Best NBA player of all time?

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.).

Originally posted by Myth
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

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?

Originally posted by ElectricBugaloo
Jordan

Wilt was kinda like Shaq--just dominantly huge.

Bill Russell owned Wilt when it mattered though

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