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There's been a lot of talk about a Mount Rushmore of basketball since the interview segment between LeBron and Steve Smith leaked. Everybody has their own opinion on who belongs and who's being snubbed. Who is on your NBA Mount Rushmore and who is on your Clipper/Brave Mount Rushmore?

NBA
Michael Jordan - No explanation needed
Bill Russell - the lord of the rings, 5 MVP's, 11 championships in 13 years and was injured in one of those non-championshipyears.
Wilt Chamberlain - 2x Champion, 4x MVP, Mythical-like creature, the original NBA freak show. Some of the most untouchable records like 100 points, 55 rebounds, 50 ppg in a season, 20,000...
Magic Johnson - 5x Champion, 3x MVP. He and Bird go together like PB&J. Along with Bird, he helped revitalize the NBA's image that had taken a beating. His showmanship and marketability helped pave the way for what Michael became as a global icon.

My biggest snub: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - All-time leading scorer, 6x champion, 6x MVP, 19x MVP and one of the most winningest basketball players on any level.

Clippers/Braves
Ralph Lawler - He's not a player, but there's not a single individual that is a greater representative for this franchise than Ralph imo. 36+ years of service.
Bob McAdoo - Hall of Famer, Franchise's only MVP, the original face. 4.5 seasons of service.
Randy Smith - He leads franchise in numerous categories including minutes played and points scored. 2x All-Star, 1x All-Star MVP. Actually played for both Braves and Clippers. 9 seasons of service.
Elton Brand - Controversial pick for sure. 2x All-Star and embodied everything about the Clippers during his stint here. Blue Collar, lunch pail, hard worker. Wasn't flashy, was often overlooked and underrated because he was a Clipper. Even though he left in a shady manner, he did give his best years to the franchise. 7 seasons of service.

My biggest snub: Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and Danny Manning

I made my list on Clips Nation the other day when Steve made a poll. My list there (McAdoo, Brand, Paul & Griffin) and this list are a lot different lol. I kept Paul and Griffin off this time around even though they both belong for their abilities, accomplishments and contributions to the franchise. They're still playing here and are still writing their legacies. They've taken this franchise to new heights that we've all dreamed for. Blake is already the leader in All-Star appearances. CP is an All-Star MVP as a Clipper, multiple time 1st Team All-NBA/All Defense. They've given us our best regular season records. They both have already made their presence known on the franchise leader boards. The best is yet to come for them both.

Hope some of y'all play along and share your Mount Rushmores.

for real tho


Ralph
Brand
Blake
Bob Mac

mttwlsn16 wrote:

Awww no love for Keith Closs?

mkwest wrote:

mttwlsn16 wrote:

Awww no love for Keith Closs?

haha. no. hes from where im from though, 10 miles or so apart in CT

i considered ron harper and bob mcadoo too, but bob is a celebrity in lakerhood, and ron has played a lot longer for other teams than the years he spent here. once being quoted as saying the time he spent in clipper jersey was like a prison sentence doesn't help his cause either. still my favorite player from my youth tho.

the polish rifle for being the mr. clipper, having played the longest tenure especially through all the dark years.

Cuttino for being the first free agent to sign here, allowing us to compete at a higher level with brand and cassell to 1 game short of western conference finals, which started all this. without Cat, we could still be that team that nobody wants to come and play for.

Ralph
Blake
CP
(gonna leave this 4th spot open for Doc)

I'm not even a Laker fan and more of a Celtic admirer, but have two Lakers on my list.

NBA

Bill Russell: The definition of winner. He's won at every level (including back-to-back national collegiate titles as well as consecutive state high school championships despite being a late bloomer to the game). He dominated the game with defense without being a liability on offense. Dynasties were formed on his sheer will and determination for excelling in team play. Was also a great ambassador for the sport despite enduring a life and career of severe racial tension.

Michael Jordan: For better or worse, likely the most iconic figure in the sport due to his incredible athleticism, stylistic play, competitive drive, fashion sense, and marketing savvy. No one has pioneered so much success on and off the court with an empire built on his brand name, championship titles, and picturesque performances.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson: He, along with Larry Bird, re-vitalized the sport and helped save the league from declining interest to set up the NBA as the entertainment juggernaut it is today. His "Showtime" brand of basketball defied convention and set the standard for that style of play. He's won championships playing whatever position was necessary and served as an inspirational figure in the fight against HIV and AIDS. His business ventures include re-invigorating areas of urban decay and the storied Dodgers franchise.

Lew Alcindor / Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: A figure of dominance, from high school through the professional ranks, who prompted the NCAA to temporarily ban dunking in order to maintain competitive balance only to see him adapt and develop "the skyhook", considered the most unstoppable shot of all-time. He would go on to occupy many all-time NBA records due to his longevity for excellence.

Clippers/Braves

Ralph Lawler

Blake Griffin

Chris Paul

Randy Smith

Honorable Mention: Danny Manning

NBA: Jordan, Bird, Russell, Johnson

Have to break my Clipper list into personal favorites, and a list without personal bias.

Personal: Quentin Richardson (whole reason I got into basketball), Erik Piaktowski (Polish Rifle, how can you hate him?), Sam Cassell, Elton Brand

Actual: Milph, Brand, Cassell, Paul

Milph? Who? Lol

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ejftw wrote:

mttwlsn16 wrote:Milph? Who? Lol

Sent from my SCH-I545 using RealGM Forums mobile app

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPC-HV2kM1M

[tweet]https://twitter.com/espn/status/697561960871636992[/tweet]

Ranma wrote:Lew Alcindor / Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: A figure of dominance, from high school through the professional ranks, who prompted the NCAA to temporarily ban dunking in order to maintain competitive balance only to see him adapt and develop "the skyhook", considered the most unstoppable shot of all-time. He would go on to occupy many all-time NBA records due to his longevity for excellence.

I actually think Kareem was the greatest player ever- even over Jordan. People tend to remember the old broken down Kareem, but in '70s and early '80s he was great- very athletic actually.

In terms of Clippers- 1. CP3 2. Randy Smith 3. Maggette 4. Griffin 5. Jordan (perhaps McAdoo, but I think of him as more of a PF)