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For me its Michael "air" Jordan. But with Magic,Bird and Doctor J very closely.

I say Wilt- Jordan only leads Wilt by 0.8 points in career scoring average. Wilt sacrificed his scoring in an effort to help his team by passing more and playing dominant defense. When Wilt was solely a scorer he averaged 39 points per game over 7 years. This does not even get into Wilt's leading the league in Field Goal Percentage (single game & single season record holder), Rebounding (the all time leading rebounder for game, season and career), Assists (the only center ever to do so, and Wilt's career high(8.6apg) is more than Jordan's(8.0) despite Wilt playing center & having to play under tougher rules governing assists) and Minutes (Wilt averaged over 45min/game for his career despite no chartered jets and a more tightly packed schedule): all feats Jordan has never accomplished. He also is the only player to ever record 100 points in a game and is the only person to get a double triple-double in NBA history: 22 points 25 rebounds and 21 assists. Wilt still holds 50 NBA records.

Heres a more fair breakdown, and my vote goes to Jordan, BTW:

Jordan:

Five-time regular season Most Valuable Player, 1987-88, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98.

Won three consecutive NBA Finals MVPs, twice, 1991-93 and 1996-98.

Second player to win seven straight scoring titles, 1986-87 to 1992-93 (Wilt Chamberlain, 1960-66). Also won scoring titles 3 more years in a row in 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98.

All-NBA first team seven straight years, 1987-93, and 1996-1998, for a total of 10.

All-Defense first team six straight years, 1988-93, also 1996-1998, for a total of 9.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 1988.

NBA Rookie of the Year, 1984-85.

NBA Slam Dunk Champion, 1987, 1988.

NBA All-Star Game MVP, 1988, 1996, 1998.

Sporting News College Player of the Year, 1983, 1984.

Sporting News All-America first team, 1983, 1984.

Bulls' all-time leading scorer and 3rd all-time leading scorer in NBA with 29,277 points.

Scored a playoff-record 63 points in a 1986 first-round game against Boston.

Set NBA record with 23 consecutive points against Atlanta in 1987.

3,041 points in 1986-87 were the third-highest total in NBA history.

Holds career record for highest-points per game average in regular season, 31.5.

Shares single-game record for most free throws made in one quarter, 14, 1989 at Utah (4th quarter), and 1992 at Miami (4th quarter).

Career record for scoring average in All-Star Game, 21.3 ppg.

Highest scoring average, NBA Finals, 41.0 against Phoenix, 1993.

Most points, six-game series, NBA Finals, 246 against Phoenix, 1993.

Most field goals, NBA Finals, 101 against Phoenix, 1993.

Holds career record for highest-points per game average in playoffs, 33.4.

Holds NBA Finals single-game record for most points in one half, 35.

Led Bulls to three straight World Championships, twice, 1990-91 to 1992-93 and 1995-96 to 1997-98.

Member of United States gold medal-winning Olympic teams in 1984, 1992.

Member of North Carolina national championship team, 1982.

Scored career-best 69 points against Cleveland, March 28, 1990.

Scored 50-or-more points 37 times.


As for Mr. Chamberlain..

Second all-time in career points (behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) with 31,419.

First all-time in career rebounds with 23,924.

Played in 13 NBA All-Star Games

Won NBA Titles with Philadelphia in 1967 and Los Angeles in 1972

Member of NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
Seasons

Led the NBA in scoring his first seven seasons.

Led the NBA in rebounding in 11 of his 14 NBA seasons.

During the 1961-62 season became the only player to score more than 4,000 points in a season (4,029), averaging 50.4 points per game.
Games

Scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 victory over the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962.

Of the 30 best regular-season scoring performances of all time, he owns 20.

Scored more than 50 points in a game 118 times.

Did not foul out of any of his more than 1,200 NBA games.

NBA Most Valuable Player Award (1960, 1966, 1967, 1968)

NBA Rookie of the Year Award (1960)

All-Star Game MVP (1960)

NBA Finals MVP (1972)


Not to discredit Wilt's 100 point game, but it was against the 1962 Knicks who had absolutely nobody on their team, who also finished 29-51.

Here's more of Chamberlain's accomplishments (BTW: I'm not saying that Wilt is definitely better or worse because its impossible to truly compair, my choice is just my opinion).

High School:
-Scored 90 points, including 60 points in a 10-minute span in one game
-Scored 800 points in his first 16 games (1955)

College (U of Kansas):
-NCAA Tournament MVP

Pros:
NBA Rookie of the Year (1960)
NBA Most Valuable Player (1960, 1966, 1967, 1968)
All-NBA First Team (1960-62, 1964-68)
All-NBA Second Team (1963, 1965, 1972)
NBA All-Defensive First Team (1972, 1973)
NBA Finals MVP (1972)
Holds the NBA Finals record for most rebounds (41, April 5, 1967 vs. Boston)
Scored 53 points as a rookie against Syracuse (March 14, 1960)
NBA All-Star Game MVP (1960), after scoring 23 points with 25 rebounds
Holds the career All-Star Game record for most rebounds (197)
Holds the single-game All-Star record for most points (42) in 1962
Scored 78 points against Los Angeles in three overtimes (Dec. 8, 1961)
Scored 73 points vs. Chicago (Jan. 13, 1962)
Scored 72 points against Los Angeles (Nov. 3, 1962)
Scored 50 or more points 118 times
Scored 50 or more points 45 times in the 1961-62 season, including seven consecutively (Dec. 16-29, 1961)
Scored 40 points or more 271 times
Scored 40 or more points 63 times in the 1961-62 season; 52 times inthe 1962-63 season
Scored 40 or more points 14 straight times (Dec. 8-30, 1961)
Scored 30 or more points 65 straight times (Nov. 4, 1961 - Feb. 22, 1962); had a 31-game and a 25-game 30-point streak
Holds single-game record for most points by a rookie (58, Jan. 25, 1960 vs. the Detroit Pistons)
Made 35 consecutive shots (Feb. 17-28, 1967)
Went 18 of 18 from the field against the Baltimore Bullets (Feb. 24, 1967)
Led the league in field goal percentage nine times (1961, 1963, 1965-69, 1972)
Grabbed 23,924 rebounds (22.9 rpg), best in history in both number and per game average
Holds seasonal records for most minutes (3,338, 41.7 mpg), most points (4,029), points per game (50.4), field goals made (1,597) and field goals attempted (3,159), all in 1962
Holds the rookie record for most points (2,707, 37.6 ppg) and rebounds (1,941, 27.0 rpg) in 1960
In the 1968 season, averaged 24.3 ppg, 23.8 rpg and 8.3 assists per game

im gonna say air jordan. though i dont know much botu nba

Wilt played in a time where there was no shot clock and there were fewer great players. Jordan played in a time when he had to contend with Bird, Magic, and Kareem. It's Jordan, difinitely...until Lebron surpasses him(and he will.).

Yeah Wilt always seems to get overlooked a lot over those other names for some reason.because of these statistics,I also got to go with Wilt Chamberlain with Jordon coming in at 2nd.good observations Myth,youve really done your homework,so has the other guy making a case for Jordan no doubt,but I again I got to go with Wilt,he gets over looked a lot over the others.

It's so easy to get stats online. Stats don't mean anything. Wilt had nobody to pass to, so he had to shoot, and there weren't as many big guys, so he towered above eveybody else. Jordan had skills and people to pass to, and he had to play against some tough defenses.

vote> Dr. J

not a bad vote, but that's about the same as Wilt.

Ok here is the deal. I say Jordan of course because I am from chicago and also him and his team won 6 NBA Champisonships. Thats incrediable. But jordan isnt the whole team he was made great by the tv and magazines. the whole game was revoled around what jordan would do and if he played bad then the bulls didnt have a chance wich i thought was ridiculus. they had so many great players on that team at the time that werent getting as much recognition as jordan. Jordan was incredable but I mean so was Scottie Pippin and Tony Kuckoch and Steve Kerri.

They are doing the same thing they did with jordan with tiger woods in golf. The whole tournement is revoled around him and noone else. everyone prjects tiger to win a tournement when they see his name on the list of players playing in that tournement that week. Its the media that really decides who was the great which is sad i think

My vote goes to Jordan..until Lebron surpasses him

I got to see Jordan play 4 times though it was very cool Had floor seats for one of the games

That would have been awesome.

nobody loved the game more than mike... i mean coming out of retirement 2 times is just mad love for the game. i like the way he shoots, especially his fade aways...

Jordan is the greatest player in the NBA. Being a big man doesn't require nearly as much skills as playing as a guard. He was the overall package offense and defense...

Larry Bird, best white player of all time. Jordan is the best player of all time.

Jordan

Wilt was kinda like Shaq--just dominantly huge.

Bill Russell owned Wilt when it mattered though

Oscar Robertson deserves some sort of mention on this thread. The only player in history to average a triple-double for an entire season, and he doesn't get any sort of praise?

thats true but russell had alot more talent around him plus he had one of the greatest coaches off all time

being a big man requires everybit of skill as being a guard.....jordan wasnt even the best defendor on his team pippin was...i'm goin with wilt on this one

Has anyone read that book declaring Shaquille O'Neal as the best basketball player of all time with Wilt, Jordan, Kareem and Bird rounding out the top five.

Jordan was and is the best. He not only scored nearly 30 points a game throughout his career, but he also had the ability to make all of the players around him better. He was a great defender, on and off ball. And he was just about as clutch as they get...

Jordan - the most complete player of all time thus making him the best IMHO.

Anyone who said Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all time do not what they are talkin about there is at least 4 players better than him. Those players being Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the best ever, Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain. Jordan didn't know if he was a basketball player or a baseball player. Come on if he has to question his talent he can't be the best player ever.

Yeah, after that response i still going with MJ.

I don't think he tried Baseball because he questioned his talent. The man loved a challenge.

Exactly. Thats what made him the player he was.

I'd have to say Wilt.

I read an article about a year back about how Jordan and Wilt were discussing who was better during the 50 Greatest Players of All Time ceremony. They went back and forth but this is the note the conversation ended on. Wilt pointed out that the NBA kept making rules that made it easier for Jordan to score. They had to make rules for Wilt to try to stop him from scoring (it didn't work).

jordan

If Kevin Garnett wins a championship sometime in his career, he definetely will be within the top 5 best players of all time. No player has ever been so versitile.

Shows how much you know, just because he played baseball dosesn't mean he wasn't great at bball, it means he had such determination and showed why he was the best basketball player ever. Larry Bird could only shoot, Magic couldn't play d, and Kareem was only a scorer and a rebounder. Wilt was great, but the only competition he had back then was Russell, and he didn't play Russell everyday. The reason he changed the rules was because he was over 7 ft tall, and even Russell was only 6' 10", no one could match his height, so no one could stop him.

double post.

Jordan was every bit as good of defender as Pippin in the early 90's, that's why he won defensive player of the year and lead the league in steals, in his later years, yes he wasn't as good of defender though, but still was a good defensive player.

The point is that other people couldn't stop him so they needed rules to help the other players against him. I know that he appears to be extra dominant because people just weren't as good back then, but he would still rule all over the NBA today. Bill Russell seems to be the only guy who 'could' slow him down but thats all he did, slowed him down. And Russell was just as good as anybody from today.

Magic Johnson - not a great on the ball defender, poor jump shooter.
Larry Bird - his defense wasn't known to create turnovers, poor ball handler
Kareem Abdul Jabar - Played 1/2 ass most of the game. Poor range, poor dribbling ability. Less than fabulous athleticism.
Wilt Chamberlain - Couldn't hit a free throw, didn't make his players around him better...he was just good enough alone.

of the four you named, i'd say Larry Bird was the most complete. The tall guys couldn't handle the ball nor were they good free throw shooters. Magic's jump shot and lack of consistant range hurts him.

Jordan...better free throw shooter than most of them, better on ball defender against a similar opponent, was a capable ball handler, had a pull up jump shot, a fade away jump shot, was the best finisher of the group you named, he was the most athletic, he played his ass off every night.

Apparently you don't know what you're talking about.

So we're all agreed Jordan is the best then?

Depends who you ask.

I won't really argue against Jordan but I'm not saying that he is better than Wilt either. Jordan was better all around, but Wilt's dominance at certain aspects of the game still give him my vote.

as a piston fan i refuse to acknowledge jordan as the best player....jordan rules baby!...we shut his ass down..well we did until he starting relying on role players..but we still shut his ass down......detriot baby detriot!!!

Why did you randomly say "Jordan rules baby!" if you refuse to acknowledge him as the best?

I think WuTa was talking about the book "The Jordan Rules".

someone wrote a book on the jordan rules?...i meant rules as in rules not slang for cool.......the detriot bad boys of the late 80s and early 90s used a stradegy called the jordan rules...it was similar to the stradegy they used on kobe in the finals except the bad boys were alot rougher and would make jordan pay everytime he drove the lane

Ah, got ya.

Top 12 Players All-Time

1) Wilt Chamberlain
2) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
3) Michael Jordan
4) Tim Duncan
5) Hakeem Olajuwan
6) Kevin Garnett
7) Shaquille O'Neal
8) Magic Johnson
9) Kobe Bryant
10) Larry Bird
11) Karl Malone
12) Julius Irving

Top 5 Players Currently

1) Tim Duncan
2) Kevin Garnett
3) Shaquille O'Neal
4) Kobe Bryant
5) LeBron James

You people have to understand something. Size is the most important thing in basketball. It is the key to versatility. Big men can make long-range jumpers consistently the way perimeter players do (look at Tim, Kevin and Dirk), but inversely, perimeter players cannot post up down low and score at will the way the elite big men can.

Big men rule. Always have, always will.

Jordan, the best perimeter player of all time, was good enough to sneak up into top 5 territory.

I figured I'd justify my choices with some stats and interesting facts.

1) Wilt Chamberlain
Most versatile player ever; seven-footer who once led the league in assists just to prove he could do it; tied with Jordan in career points per game.
2) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Insanely versatile center; rank 1 in total points all time.
3) Michael Jordan
Best perimeter player ever.
4) Tim Duncan
Best power forward all time; first-team All-NBA every year that he's played (something no other player has ever done); first-team All-Defense all but one year he's played; recorded a triple-double and 8 blocks in the winning game of the 2003 Finals; a unique personality who changed the game in favor of fundamentals in an era of attitude and athleticism.
5) Hakeem Olajuwan
Third best center of all time; invented many popular low post moves.
6) Kevin Garnett
Insanely versatile power forward; rival to Tim Duncan, but not as good a clutch performer, not as good in low post, not a winner. (Still at #6 on all-time list; the positives are given.) Started the high school to NBA movement (may or may not be the best thing in many cases including his own).
7) Shaquille O'Neal
Fourth best center of all time; heaviest superstar of all time.
8) Magic Johnson
Second best perimeter player of all time; perhaps even a better passer than Jordan.
9) Kobe Bryant
Third best perimeter player of all time; perhaps even more athletic than Jordan.
10) Larry Bird
Insanely versatile small forward and rival to Magic Johnson, but he fell deeper in love with the jumpshot. Granted he was the best at it, but Magic and Michael could've been just as good at pure shooting had they taken more outside shots. The difference is, they got to the paint more because they knew that was the key to the game.
11) Karl Malone
Third best power forward of all time; rank 2 in total points all time.
12) Julius Irving
Insanely versatile guard; invented many popular dunks.

Do not even consider adding LeBron James to this list until he proves he can do what he's doing for 8-12 years and gets his team deep into the playoffs.

There's no limit to how high he can soar, but already the clock is ticking. I honestly don't see him making this list.

13) Oscar Robinson
Rank 1 career triple-doubles.
14) Pete Marovic
Michael Jordan looked up to him.
15) Nate Archibald
Another great all-around player.

Then I'd get into Charles Barkley, David Robinson, James Worthy, Bill Russell, etc. I don't feel like ordering them, though.

There was no one more dominant that Jordan in his prime. If you ever saw him play live, you wouldn't even think twice about who to vote for.

In my eyes it's Jordan. I am not a stat man and have not watched the NBA for long. My reason for choosing Jordan is because he made me think, "what is this basketball rubbish all about?" As I'm sure he was with most of the NBA's current world-wide audience.

Also I saw him win the NBA champs series vs Stockton and Malone's Jazz, in Utah, with the flu, with the last shot of the game. I dunno what's more clutch than that?

I saw Jordan play live.

Either way, it is hypocritical to say that you "had to see Jordan play live," because none of us have seen Chamberlain play live (unless you're the age of my dad).

If Jordan played in the 60's, would he still be as highly regarded as he is? I often wonder if people overrate him because they lived through his era and not the others.

Elgin Baylor averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds for his career, and he was an inch shorter than Jordan.

Anyway, my vote goes to Wilt Chamberlain. His numbers are staggering.

My favorite was Magic.
The best was Jordan.
That being said, the future is Lebron and I think if we ask this question again in the future the general consensus of who's the best will probably be different.

You guys are all crazy. Larry Bird is the the greatest. He could do more than just shoot. That's why he was a POWER FORWARD. He should be ranked #3 all time. No doubt Wilt "the stilt" Chamberlain definetely up at the top, althogh I think and most basketball fans or anyone with common sense would agree that MICHAEL JORDAN IS EXTREMELY OVERRATED. Larry "Legend" Bird is better than him and karrem-abdul jabbar. He also won 3 consecutive coach of the year award with the pacers. Visit this website to see what I mean.

Larry Bird was great, but not better than Jordan except in shooting. Jordan was faster, a better deffender and a more complete player in all the fields, except shooting. Really, to say that Jordan is extremaly overrated is non sense. Only see how he could rule the entire game, it was amazing.

Did anyone catch the Lakers vs. Cleveland game this weekend?

LeBron still has a long way to go and a lot of learning ahead of him. But seriously....that guy will be better than Jordan.

I've never seen someone able to take it to the hoop as strong as him, and he makes ALL of his players better just like Jordan did.

The kid is 20 years old averaging 25 pts, 7 reb, 7 assists. Imagine what he'll be like in 5 years.

I repeat, Lebron James is a amazing , fantastic player with a lot of future in front of him. But its very early to compare him with Jordan.To get the name and all the things that Jordad got is very hard, we have still to wait. I have have seen many and many players who were amazing in their starting and then, they werent anything.

Never numbers or game prowess like James has shown.

He's got the passing of Magic, with the leadership and vertical of Jordan. His jump shot has made a remarkable leap considering where he was last year.

Look at the year where Kobe decided it was time to be primetime. He put 20 lbs on and became a totally different player than his early years.

And no one was amazing in their second year like LeBron is....especially considering the gigantic amount of hype he's had to deliver on.

Obviously it's wayyyyy too early to make the call. But one thing I like about LeBron at this point is....he doesn't rely on a fade away jumper. Sure...Jordan could hit is better than anyone....but a turn around 15 footer is never a "good" shot to rely on. Driving and dishing out will always get you better looks at the rim.

Um.... no. You obviously don't know your basketball history. You claiming Larry Bird won 3 consecutive coach of the year awards is proof that you are making up crap in your head. He won it once for the 97-98 season. The very next year, Dunleavy won it for my Blazers (stupid organization fired him to use him as a scape-goat). Bird was great. Easily a top 10 in history. But better than Jordan? Come on. Jordan one six championships and had no where near the help Bird did.

About James.... I love him. Easily my favorite and I hope he becomes the best ever. He is 20 and averaging about 25, 7, and 7. Jordan did that once in his career. I'd say James is on track. Hmmm.... I don't think Bird ever did that.

You know, the most amazing thing about Jordan in my opinion is that he was able to just simply dominate the game at only 6'6 in height just like a big man like Chamberlain or Kareem would. Not since those, have I ever seen anyone take over games like he did and simply leave his own teammates and competitors in awe. Regardless of who your favorite player was Magic, Bird, whatever, you have to give it up to the guy.

Also like I said before, Lebron is definitely the future of this league. I know it's still real early but you can already start to notice it in his game, he's already being friendly with all the other players in the league as well just like Jordan did and he's also got that same squeaky clean image and good all around persona, like he could be a real ambassador of the game like Jordan was. All he needs to do now is develop a bit more confidence and that killer instinct that Jordan had and come out and just destroy his opponents in each game. Even in that Lakers game, although he played well, I still noticed some hesitation on his part, but I'm sure that will go away as time progresses.

actually near the end of the Lakers game...when LA was starting to mount a little come back...I believe it was LeBron who had the near alley oop layup and the pass off Odem's chest/ballfake/touch shot that prevented the comeback and sealed the game.

that was the part of the game that impressed me the most. And when he looked gassed earlier in the game I saw him take off faster than anyone on the court to get an uncontested fast break lay up.

He's got the mentality...but he's still a kid so it's not nearly as consistant as Jordan was.

Call me laking in common sense but my vote still goes with Jordan. Bird was a great player there is no doubt about that and considering he had none of the athletic gifts that Jordan had he was phenomenal. But Jordan overrated - come on man. Jordan could simply shut down the player he was guarding, still find time to drop in 50pts and hit the game winner. He accomplished everything a basketball player could dream of, i mean is there an award he hasn't won? (most improved player and 6th man not included). He was one of the fiercest competitors to play the game and improved his game every year he was in the league adding more and more weapons to his arsenal. So Jordan might not be your choice, but to call him overrated is just insane.
As for LeBron he is as Rza stated the closest thing to MJ as there is in the NBA. Not just his game but the way he behaves on and off the court, he is gracious and humble and there's not much of that left in the league. His game is out of this world when you consider this is his second year, he is dominating players with way more experience and is doing it in such an unselfish way it hard not to be on his side. He seems to enjoy passing like Magic and Stockton did and Kidd still does and that cant be taught. The way he is going in ten years (probably less) we will be looking at putting him top of the list.

Agreed. 21 points in the second half. He only had 4 in the 1st half but he didn't take many shots in the 1st half. That too is like Jordan. Get the others involved early and then take over in the end. He owned Kobe. Kobe had 1 more point but worse fg% and every other stat in the game was lower than James. The pass off Odom was unintentional. It didn't hit his chest, it hit his hand that was in the passing lane. Despite it being unintentional, he still showed greatness by flowing with it and finishing the play.

That dunk that LeBron did over Damon Jones last week made me scream like a little girl.

If any of you look in the NBA record book, you will see the name of Wilt Chamberlain still there after more than 40 years. Anyone who thinks that Jordan is better than Wilt just hasn't bothered to look at the facts. Lifetime scoring average is about even, but almost everything else goes to Wilt. People's opinion is one thing, but the record book doesn't lie. Jordan is gone from the league and he didn't even come close to Wilt. As for Shaq - when he grows up, he wants to be Wilt....someday. Bill Russell isn't even close either - just a very good team player, but not all that good by himself. Larry Bird was great in his time, but not among the top 5. LeBron James has the most potential of all the players now - could be the next great player if he continues to improve.

How long did Wilt Chamberlain play? What was the level of competition then and now?

It's apples to oranges.

and scoring points is not everything. Leadership means everything.

What did Wilt Chamberlain ever do to improve the game of the other players on his team? All he ever did was get the ball and shoot it.

Wilt played the best of his time, just like Michael did in his time. Wilt played for 13 seasons, leading the league in ASSISTS in the 67-68 season. When did Jordan ever lead the league in assists? He improved the other players for the most part by blocking alot of shots, leading to fast breaks and easy points for the rest of the team. His teammates could take chances on defense, knowing that Wilt would be there to stop the player if he drove to the basket. He would change the shots of everyone who came close to the basket, making them miss some close shots. The level of competition now might be weaker than it was in Wilts' time. We have too many teams that are weak, easy games for the real teams to win. Wilt was the team captain most of the time, giving them leadership on the court. Don't forget that he is still the all-time leader in rebounds, far above the players of our time. Even the over rated Russell could not beat Wilt at rebounding. There are many players taller than Wilt was, but none of them can match his rebounding/scoring abilities. Assists: Wilt had 4.4 per game, Jordan had 5.3 per game. Being great at rebounding and almost as good as Jordan at assists shows that Wilt did much more than just score, even though he was the best at that, too.

Excellent Job Paul...truly fabulous backing of your opinion.

I still contend that no big guy will ever be "the best player" to ever play the game because they have the obvious height advantage, lack of range, and inability to handle the ball.

Playing defense face up on the perimeter is more difficult than playing it down by the rim in my opinion.


But I highly respect your belief that Wilt is the best...you put forth a great arguement.

Yeah i agree Link. All the footage I've ever seen of Wilt he is absolutely dwarfing the opposition. His stats are amazing there is no doubt about that, i dont think we'll ever see anyone averaging 50 pts in a season or scoring 100pts in a game. Im not saying Wilt couldnt play defense but i would say its easier to swat away shots from players that are probably alot smaller than it is to shut a player down on the perimeter as Jordan was known to do. There will never be a clear cut winner because everyone has their own opinions but if we go on Statistics alone Wilt would probably come out on top. On a side note i'm sure Wilt holds the record for the most cheerleaders. naughty

When you look at records you get tied down to statistics. that is a long road of confusion and arguments. for everything this player has done, this player has done. I dont look at records and statistics. Not for a question like who is the greatest NBA player of all time. I look at who has done more for the game. In this case micheal jordan is in a league of his own. The bulls won 6 championships. would they have won 6 without jordan? it is possible , but it is much more likely and factual that they won 6 championships with jordan.

Actually it wasn't possible.

He left...they didn't win.

he came back...they won again.

jordan of course

what about pistol pete? dude never repeated the same move twice, and david thompson is it actually true he could get a quarter from the top of the backboard?

I heard the same about LeBron.

Originally posted by Jard_Dooku
what about pistol pete? dude never repeated the same move twice, and david thompson is it actually true he could get a quarter from the top of the backboard?

I thought that was Earl "the Goat" Manigull

Yo!!!!!
Where the hell is Carmelo and Lebron.
WTF?!?!?!
How can u have ''Greatest NBA player'' without those two and Mcgrady and Ben Wallas(mispelled)

Those guys have got a way to go before being mentioned in the same breath as Jordan, Magic, Bird and co. Notice to that all the players in the poll are retired and hall of famers or future hall of famers.

Little known fact.... When Hakeem retired he was the only person to be in the top 10 in points, assists, rebounds, steals and blocks(No. 1).

That is all-around dominace.
Not to mention the quad-double he had (18 points, 11 blocks, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists.) Oh, and another little know fact, 15-4 against MJ. He's got my vote.

MJ. But, I could understand if someone said Wilt.

To include anyone else in the discussion, and you don't really know much about basketball. If one mentions LeBron, then we'll worry about it 15 years from now, not today, which is when this question is asked.

And even then, I don't think he'll ever be as complete as Jordan on the defensive end.

Jordan was a great defender no doubt but i think having Pippen (who i think is an even better defensive player) certainly helped.

Definitely.

Sure, having Pippen helped. But my gosh, when Pip was a brand spanking rookie out of Arkansas popping zits on his face, it was MJ who was winning scoring titles, his first of 5 NBA MVPs, and NBA defensive player of the year award. Let's not forget forget MJ almost missed his entire 2nd season because of a broken foot. His LeBronesque dominance was postponed a season too.

"There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us."


-- Magic Johnson

In additon, many people forget that Hakeen won some titles because Micheal decided to pick up a baseball bat. Otherwise, it is conceivable to think the Bulls could have won 8 straight. Count it people....eight.

possibly... i think the rockets woulda had a chance though. while teh glyde aint no match up compared to jordan... he had enough offence in him to keep jordan busy, horry was just as good late in the game back then as he is now, and hakeem woulda ripped any center the bulls put him against. it woulda been well sweet to watch though i know that... i'd still woulda gone with the bulls winning... just.

MJ.

Originally posted by BobbyD
Sure, having Pippen helped. But my gosh, when Pip was a brand spanking rookie out of Arkansas popping zits on his face, it was MJ who was winning scoring titles, his first of 5 NBA MVPs, and NBA defensive player of the year award. Let's not forget forget MJ almost missed his entire 2nd season because of a broken foot. His LeBronesque dominance was postponed a season too.

"There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us."


-- Magic Johnson

In additon, many people forget that Hakeen won some titles because Micheal decided to pick up a baseball bat. Otherwise, it is conceivable to think the Bulls could have won 8 straight. Count it people....eight.



hakeems team with clyde the glide could have gave the bulls trouble

Larry Bird, Magic Johnson,Julius Ervining, Isiah Thomas, Hakeem the dream, Moses Malone, Kareem, Wilt, Bill, and Oscar

Where's Jordan in that list? Do you honestly believe all those guys are better than MJ?

Originally posted by Myth
Where's Jordan in that list? Do you honestly believe all those guys are better than MJ?

No I just am listing runner ups

i'd put shaq on there... i know a lot of people have beef against him but hes still one teh more dominant players in the nba, and hes won rings

Originally posted by darth_royke
i'd put shaq on there... i know a lot of people have beef against him but hes still one teh more dominant players in the nba, and hes won rings

I listed people already retired

i meant in general... not in response to ur post.... s'all good man

Originally posted by Droopy
hakeems team with clyde the glide could have gave the bulls trouble

Hakeem's Rockets were like 25-6 against the bulls, just a bit of trouble.

Originally posted by flabmaster
Hakeem's Rockets were like 25-6 against the bulls, just a bit of trouble.

Bulls dont have big guy to give the dream trouble clyde and guys like sam cassal make this a 7 game series. The rockets would have been tougher than utah seattle or L.A. in the finals

The Bulls were playing against the Knicks and knocking them out all the time. What's the difference? They also knocked off the Shaq-led Magic. The key to the Bulls' success in defending against a big name center was to use all of their centers' 18 fouls at their disposal and beat this person into submission, while Jordan & Pip darted all over the floor. It would have been no different. At the end of the day Pip and Clyde maybe wash each other out...even then Pip still had the advantage, defensively. But MJ would have 40 and The Dream would have 25-that's the problem. The rest of both teams would wash out. It makes no difference, seriously.

The Shaq-led Magic were nothing compared to the 94 and 95 Rockets though. Rockets beat them just like the Bulls did so that comparison doesn't really work that well. However, I do agree that the Bulls probably would have beat them.

Michael Jordan

Originally posted by BobbyD
The Bulls were playing against the Knicks and knocking them out all the time. What's the difference? They also knocked off the Shaq-led Magic. The key to the Bulls' success in defending against a big name center was to use all of their centers' 18 fouls at their disposal and beat this person into submission, while Jordan & Pip darted all over the floor. It would have been no different. At the end of the day Pip and Clyde maybe wash each other out...even then Pip still had the advantage, defensively. But MJ would have 40 and The Dream would have 25-that's the problem. The rest of both teams would wash out. It makes no difference, seriously.

Hakeem during that time was better than both Shaq or Ewing.

Hakeem took Shaq to school during the finals. Am I expected to believe Luc Longly or some other Bulls hack center could do a better job than the Diesel? I don't think so.

I don't know if Houston would've beaten a Jordan lead Bulls. But they would've been there toughest opponent. One of the best centers ever, Clyde still killing it, Kenny as the third option, and two of the more CLUTCH performers in the league in Cassel and Horry. They would've given the Bulls problems alright.

Agreed. I don't think they would have won, but would have put up a better fight. Then again, the Rockets were only a 6th seeded team in 95. They barely got through the Suns, which I'm quite sure the Bulls would have beaten again as well (but even easier).

Jordan or Bird

hey bakerboy...u have many spelling errors on the names of the top 10 players in history in ur opinion...for one, erving is spelled earving.

thats funny coming from 'mr paragraph'

Originally posted by darth_royke
thats funny coming from 'mr paragraph'

??? thats funny coming from mr. paragraph?? what do paragraphs have to do with spelling errors?? lol. ur the one thats funny.

I was about to say something but f*ck it. This says it all --->

The fun never ends.

1. Jordan
2. Wilt
3. Shaq. (I'm surprised he's not on the poll).

If I was doing an all-time fantasy draft, I'd draft Shaq before Magic, Bird, J, etc.

I cant believe you guys are forgetting Bill Russell.

One could argue that without Phil Jackson, Jordan and the Bulls wouldnt have won their string of championships.

Before Bill Russell came to the Celtics, the team has ZERO championships even with superstars like Bob Cousy and a Hall of Fame coach like Red Auerbach.

When Russell came onboard, the team won 11 championships in 13 years and went to the Finals 12x. Russell is the ONLY CELTIC present in all those 11 championships.

Bob Cousy retired, yet the Celtics still won championships.

Red Auerbach retired, yet the Celtics still win back to back championships with Russell as coach. I'd like to see Jordan or Wilt coach/inspire their team to victory.

Plus, if you look back to Russell's basketball college record, you could see that his string of success in the NBA is just a mere continuation from his success in the NCAA.

Back to back NCAA championship, 55 straight victories, heck, Russell's USF Dons are ranked as one of the best (at the top 3) if not the BEST NCAA team of all time.

Wilt on his college days was a flop (Jordan's good though).

He's not also a defensive-only player, check his college stats. Russell focused on the defensive and rebounding aspect of the game because thats what the Celtics needed him to do. Thats his role and he played it to perfection.

That would make him the greatest winner, but in basketball skills alone Jordan is better imo. He could play both side of the ball to an elite level, where Russell as dominant as he was on defense was not a great offensive player (adequate yes, but not great). I have alot of respect for what Russell accomplished in his career, that type of dominance by a team will probably never be duplicated. But this is about the best basketball player, that to me is Jordan.

Greatest winner, greatest roleplayer . . . . they keep throwing these token titles at Russell but never the top prize . . . .

(well actually, i think they did name him the greatest NBA player in the 25th anniversary of the NBA.)

The thing is Russell could have been a scoring threat for the Celtics but he deferred not to in favor of the team.

He has one of the highest shooting percentage on the NBA when he was playing but the team wasnt set up to run plays for a dominant scoring big man. Russell has a decent scoring aversage but the weight of the scoring was carried by the Celtic guards and their (patented) fast break play.

Its like knocking Jordan for not having big rebounding numbers.

Russell was not only the top defender for his team during his college years but he was also the top scorer averaging 25+ points a game.

A friend of mine (Knicks fan) gave me this link:

http://www.angelfire.com/ks2/airjudden/jordan.htm

OK so admittedly this site helps me in my case as to why Bill Russell should be the greatest but damn . . . . I like Michael and this site simply well, to say the least makes me feel uncomfortable .

I voted Abdul Jabaar, because of the amount of records he finished with and the fact that he is just so great!

Originally posted by Myth
The Shaq-led Magic were nothing compared to the 94 and 95 Rockets though. Rockets beat them just like the Bulls did so that comparison doesn't really work that well. However, I do agree that the Bulls probably would have beat them.

Who did the "Shaq-led" Magic beat in the semis in their run to the finals...MJ and his bulls...do the research before you reply.
And once again i say... before Clyde, Hakeem was at least 5 of every 6 against MJ.. no question.

Originally posted by flabmaster
Who did the "Shaq-led" Magic beat in the semis in their run to the finals...MJ and his bulls...do the research before you reply.


Honestly, how ignorant do you think I am? I was referring to 1996 when the Bulls beat the Magic 4-0. 1995 was a different story because that Jordan was the rusty Jordan. You know, the Jordan that only played 17 season games after taking over a year and a half off of basketball. So the in-tune Bulls beat the Shaq-led Magic 4-0 just like the Rockets beat the same team a year ealier 4-0.

Also for the record, the Rockets beat the 57-25 Magic while the Bulls with a practiced up Jordan beat the 60-22 Magic (just in case you were going to say the Magic wasn't as good that year).

Btw, I'm having trouble finding Jordan's Bulls vs Olajuwon's Rocket's record. That does sound intriguing and I'd like to see what it is for myself. Any idea where I could see the data on that?

Originally posted by flabmaster
Hakeem's Rockets were like 25-6 against the bulls, just a bit of trouble.

Originally posted by flabmaster
do the research before you reply.
And once again i say... before Clyde, Hakeem was at least 5 of every 6 against MJ.. no question


Speaking of doing research....

Do you like to exaggerate a bit? http://www.clutchfans.net/opponent_history.cfm?TeamID=24
As you'll see, you are right about the Rockets doing well against the (Jordan-led) Bulls before Drexler. Not quite 5 of every 6, but 14-6 isn't bad. However, why is it that you get to discredit the Bulls in their prime from the 95-96 season through 98? In that time the Bulls were 5-1 against the Rockets (note: in the 17 games Jordan played in the 1994-95 season, the teams did not meet). Making a grand total of 15-11 Rockets. Not quite as dominating as your false 25-6 record would imply (btw, I did not go through the effort to find out which games one of the two sat out, but I'm assuming both played in most of those and if not, your numbers would still be way off).

As you'll see, I'm not giving opinion here, just correcting your majorly wrong numbers. So next time be careful who you tell to do their research.

Bravo my friend.

Michael Jordan. he was with the bulls for almost every national title, not only that, but has more MVP's than almost any Pro player still playing.

the best of all time was and still is larry bird *****

..love Larry Legend, but there are (at least) a good 3-5 (arguably) better all around and/or sheer dominating greatest players ever than him.

Michael Jordan. Only reason I'm saying this is because of the impact he's had on the NBA. Everyone idolizes him. The media revolved around him. And I'm making a biased vote because He was the only one i saw on TV. Not to discredit any of the other players, but I don't feel they should get my vote if I never actually saw them. As for impact on the sporting world, you can't top Jordan, at least in America. The guy was literally the King of America for a vast majority of his career. Sorry to follow the crowd here but can't vote otherwise in this instance.

I would say a tie between wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.

Originally posted by suggs
Michael Jordan. Only reason I'm saying this is because of the impact he's had on the NBA. Everyone idolizes him. The media revolved around him. And I'm making a biased vote because He was the only one i saw on TV. Not to discredit any of the other players, but I don't feel they should get my vote if I never actually saw them. As for impact on the sporting world, you can't top Jordan, at least in America. The guy was literally the King of America for a vast majority of his career. Sorry to follow the crowd here but can't vote otherwise in this instance.

I respect that.

BOB COUSY!!!!!!!!

MJ. You also have to take into consideration that Wilt as the only 7'0 in the game.

Best player of all time is without question Dennis Rodman.

This isn't the first time that you've made ridiculous claims. I can't tell if you are joking or if you honestly believe that.

Michael Jordan

Mike. Strong as hell for a two guard. Excellent conditioning. Good perimeter shooter, maybe not 3's so much, but decent. Knew how to take it into the hole, and did it everynight maybe like 10 times, excellent defender ( I think he won D-player of the year at least once), great foul shooter. We all know those things about him. But has anyone ever seen ESPN classics where they are interviewing an opponent of Jordan, maybe like a Charles Barkley, or Patrick Ewing (other Elite players of the time is what I'm trying to emphasize) even though they never admitted it when the were actually playing him most players/teams were scared to s**t of Jordan and what he could do with the rock. I don't think there has ever been a player who got into minds of their opponents quite like MJ without having to do anything ( sure he performed excellent, but there came a point in time where his name just preceded him), as huge and powerful as some of the greatest football players were say the late Reggie White, or LT, or Bruce Smith none of them had the intimidation factor working quite as well as Mike did. No current B-baller has it to that extent now, not even Shaq.

Originally posted by Myth
This isn't the first time that you've made ridiculous claims. I can't tell if you are joking or if you honestly believe that.

Please, Rodman is leagues above MJ.

Originally posted by headrek1
Mike. But has anyone ever seen ESPN classics where they are interviewing an opponent of Jordan, maybe like a Charles Barkley, or Patrick Ewing (other Elite players of the time is what I'm trying to emphasize) even though they never admitted it when the were actually playing him most players/teams were scared to s**t of Jordan and what he could do with the rock. I don't think there has ever been a player who got into minds of their opponents quite like MJ without having to do anything ( sure he performed excellent, but there came a point in time where his name just preceded him), as huge and powerful as some of the greatest football players were say the late Reggie White, or LT, or Bruce Smith none of them had the intimidation factor working quite as well as Mike did. No current B-baller has it to that extent now, not even Shaq.

Intimidation? , scaring the sh!t out of your opponents? Thats Bill Russell's claim to fame . . . . aside from the 11 championship rings.

Originally posted by Sith'ari
Please, Rodman is leagues above MJ.

Yeah, ok. I'm just surprised that they let you use a computer at your hospital.

Originally posted by Myth
Yeah, ok. I'm just surprised that they let you use a computer at your hospital.

lol. as sad as that is...its not a joke, im guessing he is in a hospital in rehab right now...........

dennis rodman LEAGUES ABOVE michael jordan???? are you f***en kidding me?

dennis rodman was recently on clebrity love island over here in the uk. cant say i watched it, but he was in the celeb big brother house too.

Originally posted by headrek1
Mike. Strong as hell for a two guard. Excellent conditioning. Good perimeter shooter, maybe not 3's so much, but decent. Knew how to take it into the hole, and did it everynight maybe like 10 times, excellent defender ( I think he won D-player of the year at least once), great foul shooter. We all know those things about him. But has anyone ever seen ESPN classics where they are interviewing an opponent of Jordan, maybe like a Charles Barkley, or Patrick Ewing (other Elite players of the time is what I'm trying to emphasize) even though they never admitted it when the were actually playing him most players/teams were scared to s**t of Jordan and what he could do with the rock. I don't think there has ever been a player who got into minds of their opponents quite like MJ without having to do anything ( sure he performed excellent, but there came a point in time where his name just preceded him), as huge and powerful as some of the greatest football players were say the late Reggie White, or LT, or Bruce Smith none of them had the intimidation factor working quite as well as Mike did. No current B-baller has it to that extent now, not even Shaq.

Maybe more like trepidation, than intimidation. But, I know what you're getting at Headrek. Oh...and uh, a football player who caused more intimidation than anyone else.....another Chicagoan-Dick Butkus. He was simply destructive, mean, and you couldn't do anything about it. Grrrr!

Top two are Rodman and Reggie Miller.

This is just silly

Originally posted by Sith'ari
Top two are Rodman and Reggie Miller.

Best Defencive Player - Rodman - Able to block any dunk, steal from even the most experienced players and he picked up 10x the amount of rebounds that Wallace does.

Best Offensive Player - Miller - Unstoppable, by far the best shooter (could score from any position). He was also really sexy.

So... are you gay?

He cant come out of the closet. It's against what the Sith stand for. You really think Emperor Palpatine let gays into the Sith order??? Come on...you know better.

huh?

It was an joke, I would figure you would understand the joke considering your all about the Sith from Star Wars.

I wasn't joking. Sith said, "He was also really sexy." I think that calls for the question: Are you gay Sith'ari?

Originally posted by Smasandian
It was an joke, I would figure you would understand the joke considering your all about the Sith from Star Wars.

Do you even know who the Sith'ari is?
... Didn't think so.

So.... what about my question? You avoiding it because you don't want to admit it or something?

i think this question is too vague. i mean they were and are many awesome players, and to pick 1, i just dont know. magic was the best passer, mj the best finisher, wilt the most dominant player, russell the best rebounder, bird the best shooter, dr. j the most creative player, etc. the question needs to be more specific.

Originally posted by Myth
So.... what about my question? You avoiding it because you don't want to admit it or something?

I'm very much straight... I just find him sexy.

well i would have to say magic cuz he can be good in all the positions