who is the greatest nba player 2 ever live?

Question

only answer this if u accually no wat ur talking about!this does not exclude any1 from the 40s to now

Answer 1

Jordan is the most over-hyped player ever, but he's not the best baskeball player ever.

Wilt Chamberlain totally owns the record books...Most 40, 50, 60, 70 point games, the only 100 pt game in NBA history, the greatest rebounder of all time, the only non-guard ever to lead the league in assists, greatest defensive force of all time (along with Bill Russell)... he retired 33 years ago, and still has more 60 point games than everyone else in the history of the NBA combined... he's the most durable player ever, averaging 45.8 min/game over his career, including playing 48.5 min/game in one season (sat out only 8 minutes all year, played a lot of OT minutes).

Jordan's career scoring average is the highest ever (it's 30.11 ppg , Wilt is 2nd with 30.06 ppg, both round to 30.1). Jordan's average is higher because he shot a lot more... they both played about the same number of games, but Jordan took more than 1,000 more shots than Wilt did, despite the fact the Jordan played almost 7,000 FEWER minutes.

Another reason Jordan's career scoring average is marginally higher than Wilt's is because Jordan had the advantage of knowing when to quit in order to keep his average the highest...

Also, Wilt retired while he was still a star in the league, having led the NBA in rebounding as a 36 year old in 1973... Jordan's 'comeback' with the Bullets was a joke...and Wilt was such a phenominal athlete that he was still receiving serious offers from NBA teams for 15 years after he retired (from the Bulls, Lakers, 76ers, Nets and a few others)...

Jordan won 5 MVPs, but that's not a record, Kareem won six...Russell also won 5, competing directly with Wilt, who won 4 himself.

People say Jordan's the best because he won 6 rings, as if THAT were some kind of record...it's not...not even close... Russell won 11 rings in a 13 year career (would have won more, but he went to college for four years, winning back to back NCAA championships as well)...

Sam Jones won 10 rings as Russell's teammate, and is as good a clutch shooter as has ever played the game...only problem is, there was no ESPN around to talk about him...

John Havlicek won 8 rings, 6 with Russell and 2 others with Dave Cowens... again, his championships surpass Jordan's total.

Jordan is more hyped by ESPN than any player ever to play the game, but there's really no argument to make for him being the greatest ever (especially calling him the best ever without question)...

There are eight players who have some argument to be called the greatest player in NBA history..they are:

Wilt
Shaq
Russell
Jordan
Kareem
Bird
Magic
Oscar Robertson

Magic won 5 rings, competing against much tougher competition during the 80s...including Bird's Celtics and the Erving/Malone 76ers...

Wilt is probably the greatest player ever, considering that he could dominate a game with his scoring, rebounding, defense and passing, all at the same time... he's the only player ever to record over 20 pts 20 rebounds and 20 assists in the same game.

Unless you're going to have a free-throw shooting contest, Wilt would dominate Jordan in every category, even passing, as Jordan never led the league in assists.


To "Know 3"... since you like quotes, allow me to quote Bill Walton, from his book, "Nothing But Net"...

"Jabbar was the very best player I ever played against... I never played agaiints Wilt or Russell, but I did face Jordan, Bird and Magic, and it was no contest."

There ya go! Kareem was better than Jordan... Walton was correct.

Also, Dominique Wilkins was a better in-game dunker than Michael. Jordan beat Dominique in a slam dunk contest HELD IN CHICAGO, which means nothing.

Answer 2

Sorry folks...Michael Jordan is NOT the greatest ever. He might not even be in the top ten.

The greatest player of all time is LARRY BIRD, followed by Magic, Wilt, Bill Russell, Kareem, and Oscar Robertson. These are the ONLY players who have a legitimate claim to that title.

Bird could do everything on the court. He was probably the greatest passing forward of all time, a tremendous rebounder, had incredible court vision, and one of the best clutch shooters in history. People make a big deal about his long range shooting ability, but he was just as dangerous in the low post. He could score from anywhere. at anytime he wanted.

What seperated Bird from MJ was his willingness to involve his teammates, and to make them better. That's why the Celtics won games and championships. Jordan tried to do everything himself, and died trying most of the time.

In his final year of college, he took an otherwise average team and turned them into winners, going 33-0 before losing to Magic's Mich. State in the championship.

He joined a Celtics team, which had won only 29 games the year before, and turned them into 60 game winners, and world champions in only his second season. It took Jordan 7 years before he won 60 games. Heck, it was in his 4th year that he even broke the .500 mark. Hardly what I would call dominance. By Bird's 7th year, he had already won 60 games 6 times, and three championships!

Wilt Chamberlain was probably the most dominant player of all time, but in terms of overall, all around greatness, I'd give the edge to Larry Bird.

BTW...Why don't you ask the people who say Michael Jordan, to back it up with some sort of reason why? I'd love to hear why they think he's the greatest.

Answer 3

That is a good question and not an easy one to answer.

I will say Wilt Chamberlain over Michael Jordan but they were very different players.

Wilt was the best big man ever to play the game and I don't think you can win consistently without a good big man in the middle.

He could score almost at will and was a great rebounder and passer as well.

He averaged over 50 pts. per game for an entire season and also led the league in assists in another year.

Before he joined the NBA he played one season with the Globetrotters as a guard just to sharpen his ball handling skills.

Jordan was great and also the most exciting player ever IMO but I would take Wilt first if I was a GM and both of them were available.

They are the two best ever IMO but there were also a lot of other great players.

Answer 4

Michael Jordan Without a doubt who is the only name that comes up in all of this questions
Best Dunker?
Best Scorer?
Best defender?
Best Clutch?
Best Ball Handles?

MICHAEL JORDAN
And for all the people saying Wilt and Russel. Not taking anything from them but that played during the leagues younger years were all the talent was on one team. Neither of them had great team gunning after them as MJ did: Jazz Stockton and Malone, Pistons Isiah Thomas("Jordan Rules"), Suns Barkley, New York Patrick Ewing, Indiana Reggie Miller (great fight between them)
Celtics Larry Bird
"There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us." Larry Bird

Answer 5

Jordan
honorable mentions: Bob Cousy, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain

Answer 6

::::::::::: MICHAEL JORDAN ::::::::::::
He is a living legend and proves he is the greatest from all the feats he has overcome. He has came from practically low income family to one of the most successful businessmen. On the court, he has numerous championship rings, league leading awards, mvp's, and consistent. Michael Jordan changed the game and was so far ahead of our time that he dominated the court, doing what he wanted and overachieving our expectations. His specialty was FLYING, but he also had an areas such as steals, field goal percentage, clutch performance, and being him. He out shines any other player EVER, because all others had one or two things that made them important. Jordan now is a household name and probably as recognized as McDonalds and CocaCola.

Answer 7

Michael Jordan.

Answer 8

Greatest player, Micheal Jordan.

Runners up (in no particular order):
Magic, Kobe, Russell, Wilt, Kareem.

Answer 9

Michael Jordan.

Answer 10

Wilton Norman Chamberlain

Answer 11

Harlem Globe Trotters