Top 25 All Time Best NBA Players

[Kuzzy Powers]

I said arguably

Oh yeah, and Julius Erving, too. So arguably Pippen isnt even in the top 5 SF's of all time.

[A Tasty Burgerr]

I would consider Pippen to be a better player than Nique, and I admit I haven't seen enough of Worthy to know if he's better than Pippen. Erving is close.

[dell71]

My List(doesn't include active players)

Wilt
Oscar
Jordan
Russell
Kareem
Magic
Bird
Hakeem
Jerry West
Moses Malone
Baylor
Dr.J
John Havlicek
Elvin Hayes
Rick Barry
Isaiah Thomas
Karl Malone
Sir Charles
Tiny Archibald
Nate Thurmond
George Gervin
Walt Frazier
Bob Petit
Dave Bing
Bob Cousy

Best list I've seen so far.

1. Micheal Jordan
2. Oscar Robertson
3. Kareem Abdul Jabar
4. Wilt Chamberlein
5. Larry Bird
6. Magic Johnson
7. Kobe Bryant
8. Bill Russell
9. Tim Duncan
10. Julius Erving
11. Moses Malone
12/13. Patrick Ewing / Hakeem Olajuwan (i couldnt decide so they can be interchanged)
14. Karl Malone
15. Jerry West
16. Bob Cousy
17. Pete Maravich
18. Isiah Thomas
19. Scottie Pippen
20. Kevin Garnett

I included active/inactive players and i only did 20

I'm not sure how old you are but take it from a geezer who happens to be a lifelong Knicks fan - Olajuwon >>>> Ewing (and Malone). Otherwise, pretty good - well, except #19...

My list may possibly start some debates but I dont care

1. Michael Jordan
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Bill Russell
4. Magic Johnson
5. Larry Bird
6. Hakeem Olajuwon
7. Shaquille Oneal
8. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
9. Wilt Chamberlain
10. Karl Malone
11. Charles Barkley
12. Isaih Thomas
13. Scottie Pippen
14. Tim Duncan
15. Kevin McHale
16. Oscar Robertson
17. Bernard King
18. Julius Erving
19. Dominique Wilkins
20. Patrick Ewing
21. David Robinson
22. James Worthy
23. Bill Laimbeer
24. World B Free
25. John Stockton

Wow, Kobe @ #2. I love Bernard King, but no. Worthy, Laimbeer and World B. Free? Really?

He (Scottie Pippen) is arguably the greatest small forward of all time; amazing ball handler, amazing perimeter defender, extremely athletic.

All-Defensive 1st Team every season from 1991 to 1999.
All-NBA every season from 91 to 98.

No, he's not.

I'll add my own in a little bit.

[Liquidrob]

oh man, every time I see Pippen on a top 50 list it cracks me up, now seeing him on top 25 lists is just taking it to far

The only top lists Pippen gets on is a top role player list, please stop putting him on this greatest player lists, it is just annoying now

lol @ arguably the greatest small forward of all time, how does that go? Everyone tells you he is not and you are wrong but you keeping saying he is?

[dell71]

Well, I'm probably going to miss a few but here's a shot.

1. Lew Alcindor/ Wilt Chamberlain

This is cheating. Pick one.

And call the man by his legal name.

[dell71]

Yeah, sorry, don't know what I was thinking. Thanks, I fixed it.

Cool. Funny though that "Alcindor" went from a tie for #1 to #16.

[dell71]

hehe, observant. I meant to put Kareem much lower, was just my screwup to begin with. Maybe I'm too young to remember Kareem being that great, and seeing him play as an old man made me biased. He was a much better college player than NBA in my opinion.

Basically Wilt, Kareem, and "Alcindor" went into a blender in my head and resulted in the best player of all time.

It's just that Wilt was the overpowering flavor in my milkshake of insanity.

Very nice piece of writing.

A little on disgusting side but nicely done.

[JeremyHight]

My top 5 would be:

1. Magic Johnson - Was an absolutely amazing player who made everyone around him better and posed the biggest matchup problems of anyone in NBA history. His versatility, size, and ability were unique even by today's standards.

2. Michael Jordan - Arguably the best player ever, but I give the nod to Magic because he played against better talent, IMO.

3. Wilt Chamberlain - Amazing player regardless of his time.

4. Oscar Robertson - Great player, but not a top 3 talent ever IMO.

5. Kareem Abdul Jabar - If not for Wilt, he would be higher, but still a great player.

[Kuzzy Powers]

Michael Jordan
Oscar Robertson
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell
Magic Johnson
Hakeem Olajuwan
Kobe Bryant
Larry Bird
Julius Erving
Kareem Abdul Jabar
Pistol Pete
Tim Duncan
Isiah Thomas
Jerry West
Shaquille O'Neal
Charles Barkley
Karl Malone
John Stockton
Dominque Wilkins
George Gervin
Bob Cousy
Moses Malone
Patrick Ewing
LeBron James (going down much higher)
Jason Kidd (bias pick)

[jeffx]

3. Wilt Chamberlain - Amazing player regardless of his time.

Thank you. I always laugh at these young cats who denigrate Wilt because he played in a different era.

[Senser81]

My list may possibly start some debates but I dont care

1. Bernard King
2. Bill Laimbeer
3. World B Free

Wow. This would be like having Steve Bartkowski, Neil O'Donnell, and Doug Flutie on your top 25 NFL QBs of all-time. Mind-boggling.

[ATL Jones Bro]

Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
Shaquille O'Neal
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell
Hakeem Olajuwon
Magic Johnson
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Oscar Robertson
Scottie Pippen
Tim Duncan
Larry Bird
Julius Erving
Earl Monroe
Jerry West
Elgin Baylor
Bob Cousy
Jason Kidd
Lebron James
Karl Malone
David Robinson
John Havlichek
George Mikan
Willis Reed
Bernard King

:ice:

I'd but Kobe and Shaq near eachother in the #8-12 range. Thats just me.

[Senser81]

that's right.different strokes for different folks.I'm looking at best PLAYERS.and to me,thats all around and dominating.Scottie Pippen re-invented the small forward position IMO,and the dude played LOCK DOWN defense.Larry is great,but I never remember him locking anyone up. To each his own.

Yeah, Bird wasn't an all-around player. I don't remember Magic Johnson locking anyone up. And he wasn't an all-around player, either. Johnson only had 168 triple-doubles, while Pippen had 21.

[jeffx]

Maybe I'm too young to remember Kareem being that great, and seeing him play as an old man made me biased. He was a much better college player than NBA in my opinion.

Are you serious?

[Vinsane]

I like guys defending Pippen, and I'm a huge Pippen homer, there's threads on here with records of that.

Pip makes the top 50, easy.

Pip makes top 25, not top 10 though.

I'd push him as high as top 15, but no higher.

Edit: Had something to add. I started watching basketball in the 90's. I'm only 22. So the Legends of the game? I'm sorry I didn't get to see them. So guys growing up watching Bird and then seeing Pippen I can't make a valid argument against having only seen Scottie Pippen play in my life time vs. catching Bird in his final seasons.