Top five greatest basketball players ever

[two3zone]

Lebron, MJ, Wilt, Magic, Kareem

In order. Just never seen a guy that size do what he's been able to do physically on the court and make it look effortless.

 

[Alsacs]

That's a good thing though. I mean, people used to die playing football, everyone decided "this is ridiculous" and the game got cleaned up. Same thing with basketball albeit obviously on a less intense scale.

This isn't directed towards you, but I hate when teams like the Badboy Pistons are celebrated for their style of play. They were a cancer on the league.

Laimbeer and Mahorn were disgraces to basketball but Jordan faced that type of adversity. He also aced the Knicks of the early 1990s who copied that Pistons style with Oakley/Mason/Smith/Ewing.

Now if you foul hard its always a flagrant that is a joke. With the rules today mid 80's Jordan averages 40 PPG. Easily.

 

[dasher]

basketball's great players win. It is the one sport where the best player can dominate more than any other. With that said...1. Bill Russell. The old line that he had great players with him, sure. But it was always different players. They came and went. But Russell kept on winning. 11 titles out of 13 years. 2. Mike Jordan. He was hurt a bit by not having a second greeat team for his Bulls to play against. But that isn't his fault. A great performer in the greatest moments. 3. Larry Bird. Did amazing things all the time. Great passer. Great shooter. 4. magic Johnson. Could easily have been switched with Bird. 5. Lebron James great athletic body. Can dominate with it. but doesn't really make the players around him that much better. Takes pressure off of them but not much more.

 

[Alsacs]

basketball's great players win. It is the one sport where the best player can dominate more than any other. With that said...1. Bill Russell. The old line that he had great players with him, sure. But it was always different players. They came and went. But Russell kept on winning. 11 titles out of 13 years. 2. Mike Jordan. He was hurt a bit by not having a second greeat team for his Bulls to play against. But that isn't his fault. A great performer in the greatest moments. 3. Larry Bird. Did amazing things all the time. Great passer. Great shooter. 4. magic Johnson. Could easily have been switched with Bird. 5. Lebron James great athletic body. Can dominate with it. but doesn't really make the players around him that much better. Takes pressure off of them but not much more.

If you go by rings then Kobe Bryant with 5 championships would be ahead of James and Bird and tied with Magic.

 

[Newhouser]

I am torn on LeBron - I don't think his offensive skill set is close to the usual suspects in the Top 5 debates. Last night his offensive game was not pretty (especially down the stretch), yet he dominated the game and the series. For not having a great offensive game - he impacts the game more than any player I can remember (including Magic because he is better at every aspect of the game than Magic IMHO).

I do know this - he is a lot better and mentally tougher than Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, and Steve Kerr wake up - your bigs were killing you. Why did you put them on the floor? Thompson and LOve won't hurt you that much.

 

[two3zone]

basketball's great players win. It is the one sport where the best player can dominate more than any other. With that said..

Robert Horry has 7 rings.

 

[Dave85]

basketball's great players win. It is the one sport where the best player can dominate more than any other. With that said...1. Bill Russell. The old line that he had great players with him, sure. But it was always different players. They came and went. But Russell kept on winning. 11 titles out of 13 years. 2. Mike Jordan. He was hurt a bit by not having a second greeat team for his Bulls to play against. But that isn't his fault. A great performer in the greatest moments. 3. Larry Bird. Did amazing things all the time. Great passer. Great shooter. 4. magic Johnson. Could easily have been switched with Bird. 5. Lebron James great athletic body. Can dominate with it. but doesn't really make the players around him that much better. Takes pressure off of them but not much more.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I am torn on LeBron - I don't think his offensive skill set is close to the usual suspects in the Top 5 debates. Last night his offensive game was not pretty (especially down the stretch), yet he dominated the game and the series. For not having a great offensive game - he impacts the game more than any player I can remember (including Magic because he is better at every aspect of the game than Magic IMHO).

I do know this - he is a lot better and mentally tougher than Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, and Steve Kerr wake up - your bigs were killing you. Why did you put them on the floor? Thompson and LOve won't hurt you that much.

I wish people would stop with the mentally tough crap. Sometimes teams get beat. So the Warriors weren't mentally tough enough to beat Cleveland, but they were to come back 3-1 from OKC? Just stop. I know Curry didn't play well, but Lebrons been there too (The 2011 Finals).

 

[Eric15]

basketball's great players win. It is the one sport where the best player can dominate more than any other. With that said...1. Bill Russell. The old line that he had great players with him, sure. But it was always different players. They came and went. But Russell kept on winning. 11 titles out of 13 years. 2. Mike Jordan. He was hurt a bit by not having a second greeat team for his Bulls to play against. But that isn't his fault. A great performer in the greatest moments. 3. Larry Bird. Did amazing things all the time. Great passer. Great shooter. 4. magic Johnson. Could easily have been switched with Bird. 5. Lebron James great athletic body. Can dominate with it. but doesn't really make the players around him that much better. Takes pressure off of them but not much more.

Dasher, please have the enter key be amongst your top five favorite keyboard keys.

 

[Cusefan0307]

That's a good thing though. I mean, people used to die playing football, everyone decided "this is ridiculous" and the game got cleaned up. Same thing with basketball albeit obviously on a less intense scale.

This isn't directed towards you, but I hate when teams like the Badboy Pistons are celebrated for their style of play. They were a cancer on the league.

This isn't directed at you, but it drives me crazy that people say it's a good thing the game got cleaned up, yet those same people say today's players couldn't play in that era. Also known as the Charles Barkley way of thinking.

 

[Doc5120]

My top 5:

1) MJ
2) Lebron
3) Kareem
4) Magic
5) Wilt

For me, the first 3 guys I listed are no doubters. I can see arguments for others such as Bird, Russell, Kobe, & the Big "O" to name a few.

 

[MikeSU02]

1. Jordan

2. Russell
3. Kareem
4. LeBron

5. Magic

Bird, Wilt, Duncan are the next three in some order for me.

My guess, by the end of Bron's career, he will be #2 for me.

I had trouble even keeping him at #4 right now. 2-4 for me are basically a toss up.

 

[dasher]

Robert Horry has 7 rings.

LOL role players vs stars

 

[Millhouse]

That was literally one possession where the Cavs were trying to exploit a defensive mismatch after Lebron spent the last 4 games probably playing better than anyone ever has in a finals, so...yeah. I'll give him a pass.

if he were a better shooter, they wouldn't have. i think it keeps him out of the very top spots.

 

[dasher]

If you go by rings then Kobe Bryant with 5 championships would be ahead of James and Bird and tied with Magic.

Did I say anywhere that the guy with the most tittles is the #1 answer? If I did I would take Sam Jones over Bryant. I didn't say that and I wouldn't. But Russell always won. With different players. At different levels. Not to mention that James is still playing I believe. That alone throws that out. Bird had another powerhouse to deal with when he was playing. Having said that, the margin between Bird, James and Kobe, is not great.

 

[Millhouse]

part of the reason guys got so many rebounds back then is because everyone was so terrible at making shots (including russell actually)

hard thing to judge. it's all legends, if any of us actually watched a game from 1960 now we'd think they were just terrible

 

[thebigeast44]

Best at every position team IMHO:

PG - Magic Johnson
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - LeBron James
PF- Tim Duncan
C - Wilt Chamberlain

 

[RoysRunts]

Russell Blocked everyone's shot (Wilt),terrible at making shots Huh Pettite,Sharmon,Sam Jones,West,Oscar

 

[SBU72]

I find such debates difficult. Most times, the more current the player the more he is favored. Look at the NBA's own top 50. When ever they put it out, it is the older players who get dropped, not the more current. Basketball has evolved so much, it is almost impossible to compare players in the Russel/Chamberlin/West era with the Labron/Curry/whoever era. For example Shaq is listed high on the top 50 list but I wouldn't take him over ANY of the old time Russel/Chamberline/Thurman group or Kareem/Lanier/Parrish group.

A couple of weeks ago, I think it was the Dan Patrick show that want to discussed the top 5 all time teams and where the Warriors fit in (an lets not consider their last 3 games). As one criteria, he insisted that teams be considered in today's NBA! How ludicrous! If you had to compare Jordan's Bulls with today's Warriors, they are so different for different rules it is near impossibe to force one on the other. The same for show time Lakers. or even Chamberline/West/Baylor lakers. Teams and players are built for the game as it is played, which makes each era so different. Guys like Kareem, Big O, Bird, Magic etc would have been stars in any era, given the chance to adjust but trying to watch them then compared to now is near impossible.

 

[djcon57]

I'm finding it harder to rank guys I never saw play with all the changes in rules, styles, etc

But of who I saw play.

MJ is #1

Lebron I think is, at worst, 2,3, or 4.

 

[cuseincincy]

Of who I have seen play:
1 - Mike
2 - Kareem
3 - Wilt
4 - Lebron
5 - Magic

 

[cpatrocks]

1. Melo
2. GMac
3. DC
4. Wallace
5. Otis Hill

 

[Fireball Jr.]

If not for jumpers by Allen and Irving Lebron would be 1-6 in the Finals #Hotsportstakes

If not for Pearl Harbor, we might not have gone to war against Japan.

If my father wasn't 5-4, I mighta had a longer in-seam.

If my aunt had a penis, she'd be my uncle -- and Draymond Green would grab it.

 

[HOFCeluck]

If not for Pearl Harbor, we might not have gone to war against Japan.

If my father wasn't 5-4, I mighta had a longer in-seam.

If my aunt had a penis, she'd be my uncle -- and Draymond Green would grab it.

Sorry, I thought I was making it clear I was sarcastic.

 

[Col. Bleep]

Love these all-time best battles.

It's not possible to have an all-time top 5 without Oscar.

You have to take people in the era in which they played.
The man averaged a triple double for an ENTIRE SEASON!

Yes, players (guards) are a lot bigger so Oscar might not have that advantage if he played today.
But with modern ball handling rule interpretations he would NEVER have a turnover.