James, who operated as the face of the league in the 2010s . Before Dirk, rarely did you ever see a 7-footer in the NBA launching from deep. From opening a school in his hometown to building his own media empire, LeBron has consistently done everything weve expected from him and then some. No Jack Sikma. I hated Larry Bird as much as any self-respecting Lakers fan, but the idea that he was somehow overrated is nuts. Since he wasnt flashy, often was called dirty, wore those short shorts, wasnt an athletic outlier,and benefited immensely from playing his entire career with Karl Malone, his brilliance is easily forgotten. ZF, If youre wondering why we have the diminutive point guard who played all 19 seasons of his storied career with the Jazz on this list, I have to seriously question your basketball IQ. His signature post move, called the doorstep spin move, bullied players on the court. He has better stats. There just aren't that many players to choose from. Throughout his NBA career, he played for one team, San Antonio Spurs. On May 17, 2021, Duncan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Tim Duncan over Kobe Bryant? Rushmore hill because nobody changed the game like Wilt the Stilt did. | Privacy Settings In 251 playoff games, he averaged 19.9 PPG and 11.0 RPG. Not only were Robinsons numbers at an elite level, but he brought an athleticism to the center position that was rarely seen for his era and thats why hes on the NBAs 75th anniversary team. Hes a three-timeNBA champion with aFinals MVP, a 13-timeAll-Star, a seven-time All-NBA member, three-time All-Defensive team members,has one NBA scoring title, and a spot on the 75th anniversary teamsomething Wade told us he still cant believe. More quiz info >> Start Quiz Comments (6) Thanks. Ha! Haters will counter that Wilt played against a bunch of stiffs in the 60s and 70s when the idea that a 71 center could be the most athletic player on the court was reserved forcomic books. 1999-2013. | Privacy Settings And I blank on Steph Curry. In the 2005-06 season, he was the leagues leader with the highest points average with 35.4 PPG. Early in his career he was quicker and stronger than everyone else, but as he got older he was able to add more finesse to his game. 18 active and a whole bunch who just retired? Hes an enigma in some ways. Hes made five All-NBA squads, four times hes been named to one of the NBAs All-Defense teams, hes an All-Star MVP,was the Most Improved Player of the Year in 2017, and was named to the leagues 75thanniversary squad. I remember Artis Gilmore. I know it's not your decision Quizmaster but just my opinion, When you get Lanier, Cunningham, and Arizin, but forget Harden. | View Desktop Site. The 1964 NBA MVP, the 1961 Rookie of the Year, a 12-time All-Star,an 11-time All-NBA selection, NBA 75 I can keep going. Jordan never took a game off, he was a maniac for better or worse. I'm not hating on LeBron Because I like LeBron but kobe has had a better career by far. AD, Karl Malone falls into a long list of players from the 90s who were really good but ultimately overshadowed by Michael Jordan and theBulls. As each individual involved in this incredibly difficult and necessary endeavor lobbied for the player they thought deserved proper billing, we quickly realized it was going to be hellacious coming to a consensus. But other than potentially Leonard, Duncan will shine brighter than all the other great players who have ever played for the Spursand just about every other power forward in NBA historybecause of how rock steady solid he was. . In 2023, a rare Kobe Bryant jersey (No. Sure, his game has holes, and Bucks haters will say their run to the title wasnt the hardest. he will never pass jordan, even if he gets to 6 rings. I was surprised Dennis Rodman didn't make it. His numbers and accoladeslook unreal in 2020. Career Year: 1997-2016. Compared to most of the guys on this list, though, Curry was a slow starter. 4 overall and for good reason. Threw in Bol for a laugh as time was running out for an undeserved point. ZF, Dr. J was everyones Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan. With his latest title, he finally knocked off Finals MVPoff his checklist after a dominant performance against the Boston Celtics. We can talk about the way Kobe impacted the game and the culture of basketball but that shouldnt even be a measurement. Mookie Blaylock was, by far, a better defender than Larry Bird -- without question. As active players like LeBron James and Kevin Durants careers are still left to end, and young talents like Giannis Antetokounmpoand Luka Doncic into the league, anybody can claim the crown from Jordan in the future. Your wrong there Lebron James he's so overrated if he's top 3 why isn't Black Mamba. Did the people at ESPN who voted on the list ever watch a basketball game before the year 2000? Welcome to the sequel of the popular hit game The Best Quiz! He credits Bruce Lee for teaching him martial arts discipline and spirituality, helping him play in the NBA for 2 decades with quite a few injuries. Sure, his game has holes, and Bucks haters will say their run to the title wasnt the hardest. I can only assume that's who shplody was referring to. There should be no shock that Dwyane Wade lands on this list. he was one of the greatest Centers of all time. Top 10 Best NBA Players Of All Time!! A three-time champion who won three consecutive MVPs in the mid-80s, and obviously made the NBAs 75th anniversary team, Bird knocked down daggers like it was nothing and loved ripping out the hearts of his rivals while talking some of the most underrated trash. Only 33 of the 75 75th Anniversary Team players are in this quiz, implying that 17 people in this quiz are not in the top 75 and 42 of the top 75 players are not in this quiz. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. Active players indicated by a light blue background. For about 75 years the NBA has been entertaining people around the world with high-flying dunkers, lightning-quick dribblers, lock-down defenders and surgical shooters. James scored 38 points for a new NBA record of 38,390 points on a 130-133 loss against the Thunders, making Kareem #2 all-time scorer. But decisions had to be made. Cool quiz, vince carter has officially retired plz update. Top 15 players in NBA history: CBS Sports ranks the greatest of all time, from West and Steph to LeBron and MJ LeBron James and Stephen Curry are the only two active NBA players to. LeBron joined Miami Heat in 2010 to form BIG 3 alongside Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh after winning back-to-back MVPs. RIP Mamba. Bird filled up a box score but he was never strictly a numbers guyhe was just a winner who made ridiculous passes, had a knack for seeing everything unfold seconds before anyone else on the court, and always made the key play that either sealed the deal or keyed a game-defining run. Now hes the first unanimous MVP in league history (which is pretty stupid, but still) and has four rings to go with another MVP. Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Retired At The Age Of 42 (Source: Wikipedia). His career will undoubtedly always be tied to the failures to win a ring, but the production was always there for Malone. Jack Sikma is Good but the NBA produced SO MANY talented BIg Man and Power Forwards so I think he shoudn't really be in top 100 maybe top 30 centers but not top 100 players. A true GOAT. For instance, in the 1961-62 NBA season, he averaged 50.4 PPG, which no player to date has achieved. After retiring from his NBA, Duncan became assistant coach of the Spurs for the 2019-2020 season and left on November 12, 2020. There's little doubt Dirk Nowitzi is the Mavericks' best and most important player of all time. The list goes on, but Iversons cultural impact on the current, and even future,generationof NBA players are more meaningful thanhis numbers on the court. He had to get famous. The goal is to match your game with a current star in the league. Also, you should change the order of players. 11-time NBA All-Star. Who cares? Nicknamed " the Hick from French Lick " and " Larry Legend ", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. And if you add in the all-time Top 50 in Steals-per-Game, 3 players appear in at least 3 of all 4 lists. over 4 years laterapparently I still feel the same way. LeBron is a 6'9" freight train of a human being who can play any position and guard all positions on the court. ZF, The rare legend that bounced around the NBA during his days in the league, know that Malone playing for seven different franchises in the Association shouldnt distract from the fact he is easily one of the best centers of all time. A 19-time All-Star who 15 times finished in the top 5 of the MVP voting, well spare you from listing out all his accolades because youd be scrolling this fine piece of #contentfor hours. All-NBA. He is on track to become #1 all time. Hell then pull-upfrom halfcourt and make it 43.5 percent of the time. Learn how your comment data is processed. He is 19 times NBA All-star, most in NBA history. LeBron James Is A Four Times NBA Champion (Source: Instagram). This man won three in a row, left to play baseball, then came back to win three in a row again, and then he came back one more time and was one of the oldest players to average 20 PPGand to score 40-plus in a game. Above all of that impact, Dirks numbers and accoladesback up his spot on this list. but that's an absurd level of hyperbole you brought to this discussion with that comment. He was overshadowed by Duncan, whose numbers are slightly better, but Garnett was by far the more fun player to watch. The captain of the Showtime Lakersshould firmly be included on anyones NBA top 5 list. He was a swimmer and didnt start playing basketball until later as a teen. We update this quiz at the end of every season. This article was last updated by Vandana Thapa on March 1, 2023. We all know Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and at least a handful of other stars can mess around and get a triple-double practically whenever they want. But only Westbrook has put up the seasonal averages (three times) to match Robertsons brilliance and Russ isnt anywhere near the offensive juggernaut Robertson was. The way every player gets compared to Michael Jordan nowadays, thats how it was with West back in the 60s and 70s. Even despite losing in the second round to the Boston Celtics this season, Giannis became the first NBA player in historywith 200 points, 100 rebounds and 50 assists in a single series. His signature play of tapping the ball to a teammate helped him invent the fast break. Kareem Abdul Jabbar was the leading scorer in the history of the NBA, with 38,387 points in 20 seasons, until LeBron James broke the record on February 7, 2023. But only 1 appears in all 4. With five championships, three MVPs, nine-time All-NBA firstteam selections, and inclusion on the NBAs 75th anniversary team, Magic hadone of the best careersin league history. NBA MVP. But the debate on a GOAT is a never-ending cycle. Just think about how incredible it is that in his first season in the league, Magic started Game 6of the NBA Finals at center and dropped 42 points. He was certainly one of the all-time greats, but, as far as steals go, Blaylock was, for his time, second only to Gary Payton for defensive point guards. LeBrons book isnt finished yet and he could add a few more titles along the way, but lets not also ignore everything hes done over his career off the court. not then. That doesn't make the list good or bad inherently, I'm just saying to consider the source. A member of the leagues 75th anniversary team, Curry is easily one of the most influential players to lace em up. Chuck played bigger than he was and was way more athletic than he was perceived. He was truly ahead of his time. David Robinson is a true generational talent comes in at No. ZF, Crazy that Chuck is now underrated. And who do you give the nod to betweenthree legendary point guardsChris Paul, Steve Nash, and Jason Kiddwhen theres only room for one? He averaged 30 or more seven times, including a preposterous 40.6 per over 11 games in 1965. Magic simply changed the game of basketball when he burst onto the NBA scene out of Michigan State in 1979. AC, Yet another tough ranking. not now. In 2008, Kobe won his careers first and only MVP award. Quiz by MitchellOakes Rate: Nominate Last updated: November 3, 2012 You have not attempted this quiz yet. Update please, LeBron is number 1 in scoring. Whenever there is a debate about a GOAT, one name is King James. Jordan is the name that comes to mind when basketball comes. My list is 1 jordan 2 LeBron 3 Kareem 4 Magic Johnson 5 Larry. not ever. Bill Russell is grossly disrespected when talking about the greats. We could go through all the stats and the awards to prove why James should be where he is on this list, but theres really no need. We have included the top stars in the NBA today including Lebron James, Steph Curry, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, and more. After all, "today's players aren't as good as the ones from yesteryear" isn't exactly a good business model. He is one of the players whose career stats and achievements are one of the greatest. Why didn't they just type "Malone?' Extremely Hard Nba Quiz What is wrong for me is that there is Blake Griffin for example who didn't achieve that much and I think it is bit early to shove him in there. You think Kawhi Leonard doesnt talk much, Popovich said. The irony of it is that most of his career, LeBron has not been recognized for his scoring ability despite his numbers. For me, what secured James spot in the conversation with MJ was his performance in 2016 when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Golden State Warriors. :). 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