1. Carmelo Anthony
2. Adrian Dantley
- Don't know anything about Adrian Dantley. Never seen him play so can't compare.
3. Chris Paul
4. Isiah Thomas
- Isiah Thomas led his team through championship runs and persevered, even when he was injured.
Never seen Paul give that much dedication. Though Paul may surpass Isiah statistically, I'd have to say Isiah was the better player.
5. Dwayne Wade
6. Jerry West
- Jerry West was a pure scorer. Dwayne Wade is an all-around player. Wade plays better D. Jerry had a better shooting form. Very different players, but I have to give it to D-Wade for his versatility and overwhelming defense.
7. Elgin Baylor
8. Julius Erving
- With all respect to the Doc, Elgin Baylor is the first superstar the league has ever had. He preceded Wilt the Stilt for a few years.
The only player(s) I can mention in the same vein are Big O and probably MJ.
9. Karl Malone
10. Tim Duncan
- The Big Fundamentals. No contest. Simply the best PF in the history of the league. The achievements and accolades speak for themselves.
11. Lebron James
12. Michael Jordan
- If there is one player in the league today likely to surpass MJ's greatness, it is none other than King James (Durant will always be in his shadow unless he learns how to play D). Both players have some similarities; they were both hated and chastised by the public during their playing years, both are uber athletic, both had a fire within them -- The passion to win.
By now, LeBron is equal to MJ at his prime, in skill and fortitude. Some would argue LeBron as the better shooter, based on their 3pt%.
He just has to win more rings to surpass His Airness.
13. Kevin Durant
14. Larry Bird
- No doubt in my mind, Kevin Durant would school Larry Bird in a 1-on-1.
Much quicker, more athletic, video-game-like build, and ability to shoot and drive to the paint. Larry Legend is probably a better defender and 3-pt shooter, but KD is the better scorer.
15. Dwight Howard
16. Patrick Ewing
- LOL! What kind of a matchup is this??
Patrick Ewing for obvious reasons. LOL Dwight Howard's probably the most overrated superstar ever. I'd take prime Elton Brand playing at C over him.
17. Shaquille O'Neal
18. Hakeem Olajuwon
- The Dream is arguably the greatest C to ever play the game.
We already saw them go face-to-face, and Hakeem schooled Shaq badly. Hakeem was just unfair to play against, especially if you were a C. He had an arsenal of moves from the post that would make even the greatest Cs and PFs jealous.
19. Kobe Bryant
20. Magic Johnson
- Are we talking about achievements or skillwise?
Kobe has built a better career since he has been playing for longer. He also scores most of the points for the Lakers for the bulk of his career.
Though we can say the same for Magic, he wasn't the main scorer of the franchise when Kareem was still there. It's amazing how he was able to average those points considering Kareem was as much of a ballhog as Kobe is.
Skillwise, personally I'd say it has to be Magic. We'll never see another player like him for a long, long time.
21. Kevin Love
22. Kevin Mchale
- Kevin McHale was a scrapper. He was tough as nails, and he specialized at D. Charles Barkley even said that his worst nemesis was McHale.
As much as I love Love (lol) as a player (he's my favorite currently), I have to say McHale had a much bigger impact during his tenure with the Celtics.
23. Bernard King
24. Paul George
- Never seen Bernard King play, so can't comment.
25. Steve Nash
26. Jason Kidd
- These two guys are a tough act to follow. They are the last of a dying breed -- the pass-first PGs.
Based on stats and overall floor general work, I'd have to say it's Captain Kidd. He managed to take the Nets to the Finals while playing with a bunch of scrubs. That takes dedication.
27. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
28. Wilt Chamberlain
- The only advantage Kareem had against Wilt was he played for a longer period of time. That, and he had Magic Johnson dishing him some of those points.
Every other stat speaks for itself; Wilt the Stilt was the most dominant bigman of his era.
29. Allen Iverson
30. John Stockton
- Allen Iverson could do everything on the floor. He can defend, he can shoot, he can dribble and drive to the basket at will, he can slam the ball with as much force as a C.
John Stockton? He can steal (but so can A.I.), he can shoot 3s (so can A.I.)... that's all. Not much of a contest 1-on-1.
31. Moses Malone
32. David Robinson
- Now THIS is a match-up. Could go either way, really.
David Robinson is the taller dude and has the better block % if I'm not mistaken, so I'm going with him.