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Greatest NBA Player

Bodi

Just waiting for my set...
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Of All-Time

(in order)


1. Michael Jordan
2. Magic Johnson
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Larry Bird
5. Bill Russel
6. Shaquille O'Neal
7. Kobe Bryant
8. LeBron James
9. Tim Duncan
10. Hakeem Olajuwan

Honorable Mentions:

(not in order)

Wilt Chamberlain
Oscar Robertson
Julius Erving
Moses Malone
Karl Malone
Scottie Pippen
Steph Curry
Jerry West
Isiah Thomas
 
What is the criteria?

What makes MJ (probably the greatest) the greatest over Wilt Chamberlain? Or for that matter Bill Russel?
 
lists like this are so hard to debate

different era's

what criteria?

to me....basketball is a TEAM game....and the greatest TEAM player of ALL TIME is Bill Russell and it isnt even close

i know....he doesnt dazzle with statistics like others, but i will take the RINGS

individually....cant argue too much with your list.....find it hard to believe that the BIG O is outside the top 10 though

trying to figure out who to move...and having issues....but he averaged a triple double in a season, when no one else was even getting one or two

Wilt was a great scorer....not a great team player

Dr J was a highlight reel waiting to happen

And i just had the discussion a few days ago about Bird and Magic who basically saved basketball....which was dying on the vine before they revived it....and then MJ took over
 

All time leader in assists and steals not worth an honorable mention?
 
Oscar Robertson
 
gdgyva said:
lists like this are so hard to debate

different era's

what criteria?

to me....basketball is a TEAM game....and the greatest TEAM player of ALL TIME is Bill Russell and it isnt even close
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Not to take away from Bill Russell, who is amazing, but you can't deny it's a lot easier to win titles when you get to play with not one, two, three, or four, but five different hall of famers (Cousey, Sharman, Ramsey, and the Jones's) for a lot of those titles and also when there are only eight teams in the league.
 

The goat? That's easy. LeBron James

Just from a pure physical perspective, James was bigger, stronger, and more athletic than Jordan.

James also meant more for the city of Cleveland than Jordan did to Chicago. James was a better role model for his community than Jordan - a compulsive gambler and someone that frequented the strip club and cheated on his wife numerous times.

The debate was over a few years ago. James continued and sustained dominance makes him the GOAT.
 

I've been kind of leaning towards LBJ lately too for this debate, but I can't help but notice that nothing you listed for their attributes is really directly related to how good a basketball player they are.
 
Anagram said:
I've been kind of leaning towards LBJ lately too for this debate, but I can't help but notice that nothing you listed for their attributes is really directly related to how good a basketball player they are.
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There is no point. Too many Jordan zealots out there that worship the ground he walks in. Any debate will end from a Jordan supporter, "he has six rings."
 
Greatest, shmatest. The prettiest ever was Dr. J. That’s what sports are about, the beauty of bodies in motion.
 
Anagram said:
All time leader in assists and steals not worth an honorable mention?
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Sure... Stockton gets a mention. Lots of others could.
 
Bucky said:
The goat? That's easy. LeBron James

Just from a pure physical perspective, James was bigger, stronger, and more athletic than Jordan.
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By that standard Shaq is the GOAT... he would devastate LeBron...

James also meant more for the city of Cleveland than Jordan did to Chicago. James was a better role model for his community than Jordan - a compulsive gambler and someone that frequented the strip club and cheated on his wife numerous times.
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Irrelevant to basketball...

The debate was over a few years ago. James continued and sustained dominance makes him the GOAT.
Click to expand...

James faced hack teams in the East insuring Final's appearances. Even then he could barely win three... and two of the teams he faced from the West in the Finals were subpar and the Warriors imploded after a 73 win season... the Cavs did not beat them... the Warriors lost.
 
Bodhisattva said:
Sure... Stockton gets a mention. Lots of others could.
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Stockton was very good but he should not be considered in the conversation of GOAT. He, Malone, and Sloan had their opportunity against the Bulls, failed. And when Jordan retired, the Rockets took the West.
 
Bucky said:
There is no point. Too many Jordan zealots out there that worship the ground he walks in. Any debate will end from a Jordan supporter, "he has six rings."
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Which is funny because I kinda hated Jordan and am a complete Magic and Lakers fan... so there goes your subjectivity argument.
 

SHAQ was the most dominant. He was better than Bill Russell, Kareem, and Wilt, but that was Shaq at his apex, fully motivated.

The problem is Shaq got lazy or didn't fully commit. IMO Shaq is like the Randy Moss of basketball.

Most physically dominant? Yes, but not the GOAT. He didn't also come into camp in shape. Phil Jackson/Kobe had to motivate him to be at his best.
 
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Oh for ****s sake... it is almost 1 am there... you been drinking some great Washington wine? see ya.
 
Unlike the GOAT QB...the greatest individual player has different criteria. Dominant in all aspects of the game.

I'd say Wilt Chamberlain.
 
VanceMack said:
Unlike the GOAT QB...the greatest individual player has different criteria. Dominant in all aspects of the game.

I'd say Wilt Chamberlain.
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I still say LeBron. He was the BEAST OF THE EAST. No one could stop him. He demoralized teams like the Raptors, Hawks, Celtics, the entire conference.

For those that say he dominated a weak conference, didn't Jordan do the same thing?

Are we really going to classify the Knicks as a great team? Who was their closer? John Starks? In a game 7 against that Rockets, he missed all 11 of his 3 pointers.

The Pacers? LOL. I like Reggie Miller but those Pacers teams we undermanned. They had a lot of hustlers that lacked elite talent - Rik Smits, Austin Croshere, Mark Jackson, etc.... LOL, decent lunch pal guys, but nothing special.
 
LeBron is a model player. Head to head, Jordan would beat him. The Mamba would beat him. Hell, I'm not sure that head to head D Wade wouldnt beat him. Magic would probably beat him. Bird would shoot him lights out.

The greatest individual player...an accumulation of skills. I'd put James in the top 10 for sure...but not the greatest to ever play the game.

He was different from all those players, but Id still go with Wilt Chamberlain.
 

Funny how you use that logic on LeBron. Would Tom Brady be able to out throw Marino, Favre?
 
Larry Bird is the greatest NBA player that ever lived. Didn't smoke crack, never beat his wife or girlfriend, didn't rape anyone, never bragged about having sex with thousands of women.

Yep, the best.
 
Bucky said:
Funny how you use that logic on LeBron. Would Tom Brady be able to out throw Marino, Favre?
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Stop acting like a ****ing jilted lover. Geez, dood. Its embarrassing. Have a good cry and get over it already.

Brady is not the greatest NFL Player of all time. Brady is the greatest QUARTERBACK of all time. If you want to have similar discussions here regarding basketball, you would ask who is the greatest center, or the greatest point guard.
 
It's hard to take this seriously, when the #1 player is not in the top 10, but a clearly inferior contemporary player is in. MJ and Wilt are the only two in the discussion for GOAT.

Starting 5

Post: Wilt
PF: KG or Magic
SF: Lebron
SG: MJ
PG: Magic or West

You can play a true G in Jerry West, ie the guy on the logo. Or you can go big and play KG. Either way, the ball goes through Magic.
 
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