For me, the top three spots must go to players who changed the way the game is played:

1. Larry Bird (I should put Magic, because I'm from L.A., but Magic put Bird above himself, and I've got to accept his interpretation)
2. Wilt
3. MJ

Shaq should be up there, too. I can't stand his style of play, as I think it turned the NBA into the game that Angry Dragon hates, and I think that he commits a charge every time he gets the ball outside the circle and starts backing in his defender. Regardless, once he got into the league, every team had to change the way it played, the league was forced eventually to allow the return of the zone defense. Shaq is the NBA equivalent of the Yamaha TZ750.

Either Pistol Pete Marevich or Dr. J comes next, for bringing about the modern ball-handling technique.

My personal favorite is, and probably always will be, a certain black-plastic-glasses wearing, dishwater blonde second-string defensive player on the Lakers in the showtime era. That's right, Kurt Rambis.

joshsolberg wrote:Shaq should be up there, too. I can't stand his style of play, as I think it turned the NBA into the game that Angry Dragon hates

You learn something new everyday. I had no idea that I hated the NBA.
Mr. Solberg, can you prove this in writing?
I know for a fact that I do hate Shaq, though.

joshsolberg wrote:Either Pistol Pete Marevich or Dr. J comes next, for bringing about the modern ball-handling technique.

did you ever see dr j play? he couldnt handle the ball for shit, crap passer as well and his jumper was suspect..but he remains one of the best slasher-type players of all time. his game was a direct link from the connie hawkins, high flying dunker to the more well rounded, michael jordan type of player.

Lebron James is going to end up being the best player of all time, barring injury. He's only 20 and is built like a tank...but watch him fly up the court to fill the lane or play an angle to steal a pass and drop a crossover on someone in the open court and you will understand why there has never been a player like him. add uncanny court vision to that and you have a guy who should average a triple double at some point in his career.

P. Jimmy wrote:

joshsolberg wrote:Either Pistol Pete Marevich or Dr. J comes next, for bringing about the modern ball-handling technique.

did you ever see dr j play? he couldnt handle the ball for shit, crap passer as well and his jumper was suspect..but he remains one of the best slasher-type players of all time. his game was a direct link from the connie hawkins, high flying dunker to the more well rounded, michael jordan type of player.

Lebron James is going to end up being the best player of all time, barring injury. He's only 20 and is built like a tank...but watch him fly up the court to fill the lane or play an angle to steal a pass and drop a crossover on someone in the open court and you will understand why there has never been a player like him. add uncanny court vision to that and you have a guy who should average a triple double at some point in his career.

Yeah, you're right about Dr. J. I dunno what I was thinking, or about whom I was thinking. Maybe I was just mesmerized thinking about his big hands. He should have played one of them Conklin 9 string basses.

I'll have to wait on Lebron James, though he has been very impressive so far.

P. Jimmy wrote:

joshsolberg wrote:did you ever see dr j play? he couldnt handle the ball for shit, crap passer as well and his jumper was suspect..but he remains one of the best slasher-type players of all time. his game was a direct link from the connie hawkins, high flying dunker to the more well rounded, michael jordan type of player.

When the NBA did that "50 Greatest" thing, Connie Hawkins was left off the list. Yet Bill Walton, who played the equivalent of about 3 1/2 full seasons, was put on the list.

Connie Hawkins' NBA career was roughly a million times more impressive than Bill Walton's NBA career.

P. Jimmy wrote: Lebron James is going to end up being the best player of all time, barring injury. He's only 20 and is built like a tank...but watch him fly up the court to fill the lane or play an angle to steal a pass and drop a crossover on someone in the open court and you will understand why there has never been a player like him. add uncanny court vision to that and you have a guy who should average a triple double at some point in his career.

Oscar Roberston once averaged a triple double for an entire season.

Think about that.

Averaged a triple double. For an entire season (1961-62).

Jordan? Larry Bird? AI? These guys never came close to pulling this off.

LeBron may be the guy with the best possibility of being able to do this, but I bet he never does it.

It's insane. To do this. Insane.

Salut, Signor "Big O."

Oscar Roberston's 1964-65 season:

31.4 points
11.0 assists
9.9 rebounds

Fuck.

Signore "Big O," maybe you were better than Jordan.

scottie pippen made the 50 greatest as well. connie hawkins >bill walton>scottie pippen.


lebron is already averaging 20+ pts, 7+ rebs, 7+ assists. in a few years, when his basketball IQ catches up to his physical gifts, a triple double average shouldnt be a problem.

i would put oscar robertson in the top 3 of all time, being Jordan, Magic, and then the Big O. Robertson had the advantage of playing in an era with smaller players...

I agree that LeBron could surpass them all. The great thing about him is that his baskteball IQ is already very high. He's not just physically gifted right now, his court awareness is excellent and he gets his teamates invloved (ie: makes them better).

Hell, Carlos Boozer benefitted greatly from him last year, this year it's the center Ilgasgukslfiozsfjsdfjk that has made the all-star team - benefitted from LeBron.

I loves Iverson's guts and abilities, but LeBron has far surpassed him already in this area. LeBron has less talent around him then Iverson by far IMO, yet, look at the difference. Oh, and the fact Silas is a very good coach and Jim O'Brien is about as sucked-off as they get.....man is he a horrible coach!

As for the top 50. Dominique Wilkens was left off too. As was Shaq....not in the league long enough they said. To me Walton is WAY overrated for just a few good years. Yes they were good, yes he did a lot of things for a big man, yes.....just a few good years. Top 50? Not a chance in hell. Connie Hawkins.....more deserving. dominque, the same. Scottie Pippen? In the future people will say, "who?.....oh the guy who played with Jordan." Bob Cousy?.....well yeah, people of that era had a different skill set. You can only compare it to the day. Today, he'd never make it out of high school.......he would never get the chance.

LeBron? The NBA should thank God for LeBron.

Now, they would only stop letting players take 4 steps on their way to a dunk and stop them from palming the ball to the point of carrying it underhanded, discontinuing (holding it for a second or two) and them palming some more..........it cheapens the game. The players have too much physical skill to have to do that and it detracts soo much from the game.

Oh....and to me, Magic Johnson was the best player of all-time.
He could do any and everything.
He could have averaged 30 points a game.
I believe he could have averaged triple doubles but he knew his role and didn't stray from it.
No one ever....and I mean no one., did more to make his team and his team mates better. not jordan, not Wilt, not Bird....no one.
Talk about basketball IQ.....no one had more.
Oh, and the flash and entertainment to go along with it.
Unselfish....titally.
No one had as much as all of the qualities.

As a point guard In his rookie season, his team was playing in game #6 of the championship (against my hometown sixers, no less). Jabbar was out injured. Magic Johnson, the point guard, played center.......you are reading that correctly, CENTER. He scored over 40 points and the Lakers won the championship. All things considered......the greatest performance ever. That performance epitomizes his career.

Based on basically-uneducated personal preference, and not stats or anything:

Bill Laimbeer
Rick Barry
Dr. J