NBA Top 100 Players 10-1
- Jordan Ennis
- Jul 29, 2020
- 10 min read
Well, we finally made it, the land of GOATs. Remember Impact on the league counts as do NBL, ABA and BAA stats. With that out of the way, HERE. WE. GO.
10- Shaquille O’Neil
7’1 Hall of Fame Pivot Magic, Lakers, Heat (Suns, Cavs, Celtics).
4x Champion, 3x FMVP, MVP, 15x All Star, 14x All NBA, 3x All Defense, ROY, 2x Scoring Title, 50th Anniversary Team.
Career Stats: 24 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks.
Prime Stats: 28 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks.
The summer of my freshman year of college I was working a comp, a group of middle schoolers were talking about basketball when one said possibly the stupidest thing ever, “Shaq was ok but Yao was probably better.” Now, firstly I feel very proud of myself that I didn’t punch that child, I wanted to but I didn’t. Shaq, Diesel, The Big Aristotle, Superman, Shaq Fu, Shaq Daddy, was way better than Yao, and this is the guy who wore 11 because of Yao. As far as the most dominant player of my basketball lifetime it was prime Shaq. No one was more, to borrow the phrase from Thanos “Inevitable.” Shaq was going to beat you, and you were going to be in a lot of pain afterwards. Shaq is also probably the most disappointing player of all time. His physical skills were top notch, but he didn’t dedicate himself to being in shape. Even with that it’s mind blowing that he only has one MVP. Shaq could do things that defy the laws of physics. Shaq was the most insane physical display I saw watching the NBA.
9- Wilt Chamberlain
7’1 Hall of Fame Pivot, Warriors, Sixers, Lakers
2x Champion, FMVP, 4x MVP, 13x All Star, 10x All NBA, 2x All Defense, 7x Scoring Title, 11x Rebounding Title, Assists Title, ROY, 35th Anniversary Team, 50th Anniversary Team.
Wilt the Stilt was a bigger, stronger, faster, more athletic, more skilled, better defensive, Shaq. In college Wilt’s coach Phog Allen was advocating for moving the rims to 12ft. The Big Dipper decided he would just dunk on those anyway, his vertical was at least 40” and some say up to 50! We have on video him blocking shot at the top of the backboard (13.5 ft.), he was Big 8 champion in High Jump 3 years in a row topping out over 50 inches. After his retirement while contemplating a comeback with the Knicks he squatted a 600 lbs. cart that had broken one of the elevators in MSG. Once Paul Silas was about to fight Wilt’s teammate Happy Hairston (I promise I didn’t make that name up) and wilt picked Silas up and carried him away, Silas was 6’7 235. Wilt and Jim Brown ran barefoot against each other in a sprint at a party, Wilt won... Twice. Wilt ran a sub-eleven second 100m, 49 second 400m, 1:58.3 800m for Kansas. All of that and Wilt had the audacity to decide to be a skill player instead of just an athlete. Some of that was the rules, it was an offensive foul for the offensive player to initiate contact so Wilt used his agility to slide in between massive behemoths to slam the ball through the hoop. He had a sweet fade-away bank shot and was the second best defender of his era. Wilt was basically the best athlete of all time, who didn’t quite live up to his potential. Part of it was coaching. He had 2 elite coaches in his career, Hannam and Sharman, and basically he made the finals with them every time. Part of it was his focus on stats over wins. Part of it was the singular brilliance of Bill Russell. Wilt cannot be separated from Russell who was better than him. But Wilt was the greatest Athlete in human history.
8- Julius Erving
6’7 Hall of Fame Wing Squires, Nets, Sixers.
3x Champion, 4x MVP, 16x All Star, 12x All NBA/ABA, All Defense, 3x Scoring Title, ABA All Time Team, 50th Anniversary Team.
Career Stats: 24 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks.
Prime Stats: 26 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks.
Dr J saved the ABA, and in doing so he saved the NBA, while Kareem was the better player the writers and Kareem hated each other. The writers loved Doc. As impressive as his stats are I have a few what ifs to go over. 1- The Doctor agrees to go strait to the NBA and pairs with Kareem, Oscar, and Dandridge to make a dynasty. 2- The NBA and more accurately the Hawks and Bucks come to an agreement allowing him to pair with Bellamy, Bridges, Hudson and Pistol in actual games not just the amazing pre season spectacular that happened. 3- the Knicks don’t do the dumbest thing ever and accept the Nets offer of waiving the fee they would get for the Nets would have for joining the NBA in exchange for The Claw’s contract pairing him with Frazier, Monroe, Haywood, Reed. 4- the Squires don’t blow up a team of Charlie Scott, George Gervin and Baby Hawk therefore making the NBA when the leagues merge. Doc was one of the most influential players of all time, who was only a fraction of what could have been. His style made the NBA infinitely more watchable. Doc is someone the NBA didn’t deserve, someone who is somehow forgotten as just a dunker even though he was so much more. His passing was underrated, his Defense was good, his scoring was electric. Dr J is the most underrated player in NBA history.
7- Larry Bird
6’9 Hall of Fame Point Forward Boston
3x Champion, 2x FMVP, 3x MVP, 12x All Star, 10x All NBA, 3x All Defense, ROY, 4x FT% Title, 50th Anniversary Team.
Career Stats: 24 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block.
Prime Stats: 27 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 1 block.
Larry Legend was a fantastic player. First off I want to address the morons who say Bird couldn’t play in today’s NBA. Look if Luka Doncic is an All NBA player The Hick From French Lick would be MVP. Bird was the single greatest basketball mind to ever play the sport. He was a chess grand master manipulating the defense and his own teammates into the perfect positions for him to control the game. He knew when to kill the momentum of a game with a dagger 3, how to fake even the greatest players with a pass or a pump fake, how to out hustle anyone on the court any moment. Bird was a fantastic leader, and probably the best all around player ever. The only thing keeping Bird lower on this list is how short his career was. Larry Bird is the first of 7 players I will hear arguments about for being the GOAT. His argument I will admit is the weakest but I will hear it.
6- Magic Johnson
6’9 Hall of Fame Point Forward Lakers
5x Champion, 3x FMVP, 3x MVP, 12x All Star, 10x All NBA, 4x Assist Title, 2x Steals Title, 50th Anniversary Team.
Career Stats: 20 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals.
Prime Stats: 21 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals.
Magic was the greatest passer to ever play basketball. Before I started this list I had Magic as my GOAT. His dynamic Showtime offense was one of the most exciting things in the history of our league, no the history of America. Magic wasn’t just a nickname, it was the truth, science could not explain what Ervin Johnson jr. did on a basketball court. His smile while destroying other teams was magnetic making Johnson the most likable star in the history of sports. Magic could see passes that we’re impossible and just made them anyway. Magic was also more clutch than anyone remembers. While not a fantastic shooter if the game was on the line it was just going to go in, no argument he was going to hit the circus shot, the distance heave, or the baby sky hook to win the game. Magic was just that good. The only knock on Magic is that his career ended so abruptly. If he had played 5 more years there is a very likely chance he is unanimously remembered as the GOAT. No one in the history of basketball has ever or will ever pass Magic Johnson as the most likable Superstar to exist.
5- Tim Duncan
6’11 Hall of Fame Combo Big Spurs
5x Champion, 3x Finals MVP, 2x MVP, 15x All Star, 15x All NBA, 15x All Defense, ROY,
Career Stats: 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks.
Prime Stats: 23 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 3 block.
The Big Fundamental has the same amount of All NBA awards as seasons MJ played, even Wizards counts for this. Duncan is the reason Kobe is never the best player in the league, the reason Dirk, KG, T-Mac, and Nash have such little playoff success. In all my years watching the NBA nothing was more apparent than Tim Duncan was the best teammate to ever play in the NBA. His perfect bank shot, masterful post moves, defense that should have earned him 3 DPOYs, the clutch rebounding, the crisp passing, the little things like picks and directing the defense. Tim Duncan was not flashy, he showed very little emotion, except for that goofy surprise face when called for a foul. Yet, TD showed up to play, to sacrifice for the team, and to win. Timmy should have more MVPs, Nash and AI, and 2 more FMVPs, Parker was good but not better than Timmy and Kawhi only got it for “Holding” LeBron to 28-8-4. Even with all the Hall of Famers Duncan played with, Robinson, Manu, Parker, Kawhi, McGrady, Aldridge, it was always his team. Tim Duncan is A GOAT.
4- Bill Russell
6’10 Hall of Fame Combo Big Celtics
11x Champion, 5x MVP, 12x All Star, 11x All NBA, All Defense (the only year they had it and he played), 4x Rebound Champion, 25th Anniversary Team, 35th Anniversary Team, 50th Anniversary Team.
Career Stats: 15 points, 23 rebounds. 4 assists.
Prime Stats: 17 points, 24 rebounds, 4 assists.
William Fenton Russell was the best defender in the history of basketball. I’m not a huge advanced stats guy but Russell is first in Defensive Win Shares by over 27, that the difference between number 2 (Tim Duncan) and number 11 (Artis Gilmore). There has never in history been a defender as singularly capable of ending the other team. Red Arbauch used to make him sit out of practices so the team could work on offense. We don’t have his blocks or steals numbers but we have footage of him having several 20+ block games. Russell was the ultimate competitor, the original GOAT. No one could match him in his ability to lead teams to titles. Watching his defense you just know it would translate to today. His athleticism was off the charts. A reported max reach of 14ft. Russell could actually kick the net. The American Olympic committee made Russell chose between High Jump or Basketball even though he had the best jumps in the qualifying events, he was ranked #7 in the world. His times in Hurdles would have won the Olympics. We are talking about someone taller than Dwight Howard who is an Olympic level sprinter and high jumper. Add to that incredible timing and instincts and you have the greatest defender in history.
3- LeBron James
6’9 Point Forward Cavs, Heat, Lakers
3x Champion, 3x Finals MVP, 4x MVP, 16x All Star 16x All NBA, 6x All Defense, Scoring Title, Assist Title, ROY.
Career Stats: 27 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 1 block.
Prime Stats: 28 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 1 block.
LeBron should have 1 more MVP (Rose), a DPOY (Gasol), and another ring (2011), but voters and a D-Wade freeze out kept that from happening. Still LeBron has 3 rings (which is one more than the amount of times MJ quit in his prime) and had more All NBAs than anyone else. His overall statistical brilliance is hard to match, his finals performances (the 2011 freeze out aside) are incredible. No one can do the things LeBron can. His biggest thing is his durability. King James spends over $1 million a year on his body, Wilt Chamberlain’s career earnings adjusted for inflation were $1.7 million. That dedication shows by LeBron having made the finals as his teams best player 9 times so far over 12 years, Larry Bird played 13 seasons. LeBron is the only player active right now with a shot at the ultimate GOAT.
2- Michael Jordan
6’6 Hall of Fame Wing Bulls (Do I have to mention the Wizards?)
6x Champion, 6x FMVP, 5x MVP, 14x All Star, 11x All NBA, 9x All Defense, DPOY, ROY, 10x Scoring Title, 3x Steals Title, 50th Anniversary Team.
Career Stats: 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block.
Prime Stats: 32 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 block.
Michael Jeffery Jordan had from 90-93 the single most impressive run in NBA history. No one can compare to that. After The Last Dance, a piece of propaganda that makes Mein Kampf look fair and balanced, I’m not sure I can add anything not already said about MJ. I only have one knock on the Ultimate Competitor. Air Jordan quit, twice, in his prime. His Royal Airness was in 93 at the top of the world, finishing the single greatest achievement in league history, and he quit. I personally want to believe he was suspended but everyone involved has always denied it. So I am left with only one answer the GOAT quit. Then in 98, he did it again. at age 34, still in his prime. He quit again. It’s not crazy to say Michael Jordan wasn’t as good as he could have been. Some people automatically give him those Rockets titles but I don’t. MJ was a quitter and it defines his legacy for me. He is still the second greatest player of all time, still has the greatest prime we probably will ever see. But Michael Jordan left a lot on the table.
1- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
7’2 Hall of Fame Pivot Bucks, Lakers.
6x Champion, 2x Finals MVP, 6x MVP, 19x All Star, 15x All NBA, 11x All Defense, ROY, 2x Scoring Title, Rebound Title, 4x Block Title, 50th Anniversary Team.
Career Stats: 26 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks.
Prime Stats: 28 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks.
Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor jr. has the best resume in NBA history. If not for the media lying about him in college and therefore damaging the relationship with the eventual Kareem Abdul-Jabbar he probably has 8-10 MVPs. Kareem was that good. He earned 4 finals MVPs even though he only got 2. His MVPs are farther apart than MJs first stent with the Bulls— before as you know by now, MJ quit. The All time leader in points used his incredible soft touch to master the Hook shot to deadly effect. His amazing ability to score should have made him the most beloved athlete of all time. His winning impacted the league in a variety of ways. Kareem had the ability to lead his team to championships 17 years apart as at least a top 2 guy. Shaq’s entire Career was 18 years. My top 8 of my top 10 have all had people argue them for GOAT and win, but Kareem seems to be one people forget a lot. To me the Greatest Of All Time is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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