Best career ever?

[elementally morale]

Who do you think has/had the best career ever?

Wilt? He holds some records, won soe ring... but no... didn't win enough. Bird? Definitely not. He sure has won enough but didn't play long enough. Magic? See Bird. Great player, but too short a career to be considered the greatest. Jordan? Maybe, but I'm leaning towards no. Bill Russell? Well... possibly. He is a good candidate. Shaq? No. Moses Malone? Imressive, but not the best career ever. Karl Malone? No, didn't win enough. Isiah? Absolutely not. Oscar? No. Juius Erwing? No. The Dream? No. Duncan? Well... he is a good candidate, too. LeBron? Too early to tell. Wade? It doesn't look like it. Pau? Dirk? No and no. Great but nowhere near best ever. Same for Barkley, Kidd, Nash, etc.

I could go on and on but I won't. I'll just put here a few names as nominees for best career ever:

Kareem
Russell
Kobe
Duncan

Kareem and Russell most definitely won't add too much basketball related to their respective resumes, but Duncan and Kobe still can. Neither of them will ever become the GOAT, sure. But it is possible one of them is going to have the best career there ever was. Kobe especially has a great chance of doing just that. What if he plays 3-4 more years like this one? Are you sure you want to bet against it?

Anyway... who do you guys think has or had the best career ever?

[KG215]

How can you just no nonchalantly discard Jordan from the discussion?

[KobesFinger]

Gotta go with Bill Russell. Won championships at every level, got the best of his rival on several ocassions, kick-started the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, won 5 individual MVP awards and of course the 11 rings in 13 years.

[dunksby]

Kareem, GOAT career, GOAT basketball player.

[truhooper]

@ putting kobe

[Sarcastic]

Kevin Garnett made the most money of all time, right? He's gotta up there.

[DonDadda59]

What is your criteria exactly?

If we're talking about basketball careers with everything considered (high school, college, NBA) then it's Kareem with Bill Russell in second place.

[elementally morale]

How can you just no nonchalantly discard Jordan from the discussion?

Jordan has a case for having been the greatest player ever (although Kareem has just as good a case in my opinion). Anyway, Jordan has very strong case for GOAT. But for best career? I'm not so sure. Others (like Kareem) played longer. There were some (Russell) who won more.

Now.
Imagine the following. Kobe Bryant plays another 7 years. In the next 2-3 years he plays as well as he has this year. I can easily believe that. Let's imagine he somehow wins another ring. Or two. It's not very likely but I wouldn't bet against it. He may become the player with the most points scored. The most minutes played. Plenty of other records.

Will any ot these achievements make him the best ever? Not a chance. He is top 10, that's it for him. But best career? I think he is going to have a very strong case for that.

[elementally morale]

What is your criteria exactly?

If we're talking about basketball careers with everything considered (high school, college, NBA) then it's Kareem with Bill Russell in second place.

I don't have any criteria. Just tell me what you think. I included both Kareem and Russell in my top 4, so I like your choices. However, Duncan and Kobe are not done yet. They are adding to their respective resumes every day, still.

What if they end up playing 5 more years? What if they win some more? It's far from impossible.

[BuffaloBill]

As far as career accomplishments:

1. Kareem
2. Russell
3. MJ
4. Wilt
5. Magic
6. Duncan
7. Kobe
8. Bird


Kareem has done everything there is to do in basketball


Career highlights and awards
6

[elementally morale]

As far as career accomplishments:

1. Kareem
2. Russell
3. MJ
4. Wilt
5. Magic
6. Duncan
7. Kobe
8. Bird

I agree with your top 2 for the time being. Top 3, even. Then it's Duncan and Kobe to me, in whatever order. The important thing is: Kareem, Russell and MJ are done with their careers. Duncan and Kobe are not.

How many more years do they need to be in the discussion for best careers? 3 more years? 5? 7? I think 6-7 more years and 1 or 2 more rings would do the trick for Kobe.

[crisoner]

[QUOTE=BuffaloBill]As far as career accomplishments:

1. Kareem
2. Russell
3. MJ
4. Wilt
5. Magic
6. Duncan
7. Kobe
8. Bird


Kareem has done everything there is to do in basketball


Career highlights and awards
6

[KyrieTheFuture]

I don't understand how the answer is not bill 100% of the time.

[DonDadda59]

I don't have any criteria. Just tell me what you think. I included both Kareem and Russell in my top 4, so I like your choices. However, Duncan and Kobe are not done yet. They are adding to their respective resumes every day, still.

What if they end up playing 5 more years? What if they win some more? It's far from impossible.

Anything's possible but it's highly unlikely especially considering the Lakers are a train wreck. Time always wins out in the end and the Heat and Thunder are filled with studs in their prime. Duncan was great in college but nowhere near as successful as the likes of Alcindor and his NBA career although great is top 10 worthy but not GOAT. Kobe has no college career to speak of, spent 2 years riding the bench, and half his career as a second fiddle. Neither guy is in the conversation and most likely won't be.

Spurs might surprise everyone and win it all this year, but after how they imploded last year and now Parker's injury, I wouldn't hold my breath.

[crisoner]

I don't understand how the answer is not bill 100% of the time.

In a sense it should be.

11 titles....Invented blocking passes.

He won...and that's what it is about.

Kareem comes in to mind as well because of his longevity and simply put scoring RECORD. He is also arguably the greatest college player of all time under Wooden's UCLA dynasty's. And the greatest player to ever come from the Mecca of B-ball....NY!