19. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (23.01 PER)
You can't tell the full story of the NBA without including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Playing 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and then the Los Angeles Lakers, KAJ is a living legend for the league. Over the course of his career, KAJ made 19 NBA All-Star Games, was named the NBA MVP six times, and won six NBA Championships (one with the Bucks and five with the Lakers). While doing so, KAJ was also one of the most efficient players in the league.
In 237 playoff games played, KAJ averaged 24 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks per game on 53 percent shooting from the field. A huge part of the Showtime Lakers, alongside Magic Johnson, KAJ helped make the NBA mainstream during the late 1980s. Before MJ and the Chicago Bulls, it was KAJ, Magic, and the Showtime Lakers.
Even as the NBA has slowly moved away from the traditional big man, KAJ's influence on the game and on the Lakers as a franchise continues to have a lasting impact.