Your top 30 NBA Players of All Time: The 2013 Edition

[Julius Seizure]

I did have him at 6 to begin with but Olujawon is probably the most skilled big man to play the game on both ends of the court and Shaq was literally unstoppable.

Agree with both statements. But I just think Kareems longevity gets him over the line. If Shaq had stayed in shape his whole career he would likely be number one. Apart from his free throw woes, he was unstoppable offensively, a behemoth with a soft touch and light feet, who was reffed differently simply as it almost seemed unfair the way he could bull defenders around.

 

[Footypie32]

Kareem was without doubt even taller than he was listed. So was Walton. It's weird though, with the exception of Wilt and Walton, none of the super tall players have ever been particularly great rebounders.

I think Kareem gets a pass as people seem to criticise every other aspect of his game. Dude won the finals mvp 16 years after making his debut. He had a bit more to his game than just being tall.

No doubt, I am merely pointing out a double standard. If height was all that mattered, Gheorge Muresan, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Yao Ming, Hasheem Thabeet and Manute Bol would be the greatest players of all time.

 

[Julius Seizure]

No doubt, I am merely pointing out a double standard. If height was all that mattered, Gheorge Muresan, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Yao Ming, Hasheem Thabeet and Manute Bol would be the greatest players of all time.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id...tar-center-roy-hibbert-avoided-becoming-stiff

A seven footer with work ethic has just ridiculous odds of making the nba. Its the rare ones who have that height and above average skills or athleticism that become greats. Yao is odd in that I think if he had been just a standard seven footer, not seven five, he would of been allowed to be a high post, light framed pf, and probably had a better career.

 

[j0rdy1]

No doubt, I am merely pointing out a double standard. If height was all that mattered, Gheorge Muresan, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Yao Ming, Hasheem Thabeet and Manute Bol would be the greatest players of all time.

Yao Ming was a Top 20 all time talent, too bad injuries cut his career and his ability short. Don't underestimate Manute Bol, could catapult a 3 with the best of them.

 

[Footypie32]

Yao Ming was a Top 20 all time talent, too bad injuries cut his career and his ability short. Don't underestimate Manute Bol, could catapult a 3 with the best of them.

But thats the thing, he had talent.

 

[Julius Seizure]

Talking about Yao made me remember the man taken just after him, Jay Williams, who many thought should have gone one. Another brilliant talent lost to injury, though, this injury was of his own accord. A professional sportsman shouldn't ride motorbikes.

 

[j0rdy1]

But thats the thing, he had talent.

Not disagreeing with you, think if he was on a team where he was the main focus and was getting more then 12 shots a game he would of been as unstoppable as Shaq was, could step outside and hit the 18 footer and then could go inside and you didn't want to foul him either so there was basically no way to stop him from scoring. Pretty sure Shaq said he Yao could of been in the discussion for the best Center of all time.

 

[Footypie32]

Talking about Yao made me remember the man taken just after him, Jay Williams, who many thought should have gone one. Another brilliant talent lost to injury, though, this injury was of his own accord. A professional sportsman shouldn't ride motorbikes.

He wasn't supposed to either. It was written into his contract, as it is with most athletes.

 

[Footypie32]

Not disagreeing with you, think if he was on a team where he was the main focus and was getting more then 12 shots a game he would of been as unstoppable as Shaq was, could step outside and hit the 18 footer and then could go inside and you didn't want to foul him either so there was basically no way to stop him from scoring. Pretty sure Shaq said he Yao could of been in the discussion for the best Center of all time.

Just makes you realise humans really aren't meant to be over 7ft tall. Anyone that can play professional sport for 10+ years at that size is an absolute freak.

 

[OrdinaryJoel]

My list now:

1. Michael Jordan
2. Wilt Chamberlain
3. Bill Russell
4. Magic Johnson
5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6. Larry Bird
7. Oscar Robertson
8. Shaquille O'Neal
9. Jerry West
10. Hakeem Olajuwon
11. Tim Duncan
12. Moses Malone
13. Julius Erving
14. Kobe Bryant
15. Elgin Baylor
16. LeBron James
17. Karl Malone
18. Bob Pettit
19. Charles Barkley
20. Isiah Thomas
21. John Stockton
22. David Robinson
23. Kevin Garnett
24. Elvin Hayes
25. Rick Barry
26. John Havilcek
27. Dominique Wilkins
28. Scottie Pippen
29. Bill Walton
30. Clyde Drexler

Will edit in the remaining 10 tomorrow... Not finished yet

EDIT - Finished, but ****... Hard to compile.

My list...

 

[Julius Seizure]

The issues present with humans standing upright become clearer the taller people get. Weight increases exponentially with height, and the stress on joints is massive. Bol is one the weirdest tall player ever. 7'7" and 200 pounds. Im just under six foot and weigh that. Also, to steal a line from Bill Simmons, he was so black he was purple. Its just a fact.

 

[Julius Seizure]

My list now:

1. Michael Jordan
2. Wilt Chamberlain
3. Bill Russell
4. Magic Johnson
5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6. Larry Bird
7. Oscar Robertson
8. Shaquille O'Neal
9. Jerry West
10. Hakeem Olajuwon
11. Tim Duncan
12. Moses Malone
13. Julius Erving
14. Kobe Bryant
15. Elgin Baylor
16. LeBron James
17. Karl Malone
18. Bob Pettit
19. Charles Barkley
20. Isiah Thomas
21. John Stockton
22. David Robinson
23. Kevin Garnett
24. Elvin Hayes
25. Rick Barry
26. John Havilcek
27. Dominique Wilkins
28. Scottie Pippen
29. Bill Walton
30. Clyde Drexler

Don't mind it. I'd definitely boot Elvin Hayes though. Probably for Dirk.

 

[OrdinaryJoel]

Don't mind it. I'd definitely boot Elvin Hayes though. Probably for Dirk.

I like Elvin. Was a beast back in his day, also very underrated imo.

 

[Footypie32]

I also find it funny how we all say Kobe is the closest we've seen to Jordan, but when we do lists like this we don't seem to rate him. I dare say once he retires, his legacy will grow as it has with past players.

 

[Julius Seizure]

I also find it funny how we all say Kobe is the closest we've seen to Jordan, but when we do lists like this we don't seem to rate him. I dare say once he retires, his legacy will grow as it has with past players.

Kobe's relative inefficiency will be the thing that holds him back. Jordan wasn't a great 3 pt shooter, but drew fouls and shot over 50%. Kobe's an average 3 point shooter who is a volume scorer.

 

[Danger in Texas]

I did have him at 6 to begin with but Olujawon is probably the most skilled big man to play the game on both ends of the court and Shaq was literally unstoppable.

I've never seen the true greatness of Shaq, but he didn't seem like an 'unstoppable force' to me...

 

[Danger in Texas]

Yao Ming was a Top 20 all time talent, too bad injuries cut his career and his ability short.

Yao...

Loved the way he played, shame he got injured...

 

[PP34]

Don't really rate Russell tbh. He grabbed rebounds and swatted shots against short people. He had help from Cooz, Hondo and Sam Jones. I could see him as an Ibaka-type player in today's game. But, then again, it's all hypothetical.

There's a reason coaches still look towards Russell and his defensive instruction still these days.

 

[PP34]

I've never seen the true greatness of Shaq, but he didn't seem like an 'unstoppable force' to me...

Really? Aren't you in your 20s?

Some of my first NBA memories are Shaq and Iverson.

 

[Footypie32]

I've never seen the true greatness of Shaq, but he didn't seem like an 'unstoppable force' to me...

 

[Danger in Texas]

Dodgy engineering.

 

[OrdinaryJoel]

Really? Aren't you in your 20s?

Some of my first NBA memories are Shaq and Iverson.

He's the same age as you

 

[Footypie32]

If Shaq had stayed between 290-300lbs for most of his career, he would've been amazing. Go back and look at a 21yo Shaq to see what a beast he was.

 

[Julius Seizure]

Here's two notable writers lists.

Bill Simmons, from The Book of Basketball (Written 2009)

1. Jordan
2. Russell
3. Kareem
4. Magic
5. Bird
6. Wilt
7. Duncan
8. West
9. Oscar
10. Hakeem
11. Shaq
12. Moses
13. Havlicek
14. Elgin
15. Kobe
16. Doc
17. Pettit
18. Karl Malone
19. Chuck
20. LeBron
21. Cousy
22. KG
23. Isiah
24. Pippen
25. Stockton
26. Rick Barry
27. Walton
28. David Robinson
29. AI
30. Willis Reed

Elliott Kalb Who's Better, Who's Best in Basketball. (Written 2004)

1. Shaq
2. Wilt
3. Jordan
4. Russell
5. Kareem
6. Bird
7. Magic
8. Oscar
9. Duncan
10. Cousy
11. Pettit
12. West
13. Baylor
14. Moses
15. Dr.J
16. Hakeem
17. Karl Malone
18. Kobe
19. Mikan
20. David Robinson
21. Barkley
22. Rick Barry
23. Schayes
24. Havlicek
25. Isiah
26. Gervin
27. Stockton
28. Kidd
29. Pippen
30. Rodman

Kalb's list is certainly a bit out there compared to most.

 

[OrdinaryJoel]

Kalb's list very left-field indeed...