The fact that he brought this rag-tag Cavs team to the NBA Finals, the discussion of where LeBron fits into the best ever needs to go down.
By Robby Sabo
Trouble, due to the fact they let a 16 point lead whittle away to Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Double Trouble because of the news surrounding star point guard Kyrie Irving, that he’ll miss the remainder of the 2015 NBA Finals.
It seems to be a familiar narrative for The King – just another round later.
The sole reason LeBron’s legacy has been pushed up a notch the past month and change is due to this so-called “trouble.” He’s taken a group of rag-tag NBA players and misfits (hello J.R. Smith) to the brink of greatness.
He’s done his best Michael J. Fox impression, bringing us back to the year 2007 when he decided to make that Cavs team the worst roster to ever play in the NBA Finals.
Now, eight years later, LeBron faces an even bigger challenge.
With both Kevin Love and Irving gone, and enduring that heartbreaking Game 1 loss which saw James settle for a tough fall-away instead of more appropriately taking it strong to the hole, nobody believes these finals will go further than five.
Regardless, it doesn’t take away from this guy’s greatness.
He’s done more with less than perhaps anybody in the history of the game.
The question we tackle today is quite simple. Where does this guy fit into the 10 greatest NBA players of all-time?
It’s not an easy thing to answer. Nor is it a subject that is brought up and dismissed with a waive of a hand.
Since Michael Jordan, this conversation has created legs longer than giraffes. It’s the one area of NBA history that anybody and everybody thoroughly enjoys to debate.
The question is, has anybody been enough like Mike that we can put him over Mike?
Without further ado, here are the 10 greatest players in NBA history:
[mc4wp_form id=”11262″]
10. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969-89)
We start the list with one of the greatest centers to ever grace the hardwood of an NBA contest, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
With only three centers on our list, this means guys like Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon were forced on the outside. Other tough snubs include “The Logo” Jerry West and Julius “Dr. J” Erving.
Jabbar is the most prolific score in NBA history. His astounding 38,387 career points put him at the top of the list.
He’s a six-time champion (1 with the Milwaukee Bucks and 5 with the Los Angeles Lakers), and his famed Sky-Hook is still the most indefensible move in basketball history.
9. Kobe Bryant (1996-Active)
The list is started with not just one Lakers legend, but two.
Kobe Bryant comes in at No. 9.
In recent times, many include Kobe in the Top 5 ever. The reason he slides to the backend of this list, however, is due to his one-dimensional nature.
A fantastic argument can be made that Kobe was placed in a great position at the right time in the early 2000s. With Shaq and Phil Jackson, those Lakers teams were loaded. He played the Robin to Shaq’s Batman to a tee.
How much did Kobe actually make those around him better? Leadership qualities have also been questioned.
His career 4.8 assists per game and very average .451 field goal percentage are marks that simply hurt his legacy a tad. His 19 career triple-doubles is very disappointing as well.
Having said that, there’s only one person throughout NBA’s history I’d take over Kobe to take that last-second, clutch shot. He was an absolute assassin who never shied away from the big moment, coming through more often than not.
8. Tim Duncan (1998-Active)
The “Big Fundamental” could possibility be the rarest of NBA legends.
Among Tim Duncan’s accolades – which include five NBA Championships, 15 All-Star appearances and two NBA MVP’s – he became the posterboy for that great baller who always deflected attention and went about his business.
“Going glass” once again became a school-yard ritual thanks to Duncan.
The reason he edges Kobe out is quite simple. Sure, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli were phenomenal sidekicks, but aside from David Robinson during the 1999 championship, has he actually played with another bonafide Hall of Famer?
7. Oscar Robertson (1960-74)
If people refer to you as “Mr. Triple-Double,” then you realize you might be a fantastic all-around basketball player.
This is exactly what Oscar Robertson was: phenomenal.
If Robertson played during the 1980s or 90s, then many would have him in the top three of all-time. At the same time though, he only took home one NBA Championship, and that lack of winning success would be heavily scrutinized.
Check out these career marks: 25.7 points, 9.5 assists, 7.5 rebounds and .485 shooting from the floor per game. These marks are just plain silly.
Robertson owns the distinction of holding the most career triple doubles during a career. His 181 in just 14 seasons is 43 ahead of the next closes guy (Magic Johnson).
This guy was entirely too ahead of his time.
6. Wilt Chamberlain (1959-73)
Yes it’s absolutely true. Wilt Chamberlain was the most dominant NBA player we have ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on.
Speaking of “ahead of their time,” Chamberlain fits that mold. He was so disgustingly different that the league was forced to make an abundance of rule changes.
Of course, he holds the single-game record for points in a game with 100, and rebounds in a game with 55.
During the 1961-62 season for the Philadelphia Warriors, the man averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds. Did you hear that? He averaged those stats over the course of 80 games.
His career marks are just as mind-boggling: 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds and a field goal percentage of .540.
There’s just one reason he falls out of the Top 3 and 5.
For some strange reason, Chamberlain disappeared for his team during the biggest of times.
Take Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Championship as an example. Chamberlain dominated Game 6 against the New York Knicks with 45 points.
Then, incredibly in Game 7, he managed only 21 points in a pretty miserable game (for anybody who watched). This was against a Knicks team who was without big-man Willis Reed.
5. Larry Bird (1979-92)
Was there ever a guy who “wanted it more” than Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird?
While many would never throw Bird ahead of Chamberlain, we do it here. Bird wasn’t blessed with the stature and athletic ability some of these other guys possessed. His unwavering will to win is what gets him in the Top 5.
Three NBA Championships, three NBA MVP awards, and a style of play that’ll strike fear into an opponent’s heart is why Bird is one of a kind.
Playing on possibly the best front-line the association has ever seen (Kevin McHale, Robert Parish), Bird not only showcased possibly the best pure shot in the history of the game, he raised the play of every man around him.
Career marks of 24.3 points, 6.3 assists, 10 rebounds per game to go along with a fantastic .496 mark from the floor are just stats that scream outrageous.
Bird is the most ultimate competitor this league has ever seen, doing it during a time of great riches for the NBA.
4. Magic Johnson (1979-1991, 1995-96)
If Larry Bird comes in at the No. 5 spot, then Los Angeles Lakers point guard, and showrunner for the famed Showtime team, Magic Johnson, comes next.
The first half of the 1980s seemed to favor the Celtics. Bird finally took out Johnson in a head to head NBA Finals, and Magic was deemed “Tragic Johnson.”
Then, however, Magic took over the league.
His credits include five NBA Championships, three NBA MVP awards, and three NBA Finals MVP awards.
It’s actually incredible to think about this guy’s style. He couldn’t shoot from the outside, yet he could dominate a basketball game without scoring one point.
That, folks, is the true measure of NBA greatness.
It didn’t stop him from averaging 11.2 assists, 7.2 rebounds and shooting a filthy .520 from the floor for his career.
Magic is the best facilitator this league has ever seen.
3. LeBron James (2003-Active)
Is it irresponsible to place a 30-year old LeBron James over greats such as Chamberlain, Bird, Robertson and Magic?
I don’t think so.
The only question LeBron was forced to face during his young NBA career that seemed to haunt him was the one of winning a championship.
Sure, he left Cleveland when he shouldn’t have. The kid got scared and ran for the surefire championships with his buddies.
It’s just this “take the easy way out” mindset hardened NBA fans hate about today’s league. Could you ever imagine a Larry Bird or Michael Jordan telling the world they’d rather play with the best, instead of beating the best?
Nevertheless, James picked up two of those critical championships.
Everything he does on the court his brilliant, and sometimes, the casual fan doesn’t quite understand due to their interest in only scoring.
EVERYTHING LEBRON DOES ON THE COURT IS BRILLIANT, AND SOMETIMES THE CASUAL FAN CANNOT GRASP THAT.
For how incredible his overall athletic stature is, LeBron’s basketball IQ is that much better. No basketball player has ever been smarter both offensively and defensively.
At only 30-years of age, LeBron has captured two titles and four MVP’s. His 27.3 points, 7 assists, 6.9 rebounds, and .496 field goal percentage marks for his career display exactly how dominant he is.
Not only that, but he regularly guards the best player on the other team. Also, he’s never had a real coach by his side.
Making comparisons to MJ is wrong in the style sense. LeBron fits the mold of an Oscar or Magic more than MJ. Kobe fits the style of MJ (due to his sickly obsession with the guy).
Still, his legacy is right on track with Jordan’s. It also took a while for Jordan to get the right pieces around him before his Chicago Bulls could start reeling off NBA Championships.
The Bad Boys, Lakers and Celtics were always in his way prior to greatness.
If LeBron somehow wins these 2015 NBA Finals, then watch out.
2. Bill Russell (1956-69)
To me, at this very moment, there are only two guys who can be considered the greatest of all-time.
One of them is Bill Russell.
Granted, it’s tough to put a list like this together and thing each era was the same. It’s not even close.
During Russell’s days there just simply wasn’t the competition today’s stars face. Regardless, his 11 NBA titles and eight in a row is something of plain genius.
He is, without any argument, the most prolific winner in the history of American professional sports.
This five-time NBA MVP is second in career rebounds (21,620) and would be first in career blocks if they tracked the stat back in his day.
Russell is most likely the best defensive basketball player in history. Evidence of this is obvious every time you reference a big game when he and Chamberlain went head to head.
Russell owned Chamberlain in these games.
1. Michael Jordan (1984-93, 1995-98, 2001-03)
Did you think it would be anybody else?
Honestly though, the way Michael Jordan is referenced these days, you’d think the man never missed a shot in his life.
To the contrary, he did. He also struggled to win during the first portion of his career. Struggles against Detroit and Boston were real. If Social Media had existed during his era, he’d be discussed and bashed upon just as much as LeBron was prior to his Miami titles.
Jordan missed big shots. He also nailed more than anyone.
The true thing that made this guy great, however, was his unbelievable ability to capture the moment.
When thinking about scenes and memories from the career of all of these guys listed, Jordan has collected the most.
THE THING THAT PUTS MJ OVER THE TOP WAS HIS ABILITY TO “CAPTURE THE MOMENT.”
The “Flu Game,” the “Double-Nickel,” the “Last-Shot against the Jazz,” even his mysterious exit to baseball which many believe David Stern orchestrated beautifully, Jordan has brought us the most memories.
Along with the memories, his uncanny ability to thrive under pressure is what most remember about this guy. His competitiveness matched his skill, smarts and athleticism to form the most perfect of NBA superstars.
Jordan compiled six NBA Championships, six NBA Finals MVPs, and five NBA MVPs. He is fourth in career points with 32,292. More than that, he was efficient with his shots. His .497 career mark from the floor is unbelievable considering some of the tough mid-range, contested shots he thrived on during the back-nine of his career.
All those stats are great fodder, but where he really enters the legend discussion is when the postseason hits.
His 33.4 points per game in the playoffs is the best in NBA history (179 games total).
Michael Jordan will remain the greatest of all-time unless LeBron does something incredible during these 2015 playoffs and adds on to it the next five seasons.