Top 5 NBA players ever

At work we do top 5 list all of the time. About everything so I thought I would start posting some here and letting you guys decide and give your own opinions about my lists. With basketball being my favorite sport I wanted to start with the top five players of all time.

I understand there are going to be arguments on who were better Larry or Magic and things like that, so if you disagree with me, leave a comment and let me know.

This list was based on stats and rings, among a few other things. Let me explain a few things first. Wilt Chamberlin was not on this list simply because I know his stats were awesome but that’s were his greatness ended. When compared to Russell I think he was not that great of a winner. Again this is just my opinion. I will not lie and say this is list is not impartial; I will not hide that fact at all. But I tried my best to make it fair and I think this top five will be accepted among most people.

Here is my list, again feel free to discuss.

5. Larry Bird

He is considered one of the greatest Celtics ever, also known as the basketball Jesus to most of the people in Boston. Not to mention one of the top players from the 80’s. He was a 3 time MVP, 2 time NBA Finals MVP. He was voted to the all star team 12 times. Won 3 championships and won the rookie of the year award in 1980.

While he was considered a great out side shooter he could post you up down low and make you pay inside. I would probably say he was an under rated passer because he was thought of as such a great scorer.

With his rivalry against Magic Johnson he brought new fans to the game and brought the old ones back.

4. Earvin “Magic” Johnson

Larry Bird is quoted as saying that Magic was heads and shoulders above everyone else. “I’ve never seen any one better than him”

As one of the tallest point guards in history, Magic could do it all. He could kill your team in so many ways. He posted your guard up and he blew by your big men. He could pass from anywhere on the court and from any angle. Behind the back, no look, scoop pass, and eyes closed. If it could be done with a ball magic could do it.

He spent 13 seasons with the Lakers, all except for one season was he not an all star. He won an amazing 5 titles, not to mention being voted 9 times to the all NBA team.

3. Oscar Robertson

For some reason when these lists are made, Robertson is left off by so many. I think it might be do to the fact that he only won one title. But I think beyond that he was the best all around player ever.

Playing 14 years in the league where he ended his career with 26,710 points. He is the only player in league history who averaged a triple double for an entire season. What most people do not know, is that he did that in just his second season. He just missed doing it again by one-tenth of a rebound per game in another season. His career stats are absolutely amazing.

• 25.7 points
• 7.5 rebounds
• 9.5 assists
• 44% FG
• 84% FT
• 1 time MVP

2. Bill Russell

If you looked up winner in the dictionary I’m sure you would see the same picture that you are looking at right now. Not only did he win a astonishing 11 titles with the Celtic, but he was the league MVP 5 times. He averaged almost 23 rebounds a game for his career, having a one game where he pulled down 51 rebounds and 49 in two others. He had 12 consecutive seasons with a 1000 or more rebounds. He was a great shot blocker and one of the best defenders the league has seen.

Winning was every thing to Russell, not only as a player but he also got a title as a player-coach. While not the greatest scorer ever, only averaging 15 points a game for his career, some say if the Celtics would have needed him to score he could have easily doubled that average, his drive to win was that high. He would be found in the bath room throwing up before games, because of being so scared to lose. He was voted Greatest Player in the History of the NBA by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America.

1. Michael Jordan

There is not much that I can say that hasn’t been said about Michael a thousand times by other people. The only thing I can say is that he will always be my favorite player ever. He is what made me fall in love with the sport of basketball. I remember me and my brother Dustin watching the 1997 finals and during commercial breaks we would run outside and try our best to look like Jordan, our tongues sticking out, while twisting and contorting our bodies in air as we did our layups against invisible defenders like he did. We wanted to be him; we thought we could be him.

Even today we still talk about him like he’s still playing. Our greatest sports memories came from him. Whether it was him passing the ball to John Paxson to hit the game winning shot in the finals against the Barkley lead Suns, him crying like a baby while holding on to the championship trophy that he won with out his father being there for the first time, or the “flu” game, or even the shot over Byron Russell in the 98 finals. Everyone knows the stats, so I’m just going to leave it at this. Michael made it into more than just game when he played. Every thing was so much more; it was amped up through the roof. He was the greatest of my generation. He was a mixture of all the great players before him, and he leaves shoes that will never be filled.