodrich is also remembered for being the focal point of one of the most consequential trades in NBA history. When Goodrich signed with the then-New Orleans Jazz in the summer of ’76, the Jazz, per league rules, had to compensate the Lakers for taking their veteran free agent. As such, the Jazz sent L.A. their 1979 first-round pick (along with more draft capital). Well, as history would have it, the Jazz would finish with the worst record in the NBA in 1978-79, Los Angeles then won a coin flip for the first pick in the 1979 draft and would take Magic Johnson that year.
Goodrich changed the course of league history simply by choosing to finish his career out in New Orleans.
Bob Lanier
Top accolades: Eight All-Stars, one All-Star Game MVP
Average stats: 20.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.1 apg, 51.4 FG%
NBA rank: 44th in rebounds, 60th in points, 82nd in blocks
Pistons and Bucks legend Bob Lanier was one of the most productive players ever at center, putting up huge numbers in his prime as a scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker (which only started being recorded in his fourth season when he was averaging 3.0 per night). Lanier had a seven-year stretch in his peak in which he put up 23.9 points and 12.8 rebounds for the Pistons, although Detroit made the playoffs just four times in that span and never got past the second round. It’s difficult to fault the 20-10 shot-blocking machine Lanier for that, though.
Manu Ginobili 🇦🇷
Top accolades: Four NBA titles, two All-NBA 3rd Team selections, two All-Stars, one-time Sixth Man of the Year, one Olympic gold medal, one World Cup silver medal, four FIBA Americas medals, one Olympic tournament MVP, one FIBA Americas MVP, one Euroleague title, one Euroleague Finals MVP
Average stats: 13.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.3 spg, 44.7 FG%
NBA rank: 64th in steals, 123rd in assists, 185th in points
For millennials, the first quintessential lefty NBA star was Manu Ginobili, one of the most impactful players in the Association throughout the 2000s. The Argentinian legend played with awe-inspiring flair, often attempting passes and layups that few others would dare try. He would even come up big on the defensive end in huge situations even when defense wasn’t really his calling card:
The clutch Ginobili also had a legendary international career, leading Argentina to Olympic gold in 2004. To this day, Argentina is the only country that can say it won Olympic gold with an American squad in the field that had professional players on it.
There’s no question Ginobili could have put up bigger numbers on a different team but that he stuck it out with the San Antonio Spurs no matter the role speaks to what he cared about most: winning. The electrifying Ginobili rightfully belongs in this spot of the ranking as one of the 10 best left-handed NBA players of all time.
Artis Gilmore
Top accolades: Six All-Stars, one All-Defensive 2nd Team selection, one ABA title, one ABA MVP award, one ABA Playoffs MVP award, five ABA All-Stars
Average stats: 17.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.9 bpg, 59.9 FG%
NBA rank: 27th in blocks, 53rd in rebounds, 135th in points
Very productive and for a long time, lefty Artis Gilmore spent 17 seasons between the NBA and ABA, in six of which he received All-Star honors. Gilmore did win an ABA championship in 1974-75 as a member of the Kentucky Colonels. He didn’t have as much playoff success in the NBA, though he did make it to the Eastern and Western Conference Finals late in his career. Still, he ranks highly in both blocks and rebounds historically and was truly one of the best big men of his era.
Lenny Wilkens
Top accolades: Nine All-Stars, one All-Star MVP
Average stats: 16.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 6.7 apg, 43.2 FG%
NBA rank: 17th in assists, 82nd in points, 277th in rebounds
Often remembered these days for a coaching career that spanned from 1969 (when he was still a player) until 2005, Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens was also a great player in his heyday, playing 15 seasons in the NBA and making nine All-Star appearances in that stretch. Wilkens led the league in assists in 1969-70 with 9.1 nightly dimes to go with 17.8 points and 5.0 rebounds. Oh, and he did that as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics while simultaneously coaching the team. Extremely impressive stuff.
Dave Cowens
Top accolades: Two NBA titles, one MVP, three All-NBA 2nd Team selections, eight All-Stars, one All-Defensive 1st Team selection
Average stats: 17.6 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 46.0 FG%
NBA rank: 36th in rebounds, 204th in points, 245th in assists
Florida State legend Dave Cowens has the distinction of being just one of two players, coincidentally enough with the player who finished first on this very list, to win league MVP in a campaign that he wasn’t named to 1st Team All-NBA. Regardless, that was a loaded era for centers, making sorting out All-NBA teams a nightmare. Cowens helped lead the Boston Celtics to two more championships of the dynasty of the ’60s, one in 1974 and another in 1976, and did so thanks to his high-energy style of play, his rebounding and his ability to knock down jumpers from his frontcourt spot
Nate Archibald
Top accolades: One NBA title, three All-NBA 1st Team selections, six All-Stars
Average stats: 18.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 7.4 apg, 46.7 FG%
NBA rank: 28th in assists, 107th in points, 942nd in rebounds
One of just two players in league history to lead the NBA in total points and assists in the same season, Tiny Archibald was a lightning-quick floor general in his prime, one who used his outstanding open-floor pace to thrive in transition and as a driver to the rim. Archibald also had a reliable midrange jumper and was an excellent passer, peaking in 1972-73 when he averaged 34.0 points and 11.4 assists for the Kansas City-Omaha Kings.
Archibald didn’t enjoy much team success as a team’s best player but once he became a role player later in his career, he made the playoffs four times, including in 1980-81 when he helped the Boston Celtics hoist that year’s championship.
Chris Bosh
Top accolades: Two NBA titles, one All-NBA 2nd Team selection, 11 All-Stars, one Olympic gold medal
Average stats: 19.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.0 bpg, 49.4 FG%
NBA rank: 88th in rebounds, 98th in points, 116th in blocks
He may not have the all-time statistical rankings of some of the other players this high up on this list but there’s no question Chris Bosh was one of the best left-handed players of all time. In Bosh’s prime, he spent time both as a team’s best player when he was with the Toronto Raptors and as the clear third option on a championship team when he joined LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in 2010.
Bosh was a smooth power forward, one who could space the floor from three but was really more of a face-up midrange assassin. He also had a good ball handle and great quickness for a big man, making him a nightly matchup problem for opponents. Bosh won two championships in Miami but sadly saw his prime cut short by blood-clotting issues that ended his career by his age-32 campaign.
Willis Reed
Top accolades: Two NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, five All-NBA selections, seven All-Stars, one All-Defensive 1st Team selection
Average stats: 18.7 ppg, 12.9 rpg, 1.8 apg, 47.6 FG%
NBA rank: 65th in rebounds, 269th in points, 803rd in assists
Hall of Fame big man Willis Reed is most fondly remembered for his heroics in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals when he played in the game despite a bad leg injury that had forced him to miss Games 6 of the championship series against the Lakers, leaving the Knicks on the verge of losing the series in seven.
Reed played 27 minutes that night and powered his way to four points but more importantly, helped keep Chamberlain somewhat in check (which for him was having merely 21 points and 24 rebounds). The Knicks would win that game – and the 1970 championship – to cap off a magical season by Reed that also saw him be named regular-season MVP, All-Star Game MVP and a 1st Team All-NBAer.
Reed was one of the NBA’s best centers in his prime, enjoying a seven-year stretch in which he averaged 20.1 points and 13.8 rebounds per night and will forever be one of the best left-handed players the league has ever seen.
James Harden
Top accolades: One MVP, six All-NBA 1st Team selections, 10 All-Stars, one Sixth Man of the Year award, one Olympic gold medal, one World Cup gold medal
Average stats: 24.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 7.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 44.3 FG%
NBA rank: 16th in assists, 24th in points, 39th in steals
Much is made about James Harden’s lack of postseason success but even then, he’s going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and will go down as one of the best guards in NBA history when he calls it quits. Harden is already 16th all-time in assists, 24th in points and has an MVP under his belt to go with his 10 All-Star appearances and six 1st Team All-NBA distinctions.
When it came to scoring and playmaking, few if any were in Harden’s class in his prime – and it wasn’t just due to his ability to draw fouls, though that elite skill did help him a lot. Harden is also an outstanding driver to the basket and has a pristine step-back three-point jumper that he could hit in opponents’ faces. We haven’t even touched on his great playmaking skills out of the pick-and-roll and drives, where he did and still does a fantastic job of setting up teammates for open threes or dunks.
Plus, Harden still has time left in his late prime, so the possibility is still there for him to win some postseason hardware before his career ends. If that happens, he could still move up this ranking of best lefties ever over the coming years, although it’ll be tough considering the accolades of the two players still ahead of him.
David Robinson
Top accolades: Two NBA titles, one MVP, 10 All-NBA selections, 10 All-Stars, one Defensive Player of the Year award, eight All-Defensive selections, two Olympic gold medals, one World Cup gold medal
Average stats: 21.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 2.5 apg, 3.0 bpg, 51.8 FG%
NBA rank: 6th in blocks, 33rd in rebounds, 44th in points
An absolute force of nature at center in his prime, David Robinson managed to thrive despite playing in a golden era at his position in the ’90s. To play at the same time as so many all-time greats at center – Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal and Patrick Ewing just to name a few – and still be considered among the best is truly an incredible feat, one that Robinson accomplished with aplomb. Robinson was a physical freak, possessing incredible athleticism, length and size at 7-foot-1, roughly 235 pounds. He used those freakish physical tools well as a shot-blocker and rebounder but also had great skill as an offensive player with a well-rounded post-game and solid midrange jumper.
The only knock on Robinson’s career if it can even be called a knock is that he didn’t have much team success before Tim Duncan’s arrival. Robinson was only able to lead the San Antonio Spurs to the Western Conference Finals once before Duncan got there but even then, it’s hard to fault Robinson for that considering the numbers he was putting up at the time. He also didn’t have much help around him prior to Duncan, so it’s not like he was flaming out as a title favorite every year.
Overall, Robinson isn’t just one of the best left-handed players ever but he’s also one of the best centers ever, period.
Bill Russell
Top accolades: 11 NBA titles, five MVPs, 11 All-NBA selections, 12 All-Stars, one Olympic gold medal
Average stats: 15.1 ppg, 22.5 rpg, 4.3 apg, 44.0 FG%
NBA rank: 2nd in rebounds, 118th in assists, 166th in points
One of the league’s founding fathers and most important – and accomplished – players ever, Celtics legend Bill Russell won an NBA-record 11 championships, a feat we can confidently say will never be broken. To go with that, he also won five MVPs, was named an All-Star 12 times and made 11 All-NBA teams all while being a crucial civil rights activist in his spare time.
How’s that for a career?
Russell led the league in nightly rebounds five times, averaging 22.5 rebounds for his career and ranks second all-time in total boards. It’s truly a shame blocks weren’t a recorded statistic during his time in the NBA because there’s no question he’d be near the top of the list of all-time rejections, too, as he was known to be a fantastic defender during his years in the Association.
Overall, Russell was an unselfish, winning player who cared more about his team’s success than his statistics. The No. 5-ranked player in our most recent All-Time NBA Players ranking, Russell is one of the most important players in the history of the league and the NBA probably wouldn’t be where it is today without him.
