Slam Magazine Top 50 Greatest Players of all time

[Tuvi]

Jason kidd over Kevin Garnett????

[Juges8932]

D-Wade? Terrible list.

[lakers_forever]

I wrote this post in another thread that died. I will post it again here.
It's a question for all Bill Russell haters who claim he is not even one of the top 10 players ever.


Can you all please say to me what could Bill Russell have done differently in his career to be considered greater?
If he had better PPG (like 8 more ppg), better FG % while winning less 5,6 or 7 titles, would he move up in your rankings? Or you guys don't give winning titles any value at all?
I mean, Russell (since his college days) did everything necessary to win. He played the exact way his team needed to win titles. He had great teammates with great offensive game. His team needed leadership, post presence, defense and altruism from their Captain and Russell did all that for them.
The guy was not just a great defensive player, he was the best defensive player, probably ever. Some say he average close to 6 bpg and 3 spg. And he was the one of the best rebounders ever.
He wasn't just a member of a great team. He was the leader and best player of that team. They needed him to win all those titles. Proving that, the Celtics (who had won the title with Russell in 1969) missed the playoffs in 1970 duo to Russell's retirement.

Just How can the best player on the team that won 11 titles not be a top 10 player ever???

There's simply no way.

[GP_20]

at Gary Payton being so low at #38

[Roundball_Rock]

kareem has 2 finals MVP's while MJ has 6.

Parker and Cedric Maxwell combine for as many finals MVP's as Kareem. Further proof that award is a joke.

Kareem won a MVP on a 40 win team. What does that tell you? He took a bunch of scrubs and made them at least respectable. Kareem's MVP vote plummeted after Magic arrived. We all know the NBA business plan in the 80's was all about Magic and Bird with Jordan being their successor in the late 80's and 90's. Now the business plan revolves around Lebron, hence him getting BS consideration for DPOY and on the first all-defensive team.

[nbastatus]

Shaquille and Hakeem and Duncan ahead of Kobe?

The list closest to reality is:

1. Michael Jordan
2. Kobe Bryant
3. You can make arguments for about 7 other guys here

no wonder people hate kobe.

[Disaprine]

if he wins the ring, kobe is defiantly at number 12
shaq should be at 7
hakeem is way to low, he should be at number 6
duncan should be at number 11
to many corections to make but that just saying a few.......

[Shepseskaf]

Steve Nash at fifty? I think they forgot to tack on a zero at the end of that. Or two....

Its funny how they tried to sneak Nash in the back door in the last spot. Who is pushing this media agenda to make him appear to be one of the greatest player? I'm not even surprised anymore at the ridiculous lengths people will go through to give him undue props -- just like his undeserved two MVPs.

[JM720]

Kenny Smith just said on NBA TV he has Kobe in his top 10 if he wins this year and even is a head of Hakeem.

[GiveItToBurrito]

Looks about right. I'd put Hakeem above Kobe and Kobe above Jerry West, but I don't have any major beefs with it.

As far as Rodman's movement in the rankings, my guess is that they have a higher opinion of him now since they only really remember the Bulls and Pistons years now and have forgotten about the Lakers, Mavs, and Spurs years, which probably damaged opinions of him a bit.