I was explaining to my friend why Kobe isn't better than Jordan and I was trying to say Kobe isn't even top 10 all-time, but I couldn't think of 10 players better than Kobe. Not saying there aren't better players (I'm sure he's not top 10), I just personally can't think of any. So anyways I'm curious to see different people's opinions of who they think are the top 10 NBA players of all-time.
1.Hakeem Olajuwon 2.Hakeem Olajuwon 3.Hakeem Olajuwon 4.Akeem Olajuwon 5.Hakeem Olajuwon 6.Hakeem Olajuwon 7.Dylon 8.Hakeem Olajuwon 9.Hakeem Olajuwon 10.Hakeem Olajuwon
1. Michael Jordan 2. Bill Russell 3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 4. Wilt Chamberlain 5. Kobe Bryant 6. Larry Bird 7. Magic Johnson 8. Shaquille O'Neal 9. Oscar Robinson 10. Tim Duncan 2.3.4 interchangeable, 6.7. interchangeable, Hakeem, Jerry West among others also deserve spots on this list.
I think Kobe is top 10, as much as I hate to admit it. My top 10, in no particular order: Michael Jordan Bill Russell Wilt Chamberlain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Magic Johnson Larry Bird Hakeem Olajuwon Shaquille O'neal Tim Duncan Kobe Bryant Honorable mentions: Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone. But maybe some older posters have a better perspective on this than I do.
Exactly the 10 I was gonna post, and that order even looks fine. I hate Kobe but I would put him right at the end (#10) of the top 10 list
You're ignorant to not believe that Kobe is not a top ten player. Look at all his achievements, and look at those players that are listed in top 10. 5 time champion, 2 time finals MVP, 1 season MVP, Olympic gold meal, 2 time scoring champion, etc. The guy is a killer on the court that brings it day in and day out, very similar to MJ himself.
I have to disagree with your placement of Kobe above Magic and Tim Duncan. Listening to SoCal radio, I had to endure all of these kids talking about how Kobe was the greatest Laker ever. Magic won 5 championships, 3 MVPs, and 3 finals MVPs, and his teams were always a threat to win the championship. Yes, he had great pieces around, but so has Kobe. Magic completely distorted and discombobulated opposing defenses in ways Kobe has never done. Yes, defenses have to figure out how to corral Kobe, but Magic would completely disrupt opposing defenses so they had no way to stop him. This is a 6-9 point guard who scored 42 points playing center in the Finals in his rookie season, winning the championship and the Finals MVP at the age of 20. There was never anyone like him--and don't say Lebron. Kobe is a less explosive copy of Jordan. Magic was an original. Duncan is the greatest PF of all time. His ability to dominate at both offense and defense is just a bigger impact than Kobe. On defense, he changes everything that offense can do by taking away inside scoring and rebounding. Kobe has become a really good defender, but the impact of an elite perimeter defender is not as much as an elite defender down low. On offense, he always gets his and helps his teammates big time. He won 4 championships in a small market with less talent than the Lakers.
What;s to explain? Jordan was better than Kobe at everything. Even Phil Jackson's "he is a better jump shooter" won't last past their retirements, and that is the only arguable advantage.
<a href="http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h99/notafaker/clutchfans/?action=view¤t=i_spit_hot_fire.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h99/notafaker/clutchfans/i_spit_hot_fire.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
This is a somewhat subjective question. I suppose it would depend on how you defined "best". For instance, at his absolute, sensational best, Hakeem was by far a better player than Tim Duncan. However, Duncan arguably posted a better career thus far than Hakeem in terms of accomplishments. So I will present this list in terms of who I want on the floor in game 7 in his absolute prime, regardless of career numbers.... 1. Jordan 2. Magic 3. Wilt 4. Kareem 5. Oscar Robertson 6. Russell 7. Bird 8. Hakeem 9. Shaq 10. Kobe I present this list in terms of who I would build my franchise around, giving heavy consideration to the fact that these players put up MVP type numbers year in and year out, and overall career stats/accomplishments.... 1. Jordan 2. Magic 3. Kareem 4. Oscar Robertson 5. Wilt 6. Shaq 7. Duncan 8. Bird 9. Hakeem 10. Russell
How is it ignorant to say that Kobe is number 11 or 12? There are other guys with very similar accomplishments. Looking at your list of accomplishments for Kobe, MJ has more of everything. Wilt was a far more dominant scorer and defensive presence. Kareem won more titles and is the all-time leading scorer. Shaq was the main guy on three of Kobe's championship teams. Magic has done everything Kobe has except win scoring titles, but he's the all-time assists leader. Bird was a three time MVP and three time champion playing in what was arguably the golden age of the NBA. Duncan won multiple championships and MVP awards playing in the same era as Kobe, and did so with slightly less talent around him. Hakeem is arguably the greatest two-way center ever to play the game. Bill Russell is the greatest winner the league has ever seen. That's nine guys right there who you could reasonably make a case for being better than Kobe. That's not even mentioning some of the other old timers that I'm less familiar with who should also be in the discussion, like Oscar Robertson. Personally, I would put Kobe somewhere in the 9-12 range, but it's certainly not ignorant to say he's outside the top 10.
These lists say more about what's important to each generation more than the players themselves. They reflect biases in the era that these lists are made. A perfect example is Russell and Jordan. Bill Russell when he retired was not considered as highly a basketball player as he is today. Today he is almost unanimously a top 4 selection, sometimes even top 1 or 2. The reason is that championship rings are considered much more important today in evaluating a player than previously. That's why Wilt's standing has gone down as time progresses. That's why these days hardly anyone rates Wilt as significantly better than Russell, whereas at the time Wilt was considered unquestionally the best of all time. Similarly, Jordan's status at the top of the rung has as much to do with the fact that he "revolutionised" basketball with his marketing dominance as his on court achievements. Now don't get me wrong, his on court achievements are great, but I don't think they indicate unanimous top player of all time. Similarly, guys who once were considered revolutionary but have been eclipsed in what they pioneered have really fallen off the face of the earth in these lists. People like Mikan, Cousy or even Dr J, are not even mentioned in these lists anymore, whereas at the time they were considered candidates for best of all time. For Kobe, although his story has not been completed yet, I think history will not judge him kindly because he played in the shadow of Jordan, essentially he did everything Jordan did but less well, less points, less MVPS, less Championships, less marketing, less money.
