Stephen A's top-5 NBA players all-time | Stephen A's World

Stephen A. Smith ranks his top-5 NBA players all-time and shares his reasoning why Steph Curry didn't make his list.
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[@bryanttisdale2446]

Paul Pierce- " I Got LeBron at #75". 😅🤣

[@gangsterofloveg.7045]

😂😂😂😂😆😆

[@nostalgiacorner1999]

😂😂😂

[@Man-vl5ks]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Man-vl5ks]

“I think I should be number2!”

[@avikaplan223]

@@Man-vl5ks Dude your such a troll. I know pierce is a troll, but do you really think he would stay he’s number 2??? He clearly would say he’s number 1

[@scoliva]

ESPN is slowly turning into Stephen A's world.

[@tyguy1223]

Entertaining is all that matters

[@djblue056]

The day this man retires ESPN will finally die

[@thebxsavage]

he's been carrying the network on his back since forever. Especially since they fired everyone else.

[@jefferymizell8063]

@@thebxsavage, I give him absolute great exaltation because he's Ramily (WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY) and a Mass Communications Major.

[@nocap6540]

😂😂😂😂

[@nirenberg190]

I’m not taking bill Russell over shaq or Larry bird… there were 8 teams in the league back then… wilt used to average 30 and 28 on bill he just had the better teammates

[@highstakeslowstakes1878]

Thank you, you took the words out of my mouth

[@d-jones3853]

Facts 💯

[@saiyerugara9038]

Not all the time, in a few of those seasons Wilt had an equal or better team.

[@nirenberg190]

@@saiyerugara9038 bill averaged 14 and 22 against wilt and shot 37% from the field… it was the supporting cast lol

[@saiyerugara9038]

@@nirenberg190 Bill Russell is the better defensive player and leader though than Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain did average 50 a game in his prime at 1 stage but only got 1 championship out of that. Also, it's not like Wilt was playing with scrubs.

[@namandoctor2792]

Wilt blocked Kareem's skyhook twice in a single game

[@theena]

This. There is archival footage of it on KZbin of all places. And Wilt is the ONLY one I've seen do it once, never mind twice.

[@joespitzer977]

Chamberlain and Thurmond had blocked a 20s Kareem Skyhook. Also there's footage of William Willoughby, Artis Gilmore, Robert Parish too blocking a prime Kareem Skyhook before Olajuwon, Sampson and Manute Bol, when they came along, with Kareem now being 38-40, were blocking it often especially Olajuwon who never once didn't block a skyhook in his confrontations with Kareem betwee 84 - 89.

[@TrueAnakinSkywalker]

Ummm you’re being too literal. Jordan’s fade away jumper was “unstoppable”. That doesn’t mean he never missed or never had it defended it just means it worked way more often than it didn’t and most people didn’t have a way to stop it. The same goes for Kareem’s Skyhook. The man is the all time leading scorer and that was the move he used the most so yea it was pretty unstoppable.

[@savitarthegodofspeed1975]

@@TrueAnakinSkywalker Lol a lot of MJ fans don't care, the fact is if they did something great that MJ didn't do MJ fans will tear that player down. If it's rings they'll tear down Bill Russell, if it's pure scoring dominance it's Wilt Chamberlain, if it's his closest competitors it's Kobe and LeBron. They'll never let anyone be compared to him even if they're worthy.

[@nirenberg190]

And he averaged 30 and 28 on bill Russell… Bill had better teammates

[@twopatt2177]

I have to disagree Stephen A, I don’t think Brian Scalabrine is the best player of all time.

[@adammaxwell5250]

Scalabrine had a reality show where he'd destroy Amatuer Hooper's who thought they'd have chance at beating him!.. lol

[@dsanchez9703]

😁😅

[@D_Lamb]

Lmao

[@edelrosario5105]

I thought you're Richard Jefferson haha but yeah such disrespect for Scalabrine gosh

[@thematicalprice1235]

He is the best player of all time

[@ThePatman1980]

Michael Jordan in basketball video games is like Akuma in fighting games. Very balanced. No glaring flaws except he is mid-sized. I use Bird and Wilt but '96 MJ always ends up as the player of the game with most points and steals.

[@___Anakin.Skywalker]

Ryu is better

[@RefinedQ]

Lebron way to op in 2k way better than me in tha game

[@KenpoKid77]

@@RefinedQ 2K11 Lebron was a whole cheat code, no question.

[@eloyramirez7063]

@@KenpoKid77 2k14 lebron was insane

[@LoftyXsWaGX34]

Akuma is rarely balanced in fighting games. His only weakness is low health. Aside from that he has the best moves and insane damage.

[@Pasuhdina]

This is actually the best top 5 list imo…. Historically accurate dawg. I like these takes from him

[@phillipmartin8374]

😂🤣😂

[@Pasuhdina]

@@phillipmartin8374 I don’t gaf about SAS but I do agree with that list

[@feelme5297]

I agree, I think bird and magic are interchangeable at 5 and I think Kareem and lebron are close.

[@Pasuhdina]

@@feelme5297 I could agree with that also ! Bird & magic are the twin pair in my eyes!

[@turtleislandlac1490]

@@phillipmartin8374 I'm betting you're just mad Stephen A didn't make Lebron No.1. You don't even care about the other four.

[@vdoslayer]

Bring Max back.

[@prashantsolanki9683]

Shut up

[@vdoslayer]

@@prashantsolanki9683 why

[@tyguy1223]

Stop crying

[@vdoslayer]

@@tyguy1223 why

[@sidsche3734]

I was expecting Kevin "giveittome Mr. 6'11'' with a 7'6'' wingspan and can pull up from 30" Durant at number 0

[@vincepham2997]

😂😂🙏

[@jcjcviews]

No.

[@TheKondinho]

"FROM THE PARKING LOT" LMAO

[@residentzed]

😂

[@covid-case-2157]

he probably loose his job if he dont put lebronzy up there.

[@josephmcintyre752]

Russell is great, but I feel his achievements are more TEAM ORIENTED, RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

[@c-meezy765]

He's a 5x league MVP.

[@Keter-royalerestorations]

And his teams were stacked with HOFers. To me, Larry Bird is the greatest Celtic ever. Had he not hurt his back doing cement work on a driveway, his resume would be even more staggering. A guy who can call his shots during a game, and opposing players were unable to stop him.

[@datsapaddlin]

@@c-meezy765 have you seen his numbers??? The MVP was a joke back then. Wilt shoulda won it more 😂.

[@josephmcintyre752]

@@datsapaddlin wilt should have won every year. 40+ pts, 20+ debs, for 7 straight years. When Wilt retired, he was ALL time leader in pts & Rebs, bloccs weren't a stat, or he'd have that too. Only the SKYHOOK, should be mentioned over Wilt

[@jontubine3910]

It’s a team game.

[@renzgumaru1491]

Kobe Bryant's Rankings in the all time list is one of the Most Diverse I ever seen. Bruh, like 30% of people - He should be top 2 because he is the closest with MJ(playstyle like). 30% of people - He should be out of top 10 because he is not the best player in 3 of his 5 rings. 20% of people - Puts him 3-5 20% of people - Puts him 6-10 🤦😂

[@alexandrefaure4576]

I'd say he has a case for top 10 That puts me in the... 20% ?

[@mohammedamin1995]

No one objective says Kobe is top 2 lol

[@johnjoshua39]

Lol kobe not a top 5 nuffsaid

[@MambaZay]

nah fr tho lmao

[@Oth_meech]

Did yall watch Kobe? Cuz bro was a killer definitely the best in the league for awhile... a good 8-10 years he was considered #1 or #2 in the league mostly #1

[@alfonsoterrero5182]

Jordan is 11-0 including college, International gold medals and NBA titles, and has more offensive rebounds than lebron james, 10 scoring titles, 9 defensive first team selections, 3 rd in steals. He combined the one on one game with team work and won 6 finals mvps, the one and only. Oh yeah, the largest TV audience for the finals and the air Jordan brand logo that opened the pandora box for athletes in all sports all over the world with sports shoes contracts

[@levelwithz3779]

*My friend, you nailed it.* 👏👍

[@jmac5873]

Yessir. MJ also has most blocks in history from the guard position

[@chrismartinez-zg3hm]

@@jmac5873 who cares lebron has the most assist for a non guard

[@williambrabston3045]

@@chrismartinez-zg3hm when you hold the ball the whole game you will get the assists, his teams would be better if he moved without the ball... at all... he is basically the most selfish player of all time.

[@chrismartinez-zg3hm]

@@williambrabston3045 and when u shoot a lot of shots u will score more a game 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

[@grantmaxwell5361]

You know Skip Bayless is tearing up the newspaper right now. His beloved LeBrick at number 2?

[@RAJohns]

LeBrick and Westbrick. Ha!

[@noahkukhalashvili5559]

you a warriors fan?

[@RAJohns]

@@noahkukhalashvili5559 I just get a kick out of Skip. He says and posts stuff just for shock value, I believe. But he can get serious. The Warriors will be back, though, I think. Mainly I just follow the NBA.

[@Qute227]

Lol

[@rjrodman6544]

@@noahkukhalashvili5559 and you Bandwagoned to Giannis and the bucks after they won??

[@jrruiz5064]

Just here to listen to SAS top 5 all time players but remember his list is FLUID every week

[@DJ-ys9pv]

Not this one according to him

[@mixedpleasure4324]

He is consistent with Mj being number 1 and Lebron number 2 and Kareem at 3

[@LuxuryDMVpressurewashing]

This been his list weirdo😂

[@princellasmith7562]

His A-list is fluid, not his all-time list.

[@ejacobson4ever]

Magic Johnson in his prime WAS NOT BETTER THAN BIRD, DURANT, NOR MOSES (the only 2 skills Magic did better than those guys was pass and handle the ball- actually Durant has better handle than Magic). My top 5 in NOT particular order is: Bird, Durant, Jordan, Duncan, and Olajuwon (Hakeem was a better and more versatile defender than Kareem, Lebron, Shaq, and Russell- Hakeem, Duncan and Durant were also better foul shooters than Lebron- offensively Hakeem was UNSTOPABLE ) Lebron is in my top 10 but I would NOT take him over Kobe. There is NO WAY ANYONE CAN say Bill Russell was better than Wilt nor Durant nor Duncan in terms of skill. Duncan faced a prime Lebron 3 times and his team beat 'Bron's team twice and it would've been 3 times if it wasn't for a Ray Allen 3 so NO Lebron is NOT over Duncan either. Wilt beat Kareem in finals while Kareem was in his prime and he (Wilt) was an older player past his prime but still outplayed him overall (Kareem could score but could NOT stop Wilt defensively and when Wilt stepped up the defense Kareem struggled to score which is why the lakers won that tile over the Bucks @YourMansionLife

[@georgewagner2352]

In the 80’s, when Wilt was 44-48 years old, and retired since 1973, he would go to the forum and the Pavilion and play in HIGHLY competitive pick- up games. MAGIC JOHNSON got DOMINATED by Wilt. Other NBA/NCAA players would play also, such as Mark Eaton, Kiki Vandeweghe, and Dave Greenwood would also play. Many times, HOF coach, Larry Brown would officiate. Eaton, Vandeweghe and Brown have all gone on record, to tell of what took place. Wilt DOMINATED. The Cavs and Pistons actually offered him contracts when they heard what happened. These are all TRUE stories. If Wilt only dominated because he played in “weak era” then this would not be able to happen. If Wilt only dominated because of his size, well Eaton was 7”4” and 300 lbs. This was when Wilt was 44-48 years old !!

[@BrianNIL]

Wilt Chamberlain puzzles me. You'd think with career averages of 30 points per game (50 during one year) and 23 (!) rebounds, the guy is hands-down the greatest of all time. The question is really whether he was playing against inferior players in that era, so for him to dominate players like Magic Johnson says a lot. I don't know how to explain his last two years in the NBA then, when he played every single game averaging 43 minutes and 14 points, which is just brutal, although he could still rebound. He only won two championships so maybe you have to question his will to win, but he was a busy man with 20,000 women to get to. It's hard to place him on a list, but man, he HAS to be higher than Kareem, right?

[@M1GarandPing]

@@BrianNIL he INTENTIONALLY stopped trying to score. He's said that on record. Also, if u look at his stats you'll notice that his field goal attempts went down by 10 attempts one season and stayed that low for the remainder of his career. He intentionally stopped trying to score

[@BrianNIL]

@@M1GarandPing Thanks for the info. Yeah, Wilt was before my time and all I have to go on really is stats, but I can't fathom why he would actually want to score less. After a little research I discovered Wilt's biggest foil, and that's Bill Russell. A defensive-minded big man who won championships while Wilt won scoring titles? That's got to be a huge factor when considering where Wilt ranks.

[@THEREALDEALDUDE22]

@@BrianNIL wilt can be said is like lebron great player horrible teams bill had a dynasty its hard to say how good bill was because now question do the Celtics win those titles without bill? Since they had soo many hall of famers?

[@BrianNIL]

@@THEREALDEALDUDE22 So much is hard to say, you're right, although it appears to me like Wilt and Bill (and teammates) sort of cancelled each other out for GOAT. As for LeBron, the fact that he created some of his own teams, for better or worse, has to factor into where he ranks since number of championships is certainly one consideration for GOAT.

[@josephrinehart75]

I love this top 5. I'm not a LeBron fan.. but I agree with his skill. Jordan is by far number 1... And sounds like his ranking went deeper than just longevity stats, (which it should). I'm happy with this

[@markdarwinlabarentos4035]

Come on Stephen A. You don't have to explain number 1. Just say MJ number 1 nuff said

[@christiandenmon2895]

EXACTLY... U DON'T HAVE TO TALK DOWN ON LEBRON MAKING YOUR POINT THAT MJ IS #1... WE KNOW!

[@dvonnlynch1607]

@@christiandenmon2895 This is the main point I try to get across to people. You don’t have to diminish someone else’s accomplishments to prove a point that another player is better.

[@chrismartinez-zg3hm]

Lebron is easily better

[@Wheueiororldfb]

Agreed

[@markdarwinlabarentos4035]

@@chrismartinez-zg3hm uhhm nope. And yes I am a LBJ fan but I my stance will always be MJ > Bron

[@orlyjamesgomez7340]

GOAT by position: PG - Magic Johnson, SG - Michael Jordan, SF - LeBron James, PF - Tim Duncan, C - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

[@jamessumner5819]

No argument, I think curry could have a argument if he shows some more but this list should have no debate.

[@MegaHaanSolo]

Dirk is shitting on Tim Duncan.

[@steph1856]

Solid list fam

[@torrisnewberrytv8678]

@@MegaHaanSolo no sir they matched up plenty of times Timmy got the best of em

[@MegaHaanSolo]

@@torrisnewberrytv8678 Dirk played in a horrible system with the weakest supporting cast in history, what Dirk did with that Dallas organization is simply unmatched. if you put any other PF ever in that same situation, they are exiting first round, probably won’t even make the playoffs.

[@Hakeem990]

MJ - Number 1 for me

[@alannohlgren]

I really like your choices. Just before you came on, I quickly compiled my own list, & it was the same as yours except for Bill Russell, where I'd put Wilt. But that's not to say that I'm a Wilt man & a Russell denier. More like, probably the most recent video I'd watched was very pro Wilt. Because between them, it's so close. In any case, love your commentary, man.

[@c-meezy765]

People use Bill's era to discredit his greatness. Look how dominant he was able to be without AAU circuits, million dollar facilities and medical staffs etc. And in spite of all the racism he faced. Just pure skill and grit. He was ahead of his time physically and mentally. Rightfully top 5.

[@joshcollier3183]

It's so hard to compare eras. I think many people don't realize the talent level of Wilt and Russell's opponents like Nate Thurmond, Jerry Lucas, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld, Walt Bellamy, and Bob Pettit.

[@hTPixuhl]

Bill Russell never averaged even 19 ppg in a season, let alone multiple 20+ like hundreds have. His career high is also 37, which is spectacular for the NBA but pretty bad in comparison to other top 5, even top 10 players. Bill Russell won a lot and was excellent defensively, but I value offensive skills too much to have him higher than 10th all time. I also won’t speak on the racism from back then as I wasn’t even born for 28 years after Russell retired so I have not much to go off of, and I don’t think it pertains to basketball skills anyway.

[@michaelthomas8147]

Racism is not a justification for having him in the top 5.

[@M1GarandPing]

@@michaelthomas8147 hes arguably the greatest winner in american team sports history. If u think about the fact that wilt was losing to this guy while wilt is considered the best individual player at that time, it means u cant just discredit bill. U can only judge players in their own era. No one ever won in their own era like how bill did. The closest being MJ. U have to see something special about bill for winning like that especially cuz it wasnt just like he was wilt and just untoppable

[@michaelthomas8147]

@@M1GarandPing 'U can only judge players in their own era'

[@jermo1213]

MJ is the GOAT forever

[@KyleNamiteVlogs]

Fax

[@damianoabbina9967]

IMHO Kobe is better than Jordan but it's very very close, both my top 2

[@toxicjutz1168]

@@damianoabbina9967 don't be stupid kid 🤣

[@KyleNamiteVlogs]

@@toxicjutz1168 still can't believe some fans think kobe or bron is better than mj

[@dunchomc]

@@damianoabbina9967 you do realize Kobe copied all of Micheal Jordan moves? He literally admitted that and said he only switched up some of them alittle, now rethink your opinion, a copy-cater being better then the person he copied himself? 💀 make it make sense, MJ>LB>KB.

[@zisolo4283]

Its a great list, no arguments here. Give this man love when he deserves it, stop the dislikes

[@theawesomedragon3946]

Wilt is way better than bill russel

[@TSG_]

Wilt is better than Bill Russell and kobe is better than Magic. Stats don't lie

[@casualfandestroyer2503]

In playoff/finals meetings between Russell and Chamberlain, Wilt's scoring went down each time Wilt = 37.6 ppg in 1959/60 season Wilt = 30.5 ppg vs Russell in 1960 EDF (- 7.1 ppg) Wilt = 50.4 ppg in 1961/62 season Wilt = 33.6 ppg vs Russell in 1962 EDF (- 16.8 ppg) Wilt = 36.9 ppg in 1963/64 season Wilt = 29.2 ppg vs Russell in 1964 Finals (- 7.7 ppg) Wilt = 34.7 ppg 1964/65 season Wilt = 30.1 ppg vs Russell in 1965 EDF (- 4.6 ppg) Wilt = 33.5 ppg in 1965/66 season Wilt = 28.0 ppg vs Russell in 1966 EDF (- 5.5 ppg) Wilt = 24.1 ppg in 1966/67 season Wilt = 21.6 ppg vs Russell in 1967 EDF (- 2.5 ppg the only time he beat Russell) Wilt = 24.3 ppg in 1967/68 season Wilt = 22.1 ppg vs Russell in 1968 EDF (- 2.2 ppg) Wilt = 20.5 ppg in 1968/69 season Wilt = 11.7 ppg vs 35 year old Russell in 1969 Finals (- 8.8 ppg)

[@dustincobb5718]

You realize from 66 up wilt stopped shooting as much to help his team in other areas right and yeah bill Russells team was better. Not just bill himself like your making it out he admitted it. Bill Russell had the the best teammates ever. Look at Bills stats vs wilt chamberlain not just be one sided about it.

[@mtall1238]

@@mbayadji played against carpenters and plumbers lol

[@Sayitkwxlz]

Also wilt isnt so clutch it might not even be because he is going again russell it might just be because he doesn’t like having the ball in the playoffs

[@sailaw3070]

@@mtall1238 nah bro he played against legit all stars until his late 30’s

[@nostalgiacorner1999]

Bill owned that statpadding fraud

[@mattc3929]

Not my top 5 but can't argue with this list.

[@gustavpersson585]

Good list to be fair to SAS. I think I would bring in Wilt Chamberlain on the fifth spot, put magic in fourth and not have Russell in my top five, but that’s just my opinion

[@dmongru]

Agree 100%

[@durellpowell3324]

Thank you, wilt destroyed Russel consistently but his team was weaker

[@aivygile3569]

I was thinking the same thing. I would choose wilt over russell.

[@KatsuKuroyuki]

Agree

[@harrypponder7396]

I don’t understand how ppl can choose A loser over A winner?!! Just because you can score on someone doesn’t make you better!! There are other things involved from gr8 players to make his prospective team win!! Wilt played with other greats,, the Better player Usually has the better team!!

[@johnhill762]

For me, it’s Jordan > Kareem > LeBron > Magic > Bird. But still a really good list. Four of my top five on Stephen As list.

[@sportslangtv2181]

No one cares you're nobody

[@aadaw6787]

Lebron >>>>>>

[@Magic_Magpie]

Larry Legend would of been my 4th pick but no doubt number 1 is MJ

[@acason4]

I have the exact same list except with Bird @ #4… 👌🏻

[@coolpeterdude8049]

...

[@aggelostzimagiorgis]

My top 5 1.Mj 2.Lebron 3. Kareem 4. Magic 5. Kobe or bird

[@thematicalprice1235]

My top 5 1.Steph Curry 2. Brian Scalabrine 3. Derrick Rose 4. Luka Doncic 5. Lamelo Ball

[@user-kw5gs5oo2r]

Kobe shouldn't be in the top 5 He is not even in the top 10

[@bradley8144]

@@user-kw5gs5oo2r how

[@user-kw5gs5oo2r]

@@bradley8144 MJ,Magic, Bird, Duncan,Shaq, Hakeem, Russell, Wilt,Kareem,LeBron,Oscar are clearly better than Kobe. He is in the argument with KD, Steph,Dr J, Moses

[@bradley8144]

@@user-kw5gs5oo2r i personally don't have Russell in my top 10 because all the guys I have ahead of him were better offensive players and u can argue better defensively so I have Kobe in my top 10

[@bennisford1712]

Can't Argue with this List...💯

[@sedlyholmes3722]

Greatest champion - Bill Russell Greatest MVP - Kareem Abdul Jabbar Greatest Winner - Micheal Jordan Greatest All Around Player - LeBron James Greatest Point Guard - Magic Johnson Greatest Mentality - Kobe Bryant Greatest Shooter - Stephen Curry Greatest Trash Talker - Larry Bird

[@sosis2377]

@@sedlyholmes3722 greatest all around player is Lebron but greatest player ever is Mj imo

[@olivecooks7887]

@ahi flee he can do it all play all 5 positions and guard all 5 positions he is the greatest all around player tf ?!

[@swedishboi3208]

@@olivecooks7887 Ehm, he cannot guard at all, thats the problem. Lebron is not top 10

[@terrystyles3486]

@@sedlyholmes3722 LeBron not the greatest all around player ever Kobe Bryant not greatest mentality ever All he did was copy Jordan Jordan not the greatest winner ever Bill Russell greatest winner ever Michael Jordan best player ever Wilt Chamberlain greatest athlete Greatest point guard Magic Johnson Greatest copycat Kobe Bryant

[@laupoming]

I like this man very much for his confidence and knowledge about nba history.

[@georgewagner2352]

Really? When Stephen A. worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer, he went on record, and stated that WILT CHAMBERLAIN was the GOAT. The vey first year he went to ESPN (Cold Pizza), he started with his MJ is the “unquestionable GOAT” narrative. His relationship w/ John Skipper and the MJ Brand (Mega millions for ESPN) is the ONLY reason why he and the media (along with corporate America) shove this down your throats. Stephen A. will say whatever his employers want him to say. He makes 7 figures a year, he does not care, he has ZERO INTEGRITY. Not to mention his “NBA Knowledge,” which I’ve seen some people praise on her, is minimal, average at best. Professional BB started in the early 1900’s not 1946. There were MANY leagues including the original ABL, the BAA, and the NBL. There was the World basketball tournament also in which the black teams got a chance to face the white teams. The softening, and foul rule changes (especially the FLAGRANT FOUL rule changes), started in 1991. They were a DIRECT and SPECIFIC response to hurt the Pistons and help MJ. There is a lot more to this that many people don’t know about. Stern hated Detroit, they went against his “plan” of globalizing the NBA. They were not the money maker MJ was. He also helped MJ by allowing the “reach in.” Pippen and MJ made their career from this type of steal. This was a FOUL in previous generations. The 6-0 in the final’s philosophy is ridiculous. If someone asked you, “If you were a pro athlete, would you rather retire with 11 championships or with 6 championships? What MORON would say 6? How is 6-0 better than 11-1 (Bill Russell)? If that is the case, then Joe Montana (4-0) is better than Tom Brady (7-3). YOU CANNOT, with any sound frame of mind or unbiased, disagree with what I am saying. Also, MJ played 15 seasons, he lost 7 playoff series, before the Finals. He missed the playoffs twice. That is 6 for 15. Kareem for example won 6 titles also but he went to the finals 10x. IF this were the Olympics Kareem would have 4 silver medals and MJ would have zero. How is earning a silver medal, being 2nd best, WORSE than getting knocked out in the preliminary rounds and NOT getting a medal? Tell Michael Phelps or Simone Biles the Silver and Bronze medals don’t count and that they are not the best at their sport because someone has more gold medals but has ZERO silver or bronze medals. MJ went 6-0 in the finals because he played weak teams in the finals. The 97 and 98 Jazz? Please they were a 2-man team. The 96 Sonics? Another two-man team and a one hit wonder that never did anything before or after that. The 93 Suns? A fairly deep team but a one hit wonder that never did anything after that year. Barkley was an underachiever and lazy. The 92 Blazers were the best team MJ faced and MJ played great against them. I will congratulate him on that one. The 91 Lakers? PLEASE! This was the worst team Magic ever played on (except 96). The 91 Lakers did NOT have Kareem, Cooper, Rambis or coach Riley. Put those 4 back and they beat the Bulls easily. The 91 Lakers had one of the worst coaches in the league (Mike Dunleavy), he was no match for Phil. Worthy, Scott and Thompson were all hurt and barely played in that series. Put them in at 100% and this team sweeps the Bulls. Any of Bird’s, Magic’s, LeBron’s, Wilt’s, Kareem’s, Russell’s, Duncan’s, Shaq/Kobe’s championship teams would have swept those teams easily. Bird and magic had to play against each other in the finals. Wilt had to face the Celtics and Knicks (2 all time great teams) in the finals. If Wilt, Bird Duncan etc. faced the 6 opponents MJ faced they would all be 6-0 also. How can you “Might have won 8 straight” when you ACTUALLY LOST! MJ played in 95 and GOT BEAT, he was on the court, he played, he lost, deal with it. The Bulls lost to Orlando who lost to Houston. Houston would have beaten the Bulls badly in 95 (No Horace Grant). Olajuwon would have averaged 40 and 20 in that series against Luc Longley, please. BTW, Bill Russell DID win 8 straight. MJ came back, he was in great shape. He dropped 55 against the best defense in the league a few weeks before that series. He dominated in the previous playoff series. BB is a team game, the Bulls lost. Orlando was a better TEAM in 95. MI is great but EVERY top NBA player needed help to win, INCLUDING MJ. This nonsense that he won all these games and championships, by himself, must stop. The fact that he lost 3 games to 1 in 85, got swept in 86, got swept in 87, lost to Detroit 3 (THREE) straight years in 88,89 and 90 PROVES this. When his teammates, coach and TEAMS got better he started to win. If he was so UNBEATABLE and ‘by far the goat” why couldn’t he win in those other years? Because BB is a TEAM GAME. It is rather astonishing how people can ignore this very obvious, and simple, FACT. MJ is great, possibly the GOAT, but he was not this undefeated assassin that Stephen A., Skip Bayless and many other “entities” purport him to be.

[@laupoming]

@@georgewagner2352 You're amazing.

[@craigcolon6272]

finally a real list

[@sammymorales6838]

He can't just give LeBron props without talking smack lol

[@TheKondinho]

lool everybody else got their flowers and only their flowers but he decides to add some spice when it comes to lebron jeez

[@FireAngelChris]

@@TheKondinho They always do that with Bron throwing him back handed compliment.

[@swedishboi3208]

He put him second (crazy stuff) when he is not even top 10. How is that smack?

[@jaydenvert9168]

@@swedishboi3208 ……🎪….

[@xofmetleh6618]

I anticipate that my favorite player of all time is included in the list of 75 greatest player. DIRK NOWITZKI!!!

[@karlweaver7601]

Yes true! I feel like Dirk is very underrated. He is 6th in All-Time scoring and won an NBA championship over some will describe as one of the best super teams of all time.

[@DrPhill96]

One ring as the leader and best player of a team is NOT top 5.

[@karlweaver7601]

@@DrPhill96 Making the 75 Greatest isn't going to depend on how many rings you win because I guarantee you will see plenty of players there without one ring.

[@DrPhill96]

@@karlweaver7601 - Not top-10.

[@karlweaver7601]

@@DrPhill96 I never mentioned he is top 5 or 10 but he belongs in 75 greatest of all time.

[@hamzaoui3461]

Great list 💯

[@markphillips4925]

That's a very solid list. I have no argument with it SAS.

[@OfficialClub94]

I said the same

[@kaylonthekidrs079]

Same but I’d replaced Bill Russell wit Kobe tho

[@Cb_30]

@@kaylonthekidrs079 facts russ played against 10 teams everyone 5’8” and under no competition

[@_erik_2138]

@@Cb_30 bro...

[@Cb_30]

@@_erik_2138 its tru, he def dont belong up there, replace em for bean

[@dustincobb5718]

Now I've always thought Wilt saying he stopped shooting was maybe an excuse for the fact he deteriorated. As much as I cheer for him as goat. So I finally did this I compared his points at 13.4 yrs or so and Kareems at 13.4 yrs or so total. I got Wilt 31,419 Kareem 28,938. I thought that's not much a difference so I looked at wilts overall stats in 1965-66 he stopped taking as many shots just like he said he did and his assists on average started going up each yr for awhile. So I thought wilt didn't lie he did stop scoring on purpose wow!! So I went and compared only there first 7 yrs to see the points difference. Wilt 21486 vs Kareem's 16486. That's a big difference and I thought well since the pace of the game gradually got slower if wilt played 20 yrs and never stopped scoring to make more assists he'd have atleast 2500 to 3000 more points than Kareem now most likely. People say longevity blah blah. Wilt was a dominating force in volley ball well into his 40s and he was running marathons at 62 etc. So yeah wilts the greatest scorer all-time.

[@Bnoise22]

Talks about how physical Magics era was... Proceeds to show footage of defenders not playing a lick of physical defense

[@eloyramirez7063]

my thoughts exactly everyone that went up for a shot didn't get touched😭😭

[@vft5593]

@QBell79 it was more physical but athleticism was way down

[@247hustler]

@@eloyramirez7063 a clip can never capture the context of the game. If you watch the full game you will see the physicality.

[@deephouseaustralia]

Did you even watch bball in the 80's and 90's?

[@Bnoise22]

@@deephouseaustralia absolutely and have watched a Extreme amount of hardwood classics.. n i know that the Grueling defense is a myth... everyone is not the pistons n like i said earlier flagrant fouls is not Defense.. early to mid 2000's was the best defense

[@nadavhermanvideoproduction8724]

Didn’t Stephan A screamed ”Blasphemy “? when he put Curry instead of Magic on that list and Max Kallerman educated him about it.

[@Matte0369]

It was because of play style not who’s better.

[@stallionman918]

100% agree with Stephen A when he said Jordan could have went on to win 8 straight championships if he didn't retire

[@ivanleyva8786]

but that didn't happen, Jordan's first retirement was an excuse to avoid Rockets Team.

[@jotero2251]

Yup, forced Bad Boys to invent “Jordan Rules” , that Pistons team was no joke

[@jotero2251]

@Clan leader Predator because those teams were the best to ever play. Matchups of the Celtics and Pistons were epic battles

[@jotero2251]

@Clan leader Predator you are a basketball fan, you would have loved those matchups!

[@LeMickey3-6]

Giannis overpowered me & dunked on me in the 2019 All-Star game

[@sleepsheep924]

I also seen you baby giannis so it's only right old head

[@shreyas5737]

Imagine complaining… respect to you King 👑

[@jokxztr5913]

This man creates a Lebron account to try to roast him get a life loser 😂

[@jcjcviews]

Giannis is tall enough and strong enough to do that. Who defeats physics? There's no shame in the King James' near-perfect game.

[@sleepsheep924]

@@jokxztr5913 lol some people was born to hatE

[@marcellusbeasley9749]

SAS made some great points, can’t dispute that list, that’s a total of 32 rings and possibly still counting with the 👑 still playing!!!

[@georgewagner2352]

When Stephen A. worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer, he went on record, and stated that WILT CHAMBERLAIN was the GOAT. The vey first year he went to ESPN (Cold Pizza), he started with his MJ is the “unquestionable GOAT” narrative. His relationship w/ John Skipper and the MJ Brand (Mega millions for ESPN) is the ONLY reason why he and the media (along with corporate America) shove this down your throats. Stephen A. will say whatever his employers want him to say. He makes 7 figures a year, he does not care, he has ZERO INTEGRITY. Not to mention his “NBA Knowledge,” which I’ve seen some people praise on her, is minimal, average at best. Professional BB started in the early 1900’s not 1946. There were MANY leagues including the original ABL, the BAA, and the NBL. There was the World basketball tournament also in which the black teams got a chance to face the white teams. The softening, and foul rule changes (especially the FLAGRANT FOUL rule changes), started in 1991. They were a DIRECT and SPECIFIC response to hurt the Pistons and help MJ. There is a lot more to this that many people don’t know about. Stern hated Detroit, they went against his “plan” of globalizing the NBA. They were not the money maker MJ was. He also helped MJ by allowing the “reach in.” Pippen and MJ made their career from this type of steal. This was a FOUL in previous generations. The 6-0 in the final’s philosophy is ridiculous. If someone asked you, “If you were a pro athlete, would you rather retire with 11 championships or with 6 championships? What MORON would say 6? How is 6-0 better than 11-1 (Bill Russell)? If that is the case, then Joe Montana (4-0) is better than Tom Brady (7-3). YOU CANNOT, with any sound frame of mind or unbiased, disagree with what I am saying. Also, MJ played 15 seasons, he lost 7 playoff series, before the Finals. He missed the playoffs twice. That is 6 for 15. Kareem for example won 6 titles also but he went to the finals 10x. IF this were the Olympics Kareem would have 4 silver medals and MJ would have zero. How is earning a silver medal, being 2nd best, WORSE than getting knocked out in the preliminary rounds and NOT getting a medal? Tell Michael Phelps or Simone Biles the Silver and Bronze medals don’t count and that they are not the best at their sport because someone has more gold medals but has ZERO silver or bronze medals. MJ went 6-0 in the finals because he played weak teams in the finals. The 97 and 98 Jazz? Please they were a 2-man team. The 96 Sonics? Another two-man team and a one hit wonder that never did anything before or after that. The 93 Suns? A fairly deep team but a one hit wonder that never did anything after that year. Barkley was an underachiever and lazy. The 92 Blazers were the best team MJ faced and MJ played great against them. I will congratulate him on that one. The 91 Lakers? PLEASE! This was the worst team Magic ever played on (except 96). The 91 Lakers did NOT have Kareem, Cooper, Rambis or coach Riley. Put those 4 back and they beat the Bulls easily. The 91 Lakers had one of the worst coaches in the league (Mike Dunleavy), he was no match for Phil. Worthy, Scott and Thompson were all hurt and barely played in that series. Put them in at 100% and this team sweeps the Bulls. Any of Bird’s, Magic’s, LeBron’s, Wilt’s, Kareem’s, Russell’s, Duncan’s, Shaq/Kobe’s championship teams would have swept those teams easily. Bird and magic had to play against each other in the finals. Wilt had to face the Celtics and Knicks (2 all time great teams) in the finals. If Wilt, Bird Duncan etc. faced the 6 opponents MJ faced they would all be 6-0 also. How can you “Might have won 8 straight” when you ACTUALLY LOST! MJ played in 95 and GOT BEAT, he was on the court, he played, he lost, deal with it. The Bulls lost to Orlando who lost to Houston. Houston would have beaten the Bulls badly in 95 (No Horace Grant). Olajuwon would have averaged 40 and 20 in that series against Luc Longley, please. BTW, Bill Russell DID win 8 straight. MJ came back, he was in great shape. He dropped 55 against the best defense in the league a few weeks before that series. He dominated in the previous playoff series. BB is a team game, the Bulls lost. Orlando was a better TEAM in 95. MI is great but EVERY top NBA player needed help to win, INCLUDING MJ. This nonsense that he won all these games and championships, by himself, must stop. The fact that he lost 3 games to 1 in 85, got swept in 86, got swept in 87, lost to Detroit 3 (THREE) straight years in 88,89 and 90 PROVES this. When his teammates, coach and TEAMS got better he started to win. If he was so UNBEATABLE and ‘by far the goat” why couldn’t he win in those other years? Because BB is a TEAM GAME. It is rather astonishing how people can ignore this very obvious, and simple, FACT. MJ is great, possibly the GOAT, but he was not this undefeated assassin that Stephen A., Skip Bayless and many other “entities” purport him to be.

[@Ssacky]

"what road did you travel" got me😂

[@youremad533]

the disrespect to kobe😤

[@joshuagleen9340]

He's not top 5 bro stop it

[@PenskeMaterial]

Its not disrespectful at all

[@giovannirodriguez4444]

Kobe ain’t even top 10 shut up

[@judgefaction]

Yall on drugs kobe da goat

[@abdiaden7049]

Anyone saying Kobe is top 5 or goat is showing that they haven't watched basketball before 2005-2010 lol

[@jjballers81]

This brotha stay yellin lol... how does he do it lmaoo

[@mathewdavis2427]

Cocaine

[@Helloim_anthony]

Just like Shannon sharpe

[@futurekillerful]

He’s a preacher

[@Centurylamar88]

He gets 12mill a year that’s how he does it

[@R.B.90]

Lmao honestly he yells so much I don't even notice it. It's just how he talks at this point.

[@thatoldman815]

what an original topic! congrats to ESPN and their think tank.

[@moonoo2353]

Mj will always be #1. And lebron will always be #2.

[@jaydenvert9168]

*R eSpect, my friend.* 👍

[@Joshbarker23]

if lebron has a top 3 season for him, wins a champ and a finals mvp(which he will) he will be better

[@ThePatman1980]

In NBA Street Vol. 2 in legendary mode, you can't be jacking threes in every possession. If you want to beat it consistently, you need to dunk or shoot from the mid-range a lot. Hence, why MJ is the best wing in the game.

[@jcjcviews]

There's something to be said about the effort required to shoot threes and the mechanical skills compared to a jump shot and the lack. I'd vote Shawn Kemp for the precision-clear-the-area dunk of all time if anyone cares.

[@helenmercy1013]

Because of the economic crisis and the rate of unemployment, now is the best time to invest and make money 💯

[@alexrobert7772]

You can say that again

[@alexrobert7772]

Cry`pto is the new gold

[@derekwilliam2540]

Stocks are good but Crypto is better

[@peterbradbury8703]

I wanted to trade crypto but got confused by the fluctuations in price

[@lucasmiles1079]

That won't bother you if you trade with a professional like Mr Harry Mark

[@peterogness9443]

Michael jordan is the goat I aggree 110 percent because if Michael jordan didn't leave after the 93 finals or if the bulls dream team didn't break up in 1998 I'm 110 percent believe Michael jordan would have at least 12 championships that's how dominant Michael jordan was and Michael jordan would be finals mvp every time

[@RazzleDouglas]

Kobe … 💜💛

[@calebanderson8671]

I understand Bill Russell won 11 chips, but he can’t be in the top 5 man. I’m sorry

[@lebradjames4014]

Right with 8 teams in the league it’s a joke tbh

[@yengvang8737]

That's what we think but people back then might not think about it.

[@datsapaddlin]

Numbers wise he ain’t top 10. He was a great player but not top 10 great.

[@karlweaver7601]

The competition was not that great either back then. Good point though

[@swedishboi3208]

@@karlweaver7601 I would argue Bill had better competition than Lebron

[@josecruz-cl8hx]

2-5 are way closer than 1-2

[@fabianrangel0422]

Other way around

[@josecruz-cl8hx]

You're wrong. MJ is undisputed GOAT. Ppl who dispute it usually have an obsession with Bron.

[@cuamagfamily2300]

@@josecruz-cl8hx People can have different opinions without being bias my dude

[@josecruz-cl8hx]

@@cuamagfamily2300 of course. I'm not going to say I'm arguing it as a fact I just strongly feel that way, and usually run into fanboys. But yes people will think & believe what they want lol

[@cuamagfamily2300]

@@josecruz-cl8hx MJ is not really the undisputed GOAT because we have constant debate over him and lebron. Theres only really a few who are undisputed like babe ruth, brady, or ali.

[@kdoubs211]

Safe list ..Curious to hear the next 5 though

[@1manforequality]

I remember double headers in the old garden back in the 60's I've seen many lists in the top 10, 25, 50, etc. I can't imagine how few times I've seen the name Jerry West. I'm 72, seen thousands players and just as many games, he would be in my top 25. I have vivid memories of Red Auerbach being interviewed in the 70's, it was Red's opinion that West's jump shot will remain the best of all time.

[@DomSr]

I agree with this list 100 percent. Each one would be still ranked right were they are no matter what time period they played in. 60s to right now .

[@Jeff_2x]

LMAOOO MJ and Bron fans are gonna get pressed at something completely subjective that’s coming from out of all people, SAS.

[@lockiet7227]

I am a fan of Kobe but I would say MJ over Lebron isn't subjective. I'd say that's objective

[@lecowardjames]

6 nba finals lose🤫lechoke is the biggest coward in all time nba history,never seen a traitor like lechoke.....he is the only one🤫he promise the heat not 1,2,3,4,5,7when he fail 3 peat,he left the heat,he even said I never flop,Cleveland is my hometown,I won't leave again,then when he choke against gws,I go to lakers😂😂😂

[@damontejohnson9000]

@@lecowardjames Imagine having this type of animosity for someone who doesn’t even know you exist

[@BolitaDeKetica]

@@lecowardjames He delivered in Cleveland, so he owes NOTHING to Cleveland.

[@R.B.90]

I am scrolling through the comment and it's actually the exact opposite. Everyone seems chill... in ironically... your the one getting pressed since you are the only one talking bout it. Oops.

[@lethaltambul9574]

Greatest evaluation ever. Even tho my guy Chamberlain was not in that list but I agree with your list!

[@Sam-db4mr]

Yo just imagine if these 5 guys all played together on the same team in their primes. You can fill out the roster with G-league bench players, and I’m confident they would go 82-0 against the field and sweep the playoffs on their way to a title.

[@jordanflores5687]

F**k playing together who wants to see that I'm tryna seem them play against each other

[@coopercook216]

@@jordanflores5687 that’s facts

[@PolishedWalnut]

82-0? Sounds like a casual.

[@burnixone]

Who prefers Elmos World compared to SA’s World?

[@cibida1]

And yet you're here. I guarantee it's been a while since you've watched any Elmo's World video. And yes. I know you're joking.

[@burnixone]

@@cibida1 It's been YEARS bro. That intro song is still stuck in my head from when I was a kid!

[@cibida1]

@@burnixone la la la. La la la la. You might have a point.

[@durellpowell3324]

Elmo love his gold fish, his Lebron 2

[@KenpoKid77]

Are you talking before or after the voice actor for Elmo was taken down for molesting kids?

[@FairCommentator]

actually, if jordan in the late 80's had the mindset of hard-fouling and flagrant fouling while playing defense, the bulls would have won in the times they met up. Instead, they played honest defense and were slammed while playing offense. No other way to explain why Detroit won in 1990 against the bulls (Pippen had the stupid "migraine" in game 7 leaving jordan by himself where the Jordan Rules went into total effect). In 1989, I wish the bulls had returned the favor and slammed detroit all over the place also while playing defense. That is the difference when we talk about Jordan not making those finals. Pippen was not even an all-star in 1989.

[@mixedpleasure4324]

Yep if Pippen had played a little better in the 90 finals Mj would easily have 7 rings but Pippen was a no show while Mj played insanely well

[@drewp839]

If pippen wasn’t on his team he doesn’t win 6, stop blaming other players

[@mixedpleasure4324]

@@drewp839 you obviously didnt see that final 🤡🤡 so know your facts before you speak Pippen was so bad that game

[@drewp839]

@@mixedpleasure4324 Pipen literally guarded magic full court all game, MJ would not have 6 rings if pipen wasn't on his team

[@drewp839]

@Beery Dude Jordan was the best number 1 in the league and pippen was the best number 2, no team competed with them.

[@dogobongo7518]

I find it strange how a lot of analysts compare players based on how good they were skill wise when it comes to lebron but fail to put wilt chamberlain in the conversation of top all time. His skills would be unmatched in any era. The closest was Kareem and he was on the list, no one else could contain a beast like that. There will never be another wilt man. Also, there would be an argument if he mentioned only rings but he only mentioned it for MJ and Russell. 6-6 and 11 rings. Everyone else their skills were highlighted, makes no sense.

[@ry_an.]

Wilt was dominant… but that’s undermined by the era he played in. Prehistoric basketball. There was no one as good as him besides Bill Russell…

[@georgewagner2352]

@@ry_an. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Pete Maravich, Rick Barry, Bob McAdoo, Willis Reed, Tiny Archibald, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Gus Johnson, Nate Thurmond, Bill Bridges, Johnny Green, Joe Caldwell, Dave Cowens, Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes, Sam Jones, Hal Greer, Dave Bing, Lenny Wilkens, Connie Hawkins, Elgin Baylor, Gus Johnson, Terry Dischinger, Walt Bellamy, Zelmo Beaty and John Havlicek. These guys were EXTREMELY athletic. You need to READ about these guys. These guys also played "modern basketball". Wilt played against ALL of these guys. Please do your homework before you try and diminish a whole generation of incredible athletes. In 20 years from now young, ignorant, people will tell YOU how LeBron and Kobe weren't athletic enough to play with the new guys. YOU will be the first one to respond to them with a similar response that I am sending you now.

[@retrosoul8770]

@@georgewagner2352 brilliant response to a toxic troll, bravo well said. 100% facts.

[@yoniburack3]

He used to have duncan in his top 5 which was so ridiculous thank goodness he cleaned up his list

[@Coregame3]

Duncan > russell

[@yoniburack3]

@@Coregame3 I never heard any logical argument for duncan over russell. Most of Duncans top 10 status is based off his winning and bill russell ofc is the greatets winner ever in the sport, then Russell also has more personal accolades... MVPs he has him 5 to 2, hes 2nd all time in rebounds, and would be 1st or 2nd in blocks if the stat counted for his whole career. Duncan was an all time great defender easily top 10 probably top 5 ever but even that Russell has him as he is almost unanimously the greatest defender ever.

[@Coregame3]

@@yoniburack3 look at Russell's fg% and ppg in the playoffs

[@ThePatman1980]

I can't believe Leanna Creel has two other sisters that looks exactly like her. My stepsister told me this over 25 years ago that she is part of a triplet and I was surprised. Back then, I hated the Tori episodes.

[@epic_enjoli_fan1]

Yea I wasn't a fan of Tori. She didn't fit the group dynamic.

[@epic_enjoli_fan1]

Plus her and Zack together was kinda cringe.

[@petramacneary8152]

With all due respect to the great Bill Russell , I’d have to remove him from my top 5. My top 5 has these five players: 1. Michael Jordan 2. Magic Johnson 3. Kareem Abdul Jabbar 4. Kobe Bryant 5. Lebron James

[@davyon7522]

Kobe wasn’t a team player I think that’s usually the arguement. At the end of the day Kobe would just care about his offense even if his team loses. It’s a team sport. Definitely be top 5 offensive scorers of all time

[@eloyramirez7063]

@@davyon7522 kobe was an elite defender as well

[@ZZ-ex8py]

🤡

[@ZZ-ex8py]

Ur a casual if u think Kobe>lebron

[@petramacneary8152]

@@ZZ-ex8py finals losses speak otherwise, conference difference speak otherwise, killer mentality says otherwise, more titles say otherwise, plus many more players pick him over Lebron. You’re a little kid for thinking otherwise

[@nattydelights6381]

Keep in mind jordan retired three times in his nba career and most of those years were his prime years… if Jordan played his whole career that would be EASY 8+ rings.. and this wouldn’t even be a debate.. yet here we are

[@geeeee8320]

Lmaooooooooo if you say so

[@nattydelights6381]

@@geeeee8320 I do… that’s kind of why I posted the comment..?

[@cuamagfamily2300]

You cant base arguments in hypotheticals lol

[@michaelkinloch8934]

Bills wouldn’t have the beaten the Rockets

[@nestoraguilar5811]

@@michaelkinloch8934 let’s go bills 💵!!

[@Foxcoonjr]

As long as we can all agree that MJ is #1 then we can debate the rest. What separates MJ for me is he always looked like the best player on the floor even in defeat. He always looked like the best player in the league every year. You can look at full games, highlights, practice games, etc and no one made it look as easy as he did. Not to mention the difficulty of the shots and the creation of moves, dunks, lay ups he use to do. You can take away the titles and team accomplishments and he still is better then everyone. The best player I've ever seen in all phases of the sport still to this day. After that my list in no order are Shaq, Kobe, Lebron, Wilt. A lot of players get slighted because of how many rings they don't have though.

[@jamalz148]

For me it s lebron cause he is great himself but also makes everyone around him better and that is the ultimate nba player for me. People forget that its a team game not a solo contest. if it was a solo contest MJ would be my number one. But its a team game so lebron is my number 1. But that you put MJ number 1 is understandable :D

[@Foxcoonjr]

@@jamalz148 Lebron making everyone better is a myth and statistics prove that. Almost every player he has played with statistics went down except for maybe Kryie. I mean look at AD. He doesn't even look like the same player anymore because they make him do all the dirty work on defense. Lebron turns players to 3 and D guys. He makes everyone on his teams do all the dirty work so he can just focus on getting his stats. Why do you think once players aren't on his team anymore they're never the same players they were before. They get adopted to that role of Lebron's world, go to another team, and suck. Lebron is good but he's the Tom Brady of the NBA. Hand picks his teams, gets all the credit when they win, and they blame everyone but him when they lose. He's been the medias darling for almost a couple decades now. The biggest athlete on the planet! Sports is a business so it's all about storylines. Just think of it like this. Everything that Bron ever did good they blew it up. Remember when Bron was getting triple doubles and they made like he was God for doing so? Then James Harden and Russell Westbrook started doing it better then Lebron and all of a sudden they had to change the narrative like triple doubles were meaninglessness, and that Harden and Westbrook were just bog hogs. When you have the ball in your hands all the time like Lebron, Harden, and Westbrook, Luka, ect does, then you will get triple doubles. For one you have professional shooters on the court to get easy assist. Bron is 6'9 and athletic so rebounding is easy for him. And points he's going to get those because he isn't doubled and triple teamed every game like say Stephen Curry is, which makes no sense. A player of Brons caliber should be doubled and triple teamed every night. But he's the NBAs biggest star so I'm sure they want allow teams to do it all of the time

[@d-jones3853]

This comment is 💯💯💯💯

[@d-jones3853]

I agree wit you it’s like MJ made it look easy asf and that’s a testament to how hard he worked on his craft him and Kobe had a work ethic like no other

[@jamalz148]

@@Foxcoonjr i dont agree but thats fine haha :D

[@darioncharles3439]

If Mike played didnt leave the NBA and retired young , he wouldve had most points all time

[@yungking1985]

MJ is clearly thee 🐐. Stephen A forget to mention MJ had zero weaknesses.

[@KadenGray-wh3hy]

My top 5 of all time 1 Alex Caruso 2 Deuce Tatum 3 Taquavion 4 Deanobballin 5 Flight I had a very hard time deciding who is better deuce or Alex Caruso so they are both number 1

[@eddynumbi]

I couldn’t agree more with that list

[@DrakeBrunette]

I only question Russell…. His career is legendary and he’s my first pick for a Mt. Rushmore scenario because of all that he accomplished. But… his competition was weak compared to the eras that proceeded him. We have no idea how he’d fair against guys like Shaq, Hakeem, Ewing, Robinson, Embiid etc. I’m sure he’d be very good. But would he really get the better of them in a dominant manner?… There are many college teams today that would absolutely demolish most professional teams in the 50s. The overall standards for athleticism, pace, shooting and playmaking of today are just so much faster and more efficient. Once you take that into account you realize that all his stats would be lower and that he wasn’t much of an offensive threat…

[@asmajalis]

I disagree because it's not fair to say that players that play nowadays would dominate the 60s because technology and the play style of players now is completely different for example the 3 point line is very important but in the 60s the 3 point line didint exist also of course pace,shooting, and playmaker are better today that just comes with technology like in 50 years from now are you saying that MJ can't be the Goat because he would not be able to play in a league 50 years from now also Bill wasn't good offensively but was great defensively amazing when it comes to rebounds and is one of the best leaders in sports. I respect your opinion but I disagree

[@chanceterry1687]

@@asmajalis so you’re telling me if you dropped Kyrie Irving into that era he wouldn’t average 50? 🤣 he would be dancing circles around those dudes. The skill level doesn’t even come close to comparing to today

[@Joshuaklotzbach]

@@chanceterry1687 he wouldn’t be able to do all the dribbles then because it was illegal to do

[@jasonmoukala8909]

@@Joshuaklotzbach was it actually

[@cameronboyd8211]

I think the issue that most "lebron fans" or at least from my perspective is that I take no issue with someone having MJ at 1. I have him at 1 as well, but where people lose me is that they put Jordan so far ahead of everyone else while demeaning those underneath him. I legit feel like you can have lebron at 1 and argue a very strong case. It's why i like channels like thinking basketball because it gets into the why instead of just saying "well Jordan won six titles or 10 scoring titles it's no debate" when in actuality it is. Because you make a case that MJ is #1 and not even mention 6 championships. These conversations tend to devolve into strawman arguments and claims without context.

[@jtremaine23]

Would a list like this help? Michael Jordan Rings = 6 MVP = 5 Finals MVP = 6 DPOY = 1 ROY = 1 Scoring titles = 10 Steals titles = 3 All-NBA First Teams = 10 All-Defensive First Teams = 9 Total = 51 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Rings = 6 MVP = 6 Finals MVP = 2 ROY = 1 Scoring titles = 2 Rebounding titles = 1 Blocks titles = 5 All-NBA First Teams = 10 All-Defensive First Teams = 5 Total = 38 Wilt Chamberlain Rings = 2 MVPs = 4 Finals MVP = 1 ROY = 1 Scoring titles = 7 Rebound titles = 11 All-NBA first teams = 7 All-Defensive first teams = 2* Total = 35 LeBron James Rings = 4 MVP = 4 Finals MVP = 4 ROY = 1 Scoring titles = 1 Assist titles = 1 All-NBA First Teams = 13 All-Defensive First Teams = 5 Total = 33 Kobe Bryant Rings = 5 MVP = 1 Finals MVP = 2 Scoring titles = 2 All-NBA First Teams = 11 All-Defensive First Teams = 9 Total = 30 Tim Duncan Rings = 5 MVP = 2 Finals MVP = 3 ROY = 1 All-NBA First Teams = 10 All-Defensive First Teams = 8 Total = 29 Magic Johnson Rings = 5 MVPs = 3 Finals MVP = 3 Assists titles = 4 Steals titles = 2 All-NBA First Teams = 9 Total = 26 Bill Russell Rings = 11 MVPs = 5 Rebound titles = 5 All-NBA first teams = 3 All-Defensive first teams = 1* Total = 25 Shaquille O'Neal Rings = 4 MVPs = 1 Finals MVP = 3 ROY = 1 Scoring titles = 2 All-NBA First Teams = 8 Total = 20 Larry Bird Rings = 3 MVPs = 3 Finals MVP = 2 ROY = 1 All-NBA First Teams = 9 Total = 18

[@jtremaine23]

I don't see how LeBron has a case at #1 at all. He had weaknesses in his game whereas MJ, in his prime, had no weaknesses. Also, I can give an individual skill comparison between them along with a championship comparison across other levels (not just the NBA Finals).

[@cameronboyd8211]

@@jtremaine23 I mean it depends on what your criteria is. There's no one set one. Me personally im not really big on basing it on accolades largely because i think they don't capture the full scope of a player's career. And also I feel these awards can be very very misleading specifically All-defensive selections.

[@jtremaine23]

@@cameronboyd8211 I agree somewhat. Like some guys are voted in as a All star when they really weren't but they just so happen to be playing in their final season or fans voted them in just because they like them. Let's try this...the greatest player should have a combination of things. It can't be just winning, scoring, rebounding, passing, defending, etc but the total package--- Able to score (ball-in-hand, catch & shoot [off the ball], transition, etc), shoot, rebound, pass, defend (steals, blocks, man-to-man, passing lanes, help, etc), speed, quickness, strength, handles, clutch (shooting, passing, rebound, FT, defense, etc), athletic, creativity, hang time, body control, go-to move, post game, closer, leader, bball IQ, hands, fundamentals, footwork, efficient, stamina/endurance, awareness, could use off hand (left hand), could play injured/sick, will-to-win, etc. And then you have the accomplishments, accolades, domination, stats, intangibles like focus & desire, etc. There's only 1 player that fits in all of those categories.

[@cameronboyd8211]

@@jtremaine23 I think he has the second greatest peak of any player. Let's say 2009-13. Second to only MJ 1988-93. You couple that with the fact he has had a longer prime than any other player in nba history. Since 2005 he has never not played at less than an MVP level and at his best he has put forth since of greatest seasons in nba history (both statistically - advanced metrics, basic ppg rpg etc. My next thing would be that he's the greatest floor raiser ever. That means he can do more with less (see 07 cavs, 15 cavs, 18 cavs). Pretty much whenever Kyrie or Wade were out with injuries (which was frequent), those heat and cavs teams never wavered. I believe the record in those such games in 67-25 while posting the ridiculous numbers that we all like to see. I've done a few statistical studies on this type, and LeBron graded out as the best by a quite a bit - I used guys like MJ, Shaq, Kobe, Magic, basically the all-time all-time legends. Lastly his game. Much is made about his FT shooting which isn't great but a 72-73% shooter is not a complete detriment. Over the last decade he's rounded into a fairly decent shooter both off the catch and dribble. He's developed a post game which is very underrated imo. He's probably a top 2 or 3 passer not just because of the high assist totals but the vision. The skip passes, the pocket passes, full court outlets, lobs, basically any pass you need to be able to make he can. Made this too long sorry. But u get the idea. The most well rounded player ever with the second greatest peak and easily the best prime of any player. And with all that being said i still got MJ ahead of him because other reasons.

[@Sesboy17]

I don't see how y'all jump over Kobe and put LB over him. I'm sorry

[@revbooster5041]

nah Bron better than kobe

[@terrylanda4754]

CBS sports line top 10 NBA best players all time 1. Michael Jordan 2. LeBron James 3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 9. Tim Duncan 10. Kobe Bryant PPG: LeBron RPG: LeBron APG: LeBron SPG: LeBron BPG: LeBron FG%: LeBron 3pt%: LeBron FT%: Kobe TS%: LeBron PER: LeBron WS/48: LeBron VORP: LeBron MVP's: LeBron FMVP's: LeBron Rings: Kobe (Best player on 2) LeBron a better player then Kobe Field goal% LeBron 50.4%✔️ Kobe 44.7% Points scored career LeBron 35,455✔️ Kobe 33,643 Most missed shots in NBA history 1. Kobe Bryant 14,481 2. John Havlicek 13,417 3. Elvin Hayes 13,296 LeBron more points then Kobe Kobe more missed shots then LeBron Total 3pointers made LeBron 1993✔️ Kobe 1827 Total Steals career LeBron 2,068✔️ Kobe 1,944 Total Blocks career LeBron 985✔️ Kobe 640 Defensive win shares LeBron 73.00✔️ Kobe 50.66 Assists Leader LeBron 1✔️ Kobe 0 Career highs Kobe Bryant 28-46 fg and 7-13 3pt for 81 points vs Raptors 27-55 record Career highs LeBron James 22-33 fg and 8-10 3pt for 61 points vs Bobcats 43-39 record Playoffs game winning buzzer beaters LeBron 5✔️ Kobe 1 2010 NBA finals Game 7 Lakers 83 Celtics 79 Kobe Bryant 6-24 fg and 0-6 3pt for 23 points 2013 NBA finals Game 7 Heat 95 Spurs 88 LeBron James 12-23 fg and 5-10 3pt for 37 points Pippen 6 rings > Kobe 5 rings so having more team awards rings dont mean better player Shaquille O'Neal 3 finals mvps best player on Lakers 3peat and carried Kobe Bryant to 3 sidekick rings 2000 NBA final Lakers 4 Pacers 2 Kobe 15.6 ppg and 36.7% fg and 20% 3pt carried by Shaq 38.0 ppg and 61.1% fg and 16 rebs and finals mvp 2011 NBA finals Mavericks 4 Lakers 0 Dallas swept Kobe Bryant who had home court advantage and was favorite to win series LeBron 16-6 owns Kobe in 22 career meetings

[@jordanosborne4383]

Stop it

[@kerrybase8037]

@@terrylanda4754 Lol

[@acason4]

Top 5 All-Time •Michael Jordan •Lebron James •Kareem Abdul-Jabbar •Larry Bird •Magic Johnson

[@churchservice2700]

Jordan is the ONLY player I'd ever draft ahead of Hakeem Olajuwon if I would perform a Re-Draft of every player at their pinnacle.

[@c-meezy765]

Folks don't mention Hakeem enough. Sucks that him & MJs careers overlapped so much.

[@josephmcintyre752]

@@c-meezy765 Hakeem was a cold piece, NO DOUBT. WILT would KILL HIM. Watch some of the film on here. Wilt was a bigger, stronger, faster, Tim Duncan.

[@kurtschaaf2165]

Please don’t tell me your one of the people that believe wilts strength claims that he benched 500 with those skinny arms 😅 Aaron Donald benches that and he is hugggeee and has short arms

[@joeku2004]

@@josephmcintyre752 bro wilt should be at #2 he would absolutely destroy lebron and for a center Wilt is basically unstoppable

[@josephmcintyre752]

@@joeku2004 that's what I'm trying to get these people to see. Wilt is A.D, or Tim Duncan on Roids

[@aggelostzimagiorgis]

I disagree with russell at the top 5

[@jthehoopgod9152]

Thank you bro🤦🏽

[@wicklyfe8316]

Thats why nobody asked u

[@carmeloeverhart6377]

11 rings and dominated his era 🤔

[@datsapaddlin6449]

@@carmeloeverhart6377 winning is a team accomplishment. As an individual player he is obviously not top 5. Wilt was a better player than him and I think even he would say that.

[@jthehoopgod9152]

@@carmeloeverhart6377 he dominated a 9 team nba with by far the best team😂😂5+ hall of famers every year he played and 1 year with 10, he was never even the teams leading scorer he not a scrub but not top 5 I’ll give him top 15

[@basasure9065]

Bird was magician ,he deserves to be on everybody's top 5 list ,

[@eldio2124]

Over who?

[@juwantaylor7449]

1. Hakeem 2. Mj 3. Kobe 4. Bird 5.kd/curry that's top 5 list

[@juwantaylor7449]

@@eldio2124 1. Bird better than magic and LeBron fasho

[@reedcylear9404]

@@juwantaylor7449 curry yeah u disqualified from talking basketball

[@reedcylear9404]

@@juwantaylor7449 bird is not better than magic or lebron you have no idea what u speaking on

[@petarveljkovic4906]

Watch casuals ask where Kobe is

[@The-Big-Boss]

5>4

[@jordanosborne4383]

@@The-Big-Boss that’s a team thing season Mvp Lebron 4 kobe 1 🤫

[@kerrybase8037]

@@The-Big-Boss Pippen 6 rings > Kobe 5 rings Pippen 6-0 > Kobe 5-2 Pippen a better player then Kobe if having more team awards and better team finals record means better player 🤣 Finals Mvps ( individual player) Jordan 6 LeBron 4 Shaq 3 Kobe 2 Best players on teams titles Jordan 6 LeBron 4 Kobe 2 Shaquille O'Neal 3 finals mvps best player on Lakers 3peat and carried Kobe Bryant to 3 sidekick rings 🤣 2000 NBA finals Lakers 4 Pacers 2 Kobe 15.6 ppg and 36.7% fg and 20% 3pt Carried by Shaq 38.0 ppg and 61.1% fg and 16 rebs Kobe 5 in 20 seaaons Mavericks 4-0 swept him to stop him from making NBA finals and winning ring last i checked he didn't win title every season 🤣 LeBron 4 in 18 seasons Been to 10 finals appearances and still playing took 4 different head coaches to NBA finals LeBron James PPG, FG%, 3pt%, TS%, REB, AST, STL, BLK higher then Kobe Bryant. So its pretty clear LeBron the better player Points scored LeBron 35,787 Kobe 33,643 Field goal% LeBron 50.4% Kobe 44.7% Most missed shots in NBA history 1. Kobe Bryant 14,481 2. John Havlicek 13,417 3. Elvin Hayes 13,296 LeBron more points than Kobe Kobe more missed shots then LeBron LeBron James 16-6 winning record owns Kobe in 22 career meetings 🤣 Why couldn't Kobe guard and stop LeBron when he was killing Lakers Kobe Bryant 44.7% fg most missed shots in NBA history isnt top 10 player all time 🤣 Bleacher report top 50 greatest NBA players all time 1. Michael Jordan 2.LeBron James 3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 6. Shaquille O'Neal 7. Tim Duncan 14. Kobe Bryant Bleacher report has Kobe #14 🤣 2012 NBA playoffs Thunder 4 Lakers 1 Russell Westbrook put Kobe Bryant out playoffs in his final playoff series to stop him from making NBA and winning ring 🤣 Jordan > LeBron > Shaq > Kobe

[@jonathanhouck180]

Great list 👍🏽

[@kingma1ne]

I respect what russell did and went thru. But there was only like 8 teams in the nba

[@casualfandestroyer2503]

Kingma1ne In playoff/finals meetings between Russell and Chamberlain, Wilt's scoring went down each time Wilt = 37.6 ppg in 1959/60 season Wilt = 30.5 ppg vs Russell in 1960 EDF (- 7.1 ppg) Wilt = 50.4 ppg in 1961/62 season Wilt = 33.6 ppg vs Russell in 1962 EDF (- 16.8 ppg) Wilt = 36.9 ppg in 1963/64 season Wilt = 29.2 ppg vs Russell in 1964 Finals (- 7.7 ppg) Wilt = 34.7 ppg 1964/65 season Wilt = 30.1 ppg vs Russell in 1965 EDF (- 4.6 ppg) Wilt = 33.5 ppg in 1965/66 season Wilt = 28.0 ppg vs Russell in 1966 EDF (- 5.5 ppg) Wilt = 24.1 ppg in 1966/67 season Wilt = 21.6 ppg vs Russell in 1967 EDF (- 2.5 ppg the only time he beat Russell) Wilt = 24.3 ppg in 1967/68 season Wilt = 22.1 ppg vs Russell in 1968 EDF (- 2.2 ppg) Wilt = 20.5 ppg in 1968/69 season Wilt = 11.7 ppg vs 35 year old Russell in 1969 Finals (- 8.8 ppg)

[@georgewagner2352]

UMM. Yes, that means you played against BETTER competition every night. Wilt and Russell faced off 8-10x a year. Shaq and Olajuwon only 2x per year. Would you rather play against Greg Ostertag, Frank Brickowski and Brian Reeves or Nate Thurmond, Willis Reed and Wilt Chamberlain??? Yeah, on a nightly basis, year in and year out, Russell faced MUCH tougher competition than Shaq did.

[@pablo.6253]

I think you forgot about Jared Dudley.

[@jefferymizell8063]

That's my premise too, MJ has never lost in a NBA championship, NEVER!!! Everybody else has lost in a championship series.

[@georgewagner2352]

@Ta-Kuan Fuan Great point. I have been saying this for years. I use the Olympic medal analogy. That getting a silver medal is worse than being bounced out in the preliminary rounds and not getting a medal according to MJ fans.

[@Joshbarker23]

lebron had kyrie and kevin love lmao

[@cyrillesu]

Probably the only sensible list he's made in a long time.

[@ThePatman1980]

"Rockumentary" might be the best Saved By The Bell episode just from the songs and being so weird. It's just a bizarre dream. And Zack's Vanilla Ice hairdo is hilarious to see near the end.

[@epic_enjoli_fan1]

Good episode. Though it sucks Jesse wasn't in it because apparently the actress injured her self before they filmed the episode.

[@danielgibson8799]

Wilt Chamberlain is definitely top 5. Probably 3. He was most definitely a better “winner” than Russell. We have stats to measure it. They’re called Win Shares. .25/48 regular season. .2/48 playoffs (on worse teams). Russell’s is .193/48 and .178/48 (on better teams) respectively. Having better teams doesn’t make one a greater player. Also, if VORP was available then the difference could be even more stark. It would be comparable to Jokic and the advanced stats adore that guy.

[@alwaysintrouble2535]

NBA LIVE 96 is still the best basketball game ever.

[@antibrotha]

2k12, nba live 04

[@bballfan3419]

I say NBA Street Vol. 2

[@luffyskywalker7549]

Respect to Bill Russell but he's not a top 5 player of all time. It's just too hard to say that against the talent pool he played against.

[@jaybee6372]

He went up against arguably the most dominant centre in basketball outside of a prime shaq. Come on man just cos the era is older does not make it worse. If anything you could argue the centre position is way easier to play in the modern game, not banging down there night in, night out

[@artskyea13]

You dont know basketball shut up

[@georgewagner2352]

Wilt and Russell faced off 8-10x a year. Shaq and Olajuwon only 2x per year. Would you rather play against Greg Ostertag, Frank Brickowski and Brian Reeves or Nate Thurmond, Willis Reed and Wilt Chamberlain??? Yeah, on a nightly basis, year in and year out, Russell faced MUCH tougher competition than Shaq did.

[@dior4958]

Steph Curry is not even top 10 all time but he tried to argue him for top 5 😂😂

[@Coregame3]

Lmao

[@mRcHeNthemadscienttisttrevor28]

Where r u now🌚

[@Matthew-lx5jm]

Tim,Kareem,Jordan,LeBron, shaq

[@JacksonArm20]

Say what you want about Stephen A but that’s a good list and he has good reasoning

[@Joshbarker23]

his reason for bill russell is bad because he didnt play anybody

[@Bonescratcher]

I got Bird instead of Bill Russel. Aside from that it’s a perfect list.

[@aelhag4104]

11 championships in 13 years while being in an extremely racist era?

[@Bonescratcher]

@@aelhag4104 let’s be real though. He was playing against a bunch of little white dudes mostly. Not to mention half the league’s stars were on his team

[@sedlyholmes3722]

•Greatest champion - Bill Russell •Greatest MVP - Kareem Abdul Jabbar •Greatest Winner - Micheal Jordan •Greatest All Around Player - LeBron James •Greatest Point Guard - Magic Johnson •Greatest Mentality - Kobe Bryant •Greatest Shooter - Stephen Curry •Greatest Trash Talker - Larry Bird

[@peaceya100]

For your info The GOAT Killer - Mr. KOBE BEAN BRYANT

[@terrystyles3486]

Bill Russell greatest winner you clown lol Best player ever Jordan Not LeBron James 😂

[@terrystyles3486]

Greatest Mentality 😂😂😂😂

[@JoeCarroll-pm4zu]

As a Chicago sports fan 39 years later I still can't believe Portland took Sam Bowie over Jordan. I also must thank Houston just as much. They already had a big man in Ralph Sampson so taking Jordan instead of Akeem would've been the perfect complement to their team. But Bowie over Jordan will always be the biggest FUP in sports draft history

[@Vijonmusic]

Before Stephen started I guessed the same exact players. That point he made about Magic... Just imagine if he never got sick, the numbers he would have put up. Jordan would have still been a problem for him though.

[@fbi3277]

Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time and it isn’t even close.

[@sedlyholmes3722]

Greatest champion - Bill Russell Greatest MVP - Kareem Abdul Jabbar Greatest Winner - Micheal Jordan Greatest All Around Player - LeBron James Greatest Point Guard - Magic Johnson Greatest Mentality - Kobe Bryant Greatest Shooter - Stephen Curry Greatest Trash Talker - Larry Bird

[@chuyito7095]

@@sedlyholmes3722 this is perfect

[@jtremaine23]

@@sedlyholmes3722 Greatest in sports and music carry the initials...M.J.J.

[@williambrabston3045]

@@sedlyholmes3722 how is lebron greatest all around when he is awful on defense... he hasnt played defense since miami... he stands around on offense when other people have the ball... its kinda pathetic..

[@reedcylear9404]

@@williambrabston3045 lebron definitely not awful on defense if you don't really watch just say that making stuff is pathetic

[@ThePatman1980]

I finally finished Saved By The Bell last night. I mean all the ones after Good Morning Miss Bliss including the stupid Hawaii and the Vegas wedding movie. The College Years was downright awful. Kelly was horrible in it.

[@epic_enjoli_fan1]

I still need to watch Good Morning Miss Bliss. The Hawaii movie was was ok. I like Vegas Wedding. Especially when Zack and Screech become escorts lol

[@AlexBrown-xp7mt]

I have to say, Stephen A’s list is very good

[@wearevenom82]

Stephen A. always sounds like he's preaching