who is the greatest NBA player of all time

[Sand Person]

jordan. 6 rings and his mvp seasons.

[Jibjabb]

I'm a huge LeBron fan, and even I have to admit that Jordan is overall a much better player than LeBron James. He's a better shooter, a better scorer, and has more basketball IQ. LeBron is a better defender and a MUCH more explosive athlete, but that can't carry a team the way Jordan did for many years. We'll see what the future holds for LeBron, but right now I think he's in that second tier of the greats with players like Kobe and Kareem. Jordan is in a tier of his own.

Im sorry Jordan was a much better lock down defender than Lebron ever was. He could take players right out of the game. He won DPOTY and made all those Defensive Teams for a reason. He also led the league in steals 3 times, something Lebron never did. You can also throw in hes 6-0 in the Finals, Lebron is 1-2 and played terribly in the 2 they lost then left his team to get more "help" something Jordan never did. Jordan played 13 seasons with the Bulls and the lead the league in scoring in 10 of those. What Lebron has on Jordan is size, strength, blocks, and court vision.

[smelltheglove]

magic johnson. he was far more than a scorer (although he could do that too), he made everybody on his team better

[iceberg265]

Michael Jordan, obviously.

There have been many players that were more physically gifted than him, but no one had the drive and the will to win that he had. He didn't just want to win, he wanted to destroy you. And he did.

Jordan worked his ass off to become the greatest player ever. If Jordan had been born with the physical gifts someone like Lebron was born with, he would have literally never lost a game.

[Skarsguard]

Im sorry Jordan was a much better lock down defender than Lebron ever was. He could take players right out of the game. He won DPOTY and made all those Defensive Teams for a reason. He also led the league in steals 3 times, something Lebron never did. You can also throw in hes 6-0 in the Finals, Lebron is 1-2 and played terribly in the 2 they lost then left his team to get more "help" something Jordan never did. Jordan played 13 seasons with the Bulls and the lead the league in scoring in 10 of those. What Lebron has on Jordan is size, strength, blocks, and court vision.

Jordan also had Pippen,Kerr,and Rodman and Jordan coudn't get his first ring till he was 29. I'm not a Lebron fan but he really had crap on his team those years that he was with the Cavs. I know I know everybody thinks Jordan is a saint and Lebron is the biggest douche bag in the world but really Jordan was/is a dick. Did you all not hear his HOF speech it spend most of it talking shit about other people instead of the great things he did also I remember some adultery and gambling troubles in his career as well. I know its not about off court things that make a NBA player great but a lot of people hold grudges about Lebron about things he does/did off court like the decision.

[Seranthor]

I use to watch this guy play as a teenager while he was in the height of his career ...it was a thing of beauty .



Career accomplishments:

- basketball Hall of Fame
- member of six NBA championship teams
- fourth all-time in field goals made in NBA history
- fourth all-time in free throws made in NBA history
- eighth all-time in free throws attempted in NBA history
- second all-time in steals in NBA history
- third all-time in points in NBA history
- first all-time in points per game in NBA history
- third all-time in steals per game in NBA history
- 14-time NBA All-Star
- Rookie of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
- five-time NBA MVP
- six-time NBA Finals MVP
- All-Rookie Team
- 11-time All-NBA selection
- nine-time All-Defensive Team selection

"Mentally and physically the greatest player to ever lace them up. Period." - Jeff Fox

Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

[AlthalusStone]

Atm I don't think it makes much sense to even have Lebron in this argument. You can't make this kind of judgement till you see the totality of a players career. So in that regards anyone still an active player in the NBA shouldn't be considered.

With that in mind, MJ would have to be my pick, most amazing player I have seen play the game.

[Boogums]

Michael Jordan.

[Jibjabb]

Jordan also had Pippen,Kerr,and Rodman and Jordan coudn't get his first ring till he was 29. I'm not a Lebron fan but he really had crap on his team those years that he was with the Cavs. I know I know everybody thinks Jordan is a saint and Lebron is the biggest douche bag in the world but really Jordan was/is a dick. Did you all not hear his HOF speech it spend most of it talking shit about other people instead of the great things he did also I remember some adultery and gambling troubles in his career as well. I know its not about off court things that make a NBA player great but a lot of people hold grudges about Lebron about things he does/did off court like the decision.

Jordan was a much bigger jerk to teammates and others than Lebron ever was. Lebron is usually a everybody love me lets all have a good time type of guy. His personal problems stemmed from his self-entitlement that he got, fueled by being told hes the King and the best constantly. He was never cold blooded like MJ was. Kobe is more similar to MJ in personality, he can get after teammates in a harsh fashion. But what came with that assholeness was also his severe desire to win and be the best, which Lebron has lacked for a majority of his career. Does he have it now? IDK he does seem a little more humbled than in the past which is a good thing. I still dont like the guy but ya, he seems to be trying to not be like a spoiled brat anymore

Ofc none of this has anything to do with best player of all time and if I had to pick someone not named Jordan it wouldnt be Lebron I can tell you that much. I still see the gap between Jordan and second place as so wide that I dont even see the purpose of this discussion. What he did in the era he did it in was unparalleled. Has nothing to do with me being from Chicago (Karl Malone was my favorite player when I was a kid oddly enough) hes just the flat out best, all there is to it.

[Deleted]

Greatness in the NBA seems to be measured by rings. On that premise alone, only one man can be called the greatest ever.

BILL RUSSELL

Nobody in ANY sport in the United States, ANY, comes even remotely close to his eleven titles. When you have more rings than fingers, you are the greatest.

Henri Richard of the Montreal Canadiens won 11 Stanley Cups. He's canadian tho but it's still a North American league.

[Fahrenheit]

Greatness in the NBA seems to be measured by rings. On that premise alone, only one man can be called the greatest ever.

BILL RUSSELL

Nobody in ANY sport in the United States, ANY, comes even remotely close to his eleven titles. When you have more rings than fingers, you are the greatest.

Yogi Berra has 10 rings and missed a couple more by a game or two. A number of Yankees from the 40s-60s have 7+ rings.

---------- Post added 2012-08-21 at 01:16 PM ----------

If Jordan had been born with the physical gifts someone like Lebron was born with, he would have literally never lost a game.

I don't think so. The reason why Jordan was go great was because of his work ethic. Don't get me wrong he was gifted as well, but not as gifted as say Lebron. If he was given a "silver spoon" from moment he was born he wouldn't have developed the otherworld intensity then was his trademark.

He had the perfect amount of natural ability, if he had more, he may never have strived to improve the amount he did. If he had less, he wouldn't have never become the dominating player he was.

[sheffield]

yeah, the number of championships defining greatness is vastly overrated..

you're telling me that Malone, Stockton, Barkley & Ewing were all scrubs right?
Ted Williams was a scrub by that estimation..

[MasterOfNone]

michael jordan? is there any other answer i mean really?

[gzathegenius]

i didnt read all of the thread. i know MJ is the obvious answer. but what about Oscar Robertson? hes the only player to avg a triple double

[sheffield]

michael jordan? is there any other answer i mean really?

if you actually watched basketball before the 90's.. sure there are

[Deleted]

Michael Jordan, no doubt about it, for now. I mean as I watch NBA all you can see and hear about are LeBron James and Kevin Durant. And if you think about the fact, that Kevin Durant is 24 years old, and LeBron James is 28 years old and they are both so consistent in all aspects of the game, maybe one of them could be the best player of all times in the future.

[KDSwain]

Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Any other answer is wrong.


/thread closed

[sapphon23]

Skill wise greatest ever is definitely Lebron James.

But greatest ever is still Michael Jordan.

If Kobe Bryant surpasses Jordan in rings the next few years, I'd say Kobe is on the same level.

I created an account specifically to reply to this post...

Lebron James is all hype. 1 ring, being dragged through the season and finals by Dwayne Wade, who just so happens to be a better player.

There is no competition between Jordan and Lebron, in any skill set. Passing, scoring, dunking, defense, team work, hard work, competitiveness. Lebron James is a joke and wouldnt come off the bench in the 80's/90s. Anyone who thinks James is in the same league as Jordan is A) Retarded B) From Miami C) Doesnt Follow Basketball or D) all three.

[Gotjuice]

MJ because its about how he closed the game in the last 5 minutes. I've never seen a player with such desire for greatness.

[Googolplex]

Micheal Jordan, end of story.