All-time Best NBA Players

LeBron James Joins Michael Jordan, Others as NBA's Greatest Players

Nov 15, 2008 Mark Barnes

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 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.

LeBron James	Michael Jordan	Larry Bird
Wilt Chamberlain

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Comments

Feb 11, 2009 8:58 PM

Guest :

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.

Mar 6, 2009 9:14 PM

Guest :

leaving Magic off this list is crazy. Not only does he have the numbers, the titles and all that but he and bird basically saved the league on a whole. Also having Bron on the list is crazy this is the first year he ever plays any defense. Bron and kobe will porbably one day surpass some of these guys on the all time. these list are always diffciult as the are players like the nba logo that are hard to pass up as well. I think it goes Jordan, Magic, Bird then the argument gets really difficult

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.

11 Comments