1) tim duncan -who won with no great player, he is bomb
2) michael jordan
3) bill russell
4) magic johnson
5) kobe bryant
Tim Duncan? really? So David robinson wasn't any good? He just went to the HOF.
Manu, Tony Parker, Robert Horry, ect
They weren't Magic, Larry great, but great role players.
Here's my 5
1. Michael Jordan
2. Magic Johnson
3. Kareem
4. Wilt Chamberlain
5. Jerry West, If Kobe gets #5 then he makes my 5!
when robinson left how many championships he won 3, when shaq left how many bryant won 1, jordan always needed pippen, sorry duncan is greatest, also smartest he went to college for 4 yrs something jordan,kobe,bird,and magic never did,
You keep talking about how Duncan has won five NBA championships. Maybe you can tell us about this phantom fifth championship since the Spurs have only won four. Duncan won two with Robinson and two after he retired, not three. And for the record, Larry Bird did go to college for four years.
to everyone on board BRING IT ON.
the talent Duncan played with. Your implying Duncan played with some scrubs. lol
Like I said Manu, Parker are very good players.
How many rings after Shaq for Kobe remains to be seen!
Duncan played with players that took over the game when he couldn't.
Bird had mchale,Parrish,Dennis Johnson,ainge
Oscar Robertson was my choiced for #1 then, and he is the choice now. Any top five list for the NBA also includes Elgin Baylor.
more people would pick "The Big O"
Oscar Robertson was an amazing player. he is right up there with the all-time greats
Number 1 on every list should be Bill Russell.
Anyone else is just favotite player(s)!
btw;
Robinson was not a great player??!!??
Jordan didn't win anything till they surrounded him with players (50+ points against the Celtics............and lost!).
The man won 11 (ELEVEN!) World Championships!
8 EIGHT, yes everyone 8 IN A ROW!
He won 2 NCAA Championship (in a row)
and,
A Gold Medal in the 1956 Sydney Australia Olympics.
He consistently out rebounded Wilt Chamberlain in head to head match-ups. In fact he gave Wilt fits. Chamberlain himself said he never enjoyed the head to head matchup against Russell because he kept him from doing what he wanted. In the 68 or 69 Finals Wilt pulled up with a phantom injury and took himself out of the game. In a deciding game!
Russell revolutionized the game and how big men played the game. Before Russell big men were taught to never leave their feet. They didn't even know what a blocked shot was in early 50's
Anyone who doesn't have Russell very prominent in top 5 list simply has no credibility. All they're doing is showing how little they really know about NBA history and who had the greatest impact on the game.
-- Modified on 5/30/2010 12:11:01 PM
JORDAN WON 6 IN A ROW, IF HE DIDNT RETIRE IT WOULD BE 8 TO 9.
Three is row twice is not the same thing as six in row. And even if he had won six. Thats still 2 less than Russell's eight in arrow, ELEVEN total!
Oh, and did I fail to mention that the last two years of Russell's career he was the Player/Coach! Yes thats right. He was the coach and led the Celtics to TWO more Championships.
The man wasn't even done adding to his illustrious career as a player and he has TWO world Championships under his belt as coach.
Jordan won six in a row if you don't the two years in between when the Rockets won. Get a life.
You forgot about his MVP's!!
And, as I stated before, there's Russell (dominance/championships) and then there's everybody else; plain and simple.
Pro sports are about winning/losing and how the winners won, PERIOD!
He suited up 13 years and was a World Champion for 11 of those....Beating Chamberlain, West and Baylor when he was old and in his last year. It's not even an argument as I see it.
Dear ImagineUs:
No doubt you are accurate in fair with respect to your attribution to corroborate the facts. However, I would like to ask you this considering there and more rounds of the playoffs when Russell played and you have to also entertain free agency as well as a salary cap how many championships would you have to win to enter and perhaps be call the greatest now?
Red Auerbach always said Sports Agents and Free Agency was the biggest threat to the game.
Years later, Free Agency hasn't exactly ruined the game but has definitely changed it big time.
I hate to say this, but I doubt the Celtics could have won 8 in a row and 11 of 13 with todays Free Agency and the plethora of money being thrown around.
The Boston Celtics ownership simply didn't have the money to throw at players back in the day. They didn't / don't even play in their own building. The Garden is owned by the Jacob's Brothers (Bruins owners)
Because talent was more even dispersed around the league back then a good coach (Auerbach was a great coach) could get more out their players than the sum total of their individual talents.
The Celtics completely bought into Auerbach's system and with a couple exceptional players and few great role players the Celtics were able to dominate by playing a team game.
Remember one VERY VERY important factor and something that really epitomizes the Celtics from 1956 to the present.
NO CELTIC HAS EVER LEAD THE LEAGUE IN SCORING. Not Havlicek, Not Bird, Not Pierce or anyone.
(Five Celtic players lead the league in scoring when they weren't Celtics. Can you name them?)
Dear Imagine Us:
Let start with say Tiny Archibald and Pete Maravich although I am sure I am wrong with that one. Can you give me the other four?
You definitely have 2.
Who where the other three?
There is, no comparison his era,of competition
Let Kobe win 3. In a row without shaq even though I hate,Boston Kobe will lose. Again, 4 championships is no Jordan like,
No competition??!!??
Does the name 'Chamberlain' mean anything to you?!?
Wilt was one of, if not the '2nd' most dominant player in history!
Enough with your supposed encyclopedic knowledge.
What you really need to learn is grammar and punctuation!!
You mentioned he won with no help.
Hence my post asking about Robinson's 'slight contribution'.
I hate when people say that. Based on your logic Robert Horry is the second greatest NBA player of all time!! I don't think so... Horry has 7 rings second to only Bill
Bill played with more than one HOFer during his career, Bob Cousy was a GREAT guard!
Bill was no doubt great, but not the greatest of all time.
btw You don't get voted into the HOF, for nothing (David Robinson)
-- Modified on 5/30/2010 7:01:54 PM
Red Auerbach when asked if he was going to put together a basketball team who would be his first pick.
Now this is the man who coached Russell.
Unequivocally, Auerbach said if he was going to start a team his first pick would be Larry Bird.
No that doesn't mean he thinks Bird was the best player. What Auerbach did say was Bird made every player on the floor a better player and he was the smartest player he ever saw.
Just don't forget who Magic Johnson said was his most feared opponent. Larry Bird!
starts in the last 20-25 years. Should be:
Chamberlin
Russell
Robertson
Jordan
Elgin Baylor
Most of today's fans have no sense of history; Micheal Jordan is in 'the old days' & most have never heard of Bob Petit, Elvin Hayes, Pearl Monroe, Walt Frazier, etc. So generally these discussions aren't worth much.
wilt,magic,jordan,bird,duncan,russell,robertson,kobe,or duncan. how many championships for walt.
Nothing wrong with anyone on that list but you need to find a spot for Jerry West and Kareem.
I'm a huge basketball fan. This question is actually pretty easy.
Oscar Robertson - Averaged a triple double for a season
Michael Jordan - Competitiveness, titles, MVP's, scoring championships.
Kobe Bryant - Titles, game winning shots, wills his team to win.
Jerry West - He is Mr. NBA logo
Last one is the toughest because there are so many possibilities, but I'm going with a tie, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Bird the ultimate team player who could shoot the ball from anywhere, and Magic for titles, showtime, and changing the point guard position. Magic ranks higher because he beat Bird in the NCAA finals.
Look at Duncan, Jordan, and magic supporting cast.why is Duncan slighted