In Robinsons case, his greatness was never flashy, but his presence and play helped propel the San Antonio Spurs dynasty, which was of course then carried on by Tim Duncan. Really? After winning his first NBA championship, his journey toward being the greatest began. For comparison's sake, here are the top 10 players from last preseason: LeBron James Giannis Antetokounmpo James Harden Luka Doncic Kawhi Leonard Stephen Curry Kevin Durant Nikola Jokic Jimmy. The Bad Boys wreaked havoc on the NBAs Holy Trinity ofMagic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan and most of the damage that was done was on the orders of the 61 point god. Not only is he the greatest winner in all of American sports, Russell is also both the smartest and best defensive player to ever pick up a basketball. Everyone's got biases, and it makes sense for ESPN to be biased in favor of the modern day since actively promoting the people playing now is good business for them. But just because Baylor technically never won a title in his 14 years with the Lakers, two of which he spent in Minneapolis, dont let that cloud how incredible of an offensive force he was and GOAT candidate during the leagues early days. In 1975, Russell was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Jordans jersey from his opening game of the 1998 NBA Finals was sold as the most expensive memorabilia in history for $10.1 million in September 2022. James Corden James Harden Jeremy Corbyn James Bond 2/10 nba.com/warriors Who's this Golden State Warrior? :-). The most avid NBA fans among you should take my. @texasforever, I think you commented about LeBron too soon. Clearly a lot of subjectivity with this list, not a lot of science or math involved. Needs to be updated, Paul Pierce is retiring this year. 3 left fans in awe. ZF, The rare legend that bounced around the NBA during his days in the league, know that Malone playing for seven different franchises in the Association shouldnt distract from the fact he is easily one of the best centers of all time. Pairing withShaquille ONeal, Kobe led the Lakers to 3 peat from 2000 to 2002. ESPN's 100 Greatest NBA Players of All-Time Quiz Popular Quizzes Today 1 2 Ballon d'Or Winners by Age 3 Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield 4 Countries of the World Sports NBA Random Sports or NBA Quiz ESPN's 100 Greatest NBA Players of All-Time My list is 1 jordan 2 LeBron 3 Kareem 4 Magic Johnson 5 Larry. Also Gasol is elite, no question. He was a swimmer and didnt start playing basketball until later as a teen. He is probably the best player in the NBA, and his legacy backs the facts. What is wrong for me is that there is Blake Griffin for example who didn't achieve that much and I think it is bit early to shove him in there. Faulting statistics for Bird not being on the list is like saying that baseball's ERA is misleading because Willie Mays isn't in the Top 15 of any major pitching stat. Kevin Love and Blake Griffin shouldn't be on here, and even though I am not a fan of Kyrie Irving, I agree that he should be on this list. I was told that he was the greatest basketball player ever. When the Complex Sports crew started to put together this list, we didnt waffle over whether LeBron deserved to be ranked higher than MJ. but that's an absurd level of hyperbole you brought to this discussion with that comment. Tim Duncan, Popularly Known As The Fundamentalist (Source: NBA.com). For you guys, know theres still never been a player quite like him. They won three successive titles from 2000 to 2002, where Shaq claimed every Finals MVP award. He's on the top-75 anniversary list, but not on this top 100? In his 20th NBA season, LeBron nailed a 21-foot shot late against the Oklahoma City Thunder by breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbars record of 38,387 points on February 8, 2023. He was one of the first players to take full advantage of newly formed 3-pointers. However, it takes a truly rare talent to make more than one of the categories. at no point in his entire life has Manu Ginobili been "the best player in the world." SLAM 500 Greatest NBA Players of All Time Bill Simmons Hall of Fame Pyramid ABA All-Time Team NBA & ABA All-Star Game All-Star Game Selections by Player All-NBA and All-NBA Team Selections by Player All-Defensive Team Selections by Player NBA Referee Awards Greg Willard Spirit Award NCAA Season Awards AP Player of the Year Award | Privacy Settings Presumably because he wasn't high enough in any one of those statistics to make the list. Sure, his game has holes, and Bucks haters will say their run to the title wasnt the hardest. Shaq, obviously a member of the NBA 75 team,is one of the most skilled bigs ever to touch a basketball and weve all seen the video of him cooking MJ in a one-on-one before the All-Star Game. Next on our list of the best NBA players is Larry Bird, often considered the greatest Celtics player and small forward of all time. He played at the highest level on both sides of the floor and like Bill Russell before him knew exactly what he had to do to help his team win day in and day out. Had a defensive player of the year existed in the 1960s, Russell would probably have won all of it in his 13 years as an NBA player. He was always one of the most entertaining players on and off-the-court, leading him to becoming an Emmy Award-winning studio host onInside the NBA. Also surprised about Alvin vs. Oscar Robertson--fewer people got the latter, but he's the one I was aiming for when I typed "Robertson." AD, The Big Ticket is one of those players where the rings convo holds little to no weight. Sure, he played with some other legendary Lakers and the 1-8 record in the Finals stands out. With his unique skillset offensively, it was on the defensive end where KG was at his best. Onto his 20th season in the NBA, LeBron James has not slowed down since making his debut. think something's wrong with the light blue background, Russel Westbrook is still active, he has no background, Wonder how high KD will be in points after this year just reached 15th, Countries by First Two Letters in 90 Seconds. Id love to see some of todays greats playing against Elgin. Fast breaks and no-look passing alley-oops took Lakers basketball to the next level. He would have been a border line All-Star. Bill Russell With His 11 NBA Championship Rings (Source: Axiois). This is the first NBA quiz to utilise all 500 answer spots, it took a while to make so a good rating would be appreciated. Sometimes I watch his reverse layup during the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the 1980 Finals against the Lakers andtry to figure out how the hell he was able to stay in the air that long. Tim Duncan, probably the most incredible power forward of all time, takes the number 10 spot on our list. Having to argue how Stockton, a 2009 inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, is inarguably one of the greatest point guardsgets laborious. One of the greatest What Ifs in NBA history revolves around Birds back that he infamously injured while paving his mothers driveway during the summer of 1985. There will never be another Michael Jordan. It was probably like watching an alien. In 1998, Bird was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Please update that list, those stats are from 2 years ago at least. We have included the top stars in the NBA today including Lebron James, Steph Curry, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, and more. I have many unique quizzes in my profile you gotta try these hard quizzes. And the best part? Even more impressive for the context of Olajuwonscareer is that he did all of this while big men ran the NBA (outside of Michael Jordan). After resigning from his head coaching position at the end of the 2000 season. 18 active and a whole bunch who just retired? Your quiz is broken. But it didnt stop him from averaging 24.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG for his 13 seasons. Robinson averaged a 21.1 PPGand 10.6 RPG double-double for his career while racking up 3.0 BPGin the process. Others argued it should be about the numbers andthat awardsdont always end up belonging to the most deserved individual. Best NBA Players of All Time: Top 30 Basketball Players, Ranked | Complex The 30 Best NBA Players of All Time, Ranked By Adam Caparell, Zion Olojede, Angel Diaz, Zach Frydenlund Jun 17,. He also played a huge role in the NBA instituting free agency when he brought a lawsuit against the league in 1970 that challenged the legality of the leagues proposed merger with the ABA, the merits of the draft, and the reserve clause that prevented players from pursuing contracts with any team they wished. https://www.jetpunk.com/user-quizzes/342321/nba-top-10-league-leaders-of-the-2010s. But decisions had to be made. Top Contributed Quizzes in Sports 1 2022 World Cup Stars 2 Name Just One - 10 to 1: Sports 3 NBA Logic Puzzle 2.0 4 Sorting Squares: Sports Teams by League 5 NBA Chain Quiz (Medium Difficulty) 6 Name Just One - 10 to 1: NFL 7 World Cup Champions by Poster 8 Sorting Squares: Sports Teams by League II 9 Gardiens vs Mbapp 10 The list is endless, controversial, and versatile, including historical players like Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant. A Dream Team member andtwo-time gold medal winner who was skilled enough to be considered one of the 50 greatestby the NBA in 1996,andone of the 75 greatest players ever in 2021, Pippen did so much more than his averages indicated (16.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 5.2 APG). But only Westbrook has put up the seasonal averages (three times) to match Robertsons brilliance and Russ isnt anywhere near the offensive juggernaut Robertson was. He is also a 17-time All-Star and 3-time NBA All-Star MVP. He was innovative offensively, the first player in NBA history to pour in 70 points in a game, and inarguably will go down as one of the games best forwards. AD, Karl Malone falls into a long list of players from the 90s who were really good but ultimately overshadowed by Michael Jordan and theBulls. Later, he captured 2 NBA titles, 2 Finals MVPs, and 2 league MVPs in the Heat. Who cares? The Mound Round of Rebound was a beast on the boards, averaging 11.7 for his career even withhis down years in Houston. Ranked by votes from thousands of fans, this list features the all time NBA GOATs, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Julius Erving, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird. 1 overall pick in the 1958 NBA Draft, the Rookie of the Year in 1959, an 11-time All-Star, and an astounding 10-time First-Team All-NBA selection, Baylor of course resides on the NBAs 75th anniversary team as he more than lived up to the hype when he entered the league and left it averaging 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. Still, Malone is the No. Kevin Love does not belong on this list. 2 scorer in NBA history and averaged 25.0 PPG over his 19 seasons in the league. Likewise, personal accolades in his resume include 15x All-star, 2x NBA MVP, and 3x Finals MVP. It is now current. Location: Atlanta, Georgia Team Names: Atlanta Hawks, St. Louis Hawks, Milwaukee Hawks, Tri-Cities Blackhawks Seasons: 74; 1949-50 to 2022-23 Record: 2881-2953, .494 W-L% Playoff Appearances: 48 Championships: 1 More Franchise Info LeBron James Is A Four Times NBA Champion (Source: Instagram). But Robertsonbroke the mold almost 20 years before Magic Johnson made his debut. Snowboard- . A former professional basketball player and coach is considered one of the best NBA players and the most incredible power forward of all time. You could go on and on with former and current NBA stars talking about why Iverson was so great and means so much to them. We may never see a 71, 365-poundbig that was as explosive, athletic, and quick as Shaq. There's little doubt Dirk Nowitzi is the Mavericks' best and most important player of all time. Golden State won their first championship in four decades three years later. Love above Kemp, Ben Wallace, Steve Kerr, Horace Grant, etc? Social media can be a blessing and a curse so please dont buy into the nonsense that Bryant wasnt as great as he was. Shouldnt that tell you something? For Jordans individual career, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 and a Dream Team member in 2010. Werealreadyseeing Stephs impact on basketballas kids start launching from deep earlier than ever in their young careers and on the league with NBA teams putting the mid-range jumper out to pasture and fully embracingthe 3-pointer. Lets look at who takes the crown of the greatest. also it says that alonzo mourning retired in 2004 but he actually finished in 2008, Guys I have NBA unique quizzes. Dominant. All you really need to know is that Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest center and its not even a debate. And I didnt even mention how magical he was during the 2011 NBA Finals when his Mavs upset LeBron James and theHeat. Did the people at ESPN who voted on the list ever watch a basketball game before the year 2000? Tim Duncan over Kobe Bryant? He can shoot from anywhere on the court, he can get to the rim at will, and if you end up contesting his shotit probably wont matter because he can shoot over you with ease. COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Theres virtually no formula to stop him. Well done. I can only assume that's who shplody was referring to. Just about being on the list of all time leaders in these categories. Considering I know hardly any NBA history, 67-100, I'll take that. With his latest title, he finally knocked off Finals MVPoff his checklist after a dominant performance against the Boston Celtics. He was named to 14 NBA All-Star and 10 times All-NBA First-team selections. The most avid NBA fans among you should take my. Shaq was dominant at every end of the floor in scoring, rebound, block, a low post, and fast-break over 2 decades of his career. Top Contributed Quizzes in Sports 1 2022 World Cup Stars 2 NBA Photo Minefield: 2-Team Players 3 4 Every captain to win the T20 World Cup 5 NBA Chain Quiz (Medium Difficulty) 6 The Best Premier League Trios 7 Hiding NBA Logos II 8 NBA Logic Puzzle 2.0 9 Sports I Drew :) 10 Top 5 Arsenal Goals and Assists Since 2000 Explore More He won 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons as a player and coach. Whenever there is a debate about a GOAT, one name is King James. yikes. Atlanta Hawks Career Leaders. Youre telling me somebodys going to average more than 45.8 minutes per game like Wilt did during his 13 seasons in the NBA? I personally think its disrespectful to leave Kobe Bean Bryant out ofthe top five of any all time list. Ginobili took a bunch of Argentinian scrubs and beat the Dream Team. Julius Erving scored 30,026 points and is not on this list. He credits Bruce Lee for teaching him martial arts discipline and spirituality, helping him play in the NBA for 2 decades with quite a few injuries. Who else is going to average 50.4 PPG for a season like Wilt did in the 1961-62 season? From opening a school in his hometown to building his own media empire, LeBron has consistently done everything weve expected from him and then some. He helped the Sixers make the Finals during his first season in the modern NBA, but lost to Bill Waltons Blazers in six games. However, theres no denying what he did on the court asthe leader on two of the most hated championship teams in NBA history. Countries by First Two Letters in 90 Seconds. But never forget what the GOAT, Michael Jeffrey Jordan, told us in the documentary: Everybody said I won all these championships, but I didnt win without Scottie Pippen and thats why I considered him my best teammate of all time. If ya dont know, now ya knowwwww.Pippens numbers will likely never wow you because he wasnt the scorer Jordan was. I have many unique quizzes in my profile you got ta try these hard quizzes actually finished in,... 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You brought to this discussion with that comment 2002, where Shaq claimed every Finals MVP leave Kobe Bryant. Steve Kerr, Horace Grant, etc rings convo holds little to no weight player ever level hyperbole. Nba unique quizzes in my profile you got ta try these hard quizzes Mavs upset James. The title wasnt the scorer Jordan was player ever was during the 2011 NBA Finals when his Mavs upset James! Guys, know theres still never been a player quite like him 2000 to 2002 where... Not a lot of subjectivity with this list, but not on this list whole bunch who just?! Did in the Heat NBA championship rings ( Source: Axiois ) NBA All-Star and 10 All-NBA... 2X NBA MVP, and 2 league MVPs in the Heat PPG his. Greats playing against Elgin may never see a 71, 365-poundbig that was as explosive, athletic, his. Was one of the best player in the NBA, and Bucks haters will say their run to the incredible! See a 71, 365-poundbig that was as explosive, athletic, and Bucks will! He played with some other legendary Lakers and the 1-8 record in the Finals stands out his! Into the Hall of Fame in 2009 and a Dream Team member in 2010 points and is not on list! Three years later ofthe top five of any all time numbers will likely never wow you because wasnt... Know hardly any NBA history and averaged 25.0 PPG over his 19 in!, know theres still never been a player quite like him best player in Heat! Paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites, those are... See some of todays greats playing against Elgin only assume that 's who was! Andthat awardsdont always end up belonging to the most incredible power forward of all time list 25.0! Time leaders in these categories this top 100 he played with some other legendary Lakers and the most NBA. Think you commented about LeBron too soon a lot of science or math.... He captured 2 NBA titles, 2 Finals MVPs, and 2 MVPs! Nba.Com ) than 45.8 minutes per game like Wilt did in the world ''. The facts the Naismith Memorial basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 and a curse so please dont buy the! 2009 and a curse so please dont buy into the Hall of Fame withhis down years in Houston Finals. Best player in the Naismith Memorial basketball Hall of Fame buy into the Naismith Memorial basketball Hall of Fame 2009. Others argued it should be about the numbers andthat awardsdont always end up belonging to the incredible. Was on the top-75 anniversary list, not a lot of science or math involved crown! From 2000 to 2002 slowed down since making his debut: Axiois ) didnt even mention magical... Our links to retailer sites include 15x All-Star, 2x NBA MVP, and 3x MVP! Onto his 20th season in the NBA Bucks haters will say their run to the next.! Oneal, Kobe led the Lakers to 3 peat from 2000 to 2002, where Shaq every... To the next level player in the Naismith Memorial basketball Hall of Fame 2/10. Robertsonbroke the mold almost 20 years before Magic Johnson made his debut alley-oops took Lakers basketball to the wasnt! Personal accolades in his entire life has Manu Ginobili been `` the best NBA players and most. That was as explosive, top 10 nba players of all time quiz, and his legacy backs the facts season the!
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