Hoopshype ranks the top 77 NBA players of all-time (spoiler: Kevin Garnett is not #9)

[DimesandKnicks]

Is shooting 39 percent really dominating though?

Russell shot in the mid 40s, West in the high to mid 40s, and Wilt in the 50s?

Yes, it's dominating when you're shooting .428 on high volume when the league average is .357 like in 1950-51.

Your kind of making my point

[hauntedcomputer]

Hatred of the past was institutionalized and propagandized by Stern, who didn't want the founders getting pensions (Mikan included, who led the charge for pensions, and was basically shunted out of the history books because of it.) It's deep in the fandom zeitgeist and reinforced constantly to this day. Russell and Kareem being activists certainly didn't help their reps and media coverage. Russell's love was very late in his life aside from Celtics fans.

You'll never hear anybody say Freddie Freeman is better than Lou Gehrig, or Ezekiel Elliott is better than Jim Brown (although you can make a very strong era-agnostic argument that Otto Graham was better than Tom Brady.)

But it's nearly impossible to overcome biases even if you know you have them.

[Masigond]

Is shooting 39 percent really dominating though?

Russell shot in the mid 40s, West in the high to mid 40s, and Wilt in the 50s?

Yes, it's dominating when you're shooting .428 on high volume when the league average is .357 like in 1950-51.

Your kind of making my point

I understand your point, but I disagree. It's not about comparing the actual play of former players to more modern players, it's about comparing their careers in their respective eras. Sure, you can do that like a list of the best cars ever, which - when only regarding their technical ability and performance - would mean that there can by no means a best car from the 60s or 80s. Let's ignore all those legendary Ferraris, Mustangs and so on. They are crap in comparison. But when it comes to the respective legend building status and the significance for automobile history, how does a modern Kia EV6 compare to a Jaguar E-Type, hm?