Most dominant basketball player you've been able to fully enjoy in their prime?

Honestly, LeBron.

 

Shaq. Still haven't seen anybody quite so physically dominant since. Even old......Shaq pretty much went wherever he wanted to on the court. He just didn't have the lift any more.

 

Shaq, Duncan, Garnett. Those three big men were so dominant. Garnett did absolutely everything for those Minnesota teams. Bring the damn ball up sometimes.

 

Hakeem, of course. He heads a list that includes some damn fine players, some of the others being Rockets as well, but no one approaching the Dream. From college, until he hung up his sneakers.

 

Jordan, Dream, Shaq in the mid to late 90's.

Karl Malone I didnt enjoy him in the least bit and despise him but he was very hard to stop offensively. Gary Payton in the early to mid 90's was a **** talking, ball hocking killer. Tim Duncan in his prime was dominant both offensively and defensively.

 

Hakeem is the obvious choice. No need to elaborate.

The second would be Yao Ming. He is just such a likeable guy.

for non-Rockets, I'd say Magic Johnson. I hate him a lot because he was a Laker. But his game was so beautiful and it was not based on individual athleticism.

 

Hakeem.

 

I've seen older games from the 60s to early 80s. From those, it was pretty much Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Connie Hawkins, John Havlicek Walt Frazier, Larry Bird, and Moses Malone...

First Group (Dominant, Dominant Group, like top 12 players)
---------------------------------
Michael Jordan
(a little) of Magic Johnson
Hakeem Olajuwon
Shaquille O'Neal (92-02), people often talk about Laker days, even though I thought he was alot more athletic and agile in Orlando, much more willing defender.
Kobe Bryant
Tim Duncan

Second Group (Probably not too far behind group)
---------------------------------------
LeBron James
Karl Malone
Charles Barkley
David Robinson
Patrick Ewing
Dominique Wilkins
Clyde Drexler
Allen Iverson

Third Group (VERY Good group, not quite as good as the players above, not necessarily dominant or had few flashes of dominance)
-----------------------------------------
Kevin Garnett
Dwyane Wade
Tracy McGrady
Dirk Nowitzki
Chris Webber
Grant Hill (briefly)
Penny Hardaway (very brief)
Gary Payton
Steve Nash
Isiah Thomas (in the last part of his career)
Paul Pierce
Ray Allen
John Stockton
Alonzo Mourning

 

This is the easiest answer, We are literally witnesses to Lebron james who has the defense of Olajuwon, the offense of MJ, the leadership of Magic Johnson and that is not an exaggeration. Watch him play and there is a reason all his stats back him up on ESPN, that is advanced stats, that prove he is probably the best player of all time and only getting better. I've seen MJ amd those guys play, they are great and impressive. We were lucky to have olajuwon. Kobe is good, but probably the MOST overrated player I have every seen in my life(he is an all star, not a top 10 player in the history like people say), but lebron lives up to the hype, he is likeable(oh boo hoo he switched teams because hw anted to win, shouldn't we like him more for wanting to win?!), is a great teammate, not a diva like dwight, and backs it up with the wins. Once his titles come rolling in the next few years, it won't even be a question!

 

Larry Bird....my hero in H.S. Watched his enire career in detail.

Magic Johnson.....hated him. But watched him. And in hindsight, after watching all his games, he was just as great as Bird...or greater.

Jordan....hated him. BUt watched and tried to emulate his moves. Totally poetry and mesmorizing. Just like watching Michael Jackson perform live.

Hakeem....most skilled big man eva. On my home team. My fav after Bird retired.

Before all of them, I started watching basketball as a kid at Kemper Arena in KC, watching Cotton Fitzsimmons coaching Phil Ford, Otis Birdsong, Regggie King, Sam Lacey, and Scottie Wedman. Birdsong was my first fav player as a little kid.

 

the defense of olajuwon? the offense of MJ? the leadership of Magic? pass what you're smokin...

 

This ashcoza guy is a troll or 12 years old or both. :grin:

Says the same thing in every thread. Did the 'King' send you the disciple to spread the word?

 

Didn't start watching basketball til 2001 or so.

I would have to say Kobe Bryant.

 

LeBron, unfortunately.

 

Lebron and Shaq.... I had NBA TV the minute Lebron went to the cavs, and I've admired him ever since. He can do everything, and nothing distracts him. Shaq too, the 2000 playoff run was crazy. How much did he get? 30.2 points? pretty good for a player that had to play with kobe.

 

Started watching from 03, so no doubt the Black Mamba, esp from 06-08 there were some crazy stretches of games where literally everything he threw up looked good.

 

The Black Mamba and Duncan,although Shaq, AI, KG were all dominant at times as wel

 

I too think that Lebron is underrated in his impact, but plz, stop having a mancrush. :grin: Olajuwon has a greater impact defensively than Lebron ever will; its natural being at the center position.

 

The Dream. Especially when he schooled Robinson.