Considered as the Swiss Army knife among the five positions in basketball, the small forward is an essential role that does it all. Whether it’s getting buckets or defending the opposing squad’s best player, this position is vital in getting the dub for any team. That is why like the shooting guard spot, it has produced some of the best NBA players of all time such as LeBron James, Paul Pierce, and Scottie Pippen to name a few.

But do you know who the best small forward of all time is? We take a look below at the greatest small forwards to ever do it and rank them based on their accomplishments, stats, and overall impact on the game.

10 Paul Pierce

Coming in at number 10 is no other than one of the best to ever suit up for the Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce. During his 19-year run in the league, The Truth established himself as one of the craftiest scorers to play small forward. By the time his career was done, Pierce amassed 26,397 points to go along with his 7,527 rebounds, 4,708 assists, and 1,752 steals.

But above all those numbers is Pierce’s intense drive that propelled the 2007-08 Celtics to clinch the NBA championship. Along with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, Boston’s All-Star small forward helped his team return to the top of the mountain after spending so long without a ring. That feat helped immortalize Pierce as one of the best small forwards of all time.

Paul Pierce career averages

9 Kawhi Leonard

If he’s not injured, Kawhi Leonard is certainly one of the best players in the NBA right now. He has accomplished more in his 11-year career than most small forwards who have played in the league.

During that period, the Klaw has averaged 19.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. He is among the few guys that can lock up any player on the court while getting buckets at will. That deadly and efficient combination of talents helped him nab two rings--one with the San Antonio Spurs and the other with the Toronto Raptors--while being named Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVPs twice.

Even with injuries slowing Leonard down, he is still included in the company of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only players to have won the Finals MVP with two different teams. This feat, along with everything he accomplished in the NBA, makes him one of the league’s top small forwards of all time.

Kawhi Leonard career averages

8 Adrian Dantley

If efficiency is the primary standard to measure the league’s best small forwards of all time, there’s no doubt Adrian Dantley will rise a few more spots on this list. Even before the 3-point shot became a staple in the NBA, Dantley averaged 24.3 points on 54 percent shooting from the field while adding 5.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 steal per game.

While those numbers look good, his run from 1981 to 1984 playing for the Utah Jazz was out of this world. In those four seasons, the small forward notched 30.5 points by connecting 56.4 percent from the field, 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.1 steal per contest.

Adrian Dantley career averages

7 John Havlicek

The mere fact that John Havlicek won eight rings during his 16-year career, 12 of which he played as the Celtics’ small forward, is more than enough to be considered in this conversation.

Even though the game was played differently during his era, it’s worth noting that Havlicek won that number of rings by averaging 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals, which is still a notable achievement. Add 13 selections as an All-Star, 11 to an All-NBA team, a Rookie of the Year award, and Finals MVP, and you’ll end up with a well-decorated Hall of Fame inductee with a career few small forwards in the league can ever achieve.

John Havlicek career averages

Read More: Top 10 NBA point guards of all time including Steph Curry

6 Scottie Pippen

Even before LeBron James played his first game in the NBA, Scottie Pippen was the first guy to revolutionize the small forward position. That’s because the Chicago Bulls legend combined a steady offense with a consistent effort on defense while still creating opportunities for his teammates to score.

If that sounds familiar, that’s how James has operated for most of his career. But even if James popularized how the 3-spot is played, it’s Pippen who innovated it as the best small forward of his time. This is evident in his career averages of 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game.

These numbers show that the 6-foot-8 legend was the cog that held everything together for his teams, particularly during the Bulls’ second three-peat. With a combination of rings and his overall impact on the game, there’s no denying Pippen has earned his place as one of the NBA’s premiere small forwards of all time.

Scottie Pippen career averages

5 Elgin Baylor

Before Michael Jordan and Julius Erving took everyone’s breath away with their gravity-defying moves, Elgin Baylor was already there. Entering the NBA in 1958 to play for the Minneapolis Lakers, and eventually, the Los Angeles Lakers, the 6-foot-5 small forward defined the position so future stars could take it to the next level.

With career averages of 27.4 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, Baylor could certainly do it all on the court. Het set the stage for future small forwards to dominate the game by capitalizing on his offense while maximizing his rebounds and playmaking. And even though he retired without a ring to his name, Baylor’s performance as one of the NBA’s best players to ever play small forward at that point of its existence solidified his place on this list.

Elgin Baylor career averages

4 Julius Erving

If Baylor established the definition of a small forward in the NBA, Julius Erving launched it to new heights. Taking what he could from the veteran, Dr. J learned that he could do more with the position than just score, grab rebounds, and create plays.

Along with his career averages of 24.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game, Erving added flair to his every move on the court. The result is a set of jaw-dropping drives and dunks that showcased the full extent of his athleticism to go along with his on-court contributions. The combination of both style and productivity helped Dr. J lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a championship in 1983. He also won four MVP awards, seven All-NBA team selections, and 16 All-Star Game appearances as an added bonus to his legendary career.

Julius Erving career averages

3 Kevin Durant

If scoring is going to be the stick used to measure the NBA’s best small forwards, Kevin Durant will certainly be on top of this list. Take a look at his game and people will see how skilled he is in putting the ball in the basket no matter where he is on the court.

Whether it’s below the rim, from the midrange, or beyond the 3-point line, it’s almost a certainty Durant’s shot will go in as soon as the ball leaves his hands. His career average of 27.3 points on 53.9 percent shooting from two and 38.5 percent from deep is just one piece of evidence of his elite skill in scoring. Add 7.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game, and any team will get a player who can instantly make them a championship contender right away.

Kevin Durant career averages

2 Larry Bird

Durant might be the better scorer than Larry Bird, but when it comes to the more important variables, such as winning and leading his own team to the promised land, the latter comes out on top. Consider three rings, two Finals MVP, three regular season MVP, a Rookie of the Year award, and 12 All-Star selections during his 13-year career, and the case for Bird just gets stronger.

Factor in the immense amount of confidence Bird has in his game, which can manifest in the most creative forms of trash-talking, and you’ve got a small forward that can lead a team to multiple Finals appearances. Bird did just that without the need to join a super team, making him superior to other guys on this list.

Larry Bird career averages

1 LeBron James

Sitting on top of this list is no surprise, as LeBron James has proved time and time again that he is the best small forward the NBA has ever seen. A testament to this claim is the King’s four rings, four Finals MVP, three regular season MVP, a Rookie of the Year award, 19 selections to an All-NBA team, six All-Defensive recognitions, and 19 All-Star appearances, among others.

And that’s just scratching beneath the surface because James is the league’s all-time leading scorer. He also ranks fourth in total assists and 35th in rebounds. His longevity and the winning impact he brings to every team he joins pave the way for James to earn the top spot as the NBA’s best small forward of all time.

With James still having plenty of gas left in the tank, he has a chance to widen his lead as the best to ever play small forward in the league. Keep your eyes peeled on whether the King can lengthen his historic reign, or a new name attempts to dethrone one of the guys on this list.

LeBron James career averages