Well, I suppose I was right about one detail regarding the NBA finals. The Orlando Magic did indeed determine the winner. As soon as I saw the match up, I believed that ultimately if Orlando shot threes with the effectiveness they did against Boston and Cleveland, they'd win the title in six or seven games. But their shooting cooled off, their stars were outplayed (Hedo Turkoglu is about to become the most overpaid player in professional sports), and they forgot to guard Trevor Ariza and Derek Fisher. This, combined with those infamous missed Dwight Howard free throws cost them at least two wins in this series. But while I'm not thrilled to see the Lakers win #15, I'm not gonna rip them. They played really, really well, as Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom rebounded from poor finals showings in 2008. Gasol got tougher and Odom became a defensive beast. Fisher is now an indisputable fixture on my top 10 list of role players anyone should want on their contending team. I still don't like Phil Jackson very much, although it's pretty much impossible to argue his record at this point. His psychological "coach-by-observing" approach seems to work. His team was always prepared and kept their cool in all situations. He's basically Terry Francona with an unhealthy cloud of arrogance hovering over his head that makes me want to break his glasses with my fist.
And then there's Kobe Bryant, the superstar many claimed was no longer the league's best. Like many, I decided Lebron James had passed him somewhere around the midway point of the 2008 regular season. My opinion appeared confirmed by Cleveland's early round dominance combined with L.A.'s struggle to eliminate the injury-plagued Houston Rockets. As a player, I've been a Kobe fan for a long time and there's still nobody I'd rather watch live. I suppose the best compliment I can give him now is he's renewed my indecisiveness over who's truly the league's best. A 4th title puts him in rare company and he dominated the finals with a remarkably efficient stat line (32 pts, 5 rebs, 7 asts) that was eerily similar to Michael Jordan's playoff numbers. Additional comparison: Kobe's hanging, body distorting, fading bank shot over Howard last night was maybe as defining a play as MJ's hand-switch in the '91 finals. (Kobe's wasn't as aesthetically pleasing, but it was more difficult). All season long I thought Lebron had basically been a 1-man team with an overrated supporting cast, so it becomes a bit tougher to judge his season in hindsight. He deserved his MVP and if I had to choose him or Kobe for the next three years I'd still choose Lebron. But he's got a long way to go before he catches Kobe historically.
In fairness, I can't honestly evaluate the greats of decades ago. Other than stats and rings in the history books, how can I really place guys like Russell, Chamberlain, Robertson, West, Pettit, Cousy, Barry, Gervin, Havlicek, Baylor, Reed, M.Malone, Jabbar, & Dr.J? Even with rivals Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, I remember stories and highlights more than live games, having been too young to watch each until well past his prime. Thus, I'll rank only players who’s professional careers began after I was born (1981 draft and beyond). Being that most players don't hit their peaks until five or six years into their careers, I'm content to call this the top 12 players of the last quarter century. This will also give Kobe a fair shake since few if any basketball historians would dare place him on par with either Magic or Bird, whether his body of work warranted that praise or not.
Honorable Mention; with every list there's always close calls and tough choices to make. The top 5 were actually incredibly easy to separate from the rest of the pack. Spots 6-12 were far more challenging, as was keeping the next group to 25 (I easily could’ve done a top 40, but at some point the list becomes cheapened. Here are those who missed the cut and how I'd rank them from lowest to highest . . .
Note: Several really good players were limited by spending so much time on the DL throughout their careers (i.e. Chris Webber, Grant Hill, Kevin Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Mullin, & Tracy McGrady, among others).
25. Tim Hardaway
24. Vince Carter (his stats surprised me)
23. Steve Nash
22. Dirk Nowitzki
21. Gary Payton
20. Dominique Wilkens
19. Dwayne Wade
18. Paul Pierce (I'm slightly biased, but it's not a big stretch)
17. Jason Kidd
16. Clyde Drexler
15. Patrick Ewing
14. John Stockton
13. Scottie Pippen
Pippen was the single toughest omission overall. He won 6 titles as MJ's sidekick and was inarguably the best defensive wing player of his generation. But while he put up strong numbers he was never dominant enough to win on his own. This fact represents either his most telling trait or makes him the ultimate victim of circumstance. Either way this ambiguity keeps him out of the top 12.
The Physical Freaks:
12. Allen Iverson: I kept looking for excuses to keep him off the list, but kept returning to his stats and durability (considering the hits he’s taken). AI is not only the most culturally relevant player since MJ, he’s also become the most dominant offensive little man in the sport’s history. The former MVP and 10-time All-Star has averaged better than 27 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals a game for his career, and carried a weak 76er squad all the way to the finals on his back. Few guards ever created more havoc in the open court. And not since Nate Archibald in 1973 had any small guard won a scoring title. Iverson ended up winning 4 of them.
11. David Robinson: In many ways the anti-Iverson, Robinson selflessly kept his mouth shut and went about his business while maintaining a reputation as the league’s ultimate professional. He won a pair of rings once Duncan joined him in San Antonio, but Robinson’s most impressive years came earlier before sacrificing his stats. Possibly the most athletic big man ever, the Admiral was a yearly top 10 mainstay in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals (at 7’1”) and was equally dominant on both ends of the floor. He’s also one of only two players in history to win both a scoring title and a defensive player of year award in his career. The other? Michael Jordan.
10. Charles Barkley: Never winning a ring makes it a little tougher to defend Sir Charles than anyone else on the list (his closest opportunity came in 1993, when his Phoenix Suns lost to MJ’s Bulls in six). He suffered injury problems, occasional weight issues, and several public relations disasters. But for roughly a decade beginning in 1986, he was the league’s most entertaining and at times dangerous offensive player. Despite being only 6’4”, he was built like a bowling ball and destroyed opponents on the glass, around the paint, and on the fast break. The former MVP was also the best player on the 1992 Dream Team, a collection of the world’s best players, which included Jordan.
9. Lebron James: In many respects he already warrants higher placement. But with only seven seasons under his belt (and no rings as of yet), this seemed about right for the youngest star on the list. Not much to say really, except that nobody on this list has made my jaw drop as frequently as King James. He was so good this year (and nearly averaged a triple-double in the playoffs) that he tricked analysts into overestimating his teammates and coaching staff. Lebron has no ceiling and could wind up passing them all. Only health and motivation could hold him back, because he’s already unguardable at 24.
The 2nd Tier:
8. Kevin Garnett: Arguably the best defensive big man of his generation (and the game’s best help defender by a mile), Garnett is also the league’s most self-sacrificing superstar. With his work ethic, size, and versatility, there’s really no precedent for KG. He can shoot over anyone, has perfected the mid-range game, passes like a guard, and rebounds better than all but a handful of centers. The Big Ticket has strong numbers, but his stats don’t come close to telling the story. I really didn’t know how good he was until he joined the Celtics and transformed the team's entire style of play, including that of captain Paul Pierce. He leads by example (and occasionally with his mouth) like Bird once did. Another title would vault him to the brink of the top 5.
7. Karl Malone: I had to swallow my pride a little with the Mailman, who’s undoubtedly the most boring superstar ever to appear in a video game. His personality limited broader appeal to the masses and he never won a title (though he came really close twice). But his numbers astound. The most durable power forward of all-time (he missed 5 games in his first 13 seasons!); the 2-time MVP was also the best offensive player to ever play his position. He’s 2nd all-time to Jabbar in total points and minutes, ranks 6th among all rebounders, tops the list for free throws made and attempted, and even places 10th in steals! He was undoubtedly aided by playing with Stockton all those years, but the relationship was co-dependent and you don’t earn 11 consecutive All-NBA 1st team selections on luck.
6. Isiah Thomas: Forget that he's the only player in the top 12 without an (regular season) MVP to his name. Forget his gross incompetence as a coach, general manager, C.B.A. owner, television commentator, and sexual harasser. While his post-playing days now rival O.J. Simpson for potential mockery, ‘Zeke’ remains the most explosive point guard ever to lace up a pair of Nikes. Drafted in 1981, he’s the oldest player on the list and the only superstar here to lead his team to a title in the era of Bird/Magic/MJ (and he did it twice!). From 1982-'93, Thomas made 12 straight All-star appearances. A great passer who could beat anyone off the dribble, he is probably the finest ball handler in N.B.A. history. He had ice in his veins and was unflappable with the game on the line. Like KG, Thomas’s on-court play was more indicative of his legacy than his career totals.
The Top 5:
As stated earlier, distinguishing this group was relatively easy. They were all multiple championship winners, the best at their positions during their primes, and dominant across all aspects of the sport. But choosing the correct spot for Mr. Bryant was a ridiculous ordeal. He's the closest thing we've seen to Jordan, but can't quite match him. Does that make him #2 or keep him several notches below? With 4 titles to his credit he's equaled the two dominant big men of his generation, but he shared 3 titles with one of them. Let's get to it . . . . .
5. Hakeem Olajuwon: In terms of talent, Dream probably ranks ahead of even Duncan, but he won half as many titles (2). Still, one must compare each player with his competition. Once Jordan hit his peak, nobody else won period. But when MJ vacated his throne to pursue baseball in the mid-90s, it was Olajuwon who separated himself from his fellow superstars. Hakeem was the best passing and rebounding center of his era, and owned the best post moves in N.B.A. history among all players. He ranks 8th all-time in steals (the next center on the list ranks 42nd) and was the best shot blocker since Bill Russell. He leads this category by such an overwhelming amount that the leader among active players (Shaq) would need another 1,200 blocks to catch him. Olajuwon dominated with dignity and regularity.
4. Kobe Bryant: A 5th title would change things, but I’m content to place Kobe at #4 for now. He’s the smoothest and most fearless player in the league, and has a bigger chip on his shoulder than MJ did. Nobody scares opponents more with the game clock winding down. An occasionally brilliant passer, he’s perhaps the game’s best 1-on-1 wing defender, and arguably it’s most accomplished post-player (as a guard!). When he’s ‘on,’ opponents might as well take a bathroom break, because there’s no stopping him. But the “chicken and egg” effect of dominating the NBA with Shaq hurts him as at did Malone & Stockton (the latter of whom couldn't even crack the top 12). I suspect without Shaq, Kobe’s stats would look even better, but he’d have at least 2 fewer rings. Either way there are few professional athletes I have more respect for, ass-hole or not.
3. Shaquille O'neal: In many respects the Diesel is simply a bigger version of Barkley; stronger and more dominant, with an even larger personality and an equally suspect work ethic. But Shaq had distinguished himself with longevity and rings to match his considerable stats (averages of roughly 25 ppg, 11 reb, 2 blocks, & 58% from the field for his career). It’s amazing he’s still even remotely productive given the physical beating he’s taken since his rookie season in ’93. In his prime, O’neal was simply awesome, and there wasn’t a front court on Earth that could handle him. Shaq commanded double-coverage at all times and was a crunch time threat because of his passing ability, though his free-throw shooting was a considerable liability. His skill level and success rate are so close to my runner-up choice that I could’ve flipped a coin for positioning. But despite 4 rings and trips to 6 finals (which included back-to-back-to-back Finals MVP awards), he’s never had to do it alone. In fact it’s debatable whether he was even the best player on three of those teams (1995 Orl, 2004 LA, and 2006 Mia). Throw in a well-covered up but still prevalent “me-first” attitude that now leads him to his 5th team since entering the league, and I feel justified knocking him a notch below #2. That said, should he follow Lebron to a 5th ring in 2009, I won’t hesitate to swap places.
2. Tim Duncan: Nearly matches Malone and Webber in the battle of superstars who can suck all potential enjoyment from an hour playing “N.B.A. Live” in any year. However, Duncan has never played to fill a highlight reel. Despite the recent Celtic resurgence, I still wonder how many titles we might have won by now had the ping-pong balls gone our way back in ’97. Like Shaq, Duncan’s considerable regular season averages were even better in the playoffs. He didn’t score quite as much or dominate to the same extent in the paint, but he rebounded, passed, and defended just a bit better, and had a more polished offensive game, despite his own troubles at the line (though Shaq was far worse). Most importantly, Duncan’s finals record is flawless and his matching 4 wins came despite 5 fewer years in the league. His leadership or status as his team’s best player has never come into question (Robinson had been an aging star on the 1st team, Tony Parker an emerging star on the most recent one) and I’d argue he’s won more with less surrounding talent than any superstar of my lifetime. Though he now shows signs of aging, he’s always been both clutch and durable, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he adds another ring or two by the time he’s done.
1. Michael Jordan: No room for argument, unless Kobe wins two more.
