February 17, 200620 yr This Saturday, TNT is going to be updating the NBA's 50 Greatest players list which was made 10 years ago as the NBA turned 50 years old. I thought it would be cool to see who our 10 picks would be to fill out the top 60. Here are players already on the list: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Nate Archibald Paul Arizin Charles Barkley Rick Barry Elgin Baylor Dave Bing Admin Bird Wilt Chamberlain Bob Cousy Dave Cowens Billy Cunningham Dave DeBusschere Clyde Drexler Julius Erving Patrick Ewing Walt Frazier George Gervin Hal Greer John Havlicek Elvin Hayes Magic Johnson Sam Jones Michael Jordan Jerry Lucas Karl Malone Moses Malone Pete Maravich Kevin McHale George Mikan Earl Monroe Hakeem Olajuwon Shaquille O'Neal Robert Parish Bob Pettit Scottie Pippen Willis Reed Oscar Robertson David Robinson Bill Russell Dolph Schayes Bill Sharman John Stockton Isiah Thomas Nate Thurmond Wes Unseld Bill Walton Jerry West Lenny Wilkens James Worthy Here is the 10 I would add: Dominique Wilkins Kobe Bryant Allen Iverson Bob McAdoo Tim Duncan Kevin Garnett Gary Payton Alex English Jason Kidd Reggie Miller Who is in your 10 additions?
February 17, 200620 yr here are the 20 finalists: Walt Bellamy Kobe Bryant Adrian Dantley Joe Dumars Tim Duncan Alex English Kevin Garnett Connie Hawkins Allen Iverson LeBron James Dennis Johnson Jason Kidd Bernard King Bob Lanier Bob McAdoo Reggie Miller Steve Nash Gary Payton Dennis Rodman Dominique Wilkins
February 17, 200620 yr anyway, here are my picks: kobe bryant tim duncan alex english connie hawkins allen iverson lebron james jason kidd bob lanier bob mcadoo dominique wilkins Joe Dumars, Dennis Johnson, Bob Lanier, and Connie Hawkins deserve it. joe dumars and dennis johnson? dennis johnson being on the final 20 is laughable. Lebron being on there is laughable..... right? or is it just me? no. i mean shaq was in i think his fourth or fifth year when he was named to the top 50.
February 17, 200620 yr what lebron has already done in his NBA career is just amazing. He will only continue to get better from here and when the Cavs 'get it' which will be soon with their front office, look out. based on the amazing stuff he has done already he without any question belongs on the list.
February 17, 200620 yr Kobe Bryant Tim Duncan Kevin Garnett Allen Iverson LeBron James Bob McAdoo Reggie Miller Steve Nash Gary Payton Dominique Wilkins
February 17, 200620 yr I wouldn't put Lebron on there yet personally. Duncan, Kobe, Mcadoo, AI, Reggie, hmm... Probably Lanier, English and Nique but I'd need to look at stats again. I'm stuck there. Payton, Kidd, King, Garnett.... all on the bubble for me.
February 17, 200620 yr Lebron being on there is laughable..... right? or is it just me? Nah, as Das said, O'Neal made it based on what he had done/figured to do. My 10: Kobe Bryant Allen Iverson Tim Duncan LeBron James Kevin Garnett Reggie Miller Steve Nash Gary Payton Jason Kidd Bob McAdoo And Bernard King's prime years were so damn good that it's hard to overlook his talent, but injuries cut him short.
February 17, 200620 yr what lebron has already done in his NBA career is just amazing. He will only continue to get better from here and when the Cavs 'get it' which will be soon with their front office, look out. based on the amazing stuff he has done already he without any question belongs on the list. Dont get me wrong, I think he is going to be one of the best ever but I cant put him in my top 60 after 2 and a half seasons(and no playoff appearances)
February 17, 200620 yr what lebron has already done in his NBA career is just amazing. He will only continue to get better from here and when the Cavs 'get it' which will be soon with their front office, look out. based on the amazing stuff he has done already he without any question belongs on the list. Dont get me wrong, I think he is going to be one of the best ever but I cant put him in my top 60 after 2 and a half seasons(and no playoff appearances) Can't be Top 60 is you have NEVER played in a playoff game.
February 17, 200620 yr Team success is the most overrated factor when it comes to determining the greatness of a player. Players can only control how they do. They can't magically make the rest of their team better and can't take a horrible supporting cast to the playoffs by themselves. If you put KG on the Spurs and Duncan on the Timberwolves, the Spurs would still be championship contenders and the Timberwolves would still be mediocre (just like if you put LeBron on the Heat and Wade on the Cavs, for example, the Cavs would still not have made the playoffs in 2004 and 2005, while the Heat still would have made it to the playoffs and the ECF last season).
February 17, 200620 yr wow, i could swear that jordan made his teammates better. look bottom line is that great players make their teammates better. the spurs wouldnt be the spurs without a star like duncan to build around. garnett wouldnt defer to teh amount that duncan does to his teammates so to simply say put kg on the spurs and duncan on the wolves and the opposite occurs is way too simplistic.
February 17, 200620 yr wow, i could swear that jordan made his teammates better. look bottom line is that great players make their teammates better. the spurs wouldnt be the spurs without a star like duncan to build around. garnett wouldnt defer to teh amount that duncan does to his teammates so to simply say put kg on the spurs and duncan on the wolves and the opposite occurs is way too simplistic. Jordan didn't win anything until Pippen, Grant, and B.J. Armstrong were drafted and came into their own and had John Paxson. One great player surrounded by mediocrity isn't going anywhere. And I don't think it's too simplistic. KG is more efficient than Duncan, even though he has nobody else around him. And KG defers often to his teammates. He is the best passing big man in the game and is taking fewer shots per 40 minutes than Duncan.
February 17, 200620 yr wow, i could swear that jordan made his teammates better. look bottom line is that great players make their teammates better. the spurs wouldnt be the spurs without a star like duncan to build around. garnett wouldnt defer to teh amount that duncan does to his teammates so to simply say put kg on the spurs and duncan on the wolves and the opposite occurs is way too simplistic. Jordan didn't win anything until Pippen, Grant, and B.J. Armstrong were drafted and came into their own and had John Paxson. One great player surrounded by mediocrity isn't going anywhere. And I don't think it's too simplistic. KG is more efficient than Duncan, even though he has nobody else around him. And KG defers often to his teammates. He is the best passing big man in the game and is taking fewer shots per 40 minutes than Duncan. and jordan also realized that he needed to make those around him better. grant and bj armstrong werent anything to write home about really. john paxson was also mostly a role player with a nice shot. KG is all about the stats, he is a passionate player, no doubt, but he doesnt make the people around him better. Watch the Pups for a few games and you will see that. That and KG has run off a nice handful of teammates before, which you cant forget about. Vlade was the best passing big man in the game, and Brad Miller might be a better passer than KG, KG just gets a lot more press. He is good, but he has some major weaknesses. The Spurs would not have won 3 titles if they had KG instead of Duncan. Maybe 1. Maybe.
February 17, 200620 yr Lebron being on there is laughable..... right? or is it just me? I agree with you Ramp. I mean don't get me wrong Lebron is a great player and will probably have to be included on that list sooner or later, but he's only been in the league for 3 seasons and is only starting to show what he can really do. And Shaq had already been to the Finals when he was selected to the 50 Greatest players. Besides if you include Lebron, you have to makes a case for Dwayne Wade as well and even he's not ready to be included in that elite just yet.
February 17, 200620 yr Lebron being on there is laughable..... right? or is it just me? I agree 2 years in the league and hasnt made the playoffs yet even. Come on guys. That is a horrible pick up.
February 17, 200620 yr Lebron being on there is laughable..... right? or is it just me? He's been in the league one year less than Shaq when he made it...
February 17, 200620 yr If LeBron James is considered, Dwyane Wade has to be also. I can't believe that even after all Wade has accomplished and all the accolades he gets, the media still overlooks him compared to James. I mean, that's just ridiculous.
February 17, 200620 yr My top 10: Kobe Bryant Tim Duncan Kevin Garnett Allen Iverson Jason Kidd Bob McAdoo Reggie Miller Steve Nash Gary Payton Dominique Wilkins
February 17, 200620 yr I agree. If you are going to consider James in the top 60 ever right now, you also have to consider Wade. D Wade - Career points: 4241, Assists: 1141, Rebounds: 946, Shooting %: 47.9 Lebron - Career points: 5452, Assists: 1385, Rebounds: 1384, Shooting %: 45.7 James has more points, but has taken significantly more shots (4365 to 3089). Wade has been in the playoffs both of his seasons. James has never been played in the post season. Both are great players, and both are likely to be Hall of Fame players, but I don't think either will be on the Top 60 list.
February 17, 200620 yr ummm lebron is significantly better than wade in all individual stat categories.
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