- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1946–1956
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
GOAT Rank · 13
Greatest Basketball Players who debuted in the 1940s
This ranking is led by George Mikan, Marques Haynes and Bob Kurland. GOAT Rank currently ranks 13 eligible Basketball players who debuted in the 1940s using verified career records across dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Quick answer
According to GOAT Rank's current model, George Mikan ranks #1 on this list with a GOAT Score of 88.1.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →#AthleteGOAT Score
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1946–1992
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 94.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1942–1952
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 72.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1949–1960
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 80.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1949–1959
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1946–1954
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 62.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1947–1962
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 76.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1945–1955
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 66.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1949–1960
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1949–1959
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 76.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 72.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1942–1958
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 84.0
- Dominance
- 72.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1948–1958
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1948–1955
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 70.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 64.0
| # | Athlete | Sport | Country | Career | GOAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | George Mikan | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1956 | 88.1 |
| 69 | Marques Haynes | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1992 | 85.7 |
| 86 | Bob Kurland | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1942–1952 | 85.1 |
| 150 | Slater Martin | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1960 | 82.8 |
| 165 | Vern Mikkelsen | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1959 | 81.9 |
| 176 | Joe Fulks | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1954 | 81.5 |
| 180 | Carl Braun | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1947–1962 | 81.4 |
| 190 | Bob Davies | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1945–1955 | 81.1 |
| 207 | Dick McGuire | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1960 | 80.3 |
| 208 | Ed Macauley | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1959 | 80.3 |
| 218 | Nat Clifton | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1942–1958 | 79.5 |
| 223 | Harry Gallatin | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1948–1958 | 79.4 |
| 248 | Don Barksdale | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1948–1955 | 76.1 |
Compare the leaders
George Mikan vs Marques HaynesRead the full methodology
Sport lists use the raw In-Sport GOAT Score. Cross-sport lists use the official competition-depth adjustment. No scores are recalculated for this page.
Read the full methodologyFrequently asked questions
How is this ranking calculated?
Five verified components are weighted consistently: dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Who is included?
According to GOAT Rank's current data model, only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible. Rank and score are read live.
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