Has the best player of every decade other than the 90's played for the Lakers?

[KGtabake]

Bill Russell and Larry Bird played for the Celtics.
From now and on, i don't think that neither of Giannis/Luka will play for the Lakers.

[Fencer reregistered]

George Mikan was the best player of the 1940s, not the 1950s. Mikan made his last All-NBA team in 1953-4.

Cousy, Pettit and Russell are all ahead of him if we look at the 1950s alone. (Cousy, for example, was All-NBA First Team every season of the decade from 1951-2 onward, won an MVP award, and then ranked high in the MVP voting for several more years.

[Topofthekey]

As mentioned, best player of the 2000s was Tim Duncan

[Paddy Brosso]

Best player of the 2000's... let's see.
I'd say from 2000 to 2005: 1st Shaq 2nd Duncan 3rd Kobe. And from 2005 to 2010: 1st Kobe 2nd LeBron 3rd Duncan.
But if we have to take into account the whole decade I'd say Tim Duncan, model of consistency, excellence and basketball IQ.
So in the 90's we have Jordan and in the 2000's Duncan. The rest of decades are clear (50's Mikan, 60's Wilt/Russell, 70's KAJ, 80's Magic /Bird, 2010's LeBron)

[Gooner]

Kobe had more talent than Duncan, and he accomplished more, so he is clearly the best of 00's.

[AdagioPace]

Kobe had more talent around him than Duncan had, and he accomplished more, so he is clearly the best of 00's.

FIFY

[Gooner]

Kobe had more talent around him than Duncan had, and he accomplished more, so he is clearly the best of 00's.

FIFY

I agree with that, although it was close in 2008, when Kobe spanked the Spurs. Duncan had Parker and Ginobili, let's not forget that.

[OdomFan]

I think Kobe has just as much of a case for 2000 as Duncan. They both played under great coaches and had great teammates throughout the decade. They're just different types of players.

Kobe was more selfish than Duncan, but that worked for him as the opposite did for Duncan within Pop's system, but when it comes down to it both were great leaders for their squad.

Wilt for 60s
Kareem for 70s
Magic and Brd have a case for the 80s
MJ for the 90s
Duncan and Kobe as said before for 00s
Lebron or KD for 10s
Giannis or Luka for 00s thus far

[Optms]

Kobe was better than Duncan during that ten year stretch. And if we go by the current era, Kobe easily is more valuable.

[pickIBL]

Timmy is definitely than man of the 2000s.

I know Magic was a really good player. I know he'll always be tied to Bird in history. But my basketball snobishness turns up at how high people rate him. And I know most have never really seen more than highlights.

If prime Bird and Magic are on the board I cant imagine rolling with anyone but Bird.

Hell if Gary Payton was picking right after me Magic would still be waiting because he'd pick John Stockton over Magic.

[TheSheriff]

Kobe was not the best player of the 2000s. It’s not really close. It was Duncan. KG has a decent claim as being as good as Kobe during that decade.

1980s was Bird. Though Magic obviously has a very good case.

1960s was Russell. Pre-Lakers Wilt has a very good case.

1950s. Dolph Schayes, Paul Arizin, Neil Johnston and Bob Cousy all were better than Mikan in the 1950s.

[prophet_of_rage]

Kobe had more talent than Duncan, and he accomplished more, so he is clearly the best of 00's.

Neither of those statements is true.

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[r0drig0lac]

lmao kobe

2000s was Tim Duncan, 1980s was Larry Bird

this

[Fencer reregistered]

What happens if we break the decades differently, eg. 1955-64 and so on?

Prehistory-1954 Mikan
1955-64 Russell
1965-74 Wilt
1975-84 Kareem
1985-94 Jordan
1995-2004 Shaq
2005-14 LeBron
2015-present ??

It seems like there would be less room for argument with those breakpoints. Bird, Magic and Duncan get shafted by things being split that way, but that will happen to some guys in any case.

Pretty much anyway one slices it, the candidates will mainly be Lakers, Celtics, Jordan, LeBron, and Duncan, until the past few seasons when Curry/Harden/Durant enter the discussion too.

[dhsilv2]

Really zero case for Kobe in the 00's, that's frankly at this point an odd take, and it's crazy people are still going there. Tough to put Wilt over Russell...and likely wrong. Then while I have magic over bird career...I think the 80's has to go to Bird. But Magic had two MVP level years to start the 90's which imo moved him over Bird career.

[dhsilv2]

What happens if we break the decades differently, eg. 1955-64 and so on?

Prehistory-1954 Mikan
1955-64 Russell
1965-74 Wilt
1975-84 Kareem
1985-94 Jordan
1995-2004 Shaq
2005-14 LeBron
2015-present ??

It seems like there would be less room for argument with those breakpoints. Bird, Magic and Duncan get shafted by things being split that way, but that will happen to some guys in any case.

Pretty much anyway one slices it, the candidates will mainly be Lakers, Celtics, Jordan, LeBron, and Duncan, until the past few seasons when Curry/Harden/Durant enter the discussion too.

By 71 Kareem was the clear best player. Jordan wasn't even in the league in 94 and barely played in 86. Bird should absolutely have it from 84-86 where he won 3 straight MVPs and 2 titles. I won't even bother with shaq and lebron but...no

[Fencer reregistered]

What happens if we break the decades differently, eg. 1955-64 and so on?

Prehistory-1954 Mikan
1955-64 Russell
1965-74 Wilt
1975-84 Kareem
1985-94 Jordan
1995-2004 Shaq
2005-14 LeBron
2015-present ??

It seems like there would be less room for argument with those breakpoints. Bird, Magic and Duncan get shafted by things being split that way, but that will happen to some guys in any case.

Pretty much anyway one slices it, the candidates will mainly be Lakers, Celtics, Jordan, LeBron, and Duncan, until the past few seasons when Curry/Harden/Durant enter the discussion too.

By 71 Kareem was the clear best player. Jordan wasn't even in the league in 94 and barely played in 86. Bird should absolutely have it from 84-86 where he won 3 straight MVPs and 2 titles. I won't even bother with shaq and lebron but...no

Yes, Kareem ended the decade I cited Wilt for as the best player on the planet.
Yes, Bird started the decade I cited Jordan for as the best player on the planet.
I stand by my picks even so.

[KG Leonard]

Russell has no case for the 60s because his legendary team of Hall famers won more than Wilt.

Wilt is arguably the most dominant offensive player ever, the guy destroyed Russell vs individual in most of their playoff games. His playoff career was like Lebron in 2015 finals losing to better team but they couldnt slow him down


Duncan is best of 2000s but Wilt not being best player of 1960s is imo like saying Curry or Durant is the best of 2010 over Lebron. Because they won over him with those weaker Cavs. Rings are not everything,Wilt is potential GOAT with 13 seasons,Russell never had that level of offensive talent.

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[dhsilv2]

What happens if we break the decades differently, eg. 1955-64 and so on?

Prehistory-1954 Mikan
1955-64 Russell
1965-74 Wilt
1975-84 Kareem
1985-94 Jordan
1995-2004 Shaq
2005-14 LeBron
2015-present ??

It seems like there would be less room for argument with those breakpoints. Bird, Magic and Duncan get shafted by things being split that way, but that will happen to some guys in any case.

Pretty much anyway one slices it, the candidates will mainly be Lakers, Celtics, Jordan, LeBron, and Duncan, until the past few seasons when Curry/Harden/Durant enter the discussion too.

By 71 Kareem was the clear best player. Jordan wasn't even in the league in 94 and barely played in 86. Bird should absolutely have it from 84-86 where he won 3 straight MVPs and 2 titles. I won't even bother with shaq and lebron but...no

Yes, Kareem ended the decade I cited Wilt for as the best player on the planet.
Yes, Bird started the decade I cited Jordan for as the best player on the planet.
I stand by my picks even so.

Edit

well dang, I read this wrong. Apologies for that. I didn't see how you shifted decades.

[dhsilv2]

Russell has no case for the 60s because his legendary team of Hall famers won more than Wilt.

Wilt is arguably the most dominant offensive player ever, the guy destroyed Russell vs individual in most of their playoff games. His playoff career was like Lebron in 2015 finals losing to better team but they couldnt slow him down


Duncan is best of 2000s but Wilt not being best player of 1960s is imo like saying Curry or Durant is the best of 2010 over Lebron. Because they won over him with those weaker Cavs. Rings are not everything,Wilt is potential GOAT with 13 seasons,Russell never had that level of offensive talent.

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Russell is seen as the better player because he was the better basketball player, not because he won more. The winning lead people to taking more time to figure out why, where they discovered that while Wilt was a good offensive player, he's nowhere near one of the most dominate offensive players (he was far better defensive player than he was offensively) and that Russell had more impact on defense than anyone has ever had in nba history and by a margin.