Our editors here at the Hardwood Houdini recently asked us if we would be so kind as to compile a list of the 25 greatest players to have ever graced the NBA with the power and beauty of their play.  “Yes,” we said, and then with a suggestively-arched eyebrow and a dusky cloaking to our tone: “we’ll see what we can do.”

As our colleague Andrew Silva says in the introduction to his list, “Sports always seems to have a compulsion to order things, declare a clear cut number one. It’s not good enough to just let it be, because we must quantify greatness.”

“Compulsion” is a good word.  As we learned from High Fidelity, the act of sorting and ranking ephemera into top-whatever lists is a decidedly male trait, an act motivated by a quietly desperate need to maintain some illusion of control over the chaos of modern life, and to assert dominion over competing males through possession of the best opinions and the deepest pools of knowledge.  It’s cost-free, safer than picking bar fights, and allows for less risk of rejection and humiliation than the deployment of Scotch-propped, cologne-stank pickup lines.

Sports, being as masculine a field as there is this side of iron-smithing, provide an excellent outlet for this compulsion.  As such, the sports media landscape is littered with these sorts of lists.  There are whole TV series devoted to the pastime; entire books written in service to it.  Bleacher Report seems to exist purely for the sake of listing, relisting, and listing again Top 10s, 25s, and 50s along as many lines of segmentation as can be conceived: Best Ever, Best Now, Most Winningest, Best Youngest, Richest, Dirtiest, Ugliest, and on into forever.

A Google search for “25 greatest nba players” returns 17,300 results.  A search for “50 greatest nba players” sends back 101,000.  How might we contribute amidst the din?

After some deliberation, we decided that we were less interested in our own opinion on the 25 greatest than in finding some way toward an objective approach.  After all, we’ve never actually watched 10 of the 25 who we ultimately included, you know, play basketball, apart from in bursts of a few seconds in grainy highlight film.  Without the time or resources to build our knowledge base up through the hard graft of film and print immersion, any opinion-based ranking that we could come up with would be inherently dishonest and a little hacky.

So we decided to let the numbers tell our tale.  Though this was the ideal approach given our circumstances, it would not be without complications.  While they don’t actually lie, the numbers have been known to mislead.  Wilt’s famous single-season average of 50 points per game, Oscar’s triple-double season average, Russell’s career average of 22 rebounds per: these numbers are simply not attainable in today’s NBA.  They likely wouldn’t have been attainable even 10 years after they had been established.

Furthermore, the NBA’s stat tracking was something of a work in progress through the first 30 years or so of its existence.  Rebounds weren’t counted at all until 1951; minutes played weren’t tallied until 1952.  More than 20 years later, the league decided to start separating the rebounds into offensive and defensive, and also keep track of steals and blocks while they were at it.  Turnovers followed in 1978, and then, two years later, the three-point line was instituted, which fundamentally altered the way the game was played.

Beyond the incomplete nature of the league’s historical records is the problem of value.  What do the traditional per-game averages that have been tracked from the dawn through today actually mean?  How might one stack Scottie Pippen’s 16.1 PPG/6.4 RPG/5.2 APG career against John Stockton’s 13.1 PPG/2.7 RPG/10.5 APG and say which is better than the other?  Are rebounds more important than assists?  If so, by how much?  What does a difference of 3 points per game really amount to in the grand scheme of things, especially when looked at absent the context of what these players’ teammates were doing around them?

Complications aside, we were convinced an answer could be found here.  So, we picked up our graphing calculator, slipped into our pristine, white lab coat, and set off in search of…a formula.

It’s important to note that we are not mathematicians.  Our only qualifications for attempting this sort of thing are a good, working knowledge of the Basketball-Reference Play Index and Microsoft Excel, and an ability to count, add, subtract, multiply, and divide at a high school level.  Finding our formula involved a fair amount of semi-blind flailing and stumbling about in a trial-and-error quest for the right combination of numbers.  We’d call it mad science, but even Victor Frankenstein knew a thing or two about anatomy.

We did have an end in mind, though, and that’s usually enough to get one started.  Our goal was to develop a scoring system that would combine the things that most people judge a player’s career by (production, titles, and accolades) into one number which, when ranked high to low, would sort the players in a way that, at the very least, made sense.  Also, it couldn’t tell us that Wilt was the greatest player of all time, which is difficult to make happen when using per game numbers for a guy who averaged 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds as a base.

At the end of several days of tinkering (our first attempts routinely had Steve Nash at #25; there was a lot of work that needed to be done), we came up with something that, apart from one or two entries, actually does a fairly good job of making sense.  Before we get to the list, here’s a little peek behind the curtain at our process:

The Formula

We started by setting a baseline for player inclusion based on production, role, and time served.  Using Basketball-Reference’s handy Play Index, we generated a list of players who had recorded a career PER of 17.5 or above, while averaging a minimum of 25.0 minutes per game over the course of 410 (five full seasons) or more games played.  Our starter list was 162 players long, with Kareem on the top and Micheal “’A’ Before ‘E’ Except When It’s Me” Williams on the bottom.  We were on our way.

Next, we set about calculating what we call the Simmons Number (SIM).  This is an idea that we ripped straight from a column written by Bill Simmons during the 2006 playoffs, in which he sought a way to quantify postseason performance in a way that would be as uncomplicated as it would be meaningful.  Per the author (relevant text bolded):

We get carried away with basketball statistics nowadays, as evidenced by the new book that rated Allen Iverson as the 90th best player in the league during his MVP season.  Why make it so complicated?  Just add up the point, rebound and assist averages for franchise guys during the playoffs: If the number tops 42, you’re probably talking about a pantheon guy.  You could even call it the 42 Club, just as exclusive as the Five-Timer Club on SNL, only without the NBA equivalent of Elliott Gould.

This seemed as good a place as any to set about finding the single-number solution to our problem.  For each player on our list, we added together their career regular season per-game averages in points, rebounds, and assists, then did the same for their playoff equivalents.

It might be helpful to use actual player statistics to illustrate what we’re doing.  We’ll take Glenn “The Big Dog” Robinson, a house favorite at Kuts HQ.  He put up career regular season per-game averages of 20.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.  In the playoffs, those numbers were 13.8, 4.7, and 2.0.  Simple arithmetic gives us SIMs of 29.5 (regular season) and 20.5 (playoffs).

In the grand scheme of things, big individual numbers don’t amount to much unless they translate to team wins, so our next step was to find a way to spike the SIM based on how much winning the player had done in his career and, more to the point, how much of a role he had played in said winning.

To do this, we took a look at each player’s Win Shares total.  Win Shares attempt to quantify how much of an impact a player had on his team’s success by crediting him with X number of the team’s wins (you can read a detailed description of how Win Shares are calculated here).

Using Win Shares is preferable to simple win-loss record because it acknowledges that, say, Magic Johnson (37.1 SIM, 36.1 MPG, 77 games played, 12.7 WS) might have had a bit more to do with the 1984-’85 Lakers’ 62 regular season wins than Bob McAdoo (16 SIM, 19.0 MPG, 66 games played, 2.9 WS).

To spike the SIM, we calculated the average Win Shares for our 162 players (96.0 for the regular season, 9.0 for the playoffs) then calculated the percent over or under the average that each player’s total represented.  The Big Dog produced 39.8 WS during the regular season, 58.55% below our average.  For the playoffs, those numbers were 1.3 WS and -85.56%.

We applied these percentages to each of our players’ raw SIMs, using them as a factor by which to calculate percent increases or decreases.  Harebrained?  Probably.  Effective?  You’ll just have to wait and see.  For Glenn, 29.5 RS SIM + (29.5 RS SIM * -.5855) gives us a weighted regular season SIM of 12.227.  20.5 PO SIM + (20.5 PO SIM * -.8556) gives us a weighted playoff SIM of 2.960.

The next step was simple: add the two SIMs together.  However, there was still some more spiking to do before we arrived at our final score.  We wanted also to give extra credit to players whose numbers improved during the playoffs, and ding those whose numbers fell off.  This was done by simply calculating the percent difference between the two SIMs.  Big Dog’s postseason SIM was 18 percent lower than his regular season SIM.  Thus, we took the sum of his regular season and playoffs SIMs (15.187) and dropped it by 18 percent (12.453).

With the players’ on-court stats and impact on team success taken care of, we next needed to account for the last two pieces of our puzzle: titles and accolades.  This we did fairly simply through more number-spiking.  We gathered the MVP shares (you can read a brief description here) that each player had accrued over the course of his career.  To us, MVP shares are preferable to actual MVP awards because they credit players for receiving votes for second-place, third-place, and so on.  We then added up all of the MVP shares that had ever been awarded (120.941), then calculated the percentage of those that each player owned, using the resultant number to spike the SIM sum once more.  Big Dog is the proud owner of 0.001 MVP shares, which account for slightly more than 0.00% of the total MVP shares awarded, and amount to next to no impact on his SIM sum.

We used a similar method to credit the players for the championships they had won.  We crudely estimated that 780 championship rings had been given out over the course of NBA history (65 championship teams, 12 players per team).  We tallied up how many titles each player on our list had won, then calculated the percentage of the total rings that they owned.  As Big Dog was on the ’05 Spurs’ title team, he owns a 0.13% championship share.  We used this number to give his SIM sum one last spike, punching it up to 12.469.

By our measurement (known from here on out as the K. Score), Glenn Robinson ranks as the 156^th greatest player in NBA history, sandwiched between Billy Knight (12.638) and Paul Millsap (12.250).

While our system is not without it’s flaws (see players #14 and #8), we’re actually quite pleased with the results.  At least Wilt didn’t come in at #1.

The List

The following lists our 25 Greatest Players in NBA History by K. Score (to view our colleagues’ lists, click here, here, here, and here.  For a look at the top 25 of today, click here).  Each listing shows the player’s K. Score, points, steals, and assists per game, Simmons Number, Win Shares, MVP Shares, and titles won.  For comparison’s sake, it also shows where they ranked in the 2009 first edition of Bill Simmons’ The Book of Basketball, and SLAM magazine’s 2011 Top 500 list.  We also threw in a couple of fun facts to break up the monotony.  Enjoy!

#25. Bob Pettit – Forward/Center, St. Louis Hawks, 1955-’65.
K. Score: 119.68
Regular Season: 26.4 PPG, 16.4 RPG, 3.0 APG (45.6 SIM), 136.0 WS
Playoffs: 25.5 PPG, 14.8 RPG, 2.7 APG (43.0 SIM), 11.7 WS
MVP Shares: 2.682 (2 Awarded)
Championships: 1

Simmons Rank: 17^th
Slam Rank: 14^th

Nickname: “Dutch”
Fun Fact: First player to surpass the 20,000 point mark; shares a birthday with Frank Sinatra, Shelly from Twin Peaks, and Edvard Munch; pioneered an early version of the faux-hawk.

 #24. John Havlicek – Forward/Guard, Boston Celtics, 1963-’78.
K. Score: 120.62
Regular Season: 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG (31.9 SIM), 131.7 WS
Playoffs: 22.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 4.8 APG (33.7 SIM), 19.3 WS
MVP Shares: 0.217 (0 Awarded)
Championships: 8

Simmons Rank: 13^th
Slam Rank: 17^th

Nickname: “Hondo”
Fun Fact: Drafted as a wide receiver by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 1962 NFL Draft.

#23. David Robinson – Center, San Antonio Spurs, 1990-2003.
K. Score: 121.18
Regular Season: 21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.5 APG (34.2 SIM), 178.7 WS
Playoffs: 18.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.3 APG (31.0 SIM), 17.5 WS
MVP Shares: 3.123 (1 Awarded)
Championships: 2

Simmons Rank: 28^th
Slam Rank: 25^th

Nickname: “The Admiral”
Fun Fact: In 1993-’94, became the fourth player in NBA history to record a quadruple-double (2/17/94 vs. Detroit; 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks) and the fourth player in NBA history to score 70 points or more (4/24/93 at the Clippers, 71 points on the last day of the season).

#22. Scottie Pippen – Forward, Chicago Bulls/Houston Rockets/Portland Trail Blazers, 1988-2004.
K. Score: 121.40
Regular Season: 16.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.2 APG (27.7 SIM), 125.1 WS
Playoffs: 17.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 5.0 APG (30.1 SIM), 23.6 WS
MVP Shares: 0.716 (0 Awarded)
Championships: 6

Simmons Rank: 24^th
Slam Rank: 27^th

Nickname: “Pip”
Signature Highlight: The Ewing Dunk

#21. John Stockton – Guard, Utah Jazz, 1985-2003.
K. Score: 121.89
Regular Season: 13.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 10.5 APG (26.3 SIM), 207.7 WS
Playoffs: 13.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 10.1 APG (26.8 SIM), 21.4 WS
MVP Shares: 0.161 (0 Awarded)
Championships: 0

Simmons Rank: 25^th
Slam Rank: 22^nd

Middle name: Houston
Celebrity Lookalike: David Duchovny

#20. George Mikan – Center, Minneapolis Lakers, 1949-‘56.
K. Score: 122.20
Regular Season: 23.1 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.8 APG (39.3 SIM), 108.7 WS
Playoffs: 24.0 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 2.2 APG (40.1 SIM), 17.0 WS
MVP Shares: N/A
Championships: 5

Simmons Rank: 36^th
Slam Rank: 29^th

Nickname: “Mr. Basketball”
Celebrity Lookalike: Harold Lloyd

#19. Elgin Baylor – Forward, Los Angeles Lakers, 1959-‘72.
K. Score: 124.01
Regular Season: 27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG (45.2 SIM), 104.2 WS
Playoffs: 27.0 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 4.0 APG (43.9 SIM), 15.4 WS
MVP Shares: 1.659 (0 Awarded)
Championships: 0

Simmons Rank: 14^th
Slam Rank: 12^th

Nickname: “Mr. Inside”
Fun Fact: Holds the record for most points in an NBA Finals game with 61 (Game 5, 1962); also holds the record for career rebounds per game (13.5) for players standing 6’6” or shorter.

#18. Kevin Garnett – Forward, Minnesota Timberwolves/Boston Celtics, 1996-present.
K. Score: 124.24
Regular Season: 19.3 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 4.0 APG (33.9 SIM), 181.6 WS
Playoffs: 19.5 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.5 APG (34.0 SIM), 15.1 WS
MVP Shares: 2.752 (1 Awarded)
Championships: 1

Simmons Rank: 22^nd
Slam Rank: 30^th

Nickname: “The Big Ticket”
Top 5 Playoff Games: Read about ‘em here.

#17. Moses Malone – Center/Forward, Utah Stars/Spirits of St. Louis/Buffalo Braves/Houston Rockets/Philadelphia 76ers/Washington Bullets/Atlanta Hawks/Milwaukee Bucks/San Antonio Spurs, 1975-‘95.
K. Score: 125.33
Regular Season: 20.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 1.3 APG (34.2 SIM), 167.1 WS
Playoffs: 22.1 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 1.5 APG (37.6 SIM), 13.7 WS
MVP Shares: 2.873 (3 Awarded)
Championships: 1

Simmons Rank: 12^th
Slam Rank: 15^th

Middle name: Eugene
Fun Fact: Holds record for most consecutive games without fouling out (1,212).

#16. Oscar Robertson – Guard/Forward, Cincinnati Royals/Milwaukee Bucks, 1961-‘74.
K. Score: 135.53
Regular Season: 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG (42.7 SIM), 189.2 WS
Playoffs: 22.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 8.9 APG (37.8 SIM), 13.6 WS
MVP Shares: 2.479 (1 Awarded)
Championships: 1

Simmons Rank: 9^th
Slam Rank: 5^th

Nickname: “The Big O, Donut”
Fun Fact: If he wanted to open a coffee shop in Texas, he could call it Bronco Roasters, which is an anagram derived from his name.

#15. Charles Barkley –Forward, Philadelphia 76ers/Phoenix Suns/Houston Rockets, 1985-2000.
K. Score: 163.22
Regular Season: 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG (37.7 SIM), 177.2 WS
Playoffs: 23.0 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 3.9 APG (39.8 SIM), 19.5 WS
MVP Shares: 2.438 (1 Awarded)
Championships: 0

Simmons Rank: 19^th
Slam Rank: 20^th

Nickname: “The Round Mound of Rebound”
Favorite Food: Pizza

#14. Dirk Nowitzki –Forward, Dallas Mavericks, 1999-present.
K. Score: 169.91
Regular Season: 22.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.6 APG (33.8 SIM), 168.9 WS
Playoffs: 25.9 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.6 APG (38.8 SIM), 22.5 WS
MVP Shares: 1.804 (1 Awarded)
Championships: 1

Simmons Rank: 37^th
Slam Rank: 55^th

Commentary: You know what?  Deal with it.

#13. Hakeem Olajuwon –Center, Houston Rockets/Toronto Raptors, 1985-2002.
K. Score: 175.77
Regular Season: 21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.5 APG (35.4 SIM), 162.8 WS
Playoffs: 25.9 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.2 APG (40.3 SIM), 22.6 WS
MVP Shares: 2.611 (1 Awarded)
Championships: 2

Simmons Rank: 10^th
Slam Rank: 13^th

Nickname: “The Dream”
Signature Game: Eviscerates David Robinson in Game 2 of the 1995 Western Conference Finals (41 points, 16 rebounds), a 106-96 victory in a series that Houston would eventually win 4-2.  Runner up: his quadruple-double (18 points, 16 rebounds, 11 blocks, 10 assists) against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 29, 1990.

#12. Kobe Bryant – Guard, Los Angeles Lakers, 1997-present.
K. Score: 178.02
Regular Season: 25.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.7 APG (35.4 SIM), 162.4 WS
Playoffs: 25.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.7 APG (35.4 SIM), 28.3 WS
MVP Shares: 4.054 (1 Awarded)
Championships: 5

Simmons Rank: 15^th
Slam Rank: 10^th

Middle name: Bean
Opponent’s Take: “He just pisses me off on the court.  You stress him out and he might speak some Spanish to you and you’re like, ‘What are you talking about?’  I know you’re from Italy or somewhere, but his charisma and just the way he’s so poised, it just gets under my skin.” –Glen “Big Baby” Davis

#11. Larry Bird – Forward, Boston Celtics, 1980-1992.
K. Score: 182.35
Regular Season: 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG (40.6 SIM), 145.8 WS
Playoffs: 23.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 6.5 APG (40.6 SIM), 24.8 WS
MVP Shares: 5.693 (3 Awarded)
Championships: 3

Simmons Rank:5^th
Slam Rank: 9^th

Nickname: “The Legend”
Coolest merch: The 1996 Hallmark Larry Bird Keepsake Ornament

#10. LeBron James – Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers/Miami Heat, 2004-present.
K. Score: 187.72
Regular Season: 27.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.9 APG (41.7 SIM), 133.3 WS
Playoffs: 28.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 6.7 APG (43.9 SIM), 24.3 WS
MVP Shares: 4.389 (3 Awarded)
Championships: 1

Simmons Rank: 20^th
Slam Rank: 31^st

Nickname: “King James”
Effect on Post-Foul Exasperation Rating Scale (P-FERS): Catastrophic.

#9. Jerry West – Guard, Los Angeles Lakers, 1961-1974.
K. Score: 195.56
Regular Season: 27.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.7 APG (39.5 SIM), 162.6 WS
Playoffs: 29.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.3 APG (41.0 SIM), 26.7 WS
MVP Shares: 2.090 (0 Awarded)
Championships: 1

Simmons Rank:8^th
Slam Rank: 11^th

Nickname: “Mr. Clutch”
Fun fact: Played under the most German-sounding succession of coaches in NBA history: Fred Schaus and Butch Van Breda Kolff.

#8. Karl Malone – Forward, Utah Jazz/Los Angeles Lakers, 1986-2004.
K. Score: 199.77
Regular Season: 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG (38.7 SIM), 234.6 WS
Playoffs: 24.7 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 3.2 APG (38.6 SIM), 23.0 WS
MVP Shares: 4.296 (2 Awarded)
Championships: 0

Simmons Rank:18^th
Slam Rank: 18^th

Nickname: “The Mailman”
Relevant Seinfeld quote: “You know he’s a postman, don’t you?” -Jerry Seinfeld

#7. Tim Duncan – Forward/Center, San Antonio Spurs, 1998-present.
K. Score: 208.28
Regular Season: 20.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 3.1 APG (34.7 SIM), 175.9 WS
Playoffs: 22.3 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.4 APG (37.8 SIM), 30.6 WS
MVP Shares: 4.207 (2 Awarded)
Championships: 4

Simmons Rank:7^th
Slam Rank: 8^th

Nickname: “Merlin”
Best commercial: This one.

#6. Shaquille O’Neal – Center, Orlando Magic/Los Angeles Lakers/Miami Heat/Phoenix Suns/Cleveland Cavaliers/Boston Celtics, 1993-2011.
K. Score: 216.20
Regular Season: 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.5 APG (37.1 SIM), 181.7 WS
Playoffs: 24.3 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 2.7 APG (38.6 SIM), 31.1 WS
MVP Shares: 4.380 (1 Awarded)
Championships: 4

Simmons Rank: 11^th
Slam Rank: 4^th

Best movie: Blue Chips
Best song: “No Hook”

#5. Magic Johnson – Guard/Forward, Los Angeles Lakers, 1980-’91, 1996.
K. Score: 219.06
Regular Season: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG (37.9 SIM), 155.8 WS
Playoffs: 19.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 12.3 APG (39.5 SIM), 32.6 WS
MVP Shares: 5.129 (3 Awarded)
Championships: 5

Simmons Rank:4^th
Slam Rank: 6^th

Nickname: Uh, “Magic”
Fun fact: Hails from Lansing, Michigan, home of John Smoltz, Al Capone, and Burt Reynolds.

#4. Bill Russell – Center, Boston Celtics, 1957-’69.
K. Score: 234.36
Regular Season: 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG (41.9 SIM), 163.5 WS
Playoffs: 16.2 PPG, 24.9 RPG, 4.7 APG (45.8 SIM), 27.8 WS
MVP Shares: 4.827 (5 Awarded)
Championships: 11

Simmons Rank:2^nd
Slam Rank: 3^rd

Middle name: Felton
Gives you the chills when: The past and present come together.

#3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – Center, Milwaukee Bucks/Los Angeles Lakers, 1970-’89.
K. Score: 273.00
Regular Season: 24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.6 APG (39.4 SIM), 273.4 WS
Playoffs: 24.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.2 APG (38.0 SIM), 35.6 WS
MVP Shares: 6.203 (6 Awarded)
Championships: 6

Simmons Rank:3^rd
Slam Rank: 7^th

On-court Fashions: Incredible.
Off-court Fashions: Even better.

#2. Wilt Chamberlain – Center, Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors/Philadelphia 76ers/Los Angeles Lakers, 1960-’73.
K. Score: 320.08
Regular Season: 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG (57.4 SIM), 247.3 WS
Playoffs: 22.5 PPG, 24.5 RPG, 4.2 APG (51.2 SIM), 31.5 WS
MVP Shares: 4.269 (4 Awarded)
Championships: 2

Simmons Rank:6^th
Slam Rank: 2^nd

Middle name: Norman
“Big Three Club” motto: We fun. 

#1. Michael Jordan – Guard, Chicago Bulls/Washington Wizards, 1985-’93, 1995-’98, 2002-‘03.
K. Score: 330.20
Regular Season: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG (41.6 SIM), 214.0 WS
Playoffs: 33.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.7 APG (45.5 SIM), 39.8 WS
MVP Shares: 8.138 (5 Awarded)
Championships: 6

Simmons Rank:1^st
Slam Rank: 1^st

The Near-Ultimate: The Up-and-Under Game.
The Ultimate: Even still.

25 Isiah Thomas

It’s hard to deny that Thomas was one of the great scoring point guards in NBA history. He was the leading scorer on the back-to-back champion “Bad Boys” teams of the late 80s and early 90s. He was snubbed of a 1992 Dream Team selection by His Airness himself, but Thomas always showed up for big games and was one of the better players of a high end era of the league, when superstars were abundant.

24 Allen Iverson

Iverson is likely the best pound-for-pound scorer in NBA history. Diminutive at 6’0″ (generously) and 165 pounds (even more generously), Iverson led the league in scoring four times over a span of seven seasons and took the Philadelphia 76ers to the Finals at time the East was very weak. Iverson refused to adapt to life as a role player, tarnishing his legacy, but a guy who led the league in minutes played seven times deserves mention among the most durable ever, and he averaged over 42 minutes per game 10 times in his NBA career.

23 Bill Walton

Walton’s career was shortened by injury, but featured a very high peak. From 1976-1980, Walton posted around 20 points per game to go with 14 boards, 5 assists plus in 77-78, while blocking between 2.7 and 4.1 shots per game over the span. He shot over 50% from the floor. Walton’s career featured only 468 games over 12 years of NBA play, only about 42 games per season, since Walton missed the entire 80-81 season. His body didn’t cooperate, but he still deserves a top 25 nod on anyone’s list.

Pistol Pete averaged 44 ppg in the NCAA

22 Pete Maravich

“Pistol Pete” may have been one of the most talented ball handlers in NBA history. In the mold of the legendary Bob Cousy, Maravich did what he did with style. At LSU, he averaged 44.2 points per game over four seasons, leading him to become the third overall selection in the 1970 NBA Draft, behind Rudy Tomjanovich and Bob Lanier. Maravich threw passes off his elbow, behind his back, all while he wasn’t executing circus shots and impossible angles on bank shots.

21 Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett may have one of the best basketball bodies I have ever seen. Longer than a ladder, agile, coordinated, and 7 feet tall, Garnett in his prime could do just about whatever he wanted to on the court. Along with the much lower ranked Shawn Marion, Garnett was a consensus #1 overall fantasy pick for a long time, due to the way he stuffs a stat sheet.

Garnett’s quick enough to cover shooting guards, yet in the body of a power forward, and he made his teammates all significantly better, be it Stephon Marbury, Sam Cassell, or Latrell Sprewell. Then, when he got to Boston, things got even easier for KG. He won his lone ring in 2008 and was chasing another before falling to LeBron James and the Heat in 7 games in the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

20 Scottie Pippen

Pippen is likely the best second fiddle of all-time, and he also makes my all-time All Defensive team (along with Gary Payton, MJ, Rodman, and Bill Russell). Pippen, for as good as people realize he was, is still in many ways underrated. Do I believe he could have functioned as an alpha dog? Sure, with the right cast he could, but that wasn’t what his career had in store for him. Pippen played perfectly along the Jumpman and enabled the Bulls to win six championships. I’d say that’s good for a #20 overall ranking.

19 LeBron James

LBJ finally jumped into the top 20 with the acquisition of his first championship ring. To pass the likes of Pippen, and even Garnett, ‘Bron would need at least one ring, and he has it now. James is a consummate defender and dangerous scorer and a triple double threat every night. While hated around much of the league, he’s developed tough skin and no longer seems to allow racous fans to get under his skin. At just 27 years of age, the best may still be ahead of King James. He should be able to continue to use his superior athleticism while developing more skills to rely on after the physical gifts are exhausted. Reastically, though, LeBron can only move up on this list.

18 Charles Barkley

Barkley is the first in the top-20 without a ring, but his body of work substantiates it. He was one of the top power forwards in a very big man dominated era, and he did it at no taller than 6’5″, while he was usually listed an inch taller at 6’6″. Barkley was explosive and powerful, despite his deceptively chubby figure. Later in his career, he thinned out and was a relatively good defender at that point. Still, Barkley’s skill set and hard play in games earned him the nickname “Sir Charles,” and opposing players did respect him.

17 Elgin Baylor

Baylor averaged 38.3 points per game with the Lakers in 1961-62 and he averaged over 34 points per game two other times. He spent 14 years with the Lakers after being selected 1st overall in 1958 while the Lakers were still in Minneapolis. Baylor was a high flying, energetic, and strong small forward that could thrive in any era. In today’s game, he would put up over 30 a game and still be up at the top of the class, because his skill set would be rendered effective in any style of game play.  Like Barkley, Baylor never won a ring.

16 John Havlicek

Havlicek played 16 seasons, from age 22 until age 37, and he never really slowed down. Over that span, he posted 20.8 points per game, while averaging 20 or more in eight seasons consecutive. He won eight championships and appeared in 14 All Star games. He made nine 1st Team All Defense, and seven all 2nd Defensive teams. He won the NBA Finals MVP in 1973-74. Havlicek goes down as not only an All-Time Boston great but far ahead of many players on this list that many think may be better than Hondo.

15 Moses Malone

“Fo, fo, fo…”

Moses Malone came straight out of high school and was dominant from day one. Strong, athletic, with soft giving hands, Malone grabbed rebounds and finished around the rim as well as any big man of his era. He played from age 19 to 39, retiring in 1994-95 with the Spurs after coming in 20 years prior in 1974-75. Moses averaged 31.1 points per game in the 81-82 season with the Rockets, and woudl average 20 points per game or better for 11 consecutive seasons, while making 13 All Star appearances.

Malone won a ring with the 76ers in 1983 and ranks 16th all time in career rebounds per game (12.3). He has the most offensive rebounds in NBA history and is 3rd overall in total rebounds. Malone was more of a beast than most realize.

14 Julius Erving

“Dr J” like many others in this top 25 was a basketball born body. Gifted with outstanding leaping abilty and superior coordination, you could tell Dr J would dominate from the minute he stepped on the court until he hung up his sneakers. He was too talented and too exciting not to put fans’ butts in seats and every once in a while he would electrify the crowd with an exciting dunk. Many see that highlight of his rock the cradle dunk in the Playoffs as a member of the same 83 Sixers championship team that Moses Malone played on.

Tim Duncan is the 2nd highest active player on this list. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-US PRESSWIRE

13 Tim Duncan

Duncan may be the best power forward of all time, and I kind of rank him tied with Karl Malone, but give the nod to Malone for his superior scoring. It is Duncan who has the advantage defensively, but I won’t labor on this, as I just did. Duncan is 20-10 stalwart, a very consistent player who at his peak made a huge impact on both ends of the court. David Robinson had fought his entire career for a ring but didn’t experience the exploding bottles of champaigne until Duncan entered the league.

Coming out of Wake Forest as either a short center or a tall power forward, the 6’10″ Duncan had many advantages not afforded to other power forwards, not the least of which was his array of angled bank shots and skillful passes. Putting Duncan in the high post yielded great results and the Spurs won four championshops between 1999 and 2007.

Duncan won the Finals MVP in 03 and 05 and won NBA MVP in 2001-02 and 2002-03. He was the AP Player of the year at Wake Forest and won the Wooden award, as well. Also a 13 time NBA All-Star, Duncan has continued to remain effective into his mid 30s.

12 Karl Malone

Karl Malone was one of the strongest players in NBA history, yet was still agile enough to run the court hard and finish off pick and rolls with John Stockton. The Mailman averaged 25 points per game over his 19 year NBA career, finishing behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all time scoring list. For his years in Utah, Malone averaged over 20 a game all but his rookie season, and by his fifth year in the league he was putting up over 31 points per game.

Even without a ring, Malone’s skill set and overall dominance outclasses Duncan’s.

11 Jerry West

“The Logoman” or “Mister Clutch” may have had the best and most pure shooting form in NBA history. West could not be left open. He shot 47.4% from the floor while putting up 24.8 points per game over his 14 year NBA career. West played in the All Star game every year he was in the league. He won the 58-59 Final Four Most Outstanding Player while at West Virginia University. West only won one championship in 1972, but won the All Star Game MVP that season, too. He was 4th in the league in field goal percentage in two seasons, and ranks 19th all time in career points with 25,192.

10 Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq was a force that just couldn’t be counteracted nor denied. He was a bully, a bull in a china shop, and a wrecking ball. No one stood in Shaq’s way. The weight came on eventually, slowing down the explosive Shaq we saw in Orlando and in his early Laker days, but he only got more skilled and comfortable with his excessively large body. Sometimes ballooning in excess of 350 pounds, it became hard to take Shaq seriously in his older days, but I’ve tried not to let that period of time tarnish the brilliance of a four time NBA champion who could have won even more had he and Kobe Bryant bagged their egos for the greater good.

9 Hakeem Olajuwon

Hakeem had the agility and footwork of a soccer player, as he was in Nigeria, in a 7 foot body with enormous strength. Olajuwon was a defensive demon, leading the league in blocks per game for three seasons while averaging over three blocks per game for six consecutive seasons. He made five all defensive teams and won back to back championships with a mediocre supporting cast in the mid 90s that featured Sam Cassell, a young Robert Horry, Vernon Maxwell, Otis Thorpe, Clyde Drexler, and a cast of castaways, giving Hakeem one of the weaker supporting squads of any of the super stars in this list. He made the All Star team 13 times and won the NBA’s MVP award in 1993-94. He also won the Final Four Most Oustanding award in his sophomore season at Houston. Hakeem was a special talent and he continues to mentor NBA players today, teaching them his legendary “Dream Shake” and excellent footwork.

8 Oscar Robertson

Many realize “The Big O” was the first and only player to ever average a triple double. What many don’t realize is that he did it in an era of inflated stats. Make no mistake at all, Magic Johnson would have averaged a triple double if he played in Robertson’s era. All that aside, what the 6’5″ point guard did was still amazing. He had the strength of a small forward with the agility and ball handling skills of a PG and was able to give opposing PGs a lot of trouble utilizing his strength and size advantages. Robertson would win only one championship with Kareem and the Bucks in 1971, but he won the All Star Game MVP three times and was the NBA MVP in 1963-64.

Bird is the second highest Celtic on this list

7 Larry Bird

Bird is not a sentimental pick here. “Larry Legend” had one of the most amazing skill sets in NBA history, paired with excellent coordination and a genius level basketball IQ. No one made the most of their gifts like Bird did. His average athleticism was more than off set by his headiness, and it even enabled Bird to be an above average defender. Adept at blocking out, Bird rebounded very well early on his career as well, something that went by the wayside as his back exacted an enormous toll on him in his later years, even cutting his career short. Bird could have played five more season if not for the nerves in his back, which nearly prevented him from participating in the 1992 Barcelona Games. Larry Bird will always go down as one of the great all time shooters and along with Magic Johnson, he saved the NBA from impending doom in the 1980s.

6 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

It’s weird to think that the NBA’s All Time leading scorer would rank 6th on an All TIme list. Kareem was so good for so long, and consistently showed that skills and enormous size coupled together could be near unstoppable. Kareem’s “Skyhook” was unblockable, it it only seemed like he never missed. With James Worthy and Magic Johnson, the 7’2″ big man was able to team up to win five championships between 1980 (Worthy joined later) and 1988. Tack those five onto the one he won in Milwaukee with Oscar, and Kareem gathered six championships while winning Finals MVP in two of the six. He also won the NBA NVP award six times. By anyone’s reckoning, it seems unfair Kareem is actually ranked this low, but in line with who the top five are, I think you would be inclined to agree.

5 Wilt Chamberlain

“Wilt the Stilt,” according to Western Illinois product and international player Keith Archie  is “not just a wonder to the world of basketball, but to all of Western Civilization.” Wilt ran some record track and field times, jumping 6’8″ in the high jump while also winning a World’s Strongest Man competition. It was easy to see he was an atheltic freak, with a 50″ vertical leap and arms that extended into the clouds.

Chamberlain scored 50 points per game with 25 rebounds per game in the 1961-62 season and did so while averaging MORE than 48 minutes per game, as Wilt never exited the floor the entire season. He also never fouled out, despite appearing in over 1000 games.

While Bill Simmons and other writers are quick to discredit some of Wilt’s accomplishment, it isn’t every seven footer than can lead the league in assists, regardless of motivations to “prove something” to the media. Wilt was an amazing athlete and a great player, he just never found the success one would have thought would have accompanied such greatness, winning only two championships in 1967 with the 76ers and in 1972 with Jerry West and the Lakers.

4 Magic Johnson

Magic was once known as Earvin, but if anyone says “Magic,” chances are you’re thinking of Earvin even before the “Orlando Magic.”

Magic Johnson, like Larry Bird, had his career cut short by circumstances beyond his control (at least somewhat). When Magic announced he had HIV in 1992, it sent shockwaves through the basketball world. At that point, HIV was still looked upon as a death sentence. Johnson went on to over come the disease and prove that a healthy lifestyle can counteract a deadly immune disease (as well as copious amounts of pills, of course).

But let’s not focus on that. Let’s focus on Johnson’s amazing skillset that enabled him to lead a team from the point guard position despite being an outstanding 6’9″. Johnson played every position in the 1980 NBA Finals after Kareem went down with an injury. At just 20 years of age, Johnson had already defeated a legendary Celtics team, and he had nowhere to go but up. He and Bird formed a duo that would prove to entice team rivalries for an entire decade at a time at which the NBA was hitting rock bottom, as I mentioned.

Johnson’s skill set may have been the best in NBA history, and if he shot the ball a smidge better, he might have been the greatest player ever. But he was already good enough for fourth all time on my list, so maybe we should take what we have, a very special talent and a very special person, whose smile continues to both electrify us and grate on our nerves, simulataneously.

3 Kobe Bryant

I still think the only thing from keeping Kobe from being “as great as Michael” are A) His lack of popularity and rape charges years ago, and B) the fact that he is the second to do what MJ already did, and in the same fashion, with little variation. Take away MJ, and Kobe would be the greatest ever. I realize that is ignoring the #2 player on this list, basically, but it’s also not. We’re comparing the top two skills and talents with a basketball, whereas Russell’s greatness was more about team impact. Kobe and Jordan were the two talents that everyone would love to see pitted on one another in their primes.

Kobe and Jordan both played great defense and wouldn’t sacrifice their pride to let the other score in a game of one on one. Neither has any quit in them, and we almost saw a replica game of Jordan’s flu performance when Kobe fell ill during the 2012 NBA Playoffs, but the drama of it was lessened, and maybe it was just because we’ve seen it all before…all of it.  Not only all of that, but any time someone challenges me on “The Kobe Question” I have to bring up his 81 point game.

2 Bill Russell

It’s hard to put a guy that won the most championships in NBA history any lower than #2 on this list. With more rings than fingers and thumbs combined (11 total) and a legacy over the #5 player on this list in Wilt Chamberlain, you just have to give Russell his due. At only 6’9″ he managed to wreak havoc on the interior, grabbing every rebound and changing or blocking every shot.

Despite being 6’9″, he had the length and even more importantly, the timing, to be the kind of game changing defender that we now see Dwight Howard as. Would the Celts have been a good defensive team WITHOUT Russell? Maybe. Would they have been great? Hardly. Sometimes you just have to acknowledge the importance of defense, and Russell’s defense made the Celtics the dynasty they were during his era.

1 Michael Jordan

Few contest MJ as the greatest ever. It went beyond basketball, as Jordan became a global icon, a figurehead for Nike that could be idenified anywhere in the world, and the first major athlete to ever become a household name even amongst the mouths of people who didn’t watch basketball. Jordan became, essentially, THE basketball player. How could Kobe measure up to that? It would like seeing a second Jesus come working miracles. The difference? Kobe is never treated like Jesus, like Jordan, but rather hated. But this isn’t about Kobe as much as it is about what Jordan meant to the league and to an entire generation of basketball fans. “Like Mike, I wanna be like Mike…”

He won 6 rings and went 6 for 6 in Finals apperances, while winning the Finals MVP in all six, as expected. Jordan took a while to get going, just like Kobe, but once he reached his prime, he couldn’t be stopped, once he figured things out fully, he was unstoppable.

Wilt Chamberlain was offered a tryout by the Indiana Pacers at age 50, and I’d probably have to think that if Jordan had tried to stay in shape, he could have played till age 50. The same is probably true for Reggie Miller, and other guys who may not have even been anywhere near as great as Wilt or MJ. The fact of the matter is that Jordan’s greatness, his skill set, his guile, made him still a true offensive threat even at age 40 with the Washington Wizards.

Was it painful to watch him when he wasn’t in top form? Sure it was. But I’ll take mediocre Jordan play over most other guys’ best career years, so I’m not sure we should allow Jordan to take unncessary heat for trying to provide us with more entertainment. Jordan gave us plenty for a long time, and though he is making a fool of himself as an owner and a GM, we can’t hate him for something he will likely figure out just isn’t for him in the long run. Perhaps he’ll give coaching a try?

Sports creates a constant stream of questions, analysis, and debate. Is Tim Tebow a good quarterback? Is LeBron clutch or not? Now the latest installment involves the 1992 Dream Team vs. the 2012 Olympic squad. Fans love to make comparisons, and fuel was added to the fire with Kobe Bryant claiming this current roster would beat perhaps the greatest assembly of basketball players ever.

Logically many people immediately associate the 1992 team with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Those three arguably compose a third of the top five players in the game’s history. So any comparison to that team seems blasphemous, but is it really that far-fetched to believe the current version of Team USA could win? Let’s break this fantasy match-up down.

At point guard the 1992 team trots out two Hall-of-Famers in Magic Johnson and John Stockton. They are both great players, but don’t forget that Johnson was just coming back from his HIV retirement. Stockton is one of the greatest passers the game has seen, but how would he defend today’s current crop of athlete.

Russel Westbrook, Deron Williams and Chris Paul all have an advantage with their speed and quickness. The 2012 team would be smart to press both Stockton and Johnson full court, making them work just to bring the ball up. While Johnson’s height does neutralize some of the advantage, it’s hard to ignore that the 2012 team’s point guards create a mismatch with their athletic ability.

Point Guard advantage: 2012

Moving on to the two guards, we have the greatest to ever play the game. Jordan himself makes this an advantage for the original Dream Team. Clyde Drexler also provides depth to the 1992 roster behind Jordan. The current roster does boast this new generation’s best player in Kobe Bryant, and James Harden is talented. There is no doubt here though that Jordan and Drexler trump the Bryant and Harden combination.

Shooting Guard advantage: 1992

Small forward may be the most intriguing match-up between these two teams. The 2012 Olympic squad has the most athletic player on either roster with LeBron James. His late game mentality can be questioned, but in terms of physical ability, he is as good as there has ever been. The new Finals MVP is joined by scoring machines Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. Don’t under estimate Anthony and Durant’s ability to get hot for a quarter and carry the scoring load. Andre Iguodala is also a capable defensive body.

The Dream Team would battle against that quartet of forwards with a trio consisting of Bird, Chris Mullen and Scottie Pippen. Bird was on his last legs during the Barcelona Olympics, and only played in two of the six games on their eventual path to a Gold Medal. Mullen was a dead eye shooter and Pippen was a great defensive player, but he can’t cover Anthony, Durant and James at the same time.

Small Forward advantage: 2012

Once in the post is where the 1992 team starts to exploit their biggest advantage. At power forward Charles Barkley and Karl Malone provide brute strength that would bully the 2012 team. Christian Laettner would basically be an after thought, and it would be unlikely he sees the court. The 2012 roster has Kevin Love and Anthony Davis, both good players, but Malone and Barkley are grown men against children with this match-up.

Power Forward advantage: 1992

Finally the center spot doesn’t give 2012 supporters much relief. Two of the greatest five men ever in David Robinson and Patrick Ewing would have a field day against the lone 2012 center, Tyson Chandler. Last season’s Defensive Player of the Year would get pounded on, as the Dream Team would be smart enough to feed the post on nearly every offensive possession.

Center advantage: 1992

So in case you weren’t counting, the original Dream Team seems to have the upper hand at three positions. So the 1992 roster definitely wins, right? Not necessarily. Positions are obviously interchangeable and this game would come down to who imposes their will on the other.

If the current Olympic roster pressed full court and forced a fast paced tempo they could create serious problems for the 1992 point guards. On the other hand if Stockton and Johnson handle the pressure, they would find themselves with a front court just itching to get the ball, and power in an easy two points.

It surely would be an interesting match-up. There would be a lot of pride on the line, and Pippen’s claim that his team beats the present day squad by 25 would make for some bulletin board material. As a betting man I’d jump all over a 25-point spread if Pippen offered it to me (and something tells me Jordan would have no problem throwing some money around gambling).

For now though this Dream Team vs. “Dream Team” fantasy match-up will simply have to remain a dream.