who is the greatest NBA player of all time

[Zigen]

All this arguing is just downright stupid. The OP asked who is the greatest of all time. OF ALL TIME! Not some guy you fanboy over cause he's doing well right now.
All this other shit about rings, who cares, a TEAM gets rings not a single player. That team makes up the team, a single player can't get a ring by himself, it's a team effort so just stop.
Overall isn't about how many rings they have. Or you're all wrong on who's the best http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._championships
It's about stats, that's it.

[jeffhamm]

Lebron is a great player right now but he still has a long way to go before he approaches MJ. Tracy McGrady would have been great too if he was on loaded teams and avoided injuries. Lebron, like DRose and DHoward, rely on athletic advantages over the competition. Once the body starts breaking down they will have to change their games like Jordan did going to the fade away. If they can't then they will be in the same 'What if" category as TMac.

Kobe to me is a little overrated. He was a good player but his numbers don't back up greatness. His highest PER in any season was 28. His career PER is 23.4 and playoff PER is 22.4. Compare that to MJ's best PER of 31.7, Career PER(DC years included) of 27.9, and playoff PER of 28.6. This shows you Jordan stepped his game up when it was go time. Kobe faded. Jordan's 'average' season was as good as Kobe's best season. Kobe made a good career of copying the GOAT.

DWade's numbers are even better than Kobe's at Reg=25.7, Playoffs=24.1, and Best=30.4 Lebron is the closest of current NBA stars right now with Reg=27.2, Playoffs=27.1, and Best=31.7. Can he bring those numbers up as he gets older?

[boredisme9893]

Lebron is a great player right now but he still has a long way to go before he approaches MJ. Tracy McGrady would have been great too if he was on loaded teams and avoided injuries. Lebron, like DRose and DHoward, rely on athletic advantages over the competition. Once the body starts breaking down they will have to change their games like Jordan did going to the fade away. If they can't then they will be in the same 'What if" category as TMac.

Kobe to me is a little overrated. He was a good player but his numbers don't back up greatness. His highest PER in any season was 28. His career PER is 23.4 and playoff PER is 22.4. Compare that to MJ's best PER of 31.7, Career PER(DC years included) of 27.9, and playoff PER of 28.6. This shows you Jordan stepped his game up when it was go time. Kobe faded. Jordan's 'average' season was as good as Kobe's best season. Kobe made a good career of copying the GOAT.

DWade's numbers are even better than Kobe's at Reg=25.7, Playoffs=24.1, and Best=30.4 Lebron is the closest of current NBA stars right now with Reg=27.2, Playoffs=27.1, and Best=31.7. Can he bring those numbers up as he gets older?

but you cant measure the last 2 minutes in stats, thats were Kobe made his career basically. Two minutes left in the game down by a few there is no one else, a prime of his career Kobe, i want the ball to go to.

But Jordan is the best player to ever play in the NBA.

[Deleted]

My opinion, but I am going to say Micheal Jordan.
I used to be his fan when I was a kid, and got a t-shirt of the Bulls back in 1992, when I traveled to the US. (I still have that t-shirt).

[jeffhamm]

Except you can measure it. Kobe made more crunch time shots than anyone since 96-97. He also took twice as many.

Can't Post links

espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/24200/the-truth-about-kobe-bryant-in-crunch-time

Playoff numbers for MJ
chasing23.com/michael-jordan-game-winning-shots/

[SteelSeries-M]

MJ, Not close.

[Bremmon]

Anyone that watched Jordan play will say Jordan Hands down... Kobe a distant second, Lebron not even in the top 5...

I wonder what Jordan could have done with a team full of top tier players like Kobe and Lebron... when Jordan had the ball in his hands he had the attention of every defender on the floor.. Pipen was good because jordan was busy getting double and triple teamed all the time. The rest of the bulls were crap.

[Angryshammy]

Anyone that watched Jordan play will say Jordan Hands down... Kobe a distant second, Lebron not even in the top 5...

I wonder what Jordan could have done with a team full of top tier players like Kobe and Lebron... when Jordan had the ball in his hands he had the attention of every defender on the floor.. Pipen was good because jordan was busy getting double and triple teamed all the time. The rest of the bulls were crap.

Not true of the 2nd 3-peat, Rodman was a DPOY, Kukoc was extremely good, and they set the single season win record. These guys are not even close to the talent of Wade/Bosh, Michael could have very likley gone undefeated with them.

[Lilfrier]

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.

Except we know that rings don't equal greatness. How many scrubs were on the ends of a bench on multiple championship teams? Would you call Robert Horry an all-time great for being a specialist on many teams? Is he a better player than LeBron?

[Vvulf]

Michael Jordan.
Lebron is great, but doesn't have the same leadership skills Jordan had for motivating teammates.

[Mickey58]

I have only seen two players that could dominate another team virtually at will. Two others I have seen in film was Wilt Chamberlin and Oscar Robertson. Robertson is the only player to ever average a triple double in a season.

that aside i would still have to give it to Jordan as the best ever.

[Tillis]

Michael Jordan

[icedwarrior]

It's really difficult for me to say, because, to be frank, I haven't really watched any of MJ's games, nor have I closely looked at his stats. I will, however, state that based upon arguments I have heard in the past, I'd have to go with Michael Jordan. I don't think we can judge Kobe Bryant nor LeBron James until their years into their retirement. It's too early to judge them, although I'm certain that they both will be amazing players, and worthy of discussion.

[Rivv]

I wont go into stats and achievements etc but if you asked (and it has been asked many times) any top athlete, federer, woods, stoner etc who is the greatest sportsperson of all time, they will all say Michael Jordan, with the exception of Ali who will always call himself the best sportperson ever (and he aint far off).
That pretty much sums it up.

Oh and btw all those saying that MJ was all offence and no defence, you must be kidding me, he was feared just as much for his defensive pressure as his offensive, phil jackson himself once said, "It's not the 40 points he scores with such ease, its the 40 points he prevents the other guy from posting that makes the difference."

Jordan hands down
LBJ - Blacktop player, no discernable knowledge of the games raw fundementals, but very entertaining to watch I will admit.

[hulkgor]

Michael Jordan, no doubt what so ever.

LeBron James is the best player currently, but still miles away from the best in history, and probably forever. Kobe Bryant is also a contender for the 2nd spot, as so many others.

[pmgbro]

Is seriously a discussion? Jumpman 23 all day everyday. All the Lebron supporters must've never watched MJ in his prime. He single handedly made basketball a spectacle to watch in the 90's

[Rivv]

For anyone interested that probably didnt grow up in the jordan era and hasnt actually seen a game, I suggest watching the famous "Shot on Ehlo" game, dont just watch that one shot but watch the whole thing, he rips them apart in a way that that LBJ and Kobe could only dream of, from both ends of the court.

But still that shot .....
It is an amazing thing to see an entire oposing team and crowd standing there pointing and yelling at MJ, everone knows he's going to take that shot, everyone, and still no-one can do a thing about it.
Its ridiculous to see that shot in the context and flow of that game.
Stupidly good...

[Alilei32]

Kinda have to do this by position. Theres no such thing as the greatest ever because its a team sport. Thats like saying whos the best NFL player ever Jerry Rice, Emmit Smith, or Joe Montana? In their prime my starting 5 would beat any punk kids these days by at least 100.

Center: Wilt Chamberlin
Guard: Magic
Guard: Jordan
Forward: Tim Duncan
Forward: Larry Bird

Hell my second team will still beat any current younger players by 75.

Center: Patrick Ewing
Guard: John Stockton
Guard: Kobe Bryant
Forward: Charles Barkley
Forward: Karl Malone

I wish that sissy LeBron played during the 90s. I would have paid money to see him do his little pregame powder toss and then watch Barkley put an elbow thru his ear hole.

---------- Post added 2012-08-24 at 06:26 AM ----------

Is seriously a discussion? Jumpman 23 all day everyday. All the Lebron supporters must've never watched MJ in his prime. He single handedly made basketball a spectacle to watch in the 90's

The 90s were the golden age of the NBA and it will never reach that point in popularity ever again, but not just because of Jordan. I mean theres a 100 guys I could probably name that would destroy today's players. Just to name a few:

Stockton
Malone
Olajuwon
Barkley
Pippen
Drexler
Ewing
Larry Johnson
Detlef Schrempf
Alonzo Mourning
Reggie Miller
Mutombo
Hardaway
Grant Hill
David Robinson
Young Shaq
Rodman
Wilkins
Isaiah

[Ausr]

I'm surprised no one has brought up this clip from this movie (bad movie, I know, but still.. it has Segal):




Jordan all the way.

[Deleted]

Is there any other answer then Michael Jordan?

This. Michael Jordan all the way. Nobody is saying the likes of Lebron, Cobey, Wayde(spelling?) are bad but Jordan is a legend