Best Player in NBA History?

[Gerry Bertier]

It seems no one goes and looks beyond Jordan when it comes to basketball. Jordan didn't invent basketball, he redefined it but did not invent it. You say he was a great 3 pt. shooter? That is wrong, he was only a 32% 3 pt. shooter during his career. He did make his teammates better. But overlooking Russell, Chamberlin, Abdul-Jabar, and Robertson is ludicrous. Kobe shouldn't even be mentioned in this discussion.

[culleokarep]

this is a tough question....if you look at championships you have to go with bill russell....if you look at numbers you have to go with wilt chamberlain...if you want a great player that is synonamous with the game of basketball then you have to go with jordan....its a tough one but i have to go with wilt...he was absolutely unstoppable could score at will...just had a tough time with bill russell in the finals

[swanson71]

Jordan done it all...He had a great attitude when it came to the game, and when he left the bulls he left with a last second shot agaist the Utah Jazz to win a championship...it really doesn't get any better than that...I don't believe he should have come back when he did and playd with the wizards, but when he did he still was up there with some of the best I thought anyway...

[gotmilk?]

this is a tough question....if you look at championships you have to go with bill russell....if you look at numbers you have to go with wilt chamberlain...if you want a great player that is synonamous with the game of basketball then you have to go with jordan....its a tough one but i have to go with wilt...he was absolutely unstoppable could score at will...just had a tough time with bill russell in the finals

It was a different era and the game had not evolved like it has now! If Russell and Chamberlain played now in their prime, Russell wouldnt win 11 championships, and no way, no how does Chamberlain even get close to averaging 50 a game for a season! Alot more talent in the league now!!!

 

Jordan is the greatest ever, hands down!!!!

[fromthetop2]

Showing my age. .

 

I've seen Wilt, and Bill play.

People now can't relate how Wilt changed the game, permanently, in basketball. He was an absolutely incredible athlete who could've been a superstar in many sports.

Imagine Yow Ming, bulked up like Shaq, with Kobe skills around the hoop.

You also can't forget Oscar Robertson in this discussion he AVERAGED a double-double one season.

Old timers I loved watching were Jerry West (the logo man of the NBA and one of the best pure shooters ever) and Elgin Baylor (he wasn't always a brain dead GM), Willis Reed, Cazzie Russell, Earl Monroe, Clyde Frazier, John "Hondo" Havlicek, etc.

What about Pistol Pete, Larry, Kareem (ne'Lew) Alcindor, etc.?

 

Eras change and even now people are saying LeBron or Kobe will be better than Jordan (they already have accomplished more than Jordan at a similar age), and people who saw Jordan play are aghast.