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Greatest basketball player of all time?

B

BlancoNino

Diamond Member
I'd have to give it to Wilt Chamberlain. This guy dominated in EVERY statistic (yes, steals and assists too). Who would you say is the best? Lets argue! 🙂

 
It is hard to say that anyone in any era of any sport had more raw power over the game than Michael Jordan did in his prime, he was quite literally at a level all by himself. I see shades of it in Lebron, he might get there one day, but perhaps more from pure athleticism than from skill. Of course Wilt, Karem, Bird, and Magic were all dominant in their time, but only Jordan was head and shoulders above everyone else playing the game.
 
Originally posted by: nkgreen
John Stockton

Take a look at some of the records. He and Malone were amazing together.
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For a center, Wilt was a great assister. Blocked shots weren't on record until the year after Wilt retired, but nobody disputes that he would easily be number 1 all time in career blocks and blocks per game. Also, Wilt was great at stealing for a center (but that record wasn't official until after he retired). Had those records been kept, you'd see him on those lists 🙂.
 
How many championships did Bill Russell win - was it 11?

That has to be the most important criteria since that is why all players theoretically play.

So I would say Bill Russell.
 
Originally posted by: BlancoNino

For a center, Wilt was a great assister. Blocked shots weren't on record until the year after Wilt retired, but nobody disputes that he would easily be number 1 all time in career blocks and blocks per game. Also, Wilt was great at stealing for a center (but that record wasn't official until after he retired). Had those records been kept, you'd see him on those lists 🙂.
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There's no I in team 🙂

Wilt was a great player, but he only won 1 (I think) championship compared to Russell's 11 and Jordan's 6.

Stats be damned, basketball is a team game and there weren't too many professional teams that Chamberlain could beat alone.
 
Originally posted by: GhettoFob
Jordan
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Greatest modern day player sure - but Russell has almost twice the championships Jordan does.

Russell has got to be considered better. It took Jordan a lot longer to become the dominating players he became.

His rookie year was 87 I think and I think he won his first championship in 97.
 
Originally posted by: Garet Jax
Originally posted by: GhettoFob
Jordan
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Greatest modern day player sure - but Russell has almost twice the championships Jordan does.

Russell has got to be considered better.
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By that logic some of Russell's teamates were also better than Jordan.
 
Originally posted by: msparish
Originally posted by: Garet Jax
Originally posted by: GhettoFob
Jordan
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Greatest modern day player sure - but Russell has almost twice the championships Jordan does.

Russell has got to be considered better.
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By that logic some of Russell's teamates were also better than Jordan.
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Nope - Russell was the undisputed leader on that team. Like Jordan was on the Bulls.

Take Russell away and they don't have a chance - same way with Jordan.
 
Jordan was not the best. Chamberlain simply dominated in more statistics than Jordan. Chamberlain was stronger, faster, and more athletic than Jordan. Chamberlain couldn't be stopped when asked to score. Players tried to elbow him (illegal today and in Jordan's era), play zones against him (illegal in Jordan's era), and plus Michael Jordan wasn't allowed to be touched without a foul...lots of preferential treatment, Jordan got. With Wilt it was just the opposite...the refs consistently DIDNT call fouls on Wilt's defenders (blatant ones) because Wilt was so strong (he could bench-press 500 pounds) that he didn't seem affected by it.

Wilt is almost dead-even in career scoring average (with Jordan taking WAY more shots than Wilt!). Wilt is the all-time leading rebounder. Wilt was great at assists, and if the rules were the same then as today (the definition of assists), Wilt would probably have a higher assists per game career average (AS A CENTER!). He's the best blocker of all time and one of the best stealers. He took piss-poor losing teams to NBA championships and playoffs by himself. Jordan's teams could not post a winning record until Pippen came along.

Next, please.
 
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