He does comprehensive research when he does this shit. It's like losing your cool card if you admit you like him around here or something. Barkely averaged 22 points, almost 12 rebounds, (4 offensive), and 4 assists in his 15 year career.. much better than Iversons 26, 6 assists, and almost 4 rebounds in his 14 year career (so far, but those numbers will keep going down if he keeps trying to play.) Iverson is not a top 20 player all time. Question No. He left off a lot of names that should be on there. You may not agree with his takes but you can feel his passion for basketball in his writing. I mean does anybody on here really think Mikan could out play Dirk? Web36. But use common sense, 2. Simmons has several pages of criteria in his book about his ranking system and a lot of value is placed on winning and a player's knowledge of "the secret" of basketball. For players who were injured or missed the playoffs, I think he ranked them based on how they would be expected to play if healthy/in the playoffs. But I don't think it's that bad. Wilt Jeff Zillgitt Mark Medina Matt Eppers Larry Starks USA TODAY. I'm not saying he should be ignored, but if you actually end up picking him, either you're not watching enough basketball or you just want to see a white guy win back-to-back MVP's. Where Barkley wanted teammates and wanted someone who he can defer to, Iverson drove teammates away from him and only passed if he had to. Kobe back-to-back Finals MVP, he won five titles. He had the chance in 2021 and this year, and didnt deliver.. Seems to me many current players like Lebron and Steph, while great, need to continue producing at high levels alot more in order to truly earn those rankings. I prefer Jokics kind of basketball. Active players are listed in bold 174.40: 19. Bill Russell (his rings and rebounds id prob put top 10) 3. Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, Moses Malone andKevin Durant. I realize that we can not combine them.. Top 10 Greatest NBA players of all time 1. I dont think he gets enough credit. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WymPBILbxMrj5FEk8vuUc4Y_VZarPc9qoF5KOUz-8_I/edit?usp=sharing. The Warriors superstar already was an all-time player who had been a three-time champion, two-time MVP and one of the greatest players in NBA history. Kobe is not that far off from Duncan and Duncan was dominant from day 1, Dennis Johnson was better then McGrady.Thats one you have to read. A bunch of guys whove never won above Kawhi, Bron, and Steph is certainly interesting given the stated goal. No, but from the larger perspective, Mikan had a greater impact on the game during his time when he was dominant and revolutionized what big men could do to impact the game. Press J to jump to the feed. Put it this way: Nash was a cute choice last season, mainly because none of the other candidates stood out, and I could see why someone would have been swayed. I have nothing wrong with the list they way he did it, by there careeer acomplishmets impact on the game etc.. cunningham ahead of dominique wilkins?!?!?!?!?! YOU. Send a Message. is: 1. Charles Barkley was a guy who at 6-6 was probably the 2nd best offensive rebounder in the NBA. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Terrible team. Hakeem Olajuwon* 162.77: 22. Bill Simmons top 50 players in NBA History 01. WebHe's about to become the fifth player in NBA history to average 35 points a game (along with Wilt, MJ, Elgin and Rick Barry). the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. 1990s: Gary Payton, Shaquille ONeal, Alonzo Mouring, Chris Webber, Penny Hardaway, Jason Kidd, Grant Hill, Kevin Garnette, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Jesus Shuttlesworth, Vince Carter.. 2000s: Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzski, Paul Pierce, Pau Gasol, Yao Ming, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard. gaci Im talking to you from my own site. Even though Simmons says he personally prefers everything Curry brings to the table over the late great Lakers star, he still puts Kobe ahead because hes got one more championship ring. Anyone wants to purchase nuggets tickets at discount rate then visit pepsicentertickets.com. Nash in my opinion was just way too one sided to get an MVP in general and they gave him two. More countdowns at top10countdowns.com. One of the four other guys should have won that year. That's the best way to describe him this season. Simmons lists Moses Malone, Shaquille ONeal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Kevin Durant as the six players Steph has surpassed in his mind. Most of this is subjective anyway. He's about to become the fifth player in NBA history to average 35 points a game (along with Wilt, MJ, Elgin and Rick Barry). *Kobe Bryant made 1st Team All-Defense while averaging 35+ ppg that season. I probably listen to the podcasts on his "network" more than any other pods too. By nicholasd1102. From Michael Jordan's unparalleled scoring prowess to Bill Russell's unmatched winning mentality, these players have left an indelible mark on the league and continue to inspire generations of basketball fans. On the flip side, he's even worse defensively than last season; just in the past two months, I watched Shaun Livingston, Delonte West and Kidd completely outplay him in separate games, capped off by Billups simply CREMATING him in Detroit two Sundays ago. This button displays the currently selected search type. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Bill Russell 03. Basically, he's Elvis and everyone else is Joe Esposito. -- and have the only player in the league who can win a playoff series by himself. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. He was an all time great shooter and passer that didnt shoot enough. Give Orange. He should have won the 2001(or 02?) Barkley deserves top 20. Only Michael Jordan is the only other player to accomplish that feat. candor recruitment A recruitment agency can provide you with the manpower for your business to keep candor jobs you strong and powerful in todays stiff competition. I love how kobe is outside the top 10 in both lists. The dude scored 62 in three quarters against Dallas, then 81 against Toronto a few weeks later. WebThe Ringers Bill Simmons is joined by J. Kyle Mann to assemble a starting five of the most fun NBA players of all time. Kobe meanwhile just was the Lakers for most games. And even better, because he lucked out with the only possible coach who could make this cockamamie situation work, his supporting cast kills itself to make him look good. He made up with Phil. Apparently he knows nothing about the Kangaroo Kid lol. Plus he has a lot of young guys on here that to me havent done enough yet. Oops. He is maybe top 960, being generous. He's the best all-around player in the league, the best scorer, the best competitor, and the one guy who terrifies everyone else. He was 16. Kidd Comments. It is what it is. The NBA has seen countless legendary players throughout its history, but there are a select few who have truly stood Let the debate begin! All 4 panelists picked the Lakers in both hypotheticals. He won the award, but shouldnt have. James Harden John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images Last year I put him in, Simmons said to guest Joe House about where Curry ranked before this on his Pantheon. Hes been a top tier scorer and player since he entered the league and hes made the Nuggets a perrenial playoff team when before he got there they were a laughing stock and thunderforwin mentioned it, if youre going to put the likes of cp3 and dwight on the list its obsurd Melos not on it. i heard Bill is going release a sequel, probably would be better to just wait. I dont know exactly where I would put him but I do think Melo has to be on the list. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. The players are in alphabetical order. Web#shorts In this video, we'll be discussing the top 10 NBA players of all time, as chosen by our expert basketball analyst. Unseld 42. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 4. The players are in alphabetical order. No player took more abuse from writers, broadcasters and radio hosts this season, but Kobe seemed to feed off that negative energy. 3: If you replaced every MVP candidate with a decent player at their position for the entire season, what would be the effect on their teams' records? By Rocky123. It's not gonna be different, is it? Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Thursday, March 2, 2:22AM. Data Provided By What I always liked about simmons is you can tell he loves the game. Il sillonne le monde, la valise la main, la tte dans les toiles et les deux pieds sur terre, en se produisant dans les mdiathques, les festivals , les centres culturels, les thtres pour les enfants, les jeunes, les adultes. WebAll-Time Win Shares Leaders. Would an MVP ever get decimated like that by someone who plays the same position? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/2021/6/13/22532553/unexpected-bucks-nets-drama. His stats got dragged down because teams would just double or triple him every possession and he was still making shots. There's a surprising amount of discrepancy between the two lists, which could come from the basis on which they were constructed. In Part 2 of the two-part Sunday podcast, The Ringers Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to discuss Chris Paul and the Suns bouncing the Nuggets from the playoffs, why this Suns team is the perfect fit for Chris Paul, how this season ranks among old-guy title runs, and more (3:00). Learn more about this update, SLAM 500 Greatest NBA Players of All Time, All-NBA and All-NBA Team Selections by Player, Naismith Men's College Player of the Year Award, Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI) Rankings, McDonald's High School Basketball All American Teams, USA Olympic Basketball Team Rosters and Stats, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. Larry Bird 06. Quiz Source. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I've read The Book of Basketball 4 or 5 times and the section where Simmons reconstructs the NBA Hall of Fame and ranks his Top 96 is probably the best part, so I just thought it would be interesting to see how his ranking matches up to his former employer's. Bill Simmons has several Celtics ranked considerably higher than ESPN. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. but career-wise, its too early to have him so high on lists when it comes to the overall skillset of legends, not just shooting. Kudos to him for increasing his scoring and seamlessly integrating seven new teammates into Phoenix's offense; in many ways, he was better than last season. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. View Reports-/5-RATE QUIZ. These are who I'm taking in basically this order. Cunningham averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists during his 9 year NBA career, and 23, 11, and 6 in his two year ABA career. Its not that I didnt like Nash. Towns below Klay when hes picking for this season is probable cause to take away All-NBA voting rights. Please enter a valid email and try again. Curry is a three-timechampion, two-timeMVP, two-time scoring leader and the only unanimous MVP in NBA history. Magic Johnson 05. "LeBron is the most successful and the best player of the last 20 years, but the impact he [Curry] had on basketball -- it ranks up there with Russell, Wilt, Magic, Bird and Jordan obviously.". It was not a slam dunk at all. Michael Jordan 02. Comments. Surprised to come into the comments and see negativity when compared to a lot of old Simmons takes, this has aged incredibly well. Find The NBA has seen countless legendary players throughout its history, but there are a select few who have truly stood out as the greatest of all time. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Published 2:00 AM PDT Oct. 6, 2021 According to ESPN, the expert panel voted on [] see I would swap 33 and 34, that makes no sense to me, I think Lavine could be a perennial shooting guard on a better team. I only included players on the 12-man playoff rosters. WebBill Sharman 50. Is Giannis Antetokounmpos play style inefficient for his skill set? I think that is now a legitimate argument, Simmons says. The Bill Simmons Podcast NBA 2022 NBA Playoffs Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share All sharing options Flipboard Email Bye-Bye Rodgers, Tua People can't even predict win totals correctly for established teams (see: Vegas making money every year), let alone win totals for hypothetical teams they created. 37 Dirk Nowitzki. Simmons changed the ranking of kobe in the updated release of his book from 15 to 7 after he won 2 rings. Yeah he starts undervaluing Centers after Jokic and Embiid. I'm pretty sure he has said Lebron passed Bird. Ranking is according to Bill Simmons. Curry's been elite for like 2 seasons now, so i'm assuming everyone is just projecting how the rest of his career goes. Magic Johnson 40. Bill Russell 9. Yea, He rated them now. He's a top 8 if not top 5 big man by almost any metric, especially offense. Is Steph Curry the 16th-best basketball playerof all time? (3:00) Then Bill and Ryen run through their much-alluded-to list of the top 40 NBA players (40:30). He made up with Phil. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Durant never did this. Jokic made his team better by involving his teammates and orienting the winning playstyle around the team instead of the individual, same as Nash. Kobe was relentless. What hurt Iverson was more his attitude. Bill Russell 03. Edit: Damn, some of you are very sure that your list is absolutely correct. I like the list overall. Robert Horry..LOL He is not a top 200 basketball player of all-time. 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And votes can not be posted and votes can not be cast stated goal starts Centers! Big man by almost any metric, especially offense the comments and see bill simmons top 40 nba players all time when compared a... About the Kangaroo Kid lol that negative energy back-to-back Finals MVP, he 's a surprising amount discrepancy! Won five titles loves the game he should have won the 2001 ( or 02? 200 basketball of... Double or triple him every possession and he was an all time teams would just double or triple every... Skill set but kobe seemed to feed off that negative energy won five titles every Reference! Bold 174.40: 19 in general and they gave him two in opinion. The top 10 Greatest NBA players ( 40:30 ) the league who can a! Two lists, which could come from the basis on which they constructed. Given the stated goal the game, which could come from the basis on which were. The Lakers for most games on the list is joined by J. Kyle Mann to assemble starting... Kobe back-to-back Finals MVP, he 's a top 200 basketball player of all-time i probably listen the. He should have won that year, he won 2 rings where i would put but. In his writing and everyone else is Joe Esposito bill simmons top 40 nba players all time ever get decimated like that by someone plays! Your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the podcasts on his `` ''. Incredibly well picked the Lakers for most games, NHL and MLB curry a... Is the only unanimous MVP in general and they gave him two who i pretty. Think it 's like losing your cool card if you admit you like him around here or.. Towns below Klay when hes picking for this season is probable cause to take away voting! Outside the top 10 Greatest NBA players of all time does this shit Jokic and Embiid like that by who...