Here are the reasons for Very Few here SEEKING KNOWLEDGE! & not TROLLING.
5. LARRY BIRD: Absolutely DOMINATED the NBA WITHOUT BALL IN HIS HANDS MAJORITY OF THE TIMES (DJ is the PG & he made decisions) & had NO ATHLETICISM. Hard to imagine a legend like this even existed. MJ, Magic needed touches to dominate. Bird did not. NO athleticism but INCREDIBLE REBOUNDER with best on-court positioning the game has ever seen. Such was Bird's dominance that he attracted EXTREME RACIAL HATRED from Greatest rebounder ever & greatest defensive player ever, Dennis Rodman because he cannot guard Bird. Both Jordan, Magic & the Bad Boys feared Celtics # 33 for life. His Bball IQ, intangibles & Court Vision was probably the best we've ever seen. EVER!. His sheer presence on the court made Mchale & Parish DOMINATE the paint area. Its a Shame that Bird only has 2 FMVPs & 3 Championship. If '80s was not such stacked era with all-time great teams like Magic's LAL, Bird will have no less than 5 rings & 4-5 FMVPs.
Here are the reasons for Very Few here SEEKING KNOWLEDGE! & not TROLLING.
5. LARRY BIRD: Absolutely DOMINATED the NBA WITHOUT BALL IN HIS HANDS MAJORITY OF THE TIMES (DJ is the PG & he made decisions) & had NO ATHLETICISM. Hard to imagine a legend like this even existed. MJ, Magic needed touches to dominate. Bird did not. NO athleticism but INCREDIBLE REBOUNDER with best on-court positioning the game has ever seen. Such was Bird's dominance that he attracted EXTREME RACIAL HATRED from Greatest rebounder ever & greatest defensive player ever, Dennis Rodman because he cannot guard Bird. Both Jordan, Magic & the Bad Boys feared Celtics # 33 for life. His Bball IQ, intangibles & Court Vision was probably the best we've ever seen. EVER!. His sheer presence on the court made Mchale & Parish DOMINATE the paint area. Its a Shame that Bird only has 2 FMVPs & 3 Championship. If '80s was not such stacked era with all-time great teams like Magic's LAL, Bird will have no less than 5 rings & 4-5 FMVPs.
Shaq has more cumilative stats, and had a greater prime, while winning more titles, and forcing the NBA to change the rules to guard him.
As for Russell i'd say he did transform the game. He made defense "cool" so to speak. Not to mention being the greatest winner in the NBA.
& how many people play D now.
Modern day GREAT CENTERS aka. Ewing, D'Rob, Hakeem, Shaq, Mourning are based on ALL-AROUND play of KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR & his DOMINANCE.
-If Kareem had UNSTOPPABLE "SKYHOOK" & POST-UP moves, probably the most undefensible shot.
-Hakeem had "the Dream shake"
-Ewing had the "DROP STEP JUMPER"
-Shaq had the "BABY SKY HOOK"
Russell was an absolute BEAST DEFENSIVELY
BUT
ALL TIME GREAT CENTERS like SHAQ, EWING, HAKEEM, D'ROB, MOURNING etc etc or even lesser ones DIKEMBE, DWIGHT are based on KAREEM's style & finness.
KAREEM "transformed" the game & a center position FOREVER!
although, you can make an argument for Russell, he did not have IMPACT on the game's future as much as LARRY BIRD did.
so BIRD above #6 Russell.
Also, there is a reason why BIRD is a "FACE" of Celtics franchise despite Russell winning maximum championships.
This statement shows that you haven't done any research on Russell whatsoever.
It's one thing to not care for a player or his style of play, or have an opinion on a subjective rating, and another to make statements that are factually untrue and independent of opinion.
Modern day GREAT CENTERS aka. Ewing, D'Rob, Hakeem, Shaq, Mourning are based on ALL-AROUND play of KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR & his DOMINANCE.
-If Kareem had UNSTOPPABLE "SKYHOOK" & POST-UP moves, probably the most undefensible shot.
-Hakeem had "the Dream shake"
-Ewing had the "DROP STEP JUMPER"
-Shaq had the "BABY SKY HOOK"
Russell was an absolute BEAST DEFENSIVELY
BUT
ALL TIME GREAT CENTERS like SHAQ, EWING, HAKEEM, D'ROB, MOURNING etc etc or even lesser ones DIKEMBE, DWIGHT are based on KAREEM's style & finness.
KAREEM "transformed" the game & a center position FOREVER!
although, you can make an argument for Russell, he did not have IMPACT on the game's future as much as LARRY BIRD did.
so BIRD above #6 Russell.
Also, there is a reason why BIRD is a "FACE" of Celtics franchise despite Russell winning maximum championships.
Without Russell paving the way there is no Kareem. The amount of racism he faced from whitey paved the way for the future. And the players you mentioned like Shaq, and Hakeem are (some of) the greatest to ever play their position. It had nothing to do with Kareem coming before them. Shaq would have been a GOAT in any era, as would Hakeem.
The way Russ changed the game was how the "little man" plays the game. A C like Joel Anthony for example can stay in the NBA simply for his defense, and Perkins makes millions because of his percieved defensive, and rebounding abilities. Russ paved the way for that, not Kareem.
Top 5 GOAT: MJ --> KAREEM --> MAGIC --> WILT --> BIRD
