Greatest Players of All Time (Number Five)

[Luke]

Y'all know the deal. Votes will be counted in the poll and discussion is encouraged.

So far we've got

1.) Jordan
2.) Wilt
3.) Magic
4.) Kareem
5.) ?

So far I think we've done okay. I would love to swap Wilt and Kareem but other than that I'm satisfied.

[Luke]

I really don't know who to go with on this one. It's the first time so far I've been stumped. The guys that I could see a case for this high are Russell, Shaq, Bird, Duncan, and Kobe. I think that Shaq and Russell are probably the two best from that group so it's likely that I will be voting for one of them in this thread. I'm leaning towards Russell as of this second but I'm going to sleep on it.

[Dornado]

after very little thought I'm going to roll with Bill Russell on this one.

[MemphisX]

[rayz789]

Wow are ppl really that underrated by bird the celtics legend? Bill Russell is one of the greats but wow bird not in the top 4? Bird was one of the greatest clutch shooters of all times. Bird makes shots that looks impossible to make but he makes it anyway. Bird career average is 24.3. Bird was 3 times nba mvp, rookie of the year, 2 times finals mvp but yet he isnt in top 4? My goodness.

[MemphisX]

IMO, this is the spot that LeBron eventually settles into once he career matures.

[rayz789]

I got a question and i was thinking. Could it be that bill russell could be msybe overrated by some here? I mean being in the top 5? I got a question how can a legend like bill russell who won 11 rings never was a leading scorer for the celtics in all of his 15 career? How can he be consider in a top 4 let alone top 5? Magic johnson atleast even though is pass first playmaker, atleast he was the eading scorer before for the lakers for atleast 3 times. And russell only average 15 pergame in his career? And bird who average in career points in 24.3 and most of his career he was the leading scorer for the celtics in which he was one of the greatest clutch scorer of all times isnt in the top 4? I think bird imo should be ahead of russell. I just cant put russell in the top 5. I mean yeah he was great at blocking shots and getting rebounds but average 15 points per game in his career in the top 5? CHILL!!!

[ChrisWoj]

My top 4 are all gone, predictably, I think that regardless of order that top 4 is pretty much it. Number 5 is where I feel I'm going to sway away from a lot of people.

Shaquille O'Neal. Quite clearly the MDP. Most Dominant Player of the modern era. At the age of 22 he led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals. He was a young kid and ran into a mature all world player in Hakeem, as well as an opposing team that was clearly better than him. The single way to stop Shaq was to foul him (or give him a burrito). A decade straight over 26 points per game. From age 21 to 36 he shot over 57% from the floor every year but once, significant because he had huge usage rates. Only 1 regular season MVP, but he deserved at least 2. 3 NBA Finals MVPs. 4 NBA championships. Between age 21-33 never less than double digits on the glass, only once under 3 blocks per night. 3rd all time career PER. Best FG% and eFG% of all time.

He wasn't healthy 100% of the time. But he was healthy enough to win 4 championships and 3 finals MVPs. He wasn't versatile on the floor, but what he did made him absolutely and completely dominant.

To me, Shaq's combination of championships and sheer athletic/physical dominance (and yes: I said athletic anyone that saw him young knows he was more than just the big man we saw at the end of his career) make him the 5th Greatest of all time.

[RollWithEm]

Am I the only one not seeing the poll?

[hobojoe]

Originally Posted by rayz789

Bird was 3 times nba mvp, rookie of the year, 2 times finals mvp but yet he isnt in top 4? My goodness.

You realize people were just bashing posters for voting for LeBron this early yet he is also a 3 time MVP, ROY and has one Finals MVP, almost the same as Bird? Bird is not a top 4 player IMO, certainly nothing crazy about him being behind Magic, MJ, Kareem and Wilt.


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[Geaux Tigers]

Originally Posted by hobojoe

You realize people were just bashing posters for voting for LeBron this early yet he is also a 3 time MVP, ROY and has one Finals MVP, almost the same as Bird? Bird is not a top 4 player IMO, certainly nothing crazy about him being behind Magic, MJ, Kareem and Wilt.


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He blinded me with SCIENCE!

[Dornado]

pertinent numbers on Russell from my perspective:

11x NBA champion
5x NBA MVP
2nd all time in career rebounds per game (behind Wilt)

Obviously, blocked shots weren't kept as a statistic back then - by all accounts he was among the best ever at not only blocking shots but keeping the ball in play. Also, with regard to his FG%, people should keep in mind that FG%'s generally were a lot lower back then... despite having numbers that look pedestrian by today's standards Russell was in the top 5 in FG% in four different seasons ('57, '58, '59, '60)

[King Joseus]

Originally Posted by RollWithEm

Am I the only one not seeing the poll?

There is no poll.

[King Joseus]

Poll now included.

[Dornado]

Russell also made 12 all-star teams and was Most Outstanding Player of the '54-'55 Final Four.