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.
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