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NBA Players Who Played ‘Positionless’ Before It Was Cool

by Jeremy Block - 1/15/2026

Players who played positionless before it was cool LeBron James

In the modern NBA, positionless basketball has often been treated like a groundbreaking new concept. Everyone’s suddenly obsessed with players who can shoot, pass, rebound, and guard multiple positions. But here’s the thing: this isn’t new. Long before it became the standard, there were players who were already doing all of that and more, without needing a bunch of kids hyping them up on social media to justify their playstyle.

In an era where flexibility is king, it’s easy to forget that some of the game’s biggest names were redefining what it meant to "fill a position" decades ago. They didn’t wait for coaches or analysts to tell them what role they should play, and they just showed up and did everything. Let’s take a look at five NBA players who were ahead of their time, playing positionless basketball before it became a thing.

Magic Johnson

In an era where point guards were traditionally small and quick, one player stood out for his ability to completely defy that mold: Magic Johnson. At 6'9", his combination of size and passing ability allowed him to play the point like nobody else. Not convinced? How about this: In the 1980 NBA Finals, Magic Johnson filled in at center for an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and still led the Lakers to another title, proving that the concept of "position" wasn’t as straightforward as the league had believed at the time.

With career averages of 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 11.2 assists, it was clear as day that the basketball world wasn’t just looking at a solid floor general—they were witnessing one of the best all-around players in action. 

From grabbing a rebound over centers to managing the ball in crunch-time situations, making the right pass, or locking up the opposing team’s top scorer, Johnson had the perfect toolkit to do it all. He showed the world that a player’s role was only as limited as their skill set allowed.

Scottie Pippen

When people think about the '90s Bulls dynasty, Michael Jordan is usually the first name that comes to mind. But as for the guy who did it all for them, I wouldn’t be so quick to back that claim. The title easily goes to Scottie Pippen. While Pippen was often looked at as the “Robin” to Jordan’s “Batman,” he wasn’t just a sidekick. He was the glue that held together one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. 

Standing 6’8”, Pippen could defend anyone from a point guard to a center, all while contributing offensively in a variety of ways. Over his career, Pippen averaged 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, putting him on par with some of the best all-around players to ever step on the hardwood.

When Chicago needed someone to guard the opposing team’s best player, Pippen was there. When they needed someone to bring the ball up or run the offense, Pippen could handle that too. His ability to switch between roles and provide in multiple areas made him one of the best positionless basketball players, long before it became the expectation.

Oscar Robertson

Turning the clocks back a bit further, how could we not include Mr. Triple-Double himself, Oscar Robertson? The triple-double is a stat that seems pretty commonplace today, but back in the 1960s, Robertson was light years ahead of his time and was truly the first player to contribute in every facet of the game at an elite level.

In the 1961-62 season, Robertson became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double, posting 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game. Keep in mind, this was an era when point guards didn’t do much of anything outside of running the offense and passing the ball to the biggest guy on the court for a layup—that was pretty much it. 

For his career, Robertson averaged 25.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game, numbers that were insane for the time. While everyone else was sticking to their “assigned” roles, Robertson was out there doing whatever it took, proving that basketball didn’t have to be played by the book.

LeBron James

To close out this list, there is no one who fits the bill for being a positionless basketball player more than LeBron James. No argument there. Standing at 6’9” and weighing 250 pounds, James has shown time and time again that he was agile enough to guard the best point guards in the league, physical enough to deny the top post players, and still had the legs to be the first down the floor on a fast break for a dunk. Whether it was racking up 30+ points, grabbing 10+ rebounds, or dishing out 10+ assists, James has done it all at a level that can’t be matched.

Try this one on for size: listed as just a small forward on paper, James averaged over 1 block per game for four years of his career. Let that sink in. Adding to that, for his career, he averaged 26.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. Like him or not, no other player did it like James has, being able to guard all five positions and jump between roles on offense and defense like it’s second nature.

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