The NBA is in a perpetual state of evolution, and it has some of its biggest stars to thank.

1. Tony Dejak/Associated Press
The NBA is in a perpetual state of evolution, and it has some of its biggest stars to
thank.
Every so often, a living legend will pass through this league and leave an indelible mark
on it.
While impact players are often characterized as game-changers, the following 10
megastars are league-changers. From on-court styles to off-court empowerment, these
players permanently altered what we think is possible from superstar athletes.
To keep our study to a reasonable size, we're only focusing on modern players, those
who either arrived after the NBA-ABA merger or saw their league-changing
contributions make a direct impact on the game at that point.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
NBA
10 Modern NBA Players Who Literally Changed the Game
JULY 22, 2020
ZACH BUCKLEY
21
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2. 1 OF 10
Richard Shotwell/Associated Press
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's gifts to the game of basketball fill an entire section of the NBA's
record books. No one has ever scored more points (38,387), won more MVP awards
(six) or booked more All-Star trips (19). He won six titles and two Finals MVPs, securing
the second as a 38-year-old. He even introduced the sport to the deadliest shot in
basketball history, his famed skyhook, which was unguardable with his size and
shooting touch.
For all the accolades, though, he proved even more influential away from the
hardwood.
He struck a big victory for player empowerment when he helped orchestrate his 1975
trade from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Los Angeles Lakers. He also helped
permanently stoke the fears of small-market franchise owners, as his hand-picked
destinations were L.A. and New York.
"I'm not criticizing the people here. But Milwaukee is not what I'm all about," he said at
the time. "The things I relate to aren't in Milwaukee."
Abdul-Jabbar's non-basketball interests perhaps left his greatest legacy since he
showed future pros all the things a player could do with his platform. He spoke out on
everything from social issues to pop culture, became a prolific writer, earned the
Presidential Medal of Freedom and worked to end hunger and illiteracy.
Julius Erving
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3. Associated Press
The NBA had a different kind of bounce once Julius Erving passed through its ranks.
He gave the game style and showed the artistry of basketball. He invented aerial
acrobatics and was crowned king of the first slam dunk contest in the ABA. He
continued captivating audiences with his above-the-rim sorcery after the merger and
then wowed them again with down-to-earth modesty off the court.
"There have been some better people off the court—like a few mothers and the pope,"
Pat Riley told Alexander Wolff for Sports Illustrated. "But there was only one Dr. J the
player."
Erving was an All-Star for the duration of his NBA (and ABA) career. He was NBA MVP
in 1980-81 and an NBA champion in 1983. His signature slams still get regular rotation
in highlight reels.
Away from the court, he was a pioneer in endorsements. As Darren Rovell noted for
ESPN in 2016, Erving inked an "unprecedented" $20,000 shoe deal with Converse and
was part of the first licensed video game with professional athletes, One on One: Dr. J
vs Larry Bird.
Larry Bird
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4. Scott Maguire/Associated Press
The modern NBA doesn't look the same without Larry Bird.
Along with Magic Johnson, Bird helped the league's popularity explode in the 1980s.
He had legitimate star power, and fans flocked to it like never before. He helped
reshape the Association's commercial and broadcast identity, mercifully bringing
basketball's tape-delay era to a close.
A legendary trash-talker, his game spoke even louder and paved the path to today's
positionless versatility. He was a 6'9", 220-pounder who broke in as a power forward,
which would've restricted most players to a life on the low post. But he could shoot,
handle and pass like a guard, and he elevated expectations about what a player with
size could do.
While not a prolific three-point shooter by today's standards, he had five of the nine
highest three-point totals by a player 6'9" or taller when he retired in 1992. He also had
seven of the 13 highest assist averages by a non-guard through the 1991-92 season. He
remains the only player in league history with career averages of 24 points, 10
rebounds and six assists.
Magic Johnson
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