Many diehard basketball fans view the 1990s as the peak of the NBA. The game was quite physical and most great teams needed a capable staring power forward. Players at that position were expected to fight for rebounds, pound the paint to score and defend opposing players from getting easy buckets.
The NBA witnessed some of the all-time great power forwards playing in the decade of the ‘90s. Various names dominated the sport and accomplished various accolades to stand out above the rest. The old era of basketball saw the names in question defining the position. Each of the following basketball stars deserve to be called the top power forwards of the 1990s.
10 Chris Webber
Chris Webber found greater success in the 2000s, but he proved he was a great power forward in the latter half of the ‘90s. The Golden State Warriors drafted Webber for one season before he was moved to the Washington Wizards.
Webber made one All-Star team and one All-NBA team to show he was getting ready to make a big jump. The Rookie of the Year Award started things off promising and Webber continued improving as a premiere power forward in the league.
9 Danny Manning
Danny Manning started his career in the late ‘80s and ended it in the early 2000s. However, it was the ‘90s where Manning accomplished his greatest NBA success as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers for about four and a half seasons.
The two All-Star appearances for Manning were his greatest accomplishments at the power forward position. Manning still contributed as the decade ended by winning the Sixth Man of the Year Award as a member of the Phoenix Suns.
8 Derrick Coleman
One of the few great ‘90s players to not get remembered as fondly as the others was Derrick Coleman. The reason for this was Coleman starting off hot by winning the Rookie of the Year and making one All-Star Game as a member of the New Jersey Nets.
Unfortunately, Coleman fell off faster than expected into a role player role towards the latter half of the decade. The accomplishments still warrant a top power forward of the ‘90s spot since he made two All-NBA teams which can be argued that he was a top-15 player in multiple seasons.
7 Larry Johnson
Larry Johnson entered the NBA with a world of hype and lived up to it instantly by winning the Rookie of the Year Award. The explosive nature of Johnson earned him a lot of popularity off the court to match his two All-Star Game appearances and one All-NBA team selection.
Johnson had issues with teammate Alonzo Mourning on the Charlotte Hornets and suffered injuries when moving to the New York Knicks. Even though he fell off from the All-Star level in New York, he was a huge piece to them contending for a few seasons.
6 Horace Grant
Horace Grant is one of the more difficult names to rank since he didn’t dominate the game as much as the rest of the list, but he was a winner. The Chicago Bulls won three NBA Championships to start the decade with Grant as the power forward.
Even a move to the Orlando Magic saw Horace helping them improve and making their first NBA Finals. Grant made four All-Defensive teams to show how much he impacted that side of the ball. Defense was the main reason that Horace made one All-Star team despite never putting up huge stats.
5 Tim Duncan
The best years from Tim Duncan’s NBA career came in the following 2000s decade, but he deserves a top five power forward spot in the ‘90s. Duncan was the best player on the San Antonio Spurs’ 1999 NBA Championship team and that is the greatest spot for any player to be in.
Few other power forwards on this list even won a single title in their career, but Duncan led his team to one at a young age. There were also two All-NBA selections, one All-Star Game appearance and an All-Defensive team spot for Duncan in a few years as a young player in the ‘90s.
4 Shawn Kemp
Shawn Kemp spent the ‘90s as one of the most dominant and exciting power forwards in the league. Six consecutive All-Star appearances and three All-NBA selections showed how well he stacked up against tough competition in the NBA.
The Seattle SuperSonics were a constant West contender and made the NBA Finals once with Kemp and Gary Payton as their top players falling just short to Michael Jordan. Kemp was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and still put up top stats to end the decade before his body started to fail him in the 2000s.
3 Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman may be the worst scorer on this entire list, but there is no denying his impact on the court. The decade started with Rodman winning one more ring with the Bad Boys Detroit Pistons team and ended with a three-peat on the Chicago Bulls for the four ‘90s rings.
Rodman was rewarded for his winning plays by getting selected to two All-Star Games and six All-Defensive teams during the decade. The most impressive accomplishment may be the two Defensive Player of the Year Awards since it was rare to win that twice.
2 Karl Malone
The NBA witnessed Karl Malone dominating the ‘90s to become the third leading scorer in league history as of 2022. Malone was arguably the most consistent player of the decade with ten out of ten All-NBA selections and nine out of nine (the lockout shortened 1999 season did not apply) All-Star Games.
The biggest argument against Malone was his play often taking a hit in the postseason. Malone missed multiple clutch free throws, but he still led the Utah Jazz to back-to-back NBA Finals falling short to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. The two MVP Awards were the biggest accomplishment from Malone in the decade.
1 Charles Barkley
The dominance of Charles Barkley had many fans calling him a top three overall NBA player of the ‘90s with Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. Barkley ended his great run with the Philadelphia 76ers by getting dealt to the Phoenix Suns.
The 1993 MVP Award and trip to the NBA Finals was the peak of his career. Most NBA pundits view that Suns team as the best to challenge any Michael Jordan Bulls squad in the NBA Finals. Barkley made eight All-Star appearances and seven All-NBA teams, but he was even better than the stats show at his peak.