NBA's Greatest Ever Players

[jo172]

MJ, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Wilt Chamberlin, Julius Erving, Stockton.

Of today's players

Shaq, Duncan, McGrady, LBJ, Nash

 

[Stiffy_18]

Timmy Hardaway

 

[LukeHodge15]

kobe

 

[Silvagnis]

Joe Dumars - I remember Gaze praying he wouldn't get Dumars.
Isiah Thomas.
Luc Longley.
Sir Charles - jumping over Rodman for a putback isn't easy and his quotes are the best.

But Wilt Chamberlain was the best on a lot of fronts and is the only player to score 100 points in a game.Yet Bill Russell (11 rings himself) thought he played a better game when he had 55 rebounds in one game.Watching Russell play against Chamberlain would have been the equivalent of Nicholls rucking against Farmer and priceless.

 

[CURVE]

yah.. its the annual jod v devo debate (about the same topic for the past 4 years or so).. where some newbie jumps in and launches into devo for bagging his airness..


speaking of greatness... i'm watching channel 7 at the moment...
watching billy crystal and gheorghe muresan ! what a champ!

I don't think it will happen again, last time I was able to convert Jod to my way of thinking. Magic > Jordan.

 

[LukeHodge15]

I don't think it will happen again, last time I was able to convert Jod to my way of thinking. Magic > Jordan.

because its the truth MAGIC was the man

 

[Im The Gun]

Someone is going to have to explain this to me, as statistically he was great scorer but not much else. He was overshadowed by 2 greater players when the NBA was at it's strongest, and only became a success once they left and the league weakened.

Magic Johnson was the complete player. Could play any position on court, could score, could rebound and could create for team mates. Jordan could score and play defence. You always here about the 'so called experts' talking the new up-and-comer being the next Jordan, but you never hear them say he'll be the Magic. There may, one day be another Jordan, a guy who score at will, but there will never never never be another Magic.



Jod, your reply please.

At the time that Magic & Bird were playing the bulls were a up & coming team.
Pippen & Grant were becoming better players and MJ was fast becoming the greatest.

Jordan won Defence player of the year, rookie of the year, and 8 (i think) MVP's. he avgs 8apg, almost 30ppg, 2spg and could turn a game in a few plays.

For me I'll always remember him as a finals player.
6 rings and 6 finals MVP's unstoppable when it had to be counted.

 

[jod23]

I don't think it will happen again, last time I was able to convert Jod to my way of thinking. Magic > Jordan.

You remember it all wrong. By the time we finished discussing the topic, you were a full fledged Jordan fan, saying he was easily the greatest ever?

 

[AndSmithMustScore]

Dr J for mine.

Was a true superstar of the game when the game was struggling.

The first player to have his name put to a style of basketball boots.

Dr J's trade mark dunking style was very similar to Jordan's trade mark dunking style, thus indicating an influence over his Airness.

Dr J kept interest in the NBA when it struggled to get any tv coverage.

Sensational player and one of my all time faves.

The who's the greatest arguement is a tough one.

It's hard because in basketball there are 5 positions.

Jordan was the greatest guard ever, but he can't lay claim to being the best power forward or centre in the game.


Thus i can understand some people putting Magic before Jordan because Magic played in far more positions on the court than Jordan did and did so extremly well.

Someone may be able to answer this,but i'm sure i watched Magic in a play-off game playin at centre while he was injured.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Dr J for mine.

Was a true superstar of the game when the game was struggling.

The first player to have his name put to a style of basketball boots.

Dr J's trade mark dunking style was very similar to Jordan's trade mark dunking style, thus indicating an influence over his Airness.

Dr J kept interest in the NBA when it struggled to get any tv coverage.

Sensational player and one of my all time faves.

The who's the greatest arguement is a tough one.

It's hard because in basketball there are 5 positions.

Jordan was the greatest guard ever, but he can't lay claim to being the best power forward or centre in the game.


Thus i can understand some people putting Magic before Jordan because Magic played in far more positions on the court than Jordan did and did so extremly well.

Someone may be able to answer this,but i'm sure i watched Magic in a play-off game playin at centre while he was injured.

I am sure he played one game in the play-offs as a center ans scored 40 odd points. I think he was playing C because Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was injured. It might have been in his rookie year. I am sure a die hard lakers fan like DEVO can provide much clearer picture

 

[Borgsta]

I am sure he played one game in the play-offs as a center ans scored 40 odd points. I think he was playing C because Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was injured. It might have been in his rookie year. I am sure a die hard lakers fan like DEVO can provide much clearer picture

This is 100% accurate. In that game he played brilliantly and if I remember correctly he played every position on the court. Its on the brilliant Lakers Dynasty DVD but i havent watched it in a while.

 

[freak29]

1. Andrew Gaze
2. Reggie Miller
3. Michael Jordan
4. Andrew Bogut

 

[usalion]

OK, I grew up in the era of Chamberlain and Russell- saw them tangle on numerous occassions at the Spectrum in Philly...wouldn't walk into the next roomto watch an NBA game now....but here goes with a top 10 for me...too hard to break down beyond that...

Jordan
Magic
Bird
Kareem
Wilt
Russell
Jerry West- great shooter- his image is the one on the NBA logo of the guy driving
Oscar Robertson (Jordan before mass exposure to basketball)
Dr J (pity he started in the ABA)
Bob Cousy (magician with the ball- the original white Globetrotter before Maravich)

 

[CURVE]

Jordan... avgs 8apg

Try 5.4apg. Respectable but no where near 8apg.

 

[CURVE]

This is 100% accurate. In that game he played brilliantly and if I remember correctly he played every position on the court. Its on the brilliant Lakers Dynasty DVD but i havent watched it in a while.

42 Points
15 Rebounds
7 Assists

Played every position on court and lead his Lakers to Championship glory... in his Rookie Year. NBA Finals MVP that season as well.

Never liked the Spectrum, probably because of the fans, but probably because I always came out of the arena sticky and smelly. It was a very suffucating place, as were most indoor arena at that time. I don't think it was designed very well either, although from what I can remember it was better than Boston Gardens.

 

[CURVE]

OK, I grew up in the era of Chamberlain and Russell- saw them tangle on numerous occassions at the Spectrum in Philly...wouldn't walk into the next roomto watch an NBA game now....but here goes with a top 10 for me...too hard to break down beyond that...

Jordan
Magic
Bird
Kareem
Wilt
Russell
Jerry West- great shooter- his image is the one on the NBA logo of the guy driving
Oscar Robertson (Jordan before mass exposure to basketball)
Dr J (pity he started in the ABA)
Bob Cousy (magician with the ball- the original white Globetrotter before Maravich)

Lucky bastard. I saw the occassional replay or footage on documentaries/specials when I was living in LA and NY (1979/80 and again in the mid 80's and mid 90's), so I may have seen more of them than most on this board, plus I have the Lakers & Celtics Dynasty sets, but to have had the opportunity to see them live would be beyond a dream. Chamberlain V Russell, Warriors V Celtics, 76'ers V Celtics, Lakers V Celtics. Lucky bastard.

You may not be to fond of the current state of play in the NBA, but when do think it was at it's best??

 

[Derek Zoolander]

Dennis Rodman

The man was a rebounding GOD.

 

[moistie]

speaking of greatness... i'm watching channel 7 at the moment... watching billy crystal and gheorghe muresan ! what a champ!

Gheorge would hand Billy Crystal his arse on a basketball court.

Speaking of Gheorge, he appeared in an Eminem filmclip. I can't remember which one, but it was where Eminem pretended to be a ventriloquist dummy and Gheorge was the ventriloquist. Pointless information.

 

[Alex99]

Jordan vs. Magic vs. Bird is like the chicken vs. the egg what one came first.

Magic was and will always be the ultimate team player but Jordan was the ultimate superstar that needed a team to win. Had Magic been with Pippen and Grant (Horas not Harvey) would the Bulls been as successful? And the question has to be asked would Worthy, Scott and Kareem accepted Jordan and his offensive prowess like the Bulls players did in the mid to late 80’s?

Magic had the overall game but Jordan could do the most unbelievaBULL things on a basketball court.

Who was a better full forward in the 1980s and 1990s Tony Lockett or Jason Dunstal or who was better Gary Ablett or Wayne Carey? Its all subjective and all I say is thank god that I grew up in a basketball era with 3 or so of the best ever players

 

[shaz63]

My 5 greatest ever players are:

1. Michael Jordan
2. Magic Johnson
3. Larry Bird
4. Shaquille O'Neal
5. LeBron James (at the end of his career, he'll be up to #2)

 

[CURVE]

My Top 10:

1. Earvin 'Magic' Johnson
2. Wilt Chamberlain
3. Oscar Robertson
4. Michael Jordan
5. Larry Bird
6. Bill Russell
7. Jerry West
8. Shaquelle O'Neal
9. Julius 'Dr J' Irving
10. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

 

[AndSmithMustScore]

I am sure he played one game in the play-offs as a center ans scored 40 odd points. I think he was playing C because Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was injured. It might have been in his rookie year. I am sure a die hard lakers fan like DEVO can provide much clearer picture

Yeah that sounds about right, and i think Magic himself was under an injury cloud.

Being a die-hard Celtic man it pains me to suggest a Lakers player was the greatest of all time.

Thus i can be accused of no bias on the matter.

Both were Superstars, one just had the more complete game.

Let's not forget too Magic was by far the more gracious and better team player of the two.

 

[jod23]

We all have our personal opinions but the general worldwide consensus is pretty obvious. Jordan, Jordan and more Jordan. Always will be.

 

[usalion]

Lucky bastard. I saw the occassional replay or footage on documentaries/specials when I was living in LA and NY (1979/80 and again in the mid 80's and mid 90's), so I may have seen more of them than most on this board, plus I have the Lakers & Celtics Dynasty sets, but to have had the opportunity to see them live would be beyond a dream. Chamberlain V Russell, Warriors V Celtics, 76'ers V Celtics, Lakers V Celtics. Lucky bastard.

You may not be to fond of the current state of play in the NBA, but when do think it was at it's best??

Yup- saw some greats play....I'd pick two periods, I think, for the greatest periods...both because they were so competitive- not one dominant team....

1967-1972- the end of the Celtic dynasty- still a very good team, a sixers title with Wilt and Billy Cunningham (THERE was an awesome team)- the Knicks of Reed, Bradley and frazier, then the Lakers with Wilt, Baylor and West....

Second would be the early 80s when Magic and Bird were at their height, Dr J was doing the business for Philly, and teams like Houston and others popped in. Those Celtic-Sixer and Sixer-LA or Boston-LA series...awesome...remember in 83 when we beat Boston at the Gah-den in the Eastern Finals, the crowd began chanting "Beat LA! Beat LA!" Man, we ALL hated the Lakers in the East....

The Bulls with Jordan were great, but you knew he would find a way to win...nobody truly great to measure up with him- maybe the Cavs with Mark Price- always liked him as a pure shooter....

Now, just not the same...LeBron may do what Bird and Magic did, but he needs someone to go against...there isn't any real rival yet, although LeBron is still struggling to make the playoffs.

 

[Derek Zoolander]

We all have our personal opinions but the general worldwide consensus is pretty obvious. Jordan, Jordan and more Jordan. Always will be.

The general world wide consensus of anyone aged between 20 and 30 is probably more apt.

Every generation has it's superstar, and believe me, i was/is/are/am whatever as big a Jordan fan as the next person, but i think that has a lot to do with my age and the fact his peak came as i started watching basketball, and the fact that it was almost him alone that sparked the interest of the NBA here.

I was watching NBA on the ABC long before i knew of Jordan. I always watched the Celtics and the Lakers because i adored Bird and Magic, but i only know them from the end of their careers. Had their careers been later, there's no doubt i would have Celtic fan, no doubt whatsoever, because i loved watching the white dude hit jumpers and finger rolls and threes. The first ever "One on One" i bought was Birds retirement special.

However, the fact remains that i was only about 12 at the time, and as i played basketball more more in my teenage years, it was hard to not get swept up in Jordanmania. After the first threepeat, i was a Bull. They were everywhere and right in the middle of the biggest peak in Basketball that this country has seen. Therefore, anyone one who was between the ages of 12 and 20 at that time will say without doubt, Jordan was the best. It's almost a given. By the time the first of the next three came around, although still hugely a Jordan fan, Rodman had came to the Bulls, and whilst everyone else was wearing a 23, all i wanted was a 91. I loved watching Rodman.

Like anything, it's all subjective. If Wilt, Larry, Magic and Michael had all played at the same time, who knows what we'd be saying. Different era's, different times, different teams. So hard to compare, given that if they had, the Bulls may not have won 6 championships, and Jordan may not have gotten his MVP's etc but i do know, that if that had occured, this post would have been me telling you just how much better Bird was than Jordan.