Basketball: Who's the best NBA player of all time

Jordon. Magic. Russell. The Stilt. Larry Legend. Doctor J. Kobe. George Mikan.

Let's settle the debate. Who''s the best player of all time in the NBA. What constitutes the best ever? Back up your opinion, stats, championships, or the ability to make others better.

So who is the best player ever?

In my opinion, it's Bill Russell. 11 championships with the Celtics in 13 years. They never won before him, and they didn't dominate like that after he retired.

He changed the way that people play the game, provided solid D on a team that was known for scoring, and would have the league record for blocked shots, if they would've kept that stat back then.

Until someone makes a run like that in championships, there is no question. Jordan came close, but it took him several years to win it all. Russell did it his rookie year.

I say Michael Jordan....Russell was surrounded by hall of famers....Mike was surrounded by another hall of famer, a good rebounder, and some good role players.

Russell was one of the few big men around during his career. There were less teams then.

What about wilt wasnt he the person who scored 100 points in a game?

Thats an unreal stat, and has anybody come close to that since?

The search for the greatest - and most ridiculous - NBA hybrid of all time has come down to MAGIC BIRD and HAKEEM SHAQUILLE-JABBAR...

Yeah, MAGIC BIRD would dominate the backcourt and the front of the frontcourt. ..

But HAKEEM SHAQUILLE-JABBAR would rule the back of the frontcourt and the backboards...

I've gotta go with Chamberlain.

The only man to ever score 100 in a game, more 50 point games than anybody else has ever had, and he averaged just as many rebounds as Bill Russell did.
Wilt was by far the best ever

I'm not denying Wilt's talents, but Bill beat him most of the time, and what's more important in sports, winning or having padded stats?

Originally posted by Gibbs Baby!!!
I'm not denying Wilt's talents, but Bill beat him most of the time, and what's more important in sports, winning or having padded stats?

Bill, and I love him, had a team around him. The Stilt was a man on an island. Like Barry Sanders. Probably the best back ever, had no supporting cast. I've heard the same for Sayers. Before my time.

Originally posted by truenorth
Like Barry Sanders. Probably the best back ever, had no supporting cast. I've heard the same for Sayers. Before my time.

Ah, another topic that should be discussed in a couple of months...

What I meant was the offence was BS. You stop BS you stop the team. Like the Stilt you stop him, put 2,3 guys on him you stop the team. You couldn't put 2 guys on MJ because you had Rodman, Pipin, Grant, Cartright, etc.

I agree with tn. Bill Russell did more than most could ever imagine, but you don't win 11 championships in 13 years by yourself. If the Stilt was on those teams, I think that they could have taken all thirteen, and then his stats would have also been higher than they already were. Bill Russell and Micheal Jordan were great players who were also in a great siuation when it comes to support. They always had somebody right there with them who had somewhat comparible talent to theirs. Wilt Chamberlain did what he did without a high number of good players around him, he won games single handedly, and as we saw a couple of days ago when Detroit beat LA, it is not stars that win championships, it is the entire team, something that most of the greats already had.

hmm...thsi debate was never settled, and I still have to go with Russell,anyone else?

you lot are having a larf its gotta be MJ

I believe it would be Russell. You don't really know what your talking about do you. Jordan was good, but he wasn't the greatest!

Originally posted by travy51
I believe it would be Russell. You don't really know what your talking about do you. Jordan was good, but he wasn't the greatest!

Oh ok i guess you do know what you are talking about then do you i wonder why that is, i still say your having a larf

Who has more championships than Russell?

In sports, winning is the measuring stick, and, no one stacks up to Russell. There is an arguement that Russell had a team around him, but so did Jordan. And the team was there before and after Russell, and they didn't win then.

if it all comes down to playing as a team, it is Bill. No contest.

Everyone says "Jordan is the best because of his big shots". But If you look back, you could also see that Russell has made some game-winning shots also. I am not saying Jordan is over rated, but for someone that can retire 3 times, I would say that Russell is better.

The best player in NBA history in my opinion is Michael Jordan, hands down.

Michael Jordan is the greatest. The man is a legend. He made some bad decisions in the game - some forced by what happened in his life, some just stupid in general. But his stats are phenomenal, both defensively and offensively. You`ll note that Bulls team was HOPELESS without Jordan.

Russell had too many other good players around him to put him first. Wilt didn`t win enough. Everyone else is a tier below those three, much as I love Kareem, Shaq, Magic, Mikan, Bird etc.

Don't forget, Russell was also a player/coach towards the end of his career...