One of NBA basketball fans favorite arguments -- best all-time player -- is rekindled with a new addition to the list.
Almost two years ago, Suite101 ranked the top three all-time NBA players. That particular list included three others who "just missed the cut." With a new longevity criteria for this list, players with less than 12 years in the NBA are eligible.
NBA all-time best player criteria
Unlike our first ranking of all-time best NBA players, this new list uses just the following three criteria.
Longevity is still judged, but this list requires just five seasons of NBA play.
All-around statistics must be considered. No one-dimensional players can make our all-time best NBA player list.
"Unstoppability" is Suite101's own category, created specifically for this list.
The top 5 all-time best NBA players in reverse order
5. Wilt Chamberlain -- The Big Dipper missed the original list, but he edges his way into the last spot on this list, based on statistics that can't be overlooked, no matter how much bigger he was than everyone else playing in his era. Chamberlain averaged 30 points, a ridiculous 23 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in his career. Even if he were a whole foot taller than his peers, Wilt Chamberlain deserves to make the list of all-time best NBA players.
4. Larry Bird -- Larry Legend made Suite101's original list of the 3 all-time best NBA players, but he gets bumped one spot with a new addition to the top three. Bird revolutionized the 3-point shot and is still regarded by many as the greatest NBA shooter ever. When the game was on the line, Bird's inside-outside game certainly made him unstoppable. Throw in 24 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists per game to go with just under 90% free throw accuracy and Bird is a shoo-in for this list.
3. LeBron James -- When Suite101's original list was first published, King James was still in the infancy of his NBA career. Now, in year six, Lebron has established himself as a perennial MVP candidate and the most dominant active NBA player. LeBron's per game averages rival another great on this list, Oscar Robertson. James averages 27 points, 7 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He has already led his Cleveland Cavaliers team to one NBA Finals appearance, and James has proven in the playoffs that he has an "unstoppability" perhaps surpassed only by Michael Jordan. In knocking out the Detroit Pistons from the 2007 NBA playoffs, LeBron rallied the Cavaliers with 24 straight points in a 49-point game. At that moment, LeBron James became one of the all-time best NBA players.
2. Oscar Robertson -- The Big O hasn't lost his original ranking. His stats are just too good. No one in history other than Oscar Robertson can claim career numbers of 26 points, 7.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists. Robertson even averaged a triple-double in one season -- still the only one in NBA history.
1. Michael Jordan -- The man who became just Michael remade the game of basketball. He may one day be overtaken by LeBron James, but not yet. Jordan's career numbers -- 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals -- are secondary to the majesty of his slam dunks and uncanny big shots in playoff games (Michael Jordan has broke more hearts with buzzer-beating jumpers than a rock star playing to thousands of screaming teenagers). Michael Jordan created everyone's "unstoppability factor." Today, any NBA player considered to be unstoppable is measured against Michael Jordan -- truly the all-time best NBA player. At least for now.
The copyright of the article All-time Best NBA Players in Basketball History is owned by Mark Barnes. Permission to republish All-time Best NBA Players in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
This list is trash based on the fact that Lebron is in the top 5 all-time
after 6 years in the league. This is the question you must ask
yourself when considering active players: If a career ending injury were to
happen, would they still occupy the same spot. In this instance, of course
the answer is no. Also, to place Lebron higher than Kobe on an
all-time list is ridiculous.
Feb 12, 2009 12:49 PM
Mark Barnes :
As you can see, longevity is based only on 5 years in the league in this
particular ranking. If it was weighted more heavily, your comment would be
well taken. When you look at all categories, Kobe's stats pale in
comparison to LeBron's. He's more of a glorified shooter than a great
all-around player.
Feb 18, 2009 9:55 PM
Guest :
dude u r a joke rename the list to your favs alltime
Feb 19, 2009 1:15 PM
Mark Barnes :
Hey "guest" if you want to write an intelligent comment that
demonstrates some understanding of basketball, feel free. At least have
the guts to put your name to it.
I welcome disagreement; it's
what makes this fun. There is a criteria for this ranking. If you have a
better list that fits this criteria, let's see it.
If all you
can do, though, is write cryptic text style that states no legitimate
opinion of your own, maybe you should start your own blog.
Feb 19, 2009 8:33 PM
Guest :
LeBron does NOT deserve to be on that list, he is a terrible shooter he
shoots 32.1% from 3 point land. His free throw percent is a mere 73.4% plus
he has 0 NBA Championship rings. According to your previous ranking,
"The greatest NBA players of all-time win NBA titles. Their
surrounding cast is irrelevant, because truly great players bring out the
best in their teammates. Plus, they have a refuse-to-lose mentality."
Also LeBron plays in a more offensive era if he played back in Jordan's
era, it would be hard for him to even score 20 ppg.
Oct 23, 2009 1:11 PM
Mark Barnes :
LeBron could average 40 in any era, if he wanted to do so. He's far too
unselfish, though. Comments such as "LeBron plays in a more offensive
era if he played back in Jordan's era, it would be hard for him to even
score 20 ppg" are ridiculous and demonstrate no understanding of the
game.
LeBron is a physical force that the leauge has never
seen. He is as unstoppable as any player since Jordan and will likely
surpass even Michael, when LeBron's career is done.
Oct 26, 2009 1:42 PM
Guest :
Wow, some people use strictly points per game and championships as a basis
for greatness. It's hard to be an all-around player and just so you people
know.........THE 80'S AND 90'S WAS A RUN AND GUN ERA THAT THIS GENERATION
HAS NOT COME CLOSE TO COMPARING WITH. Ignorance does run rampant with
part-time sports fans. And if we're talking titles,then isn't Bill Russell
the greatest player of all time? I mean he did average like 20 points and
23 rebounds a game in a span of 13 years while winning 11 NBA championships
which included 8 in a row. Sam Jones was on 10 of those title teams. Does
that mean he too was better than Jordan? I don't know the exact number but
I am sure there are other players as well with 6 or more titles.
Oct 28, 2009 1:30 PM
Guest :
Sorry but I laughed at the comment "LeBron is a physical force that
the league has never seen." Read up on Wilt Chamberlain before you
make any more ridiculous claims.
O and by the way the average
center in the 1960s when Wilt played was 6'10. Wilt was 7'1. Today's
centers have an average height of 6'11. So instead of being 3 inches taller
than average he'd be "only" two.
The 1960s centers
were the greatest we've ever seen. Bill Russell, Willis Reed, Nate
Thurmond, Walt Bellamy, Wes Unseld, Bob Lanier, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dave
Cowens... and this is back when the league had 8 teams....... meaning that
Wilt had to face a hall of fame center a good percentage of the games. Today, the center position has fallen. Shaq is at the end of his career,
and the only other two worth looking at are Dwight Howard and Yao Ming.
Today's centers aren't even close.
You pretty much ignored all
of Wilt's numbers.
Averaged 30.1 ppg in his career (a tiny
fraction behind MJ for first all time). However, you have to look at
individual seasons. For the first 7 years of Wilt's career, when his role
was scorer, he averaged 39ppg. That is more than MJ ever scored in a
season. Wilt AVERAGED it over 7 years. He owns the top 3 scoring seasons of
all time. 50.4 ppg in 1961-2. FIFTY POINTS A GAME. 44 points the next year.
When his role on the team changed from scorer to passer, rebounder, and
defender, his point totals dropped significantly. But still, he had over
20ppg in virtually every season. 70pt games: 6 (nobody else has more
than 1) 60 pt games: THIRTY TWO (32)(Kobe has 5, MJ has 4) 50 pt
games: 114 (MJ has 36)
He led the league in assists one year. A
CENTER led the league in assists. A CENTER averaged 4.4 assists for his
career.
He is the all time leading rebounder. Highest average
and total. He led the league 11 of his 13 seasons.
AT AGE 36
WILT COULD OUTREBOUND A 24 YEAR OLD JABBAR (and every other player in the
league). His rebound totals are INSANE. 22.9 average for his career.
55 rebounds in a game (against Bill Russell).
As if that's not
enough, look at his minutes total. Career average: 45 minutes a game.
Look at that again. INSANE. One season, he averaged 48.5 minutes. MORE
MINUTES THAN IN A REGULATION BASKETBALL GAME (he missed nine minutes all
season)
Defense: On par with Bill Russell as the best defensive
center of all time. If blocks were kept back then, he'd clean up those
records too. 1st team all defense at age 35 and 36.
He was
ridiculous. No comparison
Oct 28, 2009 1:35 PM
Guest :
In another article you call Wilt an awful shooter. I think you mean awful
free throw shooter.
Look at his accuracy records. Highest
FG% in a season: 72.7 Second highest FG% in a season: 68.3 His
career shooting percentage? Over 50%. Better than MJ.
Oct 28, 2009 1:55 PM
Mark Barnes :
Hey, Mr. Lengthy Comment, who are you anyways, Wilt's dad? Obviously you
love your stats. Regardless of your diatribe on athleticism and greats of
the 60s and 70s, LeBron would dominate any of the guys you mention. To
big, too strong and far too fast for all of your favs.
Let
LeBron average just under 40 shots per season, as Wilt did one year, and
the King would probably average 65. Of course, he's far too unselfish to
shoot it that much.
Put Wilt against Dwight Howard, and he'd
come away with a bruised body and a bruised ego.
Sorry, I'm just
not buying all the Wilt hype. It's fun to debate, though.
Nov 15, 2008
