Greatest NBA Player Ever!

[Kali]

Look Jordan could FLY and I do mean really FLY. It is not just him jumping up and making his body move-this man does have Wings. Nobody else in the NBA has had em and doubt they ever will.

 

[Kushinator]

Individual stats measure the best to you then... ok.
Regarding your snide remark about the rest... take a hike. Grow up boy.

Im not the one who is letting my personal love for the 80's favor heavily in my weighting of competition. I get it, you loved the 80's. To use a player's/team's domination as a means to devalue their competition is just flawed. Having the Bulls/MJ lose a title to Phoenix or Utah somehow equates to greater competition??? Ok, its your thread.....

 

[Bodi]

Nope.

He just had to face Magic, Worthy, Drexler, Malone, Stockton, Barkley.

wait, crap, I'm messing up your argument...

um, yeah..umm...jordan...he um...faced scrubs, all the time...yeah.

:roll:

I didn't say they were scrubs... Malone is a great individual player, no doubt. Payton, Drexler and Barkley too. No arguments. Can't see why people seem to equate them with Bird/Magic though. Makes little sense. I am not seeing much of a counter argument from anybody. Just a lot of, "Jordan is the best and owned everybody, so there!" and that is fine. *shrugs*

 

[Bodi]

Im not the one who is letting my personal love for the 80's favor heavily in my weighting of competition. I get it, you loved the 80's. To use a player's/team's domination as a means to devalue their competition is just flawed. Having the Bulls/MJ lose a title to Phoenix or Utah somehow equates to greater competition??? Ok, its your thread.....

I think you have it backwards. Your love of Jordan, as happens to most people who just want to love the hype (whether it is real or not ex Tiger, Federer, Lebron), since that is the popular advertized choice. I posted articles as to how the NBA was watered down in the 90's and still is today. I posted many stats that you simply dismissed. I posted articles as to how the NBA changed rules so that Jordan would be able to do better than the people of the past.

I love the 90's and the present, since the Lakers are winning non-stop. There is simply no argument (from the NBA sporting world that is) regarding what teams were the greatest and what players were the greatest.

I can see making an argument for Bird over Magic, or Wilt, Russell or Kareem before Magic too. Hell, I go back and forth as to whether or not Bird was actually better all the time, and I am a Lakers fan and hate the Celtics, he was just that good.

Having the Suns or Jazz win a title or two over the Bulls or during the two years that Jordan was out would have made a big argument to the Bulls dominance... yes. The fact that they couldn't when Jordan had to have a time out says a lot. Jordan having a rest period like some baby is a big thing too, and is always overlooked. Magic was in 9 conference finals in 11 years. Straight. No breaks, didn't need them. On top and kept going. Back to back and almost a three peat and kept going. Kept getting to the Finals. Jordan? Quits. Gets a rest from the pressure. Says a lot to anybody looking objectively.

 

[Bodi]

Look Jordan could FLY and I do mean really FLY. It is not just him jumping up and making his body move-this man does have Wings. Nobody else in the NBA has had em and doubt they ever will.

Jordan was a great great player and had huge hops... no question. One of the best individual players ever. Others? Pete M. The Big O. Wilt. There are many...

 

[Kushinator]

I think you have it backwards. Your love of Jordan, as happens to most people who just want to love the hype (whether it is real or not ex Tiger, Federer, Lebron), since that is the popular advertized choice. I posted articles as to how the NBA was watered down in the 90's and still is today. I posted many stats that you simply dismissed. I posted articles as to how the NBA changed rules so that Jordan would be able to do better than the people of the past.

I love the 90's and the present, since the Lakers are winning non-stop. There is simply no argument (from the NBA sporting world that is) regarding what teams were the greatest and what players were the greatest.

I can see making an argument for Bird over Magic, or Wilt, Russell or Kareem before Magic too. Hell, I go back and forth as to whether or not Bird was actually better all the time, and I am a Lakers fan and hate the Celtics, he was just that good.

Having the Suns or Jazz win a title or two over the Bulls or during the two years that Jordan was out would have made a big argument to the Bulls dominance... yes. The fact that they couldn't when Jordan had to have a time out says a lot. Jordan having a rest period like some baby is a big thing too, and is always overlooked. Magic was in 9 conference finals in 11 years. Straight. No breaks, didn't need them. On top and kept going. Back to back and almost a three peat and kept going. Kept getting to the Finals. Jordan? Quits. Gets a rest from the pressure. Says a lot to anybody looking objectively.

And there is a counter to the "watered" down argument in the form of advances of sports science, global presence, and greater instances of competition at younger ages. Stating teams were better in the 80's is similar to stating "cars were made better in the 80's", or "football teams were better in the 80's". It's simply a flawed argument on a multitude of levels.

 

[Bodi]

And there is a counter to the "watered" down argument in the form of advances of sports science, global presence, and greater instances of competition at younger ages. Stating teams were better in the 80's is similar to stating "cars were made better in the 80's", or "football teams were better in the 80's". It's simply a flawed argument on a multitude of levels.

Not flawed, just one that you don't agree with... in certain ways, cars were made better in the 50's and 60's same with rock... hence people's love for "classic" cars and "classic" rock. The 80's rock compares with the 60's in what sane person's view? Flock of Seagulls vs. The Stones? Duran Duran vs. The Beatles? OK, there is Michael and Madonna, but Culure Cluc vs the Doors? C'mon... Payton vs. Bird?... see what I'm gettin' at?

 

[Degreez]

LOL @ OP's list.

Hakeem Olajuwon is definitely better than Tim Duncan. He was also superior to Shaq. By Player Efficiency Rating (PER), he is the highest ranked center.

One of four players to achieve a quadruple double in a single game.

Only player in the top 10 all time for blocks, rebounding, scoring, and steals.

Season MVP, Finals MVP and DYOP all in one season. Name another player that has done that.

 

[pro-bipartisan]

Thanks for sharing...

No problem.

 

[O_Guru]

I personally dont think you can clearly rank players that great, I thinks it very difficult when talking about the all time greatest because of positions played, era played in, different rules, different talents and competition. Ive always thought it was better to put players in Tiers.

A few seasons ago (like 4 or 5 now) 200+ current and ex players, coaches and owners were polled on who is GOAT. The names repeated over and over again in the large majority were Magic, MJ, Wilt, Big O, Jabbar and Russell. Thats wat 200 piers thought and I agree.

So in the GOAT tier (acceptable answers for GOAT) in no order are:

Magic
MJ
Russell
Jabbar
Wilt
Big-O

tier two, all time greats but not the greatest, these are just my picks in no real order not from the poll
Shaq
Bird
Dream
Kobe
Dr.J
TD
West

honorable mention tier
Drexler, Ice man, Maravich, both Malones, Isiah, Baylor, KG, D-Rob and some others im sure im forgetting

 

[Bodi]

LOL @ OP's list.

Hakeem Olajuwon is definitely better than Tim Duncan. He was also superior to Shaq. By Player Efficiency Rating (PER), he is the highest ranked center.

One of four players to achieve a quadruple double in a single game.

Only player in the top 10 all time for blocks, rebounding, scoring, and steals.

Season MVP, Finals MVP and DYOP all in one season. Name another player that has done that.

He could easily be on there... and probably should now that you mention it. I was going off Duncan's Championships... and going against my own logic to be honest. Hakeem is better... good call.

 

[24107]

Micheal Jordan, You just know he's gonna hit that game 7 nba final winning buzzer beater type shots, also a great defender.

 

[Bodi]

Micheal Jordan, You just know he's gonna hit that game 7 nba final winning buzzer beater type shots, also a great defender.

How do you rate your top ten and why?

 

[24107]

How do you rate your top ten and why?

Micheal Jordan- I just love the guy, I grew up in Chicago, first game i saw as a kid was game one in the finals vs the lakers, i remember that reverse lay up like it was yesterday.

Scottie pippen- i'm just totally bias as a bulls fan i guess, he was an all star player who would score 20 or more points a game, a great passer, who's athletism was similar to jordan, a first team nba defender, could rebound and steal the ball in the bulls 6 championships i dont know if they could have won without him. best dam sports show had jordan/pippen ranked number 1 duo in all sports.

kobe bryant- reminds a little of jordan

I gotta be honest, i watched 90% of the nba during the Jordan/pippen era, while i was living in chicago after jordan retired a second time and was no longer a bulls member, i virtually stopped watching nba for a really long while. after watching jordan/pippen everything else seems like chop liver. nowadays il catch a few playoff games, but im not a real fan of the sport anymore. but i will give 7 more names who i enjoyed watching DA BULLS demaorilize
dominque wilkins
charles barkely
clyde drexler
patrick ewing
majic johnson
hakeem alojawan
reggie miller

it also turns out scottie pippen was elected to the hall of fame, here are some memorable pics

eace

 

[Bodi]

sweet. Thanks. nothing wrong with a biased fan, as if there is any other kind!

 

[TurtleDude]

In terms of skills

1) Oscar Robertson
2) Michael Jordan
3) Rick Barry
4) Magic Johnson
5) Jerry West
6) Pete Maravich
7) Calvin Murphy
8) James Worthy
9) George McGinnis
10)LeBron James

Scoring ability

1) Wilt Chamberlain
2) Kareem Abdul Jabbar
3) Michael Jordan
4) Kevin McHale
5) Rick Barry
6) Bob Mcadoo
7) Bill Walton
8) Oscar Robertson
9) LeBron James
10) Julius Erving

Intangibles-leadership, clutch peformances etc

1) Bill Russel
2 Michael Jordan
3) John Havlicek
4) Hakeem Ojuwan
5) Oscar Robertson
6) Kobe Bryant
7) Jerry West
8) RIck Barry
9) Julius Erving
10) Jamaal Wilkes

 

[TBone]

Look Jordan could FLY and I do mean really FLY. It is not just him jumping up and making his body move-this man does have Wings. Nobody else in the NBA has had em and doubt they ever will.

do you mean travel?

 

[Kali]

do you mean travel?

You are very funny

 

[Bodi]

And there is a counter to the "watered" down argument in the form of advances of sports science, global presence, and greater instances of competition at younger ages. Stating teams were better in the 80's is similar to stating "cars were made better in the 80's", or "football teams were better in the 80's". It's simply a flawed argument on a multitude of levels.

I am not stating that teams were better in the 80's. Stop assuming. More of the top ranked teams of all time were in the 80's though.
4 from the 80's and 2 from the 90's.

Regarding advances in sport science and the global impact with European players (Gasol, etc) I agree... there are many really good players.

Regarding the cars argument, I already addressed that. How many classic cars are from the 50's and 60's compared to the 80's? Seriously... a 56 Chevy or a 65 Pny Back Mustang versus a Honda Accord or Ford Taurus...

 

[Bodi]

do you mean travel?

Exactly my point... thanks.