Top 10 Professional Basketball Players
By Lord Fenestor Jr
#1 Magic Johnson Magic Johnson, from start to finish, had the most extravagant career in NBA history. He won a title as a rookie playing practically every position, including center in the Game 6 finale against Philadelphia, and reached The Finals in his last season before the HIV announcement. Magic’s charisma, court vision, adaptability and all-around statistical mastery (career averages of 19.5 points, 11.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds) warrant a No. 1 ranking.
#2 Shaquille O’Neal
Shaq never gets the credit he deserves. In fact, most probably don’t have O’Neal amongst the top 10 NBA players of all time. But let’s really assess him properly; Shaq is the most menacing, imposing and monstrous specimen in league history. It was impossible to defend him for a span of eight years or so. He averaged better than 29 points per game in three seasons, captured four NBA titles and led three different teams to the NBA Finals. It’s simply unreasonable to rank legendary centers such as Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell ahead of him considering the competition during their respective eras didn’t have the size to appropriately match up. Shaq would have potentially averaged better than 50 points and 20 rebounds a game if he played in the 60’s.
#3 Michael Jordan-MJ is unanimously No. 1 on most people’s all-time best list. However, it’s skewed. Jordan was the league’s superhero when NBA television exposure was blowing up in the 90s. Aside from when he briefly retired to play baseball, Michael was the primary household name in professional sports at that time. He was marketed like no player before him and, as a result, became the face of an entire sport. If Jordan played in the 70s, for instance, and won six titles then, he wouldn’t have gotten the same recognition. Regardless, MJ’s accomplishments were extraordinary.
#4 Kobe Bryant You can certainly argue that if Kobe played the heart of his career during the 90s instead of MJ, he would be widely categorized as the best player in NBA history. For a while, Bryant was overshadowed as an all-time great because he played alongside Shaq. But once he captured those two additional titles in 09 and 10, it was unmistakable that Bryant deserved far more respect. Aside from the extra championship, Jordan’s offensive output was a tad more sensational than Kobe’s.
#5 LeBron James- LeBron is rapidly moving up the charts. No athlete has ever been at the center of such constant scrutiny and pressure. Yet, in these last two years, he has finally managed to overcome it all. James is a physical beast, an electrifying athlete and has instinctive court vision that only Magic Johnson can rival. Considering he is still in the prime of his career, it is possible for James to continue to move up in the rankings.James played high school basketball at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar
#6 Hakeem Olajuwon- Another center who doesn’t get enough acclaim. No other big man in league history had better footwork and more creativity near the basket than Hakeem, who won back-to-back titles in the 90’s and made three NBA Finals appearances. In addition to his unrivaled offensive repertoire, Olajuwon was a first-rate shot blocker (career average of 3.1 blocks per game). It’s no accident that many of today’s stars visit The Dream for instruction.
#7 Larry Bird- What makes Bird so extraordinary is that he was still amongst the best players in the league when he could barely stand as a result of a back injury at the end of his career. Most people associate him with being an unparalleled shooter, but Larry was a renaissance man on the court. He is, arguably, the best rebounding small forward ever (career average of 10 rbs) and was a first-class playmaker because of his outstanding passing and court vision.
#8 Oscar Robertson I wasn’t born yet and can only cite research and archived material, but I have always been led to believe that Oscar is the greatest player of his generation. He may not have won all the titles like Bill Russell and may not have been as dominant as Wilt Chamberlain, but in terms of talent and skill, Robertson was the cream of the crop. He remains the only player to average a triple-double for an entire season (1961-62).
#9 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Sometimes longevity and consistency is the most important attribute for an athlete. Kareem was all that and more. He played 20 years in the NBA, won six titles, is the league’s all-time scoring leader (38,387) and fashioned the skyhook like nobody else. The only thing that diminishes Kareem was the fact that he never definitively was the best player on any of his championship teams (Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson).
#10 Tim Duncan Duncan may be the most cerebral player in NBA history. It’s no accident that he is nicknamed the Big Fundamental. While he is still an effective player, Duncan in his prime was a load to deal with on both ends of the court. Playing in a small market like San Antonio never helped his status, but his four rings clearly warrant a top 10 ranking.
