SportsHoopla's top 10 NBA players

[Clayton]

I'll get a list here when I get some free time but it'll likely look a lot like Meccas list.

Really contemplating Kareem at #1 but MJ is MJ

 

[trojanfan12]

I have him at 6 dawg

That makes 4 outside of Shaqdaddy. lol

 

[trojanfan12]

How does that make his resume better? Not advancing as far in the playoffs but having a cleaner finals record.

Because Lebron has never faced a very good to great team until the finals. Kobe usually had to go through 2-3 very good to great teams just to get to the finals.

 

[trojanfan12]

Finals record doesn't matter people.

You yourself have said that this all opinion and opinion isn't wrong.

Then you want to tell people what does or doesn't matter in forming their opinion.

Make up your mind. Either it's all opinion or it isn't. If it's all opinion, then stop trying to tell folks what criteria they are allowed to use when they form their opinion.

 

[trojanfan12]

* See Wilt Chamberlain who is top 5 on most lists.

Wilt was 2-5 in the Finals.

For me, Finals record is the determining factor when all other things are even.

Horry has what?

7 rings?

Does that make him better than Barkely or Malone?

Obviously, the Kobe vs. Bron comparison is not that lopsided.

But, based on finals records, shouldn't Shaq be higher than Wilt?

^^^THIS^^^

Especially the bold. A very big part of the reason that final records are used is because the differences between the all time greats generally so slim that a tie breaker is necessary. There are valid arguments to be made for moving any of these guys up and down these lists.

 

[trojanfan12]

Really contemplating Kareem at #1 but MJ is MJ

Of all of the "contenders" for GOAT, Kareem, imo, has the strongest case for supplanting MJ.

 

[msgkings322]

^^^THIS^^^

Especially the bold. A very big part of the reason that final records are used is because the differences between the all time greats generally so slim that a tie breaker is necessary. There are valid arguments to be made for moving any of these guys up and down these lists.

Yeah there's no exact science to this kind of ranking game. It's part of why sports are fun (for people like us), all the arguing about it. But there's no true 'right' answer.

 

[trojanfan12]

Yeah there's no exact science to this kind of ranking game. It's part of why sports are fun (for people like us), all the arguing about it. But there's no true 'right' answer.

Couldn't agree more. In fact, I'd say that the fact that there is no true right answer is a big part what makes it fun.

 

[TJL]

Of all of the "contenders" for GOAT, Kareem, imo, has the strongest case for supplanting MJ.

He has the only case, imo.

 

[Bojack_Horseman]

Here are 7.


The Black Mamba is a way cooler nickname than The King or The Chosen One.

Kobe chooses to be bald.

Kobe has the hotter wife.

Kobe lives in Newport Beach, Lebron lives in Akron.

The GOAT himself says so.

Airplane glide celebration is way cooler than the Herman Munster walk celebration.

Kobe's "Death Stare" is way more intimidating than Lebron's whiney face or I just bit into an aspirin face.

What'd I win?

Nothing.

None of that has anything to do with basketball.

 

[CodeBreaker]

1. Michael Jordan
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
3. LeBron James
4. Magic Johnson
5. Wilt Chamberlain
6. Larry Bird
7. Bill Russell
8. Tim Duncan
9. Shaquille O'neal
10. Hakeem Olajuwon

 

[CodeBreaker]

1. Jordan
2. Kareem
3. Lebron
4. Magic
5. Wilt
6. Shaq
7. David Robinson
8. Hakeem Olajuwon
9. Kevin Durant
10. Bird

That's what mine is for now. Let's see what Durant and Lebron do with the rest of their careers.

How can you have Durant over Kobe at this point of his career? lol

 

[jon2tanman]

1) Kareem
2) MJ
3) Magic
4) Bird
5) Wilt
6) Lebron
7) Russell
8) Shaq
9)Hakeem
10) Oscar Robertson with a slight edge over Dr. J.

 

[Mecca]

^^^THIS^^^

Especially the bold. A very big part of the reason that final records are used is because the differences between the all time greats generally so slim that a tie breaker is necessary. There are valid arguments to be made for moving any of these guys up and down these lists.

Yeah there's no exact science to this kind of ranking game. It's part of why sports are fun (for people like us), all the arguing about it. But there's no true 'right' answer.

^ These guys get it ^

We can all debate this until the cows come home.

But, no need to get your panties in a knot over differing opinions.

I personally love the back and forth of it and have no issue when someone points out that I'm wrong.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

1) Kareem
2) MJ
3) Magic
4) Bird
5) Wilt
6) Lebron
7) Russell
8) Shaq
9)Hakeem
10) Oscar Robertson with a slight edge over Dr. J.

That's five people other than me that has lebron outside the top 5

 

[gordontrue]

Instead of doing it by average position I'm just going to do it by most points, since some people had guys like Durant, Robinson, and Hayes, it'll still come out to the same top 10.

Right now we have 24 entries so the points is out of 240.

1. MJ
points for - 234
Highest ranking - 1
lowest ranking - 3
on 24/24 top 10s
Number 1 votes - 21

2. KAJ
points for - 195
Highest ranking - 1
lowest ranking - 5
on 24/24 top 10s
Number 1 votes - 1

3. Magic
points for -194
Highest ranking -1
Lowest ranking - 6
on 24/24 top 10s
Number 1 votes -1

4. LeBron
points for - 159
Highest ranking - 2
lowest ranking - 9

5. Wilt
points for - 106
Highest ranking - 4
on 23/24 top 10s

6. Bird
points for - 101
Highest ranking - 2
on 22/24 tops 10s

7. Shaq
points for - 83
Highest ranking - 5
20/24 tops 10s

8. Duncan
points for - 62
Highest ranking - 5
17/24 top 10s

9. Hakeem
points for - 51
Highest ranking - 3
16/24 top 10s

10. Oscar Robertson
points for - 38
highest ranking - 4
12/24 top 10s

11. Kobe
points for - 32
highest ranking - 7
14/24 top 10s

12. Bill Russell
points for - 27
Highest ranking - 1
5/24 top 10s
Number one votes - 1

13. Dr J
points for - 24
Highest ranking - 6
10/24 top 10s

14. David Robinson
points for - 4
highest ranking - 7
1/24 top 10s

T15. Kevin Durant
points for - 2
highest ranking - 9
1/24 top 10s

T15. Moses Malone
points for - 2
Highest ranking - 9
1/24 top 10s

T17. Elvin Hayes
points for - 1
highest ranking - 10
1/24 top 10s

T17. Kevin Garnett

points for - 1
highest ranking - 10
1/24 top 10s



This is just a rough draft, some of these numbers could be a tad off I did them quick, will post final list on Wednesday afternooon after all entries are in.

The result is a very solid list, imo. I have no issues with that top 10.

 

[Clayton]

1. KAJ
2. MJ
3. LeBron
4. Wilt
5. Magic
6. Duncan
7. Bird
8. Shaq
9. Big O
10. Dream

I feel like I could change my mind on this list every year

 

[gordontrue]

8 players in NBA history have won 3 or more MVP awards. Only one of them is rarely discussed in top-10 lists.

Moses Malone.

I think its for 2 reasons.

- He bounced around to a LOT of different teams over his career.
- He is the only 1 of the 8 players not to win multiple championships.

 

[gordontrue]

# of Championships won by players with 3+ MVP awards:

Bill Russell - 11
Michael Jordan - 6
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 6
Magic Johnson - 5
LeBron James - 3
Larry Bird - 3
Wilt Chamberlain - 2
Moses Malone - 1

 

[Clayton]

8 players in NBA history have won 3 or more MVP awards. Only one of them is rarely discussed in top-10 lists.

Moses Malone.

I think its for 2 reasons.

- He bounced around to a LOT of different teams over his career.
- He is the only 1 of the 8 players not to win multiple championships.

I have him #12 but i do think no one is ranking him higher due to a lack of multiple championships and media coverage.

Honestly these lists are really difficult because I generally believe in co-evolution and competition making leagues better over time but the NBA expanded so much and college added the 1 and done rule and even straight from high school players so its really difficult for me to dismiss any of the older players.