I like lists. They are simple. They to the point. Since I tend to think in bullet points, it works for me. I think I'm gonna make one.
I was on
SI.com yesterday, and I came across a fan post of the 50 greatest players in the history of the NBA. It was a solid list, devoid of too many egregious errors or omissions. I decided that, to combat boredom, I would compile my own list of NBA players. It bothers me when people speak on topics that they know
little about. Since basketball began for me in 1989 (with the Miami Heat), I cannot knowledgeably compare guys like George Mikan and John Havlicek. Thus, I will rank the 25 greatest players of the last 20 years. Let's go.
Method: 1.) Write down the names of the best players that pop into my head. 2.) Google lists of the best NBA players of the 90s and 00s, and add some names I left out. 3.) Rank those motherfuckers.
(*Note: They are ranked by their body of work in the last 20 years. E.g.
Larry Bird played until 1992, so he would only get credit for 3 seasons. Otherwise, he would have probably made the top 5. Defense matters. It is half of the game, and if you
didn't play defense, you are probably not on this list.)
25. Tracy Mcgrady/Vince Carter- Practically the same story with these
cousins. As good of scorers as you will see from the swing position. They didn't play quite enough defense to make the top 20 though.
24. Chris Webber- Could have easily been top 5 if he only had a little bit of
heart. Even without it though, he managed to carve out quite a career. He had the ability to decide whether or not he wanted to score a triple-double on any given night...
too bad he only chose to do it 22 times in his career.
23. Dwyane Wade- It's easy to think that I am blinded by fandom, or say he hasn't played long enough, but he played 1 more season than Grant Hill did before his sharp decline (injuries). Plus, Wade's
highs were a bit higher than Hill's. "The Flash" is the most
athletic player in the game today, and probably the most
fun to watch. Fantastic defender, which is somewhat uncommon with great scorers.
22. Paul Pierce- A bit under-appreciated because of his lack of flash. Was a well-rounded, offensive player. Fun fact: A month before the '00-'01 season, he was stabbed 11 times in the neck and face and nearly died. He played in all 82 games that year.
21. Alonzo Mourning- A bit undersized, He was one of the great competitors of our generation. He gave 100% effort 100% of the time. One of the last true centers, he controlled the paint on both ends of the court.
Blocked 3 shots per game; altered 5 or so more.
20. Clyde Drexler- "The Glide" was the successor to Dr. J and the predecessor to Lebron. Played the G/F hybrid position to perfection. He drove the lane with fluid grace. He was as good at 35 years old as he was at 22 years old...and
every year in between. Remarkable consistency.
19. Charles Barlkey- He is not a
role model, but he was a hell of a player. Constantly out-battled bigger players for rebounds. Would be higher, but some of his best years were in the '80s.
18. Dirk Nowitzki- The poster boy for the European Revolution in the NBA. One of the best shooters in the league, period. Very uncommon for a player his size. Should be a better shot blocker though.
17. Lebron James- God chiseled him to be the perfect
tight end. Unfortunately for the Browns, he plays basketball. Has the physical tools, desire, and mentality to be an all-time great. Let's see how it plays out for "
The Chosen One".
16. Reggie Miller- God chiseled him to be the perfect scarecrow. Fortunately for the Pacers, he played basketball. He made it on toughness, stamina, and a killer instinct. One of the all-time clutch athletes in any sport. Fun fact: He once scored
8 points in 8.9 seconds...to win a playoff game by 2 points.
15. Steve Nash- One heck of a late bloomer, his best years have come after the age of 30. His court vision and
playmaking ability are second to none (well, second to
one actually). Very good shooter from the point.
14. Gary Payton- "The Glove" was one of the great defenders of his generation. Don't let stat heads belittle his steals-per-game ranking, and call him "overrated." He stole the ball, dished the ball, scored the ball, but the best part of his game cannot be quantified--he played
blanketing defense.
13. Patrick Ewing- Rock-steady patriarch of the Georgetown family of
centers. Prototypical halfcourt center, his game was exceptionally boring...which was a good thing. He just did everything a center is supposed to, and he did it well.
12. Scottie Pippen- For most of his career, he was probably the second most well-rounded player in the league. Unfortunately, for most of his career, he was the second most well-rounded player on his
team. I honestly don't think there was a player who could have played
second fiddle to 23 better than Scottie did. Class act.
11. David Robinson- "The Admiral" spent 2 years away from basketball serving in the U.S. Navy before being drafted. Nevertheless, he stepped right in his rookie year and became an All-Star. One of the most respected people the NBA has ever seen. Fun Fact: in '94, he recorded a
quadruple double. It had only been done three times before (including by someone else on this list).
10. Allen Iverson- At 6'4", Wade needs freakish athleticism and balance to stand out as a swingman. The Question: At 6'0", how on earth does A.I. do it? The Answer: I don't know, but it sure as hell isn't
practice. Took more punishment than any other guard I have ever seen. Practically every shot he ever made was a tough shot. I was never a huge fan of his, but I admire his passion and determination.
9. Jason Kidd- He ran the point as good as anyone. He had two or three "how did he even see that?"
assists per-game. He compiled 103 triple-doubles (3rd all-time). For perspective, the next closest player mentioned in this post is Grant Hill with 29. His wife is
hot.
8. John Stockton- If you scored a bucket for the Jazz any time between '84 and '03, chances are Stockton passed you the ball. He is the all-time leader in assists, and it isn't even close (Jason Kidd is second with 10,712) . In my opinion, he was the
greatest pure point guard that ever played. Fun fact: He played 16 full seasons...as in he played all 82 games 16 times!
7. Karl Malone- You can't have Stockton without Malone. "The Mailman" delivered till he was 40, being the oldest player to record a triple-double. Spent 17 consecutive seasons with a scoring over 20 ppg. Another old faithful, he played in at least 80 games in 17 seasons.
6. Hakeem Olajuwon- "The Dream" had soft hands and range to open up the paint. He changed the center position with his versatility. Without a doubt, Hakeem was the most skilled center to ever play the game. He also scored a
quadruple-double.
5. Kevin Garnett- One of the most successful high school draftees, he re-ignighted the NBA's interest in drafting high school players. Probably the most athletic true big men ever, his abilities allowed him to guard a wide range of players. Unfortunately, he didn't play with a very strong supporting cast for most of his career. If so, we might be talking about him as the best power forward to play the game.
4. Kobe Bryant- Love him or
hate him (like I do), you can't deny he is one of the all-time great swingmen. By skill set, mannerisms, and killer instinct, he is the closest thing we have ever seen to MJ. He doesn't care much for his teammates or his fans; just winning. That is probably what makes him such a great player. One of the few players who could decide before hand whether or not he was gonna hang 50 points on you.
3. Shaquille O'Neal- Far and away the most physically dominant force of the past 20 years (maybe ever). Because of that, people tend to lose fact that he had as good of footwork as any center ever. He gets the nod over Kobe because he was the first option in the Lakers' three-peat. Fun fact: Shaq
missed 5,256 free throws in his career. Only 58 players have even
attempted that many in their careers.
2. Tim Duncan- He is not as funny as "The Big Aristotle", nor is he as
intense as "The Big Ticket", but he is as
consistent as they come. His nickname "The Big Fundamental" says it all. He gets the nod over Shaq because although taking the same team to the apex three straight years is impressive, taking four different teams to the top in 9 years is a bit more impressive. He is the only constant on all four of those Spurs championship teams.
1. Michael Jordan- I refuse to mention his offensive abilities. It's been done before. Unquestionably he is the game's greatest player, the game's greatest
celebrity, and the game's greatest
competitor. What really set MJ apart was his defense. He made 9 All-NBA Defensive first teams. He was the only player to register 225 steals and 125 blocks in a season. He did it twice. There is nobody better before, since, or likely ever.
Honorable Mention:
Tim Hardaway- Practically invented the crossover.
Mich Richmond- Great shooter, forgotten man.
Kevin Johnson- Mayor of Sacramento. Once played 62 min.
Mark Jackson- 3rd all-time in assists. The black John Stockton.
Joe Dumars- Versatile guard. Exceptional defender.
Glen Rice- Reggie Miller light.
Great shooter.
Chris Mullin- Never misses a shot in "NBA Jam."
Jerry Stackhouse- Great slasher. Every team needs one.
Dennis Rodman- His
crazy outshined his defense and rebounding.
Grant Hill- What if? Injuries bit one of the nicest guy in the game.
Ray Allen- He Got Game. And one of the smoothest strokes ever.
Sam Cassell- Most underrated player ever.
Glenn Robinson- I literally can't think of anything to say.
Dikembe Mutombo- Best shot blocker of this generation.
Chauncey Billups- Clutch, steady, and smart.
Stephon Marbury- Great scoring PG.
Overpaid as fuck.
Dwight Howard- Preying on a weak era of NBA centers.
Jermaine O'Neal- The poster boy for patience. Developed nicely.
Steve Francis- Was the player Wade mimicked and surpassed.
Carmelo Anthony- Great scorer. Is becoming great as we speak.
Rasheed Wallace- Versatile. Complete. Technical machine.
Robert Horry- "Big Shot" was at the center of every major win.
Ron Artest- Did everything well.
Everything.
Marcus Camby- P.J. Brown's clone, but better blocker.
Tony Parker- Banging Eva Longoria. Wanna hate him, but can't.
Ben Wallace- Played defense. That's it.
Buckwheat's dad.
Amare Stoudemire- Physical force. Still learning.
Gilbert Arenas- Excellent scorer. Stupid
nickname.
Pau Gasol- Ugly motherfucker. Can play though.
Yao Ming- Giant. Good player, nice guy. Ambassador to China.
Chris Paul- Can be one of the greats someday. Has all the tools.
