Who is the Best NBA Player of All-Time?
Throughout the history of the NBA, there has been an ongoing discussion about who is the best player to ever play the game. Obviously not every player is in this conversation, but rather only a few.
Some people say it is the great Chicago Bull - Michael Jordan. Jordan won six championships with the Bulls and many believe he would have won more if he hadn't taken a break in the middle of his career to chase his dream of being a professional baseball player. Jordan dominated his generation of players and was the most competitive player in league history. He was not afraid of anyone and even punched a teammate in practice once because things became so heated.
Others believe that Lebron James is the best of all time. Although James' career is not over, he has made quite the case for himself to be placed among the greats. In his prime, he was a dominant force that could not be stopped and still shows flashes of the "old Lebron" today. Unlike most superstars, James has a pass first attitude which some believe is his tragic flaw. The best thing about him though is that he makes his teammates better which is the main quality of a true superstar. He was able to make Matthew Dellavadova look like a successful NBA player, which is not easy to do at all. All joking aside, James will go down as one of the greats and it is no mistake that he is in the conversation for the best player of all time.
There is a short list of other players that have some validity being argued as the best basketball player ever. Some would say Kobe Bryant is the best ever after he proved he could win two NBA championships without the help of Shaquille O'Neal. The one argument against him there is that Kobe still had All Star talent in Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum when he won those titles and he was not acting alone. If you want to base the argument off of titles then the clear choice would be Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell. Russell won 11 titles with the Celtics back in the 1950s and 60s. The argument against Russell would be the same argument against all players from that era including Wilt Chamberlain. The level of competition back then was nowhere near where it is now. That argument makes complete sense considering sports are always evolving and players have improved in every sport over the past 50 years. Some people would not care about any of those names and insist that Stephen Curry will be the best player of all time by the time his career is finished. No matter what there will always be a debate about who is the best.
So who do I think is the best player of all time?
Honestly, I don't think it can be judged. Comparing players from two different generations, such as Michael Jordan and Lebron James, is like comparing apples and oranges. The game has changed. Some of the rules aren't even the same. Do I think Michael Jordan was the player of his generation? Yes. Do I believe Lebron James was the best player of his generation? Yes. Do I believe Stephen Curry is the best player in the NBA right now? Yes. The problem is I do not believe you can compare them because they were in the prime of their careers at different times. That's just me though; I know that the argument about who is the best will go on until the end of time.
