Greatest Player of All-Time Before the Age of 30?

[ekosky]

http://a.espncdn.com/media/motion/2014/0211/dm_140211_nba_davis_on_lebron/dm_140211_nba_davis_on_lebron.jpg
[QUOTE]2

[SouBeachTalents]

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2008/0611/nba_jordan_580.jpg

[BuffaloBill]

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2008/0611/nba_jordan_580.jpg



:banana:

[fpliii]

http://www.5thquartermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Bill-Russell-and-Michael-Jordan.jpg

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Bill Russell

[bizil]

I consider the GOAT to be your resume. So in that sense I would say Russell followed by Magic and Bird. The resumes they accumulated before age 30 is staggering. But of course what MJ and Bron have done is sick as well!

[LAZERUSS]

Magic certainly has a case. Five rings, three FMVPs, and 2 MVPs, with another at age 30.

[Hey Yo]

Magic certainly has a case. Five rings, three FMVPs, and 2 MVPs, with another at age 30.
Magic played with the GOAT and other greats his first 8yrs. Teams stayed together then, due to the non FA rule.

James played with a starting carousel his first 7yrs.

[LAZERUSS]

Magic played with the GOAT and other greats his first 8yrs. Teams stayed together then, due to the non FA rule.

James played with a starting carousel his first 7yrs.

Magic without Kareem, and a fading and injury-plagued Laker roster in his last two seasons... 63-19, and 58-24 (and a trip to the Finals.)

[played0ut]

Magic played with the GOAT and other greats his first 8yrs. Teams stayed together then, due to the non FA rule.

James played with a starting carousel his first 7yrs.


You say Magic played with GOAT and other greats.

I can say Lebron played in a weaker era where there weren't so many super teams (Celtics, Sixers, Pistons, Lakers) so he had it easier.


And we can do it all day against/for any era and any player we want. It's not a good enough argument.

[Round Mound]

Wilt

He Had The Highest Peak Ever For ANY Player Ever.

[LAZERUSS]

Wilt

He Had The Highest Peak Ever For ANY Player Ever.

Well, that was the obvious answer.

:applause:

[jstern]

Jordan was considered by most the GOAT before the age of 30. He was a little before my time, but some people also had Bird as the GOAT before the age of 30. Lebron doesn't beat Jordan, particularly because of some Finals performances, but I say he's definitely in the top 7 before the age of 30, which means he could be top 3. But I'll say 7 because there have been so many great players.

But this is definitely a younging, prisoner of the moment type of question, due to how sure the OP is that Lebron is number 1. I just find younging prisoner of the moment mentality fascinating, so I'm not putting anyone down. I to can relate to something being so great because basketball was still fresh in my life, and now not getting excited over certain things that get youngings excited over, because I've seen it so many times. To them basketball started when they started watching.

[Lebronxrings]

Wilt

He Had The Highest Peak Ever For ANY Player Ever.
2 rings.

[Roundball_Rock]

Interesting. Here are the resumes of the following players at age 29:


Kareem: 5 MVP's, 1 ring
Jordan: 3 MVP's, 3 rings
Russell: 4 MVP's, 7 rings
Wilt: 2 MVP's, 0 rings
LeBron: 4 MVP's, 2 rings
Bird: 3 MVP's, 3 rings
Magic: 2 MVP's, 5 rings

LeBron definitely is right up there with the group.

[GODbe]

Wilt

He Had The Highest Peak Ever For ANY Player Ever.
As would guys like JaVale McGee, Chris Bosh, Joakim Noah etc.

[Meticode]

Personally, I think just the fact we mention LeBron in the same breath as some of these players tells me how great he's become the last few years just by winning the rings.

[SpecialQue]

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee18/scoob_1969/432.gif

[Roundball_Rock]

Personally, I think just the fact we mention LeBron in the same breath as some of these players tells me how great he's become the last few years just by winning the rings.

Great point. Also notice that LeBron is the only player from this era who is regularly being compared to those players. This is not a slight towards some of the other greats of this era but rather an indicator of the separation between LeBron and the rest. Every generation has their "LeBron" or two. It was Mikan for the 50's. Wilt/Russell for the 60's. KAJ for the 70's. Bird/Magic for the 80's. MJ for the 90's. Now LeBron for this era. We are witnessing what almost certainly will--at minimum--be a top 5 all-time career. :cheers:

[Meticode]

Great point. Also notice that LeBron is the only player from this era who is regularly being compared to those players. This is not a slight towards some of the other greats of this era but rather an indicator of the separation between LeBron and the rest. Every generation has their "LeBron" or two. It was Mikan for the 50's. Wilt/Russell for the 60's. KAJ for the 70's. Bird/Magic for the 80's. MJ for the 90's. Now LeBron for this era. We are witnessing what almost certainly will--at minimum--be a top 5 all-time career. :cheers:
I just shake my head sometimes because people always want to compare to the greats. Usually that being current great Kobe Bryant and past great Michael Jordan. I believe LeBron has been the best basketball player in the NBA for at least the last 4-5 years and people the loudest voices you year are the haters or the stands. I wish people could just sit back and enjoy watching what we're seeing right now.

LeBron goes back to Cleveland in the middle of his prime.
Rose is trying to make a comeback.
Kobe is trying to make a comeback to finish out the twilight of his career.
Durant coming off his first MVP, but failing to make the Finals.
Stephenson telling the Pacers to **** off and joining another team in the East.
Joakim Noah wanting to beat LeBron so badly in the playoffs.
Howard and Harden talking big at the mouths, can they back it up?
Parsons going to Dallas to make a deep playoff push.
Spurs get another year older routine and make another run routine?
My personal favorite JaVale McGee making his return to Shaqtin-A-Fool.

...so many great stories in the NBA this season, but usually what I see spews are hatred or stan-ism.

[Roundball_Rock]

LeBron goes back to Cleveland in the middle of his prime.
Rose is trying to make a comeback.
Kobe is trying to make a comeback to finish out the twilight of his career.
Durant coming off his first MVP, but failing to make the Finals.
Stephenson telling the Pacers to **** off and joining another team in the East.
Joakim Noah wanting to beat LeBron so badly in the playoffs.
Howard and Harden talking big at the mouths, can they back it up?
Parsons going to Dallas to make a deep playoff push.
Spurs get another year older routine and make another run routine?
My personal favorite JaVale McGee making his return to Shaqtin-A-Fool.

...so many great stories in the NBA this season, but usually what I see spews are hatred or stan-ism.

Yeah, the past 5 years or so of the NBA have been really good basketball and provided many great moments and stories. 2015 should be a great continuation of that trend. Sometimes we get so caught up in nostalgia, or hatred towards a current dominant team or player (like a lot of people with LeBron in recent years) that we miss this type of things when they are happening. The LeBron-era Heat will be remembered more than the 80's Pistons were and we know how great the Pistons were.

[KG215]

Great point. Also notice that LeBron is the only player from this era who is regularly being compared to those players. This is not a slight towards some of the other greats of this era but rather an indicator of the separation between LeBron and the rest. Every generation has their "LeBron" or two. It was Mikan for the 50's. Wilt/Russell for the 60's. KAJ for the 70's. Bird/Magic for the 80's. MJ for the 90's. Now LeBron for this era. We are witnessing what almost certainly will--at minimum--be a top 5 all-time career. :cheers:
And, you know, Shaq, Duncan, and Kobe from the 2000's which, to some extent, is part of LeBron's generation. He's not exactly on his own pedestal as you're making it seem if you count just the first seven seasons of his career.

[LeBird]

And, you know, Shaq, Duncan, and Kobe from the 2000's which, to some extent, is part of LeBron's generation. He's not exactly on his own pedestal as you're making it seem if you count just the first seven seasons of his career.

None of those guys were/are in the GOAT conversation. Lebron's the only one who looks likely.

[bdreason]

Magic or MJ for me.

[Dragonyeuw]

Interesting. Here are the resumes of the following players at age 29:


Kareem: 5 MVP's, 1 ring
Jordan: 3 MVP's, 3 rings
Russell: 4 MVP's, 7 rings
Wilt: 2 MVP's, 0 rings
LeBron: 4 MVP's, 2 rings
Bird: 3 MVP's, 3 rings
Magic: 2 MVP's, 5 rings

LeBron definitely is right up there with the group.

Duncan should be in there too. 3 rings, 2 mvps

[NZStreetBaller]

Magic.... how old was he when he won the FMVP??? and didnt he play center in those finals as a rookie and pull up real good numbers?? that performance alone:bowdown:

[NumberSix]

Wilt

He Had The Highest Peak Ever For ANY Player Ever.
Yeah, back when the NBA was a local rec league.

[Roundball_Rock]

None of those guys were/are in the GOAT conversation. Lebron's the only one who looks likely.

Yeah that is why I didn't list them, just like I didn't list Shaq and Hakeem for the 90's even though they are consensus top 10. People will remember LeBron as the dominant player of this era in the same way those players are for their eras, even though some other great players also had nice concurrent runs. David Robinson arguably was the best player in the league for a period in the 90's (1994 and 1995) and he is not remembered much today.

[LAZERUSS]

Interesting. Here are the resumes of the following players at age 29:


Kareem: 5 MVP's, 1 ring
Jordan: 3 MVP's, 3 rings
Russell: 4 MVP's, 7 rings
Wilt: 2 MVP's, 0 rings
LeBron: 4 MVP's, 2 rings
Bird: 3 MVP's, 3 rings
Magic: 2 MVP's, 5 rings

LeBron definitely is right up there with the group.

Excellent post...albeit, Wilt was robbed of MVPs in '62 and '64.

[Dragonyeuw]

David Robinson arguably was the best player in the league for a period in the 90's (1994 and 1995) and he is not remembered much today.

That's because much of his legacy was ruined by the 95 series against Hakeem( on the flipside, that series and in the big picture the entire 95 playoffs built a good portion of Hakeem's legend).

[SamuraiSWISH]

That's because much of his legacy was ruined by the 95 series against Hakeem( on the flipside, that series and in the big picture the entire 95 playoffs built a good portion of Hakeem's legend).
That and San Antonio had a successor at his position, who while maybe not as good on an individual level (IMO) became a better winner.

But it is funny how D-Rob's legacy was ruined in the '95 playoffs. Where as Hakeem built his whole legend in basically 2 seasons. The seasons where the GOAT was away from the game.

[Roundball_Rock]

You both are right. What makes it ironic is Robinson usually got the better of Hakeem in their match ups.


Excellent post...albeit, Wilt was robbed of MVPs in '62 and '64.

What happened in those seasons vis-a-vis MVP voting? I am not familiar with them.

[K Xerxes]

Talent-wise and honestly ability-wise, I always viewed Robinson every bit as good as Hakeem and Shaq (maybe outside of 00 Shaq though). Whatever skill or dominant presence he lacked, he made it up with other-wordly athleticism. While I think it is unfair he is judged sometimes almost solely on his 1995 WCF performance, it was an underlying theme in his career that he didn't bring his top game in the biggest stages when the other all time great centers certainly did. And that counts.

He's better than Ewing though. #7 all time center IMO.