Stephen A.: This is BLASPHEMY but I would REPLACE Wilt with Steph Curry! 😱 | First Take

Stephen A. Smith discusses who he would replace in the Top-10 NBA Players of all time if Steph Curry were to win a fourth ring.
#ESPN #NBA
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[@gedrictudio]

I'd remove Oscar first. Yeah, I understand the triple double stats, but he didn't win a ring until Kareem got him one. He's out (he shouldn't be in there in the first place, Shaq should be there)

[@davidderidder1610]

hakeem > shaq imo

[@Jo-fk1be]

oscar isnt top ten lmao

[@sbj97]

@@Jo-fk1be 😂

[@RampageYI]

Big O gotta go.

[@LoftyXsWaGX34]

That man averaged 30 points 4 straight years. Of course I didn’t watch him but don’t downplay him.

[@axe2grind244]

First of all any list of this nature that doesn’t include Shaq is absurd to begin with….secondly Wilt Chamberlain is on a very small list of pro athletes that literally forced their respective sport to change the rules, which in turn changed the game itself.

[@MarvoloRiddle]

@@rockymma4319 if there's one person who changed the game more than Steph. It's Wilt..... He made them change rules on dunking, 24 second shot clock, free throws etc. He's had a bigger impact on rules than anyone

[@santiagovicentemoralesroa4583]

I believe you can leave Shaq out of the the top 10 tbh. Aside of the obvious top 4 I'd say Kobe, Tim, Hakeem, bird, Russell and wilt are greater than him, but I can clearly see why he is top 10 but I got him 11 on my list

[@lilflip9611]

Shaq is not a top 10 player. Kareem and Olajuwon better

[@alejogiamba1450]

@@santiagovicentemoralesroa4583 kobe better than shaq? On what world?

[@keithjoseph128]

​@@rockymma4319 no he didn't.

[@odigomez1787]

The list is automatically invalid with no Shaq. Shaq has 4 ships and 3 finals MVP but he’s not on ESPNs top 10?? Come on man.

[@Jordan5s]

Who u taking off to put Shaq in?

[@MADWEIRD]

Finals MVPs are not high on the list of what matters, champions league MVPs all nbas scoring titles and other stuff rank much higher

[@MJ325]

@@MADWEIRD so that you can fit in the narrative of putting Curry in top 10 lol. Finals MVP's is HIGH on the list, what tf you smokin?

[@odigomez1787]

@@Jordan5s easy, Oscar Robinson

[@odigomez1787]

@@MADWEIRD how old are you?? Have you even seen Shaq when he was playing??? Check his resume and awards, then come back and comment.

[@bubblelex5051]

In all the finals series of Bill vs Wilt, the total amount of point difference was in single digits. Bill had a stacked team vs Wilt alone. It wasnt fair.

[@XaviorJordan]

Most people don't even know this... they act like Wilt got swept every time they played

[@bubblelex5051]

@@XaviorJordan exactly bro. Just a bunch of fake hypebeast groupies thinking they know basketball. Alot of these kids dont know anything before 2010 😂

[@XaviorJordan]

@miguelzaibatsu don't even know what you're arguing about... English not your first language?

[@XaviorJordan]

@miguelzaibatsu I think Wilt is better than Jordan so you're preaching to the wrong one lol

[@mangsimon11]

Wilt alone? My goodness sake. He joined Jerry West and Elgin Baylor in the Lakers yet still couldn't beat Russell in the Finals.

[@andysauro1500]

Oscar is EASILY the replacement. Go watch him play. He really only had a right hand dribble and a hitched jumper. He was more a product of his time than anyone else IMO.

[@surblows]

Older guards didn't practice off hand dribbling as much because the dribbling rules were much stricter

[@surblows]

@T S Which part is wrong?

[@Kingmase246]

@T S LOL tell him,

[@macxavier168]

Oscar shouldn't have been in there anyway. Shaq clears him EASILY. So I'm replacing Wilt, and my list looks like this: 1. Mike 2. Bron 3. Kareem 4. Magic 5. Kobe 6. Duncan 7. Steph 8. Shaq 9. Bird 10. Russell

[@ghfdt368]

Its a tough choice but I'd personally move The Big O out of the top 10 although I'm not downplaying how great he was. Also people need to stop this nonsense with Wilt. He was the most dominant player in basketball history period. He can't help the era he was in, the average to below average teammates and teams he had to carry most of his career other then when he had another hall of famer in their prime with Jerry West. Bill Russell was surrounded by HOF's including Red Aurbach as head coach one of the greatest coaches of all time for pretty much his entire career. Wilt never had consistent great coaching like that except for 2 short stints in his career, He had Hannum for 3 seasons on the warriors and 76's where the second season with Wilt they held the NBA record for most wins in a season and dominanted the 8 times champs led Russell celtics in the conference finals on the way to Wilts first Chip, and Bill Sharman with the lakers for 2 when wilt retired in 73 where on the title run in 71 they won the most games in a row in NBA history a record that still stands. Also I don't think people realise that in his 14 year career he made the conference finals 12 times and made it to the finals 6 times and was regular season MVP 4 times and a Finals MVP, he would have likely won it earlier in his career but the award didnt exist yet as it was introduced in 69 the last 3rd of his career. By any eras standards that's A grade level hall of famer.

[@thatboyrell4954]

Shaq was the most dominant period!!!

[@chuckdeez2491]

Perfectly Stated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@artur583]

Yea I agree. Oscar is the only 1 on that list I'd even consider moving out. And that's only cuz hes the only 1 I'm not super familiar with his accomplishments so that's on me, n he still might also b a top 10 lock too. Shaq would b #11 most likely too? So I rlly don't see a path for steph into the top 10 honestly.

[@mrslammahoe956]

You can’t replace the big o when he paved the wave for triple doubles and made it relevant

[@PookieLovers]

He played in the weakest era of basketball

[@brienmacgearailt7801]

Steven A is nuts, Wilt is in the argument for GOAT, there was no free agency at the time. The best athlete in the history of the game.

[@thomasstengel7356]

Best athlete, probably. But, Kareem doesn't get his due with regard to what he was able to accomplish statistically. Kareem eclipsed Wilt in several categories.

[@VICTOR-py7hn]

Michael, Kobe, Kareem, Wilt, Magic, Bird, Curry Lebron, Duncan, Russell.

[@bobbydavis1003]

Perfect

[@VICTOR-py7hn]

@CH They play totally different positions, Step is a guard, best shooting guard ever to play in NBA. Shaq was a Center and he ain't better than Kareem Abdul Jabbar with 5 NBA Championships

[@VICTOR-py7hn]

Also Shaq aint better than Wilt Chamberlain who scored 100 points in a NBA game. So compare centers with centers and guards with guards

[@BrettMaverick]

Wilt would practically be Giannis in today's game.

[@5luelight726]

Wilt was like if Giannis was in a LA Fitness rec league

[@utkarsh4386]

Nah they got different games. Wilt is more about physically dominating the paint in half court and Giannis is better in transition

[@kb.brandyn6798]

Gianni's that can play 48 instead of 34 with a fadeaway jumper

[@900evancharlotte4]

Wilt was 7’1…

[@miquelcanosasanteularia1678]

Giannis but better

[@MindfulAttraction2.0]

People are so disrespectful towards old school players that balled. 30 years from now they're going to be doing the same thing to LeBron James and don't complain cuz y'all did it to those in the past

[@ugnius2707]

Thing is basketball has evolved so much since those days, like almost different sport. Imo top 10 lists sucks anyway, tier rating is just better

[@animeinkpower9854]

It'll be true. Ultimately winning is hard to factor out. Lebrons only flaw is he only mustard 4 rings in 20 years of said "dominance". It'll always be a hard conversation to overcome regardless of the stats.

[@natecruz1812]

Basketball evolves. Get over it

[@user-jq1yp9fc7i]

Probably not to LeBron. I think him, Jordan, magic and Kobe are safe for more than 30 years lol. These other old school dudes won’t be though because of the fact when you rewatch videos of them, it’s going to look horrible compared to modern basketball.

[@Colt.evans0824]

The game has changed and evolved. The players are better now! End of story. Shaq would body wilt, and Kobe would make a fool of Oscar Robertson! Stop it!!!

[@josephschmizzo1595]

Why isn’t Kobe in your top 5?: “He played w Shaq!!!!” But why do you have both Kareem and Magic BOTH in your top 5?: “.......* crickets *.......”

[@chrispsomadakis7723]

Kobe will always get disrespected by the media, nothing new here ma dude

[@clarkyownsyou9972]

Because Magic is the greatest point guard of all time and Kareem is a 6 time champ, 6 time mvp and the all time scoring leader 🤷🏻‍♂️ ain’t got nothing to do with them playing together. With Kobe and Shaq, one guy CLEARLY carried the other. It’s not even close

[@josephschmizzo1595]

@@clarkyownsyou9972 wow youre actually that dumb?

[@SpeedwAvE_]

Man the vibes and energy of all the new faces on this show and in the nba media have really made me enjoy watching this show more than I ever have. Mad dog is hilarious. He and Stephen A always get me laughing when they are on together. Also Stephen A has seemed happier more than he has in a long time.

[@blackbond2406]

Kobe #10 is blasphemy ... like are you kidding me?? In his prime he cooks everyone on this list other than MJ

[@kickzandpunchez9823]

Most Objective Top 10 All Time 1. Michael Jordan 2. Lebron James 3. Kareem Abdul Jabbar 4. Magic Johnson 5. Bill Russell 6. Shaq 7. Wilt Chamberlain 8. Kobe Bryant 9. Larry Bird 10. Stephen Curry

[@brandonhoover2120]

Bruh lmfaoo Kobe ain’t touching bron.

[@trust4honor335]

He already did bro. Go look at the games, they’re available here on KZbin! Lmao!

[@brandonc7303]

Is it one on one battle?

[@dewman7477]

@@kickzandpunchez9823 Tim Duncan being out of top 10 is blasphemy. Duncan is greatest power forward ever. Duncan won 3 finals mvps and 2 mvps I think. Duncan is one of best defensive players in nba despite not winning a DPOY (he made a lot of first team all defence and should’ve won at least one) and Duncan amazing rebounder and post player and can score and he did his role very well like Kareem. Duncan is not flashy but he’s top 5 for me

[@InvestBetter.]

THAT is BLASPHEMOUS! Robertson is clearly the weakest link, and Wilt is one of the strongest in the Top 10 Wilt should never move out of the Top 5 The most unstoppable player in NBA history

[@yoelpachuco6875]

THAT is fax. Curry > Wilt

[@colewrld901]

Except all the times bill Russell stopped him lol

[@AlexanderBFX]

Yeah curry should replace robertson if anyone

[@fthenonasian3505]

Yeah because he shot over short white guts

[@samhopkins3610]

Look at Wilt’s competition lol, he played plumbers and firemen

[@onknorr984]

Wilt changed the rules of the game and was such a pivotal big man that I have to leave him in the top 10. The 3 in the key rule was huge

[@WHYBRANDO]

Steph didn’t change the way ppl played?

[@A-ROD-oe8wl]

They changed them to Wilt's disadvantage & he said about Jordan they changed the rules in his favor

[@tonyfj2687]

It’s so disrespectful to have a 5x champion like Kobe Bryant at 10

[@tysonmotivator6457]

Let ‘em know

[@GG-fy2bm]

The audacity to put Oscar ahead of Kobe. I wonder which idiot came up with this list

[@dariusharper1660]

No it ain’t

[@XaviorJordan]

Anybody taking Wilt off the list is insane. If Curry wins. Big O comes off. Kobe at 10 is insane

[@israelhadley778]

Kobe is the most disrespected player of all time smh

[@juanpalma6595]

Kobe at 10 is blasphemy. The disrespect. Omg

[@del6873]

I got shaq over kobe

[@XaviorJordan]

@@del6873 Shaq barely a top 5 center... Kobe is 6 at LOWEST all time. Shaq ain't better than Kareem, Wilt, Russell or Olajuwon.

[@juanpalma6595]

@@del6873 shaq is dominant indeed but he does not have the skills of the top big men like duncan, kareem, olajuwon. He is an unstoppable force. More like "the mountain" in game of thrones.

[@ErnestoGotti]

It would be Oscar Robertoson that’s gotta go because Steph has to go down as the 2nd best Pg ever

[@dabilaroali1037]

The fact that Oscar is there is so wild to me lol.

[@QuanLovesGaming]

Yeah I agree.

[@handymanwitthatool2787]

@@dabilaroali1037 you don’t know basketball

[@PrinceTae]

He’s Number 1

[@utkarsh4386]

Number 1. I'll take him over Magic

[@wstunez90810]

The fact you have Kobe behind Bird & Big O, they’re both legends no fkn doubt, but over Kobe? nah that ain’t right.

[@NewYork0riginal]

Definitely not right. Kobe should be higher 🔥🔥💯

[@kcorpora1]

So you truly think Kobe was better than Bird when Bird was young and healthy? Or is it that Bird is white? Because he is better than Magic overall.

[@dewman7477]

@@NewYork0riginal Kobe better than big O but bird better than both

[@gerardlavergne130]

the disrespect towards wilt is almost mind boggling. The man has 70 nba records that will never be broken. he's been retired now almost 50 years and no player has come even remotely close to breaking them. in terms of dominance there's no player you can compare to wilt other then jordan.

[@gridrot6070]

Just 1 ring tho

[@joshuasutton983]

@Grid Rot He had two rings.

[@gridrot6070]

@@joshuasutton983 oh my bad, it's still lower compared to the other's in the convo

[@holypopy]

Individually good, but didn't win much . If he the most dominant player ever with all those records why did he not win that much ? You telling me a man with so many records have only 2 rings and is in the top10 list cause he changed a rule and played in a less competitive Era ? Basketball changed and back then it was way easier to win than right now .

[@Mook05]

@@holypopy because it is a Team sport

[@brazen4425]

Kobe being 10 is a no no for me take away his years after Achilles injury and statistically top 5 but with legacy and winning he’s 3 for me

[@qj8733]

Exactly

[@jdtolbert1812]

Pretty much

[@waxdominioni3303]

1or 2 4 me

[@RonRyder]

The fact that Tim Duncan was over Big O but Kobe wasn't was insane to me

[@qj8733]

@@RonRyder Yeah that doesn’t make sense to me, Kobe is better than Tim Duncan so he should be above both. Tim Duncan wasn’t great his last 10 years while Kobe won 2 finals and 2 finals mvp’s and a regular season mvp. His last game he scored 60 points, how soon people forget. Man the Kobe disrespect is getting out of hand now

[@robeigner4390]

It's very difficult to go through the entire history of professional basketball and determine a top 10. Basketball has changed throughout its history. Wilt was a fluke (in the good sense). He was taller than anyone else, was very athletic but the rules also allowed him to stand in the key at both ends for as long as he wanted to. Rules on this changed because of him. Should he be removed? Difficult to say. LeBron is the same way. A huge player with skill who makes use of rules that allow him to "legally" run people over to get to the hoop. When people bring up Steph (75th???), they degrade his abilities because people have been programmed to give credit to large players, not necessarily skilled players. Yes there are skilled players in the top 10 but how many of them actually made teammates play better than they usually played. Basketball is a TEAM sport, it's not golf. Look at Wiggins improvement after joining the Warriors. He's a TEAM player who contributes by working within a system that creates wins. Wilt got a lot of wins but it was against players who hadn't learned how to really play basketball. I'd rather see top 10 listing by generations, comparing skills and rules they played under. People keep saying MJ would absolutely kill in today's game, especially with its rules. His teammates would not know how to play with the current rules, fouling out in the first period.

[@chrismartinez-zg3hm]

Lebron doesn’t nearly get the calls he deserve dawg wym “legally run people over”

[@blikketty77]

I agree in that you cannot compare eras, but also, Wilt didn't have the benefit of playing as much ball as these kids today, playing vs better competition from a young age, private planes, etc etc etc. For every factor you can say "would have been worse" you can point to one where "might have been better" because it's impossible to make it apples to apples. Would Steph be good before 79? He would have never grown up playing and shooting as much as he did in that era. He would have never played as much competitive ball by the time he got to college or the pros. And no matter how far away he shot from, it would have only counted for 2. See, pointless to compare. People can only play against the competition they are given and the rules they are given, and Wilt wrecked them all. You gonna say Bill Russell was a scrub?

[@aesir1ases64]

a list of top 10 bound by generations will much more precise, is almost impossible to made any judgment of players who played different games (even though its the same sport). The game that Curry is playing is not the same that Bill Russel played. Either way its fun to make all time lists, people should just specify their criterias better.

[@mrbigs4463]

I detect no lies

[@AbkRawdude]

Lebron got stronger than everyone, his skillset is mediocre

[@Rolo555]

Let’s be real…… if Kobe hadn’t scored 81 points and did not die, they wouldn’t put him in the top 10. Kobe is atleast 14-18 at best.

[@SniperSenpai-]

Exactly. It’s not even the 81 points, it’s the fact that he died that they started putting him top 10. They ranked him outside the top 10 before he died and Shaq was ranked in the top 10. Now they swapped because one of them died

[@justdavvn5913]

In these all time lists, Kobe has always floated around the 11 mark and there is no shame in that rank. People get so offended when he isn't in the top 10. Lot of it is amplified because he played for the Lakers.

[@brandonc7303]

Exactly.

[@CoachJim4UM]

agreed, crazy how people are putting him over bird duncan and shaq when he’s borderline top 15 at best.

[@Jc-ql8dp]

Kobe was considered top 10 well b4 he passed you don't know what your talking about

[@RobertMichael]

Kobe should be higher. Shaq should be on the list. Wilt should still be in the top 10. When it’s all said and done I think Steph will enter the top 10 but I wouldn’t put him above anyone other than the big O right now

[@josephschmizzo1595]

This entire list (and everyone like it in recent sports media) is a Kobe hit piece ordered by Nike as a marketing tool to protect the legacy, image and likeness of Lebron James aka Nike’s biggest “product” in the history of their company. This is literally a marketing gag lol.

[@cenu121]

The disrespect that Kobe gets is blasphemy real haters 💯

[@MB-go6uy]

Kobe should be higher than Duncan.

[@juanpalma6595]

@@MB-go6uy also duncan has consistent teammates over his career but kobe's still comes out on top.

[@CamPerry]

​@@MB-go6uy absolutely not. career accolades he had a better career

[@josephschmizzo1595]

@@CamPerry no he didnt...he never defended a title and his play declined long before Kobe’s. His stacked teams kept him afloat whereas Kobe’s teams were dogsh*t during his prime. Nobody ever saw Duncan as a threat to Michael Jordan’s legacy lol ur just repeating a media narrative void of all context.

[@josephschmizzo1595]

Kobe is the 2nd greatest player to ever play the sport. All of the disrespect comes from the fact that Nike owns sports media and Kobe’s legacy is in direct conflict w Lebron’s. Nike invested over a billion into the name and likeness of Lebron James. But they dont own Kobe Bryant... Do the math.

[@JJones3.]

The fact they have Kobe at 10 shows how little they really know about the game....

[@wasdrankings1518]

I mean he was the best player on the team only for 2 titles though and truthfully he never deserves league mvp imo

[@jaygambino6151]

@@wasdrankings1518 😭😭😭😭😭😭I See You A Steve Nash Type A Guy

[@PrinceTae]

80-90 old white guys must be doing the voting again

[@nets4life377]

@@wasdrankings1518 Nah most people would agree Kobe should’ve had more. Especially with the standard of todays mvp’s.

[@jasontaylor7384]

Kobe is wayyyyyy better than Bird

[@ralph.aguinaldomd]

Stop it. Wilt changed the game more than Steph ever could. Steph can't replace him in the Top 10. If I had to pick one for Steph to replace, it would be the Big O, but I think Shaq and Hakeem still deserve to be on the Top 10 more than Steph. Just saying.

[@KRISIMOS]

5 to 10 years from now eveyone on nba will shoot 3s from deep and logo and they will remember STEPH CURRY is the guy that make NBA change. Just saying.

[@josephschmizzo1595]

Steph is better than Wilt...

[@dewman7477]

@@josephschmizzo1595 maybe in shooting but wilt is better in defence, rebounding, scoring, even in passing he led league in assists so debatable, and wilt dominated more with inferior roster. Wilt was just more dominant. Rings and shooting aren’t everything

[@AnnexF]

What makes Curry even more special is that he's not as big or fast as some of those guys. He's doing it as a small dude. He should be up there!

[@theetruth8626]

Stop it. Curry doesn't do nothing without loaded teams

[@dill8645]

​@@theetruth8626 steph played 63 games in the 20/21 season, lebron played 56 games this year. steph made the play ins with BAZEMORE having a large role in the rotation. his best two teammates were wiggins and draymond. bazemore didn't even play on the lakers, and lebron had AD and russ as his two best teammates. not downplaying lebron, but to say curry can't do anything without a loaded team is crazy.

[@thomasstengel7356]

And, the rule changes have benefited no one more than he. If he played in the 90s, he'd have, likely, been out of the league inside of 5 years because of the physicality. He's a generational talent that has been greatly helped by the NBAs desire to have games end 130-128. Carries aren't called and hand checking is, borderline, criminal. Put Allen Iverson in Steph Curry's timeline and tell me who you think the better player would be.

[@pepegachamp684]

@@dill8645 liitrally two of his chips were purchased due to KD, are we really going to ignore that lol. yall love living in the moment.

[@dill8645]

@@thomasstengel7356 stop it bro, steph gets harassed on offense. look at how his defenders guard him off and on ball. this narrative that the older generations were tougher to play in is so BS

[@quietanger]

You can't take Wilt off the list. This take is ridiculous.

[@jordanross8561]

It’s either him or Oscar

[@antonioluiszabala5384]

No 3 seconds lane, rules were different and the competition is bunch of local ice cream men

[@Hi-vh5oj]

@@jordanross8561 or Shaq

[@SanctumROTMG]

@@Hi-vh5oj Shaq has who was robbed of first unanimous MVP? Shaq who has 3 finals MVPs? Shaq who is 14x All NBA? Shaq who has 3x all defense? Curry over Shaq? In what universe.

[@Carmelo-dame.time-Anthony]

@@jordanross8561 y’all really tho m Steph is better than wilt, shaq and Oscar lol

[@josephdoh2721]

Shaq not being top 10 is crazy

[@dwanestar]

exactly..thats beyond crazy! I would swap Robertson with Shaq.

[@TobiramaSenju212]

Exactly…

[@CustomFitted]

Yea Shaq not bein Top 10 is ridiculous lol

[@aaronghunter]

I mean, I can see it. Wilt heavily valued his numbers and not getting ejected from games, in practice he put that ahead of winning.

[@gnnacharles1]

Is this just. “recent bias”? I like S.Curry but is he better defensively than any of the top ten players?

[@JoeSmith-bk4nr]

Here’s my argument to everyone who comes at Wilt about championships, you can’t change the rules against only one man (as SA openly said) that basically handicapped Wilt and then say he only got two in a era when Bill Russell played, everyone really think about that, they changed the rules against this man so he wouldn’t be able to get all the championships and then be hypocrites and say he doesn’t have enough

[@87spiderrico]

right on- had not heard it put like this before.

[@ProlificDreamer]

Agreed and good point. Even when you read about Wilt's feats....this was a bad dude! Basically a taller, stronger, faster Giannis.

[@gumballwaterson1957]

Yeah, but even changing the rules didn't seem to impact his individual stats that much. He came into the league dominant, and didn't win. Russell came into the league dominant defensively, and did. As they changed the rules to slow down Wilt, they barely slowed him down and he continued to lose. Wilt's individual dominance is the primary reason he's as high as he is. But winning is the whole goal of sports, and he directly competed against the person who won the most...on his watch and at his expense many times.

[@lesgreen6373]

@Joe Smith: What you regurgitated are stone cold facts my brother

[@joehooker7522]

Well and the Celtics have the most loaded teams of all time. You play with 8 hall of famers I think it takes away from your 11 rings

[@ThePatman1980]

If Finals MVPs existed when Bill Russell played, how many do you think he would've won? 6 to 8? That's along with his 5 MVPs. When he went to USF, they were a nothing school. Then took them to the Promise Land like he did in Boston.

[@andylarkin5779]

Hes heavily overrated. Stop it

[@KingSally92]

Bill Russell,Wilt and Oscar don’t belong in top 10. Played in the weakest 8 team era that ever existed.

[@jmcgee39]

@@KingSally92 and that's their fault? don't be dumb all your life.

[@jmcgee39]

Well the Finals MVP was created during Bill Russell's last Finals appearance, which he won, but the award went to Jerry West who Bill beat for the Championship that year.

[@chefcurryj8469]

@@andylarkin5779 Bi11 is the GOAT. GOAT defender, 2nd best rebounder behind Rodman, most impactful player ever. 5x MVP, 2x NCAA champ, 11x Champ, the Celtics were a 20 win team when Russell didn't play, Russell won 8 STRAIGHT. He also won MVP the year Oscar averaged a triple double AND Wilt averaged 50. The Celtics went from the best to the worst team in the league the year before and after he played, and their defense went from a top 5 defense ever (statistically) to a below average defense compared to every team ever. Russell also opened the door for African-American players to play and tore down barriers. He did all this with racist people calling him the N word mid game and not being allowed to go out to eat with his white teammates. That is greatness, he is my GOAT.

[@josephschmizzo1595]

MJ, Kobe, Magic, Steph, Bird... Thats the top 5 when u factor in everything, skill, ability to transcend eras, style, winning formula, situational context etc.

[@tinyfalcon1185]

Kareem over bird

[@josephschmizzo1595]

@@tinyfalcon1185 hard to put Kareem in the top 5 being as a ton of his success came from playing w some of the best ballhandlers/assist guards of all time in Big O and more importantly Magic. Kareem is 6th on my list though...i rate him as the best of the classic 3 centers. (Wilt, Bill and Kareem)

[@HeatherJWilburn]

Yes replace a man who is 7”0 tall runs a 4:43 40 yard dash jumps 48” into the air bench presses 550lbs scored 100 points in 1 game in a time where there was no 3pt line grabbed 54 rebounds in one game has the most rebounds in a career the only player to average 50 pts a season and was offered a 1 year deal to play for Brooklyn at the age of 51 with steph curry who should only be credited with 1 nba championship back in 2015 but shoots the ball like it’s a layup There is no question steph is the best shooter ever in nba history but wilt chamberlain is just a deferent beast

[@lordstove6089]

you could at least list more curry stats/accolades to be fair.

[@acetv5333]

In the era of Janitors. Bill, Robertson, and Wilt played on a non-competitive era.

[@MomentumMarketingTips]

@@acetv5333 you know nothing about basketball or that era more specifically

[@juanpalma6595]

You forgot that he played against plumbers. If for example klay thompson played in that era, they will treat him like a god.

[@HeatherJWilburn]

@@juanpalma6595 it’s so disrespectful to say that all those guys back then played in an easy era where anyone could ball in actuality it was harder then today if you tore any muscle your career was done no physical therapy and no help from the fans if you were black enjoy being called racial slurs from the players on the other team and your team and especially the fans If you think curry is better then wilt that’s fine I’m sure everyone else in this reply section agrees but stop the disrespect to the older players who helped make the nba what it is today

[@wallomaie1752]

Giannis is coming for that top 10 quicker than you can say “ANTETOKOUNMPO”.

[@lottofever3061]

Kawhi as well

[@0-Elias-0]

Nah; his post-season triumphs are lacking in luster. The players on this top-10 list lived in the NBA Finals.

[@KCShox]

The only issue I have with Bill Russell and his 11 rings is the relative easy path he had to attain these championships. Remember, Bill played from 1956-1969 during which the NBA had 8 to 12 teams total. Combine this with his supporting cast and coaching, it's not hard to see why he won 11 rings. Also, Bill's career scoring average was 15.1 PPG and shot 44% from the field. In comparison to Wilt Chamberlin who averaged 30.1 PPG and shot 54% from the field but only won 2 rings. It's clear Bill's supporting cast and organization was a major factor to Bill's success. Is he top 10, if you go by rings yes, if you go by player comparison to other players in the history of the NBA, I'm not so sure.

[@shakirmiller7660]

Wilt was a known diva/Stat padder/Choker he cared more about being liked then winning still a top 10 player tho but bill russel is never leaving too 10

[@elroyliyon6402]

that’s why he clearly mentioned it’s not about personal stats lol

[@tonypeterson5156]

Less teams doesnt equal easier to win title. You didn’t mention that Russell was the greatest rebounder and defender ever. The Celtics offense was possible because of Russell’s rebounding and defense and about 5 assists a game. The Celtics themselves admitted that.

[@jerryapgar2579]

Do you think that the Celtics would have won those 11 rings if Bill Russell wasnt their center? Noooo. Dont shortchange Russell because of when he played.

[@damroll]

@@tonypeterson5156 less team in the league, does increase the likelihood of you winning multiple chips, which is Bill’s entire case for being in top 5-6. This is especially easier when you have more HOF type players on your team than the rest of the league. Statistically youre wrong, it is much easier to beat the same 7 teams you have an edge on than beating out 29 other teams.

[@bigtrainpaulin]

Stephen A. Smith also said last week, that he would not place Steph Curry above KD in the NBA greatest players all-time list. Well, I guess people change their minds.

[@mr.wheeler1173]

This list is crazy how is lbj over kobe🤷🏾‍♂️

[@jeremydade5402]

They knew exactly what they were doing with this title, because Curry over Wilt is a wild thing to say. Not saying it’s wrong cause honestly who would think to compare the two, but the statement by itself is nuts

[@princevampnick2709]

WILT CAN NEVER LEAVE TOP 10

[@bailey5234]

He just did

[@princevampnick2709]

@@bailey5234 man who avg 50 a season n dropped 100 n a game is top 10 stop watching basketball

[@bailey5234]

@@princevampnick2709 vs plumbers and firefighters lmao. In comparison that's like a teenager 15+ in a child's league. And the other legendary player stopped him multiple times as Steven A. Said. Get real, numbers aren't everything. Maybe you should actually watch basketball instead of glorifying exaggerated stats.

[@princevampnick2709]

@@bailey5234 ok and we got gamers and podcasters your point is?

[@princevampnick2709]

@@bailey5234 they’re stats fo a reason not just random numbers

[@larryrockettjr861]

All basketball era's are different. When Wilt and Bill played it was all about the big man. And that really ended with Shaq being the last real big man because it turned into a shooting guard driven league. Now it's all about the three ball and big wing players and the big man now also shoots the three ball. So the top ten list is hard to make because the game has changed so much even including the rules changes.

[@brandonhoover2120]

Was it about big men? Or was the talent pool so small it was just taller folks could do more against mediocre talent

[@jaelonhartfield238]

1. Michael Jordan 2. Bill Russell 3.wilt chamberlain 4. Kareem 5. Magic johnson 6. Kobe Bryant 7. Larry Bird 8. Tim Duncan 9. Lebron 10. Oscar

[@yasoru]

Something I think that goes a bit unmentioned often is the fact that all of Currys rings and more than half of his final appearances are against Bron. That's someone whose is rightfully 2nd all time GOAT. If anyone had been able to do the same against Jordan I'm sure they'd easily be recognized as a 🐐 in their own right.

[@YoMrRice]

He's only ever beat Bron with KD or Lebron and a team of milk men...and in both cases with KD, KD outplayed him while guarding LeBron for stretches. Not sure how as a fan of basketball, you can omit those circumstances

[@jodyjoe8612]

@@YoMrRice he only beat Lebron when he got KD and when kyrie and Love was hurt

[@TheCarGarZar]

Curry’s TEAM was favored in every one of those finals and no one ever thought Curry was better than Lebron. That’s why that fact isn’t significant.

[@josephschmizzo1595]

Youre basically proving why Lebron isnt top 2 lol...

[@kelvinwilkes1050]

This is the dumbest comment ever. We all know exactly why Lebron lost to GOLDEN STATE NOT CURRY. Funny how you leave out real facts

[@CYMotorsport]

Nba media and discussions like this absolutely blow me away. The nba is blessed with proven statistical models proper mathematicians have worked through for anyone to use as a part of their toolkit evaluating players across era. Yet, sticking your finger in the air usually is the preferred method.

[@97tilinfinity]

It’s the preferred method because it brings in more clicks and $$$. We don’t watch these guys because they do their research and make calculated takes, SAS wouldn’t be nearly as popular as he is now if he did that

[@aesir1ases64]

Statisticals models are very welcoming and I love them as they can objectvely assert statements given an x number of chosen parameters, but they cannot measure intangible variables and they are part of the success or failure of a player. Though I do would like that these analysts brought more quantitative analysis instead of superficial statements to level the debate.

[@87spiderrico]

@@97tilinfinity great point.

[@blikketty77]

You cannot actually compare eras. Kids today play more ball that they ever did before by the time they get to the league, have more advantages, have better surgeons, medical staffs. Ditto when you go backwards but the opposite. Is steph the shooter he is today if he hasn't shot 1/4th as much by the time he starts his pro career? Because that's how it would have been 20+ years ago.....

[@jay_val9631]

All these people thinking Stephen A is a sports analyst when really he’s always been a commentator who started first take with skip baylessof course its they’re gonna make wild takes. welcome to American media

[@kckc7140]

The fact that they have Oscar Robertson ahead of Kobe Bryant invalidates the list, to make matters worst Shaq not even on the list but u wanna put in Curry? Y'all tripping

[@kcorpora1]

People are s ared to put Bird ahead of Magic. Bird was a better player than Magic all around. Bird was a better all around player than Jordan straight out of college than Jordan straight out of college.

[@josephschmizzo1595]

This list, and many like it, is a marketing gag/hit piece against Kobe Bryant via Nike’s practical ownership of sports media and their ownership of the name and likeness of Lebron James. Nike and Kobe had a very rocky relationship which led to Nike looking to protect their most stable investment(s)/products ie. “Lebron James” EVEN if it means they have to invest in the public defamation of the legacy of others and Kobe’s legacy is in direct conflict w Lebron’s. This is just a Lebron James/ anti Kobe marketing exhibition. They cant make money off of Kobe anymore (his estate left the Nike brand in 2020 and they knew he was leaving for about an entire decade, hence Kobe’s legacy being inappropriately underrated by sports pundits out of the blue circa 2011-2012)

[@tongatau]

I agree 👍🏾

[@AlijahFromNJ]

The disrespect to Kobe is insane at this point… he’s top 5 in my eyes and I don’t care what anyone has to say

[@4real51]

Preach

[@peakpiece7137]

@UCgUZ3yp26xKv2HS0x7WzI-g Lol at Kareem. They both have the same amount of FMVPs and Kareem was winning inflated MVPs with Bob McAdoo as the 2nd best player in the league. Lol nasty.

[@rolandorod9883]

Shaq was clearly better than Kobe. Clearly… then you have only four more spots in that top 5 and your not putting him over Jordan Kareem Lebron and Magic.. he’s not top 5

[@raypurchase155]

He obviously isn’t but fair enough man

[@Centure120]

Top 3 at the minimum

[@tammermashni8541]

Listen not just because of his death but kobe is a top 5 all time his work ethic and winning and skills in today's game that he could ball in both eras undoubtedly makes him top 5 .. Jordan LeBron Kobe Kareem Bird Johnson Wilt Russell Robertson Shaq Duncan Garnett Pete

[@bladed8648]

After seeing this list and discussion nothing can't suprise me from ESPN😂

[@OffTopicKamah]

Ok let’s say as it currently stands the top 11 players in nba (no specific order) is MJ, Lebron, Kareem, Magic, Bird, Russell, Wilt, Hakeem, Duncan, Shaq, Kobe… these are who I’d consider had a better career than Curry before this year started… I gotta take 2 out… I’m first taking out Hakeem because I get what he did with those 2 titles and him being the best center for a decade.. but to me a stain is that Hakeem only has 3 finals appearances with the luxury of never being in the same conference as the bulls (where they never lost in more than 6 to an opponent)and the 2 rings he got was not against the best teams of that era… Steph would have more rings than Hakeem has appearances and is unarguably the better regular season player in my opinion… and has 3 of his rings against an unarguable top 3 player of all time and was pivotal enough that gsw isn’t winning those rings if Steph plays awful.. My 2nd guy was tougher and even though I take him out it’s debatable still but I gotta go Shaq.. Shaq is the most dominant force in the paint we’ve ever seen but is there any player in the top 20 that has bigger weaknesses than shaq does? Horrible shooter outside of 5 feet, didn’t stay in shape and probably the shortest prime or dominance (top 5 player) of probably all these guys.. shaq’s defense was also overrated with 3x all defensive 2nd teams at a time where the only defensive big man in the league was duncan and all of those had kobe on the 1st or 2nd team… tbh shaq has 3 real rings and the last one he was a pivotal piece not the main piece and was out of his prime after… steph was #1 option for 2 of his titles and in my opinion 1a for the kd titles.. Steph has more finals appearances, same amount of rings, more mvps.. yes shaq dominates with all nba teams but honestly the last 3 first teams shaq averaged 20 and 10.. which should tell you how little dominance there was for centers till late 2010s.. to me steph’s in the argument of duncan, Wilt, and Bird where to me they all have an argument of who had the better career

[@ThePatman1980]

Bill Russell's value to the teams he played for is remarkable. Celtics were not winning titles before they drafted him. Of course, he was only 6'9-6'10. Scored 15 PPG and 44% FG. He played against plumbers and firemen, right JJ?

[@HiiipowerHabits]

Bill Russell is not a top 10 player of all time

[@hamcrazy96]

Bill Russel’s greatest strength was turning defense into offense, a very under appreciated part of basketball. He knew his role perfectly and was a fundamental big man, he simply made the teammates around him better, Wilt could never. In head to head he was one of the few centers in the league that could hold his own against Wilt and provide his own scoring. Elite rim protector, could pass especially with outlet passing from rebounds, and had underrated bball iq

[@InvestBetter.]

BTW, Wilt and Kareem played each other, in the playoffs, in 1971 and 1972 This was when Kareem was 24-25, just entering his prime, and Wilt was past his prime, age 35-36 Kareem in the 11 games averaged 26 and 15 rebs. Wilt averaged 23 and 17 rebounds. And Wilt was really the only player who is on video blocking Kareem's legendary "Skyhook"

[@ayooooo8191]

I’d advise you going on google and recheck the stats you’re a lil off💀 really off actually

[@robbnoble1509]

There is video out there of a few others doing it. Still, Wilt's vertical leap for a man of his size is legendary.

[@aesir1ases64]

actually: Wilt avg 16 ppg and 19 rpg while Kareem avg 29 ppg and 17 rpg, but Wilt was much better in 1971 when the Lakers lost in 5, the following season his stats dropped quite a lot, thats why his ppg avg seems low (it went from 22 ppg in 71 to 10 ppg in 72). The funny thing is that the Lakers lost when Wilt put up a lot of points but won the following season in 6 games when Wilt was only the 5th player on his team with the most points. But yeah he was at the very end of his career and he never really took care of his body, still was rebounding machine and I suspect his defense, and specially his blocks were still at an all time great (imagine if they count blocks back in his time ....). Stats taken from basketball reference, great source for the nba statistics!

[@InvestBetter.]

@@ayooooo8191 Show a link, or shut it.

[@350R19]

Absolutely!

[@playboyybradric6494]

Finally speaking up👏👏

[@ThePatman1980]

The way players like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant thinks, it's all about the rings. It's not about stats or athletic talents. That's how we rank them. A combination of a lot of things but it always comes down to rings as the tiebreaker.

[@Blackmagic_874]

Number of Rings is a argument that's limited by the team and era that those player played in. Does Robert Horry deserve to be top 10 because has 7 rings? Does Hakeem not deserve to be top 10 because he has less rings than everyone else? Is Kobe top 10 over Shaq? These are all tough questions that cannot be answered by rings alone.

[@yodaddy5756]

Nah I like Kobe for way more than rings 😅

[@RobinXlone]

yeah but both had superteams. dont think superteams need 3 stars to be 1. they teams that where championship level and could make the finals without them.

[@BayAreaHoops415]

Kind of, there needs to be context on a lot of rings. Injuries, teammates, teams, how they performed etc. Can’t just be about rings. Kobe for example had 5 rings but wasn’t even the best player for most of those

[@codypurtlebaugh9879]

@@RobinXlone neither of those teams that mike or kobe were on, were making the finals without them. and they weren’t super teams either 😂 you have to understand that they had phil jackson as their coaches. phil knows how to take a good team and turn it into a great team. it’s just like the warriors with steve kerr. warriors didn’t have a superteam in 2015 or 2016 or 2022 but guess what, they’re still the best team because steve kerr knows how to make his teams better by development and knowing your role on the floor. that’s why phil jackson’s teams and steve kerrs teams look better then everyone else’s, because they know their role and they know the system that those coaches put into place.

[@dnice4152]

I'm taking off Oscar Robinson

[@raypetree9372]

At various points in his career, Wilt Chamberlain led the league in points per game, rebounders per game, and he even led the league in total assists once. He was also one of the five best defenders in the league, every season he played. No offense to Stephen Curry, but they’re not even comparable. Wilt Chamberlain was just a better player.

[@OC-King]

Wilt's competition does not even equate to 20% of the talent we have today in which steph competes as the best point guard in the NBA currently. Also, in today's game I guarantee you no NBA team is taking prime Wilt over prime steph.

[@LenzGeneral]

​@@OC-King A good GM would select Wilt over Steph, offensively Wilt was formidable and defensively he was incredible; on top of that he will give you double digits on boards and contribute as a help defender. Factoring all these points, he doesn't need to dominate scoring wise, he would be effective all around.

[@kevinchoi2159]

Why didn't Wilt win? Wilt padded stats again 6'3 plumbers.

[@LenzGeneral]

@@kevinchoi2159 Okay.

[@eternalhealers7155]

Facts 💯

[@samuelamankwa]

For me personally I would still have curry around 11-12 range: MJ Lebron Kareem Magic Russell Duncan Bird Kobe Shaq Hakeem Wilt Steph

[@michaelsledge3904]

I agree 100 %

[@kcakiid]

Lol completely agree till you said Duncan 😂 he’s top 20 but ain’t no way is he even smelling top 10.

[@user-kw5gs5oo2r]

Kobe is not in the top 10

[@colewrld901]

@@user-kw5gs5oo2r you're a causal if u think that

[@georget6224]

@@kcakiid your smoking crack if you think duncan isnt a top 10 player of all time. Best power forward ever. Won rings in 3 different decades. Two time mvp, 3 time finals mvp, 10x first time all nba, 8x first defensive team, 5 time champion.

[@thehonoredone7801]

Why tf is Oscar there 😭

[@mitchgetrich]

Facts

[@TheMyth619]

Russell was never the primary or secondary scorer on his team. Russell's team was stacked more than the Warriors with Durant. How was Wilt gonna win?

[@XaviorJordan]

THANK YOU!

[@countmusa1074]

Wilt had the better record than the celtics multiple times and was the favorites to win but he still lost. Wilt wasn’t that guy in the playoffs, He scored 100 points and averaged 50 points in the regular season, but never even had 60 in a playoff game….

[@zackrodriguez7519]

MANY times, wilt had a very comparable team to the Celtics. In his time in the east, Wilt played with Hal greer and Paul Arizin, two NBA 75th players, as well as Al Attles, Guy Rodgers, Nate Thurmond, Chet Walker, and Billy Cunningham, who were all HOFers. That doesn't even include the multitude of other all stars he had on his teams. What the Celtics did is let wilt chamberlain go off and get numbers. They knew that they could make him go 1 on 1 with Russell to get numbers, and if they did that, he wouldn't get his HOF teammates involved and they would lose. That's why y'all think those guys were scrubs, because wilt didn't know how to properly utilize them. What's funny is that when he finally stopped being so selfish, they beat Boston in 1967 and he leads the league in assists and they win 68 games. A team full of scrubs does not win 68 games 😂 they were just as stacked as the Celtics. Difference is, Bill Russell knew how to win a lot earlier than Wilt Chamberlain did. That's why he's higher all time, as well as the fact that he's the greatest defender ever and it's not even close

[@zackrodriguez7519]

@@countmusa1074 exactly, and this was because Russell is the greatest defender and the greatest winner ever. And even when Wilt got his numbers on him, it was because that was the entire game plan for the Celtics. We all remember how the pistons beat the lakers in 2004. They made Kobe chuck shots and not get shaq involved. That's exactly what the game plan was for Wilt They wanted him to go 1 on 1 all game because that meant that he wouldn't get his HOF teammates involved in the offense. It was only until 1967 that he learned how to properly utilize them, and wouldn't you know it, they beat the Celtics that year and won a championship as well as a then-nba record 68 games. But Russell should be ahead of Wilt in any all time ranking list, or else it's just wrong 😂

[@XaviorJordan]

@@zackrodriguez7519 wrong, wrong, wrong. Just because you spill names does NOT mean that's accurate. Paul Arizin retired in 62. He missed almost all the battles between Wilt and Russell. He played one year with Nate Thurmond as a backup in San Francisco as a rookie. STOP. Billy Cunningham didn't turn into a All Star or average 20 until after Wilt left Philly in 69. Al Attles was so good his best season was 11ppg. Hal Greer and Chet Walker were the best players Wilt ever played with before he went to LA. We're comparing those guys to the CELTICS? He had to play Russell, Havlicek, Sam Jones, Heihnson every single season... With Red coaching too? That's not comparable

[@kungfukenny9879]

*Edit 1. MJ 2. Kareem 3. Bill Russ 4. Kobe 5. Magic 6. Bird 7. Tim 8. Curry 9. LBJ 10. Shaq

[@CamPerry]

Kobe too high on this list.

[@langcarter66]

Kobe Bryant #10 is just crazy

[@Lee-tj8km]

Tim Duncan better

[@masterofthecraft1990]

@@Lee-tj8km cap

[@mithunanilangainathan8103]

@@Lee-tj8km they on the same tier but I have Kobe a lil bit higher

[@donstuart8286]

@@Lee-tj8kmthat's y Kobe use to poster that boy every chance he got

[@Kingdoscuatro]

@@Lee-tj8km kobe has a winning record in playoffs vs Duncan 🤣 Kobe owned the Spurs

[@lukekylestanley4072]

Take Oscar out (no disrespect), move Kobe and Kareem up higher on that list too. Move Bird, Oscar, and Bron down lower on the list. Also Kobe has a 18-12 record versus TimDuncan's spurs. Kobe should not be below Duncan. Plus Magic and Shaq said Kobe was the better Laker/best but yet he's below Magic. ESPN staying true to form, they disrespected dude his whole career minus the one year he retired.

[@Kingdoscuatro]

Couldn’t agree more except Kareem had more help with Magic and Oscar Robertson and Worthy

[@lukekylestanley4072]

@@Kingdoscuatro I can see your point, but let me add this.Kareem was with the Lakers and was willing to stay and tough it out to get that ring. They just so happened to get Magic who helped extend Kareem's legacy. I think this is totally different than had Kareem at his old age (only old for that day) decided to leave the Lakers and join the 76ers that year or Boston. Had he done that, I would not give him the same respect, but the Lakers could not have won that series without Kareem (even though he got hurt one game), and Magic was a rookie. .

[@Kingdoscuatro]

@@lukekylestanley4072 true but Kareem had stack teams with Oscar Robertson, Magic, Worthy and Allstars like Wilkins and Dixon bad DPOY Cooper

[@lukekylestanley4072]

@@Kingdoscuatro I call that good fortune for a Great player, bc those guys were drafted and every team had the chance to get them AND the players had no input on being able to deny where they were traded, as opposed to players joining for the reason to reduce competing against one another. Almost everyone that wins rings has had top players by their side. Chris Bosh was considered the number #2 best Power Forward in the Eastern Conference, and D-Wade was probably the second best SG behind Kobe in that era with Bron as the #1 Best SF in the NBA. Not knocking them, I'm glad players now have that choice/power. My only point is almost every Great player that wins rings has had at least one other top notch guy. Giannis is probably the only recent exception to that rule. Middleton is solidly good, but he's not Oscar.

[@Kingdoscuatro]

@@lukekylestanley4072 yes Bron had lots of help also like Kareem and Magic

[@therealwan]

Tbh I don’t think Rings determines somebody’s skill level to make them one of the best players In the game. With or without another ring Steph should be considered one of the best players to play the game ever

[@josephschmizzo1595]

This list is a bullsh*t marketing scam via Nike.

[@bigtrainpaulin]

Stephen A. Smith is entitled to his opinion, but I would not replace Wilt Chamberlain with Stephen Curry. I heard from Bill Russel himself an interview that Wilt Chamberlain outplayed him. Additionally, when you look at the all-time greats, you have to evaluate the road to prosperity (the same standards that Stephen A. Smith used in order to compare MJ and LeBron for the GOAT debate). Now, I am not taking anything away from Steph's teams' accomplishments, his teams' have earned their wins; however, they did benefit from opponents' injuries. The 2014-2015 Warriors benefited from Irving's and Love's injuries in the NBA Finals (btw, Steph should have been named the Finals MVP for leading the team in scoring), (The '15-16 Warriors lost the Finals with Draymond only missing one game - not a good excuse - and with Irving and Love being healthy for the Cavs in the whole Finals), the '16-'17 Warriors benefitted from Kawhi's injury in the Western Conference Finals with KD being the best player, and the '17-18 Warriors benefitted from CP3's injury in the Western Conference (at least in one game - Game 7) with KD being the best player. The Warriors perhaps could have beaten the Spurs and Rockets if fully healthy as well, but it is unknown. To conclude, Stephen Curry is an all-time great, but rings and only Finals MVP should not be the only measuring factor to put him above any player in the top 10 in ESPN's all-time greatest NBA players list (except maybe Oscar Robertson, who would not be in my personal top 10).

[@Dimonite314]

Stephen A. has never really given Wilt his proper due, though - he'll always bring up that Wilt played "before he was born" (as if that actually means anything) or try to discredit the era. So as much as I disagree, this take isn't that surprising. But also, just a friendly reminder that 50 years after he retired, Wilt still holds 72 records officially, and would probably have more if they had tracked things like blocks and steals back when he played.

[@BoosterGoldEarth6]

Prolli bc Wilt laid out his frat brother MJ

[@David-lf6rr]

wilt doesn’t deserve the credit he gets honesty. world renowned terrible teammate and dissappeared in so many big moments. his coach benched him in game 7 of the finals

[@exoticmind1422]

It simply because Wilt is very particular with personal records rather than winning. Championship records are better basis for rankings than individual accolades since Basketball is a team sport. Leadership matters to win Steph Curry has all the equipment necessary to win including special leadership skills to lead a team into championship. This is I think what Wilt is lacking aside from a huge difference athleticism standpoint. But leadership combined with teamwork, skills, and IQ makes you better player for championship caliber team than personal records.

[@chickhearn4ever779]

Wilts numbers always decreased during the playoffs. A 7'2" Giant that could barely win against a 6'11" skinny man. Oh boston had the better team? Listen they were mostly YMCA rec white boys on both squads. Bostons just a tad better.

[@francesturner496]

But he literally played in an era when the level of skill was mediocre

[@KoarngeSound]

Rings aren’t everything, but when the greatness is arguable, rings break the tie-breaker. Wilt, Bird, and Oscar being above Kobe on this list is a joke.

[@josephschmizzo1595]

The entire list is an anti Kobe gag... Nike has been trying to defame Kobe’s legacy for over a decade because both parties fell out YRS ago and theyve been paying the media to do exactly that. Kobe was practically in everyones top 3 around 2010 and like a couple yrs later all of a sudden hes hardly in the top 10. Nobody w an inkling of common sense could miss the obvious glaring issue here.

[@pjaybdizer6870]

ESPN has always been anti-Kobe and they don’t hide it… I have no idea why they despise Kobe so much

[@KoarngeSound]

@@josephschmizzo1595 I’ve never thought about Nike being behind it, but I think you’re right. I’ve been confused for years how Kobe magically fell out of the top 5. That was really the motive behind my comment. like surely we can all agree that there’s no way these 3 are higher on the list than Kobe

[@federaikkonerer]

Because ring count is maybe only half the story of an NBA career. There are so many variables and factors to consider.

[@Kingdoscuatro]

I got kobe over Kareem because Kareem had Oscar Robertson, Magic and Worthy

[@OMEGA-hu2ut]

Impact, Influence, Achievements. He's in the door now.

[@princentirwimura6920]

Gotta be the dumbest take I seen in a long time. Blasphemy is an understatement 🤦🏿

[@SamoaVsEverybody814]

I said the same thing at first, but then after re-assessing Wilt's career there's just no way Wilt dominated Russell on the court, despite Russell winning all the rings. And all those Finals were close A right bounce here & there, and we could be talking about Wilt with 11 rings. Russell had the far superior teams P.S. Steph is 11th over Russell at 12 at best

[@slicktalk98]

You’re a smart basketball mind! I agree! Top 15 not top ten for me, and that isn’t something to be puu puu.

[@SamoaVsEverybody814]

@Buford Curry didn't whoop anything. The Warriors whooped the Cavs

[@SamoaVsEverybody814]

@Buford Lebron has 4 more FMVPS than Steph, and 1 more ring despite the far inferior teams. Imma huge fan of both but Bron is absolutely greater than Steph The below average defense for the first decade of his career is huge for me Basketball has 2 sides of the court

[@SamoaVsEverybody814]

@@slicktalk98 I have Steph 11th or 12th if he wins #4 and FMVP. His stans will call me a hater tho for not molding him into perfection lol

[@cephasdaka7279]

​@@slicktalk98 it's good no one cares about you're list 😂😂

[@ThePatman1980]

Kobe shot 5 threes per game to MJ's 1.7. But Kobe never had a season shooting over 40% from deep. He was streaky from deep but fantastic in the mid-range that his Mr. Miyagi / Qui Gon mastered shooting 51% from there in '97.

[@kingstonshacklebolt1431]

Most players from his era shot below 40% from 3. We didn't start seeing that until Steph Curry showed up.

[@GodfreyTheCreator]

@@kingstonshacklebolt1431 Yall be trying to give credit for anything three to Steph. Most players still dont shoot over 40%.

[@brickgoon]

Nah we fighting if you trying to take Kobe off the list

[@itshiho]

Back then Kobe was the only one that was shooting contested 3s and the step back and side step 3s didn't really exist yet and would have been considered traveling. Now with that in the game and perimeter defense softened up in recent years plus more focus on shooting 3s percentages have gone up.

[@Kingdoscuatro]

The difference is kobe was playing in a better defensive era with zone defense and handchecking 👌🏿 jordan only got to shooting 40% in threes was because of the shorten 3 point line 👌🏿 before the shorten 3 point line jordan was at 20%

[@rafaelguasp1141]

How the list should be. 1. MJ 2.kobe 3. Larry bird 4.kareem 5. Tim duncan 6.lebron 7.magic 8.wilt 9.oscar 10.bill Russell

[@terrelparris8642]

Crazy! No way Wilt comes off the list. Wilton Norman Chamberlain, the G.O.A.T. Russell played with a ream of all stars. Wilt would have been the scoring leader if he played ad long as Kareem did. Wilt probably would have scored close to 50k points if he played 20-22 seasons instead of 14 seasons. Many basketball fans did not see wilt play. The game changed because of him.

[@chefcurryj8469]

Russell is the G.O.A.T.

[@monkukudagod1]

boss man wilt was a loser against russell and then kareem came in and dominated as well. wilt and oscar literally are the least accomplished people on this list even while playing against plumbers and shoe repairsmen

[@Its_Shaq]

Wilt played with west and Elgin and still lost take him off the list , I’m also taking the Big O off the list

[@SMARTS_YT]

After they changed the rules Wilt averaged 24 a game. Every player had to play by those rules after. His stats are inflated and he is overrated. Great player for his generation but not even close to today’s standards. Averaged 50 for a season, averaged 40 for the years then they changed the rules that everyone else plays by and he averaged 24 against nobody like today’s game. Players from all over the world. Wilt wouldn’t stand a chance. Changed the space of the lane from 12-16 feet and changed the free throw rule where you can’t pass the line until the ball hits the rim or passes through the basket. Man would be the only 7 footer and be able to get the rebound from a free throw because he could be pass the line the instant the ball leaves his hand. OVERRATED AND INFLATED.

[@monkukudagod1]

@@SMARTS_YT I love the rules argument because literally any athletic big in these times with those rules wouldve done literally the same thing. lets not forget you can stand under the rim for as long as you want....no such thing as goaltending either like cmon...bball before kareem is really really in a construsctive state those days should be counted differently ....its a complete different game..

[@dailynnsp.o.v]

For the ones who reads this just know this is only the beginning keep pushing, grinding, and fighting. Whatever it is in life you want to do to go after it life is to short. Life is a marathon not a sprint so go out there and live it up I hope all is well and goes well for you peace and one love! ✌🏽🙏🏽

[@stephantucker7500]

Needed that!

[@MIKEO96]

Amen

[@nobeliefisok9174]

I personally like tier lists better than arbitrary limits placed on number of the greatest, and any attempt at ordering them. Over time, how do you make room for new players when you cant put them head-to-head against the older generations? How is it possible to pick who is the 10th best and up, and who is the 11th through 15th? If you do that, and there is any question at all over who is 5th vs 6th, or 3rd vs 4th, or 8th vs 9th.... then how do you know there isnt equally or worse questions over who is 10th vs 11th? Arbitrary often equals wrong. Tier lists are much better to use for ranking the greatest players.

[@dissaver]

If you are picking a team, who in their right mind would take curry over Wilt? Wilt would dominate every era, curry, not even close

[@scottiemccarthy896]

He’s absolutely right That is blasphemy

[@mookiestewart3776]

played against milk men

[@theefamgod]

@@mookiestewart3776 😂 right

[@kevinmoton7326]

Stephen doesn't even believe the words coming out of his mouth. He just capping

[@Bama20512]

He’s becoming more of a shock jock now

[@duranbuckzz8753]

He do and I do too Steph is really like that

[@daveczarnik6017]

Sas is all in it for the entertainment. Turning into Skip

[@Beetlejuice55]

Wilt played against plumbers bro, it's proven the AVERAGE nba player now is way better than the scrubs back then, stephs better than bird also and Robertson

[@kevinmoton7326]

@@Beetlejuice55 Steph may be better than Roberson but no way is he better than Bird nor Isaiah Thomas, magic and he might not be better than Norm Nixon. I wouldn't call Bill Bellamy Wes Unseld nor Bill Russell plumbers. You would do well to look at the history of big men in the NBA

[@IvanDjuric300]

I dunno who to take out. Maybe no one.

[@joaquinlsgh951]

love ur lifting content bro jersey’s are always fresh too 👊

[@IvanDjuric300]

@@joaquinlsgh951 cheers man

[@michaeltejeda8738]

Of these ten player who do yall got for your 5v5. Mine is Jordan, magic, bird, Duncan, Bryant.

[@kawilui]

No one can replace the great Wilt Chamberlain period.

[@jstrong3656]

Good point about the 2 rings and Bill Russell though remember- Bill Russell was also on one of the most dominant teams of all time....Wilt wasn't during that period. There's a reason he had a season averaging 50 pts per game. It's cause he could do it, and he had to do it.

[@shakirmiller7660]

He blew a 3-1 lead to bill russel

[@jstrong3656]

@@shakirmiller7660 He blew a 3-1 lead to the Boston Celtics. Stop lmao

[@the_cogito5170]

@@jstrong3656 from '58-'69 the Celtics were 10-18 when Bill Russell didn't play. Bill Russell's rings were not a product of a stacked team (admittedly he did have some talented teammates), his stacked teams were a product of the way Bill Russell played. Wilt Chamberlain still lost to the Celtics later in his career, when Wilt was teamed with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, both of whom are generally regarded equally as highly if not more highly than any teammate Russell had throughout his career.

[@tomil8377]

Understanding the ring count impact, I'd still put Larry at 5, Kobe at 8 and maybe switch Oscar with Shaq. But making a top 10 is too hard

[@josephschmizzo1595]

Theres no logical explanation for Larry Bird ranking higher than Kobe lol. He wasnt a better scorer, wasnt a better defender, had more help, didnt have as much team success and didnt face the level of competition that Kobe did. (Ps. I actually agree that Larry is top 5 all time...he just isnt a better basketball player than Kobe Bryant) Kobe is an undeniable top 3 player of all time when u factor in context. Stats are meaningless without context.

[@XaviorJordan]

Shaq is the 5th best C ever. He's not top 10. Kareem/Russell/Wilt/Olajuwon were all better players

[@dewman7477]

@@josephschmizzo1595 Kobe wasn’t a better passer or rebounder than bird. Kobe scored more but he’s not a better shooter than bird even in clutch and bird was more efficient. On defense Kobe better but bird did win 3 mvps and 2/3 finals mvps as well he’s gotta be above Kobe I think

[@tomil8377]

@@josephschmizzo1595 @XaviorJordan Having to ponderate both impact on the game and skills is one of the reasons why I said that this is hard. The game has evolved a lot so I probably think that a lot of the somewhat recent superstars are more complete, but I'm done arguing about it and the most important part is enjoying each of their uniquenesses

[@josephschmizzo1595]

@@tomil8377 again, theres no logical explanation for Bird being over Kobe. When you compare situational context, skillset (both sides of the court), era and overall team success, Kobe is substantially better. Bird was great in a small window but had tons of personnel help which boosted optics and effectively only played a little more than half a career. (I have this same gripe w Magic stans as well, he played only 12 real seasons) No matter how many times ESPN repeats this lie, it simply isnt true. No real hooper has Bird all time better than Kobe Bryant.

[@dtw456]

Good take

[@camarapeople11]

I have never seen the Big O in an all time top 10 until now and no disrespect to the big O but definitely not top 10 over Kobe and Wilt Chamberlain being replaced by Steph Curry? Yeah I don’t think so

[@shotbyreginald7563]

Wilt career averages 30 ppg and 22 rbg ...I believe Wilt is the only player to lead league in points, rebounds, assists...not a top 10 player ????...had a 100 points In a game ...HELLO SOMEBODY

[@XaviorJordan]

SAS on molly water

[@juanpalma6595]

U forgot he played against plumbers and midgets

[@dewman7477]

@@juanpalma6595 if bill Russell is in top 10 then so is wilt cannot have it one way or the other

[@juanpalma6595]

@@dewman7477 they might be top ten of their own time but i dont believe all time. Just look at how they play back then.

[@lamb_214]

Honestly you can’t have a list like this and also have it be based on logic. The game has evolved so much that if you played prior to the 00s or even the 90s your accomplishments are diminished in comparison to contemporary players, the level of competition is much higher because of the level of resources available to teams and players, so Steph Curry’s accomplishments mean way more than that of Wilts, considering his level of competition AND rules that were so behind his ability as an Individual that his ability to exploit them (and thus making his averaging 50 pts mean less) forced the league to change them.

[@CoolTy23]

If Curry wins his 4th chip: 1. Jordan 2. Lebron 3. Kareem 4. Magic 5. Russell 6. Wilt 7. Bird 8. Duncan 9. Kobe 10. Curry

[@ThePatman1980]

Who was Bill Russell's best teammate during that Celtics dynasty? Cousy? Havlicek? While Kareem had Magic. Shaq had Kobe. But since nobody saw Russell play since we weren't alive, he's just Ben Wallace of the 1960s. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@kingsaucey1419]

Dawg Havlicek was a monster

[@Kingdoscuatro]

Kareem had Magic, Oscar Robertson, James Worthy

[@CBeezyDSGB]

That’s like taking Peyton Manning off the list because Tom Brady won more Super Bowls… I got to be honest I got Tim Duncan between 10-15

[@TrisTan-ei3cy]

Lol tim duncan ez top 5

[@RomeoMill]

The disrespect they be giving kobe🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️. He top 5 for sure. 5 rings, 81 point game. All defensive team. Finals mvp. Hurt his shooting hand and still scored over 30 points shooting with his left hand. Man, and I can keep going.........Sheesh

[@josephschmizzo1595]

Yes, youre right but this list and many others like it is a marketing scam intended to sway public opinion away from Kobe’s legacy because his legacy is in direct conflict to Lebron James’. Nike owns sports media lol they also invested over a billion into the name and likeness of Lebron James. The lost 14 billion by not being able to sign Steph Curry, imagine what theyre losing by not being able to own Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.... Think about it lol

[@RomeoMill]

@@josephschmizzo1595 facts

[@Magnif1]

Its Blasphemy that Kobe is number 10 I can't believe they keep slandering Kobe like that.

[@teezy9790]

6 finals in 8 years ( 5 straight) Greatest reg season ever (73-9) Greatest playoff ever ( 16-1) 4x Nba champ ( soon to be) 2x MVP ( 1st unanimous) 2x fmvp ( 2015 is a joke) 2x scoring champ 30 45 90 season Shattered every 3 pt record known to man 8x all star 4x all nba 1st team I’m what universe is this not a top 10 player of all time

[@TheVboyfresh]

Was gonna ask what crack you smoking, but I seen your profile pic and realize you just a fanboy

[@rupertgordonii6623]

Exactly ~ I'm with you

[@utkarsh4386]

you're right about everything except Steph has yet to win an actual Finals MVP

[@luffyskywalker7549]

I mean are these team stats or Steph stats. We can't sit here and act like Durant didn't contribute to 3 of those 5 straight finals. Having the greatest regular season record but losing the finals doesn't mean anything and that's a team stat not just steph.

[@alienhead1184]

Only an 8x all star and 4x all nba other players had more.. takes more than being able to shoot threes

[@jalenad11]

Honestly, I would've had Tim Duncan instead of Oscar Robertson. I don't know of I'd put Steph above Tim but I'd put him above Oscar.

[@CamPerry]

you drunk? Duncan on the list

[@RandyP570]

This may have been Stephen A's worst take in First Take history

[@penkima4923]

Can't remember anything worse.

[@dasmed1064]

There’s def been worse mothafucka said to trade the whole knicks for Westbrook recently💀

[@MedBeMovin]

It is

[@nickcaesar7650]

It’s his new show, they changed from First Take to Worst Take

[@Shanmat78]

I think he’s right

[@jordandoe4641]

Mollys face when he said that🤣🤣🤣

[@Crow44music]

I want to have respect to guys like wilt and bill but imo it’s tough to keep both those guys in the top 10 when they played against 8 teams. I’d personally remove Bill, Wilt and Oscar and put in Steph, Shaq and Hakeem.

[@truthhurts785]

@Chris Swave, you make no sense. With 8 teams, the talent would be greater per team. The more teams, the more diluted the talent is. Wilt was more dominated than Shaq and hakeem and Steph.

[@keshon79]

@@truthhurts785 talent was nothing like it is today!

[@pneumonoultramicroscopicsi1142]

@@truthhurts785 the talent was not as good, and basketball is a far more popular sport today, therefor attracting more people to play basketball, which as a result generates a far higher number of super talented players per capita. So the talent is around the same dilution, and the level of talent is higher

[@blakewoolfolkblak389]

@@truthhurts785 you said that wrong. Talent wouldn't be greater , it would be harder because a team would know intel on your team since they see you more than today's teams. Also technology is a major key into player development so as time continues players have become alot stronger , faster , educated and innovative with the game of basketball.

[@odigomez1787]

@@truthhurts785 was going to say the same thing. 8 teams means more good players on less teams. That’s like saying all scorers today are invalid because players can’t even play defense like back in the day. Look at todays NBA, you might as well play with 8 teams because there’s only a handful of teams that actually have a shot at winning.