Its close.....Michael Jordan then Dr. J. Then Magic followed by Kobe and Larry Bird. Then before all those you mentioned......Wilt Chamberlin.
I noticed that your list is 9 players. And the poster above me has already mentioned Wilt Chamberlain (who was an egregious omission from the your Top 9 list). The FACT is: Any list of the TOP 9 Players (in NBA History) that doesn't include BOTH Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell is not to be taken seriously. You need to do more research. Your omissions of both Chamberlain and Russell from the be Top 9 All-Time comes across as rather misinformed (as to the History of the NBA). Chamberlain and Russell (Definitely both All-Time Top 9). That is all.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Because he was in a Bruce Lee movie. Nothing in the NBA tops that. But seriously, sign of my age: I do not see anyone as even close to Michael Jordan. Not even close. And he was in Space Jam.
Jordan is the Greatest of All-Time. That is universally accepted and beyond dispute. The following 6 players (in no particular order) are undeniably fixtures in any Top 10 (if it is to be taken seriously): Bill Russell Wilt Chamberlain Kareem Magic Bird LeBron ___________ The other 3 spots are up for debate. But, the inclusion of that Top 7 (on any Top 10 List) is utterly beyond dispute.
Shaq's basketball skills weren't in the same league as any of the greatest players. In fact, most NBA players have better skills than he did. He was simply so big and strong that no one could keep him away from the basket. I guess it depends on how you define "great".
I have always believed that one of the most underrated rated players of all time was Clyde Drexler. He was a shooting guard for the Portland Trailblazers and later for the Houston Rockets. He played in the shadow of Michael Jordan which is why he was so unnoticed. But he could do everything. He could shoot 3's, shoot mid-range, fly through the air to a dunk, defend, and boy, could he pass. He was an amazing ball player. This video focuses on his dunks, but he could do it all at a very, very high level. On top of all that, he was an absolute gentleman. Clyde was probably the second best shooting guard of his era, second only to MJ.
Missing Wilt the Stilt. Still 5th all time scoring. 50 yrs later. But Jordan has to top the list. Today.
He definitely was great.....but I doubt Wilt the Stilt could handle Jordan or Dr J one on one. But that being said.....I don't know any others that were scoring over a Hundred Points for a game. He also was a Harlem Globetrotter and the first Basketball player put on a Postage Stamp.
Years ago a player on the Baltimore Bullets team dared to challenge Wilt with a layup only to be greeted with a wicked forearm shiver. As he tried to get back on his feet, Wilt offered a hand shake and said something to the effect of "nice try, Kid". Perhaps it was Gus Johnson when he was a rookie but I cannot honestly recall for certain. You need to understand that it was a different game back in the day. When Chamberlain was hacked, it was not done with an open hand - it was done with a karate style chop. This is something you no longer see in the modern era. Wilt was smart - he was NEVER disqualified from a game for fighting or for fouling out. He was just too smart to swing back whenever he got belted because, as he said, "nobody loves Goliath". Still, the game was FAR more physical in his time than it was during Jordan's time. Had Jordan dared to stick out his tongue at a Chamberlain, a Bellamy, an Unseld, or whomever, he would have been whacked with a shiver that would have sent him off to Dream Land. Chamberlain would not only have stopped Jordan, he would have buried him as that it was the way the game was played back then. If you deny that, then you never saw him play.
Wilt (only center to lead the league in assists - 702 - in a single season) Magic Johnson Bird Shaq Jordan Kobe M. Malone Dr. J Kareem The Big O
I was really happy to see Clyde get his ring in 1995 after being reunited with his Phi Slama Jama teammate Hakeem. Fitting that the title came playing for Houston.
Yeah, that was nice. I was happy for him. He had led the Trailblazers to the finals in 1990 and 1992, losing to the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls. Truly a great player.
I saw Bill Russell outplay Wilt in the playoffs in 66, 68 and 69. Wilt outplayed Russell in 67. 65 was a wash.
1. Michael Jordan 2. Bill Russell 3. Wilt Chamberlain 4. LeBron 5. Magic 6 Oscar Robertson 7.Bird 8.Kareem 9.Jerry West 10. Elgin Baylor.
The 76ers won one more game than the Celtics in 66, eight more in 68, and the 69 Lakers won seven more games in the regular season.
