Do you think Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever?
338604
I am with you on the Magic Johnson argument, but hear here...\nMagic Johnson had a team. He had people like James Worthy and Michael Cooper helping him out. Who did [the real] MJ have? Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman got better playing with MJ. Michael made them (nobodys) into somebodys. They "grew up" with MJ on that team. \nMagic on the other hand had seasoned people in Kareem, James Worthy, and Michael Cooper. He didn't make them better or anything. He just played with them.\n\nMJ had more rings, more skill, more of a heart to win. Final answer...Mike
622215
no, mj is the best EVER
95208
MICHAEL JORDAN hands down
619641
To the poster who said Jordan had six inches on Oscar Robertson...\n\nRobertson was 6'5" , Jordan was 6'6".\n\nTo the person who said Wilt played at a time when Centers did 75% of the scoring.... where did you get THAT percentage??\n\nWilt averaged 30 ppg over his career... if 75% of the scoring was done by centers, that can only mean that his teams averaged 40 points per game, of which he scored 30, or 75%.... what numbers are you looking at??\n\nTo the same poster:  You said that Jordan "just had this thing that when he shot it the ball always went in the hoop."\n\nThere are a total of 95 players in NBA history who shot better than 50% from the field. Jordan is NOT among those 95 players.  So I don't think his shots went 'in the hoop' as much as you think they did... \n\nYou've spent too much time watching Sportcenter and not nearly enough time watching basketball (I'll grant you that SportsCenter probably didn't show Jordan missing any shots, which is why you probably thought that every shot he took went in).\n\nShould someone who's considered to be the greatest player of all time (Jordan) be among the 100 best shooters in league history? Not if you're Michael Jordan... doesn't matter how lousy your percentage was, you're still the greatest!! LOL\n\n\n\nRussell was better than Jordan... and so was Wilt... and so was Kareem.\n\nWilt was the most talented player ever. Jordan's scoring average was 5/100th of a point higher than Wilt's, but that's because Jordan shot a lot more.... I've pointed this out before, but M J took more that 1,000 more shots than Chamberlain over the course of their careers, despite the fact that Wilt played almost 7,000 MORE minutes than M.J., which as GOT to make Jordan the greatest ball hog of all time, but that's about the only thing he was ever best at.\n\nWilt averaged 46 minutes per game over his career, easily the most durable player in league history, by far. Wilt is the only player to average MORE than 48 minutes a game during a season (because he sat out only 6 minutes all year, but played many more minutes of overtime).\n\nIn Wilt, you're talking about a guy who scored 30-40% more points than Jordan (at their peaks), had twice as many rebounds as Dennis Rodman, and was no worse than the 2nd best defensive player of all time, and he might have been THE best.  He also led the league in assists, a feat never accomplished by anyone other than a guard (Jordan, of course, would never even consider leading the league in a thing like assists).\n\nUnless they're going to have a free-throw contest, Wilt would dominate Jordan in every category, even passing, since Jordan never led the league in assists, and never even came close to so doing (he finished 8th in assists one year, big deal).\n\nWilt also never played against high school kids while in the NBA, as Jordan did.
339800
Michael Jordan - greatest basketball player ever\n-----\nJackie Robinson - set a major precedent on sports history\n-----\nDick Butkis - the dirtiest and most feared football player ever (and unlike Lawrence Taylor did not get his edge from being high on cocaine)\n----\nBabe Ruth - no great athlete as ever been as in poor of physical health as he was, a sports anomaly\n----\nWayne Gretzky - indisputably the greatest hockey player to ever play\n----\nDale Earnhardt - unlike petty, won his races and championships in an era of regulated racing (Petty's car was just faster than everyone elses when he was racing)\n----\nArthur Ashe - not only his tennis, but his legacy and foundation will make him remembered for decades to come\n----\nPele - another milestone in sports history by going pro as a minor, and one of the greatest soccer players of all time\n----\nNolan Ryan - a symbol of longevity as well as holder of numerous pitching records and quite possible the greatest pitcher to ever take the mound\n----\nCharles Barkley - even though he never won an NBA title, the 6-4 power forward had a phenomenal NBA and collegiate career, and often dominated players half a foot taller than him. He is one of the greatest anomalys in sports history.
180905
michael jordan of course! he had 6 championship rings in like 8 years! as soon as he left, his team struggled. he is the perfect role model of young children as well. he did not take drugs of anything like that. whoever his high school coach was must be real pissed off right now for cutting MJ from the team. MJ came from being cut from his high school team to becoming the greatest basketball player of all time. no player in the next century of so will ever be as great a player as Michael Jordan. His vision, creativity, desire, grace, strength, will, and heart showed it all. anyone who does not at least put the Michael Jordan in the top 2 for the best basketball player to ever play the game is a disgrace to mankind!
1180947
Jordan with any of the second teir stars is the best.  He is the one player who could not be stopped in the clutch.  His defense was simply awesome and his leadership equal to Larry and Magic.
758599
No I think Bill Russell was the greatest.\n\nCoach
472356
It has to be Michael Jordan. He's remember for all the things he has done. His defense, his winning pose and his ability to stay in the air. Wad more can i add?? His Championship won, the scoring tittle, MVPS, Two three peats NBA Championship. Till now, he is still being idolized by many, also his shoes are still in great sales. that's how great Michael Jordan is. Michael Air Jordan Rocks!
563126
james and johnson. kobe is a ball hugger theres no chance he can beat james and jonhson alone. as for jordan, he is arguable the greatest basketball player who ever lived, but with the ball on kobe, he's just another spectator.
1086732
MJ was not the greatest player of all time.\n\nOscar was a better player, as were Wilt, Russell, Kareem, Larry and Magic (Shaq was also more dominant).\n\nNot only did Oscar average a triple-double for a season, he also had the following other seasons...\n\n30.1 ppg /  10.1 rpg /   9.7  apg  (rookie year)  /  1961\n 28.3 ppg  / 10.4 rpg  /  9.5  apg  /  1963\n31.4  ppg  /  9.9  rpg  / 11.0 apg  /  1964\n30,4 ppg  /  9.0  rpg  /  11.5 apg  /  1965\n\nIn 1962, he actually did average a triple double:\n\n30.8 ppg /  12.5 rbg  /  11.4  apg\n\nIn four of his first 5 years, he came within 1 rebound or 1 assist of averaging a triple double.\n\nEDIT-I just ran the numbers... during his first five years (384 games) Oscar averaged 30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 10.6 assists PER GAME.\n\n\nJordan played 32 games more than Robertson in his career (1,072 to 1,040), BUT  took almost  FIVE THOUSAND more shots (24,537 FGA for MJ, only 19,620 for the Big O..... so yeah, Jordan scored a little more. Who couldn't, with 5,000 extra shot attempts (plus, there was no three pointer when Oscar played).\n\nOnce again, proves my point that Jordan was the biggest ball hog of all time, bar none.  Jordan even took more shots that Wilt Chamberlain did... MJ took over 1,000 more shots than Wilt depsite playing almost 7,000 FEWER minutes.\n\nAt the time he retired, Oscar was 2nd on the all time scoring list, behind Wilt (about 5,000 points behind Wilt).\n\nHOOP FAN (see next post) - you're right... you'll recall I posted that exact question 2 weeks ago ("why is michael jordan the greatest player ever?"), and NO ONE came up with ONE credible reason why Jordan should be considered the best ever...   so it does appear that with the right combination of Gator Ade, Nike shoes and a few morons over at ESPN, one can BECOME the greatest player ever, even if he was never any such thing on an actual basketball court.
70031
While glances at Kobe's moves every now and then might give one a passing thought at a Jordan comparison, my personal answer to this question is a resounding no.\n\nGenerally speaking, I don't think it's fair to compare a player to Michael Jordan, easily one of the top athletes in modern history, while Bryant is still in the middle of his career. Simply put, Kobe does not have comparable numbers to Jordan--he hasn't had the time. Yes, at the rate he's going, it's possible that Kobe could rack up some Jordan-esque numbers down the line, but we don't know that yet. There is no need to make premature assumptions.\n\nThat said, even now, Kobe should not be mentioned in the same breath as Jordan simply because of team success. Michael Jordan won six NBA titles with the Bulls. Yes, Kobe's won three champonships with his Lakers--but he has not almost singlularly contributed to them as Jordan did to his Bulls. Yes, Jordan had his Pippen, but Kobe had his Shaq--a future Hall of Famer. Now with Shaq off to the Miami Heat, the Lakers have been struggling, and Kobe cannot singularly handle other teams--like Jordan often did.\n\nWhile it's far to soon to make this comparison, I think Jordan is by far and away above Kobe, and the order will remain that way for a long, long time.
501529
There are a few players (not many) who were better than Jordan... Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and probably Oscar Robertson.\n\nAn earlier post pointed out that Jordan won six championships... big deal... Russell won 11 (in only a 13 year career, lost in the finals one year and the Eastern Finals another year).  Russell also won 5 MVP awards (while competing directly with Wilt, who won four), so Jordan's got nothing on him there...\n\nJordan's big strength was his ability to score...but he's way behind Jabbar's scoring totals, Jabbar also won six championships, and Jabbar also won SIX MVP awards, more than any player in history.\n\nChamberlain, of course, still holds a ton of records that MJ never even got to look at...100 pts in a game, a 50.4 ppg scoring average in a season (Wilt holds, I believe, the top 4 single season scoring averages in history, and is the only player to ever average 40 PPG, which he did twice, including his 50 ppg season, having averaged 44.8 ppg a season later.\n\nJordan's scoring average is 5/100ths of a point higher than Chamberlain's (Jordan is 30.11, Wilt is 30.06)... \n\n\n\nPeople talk about what a great team player Jordan was, but he took 1,040 more shots in his career than Chamberlain did, despite the fact that Jordan played 6,846 FEWER MINUTES (the equivalent of 142 FEWER 48 minute games)!!!\n\nYeah, KOBE'S a ball hog...\n\n(Jordan was not nearly as durable an athlete as Wilt, who averaged 45.8  minutes/game over his career, and is the only player to average MORE than 48 min/game during a season - because he sat out only 6 minutes the entire season, but played many more minutes of overtime. Gee, I wonder if Zydrunas Ilgauskas will ever match THAT...\n\nWilt was also the greatest rebounder of all time, with Russell right behind him.  There have been twenty four 40 rebound games in NBA history, Wilt had 14 such games, Russell 8... Jerry Lucas and Nate Thurmond had the other two. Wilt holds the record with 55 reboounds in a game (against Russell)...Russell himself grabbed 51 rebounds in one game...\n\nWilt was the only player who was able to completely dominate a game with his scoring, rebounding and defense, all at the same time...Jordan could only dominate offensively (which is certainly not a bad thing).\n\nJordan was a very good defender as well, but a guard really can't 'dominate' a game defensively the way a center can (not M.J.'s fault, just the nature of the game). When I say "dominate a game defensively", I'm talking about shutting down the middle and not letting anyone NEAR the hoop... that was Wilt...and Russell...and for a while, Kareem...\n\nUnless you want to have a three point contest, Wilt would dominate Jordan in every category, even passing, as Jordan never led the league in assists (Chamberlain is the only non-guard ever to lead the NBA in assists during a season).\n\nScoring is supposed to be Jordan's specialty... Chamberlain has been retired for 33 years, and STILL has more 60 point games than everyone else in the history of the NBA COMBINED.. Wilt had 32 sixty point games, compared to a whopping 4 for M.J. There have been ABOUT 57 60 pt games in history, not sure of the exact count...\n\nJordan's career scoring average is marginally higher than Wilt's because (1) Jordan shot a hell of a lot more and (2) Jordan made sure he "retired" (for good this time) just before his scoring average fell below Wilt's. Plus, M.J. could hit his free throws on those "rare" occasions that they put him at the line...  hee hee\n\nSo, the answer to "who is the best nba player of all time" is Wilt Chamberlain.
1029824
Bill Russell all time. But for this generation, Micheal Jordan
1173852
Kobe...but none is of greater skill than the great Michael Jordan.
1056207
I totally agree with you! When you think of NBA "Greats", who is it you think of first? MICHAEL JORDAN--not Dwayne Wade..! I am in no way putting the man down (he is one HECK of a basketball player), but it is waaayyy too early in his career to tell! Michael Jordan was a legacy almost immediately, but it was AFTER he retired (for the last time) that he became a legend! Let Dwayne grow and age, and maybe in a few years we'll know for sure whether he can be compared to MJ....! =)
14649
You are right. Michael Jordan had everything: knew the basics, dealt with the pressure, helped his teammates, earned amazing stats, dunked from the free throw line, and led the Bulls to 6 NBA Championships. What else could you wish for in the greatest basketball player of all time?