I'd take Russell > Jordan.

[IGOTGAME]

Meh, stacked roster, young league, not the best player for the majority of his championships. He was a terrific defensive anchor who was only the undisputed best player on his team for 3 of his championships. You want to talk about overrated due to "rings"

please show me these better players on those championship teams? it may be hard because they don't exist.

[SamuraiSWISH]

Damn son. You literally can't give no one else besides MJ some credit huh?

How am I not giving Russell credit, kid? You never even seen him play, let alone in context, so why are you so attached?

I've done the research, I've always felt he's overrated. I give plenty of credit where it's due. Him being a defensive anchor with incredible leadership capabilities on a franchise that won 11 rings in a young, small talent pool league on a team that had top to bottom the best roster in the league every season.

The same way we pepper Kobe's 5 rings with the Shaq argument? Same goes for Russell, arguably to a greater extent.

I'm not not giving credit, I'm being HONEST and not letting "rings" and the context in how they were won sway the logical side of my brain.

I'd take Wilt, Shaq, Hakeem, Kareem maybe even Duncan over Russell as well. Bird, Magic all have a higher standing in the game's hierarchy to me than Bill Russell. It is what it is ... don't cry about it. I gave you valid reasoning why I wouldn't choose Russell. And no, I'm not taking him over Jordan.

Get off my dick, young buck. Do your research. Russell still isn't better than Wilt. Guy was essentially a Dwight Howard in a weaker, smaller, less athletic, less talented league.

[tikay0]

How am I not giving Russell credit, kid? You never even seen him play, let alone in context, so why are you so attached?

I've done the research, I've always felt he's overrated. I give plenty of credit where it's due. Him being a defensive anchor with incredible leadership capabilities on a franchise that won 11 rings in a young, small talent pool league on a team that had top to bottom the best roster in the league every season.

The same way we pepper Kobe's 5 rings with the Shaq argument? Same goes for Russell, arguably to a greater extent.

I'm not not giving credit, I'm being HONEST and not letting "rings" and the context in how they were won sway the logical side of my brain.

I'd take Wilt, Shaq, Hakeem, Kareem maybe even Duncan over Russell as well. Bird, Magic all have a higher standing in the game's hierarchy to me than Bill Russell. It is what it is ... don't cry about it. I gave you valid reasoning why I wouldn't choose Russell. And no, I'm not taking him over Jordan.

OK, kid. He was/still is the smartest basketball player to ever play the game. He's studied his opposition like no other player has ever played the game. His single driving force in life was to win CHAMPIONSHIPS. He sacrificed his stats in order for his team to have the best chance at winning. He was the greatest leader in NBA history. He knew what you were going to do, before you did.

And when you say he was a defensive anchor, I think you meant, he was the GOAT defender, period. He invented "intimidating" the opposing offensive players. He was a player coach for God's sake.

Please stop underrating the guy. MJ is the GOAT, and so is Russell.

[NumberSix]

OK, kid. He was/still is the smartest basketball player to ever play the game. He's studied his opposition like no other player has ever played the game. His single driving force in life was to win CHAMPIONSHIPS. He sacrificed his stats in order for his team to have the best chance at winning. He was the greatest leader in NBA history. He knew what you were going to do, before you did.

And when you say he was a defensive anchor, I think you meant, he was the GOAT defender, period. He invented "intimidating" the opposing offensive players. He was a player coach for God's sake.

Please stop underrating the guy. MJ is the GOAT, and so is Russell.

How the fcuk would you know?

[tikay0]

How the fcuk would you know?

Numerous accounts of people saying so. When Red Auerbach calls him the smartest player to ever play the game, that says something.

Sorry, Lebron isn't even in this conversation. He wouldn't allow Lebron to get a single bucket in the paint, and he'd probably cry himself to sleep every night, knowing he'd have to face him in a 7 game series.

[Akhenaten]

Thread starter did you witness Russell play in the 50's?

[tikay0]

Thread starter did you witness Russell play in the 50's?

You meant the 60's, when he was winning championships?

And stop trolling SamuraiSwish.

[IGOTGAME]

Guy was essentially a Dwight Howard in a weaker, smaller, less athletic, less talented league.

where do you get off calling people "kid," and then saying stupid shit like this?

[NumberSix]

Numerous accounts of people saying so. When Red Auerbach calls him the smartest player to ever play the game, that says something.

Multiple sauces?

[NumberSix]

You meant the 60's, when he was winning championships?

And stop trolling SamuraiSwish.

Yeah. No championships for Bill Russell In the 50's. That's for sure.

This man knows his stuff. His opinions are to be taken very seriously.

[K Xerxes]

You meant the 60's, when he was winning championships?

And stop trolling SamuraiSwish.

Damn, I thought you and Samurai were the same people.

Anyway, there is some truth to what you say. Jordan was the better player because he was incredibly impactful on both offense and defense, but Russell had the perfect mindset and mentality to build around for a championship winning team... Plus, he's a center and is a strong interior presence.

...I don't know exactly who I'd take.. probably Jordan.. but they're the top 2.

[Rose'sACL]

Damn son. You literally can't give no one else besides MJ credit huh?

that double negative.
I will take jordan over Russel in any era. it is just the truth that ERA in which russell played was very weak compared to the modern era.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Just an FYI: Russell was surrounded by four-to-five other HOFers his ENTIRE career and often played weak ball clubs who barely had winning records (or even had losing records) in the finals.

Not just that, his Celtics only had to play 2-3 rounds to win a ring.

I have no issue with anyone taking Russell over Jordan. The guy the GOAT winner. I just think Mike was a better 2-way player, and unlike Russell, had no weakness dominating on BOTH ends of the floor.

[tikay0]

Yeah. No championships for Bill Russell In the 50's. That's for sure.

This man knows his stuff. His opinions are to be taken very seriously.

Yes, he won chips in the 50's, but a majority of them were in the 60's.

You use your corny emoticons like you're a 5th grader.

[NumberSix]

Damn, I thought you and Samurai were the same people.

Anyway, there is some truth to what you say. Jordan was the better player because he was incredibly impactful on both offense and defense, but Russell had the perfect mindset and mentality to build around for a championship winning team... Plus, he's a center and is a strong interior presence.

...I don't know exactly who I'd take.. probably Jordan.. but they're the top 2.

As much as people bitch about today's type of centers, Bill Russell was exactly that same style of center. He's closest counterpart is probably Joakim Noah.