Who do you rate as the best in the NBA?

[GTO Assassin]

Michael Jordan
LeBron James
Kobe Bryant
Julius Erving
Wilt Chamberlain
Other

I rate Jordan as the greatest simply because he took a flailing Chicago all the way to the championship title. He didn't need to be supported by other superstars. He made a hell of alot of clutch shots. He could and did everything.

Discuss.

Scotty

[stealthee]

I never was a Jordan fan. But Jordan was great, but he didn't do it by himself though. He had plenty of help on those Bulls teams. One man doesn't make a team.

It's really hard to say who is the greatest ever though.

[j2k4]

Just because I'm old enough to say it, I will:

Wilt Chamberlain was the only player I've ever seen who was 'unstoppable'.

Wilt+ball in the post = two.

Period.

[GTO Assassin]

I never was a Jordan fan. But Jordan was great, but he didn't do it by himself though. He had plenty of help on those Bulls teams. One man doesn't make a team.

It's really hard to say who is the greatest ever though.

Absolutely. I love the fact that he had Pippen, Grant, Paxton, BJ, Cartwright - and then later Kukoc, Longley, Fisher and Rodman to name most. I loved Horace Grant. That man was as hard a worker as anyone on the court.

Just because I'm old enough to say it, I will:

Wilt Chamberlain was the only player I've ever seen who was 'unstoppable'.

Wilt+ball in the post = two.

Period.

I never got to see the gret man play sadly.

Scotty

[j2k4]

Absolutely. I love the fact that he had Pippen, Grant, Paxton, BJ, Cartwright - and then later Kukoc, Longley, Fisher and Rodman to name most. I loved Horace Grant. That man was as hard a worker as anyone on the court.


I never got to see the gret man play sadly.

Scotty

Probably one of the greatest pure athletes ever - Jim Brown was another.

Edit-

"Greatest player" (I think) is best considered in the 'team' context, and then you have to include players like Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, as well.

All around, I think I'd have to go with Johnson.

[BigTyla]

Probably one of the greatest pure athletes ever - Jim Brown was another.

Maybe for a basketball player. If you're talking about sports in general though (which it appears so since you are talking about "pure" athletes), Bo Jackson would like to have a word with you.

Jordan was the best, but Wilt would be a very close second IMO. I do think it's a little disengenuous to say Jordan did it all by himself though. Pipen, Kerr, and Rodman were all great players in their own right.

[j2k4]

Maybe for a basketball player. If you're talking about sports in general though (which it appears so since you are talking about "pure" athletes), Bo Jackson would like to have a word with you.

Just so.

Herewith, a nod to Bo.

[GTO Assassin]

Yeah, was thinking why I didn't include Magic and Bird this morning. Can I just clarify, I never said Jordan did it himself. What I was trying to say was he went to Chicago, worked hard and they as a team won 6 championships. LeBron wont ever be able to say he did that.

Scotty

[j2k4]

That's the trouble when trying to formulate a proper "who's best" question; too many conditions, circumstances and scenarios to account for everyone who arguably belongs in the conversation.

We can spitball it, though.

[93STLTH]

Oscar Robertson would have to be considered. He averaged a triple double for a full season, no one's ever done it before or since. He averaged close to 30 pts per game and 10.5 assists his first 8 seasons.