Author Topic: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history  (Read 9070 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« on: February 09, 2016, 08:29:43 PM »

Offline Ed Hollison

  • Jaylen Brown
  • Posts: 619
  • Tommy Points: 195
I know even acknowledging it means I've been successfully trolled, but I couldn't help it... ESPN came up with some ranking of NBA greats and had Russell at #7. He's the 3rd center, behind Kareem and Wilt.

Has this been out for a while and I just noticed it?

The incredible short-sightedness of the modern NBA observer when it comes to Russell is astounding. We truly live in a stats-obsessed, individualistic age, where winning is nothing more than a quaint afterthought.

Link here: http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/page/nbarank7/all-nbarank-7
"A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love."

http://fruittreeblog.com

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2016, 08:40:09 PM »

Online Roy H.

  • Forums Manager
  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 58558
  • Tommy Points: -25636
  • Bo Knows: Joe Don't Know Diddley
We Celtics fans know the truth. 


I'M THE SILVERBACK GORILLA IN THIS MOTHER——— AND DON'T NONE OF YA'LL EVER FORGET IT!@ 34 minutes

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2016, 08:52:23 PM »

Offline Celtic Fan Forever

  • Rajon Rondo
  • *****
  • Posts: 5979
  • Tommy Points: 2437
And LeBron is ranked above him..

I lost interest in this ESPN ranking when they put Stephen Curry as the 23rd best player of all time.. Better than Elgin Baylor and Scottie Pippen..
2023 CelticsStrong Historical Draft Champions - OKC Thunder
PG: Chauncey Billups/ Baron Davis
SG: Michael Redd/ Dan Majerle/ Allan Houston
SF: Peja Stojakovic/ Gerald Wallace/ Toni Kukoc
PF: Shawn Kemp/ Antonio McDyess
C: Dwight Howard/ Tyson Chandler

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2016, 09:07:42 PM »

Online Surferdad

  • Cedric Maxwell
  • **************
  • Posts: 14456
  • Tommy Points: 972
  • "He fiddles...and diddles..."
Hilarious. Russell is my number one. I'm not sure Lebron is even as high as number 7.

Without even reading the article or looking at any references, so off the top of my head:
1. Russell
2. Jordan
3. Wilt
4. Kareem
5. Magic
6. Bird
7. Olajuwon
8. Kobe
9. Duncan
10. West
« Last Edit: February 09, 2016, 09:17:51 PM by Surferdad »

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2016, 09:23:18 PM »

Offline Denis998

  • Ray Allen
  • ***
  • Posts: 3308
  • Tommy Points: 388
  • Rutgers '17
I think Russell, Bird, Magic, and even Jordan should be in their own level. Past their basketball abilities, their significance to furthering the game of basketball can not be measured.

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2016, 08:30:13 AM »

Online Moranis

  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 33461
  • Tommy Points: 1533
I have no real issue with Russell at 7th. 
2023 Historical Draft - Brooklyn Nets - 9th pick

Bigs - Pau, Amar'e, Issel, McGinnis, Roundfield
Wings - Dantley, Bowen, J. Jackson
Guards - Cheeks, Petrovic, Buse, Rip

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2016, 08:57:21 AM »

Offline csfansince60s

  • Paul Silas
  • ******
  • Posts: 6234
  • Tommy Points: 2238
 Lord, forgive them for they know not what they do ,

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2016, 09:00:35 AM »

Online Surferdad

  • Cedric Maxwell
  • **************
  • Posts: 14456
  • Tommy Points: 972
  • "He fiddles...and diddles..."
I have no real issue with Russell at 7th.
OK, name 1 through 6.

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2016, 09:07:42 AM »

Offline TheSundanceKid

  • Bailey Howell
  • **
  • Posts: 2493
  • Tommy Points: 199
I have no real issue with Russell at 7th.
The man with the most championships at 7th? The man who went up against and beat Wilt Chamberlain nigh on every year?

I feel like his stature would be far less in doubt if blocks had been recorded back then to quiet the stats crowd. You gotta feel that his BPG would be the all time leader or at least close to it

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2016, 09:53:09 AM »

Offline ederson

  • Jim Loscutoff
  • **
  • Posts: 2896
  • Tommy Points: 279
I try to avoid comparing players from different eras

What i don`t understand is the relative positions of Russel and Wilt. Wilt can`t be higher than Russel. They played against each other for years and the results are clearly in Russel`s favor.... How can Willt rank higher ?

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2016, 10:03:22 AM »

Online Moranis

  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 33461
  • Tommy Points: 1533
I have no real issue with Russell at 7th.
The man with the most championships at 7th? The man who went up against and beat Wilt Chamberlain nigh on every year?

I feel like his stature would be far less in doubt if blocks had been recorded back then to quiet the stats crowd. You gotta feel that his BPG would be the all time leader or at least close to it
Russell didn't beat Chamberlain, the Boston Celtics with its 7 or so HOFers did.  Chamberlain consistently out performed Russell in every statistical category. 

Edit: The first time Wilt even had 2 other HOFers (Greer and Cunningham, neither of which was anywhere close to a 1st ballot guy) on his team (aside from Cunningham's rookie year the year prior), the Sixers won 68 games and beat the 8 time defending champion Celtics in 5 games.  Winning matters, no question, but you win when you have talented teammates.  Wilt for the majority of his career did not have great teammates.  When he did, the result was one of the greatest seasons by any team in league history.  And again that is just 2 other HOFers, Russell consistently was playing with at least 4 other HOFers (Hondo, the Joneses, Howell, and early on Cousy). 
« Last Edit: February 10, 2016, 10:20:57 AM by Moranis »
2023 Historical Draft - Brooklyn Nets - 9th pick

Bigs - Pau, Amar'e, Issel, McGinnis, Roundfield
Wings - Dantley, Bowen, J. Jackson
Guards - Cheeks, Petrovic, Buse, Rip

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2016, 10:07:27 AM »

Online Moranis

  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 33461
  • Tommy Points: 1533
I have no real issue with Russell at 7th.
OK, name 1 through 6.
In no particular order Jordan, Chamberlain, Magic, and Kareem all seem pretty easy to me.  I'd put Russell in the same general range as Bird, James, Erving, Duncan, and Robertson.  That group is just ahead of the Dream, Shaq, Baylor, Bryant, and West.
2023 Historical Draft - Brooklyn Nets - 9th pick

Bigs - Pau, Amar'e, Issel, McGinnis, Roundfield
Wings - Dantley, Bowen, J. Jackson
Guards - Cheeks, Petrovic, Buse, Rip

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2016, 10:16:03 AM »

Offline Celtics17

  • Jayson Tatum
  • Posts: 873
  • Tommy Points: 108
I am too young to have gotten to see Russ or Wilt play. I do know from playing many sports over the years that there are just some players who know how to win while others don't. What I am uncertain of is weather Russ won so much because he had the best supporting cast or did Wilt lose more because he was focused solely on stats?

I do know that those two players are some of the most athletically gifted athletes the league has ever seen. I once read where Russ was ranked in the top 5 in the world in the high jump. I am pretty sure Shaq never was an all world high jumper. Wilt's athletic ability and all around accomplishments speak for themselves. He may very well have been the best all around athlete the NBA has ever seen.

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #13 on: February 10, 2016, 10:26:09 AM »

Offline Wretch

  • Jaylen Brown
  • Posts: 506
  • Tommy Points: 42
Has anyone ever applied some of the more advanced (modern metrics) to historical players like Wilt and Russell?  It would be interesting to see what their PER, Real +/-, etc are compared to new players and each other.  Wilt always struck me as a player who filled up the points and rebound stats but team wasn't necessarily better for it. 

I rank Russell highly but I can see a good argument for Kareem, but not Wilt over Russell.

Re: ESPN says Bill Russell is the 7th greatest player in NBA history
« Reply #14 on: February 10, 2016, 10:28:14 AM »

Online Moranis

  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 33461
  • Tommy Points: 1533
BTW, SI re-ranked the 50 greatest players.  They have Russell at 8th.

http://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/09/michael-jordan-lebron-james-stephen-curry-nba-greatest
2023 Historical Draft - Brooklyn Nets - 9th pick

Bigs - Pau, Amar'e, Issel, McGinnis, Roundfield
Wings - Dantley, Bowen, J. Jackson
Guards - Cheeks, Petrovic, Buse, Rip