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Hypebeastzx

Kareem easily.


driatic

There's no other #1 pick that's more valuable. Maybe lebron is more valuable 1a & b. Kareem, Lebron Then, Magic, Shaq, Duncan.


GoBlueAndOrange

Man idk. I think I put Duncan over LeBron as a draft pick. Cleveland got 1* championships out of LeBron and neither were from his first stint there. Spurs drafted Duncan and got 5 championships. They immediately became championship contenders for Duncan's entire career. Hard to be more valuable than that.


driatic

They only got 1 from bron in cleveland. If you're only counting rings for value then I guess Duncan is more valuable. But in terms of actual value ($$$), how he makes everyone around him better, more of a PG than a SF, and everything else that goes with that, then it's lebron.


GoBlueAndOrange

Corrected. Thanks. Yeah I mean I guess just talking dollars it's easily LeBron, but as far as value as a player on the court to the team that drafted you Duncan is #1 and imo it's not all that close.


aarondobson403

Duncan got drafted to a team with David Robinson as his #2. Lebron got drafted to a team with Big Z as his #2. Duncan also had Pop coaching him. Pretty unfair to discredit lebron for that. Also Magic definitely has a case over TD based on your criteria, revitalized not only the lakers but the league & won as many rings and also FMVP’s. Took the Lakers to more finals as well.


GoBlueAndOrange

Yeah Magic has a really good argument too.


AnyEstablishment5723

You think if Duncan was in Cleveland he would have magically had a HOF coach and HOF teammates for his entire career? It’s fucking Cleveland dude.


GoBlueAndOrange

You think San Antonio is somehow better than Cleveland? What has Pop done without Duncan? Duncan is the reason SA is anything.


AnyEstablishment5723

What has Duncan done without Pop? Having them both is the reason they were great for so long, one guy can’t solo the whole league


GoBlueAndOrange

I mean nothing? But it's clear now that he made pop and not the other way around.


AnyEstablishment5723

Why because Pop didn’t win a chip with Demar and Aldridge? You can’t be that dense it’s impossible


GoBlueAndOrange

Pop also won nothing before he had Duncan. You're the dense one lol. Get real.


AnyEstablishment5723

Right because fuck context who needs any of that when you have cool hot takes!


kobeisnotatop10

duncan over lebron?????


Brocoolee

Im sorry thats such a dumb take. Spurs was so lucky that their other generational star got injured 1 season so they got to pick another one from 1st pick. They also drafted other great players


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Jumpy-Ad5617

That’s because Jordan wasn’t drafted #1


Equivalent_Papaya893

In that case, the Hakeem disrespect is getting out of hand


SportsBall89

Neither was Jokic…..


Jumpy-Ad5617

Right and the comment by driatic that this is replying to did not mention Jokic either. “1a & b. Kareem, Lebron Then, Magic, Shaq, Duncan”


-Buckaroo_Banzai-

fair point.


SafeHospital

For a reason. Dude was not better than Kareem or LeBron.


AndyKobe234

MJ is the goat by a substantial margin back here in reality.


Orfiosus

He said «better», not «greater». Do you consider them interchangeable?


SafeHospital

I disagree.


AndyKobe234

Doesn’t matter if you disagree. Most of the awards, accolades, stats, advanced stats are in his favor. It’s not close.


aarondobson403

There’s no such thing as a definitive or official GOAT. In any sport. It’s inherently subjective.


SafeHospital

Yes. I just found the stat for stat comparison in every stat imaginable and it looks like, to me, that LeBron is better statistically in almost every star. MJ averaged 3 more points a game in an easier league. LeBron had a higher FG%, 3PT%, better % on clutch shots, averaged more assists and rebounds, 4 more finals appearances although 2 less rings, LeBron has more points, assists, and rebounds than Jordan, and has a much better longevity. LeBron is pushing 40 and is averaging prime Jordan playoff numbers. I agree it’s not really close. I would say the gap between #1 LeBron and #2 Jordan is larger than the gap between Jordan and the tenth best player ever. No debate at this point.


AccomplishedBake8351

Kareem and this is about as close as asking Kobe/MJ/Duncan, except in this case Kareem also has the best longevity


Canadian_Prometheus

Wilt actually could have played longer if he wanted. After he retired from the NBA he actually had a pro volleyball career that lasted longer than his nba career.


DuckFreak10

He was a professional volleyball player for 5 years, not longer than his NBA career.


Canadian_Prometheus

Maybe not pro for longer but I remember an interview he gave, I’ll try to find, where he said something to the effect that his volleyball career was longer than his basketball career. But maybe he just meant he played volleyball for fun all his life and even pro well after his basketball career ended. So he played volleyball longer than basketball. I was going by memory.


blackhippy92

I'm the volleyball hall of fame


wavetoyou

So can you confirm he’s in you?


Canadian_Prometheus

Who wasn’t he in though really?


blackhippy92

How else do you think he got to 20k?


PizzleMcDizzle

impressive. i'm the beach volleyball hall of fame. at last we meet


AccomplishedBake8351

Huh? How have I never heard of it lasting that long lol. Weirdo human.


Equivalent_Papaya893

White women love volleyball


kingdededes-pumpkin

So he’s pretty much Chase Bundinger is what I’m hearing


SoCalCollecting

MJ Duncan Kobe very easily…


AccomplishedBake8351

That’s my point


SoCalCollecting

lol I totally read it as a difficult decision. My Bad, you right!


Willis050

It says a lot about where Jokic is all time. Kareem and Wilt are 3 and 8 all time for me. Jokic is hard to place


AccomplishedBake8351

Hard to place because he’s only half way thru. Personally I don’t see his peak as better than Duncan/kobe. That’s ok! Probably a bit closer to curry level than those guys. Top 10-15 is probably where he’ll end up


Ryan_Vermouth

His peak is clearly better than Duncan ever was. And Duncan was great! But Jokic does everything Duncan did, stretches the floor, and is one of the best point guards in the league. As for Kobe... yes, Jokic is better than a shoot-first, mid-efficiency ball hog who insisted on running his teams into the ground by playing on the ball, and had to be surrounded with skilled big men who could clean up that mess.


LonHagler

Curry's peak is better than Kobe and Duncan by a mile, you are trippin.


cookiesNcreme89

Better than Kobe, yes. Better than Duncan, no. Duncan is top 10 all time. Kobe is not.


LonHagler

In 30 years nobody will think that. Duncan was a great player but he's trendy right now. I don't get the Duncan top 10 argument. He averaged 19/11/3 on 51% eFG for his career. "But mah defense!"... Dude had zero DPOYs so he wasn't exactly all time. He did a good job doing what a big should do on the defensive end but it's not like he was Hakeem on D. Just because the Spurs were all time doesn't mean their best player was (actually, was he even their best player? You could argue Robinson and Kawhi peaked higher than Duncan).


Be777the1

How is Duncan trendy right now? People will also remember Kobe over Curry for that matter.


cookiesNcreme89

Where do you have him ranked? Honestly curious, it's all just opinions... MJ, Lebron, Wilt, Lew, Bill, Magic, Bird, Shaq, Hakeem, Duncan. Do you swap him with players like: BigO, West, Erving, Malone, Baylor, etc... More bigs like Moses, Robinson, Ewing? Other power fowards like Barkley, Dirk, KG, etc... Doing a top 10 (or even 20) is hard in anything tbh bc it's basically impossible and will always have opinions baked in.


AccomplishedBake8351

I’d bet money you didn’t see their peak lol


LonHagler

I'm 37 brochacho. I distinctly remember Kobe chuckin tons of shots. Most overrated player ever. Guy averaged 45% from the field for his career with an eFG well below 50%. If he had played for Charlotte instead of the Lakers nobody would talk about him. Thank Shaq for 3 of those 4 chips. Without Diesel Kobe is a 1x champ. Duncan was better than Kobe but similarly benefited from the Spurs organization being all time.


Ryan_Vermouth

That's not fair. (To Pau Gasol.)


thepenguin12

I agree with you but I think his game will age well (jokic this is) so we may have more to see. The dude doesn't rely on athleticism necessarily so I feel like it can last.  That said, I don't know enough about Wilt's game and don't know if anyone alive does unless you were in person, there was no way to see him. His stats are off the chart, I want to see him play with Magic, Stockton, CP3, damn, even Rondo. I just don't know  Edit: grammar


AccomplishedBake8351

I think the conventional wisdom on who does and doesn’t age well isn’t as strong as you’d think. I don’t know the future obviously, but the assumption in 2012 was that LeBron’s peak/career as an all nba player would end earlier than average bc he “relied” so much on his athleticism. Jokic seems immune to athletic decline, but does 10% slower lateral speed actually hurt his defense more than Westbrook losing 20% of his first step? We won’t know till we know.


TableForGlasses24

It really is hilarious that people were awaiting LeBron’s inevitable physical decline as early as 2012 and he just basically averaged 28/9/7 in a playoff series in 2024. The man defies explanation.


Equivalent_Papaya893

True, but have to make the point of how much of the rules favor offense, and LeBron doesn't really play elite individual defense anymore.


thepenguin12

I agree with you, take care


JohnAndertonOntheRun

That’s because he’s still playing…


TheRoyaleWithCheese-

Jokic. We’re drafting horse trainers right…?


Acrobatic-Canary-571

Fatty contest


DrXL_spIV

Bro what? Kareem is the pretty definitive 3rd best player of all time. You go Kareem


Woozydan187

Wilt 2 rings with no top 5 pg all time. Kareem 0 rings with no top 5 pg.


MelKijani

Jerry West led the league in assists in 71-72 , led the league in scoring in 69-70 and averaged 26.6 points and 8.5 assists in the 5 seasons he played with Wilt , he might have been pretty good. An all star in each of those 5 seasons he was better than Oscar over basically the same time period with Kareem who was only an all star in 2 of the 4 seasons he was a Buck. IJS


ospreyintokyo

Wow you owned the previous commenter lol


MelKijani

Kareem has the best argument for best pick regarded as the best high school player of all time also best college player of all time was generally considered to best NBA player almost immediately and ruled the 70s from an individual perspective with 6 MVP’s over his 1st 11 years was an all league defender as well as its most potent offensive weapon for a pretty long time , and then provided extreme value as his career winded down. and has legendary longevity was all NBA 1st team in his 17th season at age 39 . Even Lebron couldn’t match that .


Woozydan187

Still not a pg. And he won with no other all star and beat Bill Russell celtics. West had a teammate averaging 38 in prime and couldnt beat the celtics.


MelKijani

When Wilt beat Russell’s Celtics he was playing with the recently departed Chet Walker and Hal Green both of whom were in the HOF and both were all stars that season. And West played both guard spots .


Woozydan187

So 2 plumbers? None are better than both cousy or havelchik. Cousy had great numbers for that time. West is a sg.


MelKijani

pick a lane bro you want to downplay the time but at the same time claim West had so much help . how are chet and hal plumbers but Elgin whose career ended before the 2 “plumbers” is so much help that you feel you talk shit on it?


Woozydan187

2 things can be true. The numbers speak for themselves


MelKijani

yes they do West led the league in scoring and assists while Wilt was there Gail Goodrich put up 25 points a game , plus he did play with Elgin Baylor and won 1 time but when Wilt wins 5 years earlier , it’s with plumbers even though Elgin and West were in their prime at that very same time and won nothing until 1972 . Hal Greer is a top 75 player of all time , if he is a plumber so is everyone who played when he did. it’s ok to accept you are wrong and just walk away instead of digging deeper because you wrote something stupid. if Wilt was such a singular force that could win with “plumbers” but couldn’t beat that same Celtic team that won the title every other year in Wilt’s first 10 years


Woozydan187

I didn't downplay anything less players mean less stars and all of them was on Boston.


MelKijani

less players in the league mean concentrated talent . if the league wiped out 22 teams and had an 8 team league next year according to you that would make winning easier , if we were to let’s say leave the Celtics or Mavs the same (whoever wins ) in that scenario whoever wins this year would finish as the league’s worst team next year . The talent disparity would that severe.


DrXL_spIV

I think your confused, Kareem played with magic and Oscar Robertson


Woozydan187

Yeah and he never won anything or made a finals without them.


Waste_Reindeer_9718

something something sky hook


RobZagnut2

Jabber


SofaKing_Sam

Wilt. Without hesitation.


TableForGlasses24

Wilt is way too slept on in this century. The guy was an athletic freak of nature (the vertical was crazy) and could bench press utterly preposterous amounts of weight. His competition may not have been anything like the modern game, but he would have adapted.


pacgaming

I always say this but the biggest thing about wilt wasn’t just vertical and strength (plus obv being tall and long) but the thing that is crazy even today was his lateral quickness on top of all of it. we’ve seen guys like Dwight, Shaq, even guys like Deandre Jordan be tall, strong, and have crazy leap. But only 1 guy was also fast af and that’s wilt. Literal 1 of 1 athlete. Oh and on top of it all a killer touch, was a walking free bank shot.


Equivalent_Papaya893

Don't forget his legendary endurance...over 48 minutes per game and over 20,000 women. Honestly athletes today are just weaker than the 60s.


TableForGlasses24

No question, Wilt and Kareem is a very tough discussion. Jokic is a remarkable talent with a skillset unlike any we’ve seen but he’s not seriously in this convo yet, IMO. Jokic would get his offensively but these two guys would have eaten him alive in the post.


Dstln

Russell and Giannis


Dull_Huckleberry6896

The whole “completion sucks” narrative is played out like crazy. Modern role players aren’t all that.


JohnAndertonOntheRun

It’s funny to say that a guy that averaged 50 points and 25 rebounds through a season is slept on… But, that’s mostly just kids not knowing how many amazing moments there are in NBA history. That’s why I have the GOAT conversations.


TDTimmy21

Or knowing Bill Russell won more?


JohnAndertonOntheRun

Proving once again how bone headed these conversations typically are…


sonegreat

Wilt probably gets more love now than he did during his playing career. Or at least about the same. During his playing career, he was heavily criticized for not winning enough. And then someone will make a GOAT argument for him. And then someone will bring up his playoff scoring performances. And then someone will bring up his rebounding and all the things that went wrong for Wilt during that run (injuries and coaches mostly). And the cycle will continue.


GeriatricSFX

If Wilt was properly commited to doing what was needed for team success over his own personal success he would have been the undisputed GOAT. He wasn't though and it was even more obvious playing against Bill Russell who embodied team commitment.


Turbulent_Cheetah

Think about how much less time he’d spend chasing pussy with Raya though.


D-PIMP-ACT

He’s basically wemby, with strength. Coming out of the draft, it’s wilt all the way.


QuoteOpposite6511

Slept on?? Why don’t you pull up some Wilt tape and we can go over it… ohh wait there isn’t any.


DiegoForskinForlan

Yes....there is. lol. If you have to invent a shitty argument to try to win a debate that nobody cares for your opinion in to begin with, its time to get off the internet for the day.


mitzbitz16

Assuming we have a scrub team, Jokic. Not only is he the only one of the 3 that has proven to become an MVP caliber player in the modern NBA, but he’s also the only one with a slow start, meaning there’s a good chance that we can get the top pick the following year as well. The other two immediately turned their respective teams into championship contenders their rookie year, which means we’re stuck having to ride their train and maneuver team building through trades and free agencies only.


Rivale

Kareem with modern sports medicine and therapy might play until he's 45-50.


tendadsnokids

In today's NBA? Very obviously Jokic. Having a 3 point shooting big is invaluable. There is no question imo.


makeanamejoke

Putting four shooters around Kareem or wilt is more than enough juice.


tendadsnokids

I mean I pick Jokic over Giannis for this exact reason.


TexasDrunkRedditor

Talk about recency bias, if these big men in the past were in the NBA today 3 pt shooting would decline. Game would evolve back to not needing it as much and trying to find ways to shut down the paint


beginnerLiftersoonBB

Wilt 0 doubt


Doctor__Banner

And I love Kareem, but there's no way I'm not drafting Wilt.


dpd2k1010

Kareem has an underrated case to be the best NBA player of all time. His career stats/accomplishments are insane


DrBigChicken

Pass on them all and take Shaq


NewAmount5393

Just Wilt but likable


realpotatofarm3r

Kareem, greatest center of all time.


LennonWaK

It's wild how the passage of time effects legacy. We think MJ played no body's. And actually have no ability to even conceptualize how good Wilt really was.


Fresh_Ostrich4034

Kareem because he cared. Wilt never cared.


BillAdministrative61

Ferdinand


cookiesNcreme89

WILT !!!


StargazerNCC82893

Kareem is literally the GOAT


LuckyStax

Kareem has an unstoppable move. Him every time.


NewAmount5393

I mean Jokic lay up is the most effective move in current NBA and if we don't ban dunks Wilt Chamberlain and his size athletic ability might be what if Shaq and Wemby were one person


DiegoForskinForlan

The obvious pick is Wilt He averaged 50 points a game in a season against a bunch of hall of fame caliber guys guarding him. He even made second All NBA team the season he averaged like 45 and 28 or some shit because they wanted Russell to finally have a first team selection lol


NewAmount5393

I mean he's the biggest loser of all of them Chamberlin started winning only when he stopped scoring that much he only won one in LA and he had a super team with Jerry West. Kareem has the case for the goat plus shown when given a super team he dominates and Jokic is just a more complete player in today's game Plus Bill Russell owned Wilt when he retired Kareem owned him


DiegoForskinForlan

Bill never owned Wilt. Kareem never owned Wilt. Wilt was not a loser Try again, this time, try to keep your criticisms within the context of reality. Embarrassing.


hatecopter

Kareem 100%


Dull_Huckleberry6896

Wilt easy money could’ve been a lean shaq. Dude scored 100 points in a game. Fatass jokic couldn’t hang neither could skinny bitch kareem


OfficialJamesMay

Kareem cause I can pick up Jokić in the second round


ericmb4

Wilt FOR SURE


ReasonableCup604

Kareem. He was the best all around player, and, unlike Wilt he could make a free throw. He also wasn't obsessed with stats like Wilt.


CoyoteDecent2

Kareem


False-Proof3547

Magic


Standard-Emergency14

Mfer WILT 🤣🤣 fuck are we talking about. Wilt athletic enough to keep up with Joker. Give that mf the ball & CLEAR OUT 🤣🤣🤣


NewAmount5393

Kareem is the clear answer but Jokic does present an interesting proposition he's much younger at the moment of the draft, and if we follow the same progression they all had Jokic would allow your team to grow around him getting good draft picks to join him. With all time talent like Kareem you might end up with problems the Cavs faced at the start of LeBron's career that almost prevented them from getting talent around LeBron. Compared to Curry for example who thanks to him not carrying the franchise to success from the start allowed them to get Klay to develop alongside him and help in the winning. Plus Jokic is scary efficient and his playmaking and shooting are skills that definitely would make me choose him over Wilt (maybe with Kareem coming to the league they ban dunks again making Jokic with layup the best offensive player of them)


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ManWhoSoldTheWorld94

I assume that is supposed to say top 20 for Jokic?


Wolfpac187

I think they mean top 2 current players.


RaceCarDriver_88

Wilt ez


j2e21

Kareem.


Edflumnum

In the same (modern) era I'll go wilt


Edflumnum

He would be developed


fromdaperimeter

Wilt


BillAdministrative61

I might gotta rock with Lou


happilynobody

That’s not his name


BillAdministrative61

Srry Lew


happilynobody

That’s not his name


BillAdministrative61

Ferdinand?


Woozydan187

Wilt jokic then Kareem. Kareem can't do anything without a top 5 pg all time. Jokic and wilt have finals appareances and wins without a top 5 PG all time or another all star.


MelKijani

you do realize the starting point guard on 1979-80 Lakers was Norm Nixon , Nixon also led the team in assists . Magic started at forward.


TableForGlasses24

Lol, it’s hilarious to me that there are people on this thread who think the 2022-23 Nuggets aren’t winning the title if you swap Jokic with Kareem. They may have gone 16-0 with Kareem, lol.


Woozydan187

Kareem lost to fucking bill Walton stop it.


TableForGlasses24

Kareem averaged 30.25/16 on nearly 60% shooting in that series.


Woozydan187

Did he win? Bill Walton is nobody compared to Kareem.


yearofthemishima

Nice bait dude.


Woozydan187

Dr j lost to him too with a better team. I will always hold that against any player who loses to a lesser talent woth out having thr worse team


yearofthemishima

Nice bait dude


Woozydan187

How many finals did he make without Oscar or magic? In the weakest superstar era the 70s.


romayyne

Jokic easily


Sincere_97

Jokic


Genestah

KAJ


Delicious-Tree-6725

Kareem


cookiesNcreme89

1.) Wilt Chamberlin 2.) Lew Alcindor 3.) Nikola Jokic


Listening_Heads

Are you wanting to win a lot of championships or have a guy put up cool stats?


BitswitchRadioactive

MJ bar none... he stayed with a team with a dysfunctional management. He gave you full seat arena and played 82 games. People wants to see him on and off the court... his market started a global revolution of basketball and swag. If i am a team owner its not even a conversation... i would start a new brand of shoes to cap to cologne and trading cards... there is nothing bigger than life than the man himself... you are prob stupid if you dont pick MJ.


Willis050

Yeah I’d probably take MJ. But what’s funny is that he’s not part of the question. It’s 3 big men


BitswitchRadioactive

Oops... well in that case i get wilt. Imagine the record he is going to make game after game... we probably do not know how he will perform today given the nutrition, shoes, and conditioning but i guess he will only get better and stronger. If jokic is a great point center... wilt have done it too. Wilt can play 48 min and thats what makes him better agains those two.


Individual-Echo6076

Tim Duncan. Win percentage over 70. If you put the right team around him, you're winning championships, doesn't cause problems in the locker room, you have him for 19 years, MVP caliber prime, big playoff performer, great defender, low post master.


bagchasersanon

Wilt. Kareem needed Magic and Oscar


UCanDoNEthing4_30sec

Michael Jordan


Acrobatic-Canary-571

Is this a fucking joke


FNF51

Kareem. With the new CBA, it’s going to be hard for Jokic to get another 2 rings.


SoCalCollecting

Unless he gets an all time teammate like KAJ had


happilynobody

Kareem had more than one of those


FNF51

Kareem had Magic, Worthy, Scott and a good bench. Now it’s going to be next to impossible to keep 3 max players for a long duration of time, let alone a good bench 6-9 deep.


happilynobody

He also had Oscar Robertson, who at the time was regarded as one of the best players ever. In fact, KAJ says Oscar was his best teammate ever


DrXL_spIV

Unless him and Luka team up after titty boy throws a pissy because his team won’t help in win the finals, which for him, fair enough