The Greatest Players of All Time VS Each Other

A compilation video of my Versus Series, with a Brand New matchup.
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The game of Basketball has been my passion since I was 5 years old. I grew up as a kid watching my dad's recorded VHS tapes of playoff games through the 70s and 80s, and collected all the Basketball cards. Something about the game and what it represents just hooked me from a very young age.
My love for the game only continues to grow as time goes on. I love studying and analyzing the game, with an unbiased perspective. Feel free to subscribe, follow me on social media, and celebrate this amazing game and it's rich history with me!
I post videos every week on NBA history, predictions, hypothetical scenarios and current NBA topics.
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Intro Music: Turn On - RW Smith • Turn On - RW Smith (No... ​​​​​​​​​​
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#nba #basketball #hoops

[@jonnyarnett]

A massive compilation video of my VS Series, with BRAND NEW content. Who you like to see this series continue? Let me know if you have any suggestions for matchups. Time Stamps are listed below. 0:17 Charles Barkley Vs Karl Malone 10:37 Shaquille O’Neal Vs Hakeem Olajuwon 20:49 Allen Iverson Vs George Gervin 27:57 Kevin Garnett Vs Dirk Nowitzki 37:45 Steve Nash Vs Jason Kidd

[@Someone-hi1nt]

im just wondering why people use players listed heights with shoes when talking about most players, but when talking about players undersized for their position such as barkley, they use their heights without shoes

[@damonsonnier34]

Giannis vs Charles Barkley, or Karl Malone.

[@Someone-hi1nt]

@@Jutrzen lol wilt isnt even top 10, mj is top 2 unanimously and most peoples number 1

[@Jutrzen]

@@Someone-hi1nt Wilt is the best basketball player of all time and probably 2nd best athlete of all time (after Bo Jackson).

[@Jutrzen]

Wilt vs. MJ.

[@russellst.martin4255]

For accolades, I would add that Barkley also had the best overall performance on the greatest team ever assembled.

[@cavader1381]

?

[@AJPSonline]

@@cavader1381 Dream Team

[@GabbyBabby-pp1lx]

@russellst.martin4255 Yes, however it is worth noting that Bird was "on his last leg" as Gary Payton would say.

[@jp3813]

@@GabbyBabby-pp1lx Bird was rarely the best player in the All-Star Games. He was the type to let his teammates play during blowouts as well.

[@Cannon4545]

@@GabbyBabby-pp1lx Bird also said "well I can't' say it's the _greatest_ team ever..."

[@NotGord]

Crazy how Barkley was so good at rebounding and being efficient when he is 6'4.

[@JohnnyRodgers3]

He reminds me of a shorter Elgin Baylor...i think if Barkley and Elgin were in the same league they would average just about the same amount of rebounds...I think Elgin would still average more points but Barkley would still be more efficient...Elgin in the 90s would also record more assist than Barkley and be the second or possibly 1st best passing forward behind or ahead of bird 🤔

[@Cynsham]

He was listed at 6'6" but he was like 6'4" and a half, he was crazy good at rebounding

[@almighty1of1]

​@@JohnnyRodgers3elgin was a guard tho, but I see what ur saying

[@Youralwayswhining4367]

​@@almighty1of1small forward/power forward

[@JohnnyRodgers3]

@@almighty1of1 he was 6ft5 1/2 barefoot taller than Barkley 6ft 4 1/2 barefoot

[@creativeconciousness5492]

I was in middle school when I started watching basketball. Watching Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwan is what made me fall in love with basketball.

[@onunka16]

So happy to see some Jason Kidd love. He is one of the best PGs to play the game but seems to always be forgotten

[@fortynights1513]

I’ve heard he was a good defender in particular. Side note: I think it would have also been interesting if John Stockton was compared to him. Both are described as good defenders and pass first players from what I can tell.

[@onunka16]

@@fortynights1513 he definitely was and both were great defenders. I think this new age of scoring point guards has blinded many of the great of PGs of the past.

[@onlyfacts3178]

he was good but not half NASH was...

[@KobaniacMinded]

I got him top 5

[@jbl7946]

I want a Steph vs Zeke!! Zeke was the Man yet a lot of younger folks don't know...Steph's unbelievable I mean come on 😂 but still Great match.

[@ironangel667]

Barkley was also a very talented passer and floor general. Also, he was much better at creating his own shot.

[@richardw3347]

more mobile, can get his own shot is why I have him higher than the Mailman. if Stockton wasn't there I wonder how his numbers would look like.

[@Yungteasipppppa]

@@richardw3347this is a insane take

[@richardw3347]

@@Yungteasipppppa How? Barkley was better at getting his own shot and taking the ball from the top of the key to the basket better. One example is when he took David Robinson one on one and hit the game winner over him in a playoff game, thats what I mean. Malone has never done things like that. Malone got fed from Stockton on fast breaks and pick n rolls a lot, shot spot up mid range jumpers. was more still not as mobile as Barkley in that regard. Maybe he could do those things I just never really saw it consistently. Chuck Daly in 1992 said Barkley was the 2nd best player behind Jordan on the dream team as well.

[@J-Hue]

​@@richardw3347 Malone was on all time great pace from day 1. It was Stockton who's game came along as Malone's did. Odds are, Malone would've been as great, just arguably with less longevity. Stockton, on the other hand, may not have been a HOFer without Malone.

[@Xenon-cb5re]

Johnny forgetting one of Bird's accomplishments: Making half the Hawk's bench cheer and fall off the bench in laughter as he scored on them.

[@xsjado_anon]

Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year. How long before another player gets to be Rookie of the Year, MVP, FMVP, All-Star MVP, CotY and EotY along with an Olympic Gold medal? If he carried those nobodies past Magic's stacked college team after his 33-0 run, he'd have it all, but even Bird wasn't enough to bridge that gap - a taste of things to come. Hell, if modern advanced analytics existed back then he might have even swiped a DPOY in his 3 year MVP run. Just carrying a team past Magic's stacked roster once puts him in the GoaT conversation for me, but I wish so hard that he made that shot in 87 - his best supporting cast was old and injured and watching from the bench, but he still nearly put them on his back and carried the leftovers to a ring - it would have absolutely cemented him as the GoaT and even MJ wouldn't have overcome it.

[@Pugmomintexas]

Wasn't that the game Larry played all left handed? I still laugh at that bench clip!

[@giehlemanns]

damn you're a machine jonny, very excited to watch another long-form video

[@RGRundeRGRound]

this is History Channel level content 💖💖

[@rafaelraad555]

Watching how good Bird was in the 1980s, he would literally destroy the league today and top 5 in any era. Holly

[@iamdillyj]

Who is holly? You meant holy, didn't you? But i disagree. I'd put lebron james, steph curry, Kevin durant, nikola jovic and gianiss antetokounmpo above him. But definitely top 10. That's not a dig at bird it's just those 5 guys are crazy generational talents too.

[@LuciferoftheBiscuitHammer]

How did you misspell Jokic and Giannis while spelling Antetokounmpo perfectly? @@iamdillyj

[@DurellPowell]

​@@LuciferoftheBiscuitHammer😂😂😂😂

[@HiNRGboy]

@@iamdillyj LeBron over Bird with the way he played in the Finals loss to Dallas? Hell no! lol Bird is superior in every way to LeBron except for athleticism..

[@rlh12345]

@@HiNRGboy At the age of 25 Larry went 17.8, 12.5, 5.6 on 47%TS (league average was 54%). Lebron in the Mavs finals went 17.8, 7.2, and 6.8 on 54%TS (league average was 54%). In 1981-82 the league scoring average was 109. In 2010-11 the league scoring average was 100.

[@Ilkaygundogoat]

I just know this video will be amazing❤🔥

[@operationcarnage]

Hey jonny! i think in the future you should make another video about players ahead of their time, but now give them a accurate current-day comparison. looking foward to this video!

[@fortynights1513]

One who would deserve mention is Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (hope I spelled that correctly).

[@judahunderwood8433]

Good idea

[@c.n.i7105]

Imagine a Tim Duncan vs Hakeem Olajuwon matchup with both in their prime. Houston’s dancer 7 footer against San Antonio’s cold 6 11 machine Plus, I believe Hakeem was a better player than Shaq but O’Neal had more impact in the league overall

[@isaakfrmla]

I was born in 2000 too young to see Barkley but he keeps getting put higher on my list he was a beast

[@RGRundeRGRound]

Sir Charles was likely the best player without a Ring... 💖💖

[@Mindfultranslations]

Born in 2000 ? That sound like a few years ago … because perhaps it’s 2023 ! Time flies … life is so short.

[@deepwaterrehab7685]

Jason Kidd led the entire 2011 Finals in plus-minus with +42. More than Dirk, Wade, Lebron and Bosh 🔥

[@lukesmith9692]

Because he was a role player

[@HiThere-ju3wg]

Day 5 of asking for a video on who would be your top basketball team of all time. 15 players, 3 players per position. It's not just about talent, but also chemistry. To make it more interesting, you can also pick which year of that player you'd decide on. The ultimate dream team.

[@richardlloyd2589]

Bench matters, so I like this as a team building challenge: Who wins the series if the top 1-5+16-20 play the top 6-15?

[@HiThere-ju3wg]

@richardlloyd2589 that's a cool idea as well, but the point of mine is like if Martians come down to earth and challenge us to basketball, and you had to assemble the best team ever from any Era, who would you assemble.

[@lilpenny1982]

Hakeem was better than Shaq because Hakeem was more versatile offensively and a way better defender than Shaq. Also, Shaq was useless in the clutch and would sometimes be sitting on the bench. Hakeem on the other hand was good in the clutch even at center. Shaq also relied on his teammates to pass the ball to him down low. Hakeem can get the ball down low and more importantly on the perimeter too so his reliance on his teammates to give him the ball down low was not an issue.

[@hassanbaig5238]

I agree could you imagine if he had a player like Kobe or DWADE 🥶

[@lilpenny1982]

@@hassanbaig5238 If Hakeem had Drexler from the beginning, I think he wins 4 chips

[@randomperson2540]

Oh im looking forward to this

[@timl9724]

The Malone and Stockton synergy was so unique, it's almost impossible to properly evaluate them individually. They both were so incredibly healthy, that we seemingly have a too-small sample size to evaluate them playing without the other. Each also only played one season without the other, one as a rookie off the bench, and the other in an injury season at age 40. Did Stockton make Malone an all-time great scorer with those perfectly timed and placed passes and offensive orchestration, or did Malone make Stockton the all-time assist leader with his ability to make the right plays off ball and finishing them? It seems that many fans and pundits diminish their individual status with the claim that they had that other guy helping, which seems to be the case here in this video. I will add that Malone did start his ascent as a scorer while Rickey Green started at point, for what that's worth. Basketball is a team sport, and that synergy with other players is itself a skill. Barkley had plenty of solid point guards in his prime, with Cheeks and Dawkins both being among the best passers in the league, and KJ when healthy, being a phenom even greater than Stockton for a time. But Barkley never had that synergy with teammates. He was a force unto himself for the most part. His MVP season was the only one where he really fit well. That Suns team was special, and his connection with those guys was solid, but still nothing close to Stockton-Malone, Jordan-Pippen, or Magic-Worthy type synergy.

[@grahamgreene779]

@timl9724 The Malone and Stockton synergy was so unique, it's almost impossible to properly evaluate them individually. great point.

[@dylaneverhartmusic]

One of the best written basketball comments I've ever seen

[@frankrocchio5927]

These compilations are like crack for a stat junkie like myself. Good stuff as always.

[@Scaley_Reptile]

shame sometimes they are wrong

[@jp3813]

@@Scaley_Reptile Official stats are sometimes wrong in the first place. Remember the highlight of the Bulls blocking Charles Smith four times in a row at the end of Game 5 of the 1993 ECF? Apparently, Scottie Pippen is officially credited w/ zero blocks in that game. Though if you slow down the footage beneath the basket, one of the blocks was actually by the backboard.

[@BucketBeast123]

Love your channel and takes

[@BishopM1]

Great video. You should’ve added “peak” as the last category or maybe before accolades.

[@demorik6794]

I love Hakeem, if i had to pick a center for my best 5 man team he'd be it.

[@eazymoneymane7789]

Me too, Hakeem is the most skilled center ever on both sides of the court, Hakeem would start for me because in the pick and roll it's not many centers that can hold perimeter players like Hakeem Hakeem s offense is top tier

[@grog3514]

I can never decide between Hakeem, Wilt, and Kareem. They were all so insane. I tend to prefer players with finesse but that means I think Wilt is the better fit for center because his strength and stats are just unreal. Hakeem is the most skilled though. I want to see those 3 compared really bad.

[@滋榎本]

I think the duo of Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson is underrated. Those two were very strong scorers in the 1990s NBA. Tom Chambers, Danny Ainge and Dan Majerle were also very good players.

[@ironangel667]

And Cedric Ceballis

[@fortynights1513]

@@JimBrave-ri1ocHis first Rockets season arguably wasn’t that bad (side note: the 97 Rockets were 32-8 in the regular season when Barkley, Hakeem and Drexler all played together) but that team had a very short window. I agree that the end of his career was messed up though. I’d have to disagree on the jerseys though. Late 90’s Rocket jerseys are probably my favorite ever, and I’m not even a fan of their team. Barkley retiring as a Sun would’ve definitely been cool though. Also Kevin Johnson is overlooked in general.

[@dewanewelch1744]

KJ was considered the best PG in the game for maybe 2 seasons after Magic retired.

[@fortynights1513]

@@JimBrave-ri1ocI must be in the minority on that one then, I honestly think those jerseys look cool. The navy blue version in particular. If nobody gets hurt, the 97 team probably has at least 62 wins or so (65 if you extrapolate the record they had together for the full season). Is my last statement fair: Is it fair to label Kevin Johnson overlooked?

[@Werdiknight]

Yep, which made those Suns teams at least deeper than Malone's Jazz...

[@terencemackay1990]

Love the Vids man as Always 😊

[@catherinelynnfraser2001]

I love this. You picked some tough ones to adjudicate. I’m so happy you decided to take this on ❤

[@ririnho91]

Love the video! You should think about adding two more categories: 1.player peak and 2.career. This is do to playing styles, peaks in regards to other players in that era and longevity which all are valid points in comparisons amongst players.

[@shawnedmundson8014]

what have i just found this might be my favorite youtube channel now W vid

[@davidnottle47]

Magic Johnson is my favorite player of all time, and my point guard of choice in my dream starting 5. With that being said, I respect the case you made for Larry being the better all-round player. I felt you made solid arguments and I agree with them even if it hurts in my heart 😂. Solid series man really

[@Bigedub101]

Man I'm not fan but respect both and they soooo close that on my all time list I can't even choose who be ahead the other but they always side by side...

[@davidnottle47]

@@Bigedub101 facts they're so intertwined you can never talk about one without mentioning the other

[@Bigedub101]

@davidnottle47 I hate both Lakers and Celtics but I watched a few of their games and all and I can't even see how any other players gonna knock them put MY Top 10 and both way too neck n neck but Bird might be so slightly better cause was so versatile

[@itaiguberman2704]

I get the argument and I think Bird is most definitely one of the all-time greats, BUT I think the point that there has never been a player who makes his teammates better more than Magic means more than people realise. Him winning half the championships in the 80s is huge, not to mention the sheer number of Finals appearances. Basketball is a team sport and when thinking of best players it's important to remember that the ones who are aware of that are the truly great ones. Players who know how to utilise their team and win consistently are the true greats. In my opinion, there is no greater basketball (the team sport) player than Magic. If you are talking about individually, you would have had to test that in a one-on-one tournament, which isn't really basketball anyway. Magic and Bird are two of the greatest all-time without a doubt. But looking at it from a basketball standpoint, even Bird said Magic was the best he'd ever seen. I agree with that statement.

[@karlo9572]

I dont agree. Magic was better. 5 championships and finals mvp 1 his rookie year. 13 seasons 9 finals 5 rings. 3mvps, 3 finals mvp, 10 all nba teams 9 being first, 12 all star seasons. Bird was great but Magic imo edged him.

[@kahmik]

AN HOUR of jonny jeez this is gold

[@aestheticsforever2683]

As a suggestion, I think I looking at prime stats is a bit more telling than career average which can become deflated when guys decide to stick around for too long.

[@timmyg831]

When sports analysts list their top 10 players, they almost always have Magic over Bird and Shaq over Olajuwon. I’ve always known Bird and Olajuwon were better than their counterparts. So I appreciate this thorough analysis.

[@celtics17banners84]

Excellent video! Need Bill Russell Vs Wilt!

[@Sanity333]

This is probably my favorite video you have done. I really enjoyed it. Tough to argue against any of your choices.

[@homerthompson416]

I gotta take Hakeem over Shaq just for the 1995 title run as a tiebreaker. Olajuwon beat Malone's Jazz, then Barkley's Suns, then completely embarrassed Robinson's Spurs and Shaq's Magic in winning the most difficult championship in the history of the league. You're never going to see another run like that again. Robinson and O'Neal were just monsters that year and Olajuwon ripped David to shreds in the WCF, painful as that is to say as a Spurs fan. And then followed that up by giving Shaq the broom. Just an unreal playoff run.

[@facelessandnameless]

The Rockets gave the Magic the broom, but a very young Shaq held his own against Hakeem. Shaq’s stats and efficiency that series were incredible.

[@paquinraino8180]

"You never going to see another....again" stop saying that shit people plz

[@karlo9572]

@@facelessandnameless 95 was Shaqs second best scoring year of his career. He was a superstar at that point and Hakeem swept him

[@eazymoneymane7789]

Hakeem is better than Shaq as a all around player more skilled on offense and especially defense

[@yourdaddy6030]

Only because Jordan was playing baseball. If Jordan was around you can forget both of Hakeem's titles.

[@RemoWilliams1227]

God I missed this one. Johnny just Killin us with the s tier content lately.

[@HarmanHundal01]

Bird was the top ranked assist maker among non guards for 10 of his 13 seasons. There are only 3 non guards among top 50 alltime in APG, Bird is one of them and among those 3 players he is the only one who is not the primary ball handler of his team. So Magic’s lead over him in facilitating is smaller than most people realise.

[@barimvp897]

Ye magic being the goat passer and being much more flashy gave him more recognition for passing. I’d argue bron and bird are probably the best non guard passers ever

[@paquinraino8180]

That also work for LeBron but at the end Magic is still way over everyone

[@jp3813]

Well, if Magic played as a forward instead, then he could possibly have the same amount of rebounds as Bird. He became a guard despite his height b/c he could play all five positions, at least offensively.

[@karlo9572]

Magic was a far better passet than Bird

[@alaskaguyd963]

@@jp3813 And if Bird was the primary ball handler for Boston he would probably have as many assists as Magic.

[@sajmongs2086]

GOAT Content

[@Jeff.fl0w]

I love these verses Jonny you can continue this going forward

[@chiefs816kc]

You need to include D-Wade in some of these. Folks are forgetting how great Flash was. (Ex: D-Wade vs Iverson or Harden)

[@youngking0704]

facts

[@kenw2225]

Wade is top 5 sg all time, no matter how low you prefer, 5th is worst. I say he's 3rd. Jordan, kobe then wade. And you could argue clyde, klay, and west. But I'll take prime wade over all but Jordan. Depends on the team structure if kobe is preferred over wade in my opinion. A slasher like wade may be more valuable to certain teams vs kobe. Also , wade taught LeBron how to win a title. And wade was better than James in 2011. No one seems to remember that

[@the_Sage71]

​@kenw2225 I would take Wade over Kobe as well. He was more efficient, faster and quicker, a better passer. He dominated in the NBA Finals like few ever have.

[@alessioraccagni3753]

Everytime I see '90 bball it reminds me how good was seeing real dunks against real contest at the rim

[@rtosborne3]

Excellent video. I agree with all of your choices. Note: in your KG vs Dirk comparison, if you included passing/playmaking, KG would have won by a mile. He was clearly the better all-around player.

[@normanbell1410]

Nice job. I agree one hundred percent. Surprising.

[@leejones4165]

100% correct on Hakeem! Best two-way players ever are Hakeem, MJ and Wilt. Not even a discussion...

[@oldmanthayer]

Keep up the great work; I dig your content!

[@alex4833]

Awesome video, Jonny! I really enjoy the versus series. The new one of Nash vs. Kidd is very cool. I remember being amazed at how Kidd was such a good rebounder at the PG position. Like you, his rebounding and defense makes me prefer him over Nash. A lot of these were fairly close for me, and I like the analysis you gave for each one. Great compilation. Have a great day, Jonny 😊.

[@deanwood1031]

Wilt Chamberlin would have shut Shaq completely down. Wilt was even stronger let alone being a much better athlete. One year Wilt averaged over 50 pts pg and 25 rb

[@filipgligora123]

8:51 Karl Malone was has 3 trips to the finals, in '97 and '98 with Utah and i '04 with LA

[@AbnerSolano]

Sooo good. Do more!

[@ironangel667]

One point you could have made in the hakeem/shaq comparison is hakeem swept shaq in the finals. Also, hakeem has more 100/100, 100/200, and 100/300 seasons than anyone. Fun fact, he barely missed getting a 100/200 season in his rookie year with 99 steals.

[@facelessandnameless]

But Shaq held his own and had insane stats that series. Hakeem just had the better and more experienced team.

[@mattchooblink]

@@facelessandnamelessexperienced, yes. Better team? Debatable. Hakeem had Clyde. Shaq had Horace Grant, Penny, and Nick Anderson. Orlando had way more talent.

[@atlien1988]

​@@mattchooblink debatable yes, but let's not downplay Hakeem's teammates either with Vernon Maxwell, Otis Thorpe, Kenny Smith, & Robert Horry. The Rockets had a team with some really good veterans who played big in the playoffs.

[@mattchooblink]

@atlien1988 I didn't realize Horry was on that team. He was in the league forever. It sounds similar to Dirk's 2011 team. Bunch of great players exiting their prime, but with insane team chemistry. Would you agree?

[@paquinraino8180]

@@mattchooblink Also Shaq was very young only his 3rd year in the league

[@realtruthrealgrowth]

Great content and very accurate

[@simonrass2961]

I think a full TD21 vs KG21 would be more interesting! Out of the 3 Dirk is clearly the best scorer and had to take those Mavs teams on his shoulders. Timmy dad Garnett could do the scoring but made their HOF carriers as 2 way players

[@jstro3136]

Always coming with the great content!! Thanks Bro!

[@po1odo1o]

One thing I always consider when weighing up the Magic v Bird is the calibre of team mates. It's subjective, of course, but I'd take Worthy and (certainly early) 80's Kareem over McHale and Parish. I like DJ over Michael Cooper. I feel overall that Magic's "supporting cast", to use a somewhat derogatory phrase without meaning it like that, was stronger overall, and led to greater team success. Magic was loved too, Bird was hated, sometimes leading to him being targeted with harder defense...not necessarily tighter defense. If you're going to drop off a man to double someone on the perimeter, are you gonna drop off McHale to go to sniper Bird more often than you'd drop off Worthy to close down Magic? 100%. I'd say, all things considered, Bird was the better player too. But Magic is right there and both top 5 to me.

[@dominusblandus]

Great Video!

[@marykalyva225]

10:40 I think also Shaq had the better career but Hakeem was the better player. Unpopular opinion: The 2 most underrated centers of all time both were at their best with the Rockets, Moses and Hakeem

[@millerman3129]

If I’m building a team I’m putting Stockton at the PG, Dwayne Wade at the shooting guard, Kevin Durant at the SF, Tim Duncan at the 4, and Hakeem at the 5 with curry, Ray Allen,Dennis Rodman, draymond green and Kevin Garnett coming off the bench

[@RetroKid]

You have to disregard numerical rankings when you're making up a team of all-time greats. You don't need everyone to be a great scorer and all of a sudden defense becomes more important. Players who can do more things are more valuable. Players who can do more and have an impact without shooting the ball are more important. If I was to construct a team of all-time greats Scottie Pippen would definitely be on it. Even though he's top 30, he definitely be one of the first 10 chosen for me.

[@Cynsham]

Scoring numbers are just a trap when comparing who is the best, especially when we're talking about TEAMS here. All of these players individually are so talented that both teams are GUARANTEED to be able to score points, but a team's defense is what wins championships and wins playoff series the vast majority of the time.

[@RetroKid]

@@JimBrave-ri1ocyou're right. if we were playing a pick-up game, he should go top 15, coming off the bench at the very least. I would put him above KG, Dirk, Wade, Stockton, Ewing, AI and McHale though, which are names that have been mentioned above Pip. In terms of historical ranking, I think his proper place in history is somewhere in the 25-20 spot.

[@reidkg12]

Scottie Pippen was an all time great player when he played with MJ. Outside of that he was just a good player. To be fair that was when he was older.

[@blastoiseddr]

Scottie is not top 20 but you'd be mad not to pick him in a team of 10, one of the best team players of all time.

[@paquinraino8180]

@@reidkg12 Pippen finished 2nd in MVP voting and top 5 in DPOY voting while leading the Bulls to 55+ wins in 1994, he was more than good

[@Dejxh]

This is the first time I've seen someone put Hakeem above Shaq and I'm here for it. I always got funny looks for giving Hakeem the slight edge.

[@stevelegreid]

I still say the Lakers would have won the title in ‘04 if Malone didn’t get injured. He was more important to that team than people realize

[@RealCorndog]

and Kobe and Shaq had issues

[@kobejordan0823]

@@RealCorndogKobe and shaq had issues the whole time. Lakers changed chemistry to make it work with Malone and Payton, and when the injuries hit, it messed up everything.

[@demappless]

Kobe and Shaq who are top 10 in their primes aint enough?

[@Ham_1982]

the Jordan/Pippen 90s era overshadowed the achievement of lot of great players

[@betterthanyesterday3912]

Johnny, you are posting high-quality videos at an astonishing pace. Please take a personal weekend and take your wife somewhere nice ❤

[@vtksolid9127]

Love your uploads bro!

[@joseadanuleriogonzalez7036]

You should definitely do a wilt vs bill one 🙏🏻

[@desberryman2827]

It's so not even close it's not really a comparison

[@joseadanuleriogonzalez7036]

@@desberryman2827 what are you talking about?

[@shawnice105]

Barkley could handle that ball pretty damn good couldn’t he!

[@jamesflanagan7693]

Like Malone versus Barkley, Shaq has the statistical advantage in many categories over Hakeem but I'd take Hakeem every time! Hakeem was just way more versatile! Shaq didn't have much of a game other than just bulldozing his way to the hoop and dunking it or getting fouled. Hakeem is probably the most skilled big man ever and if it weren't for Kareem there wouldn't even be a debate! Hakeem didn't shoot 3's at all really but there's no doubt in my mind that if he were playing today in today's game that is so dependent on 3's that he would be a decent threat from there too! He would probably have a game similar to Embiid but wouldn't shoot near as many 3's. Just enough to keep the defense honest. Plus, Hakeem never had another superstar in their prime playing with him other than his first couple years with Ralph Sampson before he got hurt. The best he got was Clyde Drexler on the downside of his career. Shaq had Penny, Kobe, and D Wade to keep the defense from focusing everything on him. Dream had to carry teams almost singlehandedly at times.

[@karlo9572]

Hakeem also had better scoring stats in the playoffs

[@coloneldusty4476]

@@karlo9572that’s because Shaq was still in the playoffs late into his career when he was no longer the #1 option. Look at their first ten seasons and it’s a wrap for Shaq

[@coloneldusty4476]

Stop smoking. If you think that Penny, Kobe and Wade were the ones opening up shots for Shaq and not 100% the other way around.

[@karlo9572]

@@coloneldusty4476 Penny at times was the best player on that team

[@KeithHoward-bk3sz]

Don't forget Kevin McHale baby¡!!!

[@kendallthomas6807]

Does anybody know where the quote is from when Phil Jackson said that kobe didn’t deserve those all defensive teams in 2010 I thought he said that in his book in 2004 not 2010

[@killerfoxes2909]

Can you make Garnett vs Duncan?

[@Necrologymetal]

No point. It's too obvious :)

[@killerfoxes2909]

@@Necrologymetal It's not. I wold argue strongly that Garnett was the more talented player, however Duncan had the better career. And my take is not that uncommon.

[@Ben-zr4ho]

That match up plays into the myth that Duncan was a power forward anyway...

[@dylanszafryk8702]

I would not want this mail guy coming to my house to drop off the mail, I’d have to hide my kids

[@randomperson2540]

We need a wilt vs bill russle. Dwade vs jerry west Cp3 vs Big 0 Dame vs Russ One of these

[@melteddragon3174]

cp3 vs big 0 💀💀💀💀 oscar sweeps

[@randomperson2540]

@melteddragon3174 maybe as of peek, but longevity it goes to cp3. The shooting goes to cp3, and the defense might also go to cp3. I think there is a debate

[@onlyfacts3178]

WADE vs WEST ???? PLEASE never talk about basketball again...putting WEST in the same sentence as WEST is really dumb...

[@melteddragon3174]

@@randomperson2540 longevity dont really matter tho, i mean is his longevity that good if hes averging like 10 and 8 and is a cone on defense now, also Big O is a better defender than chris paul wdym

[@randomperson2540]

@onlyfacts3178 What lol you the only that out west with west in the same sentence.

[@BoBrewer-jo5wm]

I cant believe i was waiting for an m.j comparison. What the hell was i thinking 😅

[@stevelegreid]

Barkley was also the best player at the ‘92 Olympics

[@stevelegreid]

@@JimBrave-ri1oc yeah but he still only averaged 9ppg. Barkley averaged 18 on 71% from the field

[@Kohbruh]

Cleaning house and this is freaking perfect headphone content✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿 subbed immediately.

[@jonnyarnett]

Glad to have you on board, man!

[@terriansamuels9363]

@jonnyarnett u got it all right except the Duncan vs Kobe.... If Duncan demanded the ball as much as Kobe he would avg a much higher ppg which is the deciding factor for me

[@kobejordan0823]

No he wouldn’t lol. Duncan was consistent asf, but never hit the highs that Kobe did. Only people who didn’t watch basketball back then would put Duncan over Kobe. The game is bigger than stat sheets lol. Jimmy butler just proved that by getting to the finals.

[@terriansamuels9363]

@@kobejordan0823 exactly why I said if he demanded the ball more he would avg more points u clearly wasn't watching the games just sports center highlights Timmy was always a stat sheet stuffer but all the way around the board not just scoring bro do ya homework

[@Traylondon.pain.]

Just have to say I love your videos

[@HarmanHundal01]

Larry Bird averaged 30.4 PPG of 21 shots versus in 21 Head to head games against Jordan from 1985-86 to 1989-90. Jordan put up 35.2 PPG in these games but took 28 shots a game. Bird also outassisted and outrebounded Jordan handsomely in these games. Safe to say that he outplayed Jordan in this stretch. Jordan’s overall record against Bird looks better just because in 1991 and 1992 when a post injury Bird played only 60 and 45 games with fewer minutes per game, Jordan was able to improve his head to head record against Bird.

[@joel8692]

Bird also had the much better team early on so that can swing the head to head win lost record no ?

[@jubjubhenry5612]

@@joel8692Yup better team, because Larry was on it. Larry literally made his team better, that’s what he did. Larry Bird was flat out better than MJ until 1990 or so. MJ is the goat but he didn’t figure out how to elevate his team in any meaningful way until Magic and Larry had faded. Better team excuse is fanboy stuff tbh, young MJ was flawed period. Ask MJ who the best SF of all time is, lemme know what he tells you. ❤️

[@HarmanHundal01]

@@joel8692 I am not speaking of the winning record. I am speaking of head to head performance as an individual. In the 21 games between 1985-86 to 1989-90, MJ outscored Bird in only 11/21 games. MJ put up 35.2 PPG taking 28 shots a game. Bird put up 30.4 PPG a game taking 21 shots a game and was clutch at every moment that mattered. Even as a scorer i’d pick Bird over Jordan based on this. Bird outrebounded MJ in 16/21. Bird outassisted MJ in 12/21 games (tied in 3 games) even though he is not a guard. Bird was better than MJ. He just didn’t care about numbers as much and didn’t build a hype machine around himself.

[@jubjubhenry5612]

@@JimBrave-ri1oc For sure, similar in mentality but not in playstyle so much I don’t think. I’d say the reason the Bulls stood no chance was because of the functioning of the Celtics team, which centered around Larry’s unbelievable skillset. And yes he had help, for sure, no disrespect to McHale, Parish, DJ, Walton. To win in the 80’s you needed a superteam or you were going home. MJ had Woolridge who also averaged 20+ but they lacked size and shooting which is a bit difficult in any NBA era.

[@HarmanHundal01]

@@JimBrave-ri1oc That counts all regular season and playoff games from 1985-86 to 1989-90 including Jordan’s 63 point game in two overtimes.

[@johngrassan4393]

Nice breakdown as always.

[@DameronCuff]

As an Olajuwon fan , I feel validated lmao Intimidation vs Finesse

[@grog3514]

Do you think Hakeem was better than Wilt or Kareem?

[@DameronCuff]

@@grog3514 I love Olajuwon but them boys are built different

[@kevenbridges9433]

That was so good. OMG.What can I say that hasn't been said a billion times. Love the Warning ! And poor Ale. That suitcase full of toothpaste right. I want to laugh but I know she didn't.

[@atquinn1975]

Duncan all day over Kobe for never alienating teammates or bringing down the team with, umm... off court distractions.

[@davis2k1234]

Kobe torched the Spurs/Duncan 4-2 in the playoffs stop it The Spurs were great in the 1990s w the Admiral and the Spurs won 60+ games and were a Zaza cheap shot from maybe winning a title after Duncan retired he was a cog in a great system

[@MrArtdelgado210]

​@@davis2k1234 Tim has more wins, a higher win percentage, the 2nd highest win percentage in NBA history by the way, was a complete 2 way player from day one, as he made the All Star Team, the All NBA Team, before winning Rookie of the Year. Duncan wasn't a cog in the system, he anchored the defense on a defense minded team, which was the case his entire career. Kobe missed significant playing time due to his various injuries, while Duncan was a constant in the post season and never won less than 50 games his entire career. While Kobe had Shaq, Duncan had a late 1st round pick in Parker and the 2nd to last 2nd round pick in Ginobili. Consistent greatness over an entire career counts for a lot more than Kobe fans care to admit. Duncan took less money to build a strong supporting cast, while Kobe demanded a franchise crippling contract that led to weak teammates because Kobe never passed, and alienated the players willing to put up with his negativity while getting paid so little, getting fewer touches, while getting blamed for everything. The biggest reason Duncan is way better than Kobe is Duncan never once quit on his teammates, the franchise, and the loyal fans , in a game 7 of a playoff series, on national TV, on his own home court, just to prove a point, while ignoring the role he played in having so little to offer potential talent to help. Nobody can even imagine Duncan acting the fool, pushing Ginobili out, then demand the majority of the team's salary, then blaming the Spurs front office and threatens to leave San Antonio, and quits on everyone in a game 7 in San Antonio. It's so ridiculous to even ponder that scenario playing out with Duncan. Jerry West would have picked Duncan over Kobe, and said Duncan would have been the #1 pick after his sophomore season in college and to think otherwise is based on emotion over losing someone as great as Kobe, which is completely understandable. As time goes on, the case for picking Timmy over Kobe will become more obvious and comparing Kobe to Tim unfairly take away from Kobe's legacy. The greatest power forward in the history of the game compared to Kobe, who isn't even the best Laker, much less the est 2 guard.

[@thomascarreda6676]

Dirk is for the most part always ranked higher vs KG. Dirk did the most with the least and should of had 2 rings.

[@vernonleewarren280]

Actually Lebron has the most turnovers in NBA history right now

[@tjzcrusher5274]

Bill Russell vs Wilt Chamberlain comparison would be a really good one

[@michaelbarnes2126]

KG should have won so many more rings. He was a Swiss Army knife that had elite 2 way ability

[@richardw3347]

If he had Duncan`s touch around the rim, etc., he'd prob be the best big of all time or close. a more explosive Hakeem if you will.

[@michaelbarnes2126]

@@JimBrave-ri1oc I don’t believe you when you say he was a bad teammate and a team trouble maker??? Fictional lol

[@RPGabe]

Duncan over Kobe if you're building a franchise for sure. Kobe's best-ever drive and work ethic should be studied by historians and scientists for generations, but he wasn't a great teammate or leader. Duncan is exactly the type of player and personality a GM wants. Kobe was very often a headache for coaches, management and teammates alike. People forget it now, but he used to badmouth everyone in his organization routinely to the media when things didn't go his way. Toxic leadership.

[@patrickhanlon2325]

A video on who would win in a team usa vs team world would be fun

[@Nick-s5c5v]

Team USA has Magic MJ Lebron Duncan and kareem

[@boxingprodigy9826]

Kg can’t be over dirk to me simply because dirk led his only team to two finals appearances and won one without another star kg didn’t go to the finals until he left to go be with other stars. On top of that they both started in the west which we know was much tougher during that time kg had to go to the “leastern” conference to win

[@kobejordan0823]

You’re proving that you didn’t watch basketball back then. KG was compared to Tim Duncan. Dirk was never in those conversations. Dirk was known as soft for the majority of his career. People look back at dirk with rose colored glasses because he beat lebron in the finals, but he wasn’t a better player than KG. It really wasn’t close.

[@disloyal-i4s]

kg was the best player in the 2008 celtics paul pierce just got it cause everyone thought he was injured badly but he actually sh*t his pants

[@manotk1254]

Kidd vs Nash is really hard Kidd was the better defender but Nash should've won the title in 07' if not for Robert horry when the east got better with Cleveland ,Detroit and Miami the nets didn't make anthoer conference finals despite having Vince Carter alongside kidd for that reason I'm picking Nash beraly

[@onlyfacts3178]

defence is overrated argument...NASH was better in everything outside from DEFENCE...

[@AntoineLHostRon]

@@JimBrave-ri1ocbrain dead

[@AntoineLHostRon]

@@onlyfacts3178defense is literally the second part of basketball 😂

[@cmsquare247]

I am a fan for both Kidd and Nash. Kidd was better prior to 2004 while Nash was better after. Prime vs. prime, I am taking Kidd, who had been to 3 NBA finals and won 1.

[@mancycle1]

@@onlyfacts3178Baskebalm is simple. Score and keep the other team from scoring. When you have a PG that barely turns the ball over, gives you two additional possessions through steals, stop offenses with his rebounding and can guard Kobe and Lebron one on on. There is the reason why the Nets only major addition of Jason Kidd in 2001 took them from 12th in the East to 1st.

[@arnoldmojados399]

Bird was Absolutely killer ..he is my first Idol..Magic was show stopper had a better team build Around him..bird had to work double effort..Agree with you Bird is more a better Player than Magic slightly..

[@WesleyKing-f6h]

Shaq is awesome, but it is kind of weird with his size that he wasn't as defensively dominant as well

[@jubjubhenry5612]

His rebounding stats are a little embarrassing too tbh

[@desberryman2827]

Yeah being #8 all time I'm blocks ànd #15 all time in the entire history of the game is for sure embarrassing

[@Ben-zr4ho]

Yeah but his best defensive, rebounding and blocks years were his first few years in the league. Which just shows that he didn't improve they way he should. Let himself get out of shape. Didn't practice enough. Never was able to shoot free throws...

[@nazoflove]

I been saying this stuff about Garnett for years....put him on the spurs he wins 5 chips too!

[@dreamchaser4822]

Excellent insightful analysis, especially Olajuwon vs O’ Neal. Two points I’d like to add: Hakeem was only 6’10.5” and yet outplayed bigger centers night in night out. O’Neal, if offensive fouls were properly called on him, his playing time and stats would be significantly lower.

[@tranceform9459]

One thing that's underrated about Shaq's defense is that he would have had less blocks because so many people were willing to challenge him in the paint.

[@siriactuallysara]

I want to see Patrick Ewing vs David Robinson.

[@Lakersforlif]

you funny

[@siriactuallysara]

I grew up watching Ewing and Robinson and Ewing was a much better player in his prime.

[@onlyfacts3178]

@@siriactuallysara so YOU ARE A KNICKS FAN AHAHAHHA

[@Lakersforlif]

@@JimBrave-ri1oc I would take Kareem Hakeem ,shaq ,Kobe ,magic lebron wilt and 10 other people over David Robinson

[@joel8692]

​@@siriactuallysaranahhhhhh man no way. Robinson is better at everything

[@BrandNameLess]

this is some excellent non-bias ranking

[@richardnatividad9800]

you never mention tim duncan didnt missed the playoffs in your playoff criteria. but right from the start of the comparison i know where will this go.

[@richardjackson5670]

I’m still going with Vince because he played 22 seasons which hurt his scoring average, but he was also a more exciting player to watch, is arguably the greatest in game and dunk contest dunker, and is more intimidating.

[@fortynights1513]

If you were to roughly compare primes, from 1999-00 to 2007-08, Vince Carter averaged a little over 24.2 points per game on 44.7% field goal percentage, and 37.7% from three point range. McGrady from 2000-01 to 2007-08 averaged 26.3 points on 43.6% field goal percentage, and 34% from three point range. One guy has two more per game, the other shot a percent more efficiently, and three percent better from three. McGrady however had more assists and rebounds and a better assist to turnover ratio than Carter. Carter however won a playoff series as the best player on a team in 2001, and another as the second best player I believe in 2007 for New Jersey whereas McGrady never won a playoff series as the number one option (though he probably had worse help). I lean towards Carter personally, but I could see the argument either way.

[@gotwobag7876]

ONE SIXTY TWO!!!!!🎉🎉🎉

[@ATroubledGreensLibrary]

❤

[@karlinwilliamson9329]

Great list, I have Magic ahead. They both were on a top 5 or 6 player of all time. Magic won head to head in college and head to head in pros. And making a team better, no one did it better than Magic.

[@jubjubhenry5612]

Nice one saved for last. Yes Larry Bird was a better more complete baller than Magic but Magic is a goat and the greatest facilitator ever. Ask yourself this, how many titles does Larry get playing with the nearly consensus #3 all time in Kareem? Celts we’re talented but other than Larry no one near the top 10 like that. No disrespect to Magic at all but having Kareem is the difference in their titles. Peak Larry is a top 5 all-time player easily and Larry is one of the most skilled ballers the league ever saw.

[@jubjubhenry5612]

@@JimBrave-ri1oc Wait Larry is the best defender ever? 😂 Quick correction Larry didn’t outrebound Moses in the 1981 Finals but he almost did, 15.3 vs 15.7. But that’s straight dominance from a 6’9” skinny below the rim rebounder like Larry. He dominated the glass which helped them win when he got cold from the field in games 3-4. Larry was the FMVP, glad Cornbread won but Larry is why they won not Cedric.

[@santosereyna3043]

Please continue I agree with most of the things you are saying