The Ten All-Time Best NBA Players

About a week and a half ago, in a press conference following the Dallas Mavericks sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Head Coach said he believes his 10 time All-Star and 2006-2007 MVP Forward is "one of the ten best players of all time." Needless to say, he was overreacting a tad to a great series by Dirk Nowitzki, who may barely make the cut as a top ten white player of all time. But it got me thinking, who are the best to have ever played in the NBA? You can look other places, but let's face it. Unless their list looks like the one below, they are wrong.

1. Michael Jordan- There is no question here. If you look at any respectable list, MJ is the best. In fact, he and Wayne Gretzky are the only two athletes to be the undisputed number one in their respective sports. I was only lucky enough to catch the tail end of His Airness's career, but if you want to be amazed and see exactly how far ahead he is to everyone else go to YouTube. No other justification needed.

2. Wilt Chamberlin- Looking at Wilt the Stilt's statistical lines are unfair to the competition. After a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters, Wilt dominated the game like no one had before or likely will again. He is the only player to score 100 points in a game, average 40 and 50 points in a season. He led the league in rebounding 11 out of his 14 years, and also led the league in assists one year. The NBA had several rule changes because of his dominance in the lane.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabaar- Kareem had the most unstoppable offensive move to ever enter American sport. His Skyhook shot was impossible to block and though his opponents knew what to expect there was no way of defending it. Because of the Skyhook's effectiveness Kareem holds the title as the NBA's all-time leading scorer. The record-tying five time MVP has not received the same recognition as some of his Showtime Laker teammates, but in my mind is the best Laker to have ever played.

4. Magic Johnson- Speaking of getting some recognition during the Showtime Laker days. Magic is the face of that time period in Laker history. His name says it all, Magic. He was magical in the way that he passed the ball and still was able to put up haughty scoring and rebounding numbers, second all time in triple doubles. He holds the NBA record for most assists per game (11.2). Standing as a 6'9 point guard he was able to see the entire floor. He did play one playoff game at Center scoring 42, pulling down 15 boards, and had 7 assists. Though he was forced into early retirement because he contracted HIV, he has become a successful businessman and philanthropist.

5. Larry Bird- Along with having a blond moustache to die for, Bird had a game to envy. He is one of the most clutch, offensive and defensive players to have ever played, coming up with big shot after big shot. The consecutive 3 time MVP averaged 24 points a game for his career. His friendly rivalry with Magic Johnson boosted both of their popularity. Bird was the first player in NBA history to shoot 50% or better on field goals, 40% on 3-pointers, and 90% on free-throws in a single NBA season. Larry now is trying to bring his home state Indiana Pacers back to relevance as the general manager.

6. Shaquille O'Neal- Other than maybe Wilt Chamberlin, there was no one person as dominant as Shaq was during his prime. Specific strategies, Hack-a-Shaq, were formulated just to slow him down because there was no stopping him. Standing at 7'1 and a thick 325 pounds he was a force that could not be reckoned with. Adding to the legacy of Superman, he is a registered police officer, actively pursuing a doctorate, a rapper, an actor, and starred on his own reality TV show called Shaq Vs. Easily my favorite personality in sports.

7. Bill Russell- Yes he was a great center, a five time MVP in in fact. But he is known for being the winningest player to have ever played the game. In my book you have to be doing something right in order to win 11 out of the 12 championship series he played in. He along with Wilt Chamberlin are the only two to pull down 50 boards in a single game. The Association later named the Finals MVP after Bill to honor his career success in the Finals. Russell is also considered to be the first African-American to be a superstar in the NBA as well as the first African-American coach for the three years in Boston he served as a player-coach.

8. Oscar Robertson- The "Big O" averaged a triple-double during his first five seasons in the NBA averaging 30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 10.6 assists. He is the all-time leader for number of triple-doubles in a career with 181, averaging almost 13 a year throughout his career. To put this absurdity in perspective, LeBron James had four total TD's this year. Robertson is considered may the best college basketball player of all time for his stint with Cincinnati. The player of the year trophy has been named after him.

9. Kobe Bryant- Kobe is still climbing up the ladder of the best NBA players of all time. At his current pace he will pass Kareem Abdul-Jabaar as the NBA's all time leading scorer. He is ranked third and sixth on the all time pst season and regular season scoring lists. He is also a force on the defensive side of the ball,  having been named to 11 All-Defensive Teams. He holds more All-Star MVPs than any one else and has 5 NBA championships. Don't you know the Charlotte Hornets, now New Orleans Hornets are kicking, or I should say stinging, themselves in the foot for trading him on draft day.

10. Tim Duncan- Mr. Fundamental has quietly gone about business in San Antonio and become a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year. The 13 time NBA All-Star is the only player in NBA history to be selected both All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams during each of his first 13 seasons. Because of his quiet demeanor he is often forgotten when the talk of all time greats is brought up. His style, though so effective, has been described as boring and quiet.

May 19

Big 10 commissioner Jim Delany formally proposed the idea of giving stipends to scholarship athletes. He is the commissioner of one of the biggest athletic conferences in the country which would immediately give an advantage to his large member schools. Also, the used to be golden boy of Big 10 clean recruiting, Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel has many rumors swirling around about his hidden dirty recruiting practices. The only way I like the rule, if it really is for the STUDENT-athlete, is if it is used as an incentive for the kids to stay in school and graduate. Otherwise, the floodgates will be opened and we will return to the days of the old Southwest Conference and the highest bidding school will receive the commitments from prospects.

As many of you know, or should have learned through this blog post, I love stadiums. There are none bigger, more attended, or more worshiped than the sanctuaries built in the SEC for Saturdays in the fall. Mississippi State is doing some much needed upgrading to the smallest football stadium in the league. When the $80 million dollar project is completed, Davis Wade Stadium will be much better on the eyes. Here is a look at the upgrades.

Kevin Durrant, the NBA's back-to-back scoring champion, has been wearing a backpack to all of his press conferences during this year's playoffs. It was announced today he will now be signing an endorsement deal with Nike and will keep the backpacks coming. As you can see in my profile picture, I am a huge fan of the backpack look and have been for quite sometime. I am not usually considered a trendsetter in fashion, but I like to think I am helping the movement.

The Conference Finals are underway. The Bulls showed surprised many with a win in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals, but the Miami Heat, lead by their own version of two and a half men, won the second game. Heat Forward LeBron James, whom I have been very critical of, has begun to show the emergence of the clutch gene, hitting big shots in the second game. If he keeps this up I will gladly hop on the bandwagon. The other side of the bracket pits the Dallas Mavericks against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the I-35 rivalry. Mavericks Forward Dirk Nowitzki put on one of the most impressive playoff performances ever, 48 points on 15 shots and making all 24 of his free throws. I am pulling for the young Thunder. Now with the Hawks out of the playoffs I do not feel like I am cheating on Atlanta with OKC.

Changing of the Guard

Either the Celtics or the Lakers will not be playing in the NBA Finals for only the fourth time in the last eleven years. So are both teams done? Is this the last we will see of the NBA's two most storied franchises for a while? Is a new regime of the NBA elite upon us?

Some are saying they are too old. The Celtics have been teetering on the line of too old and the peak of their star players careers, while the Lakers seem too have serious locker room issues. Mr. Laker himself, Magic Johnson has called for the Lakers team to be "blown up" because the issues behind the scenes can not be fixed. The "blow-up" theory has been mentioned  the best option to solve the aging Celtics problems, too.

Slow down. I do not think it is time to start over for either of these franchises. The most obvious reason is the way the contracts in Los Angeles and Boston are set up. The Celtics older players that are calling to be moved are too much a part of the history of the Celtics, a la Derek Jeter and the Yankees last summer. The big three all have huge contracts limiting to where, if they even could be moved. Yes the team is older, but they were just a few plays from advancing to at least a game seven with the Heat. All-Star PG Rajon Rondo, the grease that keeps the Boston machine running, dislocated his elbow and was limited to playing with one arm for the last two games.

Unless the Lakers can figure out a trade deal in which Andrew Bynum is sent to Orlando for Dwight Howard, there are very few moves that can be done to increase the talent on the already most talented starting five. The bench will be shaken up a little bit if they want to advance further in the playoffs next year. They are built to win now and it is too late to start to rebuild a new team around Kobe Bryant. Another factor that played a key role in the Lakers early exit is fatigue. The core of the Lakers has played 44 more games than the Dallas Mavericks over the past three postseasons. Add in an Olympic run and FIBA World Championship run, Kobe was too tired late this season to will his team to victory.

Stick with what you have at least for one more year Los Angeles and Boston. You have a good thing going and "blowing up" your teams would be too risky. Fix the depth on the bench, get some rest this summer, and you will both be good to go for another deep postseason run.

Fishing

There are things I do well. There are things I don't. Then there are things I do that I wish I did better, fishing being one of them. I liken my fishing to Charles Barkley and the game of golf. He loves to play, but the poor guy is just awful at the game.



I enjoy being outside and on the water more than anything (at this is what I tell myself). Today, though not successful in terms of number of fish caught, it was great to be outside with the pressures of the school year behind me. I have fun out there pretending to act like I know what I am doing. It was a beautiful day to be outside and my setup was not to shabby either.



Birmingham Disaster Relief

After finals were done I packed up the truck and headed to Birmingham for the weekend for a visit with friends. While there I got to eat at a BBQ place I wish I had known existed while I lived in Birmingham and get caught up on everyone's lives. It was a great weekend, but it took an unexpected turn.

The state of Alabama, a place I called home for the past four years, was destroyed by tornadoes last Wednesday afternoon. Luckily, my friends in Tuscaloosa and in Birmingham are safe and suffered at most little damage to their property. Others in Tuscaloosa and in north Birmingham were not as lucky. As my friend and I returned from church we were both thinking the same thing. We decided to spend Monday working in disaster relief in north Birmingham through the Hands of Birmingham Ministries. We unloaded semis, trucks and cars full of supplies for those in Pratt City. Unloading took place at a local elementary school that was closed for business and had been turned into a distribution center.

I was amazed. Amazed at the organization. Amazed at the need. Amazed at the giving. There were no less than 1,000 cases of water, classrooms full of clothing (men's, women's, and children), toiletries, and a cafeteria so full of food you could barely move. Those, that from the looks of their own clothes and cars, were giving car and truckfuls all they had to give, showing me the true meaning of being the hands of Christ. All this stuff and more and more was coming. So many donations our distribution center had to load an 18-wheeler to take to other sites.  Everything, from dog food to plug-ins for cell phone chargers and wi-fi, was being given out.  As fast as we could unload any supplies they were given out to the families of Pratt City. It was a sight to see hundreds of volunteers coming together to help the thousands in need.

After our shift was over we decided to go and see some of the damage done to the area. I had seen some parts of Birmingham that were damaged by trees falling on houses, cars, and businesses. Nothing, including the hurricanes I have lived through in south Alabama, compared to the damage I saw in Pratt City. Where trees had fallen in south Birmingham, here, there were no trees. Houses were in ruins as far as we could see. Those houses that had "survived," if you can call it that, had their roofs, or complete stories blown away, no where to be seen. I would have taken pictures, but I felt as if I would have been disrespecting the families, and the pictures could never have told the entirety of the damage, just a snapshot of destruction.

Help in whatever capacity you can to those being affected by the storms. It is important to remember just because our nation's attention has been diverted to the recent developments in the War on Terror our neighbors next door are still suffering Moving on is a process will not be done in a few weeks or few months, but it will take these communities years to recover.