The GOAT debate revived
Two heavily-opinionated lists of all-time basketball greats have stirred up the debate of who is the greatest basketball player of all time once again. The undying argument was first resurrected on Nov. 11, when Shaquille O’Neal posted a “G.O.A.T. Pyramid” on social media. In a graphic he published (but claims he did not create), is a visual tally of which level various NBA greats should be at. Needless to say, the rating ruffled feathers among players and riled fans of those believed to have been ranked too low.
The loquacious retired former NBA Most Valuable Player shared the five-tier image which sits Michael Jordan alone at the zenith (Tier 1). Then it places himself, Kobe Bryant, Bill Russell, Kareem AbdulJabbar and Magic Johnson on Tier 2. Meanwhile, Tier 3 includes center Wilt Chamberlain and a handful of forwards: Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. At this point, James fans are upset that he isn’t ranked higher. Steph Curry fans are complaining that he’s only on Tier 4. And Hakeem Olajuwon fans are raising hell because he’s not even included. (Olajuwon beat out O’Neal for the league MVP award in the 199394 season. Hmm.)
If this list is indeed fan-made, they would explain the flaws. However, this writer strongly disagrees as well. First of all, there are several categories to consider in estimating greatness. Wilt Chamberlain was in six NBA Finals in 14 years. He won two (with the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers) and lost in the Finals twice each to the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, partly because he had inferior teams or poor coaching. He lost multiple Game 7s because of this, staining his status. (Decades-long NBA broadcast statistician Elliott Kalb has pointed out that Chamberlain deserves more consideration precisely due to this reason.) This writer concurs that he should at least be in the same conversation as Michael Jordan, who is also favored because of recency bias.
The same goes for Bill Russell. The Boston Celtics captain was integral to 11 championship campaigns in 13 years, including as playing-coach. (He could have won a 12th had an ankle injury not kept him out of the start of the 1958 finals.) Consider also other factors. First, Russell entered the NBA after the 1956 draft. The league only started cataloguing blocked shots in 1973. Think about those stats that are lost to history (including other players like Chamberlain’s). Secondly, Russ subjugated his abilities for the good of the team. He allowed his teammates to shine, another rare ability. Third, though there were less teams in the league in his era, this only meant that the Celts played Chamberlain, Willis Reed and other formidable opponents more often. For my money, Russell and Chamberlain deserve a seat at the table with Jordan.
Meanwhile, one week ago, the LA Times released a list of “75 Greatest Lakers players.” The periodical’s totem pole has the following in its top 10: Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Kareem AbdulJabbar, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, George Mikan, James Worthy, and Wilt Chamberlain. Anthony Davis is already listed at number 18, above Derek Fisher and NBA ironman AC Green. Ludicrous.
Obviously, the list values most the players who played exclusively for the Los Angeles franchise throughout their careers (Magic, Kobe). Worthy was a great post player, but was predominantly Johnson’s receiver on the fastbreak. And how on earth has Davis surpassed Green’s achievements? If the ranking was designed to annoy real basketball fans, mission accomplished. The debate continues.