- 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 · 15
Greatest Basketball athletes of the 1940s
This ranking uses verified career records and GOAT Rank's published model. Every listed athlete clears the data eligibility threshold.
#AthleteGOAT Score
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1948–1971
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1947–1980
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | George Mikan | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1956 | 88.1 |
| 52 | Alex Hannum | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1948–1971 | 87.8 |
| 53 | Frank McGuire | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1947–1980 | 87.8 |
| 80 | Marques Haynes | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1992 | 85.7 |
| 97 | Bob Kurland | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1942–1952 | 85.1 |
| 165 | Slater Martin | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1960 | 82.8 |
| 180 | Vern Mikkelsen | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1959 | 81.9 |
| 191 | Joe Fulks | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1954 | 81.5 |
| 195 | Carl Braun | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1947–1962 | 81.4 |
| 205 | Bob Davies | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1945–1955 | 81.1 |
| 222 | Dick McGuire | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1960 | 80.3 |
| 223 | Ed Macauley | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1959 | 80.3 |
| 233 | Nat Clifton | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1942–1958 | 79.5 |
| 238 | Harry Gallatin | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1948–1958 | 79.4 |
| 263 | Don Barksdale | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1948–1955 | 76.1 |
Compare the leaders
George Mikan vs Alex HannumRead 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?
Only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible.
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