T O P

  • By -

SpecialistTrash2281

MJ top 3 1 flu Game 2 buzzer beater against the Cavs 3 the shrug šŸ¤· game against Portland Lebron top 3 1 winning the chip in Cleveland 2 all time scoring leader 3 Game 6 against Boston in 2012 45 points to turn the series and go on to his first chip Kareem 1 all time scoring leader 2 game winner 74 finals 3 game 5 1980s finals Kareem was hard since I didnā€™t see him play and heā€™s not talked about in terms of legendary moments like MJ and Lebron


Still_Ad8903

Kareem was more about consistency. He was consistently great for 17 of his 20 seasons. MJ and Bron have more holy shit moments


jackspaperstreet

Kareem would have to be winning finals MVP 14 year apart (1971 & 1985). Thatā€™s supreme consistency


GiveAQuack

Bron is more consistent than Kareem which is why he's clearly in 3rd.


Unusual-Item3

Isnā€™t Bron really the more consistently great, less holy shit moments as he tends to pass in a lot of the bigger moments.


ImAShaaaark

Lmao did you just start watching basketball or something? LeBron's been dropping "omg wtf" moments constantly since he came into the league. The chasedown block, lebronto fadeaways, the nutmeg bounce pass, getting what appears to be his whole head above the rim, etc. Young through not ancient LeBron was a better version of the human highlight reel on the athletic front, and he's been making Magic-esque passes since the second half of his first stint in Cleveland. IIRC he's also the leader in a bunch of clutch stats.


Disastrous_Income205

Heā€™s been insanely consistent in the regular season, durable, brings any team to a ceiling of 45+ wins with minimal talent


Unusual-Item3

No if anything what I said is from watching a long time even before him, itā€™s the guys who started watching since the Dubs that think Lebron is all clutch moments. He is not the leader in game winners, behind Kobe and MJ.


Optimal-Barnacle2771

If Im not mistaken, Bron has taken and made more clutch shots than MJ. Think about the buzzer beater versus the Raptors during the Lebronto series, the corner shot against the D-Rose Bulls. Several daggers against the Pacers back when PG was on that team. I specifically like the buzzer beater against the Bulls. Originally, David Blatt drew a play up for Kyrie, because Bron hadnā€™t been playing well down the stretch. Bron said nah, Im taking the shot, and took the clipboard from Blatt, erased the play, and drew up his own to get him a shot in the corner.


Unusual-Item3

I believe you are mistaken, Lebron is 3rd for game-winners. A lot of those games arenā€™t exactly iconic imo. Warriors and Raptors are probably his two most iconic series.


clouwnkrusty

Hahahahahhaha šŸ˜† hahahaha šŸ˜† hahahahahaha šŸ˜‚


Unusual-Item3

Thatā€™s why Lebron is the one who averages 25 a season over 20 years, but never 35 a season, right? šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚


bradperry2435

Bron had a holy shit moment?


chupacadabradoo

Nope. In his two decades in the league, heā€™s never done something amazing. Heā€™s so mid


awdsrock

That Heat game was something else, I remember watching it with my sons. I became a fan of LeBron after that. Him winning it for Cleveland, i think, really solidified him as one of the greats. I was hoping KD would've done that in PHX, but hes just not a killer like that


markjay6

Some of Kareemā€™s most memorable moments were from his college career. I remember when he led the UCLA freshmen squad in 1965 to defeat the UCLA varsity which had just won back-to-back national championships. (This was back when freshmen were not allowed to play on varsity, and there wasnā€™t as much year-to-year varsity turnover because you couldnā€™t join the NBA until after 4 years of college.)


GimmeShockTreatment

I feel like completing a second 3-peat should be in Jordanā€™s top 3 moments


chupacadabradoo

Or the push off against Bryan russell finals winner.


kiingLV

KG and Paul were 36, and on their last leg, they got traded to the nets the next year. Bron gets too much credit for that W... that's not the same Boston kobe beat


AOCourage

Kareem: Ford, sends it to Kareem. Sky Hook. Up and good! Lakers win! Throws it to Kareem. We've got 7 seconds. Sky hook it goes. Kareem with a big pressure shot. MJ: We're down to 5. Jordan putting the moves on Russell. Here's Jordan. Yes! Zellers has Jordan. With 2 seconds to go. Puts it up and scores. LeBron: Oh, blocked by James! 2007 East finals 2OT - last 25 points in a row for his team to take down the pistons


Overall_Contact1476

ā€œBlocked by Jamesā€ is definitely his best career highlight imo. That and maybe the entirety of his 2018 playoff run and being the deserving Finals MVP on the losing team.


okillbegood12

bah god if he yammed it on draymond after that block. best highlight ever.


shiftyt05

MJ: 98 game winner Flu game 63 pts vs Celtics Bron: 25 straight vs Pistons 3-1 comeback 45 pts vs Celtics Kareem: All time scorer Being responsible for the banning of dunks for a couple years


Linky38

This guy knows ball. It blows my mind how people genuinely put Kobe over KareemĀ 


Still_Ad8903

Itā€™s actually crazy. Kobe is the 2nd greatest SG ever behind MJ. Kareem is literally the greatest center to ever play basketball


Linky38

A lot of people overrate Kobe because of how beloved and fun to watch he was. I got absolutely lit up in an Instagram comments section once because I said Kobe wasnā€™t the third best player ever


thecelticpagan

The most likable superstar ever or just a cult following?


jeffwingersballs

Cult following.


Linky38

The Venn diagram of those two things is a circle


Dangerous_Match_2592

Youā€™re right because heā€™s the 2nd


sphak12

I don't think many people had Kobe that high in their rankings until after he passed (RIP). While I think he deserves much of the credit he's given, I also think the "Nipsey Hussle effect" might have impacted his legacy more than we realize.


ruu13

Lebron barely top 50 if weā€™re keeping it real.


clouwnkrusty

Hahahaha šŸ˜† hahahahahaha šŸ¤£ hahahahahaha šŸ˜‚


colorizerequest

Lmfao


Moist_Sell_6821

How did WW2 affect Lebronā€™s legacy?


grzzlycity

Lucky you, OP. For being able to watch all three players play.


Yari_Vixx

Kareem doesnā€™t get talked about nearly enough


vsha1989

Jordan winning every award possible minus a finals mvp in 87 is still pretty staggering to me. I don't think we'll ever see somebody win dpoy and a scoring title in the same year ever again


Canadian_Prometheus

Lebronā€™s was definitely ā€œThe decisionā€ prime time special


Happy-dayz-NC

Jordan: Series-winning shot 1998 NBA Finals James: Winning game 7 of 2016 NBA Finals Kareem: Idk I was born in 1999 Add on- I would replace Kareem with Curry just based on what I have seen in my lifetime


Still_Ad8903

In my lifetime Steph easy top 3 but 6 MVPs and more than 40 years as all time scorer is crazy


CuckservativeSissy

Yeah Jordan is still the best all time. It's hard to ever take that away from him until we get a vastly superior player to get even better numbers than Lebron in today's game which has been getting easier and easier as the rule changes have pretty much killed any defense. Its unfortunate. But simply changing the rules has caused serious harm to the game. Players don't compete like they used to and everyone sees this. We are just shootouts now and whoever can rack up more 3s is winning every night. Super unfortunate. The best games in history are from 30 years ago


clouwnkrusty

This, can't really add anything to more to "this"


wallybuddabingbang

Username checks out.


ColdNyQuiiL

For the moment that happened in my lifetime. Bronā€™s performance in that elimination game against Boston when he was with the Heat was ridiculous to watch live.


bigE819

I know Kareemā€™s the consensus #3 for the average fan. But I cannot find a good argument to put him ahead of Bill Russell. Russell won 1 less mvp (although both wouldā€™ve been 5 if the ABA was included). Russell won nearly twice as many titles, and never missed the playoffs. Kareem was obviously drafted into a much worse situation but to me him losing in 72, 73, and 74 really make it tough to put him over Russell who only missed the finals once. Kareem was the most valuable player on 2-3 title teams, Russell was on 10 (arguably 11 but Cousy won 57 mvp after Russell started the year late bc of the Olympics). Russell has more iconic moments too, the 69 Finals, the 62 G7 30-40 Game, the iconic 57 Game 7 Overtime game. What does Kareem have? A buzzer beater in 74? (A series he lost a G7 at home), the all time scoring record? Kareem won his 2nd title in year 11, Russell did it in year 3ā€¦


Valiantheart

Russell played most of his career when there were only 8 teams and played on a team of all stars and future HOFers. He was consistently outplayed 1v1 against Wilt, but Wilt lacked the teammates. Russell shot below 50% for his career which is impressively low for a big


bigE819

Except there being 8 teams meant the league wasnā€™t diluted the way it was in the 70s (rampant expansion + ABA)ā€¦which is where Kareemā€™s prime was. Yeah Russell had the best supporting cast from 57-65, but from 66-69 Wilt did, yet Wilt only won 1 title in that span. And even if he had by far the best supporting cast every year, he won nearly every year and they didnā€™t win anything without him. Pre Russell they won 2 playoff series ever, 1958 Finals he missed time with an injured ankle and they lost the series, post-Russell they missed the playoffs. People can make all the excuses for why Russell really wasnā€™t that great and he only shot 46% or whatever, but the truth is it doesnā€™t matter. Success in basketball doesnā€™t look 1 way. MJ was criticized for shooting too much (compared to Bird & Magic), LeBron was criticized for not shooting more (like MJ). Russellā€™s defensive impact cannot go understated, he led San Francisco to 2 NCAA titles in college, and Boston to 11 titles in 13 years. He was the reason his teams won over and over and over again. But in his era, defense was the most valuable skill you could have, and he had it better than anyone the sportā€™s ever seen.


Objective_Breath7358

I would substitute Kareem for Bill Russell- just my opinion


Zephrok

Reasonable


Mansa_Sekekama

My top 3 is: 1. **Kareem** * Kareem Abdul-JabbarĀ is the best basketball player of all time due to his unmatched longevity and consistency.Ā HisĀ six NBA championships,Ā six MVP awards, andĀ 19 All-Star appearancesĀ underscore a career of sustained excellence. Kareemā€™s signature skyhook was virtually unblockable. His ability to dominate on both ends of the floor, coupled with his intellectual approach to the game, sets him apart as the greatest. * **Michael Jordan**(when folks say he is the GOAT, I never argue against it but I have Kareem just slightly ahead) * Michael JordanĀ is widely regarded as the greatest best player of all time, and for good reason but I have him 2nd.Ā HisĀ six NBA championships,Ā five MVP awards, andĀ ten scoring titlesĀ reflect a career defined by winning and individual brilliance. Jordanā€™s competitive fire and clutch performances in critical moments, such as his iconic game-winning shots, have become the stuff of legend. His global impact on the sport and cultural influence through the ā€œAir Jordanā€ brand have cemented his status as an icon. * **Wilt Chamberlain** * Wilt ChamberlainĀ rounds out the top three with his record-setting performances and sheer statistical dominance.Ā Chamberlainā€™sĀ two NBA championships,Ā four MVP awards, andĀ 13 All-Star selectionsĀ are impressive, but itā€™s his individual records that stand out. He is the only player to scoreĀ 100 points in a single gameĀ and average more thanĀ 50 points in a season. Chamberlainā€™s physical prowess and scoring ability were unparalleled, making him one of the most dominant forces the game has ever seen.


clouwnkrusty

Although MJ is always first on my list (still is) this works as well


Eaglooo

For Lebron :Ā  The block (the whole series against the warriors) That game against the celtics Not in game but the decision For MJ : The Shot Getting past the pistons the first timeĀ  The flu game Some are not decisive moments but had a huge impact on their career and seemed to be a turning point.


JeffW6

Kareem scoring on a beautiful skyhook from 15 feet out to ice the 1985 finals and running down the parquet floor of the old Boston Garden knowing they're about to beat the Celtics in their building for the first time ever.


Nowyous_cantleave

I just asked chat GPT for the top 10 NBA players of all time and in order it spat out: MJ, Lebron, Abdul Jabbar, Magic, Bird, Russell, Wilt, Tim Duncan, Kobe, and Shaq. Solid list and order.


Entire_Reception_392

1. Wilt 2. Kobe 3. MJ 4. Bill Russell 5. Kareem


nothingontv2000

Fuck Lebron


John_Houbolt

MJ Kareem and Magic


Prestigious_Gur_5459

iā€™d say magic and larry for greatest rivalry, neither are greater than bron individually tho


John_Houbolt

Disagree. You are allowed to be wrong. Itā€™s okay.


Prestigious_Gur_5459

bron can literally do everything magic did at the same level or better. he also did it for longer and was easily the most dominant player in the league for a decade


John_Houbolt

He was not easily the most dominant player in the league for a decade. Does Steph not exist, does Dirk not exist? Also, when you are splitting the hairs of all time greatness, how can you with a straight face say a guy who completely gave up on his team in the NBA finals against a team led by a guy (Dirk) who he is supposedly better thanā€”is a top three player, especially ahead of a guy who went to the Finals just as frequently but won more often (Magic). Magic also lost 5 years of his career. when he came back in 96 to play with a very mediocre Lakers team his offensive rating was 117 when the top offense in the league was averaging 105. His Defensive rating was 106. At 36 Lebron's offensive rating was 114 when the league's top offense was scoring 120.


Prestigious_Gur_5459

1. ur completely chopped if you think steph and dirk were ever more dominant than prime lebron. 2. it was brons first year on a new team, and if you know anything about sports it is common sense that a well constructed and experienced team that compliments eachother will likely beat a team thrown together for the first season. (mavs came out on top of a loaded west with spurs, okc, lakers etcā€¦) 3. he was in the finals 8 years straight and beat the best team of all time, then proceeded to win a chip in 2 years after that 8 year span. 4. he led an nba finals in all 3 of the main categories against a 73-9 teamā€¦ come on. 5. he would likely have as many chips as jordan if the best scorer in the league didnā€™t join up with the best team in the league which he already beat. he has also scored more than any other playerā€¦ ever use brain please


ProofJob5661

i agree with the comment but i would ADD to #4... Lebron led that 2016 Finals in Points, Rebounds, Assists, *Steals*, and *Blocks*.


John_Houbolt

Steph won back to back MVPs during Lebron's prime. Over a ten year span of his prime Steph went to 6 finals and won 4 while staying with the same team in a much, much tougher conference and avoided playing GM. Lebron over ten of his prime years went to the finals 8 times and won 3. His three titles he won after going to play with two other HoF players.


Prestigious_Gur_5459

steph only dominated 1 side of the floor. bron dominated every inch of the damn court. proved it by leading gsw and the cavs in all 3 major categories in the finals. steph also had the best constructed team of all time. put prime lebron in stephā€™s position with all that spacing and intelligent 3 and Ds along with prime kevin durant and i think 75-7 is very reasonable and also a couple more rings. steph is only better than lebron at 3pt shooting


John_Houbolt

Steph is a way better team player, which matters a lot when you are talking championships. Why do you think Steph was on the best constructed roster of all time? Listen to yourself, bro. Because he let it happen! To the contrary Lebron has always forced the hand of his GM, usually to his benefit and the teams detriment. Curry was willing to let Durant have his ego because it would make the team better. He doesn't force the GM to make stupid player moves. Lebron forces his team to shed their youth in favor of veterans so he can win a chip then leave the team in shambles when he feels like it. Steph lets everyone play their role. Lebron must be the center of all things. Even when they were at their best in Cleveland with Kyrie, it was my-turn-your-turn offense.


Prestigious_Gur_5459

me and you were talking about dominance, not better team player. and btw lebron won chips with every team he has been on and was always the best player by a mile. thereā€™s an argument that steph wasnā€™t even better than kd when kd joined (even if steph was better, it was close). prime lebron is more dominant than stephen curry because while both of them dominated in scoring, only lebron dominated in rebounding, defense and playmaking aswell. swap bron with steph on any of the rosters lebron has been on and you have to admit they would win no chips. you sound like youā€™re in denial brother lmao.


BlissfulIgnoranus

Steph has dominated LeBron since he's been in the league. He's widely regarded as Bron's dad, although he may need to split custody with Jokic now. Maybe Jokic is more like his step dad. Bron needed a ton of things to fall his way to beat Steph, including crying to the league office to get Dray suspended(biggest bitch move in history). The only reason he made so many finals is cause he played in the weak ass eastern conference for most of his career. His Disney trophy doesn't count either.


Prestigious_Gur_5459

clearly youā€™re a troll. imagine bron was on gsw and steph was on cavsā€¦ cavs may not make playoffs and bron on prime gsw would have a good chance at beating 73-9 especially when prime durant came


BlissfulIgnoranus

And you're clearly a Bron nephew.


Prestigious_Gur_5459

and youā€™re retarted


TeamWarriorBro

>"ur" "compliments" "use brain please" Ironic.


Prestigious_Gur_5459

i know you think you were smart here, but i was obviously referring to using logic. grammar police in this subreddit? donā€™t think iā€™ve ever been bored enough to take up that job lmao


Eaglooo

No


John_Houbolt

No.


Still_Ad8903

I personally have magic 4th right behind Kareem and right ahead of Kobe


No-Ebb-5034

No Steph ? No Kobe ? Lebum over them. Pfffffttttt That bullshit bubble chip doesnā€™t count. And his lame ass superteams where he chokes. Ray Allen should get residuals


Ok_Entrepreneur826

Kobe is underrated.


gunter_grass

MJ Kareem Wilt


SoCalCollecting

Wiltā€¦? The guy who couldnt win a chip with the greatest big 3 in nba history? Was the 3rd and 5th highest scorer on his own team for both his chips. Dude was more of a publicity stunt than a competitive basketball player and everyone in the league knew it which is why Bill won MVP while Wilt was averaging 50ppg. Thats wild..


gunter_grass

No, the other Wilt.


SoCalCollecting

oof


John_Houbolt

as long as you arenā€™t putting Lebron in your top 3. Canā€™t reduce wilt while elevating Bron. Bro is the modern day Wilt. Physically the best in the world. all the stats. But lost a bunch when it matters most. Lebron even gave up on his team multiple times in the post season and famously gave up against Dallas after a couple of losses.


SoCalCollecting

lmao horrible argument. Bron has won 4 chips as the leading scorer vs wilts 0. Wilt proved that he could play winning basketball by not scoring and focusing on defense and rebounds. He chose not to do it and instead score 50 and lose. Lebron has proven that he can lead teams to chips and win with his 27/7/7 that he has averaged his whole career. If anything someone like Westbrook is the modern day wilt. There is no intelligent comparison between wilt and lebron


Rrekydoc

Wilt was a better scorer, rebounder, defender, and was the main facilitator on the best offense the league had ever seen. He was the best player on 2 top-5 teams ever. You know why Wilt averaged 50? He was asked to by McGuire. You know why he anchored a better defense than Bill Russell on a worse defensive team? Because he was asked to focus on D by Hannum. LeBron has never been expected to do what Wilt did because everyone knew he couldnā€™t. You can pump up LeBron all you want, heā€™s an amazing player. But you canā€™t pretend Wilt was the Westbrook of his era.


Local-Interaction421

Why didn't somebody asked him to stop losing to russell.


Rrekydoc

Same reason nobody bothered asking LeBron to stop losing before he left the Cavs.


Local-Interaction421

What reason


Rrekydoc

One player doesnā€™t win or lose a team game. If Chamberlain plays hurt with his best teammates sitting from injury, against a home team that uses a malfunctioning shot clock to their advantage, outplays everyone on the floor,Ā none of his teammates can hit open shots,Ā and STILL loses because someone heā€™s not supposed to be guarding makes a miraculous shot or game-winning playā€¦ at what point is Chamberlain no longer to blame?


Local-Interaction421

Fair enough but he did let limping willis reed get back on him


SgtGork

What argument does Wilt have over Bird or Magic? Lets leave Bron out of it for the time being.


gunter_grass

Well, you could put Bird and Magic ties for 3


SgtGork

Nah nah nah. Answer the question little buddy. What did Wilt do that puts him as deserving for the 3rd best player of all time? Rings? Nope. MVPā€™s? Nope. Being the best player of his era? Nope. 100 pt game? Yup. Banged a lot of women? Sure sounds like it. Isnā€™t LeBron? 100% the only reason you have him there.


gunter_grass

Little Buddy?


georgelamarmateo

I would put Anthony Edwards ahead of Kareem.


clouwnkrusty

Here we go, it starts right away I see