Who are the five greatest NBA players of all-time? Here’s my list and qualifications – I’ve followed the NBA closely for 53 years, covering the league for various newspapers before become a full-time handicapper.
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: When he was known as Lew Alcindor, Abdul-Jabbar led the Bucks to the world championship in just the franchise’s third season. He almost did it when he was a rookie and the Bucks were just in their second season of existence, but he had no power forward to help and his guards choked in the playoffs.
2. Michael Jordan: If I could pick one guy I’d want going for me with a game on the line it would be Jordan.
3. Magic Johnson: Greatest point guard. His talent, height and personality are unmatched at that key position.
4. LeBron James: He should be above criticism. If someone said James is better than Jordan I wouldn’t argue.
5. Wilt Chamberlain: Absolutely unstoppable when he wanted to score. I once saw him block three shots in a span of about five seconds. One of the worst articles I ever read was in Bleacher Reporter where the author wrote Chamberlan was overrated. Obviously this guy never saw Chamberlain play.
