Dividing the history of professional basketball into five distinct eras, this book first describes the style of play that prevailed during each period, giving an in-depth view of how the game has evolved. For each of the five eras, the best players to man the five positions on the court are selected. Each player's level of dominance during his time in the league is examined, as well as his individual statistics, the degree to which he impacted the fortunes of his team, and the extent to which he improved his teammates' level of play. Individual honors and quotes from teammates and opponents alike are used to support the rankings.