Post your top 10 players of all time

[Dwight_Howard12]

My top 10:

10. Julius Erving
9. Karl Malone
8. Shaq
7. Oscar Robertson
6. Kareem Abdul Jabar
5. Larry Bird
4. Bill Russell
3. Magic Johnson
2. Wilt Chamberlain
1. Michael Jordan

[Psileas]

(Just missed: Tim Duncan-but still didn't retire, Julius Erving)
10. Hakeem Olajuwon
9. Jerry West
8. Oscar Robertson
7. Shaquille O'Neal
6. Larry Bird
5. Magic Johnson
4. Bill Russell
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2. Michael Jordan
1. Wilt Chamberlain

[Richie2k6]

Roughly off the top of my head. A bit more bias than fact.

1. Jordan
2. Kareem
3. Wilt
4. Bird
5. Magic
6. Russell
7. Shaq
8. Hakeem
9. Duncan
10. Roberston

[Younggrease]

how do people have Oscar Robinson over Tim Duncan?

[kwajo]

1. Larry Bird
2. Michael Jordan
3. Bill Russell
4. Magic Johnson
5. Wilt
6. Kareem
7. Duncan
9. Shaq
9. Hakeem
10. Oscar Robertson

A lot of that is personal preference though, so take it with a grain of salt.

[VCMVP1551]

1.Michael Jordan
2.Magic Johnson
3.Shaquille O'Neal
4.Kareem Abdul Jabbar
5.Larry Bird
6.Wilt Chamberlain
7.Bill Russell
8.Hakeem Olajuwon
9.Jerry West
10.Tim Duncan

[Lakers13]

1. Wilt
2. Kareem
3. Jordan
4. Magic
5. Russell
6. Bird
7. Hakeem
8. West
9. Robertson
10. Shaq

[Mango]

1. Wilt
2. Kareem
3. Jordan
4. Magic
5. Bird
6. Kobe
7. West
8. Hakeem
9. Mailman
10. Dr. J

[dejordan]

that is so hard... what's the relative value of bird and shaq? oscar and russell? are you concerned about who can carry a team best or who leads a team best? wins or stats? longevity or peak play? clutch performances or steady dominance?

Hell it's tough to come up with a top ten of guys I've seen much less everyone ever. I'll give it a try though. I tend to weigh clutch performance (do you come up bigger than everyone else when it matters most?), overall dominance (does the other team have to change its game to try to beat you?), and versatility (the ability to help your team win in multiple ways and multiple styles of play), so that's how my rankings are going to look.

10. Oscar
9. Duncan
8. Hakeem
7. Russell
6. Shaq
5. Kareem
4. Wilt
3. Bird
2. Magic
1. Michael

And that is one hell of a 1980s bias! (although seeing kareem play at an advanced age probably swung him down the ladder). It's very difficult to make objective choices with guys you haven't seen. I've watched enough ball to know that tallying a guy's rings and summing up his stats isn't enough to really know the player, so I'm going to underrate guys I haven't seen a lot of. Other posters might put more stock in numbers and overrate those same guys. Whatever. Making lists is entertaining.

[BA_God]

all time top 10 great players, in no order.

Bill Russell
Wilt Chamberlain.
Kareem AbdulJavaar.
Oscar Robertson.
Magic Johnson.
Larry Bird.
Hakeem Olajuwan.
Michael Jordan.
Shaquille O'neal.
and Tim Duncan.

[Richie2k6]

all time top 10 great players, in no order.

Bill Russell
Wilt Chamberlain.
Kareem AbdulJavaar.
Oscar Robertson.
Magic Johnson.
Larry Bird.
Hakeem Olajuwan.
Michael Jordan.
Shaquille O'neal.
and Tim Duncan.

In no order, I think we can almost all agree with that.

[Prancing_Tim]

10. Shaquille Oneal
9. Abdul-Jabbar
8. Tim Duncan
7. Bill Russell
6. Larry Bird
5. Wilt Chamberlain
4. Andrew Bynum
3. Hakeem
2. Magic Johnson
1. Michael Jordan

[steve]

In order of time period:
Bill Russell
Wilt Chamberlain
Oscar Robertson
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Julius Erving
Larry Bird
Magic Johson
Michael Jordan
Shaquille O'Neal
Tim Duncan.

[kgisbigticket]

1 Jordan
2 Kareem
3 Shaq
4 Russell
5 Magic
6 Bird
7 Wilt
8 Hakeem
9 Duncan
10 West

I don't think you can be the GOAT unless you are great on both ends of the court and you have the accolades. MJ and Kareem are the only ones who really fit that criteria.

[BigTicket]

1. Jordan
2. Wilt
3. Kareem
4. Magic
5. Bird
6. Russell
7. Shaq
8. Duncan
9. Hakeem
10. Oscar