Clifton, Earl Lloyd – The first three African Americans in the NBA. Cooper was the first to be drafted by an NBA team, Clifton the first to sign an NBA contract who appeared in a game, and Lloyd the first to actually play in the league. Clifton and Lloyd are in the Hall of Fame as contributors. Stephen Curry – One of the faces of today's NBA and one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. Named NBA MVP in 2015 and unanimously in 2016. Julius Erving – Commonly known as "Dr. J", he revolutionized a new style of basketball that emphasized playing above the rim in the 1970s and 1980s. A star player in both the ABA and NBA, Erving popularized his signature "slam dunk", and help spur the NBA's rise in popularity in the modern era. LeBron James – Four-time league MVP, three-time champion, and arguably the current face of the NBA. Magic Johnson – One of the greatest floor leaders in NBA history, Johnson led the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s and played a major role in the NBA's growth since 1980. Michael Jordan – Widely acclaimed as the greatest player in history, the NBA's all-time leader in scoring average was the face of the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s, and even of the NBA as a whole. George Mikan - Regarded as the NBA's first true superstar, Mikan played for the Minneapolis Lakers and directed them to 5 NBA titles in 6 seasons. He is noted as a pioneer of big men in basketball, with his rebounding, shot blocking and ambidextrous hook shot. Dirk Nowitzki – The first European-trained player to be named NBA MVP, Nowitzki was a perennial All-Star for the Dallas Mavericks, and guided them to the NBA Championship in 2011. Shaquille O'Neal – Perhaps the most physically dominant center since Chamberlain, and one of the NBA's biggest stars for much of the 1990s and 2000s. Dražen Petrović – The first European-trained player to make a major impact in the NBA. Died in a 1993 automobile accident when on the verge of NBA superstardom. Oscar Robertson – "The Big O" is the first of only two players to average a triple-double for an entire campaign in the 1961–62 season, and was noted for both his abilities as a playmaker and a scorer. He later helped Kareem Abdul-Jabbar win the NBA Championship for the