Top five greatest basketball players ever

[Eric15]

Who is your top five, based on whatever criteria you prefer. Mine...

1. MJ
2. Kareem
3. Lebron
4. Magic
5. Russell

I flip-flopped Lebron and Magic after last night. And #5 was tough for me between Russell, Wilt, Kobe and Bird.

 

[sutomcat]

Who is your top five, based on whatever criteria you prefer. Mine...

1. MJ
2. Kareem
3. Lebron
4. Magic
5. Russell

I flip-flopped Lebron and Magic after last night. And #5 was tough for me between Russell, Wilt, Kobe and Bird.

Chamberlain
Jordan
Abdul-Jabbar
Magic Johnson
James

 

[cto]

After the past three games, I have become a Lebron convert. His combination of skill, size and strength ... puts him on top for me.

 

[Toga]

Chamberlain
Jordan
Abdul-Jabbar
Magic Johnson
James

I think this is dead on. And insofar as the Chamberlain-Russell debate goes ...
Why Wilt Chamberlain Is Better Than Bill Russell

 

[Eric15]

I'm in the minority so far of having MJ #1 overall? Wow.

 

[Millhouse]

Who is your top five, based on whatever criteria you prefer. Mine...

1. MJ
2. Kareem
3. Lebron
4. Magic
5. Russell

I flip-flopped Lebron and Magic after last night. And #5 was tough for me between Russell, Wilt, Kobe and Bird.

this is going to sound petty but when you're talking all time greats, he's going to get dinged for being stashed in the corner while irving saved the day on that 3. james does a million things so well but that has to factor in

 

[Alsacs]

1. Jordan
2. Russell
3. Kareem
4. Magic
5. Bird

 

[Eric15]

this is going to sound petty but when you're talking all time greats, he's going to get dinged for being stashed in the corner while irving saved the day on that 3. james does a million things so well but that has to factor in

Does MJ get dinged for John Paxson making the game-winning three in the 1993 Finals or Steve Kerr making the game-winning jumper in the 1997 Finals?

 

[Millhouse]

Does MJ get dinged for John Paxson making the game-winning three in the 1993 Finals or Steve Kerr making the game-winning jumper in the 1997 Finals?

No. I don't remember those plays that well but i doubt paxson and kerr played hero ball for the whole possession. it would be different if james was running the offense there and found him. maybe james was totally gassed, i give lue credit for that call - he would've gotten slaughtered for it if irving missed

 

[HOFCeluck]

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

 

[Eric15]

No. I don't remember those plays that well but i doubt paxson and kerr played hero ball for the whole possession. it would be different if james was running the offense there and found him. maybe james was totally gassed, i give lue credit for that call - he would've gotten slaughtered for it if irving missed

Lebron led every player in the series in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. No player in league history has ever done that in any series of any length ever. I just can't criticize him at all.

 

[RF2044]

1. Jordan
2. Wilt
3. Lebron
4. Big O [damn you, Bill Simmons]
5. Kareen

 

[pearl31]

no particular order...
MJ
Russell
LeBron
Magic
Bird

 

[realorange]

Chapter 101 of "5 Greatest Players"

 

[Zelda Zonk]

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

But still in all those Finals.

 

[Dave85]

I'm in the minority so far of having MJ #1 overall? Wow.

 

[Brooky03]

I'm a LeBron hater so I will abstain from ranking my top 5. No mention of Bird is a little surprising though, given how well the stats stack up. I honestly can't stand LeBron's personality and tend to yawn when I watch him play, so my bias would not let me put him in the top 5.

 

[Eric15]

Chapter 101 of "5 Greatest Players"

It sure beats doing work on a Monday morning.

 

[realorange]

It sure beats doing work on a Monday morning.

Keep up your support of the SS system to help my retirement income.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Who is your top five, based on whatever criteria you prefer. Mine...

1. MJ
2. Kareem
3. Lebron
4. Magic
5. Russell

I flip-flopped Lebron and Magic after last night. And #5 was tough for me between Russell, Wilt, Kobe and Bird.

Michael Jordan
Magic Johnson
Bill Russell
LeBron James
Oscar Robertson

 

[Millhouse]

Lebron led every player in the series in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. No player in league history has ever done that in any series of any length ever. I just can't criticize him at all.

we're talking about who is the best player ever - i'm not being critical of him here

 

[rrlbees]

The greatest player ever. Bar none.

 

[Alsacs]

This era has more talent but the league is also much softer than it was in 1980s or 1990s.

If McHale did to Rambis what he did in 1984 Finals game 4 he would be suspended 15 games.

What the 1989 and 1990 Pistons did to Michael Jordan in his physical prime wouldn't be tolerated today.

With all this said Lebron's legacy is now in the top 7 of alltime. He will likely pass Bird real soon in my book and is knocking down on Magic and Kareem. Lebron will never pass Jordan in my book EVER. Jordan was the greatest competitor and killer of alltime. Lebron can finish 2nd alltime in my book but he will never pass Jordan.

 

[Eric15]

This era has more talent but the league is also much softer than it was in 1980s or 1990s.

If McHale did to Rambis what he did in 1984 Finals game 4 he would be suspended 15 games.

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.

 

[Knicks411]

No. I don't remember those plays that well but i doubt paxson and kerr played hero ball for the whole possession. it would be different if james was running the offense there and found him. maybe james was totally gassed, i give lue credit for that call - he would've gotten slaughtered for it if irving missed

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.