Top 10 'most feared' NBA players of all time ranked including Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal

In a list of the 'most feared' NBA players of all time, LeBron James ranked significantly lower than many fans might expect.

The Los Angeles Lakers icon in now in his 22nd NBA season and is often at the centre of heated debates among fans over whether he or Michael Jordan should be considered the best player in basketball history.

Across his storied career – which began when he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first pick of the 2003 draft – has seen him accumulate four championships, four Most Valuable Player awards and become the NBA's all-time highest scorer.

Yet in the list of 'most feared' players compiled by the website fadeawayworld.net, James ranks just eighth.

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Jordan – who won six championships with the Chicago Bulls and five MVPs during his 1990s heyday – unsurprisingly topped the list.

Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry – who is regarded as the greatest shooter of all time and helped shape modern basketball with his three-point prowess – didn't make the cut, although he was given consideration as an 'honourable mention'.

Shaquille O'Neal was ranked second, behind only Jordan. The 7ft 1ins centre was the most dominant big man in the league during the 90s and early 2000s. He won one MVP and four NBA championships over a career that encompassed spells with the Orlando Magic, Lakers, Miami Heat and others.

Another Lakers icon and former Shaq team-mates, Kobe Bryant, ranked fourth on the list, while Boston Celtics legends Larry Bird and Bill Russell were fifth and sixth respectively, with Wilt Chamberlain – the 1970s superstar who still owns several NBA scoring records – was second.

Shaquille O'Neal won four NBA titles during his career. (Image: Getty)

James ranked behind former Philadelphia 76ers centre Moses Malone, with the rebound king and three-time MVP occupying seventh place.

Kevin Garnett was ninth, with the former Minnesota Timberwolves and Celtics power forward part of a Boston-heavy list. And Sixers guard Allen Iverson – the only player listed who didn't win an NBA title – was in tenth.