Who's the best basketball player of all time?

Question

Active and non active.

Answer 1

Judging a player by the amount of punishment he received during his playing days is worthless and even if we use it as a gauge, MJ wont be the one coming out on top. It would be Wilt.

No other player has been hacked, shoved or elbowed as much as Wilt Chamberlain especially when he was on his scoring tear with the Warriors. Opposing players, out of frustration, use all manner of physical tactics to try and contain him and the referees allow it believing that the opposing team need help to compensate for Wilt's physical abilities and dominance. In contrast, during Jordan's time, the referees treat him and other superstars with kid gloves; you almost cant stare at Mr. Jordan w/o being called for a foul. Wilt compounded the physical beatings that he receive by not retaliating which in turn encourage to be more rough on him. In contrast, the first time Bill Russell was subjugated to the same type of physical tactics, he punched the guy on the face and that ended it.

Hell Wilt was elbowed on the mouth and the impact shoved several of his lower teeth into the roof of his mouth. He kept playing but was hospitalized after the game. It was there in the hospital, it was found out that he was suffering from acute blood poisoning and it was a considered a miracle that he was still able to stand.

As for the question at hand, the best (as in greatest) basketball player of all time would be Bill Russell. Five MVP's and 11 rings in 13 years. Two of those rings came when he was a player-coach. The man is heads and shoulders above Jordan in terms of accomplishment and we're not yet even comparing NCAA records, otherwise Jordan would be even more outclassed.

At any rate, if your best defense for Jordan's claim as the best/greatest is to qoute mine from other greats who are just being polite especially when talking about their fellow greats (remember Bird making that "God disguised as Michael Jordan" comment and knocking the Bulls in the Playoffs in return?) or that 90% of people blah-blah thinks Jordan is the best while conveniently forgetting the fact that other players with a claim for being the greatest (like Kareem,Russ, Wilt, and especially Oscar) receive a disproportionately less amount of media attention, hence less well-known, it just means you cant present any meaningful argument.

Answer 2

Active Kobe
All Time Jordan

Answer 3

Active: Kevin Garnett
Non active: Michael Jordan

Answer 4

Non - Active and by far the best of all-time : Michael Jordan!

NBA.com:

By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the GREATEST basketball player of all time. Although, a summary of his basketball career and influence on the game inevitably fails to do it justice, as a phenomenal athlete with a unique combination of fundamental soundness, grace, speed, power, artistry, improvisational ability and an unquenchable competitive desire, Jordan single-handedly redefined the NBA superstar.

Even contemporaneous superstars recognized the unparalleled position of Jordan. Magic Johnson said, "There's Michael Jordan and then there is the REST of us." Larry Bird, following a playoff game where Jordan dropped 63 points on the Boston Celtics in just his second season, appraisal of the young player was: "God disguised as Michael Jordan.

http://www.nba.com/history/players/jordan_bio.html

Pat Riley (one of the sport's best tactician):

"In honor of your GREATNESS and for all you've done for the game of basketball -- and not just the NBA, but for all the fans around the world -- we want to honor you tonight and hang your jersey, No. 23, from the rafters," Riley said at midcourt. "No one will ever wear No. 23 for the Miami Heat. You're the best."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/news/2003/04/11/heat_jordan_ap/

Now who are we to question that?

Active: Kobe Bryant


Phil Jackson:

Kobe has to set up the offense, to advance the ball, to read the defense, to make other players happy, and he's doing a great job of that. . . . Kobe's become the floor leader of a team that was looking for that nature of a player, who could not only be a scorer but also be a playmaker and make big plays at critical times. It was very important for him to step into that role that he was envisioned at. I've always held the bar up very high for Kobe, and he's not only reached that bar, he's jumping over the top of it now."

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20010528/ai_n13905119

Answer 5

Lupe = Ray Allen between the main underrated Pharoahe Monch =Karl Malone Talib Kweli = Scottie Pippen Drake = Sam Bowie Lil Wayne= Jr rider Charles Hamilton = Brandon Jennings

Answer 6

Non-active- easily Michael Jordan
Active- Kobe Bryant

Answer 7

Active, Tim Duncun He is a team player, does everything well, and most important, wins.
Non Active Chamberlain, Jordan or Kareem, Take your pick Everyone remembers Kareem taking sky hooks into his 40s, but they forget how dominate he was, even into his mid 30s.

Answer 8

Active - At this point I have to give the nod to Kobe

Non-Active - Wilt

I'm a Bulls fan and LOVE MJ but Wilt is the best of all time imo.

Answer 9

Bill Russell

he won 8 straight championships when Wilt was in his prime in the late 50s and early 60s

He was the only one in the history of the game who could contain Wilt Chamberlain...Wilt was unstoppable but Russell was the only one who came close to getting Wilt work hard for his points

if wilt was the greatest SCORER of all time (averaged 50 points a season) then a guy who could contain him and beat him enough times to win 8 straight titles in a row should be considered the greatest player of all time!

Answer 10

I'd say, both MJs.

!st MJ- of course Michael Jordan! No questions asked, he's the undisputed King of Basketball. No matter what nickname they give to LBJ, MJ is still King.

2nd MJ- Magic Johnson.. He's the Showtime, baby! He's just so great.