NBA Top 10 Players

T(Part2)

HERE will always be contentions in any subjective countdown like this, especially in a team sport. If this were golf or swimming, there would be less to consider.

For basketball, there is a combination of both individual and team success, and even then, there are questions on the contribution. Bill Russell was the best player on the most championships, but he had a stellar team behind him, which gave the impression that he had an “easier” career. It does not hurt his legacy and definitely not his fault, but part of an athlete’s narrative is how they overcame the struggle.The top three are definitely the greatest individual talents who have also led their teams to levels of success. LeBron James has often been chided for his losing Finals record, but he lost to some great teams. The Golden State Warriors were probably the 60s Boston dynasty of modern times, so in that context, going 1-3 against them is not so bad. No.6 Larry Bird

There will be huge critics for still putting off Wilt, but Larry Bird was the heart and soul of a beloved dynasty in the 80s, and the only reason why they did not win a ton of titles was because a greater dynasty was right beside them.

Larry was no slouch either, bringing the Celtics back to their winning ways in his first season. He consistently averaged over 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in an era when centers dominated the game. He took three consecutive MVPs in 1984-1986, winning two of their three titles in that stretch. But he was runner-up to Moses Malone in 1982 and 83, which means he almost won five straight MVPs.

Bird and Magic were simply the best rivalry in basketball.

No.7 Wilt Chamberlain

There is no question for Wilt being here, the only question is why only 7th. He is a force of nature and posted the most dominant individual stats. 100 points in a game, averaging 50 points a season and 25 rebounds a game.

Again, if this were golf or tennis, Wilt would be up there. Questions about his ability to be a team player, not being able to make his teammates better and the contrast with the consummate winner, Bill Russell hurt his legacy. He has the least championships among everyone in this pantheon, when he is probably the most physically gifted to play the game for his era. That makes him somewhat an underachiever, but these are the breaks of the game, and Russell being in a better organization resulted in considerably a more treasured legacy. Yes, there is luck involved, as illustrated by the next three entries. No.8 Kobe Bryant

The controversy here is placing him over Tim Duncan, at the risk of being accused of being biased or simply paying tribute. They both have five championships, and they practically played in the same eras, crossing each other’s paths numerous times, but they each had their era of dominance.

Think about this: from 1999 to 2014, the West trophy was taken by either the Lakers or Spurs 13 of 16 times, and they won 10 championships between them.

Kobe entered the Lakers with much fanfare, and he eventually played with Shaquille O’ Neal, but after Shaq left, Mamba mentality took over. Kobe took on much more adversity than Timmy. It’s not TD’s fault to be in the better organization, but in this case, Kobe achieving similar success is telling.

No. 9 Tim Duncan

Duncan has more MVPs (2) and Finals MVPs (3) than Kobe, but he had the stability of the Spurs behind him, even ushering in the new superstar before he left. The post-Shaq Laker rosters weren’t exactly trainwrecks, but the Spurs were designed to compete consistently, as compared to what Kobe had to deal with.

No.10 Shaquille O’ Neal

Like Wilt, dominant but lacked the assertiveness to rise higher in the top 10. Other lists have Hakeem or Oscar Robertson over him and Kobe, but that’s just Laker hate. They deserve to be here.

How about your countdown? Did ESPN get it right?