Best Player in NBA History?

[Gerry Bertier]

With all this talk about Kobe Bryant this past week, it made me wonder what everyone's opinion was on the best NBA player of all-time. You have Kareem, Jordon, Larry, Magic, Russell, but to me the best player hands down of all time has to be Wilt Chamberlin. Here are some of his accomplishments

• Scored 90 points, including 60 points in a 10-minute span against Roxborough High School
  
• NBA Rookie of the Year (1960)
  
• NBA Most Valuable Player (1960, 1966, 1967, 1968)
  
• Holds the NBA Finals record for most rebounds (41, April 5, 1967 vs. Boston)
  
• NBA championships with the Philadelphia 76ers (1967) and Los Angeles Lakers (1972)
  
• Scored 31,419 points (30.1 ppg) in 1,045 pro games, best in the league when he retired; currently second all-time behind
  
• Led the NBA in scoring seven straight years (1960-66), including a career-high 50.4 ppg in 1962
  
• Holds single game record for points in one game (100, March 2, 1962) against the New York Knicks in Hershey, PA
  
• Scored 50 or more points 45 times in the 1961-62 season, including seven consecutively (Dec. 16-29, 1961)
  
• Grabbed 23,924 rebounds (22.9 rpg), best in history in both number and per game average
  
• Led the league in rebounding 11 times (1960-63, 1966-69, 1971-73)
  

That's just an inkling of what he accomplished. Anyone else agree Wilt is the best all-time?

 

Also Russell is a close 2nd to Wilt and then the gap is pretty large IMO.

Edited January 30, 2006 by Gerry Bertier

[swanson71]

With all this talk about Kobe Bryant this past week, it made me wonder what everyone's opinion was on the best NBA player of all-time. You have Kareem, Jordon, Larry, Magic, Russell, but to me the best player hands down of all time has to be Wilt Chamberlin. Here are some of his accomplishments

• Scored 90 points, including 60 points in a 10-minute span against Roxborough High School
  
• NBA Rookie of the Year (1960)
  
• NBA Most Valuable Player (1960, 1966, 1967, 1968)
  
• Holds the NBA Finals record for most rebounds (41, April 5, 1967 vs. Boston)
  
• NBA championships with the Philadelphia 76ers (1967) and Los Angeles Lakers (1972)
  
• Scored 31,419 points (30.1 ppg) in 1,045 pro games, best in the league when he retired; currently second all-time behind
  
• Led the NBA in scoring seven straight years (1960-66), including a career-high 50.4 ppg in 1962
  
• Holds single game record for points in one game (100, March 2, 1962) against the New York Knicks in Hershey, PA
  
• Scored 50 or more points 45 times in the 1961-62 season, including seven consecutively (Dec. 16-29, 1961)
  
• Grabbed 23,924 rebounds (22.9 rpg), best in history in both number and per game average
  
• Led the league in rebounding 11 times (1960-63, 1966-69, 1971-73)
  

That's just an inkling of what he accomplished. Anyone else agree Wilt is the best all-time?

 

Also Russell is a close 2nd to Wilt and then the gap is pretty large IMO.

I've gotta go with Jordan on this one...

[Gerry Bertier]

I've gotta go with Jordan on this one...

 

I am curious why is that?

[gotmilk?]

I am with Jordan also, the man had the whole game, there was nothing the man couldnt do on a basketball court! Great ball handler, great shooter, great defensive player, solid rebounder, could dish out the ball, and was even effective posting up against bigger players! And the man had more Ice in his veins than any professional athlete and that cant be taught!!!

[Phoenix]

Gotta go with Jordan Gotmilk pretty much sums it up.

[Gerry Bertier]

Seems to me that maybe there is a generational gap for people. They say Jordan cause that is who they got to see play the most. Jordan was the best player from his era by far and also the most marketed basketball player of all time, which could play a role. I just don't see how people don't respect what Chamberlin ,Russell, and Robertson did in their careers. Chamberlin averaged 50 points a game FOR A SEASON!!! That means if he scored 40 one night he would have to come out and score 61 the next game to make his average go up. Russell won 11 championships in his 13 NBA seasons. The man was the ultimate winner and only averaged 22.5 rebounds a game for HIS CAREER. You also have Oscar Robertson the only man ever to average a triple double for a season. Jordan came close in 88 averaging 35 points 8 boards, and 8 assist but that is as close as he got to that.

 

I would like to see more reasons why people picked him instead of just the generalized statements. Out of the four above mentioned players this is how I rank them.

 

1. Wilt Chamberlain

2. Bill Russell

3. Michael Jordan

4. Oscar Robertson

[bballer13]

1. Michael Jordan

2. Wilt Chamberlin

3. Bill Russell

4. Oscar Robertson

[Guest dare_2_dream]

Jordan gets my vote.

[swanson71]

I am curious why is that?

When he come out of college they said he couldn't play defense and won defensive awards...Said he would never pass the ball and then soon starting leading his team in assists...People said that a leading scorer like him couldn't win a championship and he won 6...He's done what people said he wouldn't or couldn't do...

[Guest catfish-hunter]

Michael Jordan

[treefitty74]

When I think of NBA basketball I think of Number 23....Michael Jordan gets my vote

[The General]

If you don't agree that Jordan is the best, then you don't know basketball. He always worked to improve his weak parts of his play and he did so. All the "D" awards proves that. I was lucky enough to see most of the Jordan era and the Kobe era. I know that Jordan is the better basketball player. Kobe is the better athelte, but not player.

 

Jordan could score from any where on the court. He could dunk over anyone & shoot the three. He was great at coming through in the clutch. And most imprtantly, he got his team involved and turned them into All-Stars. He had greater knowledge of the game and he did whatever he had to do to win. He wasn't worried about how many shots he took in a game.

 

Also I believe that the competition was alot tougher in the Jordan era and the style of basketball was more competitive back then. In today's time it aint the same. Today the players just want to clear out and play one-on-one and put on a show.

 

Its a joke to say anyone is better. Don't mean to insult other's opinions but its the truth.

 

Maybe someday if Kobe starts playing team ball and starts listening to his coach, he might make the top 5 of All-Time.

Edited February 6, 2006 by The General