Alcindor/Kareem

[manifold]

"Holds NBA career record for:

"Most points (38,387)[25]
Most minutes played (57,446)
Most field goals made (15,837)
Most field goals attempted (28,307)
Most All-Star selections (19)
Most All-Star games played"

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Longevity =/= Best of all time IMO.

It depends. Kareem's longevity was certainly the key to his greatness... The fact that he played for so many years and remained such a relevant force despite the fact that the league went through incredible changes. Furthermore, IMO, there hasn't been a big man that matched his career since he stopped playing. The conversation "Is Kareem the greatest big man to ever play basketball" is the same today as it was in 1990. The same names come up.

Wilt didn't play defense. That's why he never fouled out. It's hard for me to think of a player who only played half the game as being that great. Wilt ran all over 95% of the league. But he never ran over Jabbar or Russell and that's why he didn't win championships. How can you call him the greatest of all time when he wasn't even the greatest of his own time?

I don't know - I'm a big man so maybe I'm biased, but I can't imagine giving the "Greatest Basketball Player of All Time" award to any position other than center, just like I can't imagine giving the "Greatest Football Player of All Time" award to any position other than quarterback.

I never said Wilt was the greatest of all time.

 

[FuelRod]

And actor.

 

[georgephillip]

"Holds NBA career record for:

"Most points (38,387)[25]
Most minutes played (57,446)
Most field goals made (15,837)
Most field goals attempted (28,307)
Most All-Star selections (19)
Most All-Star games played"

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Longevity =/= Best of all time IMO.

It depends. Kareem's longevity was certainly the key to his greatness... The fact that he played for so many years and remained such a relevant force despite the fact that the league went through incredible changes. Furthermore, IMO, there hasn't been a big man that matched his career since he stopped playing. The conversation "Is Kareem the greatest big man to ever play basketball" is the same today as it was in 1990. The same names come up.

Wilt didn't play defense. That's why he never fouled out. It's hard for me to think of a player who only played half the game as being that great. Wilt ran all over 95% of the league. But he never ran over Jabbar or Russell and that's why he didn't win championships. How can you call him the greatest of all time when he wasn't even the greatest of his own time?

I don't know - I'm a big man so maybe I'm biased, but I can't imagine giving the "Greatest Basketball Player of All Time" award to any position other than center, just like I can't imagine giving the "Greatest Football Player of All Time" award to any position other than quarterback.

Big men who play both ends of the floor certainly have the potential to dominate the contest in more ways than any of the other players on the floor. I'm biased toward Kareem because we graduated from different high schools in the same year, and I watched all his varsity games at UCLA on local television.

When considering NBA bigs, Bill Russell is the only other contender for most dominant that I see:

"A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star, Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career.

"Along with Henri Richard of the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens, Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA championships (1955, 1956)."

I hadn't noticed before you mentioned it; however, that discussion of "Greatest NBA Big Man Ever" really hasn't changed (as far as the top three) since Kareem's retirement.

Bill Russell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[samjones]

Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career.

Yeah... I guess.... but it seems to give the impression that Russell was a great player playing with mediocre teammates and some unremarkable coach. That was not Russell - that was Chamberlain.

Russell was far from the only great Celtic of his era. The team was filled with household names.

NB: One of those household names is the same name as my posting handle. That is not why I chose this handle but I am happy to say that I am a big fan of the Celtics Great any way.

 

[georgephillip]

As a lifetime Laker's fan, I've spent six decades trying to forget as many of those household names as possible. Sam and KC (not to mention Bob Cousy) gave me some of the longest afternoons of my childhood. When the Lakers acquired Wilt to go along with Zeke and Elgin Baylor, I thought the Celtic run was done. Wrong! It wasn't until Kareem teamed with Magic and Worthy that LA could finally win a post-season series with the EVIL CELTICS. (Sorry, Sam. Celtic hoops and Notre Dame football have always been sore spots with me)