2007-10-22 19:38:53 · 19 answers · asked by lian_seventeen 1 in Sports ➔ Basketball
Greatest NBA player ever palyed??
Without a doubt. Bill Russell.
11 NBA rings
12 NBA All Star games in 12 full NBA seasons (Russell only played half of his rookie year to be the Captain of the Gold Medal Olympics basketball team)
11 All NBA teams in his first 11 full NBA season... Russell only did not make All NBA in his last and final full season when Russell led an old Celtics team that averaged about 35 years old as far as the starters to the NBA championship over the LA Lakers who had three "Top 50 NBA players in NBA history" in Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Jerry West.
5 NBA regular season MVP awards
1 NBA All Star game MVP award
4 NBA rebounding titles (2 when Chamberlain was in his prime)
Someone indicated here that the undersized 6' 9" center Bill Russell won 11 NBA rings because he did not play against black players... hmmm... there are only something like 70 something NBA players in the Hall of Fame:
Black centers who Russell played against with all of the centers in their prime:
Wilt Chamberlain - Top 50 NBA player and HOF (Russell 7 playoff series - Chamberlain 1 playoff series) (3 NBA MVPs)
Willis Reed - Top 50 NBA player and HOF (2 NBA MVPs)
Nate Thurmond - Top 50 NBA player and HOF
Wes Unseld - Top 50 NBA player and HOF (and center Unseld NBA MVP in one of Russell's NBA championship years)
Zelmo Beatty - HOF
Walt Bellamy - HOF
I am missing one more HOF
non-centers black players who were not too shabby (Top 50 NBA players in NBA history):
Elgin Baylor (Russell 7 playoff series - Baylor 0 playoff series)
Oscar Robertson (Russell 4 playoff series - Robertson 0 playoff series)
Earl Monroe
Hal Greer (black Top 50 NBA players Chamberlain, Greer, and All Star Chet Walker finally beat Russell's team of white All Stars like Sharman, Ramsey, Cousy, Heinsohn, Howell, Havlicek, Seigfried, and sixth man Don Nelson always seem to win because of Bill Russell)
and many others
white players who were not too shabby who played against Russell (like as in Top 50 NBA players in NBA history):
Bob Pettit, center-forward (10 straight First Team All NBA teams - a NBA record, 2 NBA MVPs, 4 NBA All Star game MVPs - a NBA record) (Russell 3 playoff series - Pettit 1 playoff series)
Jerry West (Russell 7 playoff series - West 0 playoff series)
Jerry Lucas, center (Russell 4 playoff series, Lucas 0 playoff series)
Dave DeBusschere
Billy Cunningham
and others
As far as those who say Russell's Celtics was a team of All Stars, but the Celtics never won a NBA title until Russell's rookie year (like Magic and Kareem won a NBA ring as rookies; Jordan took 7 years in the NBA - I guess Magic as a rookie in the 1980s didn't play against any black players or against any "comp" and Magic had a team of All Stars with Kareem and James Worthy etc..., and I guess Kareem as a rookie in the 1970s didn't play against any plack players or against any "comp" and had a team of All Stars including Oscar Robertson as a rookie and later as a Lakers had a bunch of Top 50 NBA players ranging from Magic to James Worthy etc..., etc..., etc...
...but the Celtics dynasty began when Russell was a rookie and ended when Russell retired.
I guess you could say that Bill Russell could paly some ball from his 2 NCAA championships to his 55 game NCAA win streak to his Gold Medal to his 11 NBA rings during center Wilt Chamberlain's prime and center Willis Reed's prime and when center Wes Unseld won the MVP. Almost all of the Top 50 players during the Russell era only to have Russell and his largely white All Star teammates to have Russell win 11 NBA rings.
Bill Russell could paly basketball
2007-10-22 21:05:22 · answer #1 · answered by Score 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell
2007-10-23 03:21:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
after Jordan you can make a case for Russell
Chamberlin or Magic. Or Kareem, althought
Kareem played way too many years.
Russell played pretty much with a team of all stars,
against few black players. Chamberlin did not play
defense or take his career seriously.
So I have to go with Magic Johnson, he simply made
everyone around him better.
2007-10-23 02:49:48 · answer #3 · answered by KING 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Magic Johnson. oh boy this guy could dominate all 5 positions. without a doubt the best all-around player in history. he could do it all, score, shoot, hook shot, dunk, rebound, steal, block, and a great clutch player. a 12-time all-star, 3-time mvp, and 5 time nba champion. imagine if he was not tested positive for HIV...he could have played longer. he was just 33 back then.
2007-10-23 04:00:47 · answer #4 · answered by ^Mark17 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Wilt Chamberlain
2007-10-23 02:42:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
that's a hard question, depends on how you define "greatest," but i gotta say the big O, oscar robertson, has to be up there, especially if you label "greatest" as providing opportunities for a win, i mean AVERAGING a triple double for a whole season! that's unheard of, the closest i've seen is J. Kidd for the playoffs
2007-10-23 03:25:06 · answer #6 · answered by brian l 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Short Answer:
In terms of accomplishment, Bill Russell is greater than Jordan. 5 MVP's and 11 Rings, 2 of which come as a player/coach, in 13 years.
Long Answer:
Lets make one thing clear, it was Russell who carried his Hall of Fame teammates (and coach) and not the other way around.
The Celtics NEVER went to the NBA Finals before Russell even with Hall Of Famers like Coach Auerbach and players like Macauley, Cousy, Sharman, and Ramsey.
Back in the '62 season, Russell took himself out for 4 games and the Celtics lost 4 straight games even with Red Auerbach, Cousy, Sharman, the Joneses, Ramsey and other HoF's.
Back in '69, Russell took himself out for 5 games because of an injury and the Celtics lost 5 straight even with HoF's Sam Jones, Havlicek, Satch Sanders, and Bailey Howell.
The instances that i mentioned are the two worst losing streaks of the Russell-era Celtics. The latter is the worst losing streak of the Celtics since Red Auerbach took over the helm.
When Russell retired after the '69 season, the Celtics went down from 48 wins to 34 and they MISSED the Playoffs even with HoF's such as Havlicek, Sanders, Jo Jo White and Howell. A huge 14 game drop (when Jordan "retired" in '94 the Bulls went "down" from 57 wins to 55. A pitiful 2 game drop. And the Bulls played Game 7 with the Knicks on the Second Round).
And the modest 48 wins that the Celtics garnered during the '69 season is the lowest number of wins that the Celts have during the Russell -era and occured only because Russell spent a lot of time in the injured list and/or recovering.
The Celtic dynasty started with Bill Russell. He prevented a slew of talented and deserving players in his era (both black and white, anyway race has zero bearing in b-ball talent) from winning rings.
Not that Russell wins only because he has talented teammates. He also lead a bunch of local boys, "a playground pick up team" from USF to back to back NCAA championships and a 55 game winning streak.
How come Jordan COULD NOT lead a school with a rich winning tradition like UNC, into the Final Four during his junior and senior years even though he have great teammates (like Sam Perkins and Brad Daugherty) and a great coach (Dean Smith)?
Jordan won an NCAA championship during his sophomore year as a Robert Horry-role player, riding on the coattails of the team's real star James Worthy. While Jordan's shot with 16 sec. left (not exactly a game winner) gave them the lead, it was Worthy's crucial steal in the dying seconds that sealed the win.
_____________________
Ah but i know my basketball. I for one know that stats tell an incomplete picture of a player's impact.
Russ a "prolific scorer"? When did i claimed that? In college? Probably but in the NBA, hell no 'cept for some instances (like his 30pts explosion in game 7 of the 1961 NBA Finals). .
*cuts and paste*
Russell's less than stellar scoring output is due to the fact that Red Auerbach put him in a defensive and rebounding role on the team and the corresponding neglect made his offensive skills dull. In college, Russ averaged 20 pts. with a 52FG%. As a Celtic, Russ averaged only 15pts with a 44FG% as the team's 3rd scoring option. His offensive skills dulled in the Celtics due to neglect but hey its for the good of the team. At any rate, the two main scoring options, Havlicek and Sam Jones also has the same FG% as Russell.
2007-10-23 02:51:38 · answer #7 · answered by MyKill 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Jordan
2007-10-23 02:40:26 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
the other MJ, magic johnson. he had so many skills on the court including great vision and passing, clutch shooting, rebounding, and leadership. there are others as well that could be in the conversation, guys like bird and russell, but to me Magic would be the guy i would go with.
2007-10-23 12:54:46 · answer #9 · answered by asg_is_chillin 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Bill Russel
2007-10-23 04:23:38 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Bill Russell. 11 NBA rings.
2007-10-23 02:47:33 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋