Who's your Top 5 NBA players of all time ?

[TopCatCal]

My Top 5 are

LeBron James
Larry Bird
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Magic Johnson
Michael Jordan

I believe former LSU coach Johnny Jones could win with this lineup.

 

[BigBoyBlueMMA]

Le'Bron
Michael Jordan
Stilt Chamberlin
Bill Russell
Larry Bird

 

[GonzoCat90]

I think most would agree with your top five if we're just talking best/greatest 5 players and not going by position.

Just outside the top 5 you've got that next tier of Duncan, Wilt, Russell, Oscar, Kobe, West, Hakeem where things start to get a little more debatable.

I'm also sure people in this thread will argue for Russell or Wilt in the top 5. They'll be wrong, but they'll argue it.

 

[Wallins creek Cat]

Wilt, Irving, Gervin,Magic,Jordan... Bird , Oscar Robinson off the bench

 

[Wallins creek Cat]

Oh I forgot Bill Russell

 

[JHannibalSmith]

Michael Jordan
Magic Johnson
Larry Bird
Oscar Robertson
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/LeBron James

 

[Ryan Lemonds Diary]

Jordan (GOAT so what else can be said)
LeBron (He isn't my favorite but definitely top 5)
Chamberlain (He average 30 PPG and 23 RPG for his career.... let that sink in for a moment)
Jabbar (6 Championships and 6 MVP's)
Bird (One of the best overall players in the NBA and even Magic said so)

 

[Ryan Lemonds Diary]

I think most would agree with your top five if we're just talking best/greatest 5 players and not going by position.

Just outside the top 5 you've got that next tier of Duncan, Wilt, Russell, Oscar, Kobe, West, Hakeem where things start to get a little more debatable.

I'm also sure people in this thread will argue for Russell or Wilt in the top 5. They'll be wrong, but they'll argue it.

Why would they be wrong on Wilt?

 

[KYNC89]

MJ, Magic, Bird, Lebron, the big O.

 

[BigBlueFanGA]

MJ
Lebron
Russell
Bird
Magic

 

[jwhite123]

MJ
LeBron
Kareem
Magic
Bird

 

[drew_ukfan]

Bill Russell
Larry Bird
Michael Jordan
Lebron James
Wilt Chamberlain

 

[JonathanW]

Top 5, and best 5 as a team, aren't necessarily the same group.

My top 5: Jordan, Wilt, LeBron, Bird, Kareem
My starting 5: Robertson, Jordan, LeBron, Bird, Wilt

 

[king of cali]

1. Jordan
2. Kareem
3. LeBron
4. Magic
5. Russell

 

[shidler]

Jordan
Wilt
Oscar
Magic
Russell

 

[usinfantrycat85]

Kobe, mj, shaq, pistol pete..amd magic

 

[JwUKFan11]

LeBron
MJ
Kareem
Magic
Bill

 

[true blue1]

Magic
Jordan
Shaq
Bird
Hakeem the Dream

 

[BBUK]

Sigh...

Wilt
Michael
Kareem
Magic (Too short a career but he was gold.) or Bird
Russell

 

[ORCAT]

Chamberlain
Kareem
Russell
Jordan
Robertson

not including LeBron cuz his career is still in progress but he would have to be up there if you include today's stars.

 

[rick64]

G: Magic Johnson
G: Michael Jordon
F: LeBron James
F: Larry Bird
C: Kareem Abdul Jabber

 

[mustnotsleepnow]

G: Magic Johnson
G: Michael Jordon
F: LeBron James
F: Larry Bird
C: Kareem Abdul Jabber

This is should be end of discussion if we're going by position

 

[drcats2013]

MJ, Lebron, and Magic should be on every list. Then it gets tough. Do you add Wilt, Jabbar, Shaq, Russell, Hakeem? Personal preference on any of those, IMO. Then you have one more guy. Larry Legend, The big O, Dr J, Karl/Moses Malone, Tim Duncan. So many others you could make a case for. Me personally, and in Order: MJ, Magic, Lebron, Jabbar, Larry Legend.
Edit: subject to change. Lebron could climb.

 

[Ben101er]

Why would they be wrong on Wilt?

Younger folks, who never saw Wilt play, think that he averaged big numbers playing in an earlier era. He played a team game. If he played today, and wanted to put up numbers, he would dominate a game. He was that good, and his game, along with his athleticism would translate to today's game, very well. In fact, he would be better today, than he was in his time, since he would not be discriminated against, by the referees. Defenses were allowed to push and shove him, without a lot of calls, simply because the referees thought that was the only way to keep it a fair game.

 

[BBUK]

This is should be end of discussion if we're going by position

Not Hardly...

 

[North Carolina Blue Wildcat]

This is should be end of discussion if we're going by position

I think this one is better....Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Bill Russell

 

[kev69]

Bird
Stockton
Jordan
Jabbar
Karl Malone

 

[JFCats22]

LBJ
MJ
Wilt
Bill Russell
Magic

 

[Mojocat]

I agree with several others, top 5: Bird, Magic, Jordan, LeBron, Kareem.

Aside: the other day I was looking at the NBAs Greatest 50 Players of All Time (from the 50th anniversary, in 1996). 26 of the 50 played at least part of their careers in the 1980s (including 2, I think, whose last season was 1979-80).

 

[JimboBBN]

Magic
Jordan
LeBron
Bird
Shaq

I would win 10 out of 10 against any other combo with this team.

 

[RondoBaller21]

Magic
Jordan
Bird
Duncan
Russel

 

[GonzoCat90]

Im sorry, but there's zero metric where Kareem isn't top 5. That's like leaving Jordan off. Talent, stats, winning, impact, name it. He's top three, at worst.

 

[GonzoCat90]

Why would they be wrong on Wilt?

Because he's not one of the five greatest players of all time. Not now that LeBron is firmly in the top 5.

 

[HoldMyBeer]

Jordan
Kobe
Lebron
Kareem
Magic

 

[DevilFan1989]

PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: LeBron James
PF: Tim Duncan
C: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

 

[Bluegrassking]

Big O
Wilt
Kareem
Jordan
Bill Russell

 

[brian5562]

Lebron
Jordan
Shaq
Bird
Magic or Kobe

 

[Hoopcatjc]

Bird
Stockton
Jordan
Jabbar
Karl Malone

Thank you ! Everyone forgets Karl Malone, the NBA's second all-time leading scorer and the best power forward to ever play the game.
Shaq
Karl Malone
Lebron
MJ
Oscar Robertson

 

[Deli owl]

My fav
Pg Labron
SG Jordan
SF Dominique
PF Duncan
C Shaq

 

[JoeBeeHall]

I have to put Bill Russell into the mix he had 11 ELEVEN championships .

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

Of the ones I've seen

Jordan
James
Bird
Bryant
Johnson