One more reason to dislike Lebron...

[RAcker]

He puts himself above Larry, Dr. J, Elgin Baylor, John Havlicek, James Worthy & Scottie Pippen.  Notice the championships, scoring records, etc. represented here.  These guys were not just role players on their respective teams either.  Wow.

P.S.  By the way, these are just people that played his position during their careers.

[celticmaestro]

Tim Duncan > Kevin Garnett.

Sorry guys. KG is my favorite player over the last decade, but championships don't lie and Duncan was responsible for all of San Antonio's.

Oh and as for LeBron, screw him the arrogant piece of turd. He's way off with his team and himself. And for that, he can flip right off.

[cordobes]

Cut the guy some slack, he just pulled a Paul Pierce.

[Hoops]

Yeah, you know this is what fascinates me about McHale. How come no one in the last 20 years has modeled their game after McHale? Sure, he's kind of a freaky physical specimen, what with his long arms and his Herman Munster build. But the guy absolutely destroyed people with his creative and seemingly unlimited arsenal of up-and-under post moves. Though a lot of it was based on superior footwork, I will say that he had a crafty sense on the court that made him even more effective.

But seriously, most post players today just want to learn how to attack the rim with power and dunk real hard. A finesse post-player like McHale could thrive just as well now as he did then. But the fact that there has never been another McHale just speaks to how great and unique he really was.

Al Jefferson is probably the closest thing these days. He's pretty crafty around the rim.

Yeah, I was thinking Jefferson is the closest as well. But even Jefferson's not really even close.

[RebusRankin]

What about Karl Malone or Bob Pettit at the PF?

[Edgar]

Tim Duncan > Kevin Garnett.

Sorry guys. KG is my favorite player over the last decade, but championships don't lie and Duncan was responsible for all of San Antonio's.

Oh and as for LeBron, screw him the arrogant piece of turd. He's way off with his team and himself. And for that, he can flip right off.

U have a point there
I can live with any of those 2
but maybe the big fundamental would be my choice for backing Kevin
now I am a homer so maybe i stick with the kevins

[Celtics17]

Lebron is certainly arrogant putting himself above so many NBA greats. The thing is, with the exception of Larry I think he is right. Lebron is a better ball player then Dr. J, Jerry West and several other players who are legends. And, he is getting better and better. As a Celtic's fan I hate the guy. As a bball fan I think he may very well go down as one of the top 3 players to ever play. I realize that is a stretch and I have made them before. Back when Shaq was still with LSU I used to tell my friends that there would soon be a new definition of power in the NBA and it was a stretch then too. Don't get me wrong, I loved Dr. J and respect the heck out of the legends. I am middle aged and know all too well that todays players and bloggers too for that matter overrate todays "athletic advantage" but I will stick my neck out and say Lebron will eventually belong on that all time team or if he doesnt he will be backing Larry up.

[youcanthandlethetruth113]

I am still certain that Kevin McHale is the best power foward to ever play the game of basketball.
I dont have even a doubt on this one. I stick to my beleif

I love McHale to death but he never passed the ball so I don't think I can ever consider him as the best power forward to ever play the game (Duncan).

[Hoops]

Lebron is certainly arrogant putting himself above so many NBA greats. The thing is, with the exception of Larry I think he is right. Lebron is a better ball player then Dr. J, Jerry West and several other players who are legends. And, he is getting better and better. As a Celtic's fan I hate the guy. As a bball fan I think he may very well go down as one of the top 3 players to ever play. I realize that is a stretch and I have made them before. Back when Shaq was still with LSU I used to tell my friends that there would soon be a new definition of power in the NBA and it was a stretch then too. Don't get me wrong, I loved Dr. J and respect the heck out of the legends. I am middle aged and know all too well that todays players and bloggers too for that matter overrate todays "athletic advantage" but I will stick my neck out and say Lebron will eventually belong on that all time team or if he doesnt he will be backing Larry up.

Well, obviously, only time will tell. I see LeBron being at the same stage Jordan was early in his career - incredible talented and physically gifted. In fact, LeBron might be more gifted and talented than Jordan. But Jordan didn't really become Jordan until he began to crush his opponent's will. He gained a mental/psychological edge over his competition. Bird and Magic did the same thing. LeBron hasn't developed that psychological edge yet. Or if he has, he hasn't displayed it yet - maybe he will during the ECF or Finals. In any event, he's got to have that edge about him before he can claim a spot on the highest pedestal. He hasn't done it yet, but time will tell. But until he demonstrates that same edge, he'll have to stay a notch below the best of the best.

[Who]

Why not put Larry at the four?

[dlpin]

I have no problem with Lebron thinking of himself that way. Bird, Jordan, and every other great player probably started thinking that of themselves too soon, even if they never quite acknowledged it publicly.


My problem is when the so called experts follow suit. Somewhere during the mid-nineties sports columnists stopped being the sort of grumpy connoisseurs that needed to be convinced over and over of someone's greatness and started being basically cheerleaders.

Not too long ago, the espn experts were sure that Shaq was the greatest ever. They had even coined the "MDE" acronym. Then it was Kobe, and now its Lebron.

What they don't recognize is that they are comparing a player's peak years to others' entire careers. It is relatively easy to be dominant when you are young and healthy. It is another when you age. The thing that made Bird, Jordan, Russel and others so great was not that they had one amazing season, but that they were better than everyone else even at 34, 35...

Once the physical tools weren't there anymore, Shaq wasn't even the best player in lottery bound teams. Kobe was never able to carry the load alone. As far as Lebron goes, let's see how he is playing after winning a title or two, is over 30, and the physical tools and the incentive aren't there anymore. If he is still dominating when he isn't the most athletic player in the league, and when he has won his championship, then we will talk if he deserves to be discussed on the top 5 ever. Until then, he still has a lot of work to do to be even seriously discussed alongside Pippen, Moses Malone, Barkley and others who were great but are never considered in discussions of who is the best ever.

[POBstuntin]

I missed when he said this but in what context to it come up? 

[Celtics17]

Hoops, I couldnt agree more. What made MJ and Larry great and separated them was their ability to crush their opponent. This is what separated Bill Russel and Wilt and why most people still consider Bill the superior player although very few question Wilt's superior athetic ability and I am not discounting Bill Russels athletic ability either.

The press is always saying that so and so is the best ever wether its Shaq, Kobe, MJ or ...? The thing is, Lebron has not reached his peak yet and won't for at least 3 or 4 more years, his athletic peak anyway. His basketball peak will be determined as "hoops" said on wether he learns to dominate and crush opponents with not only his skill but his will. I think he will.

[action781]

Cut the guy some slack, he just pulled a Paul Pierce.

I agree with many others that he is in no way at all on that list, but he's just pulling a Paul Pierce.  No problems with that.  I do hate him though haha.

And I would prefer to have KG on my team, but in terms of career accomplishments, Duncan makes it over KG.  Tough to put Shaq in at center, but man he really did dominate.  4 rings aint too shabby in this era of NBA.

[JSD]

He disses Larry and Russell on his all-time team:

PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: LeBron James
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Shaquille O'Neal (LeBron almost went Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)

Pretty bold, putting himself over three-time champion Larry Bird.

Sorry Lebron, you about 5-6 years and a championship away from being able to say that.

More like 5-6 more championships.

You can't be serious. I think we Celtics fans need to come to grips with the fact that because of Lebron our beloved Larry Joe will no longer be regarded as the best SF of all time.