RealGM Top 10 GOAT Straw Poll

[ronnymac2]

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2. Michael Jordan
3. Shaquille O'Neal
4. Hakeem Olajuwon
5. Magic Johnson
6. Bill Russell
7. Wilt Chamberlain
8. LeBron James
9. Larry Bird
10. Tim Duncan

Very rough. I probably need to rethink how I make this thing, but this list seems all right.

[MacGill]

MJ
Russell
Magic
Shaq
Hakeem
Duncan
KAJ
LBJ
Bird
Wilt

Probably will come back to this.

[Sasaki]

MJ
Russell
Kareem
Magic
Duncan
Shaq
Hakeem
Bird
Wilt
LeBron

[ardee]

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2. Michael Jordan
3. Shaquille O'Neal
4. Hakeem Olajuwon
5. Magic Johnson
6. Bill Russell
7. Wilt Chamberlain
8. LeBron James
9. Larry Bird
10. Tim Duncan

Very rough. I probably need to rethink how I make this thing, but this list seems all right.

Where do you have Kobe?

[Moonbeam]

Very tough exercise, but...

1. Michael Jordan
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
3. Wilt Chamberlain
4. Bill Russell
5. Shaquille O'Neal
6. Magic Johnson
7. Tim Duncan
8. LeBron James
9. Larry Bird
10. Jerry West

[Texas Chuck]

Mr William Russell
Mike
KAJ
Magic
Shaq
Duncan
Lebron
Bird
Wilt
Dream

Off the top. Don't hold me to that if we do a top 100 and Im allowed to participate. I'm really solid on 1-3. And I feel good about the next 3, but ordering them is really tough.

[Quotatious]

Jordan
Russell
Wilt
Kareem
Magic
Duncan
LeBron
Bird
Kobe
Shaq

Why no Dream? I know you're a Kobe guy, and I'm not saying it's wrong, not judging you at all - I'm just genuinely curious.

[colts18]

No bird?

Bird's playoff track record is weaker than Kobe or LeBron's. Plus his longevity was weak.

[RSCD3_]

In 1 minute or less

Jordan
Russell
Kareem
Shaq
Hakeem
Duncan
Magic
Wilt
LeBron
Bird


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[ardee]

Jordan
Russell
Wilt
Kareem
Magic
Duncan
LeBron
Bird
Kobe
Shaq

Why no Dream? I know you're a Kobe guy, and I'm not saying it's wrong, not judging you at all - I'm just genuinely curious.

I'm a bigger fan of Hakeem's '93-'95 seasons than many... I have his peak in my top 5, but it's the fact that I think his zenith was such a big outlier that makes me not so big on the rest of his career.

He had a strong rookie year in '85, was great in '86 and '87, among the best in the league. He has a monster Playoffs in '88 but then his career just went neither here nor there. Understandably he didn't have the best of coaching but people never make that excuse for Nash or even Durant right now... I feel he really stagnated between '88 and '92. That's five years where he was never really in contention for the best in the league, or even top 5.

I know people turn their nose up at accolades here but I think that his being in the MVP top 3 only twice is a good indicator of his career inconsistency.

Look, I have him at 11: he's right there. I just think Duncan/Kobe/Shaq had a greater breadth of work, even if possibly none of them peaked as high as he did.

[JordansBulls]

1. Michael Jordan
2. Bill Russell
3. Kareem
4. Magic Johnson
5. Tim Duncan
6. Hakeem Olajuwon
7. Shaquille O'neal
8. Larry Bird
9. Kobe Bryant
10. Lebron James

[The Infamous1]

No bird?

Bird's playoff track record is weaker than Kobe or LeBron's. Plus his longevity was weak.

Id like to see Bryant post shaq(06-12) Playoff body of work Vs birds. Like series W/L record with HCA record against 50 win teams/ different SRS teams etc

[PaulieWal]

Very rough list, I will probably think about it more and reevaluate a few players:

1. MJ
2. KAJ
3. Russell
4. Wilt
5. Magic
6. Shaq
7. Duncan?
8. LeBron
8. Bird?
10. Kobe

My main concerns are with switching Duncan and Shaq, and right now I have Bird tied with LeBron for 8 but I think I am going to make LeBron the official #8 and Bird 9.

[MacGill]

Very surprised to see some leaving out Hakeem here?? Greatest 2 way center ever in my opinion. Very questionable in what some may value here to not have him your top 10 in comparison to others with perhaps simply more team accomplishments.

[andrewww]

Michael Jordan
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Bill Russell
Magic Johnson
Wilt Chamberlain
Larry Bird
Hakeem Olajuwon
Shaquille O'Neal
Tim Duncan
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James

[Massamba]

1. Jordan
2. Kareem
3. Magic
4. Duncan
5. Bird
6. Shaq
7. Robertson ( Just for the stats. Never watched any game)
8. LeBron
9. Russel ( never watched any game, but the guy has 11 rings. Even if it wasn't competitive as it is today, it's great)
10. Hakeem

[WhateverBro]

1. Jordan
2. Kareem
3. Russell
4. Hakeem
5. Shaq
6. LeBron
7. Magic
8. Duncan
9. Garnett
10. Bird

[RayBan-Sematra]

Here is my current list.

1. Jordan
2. Kareem
3. Shaq
4. Russell
5. Magic
6. Duncan
7. Hakeem
8. Wilt
9. Lebron
10. Kobe

Notes :
*Wilt as always is very hard to place (as is Russell)
*Lebron is very hard to place since he is the new member of the Top 10
*Often struggle with the order of the guys in my 4-6 or even 4-7
*10 spot seemingly has multiple candidates. Still don't feel comfortable leaving Bird out.

[Colbinii]

1. Jordan
2. Kareem
3. Magic
4. Duncan
5. Bird
6. Shaq
7. Robertson ( Just for the stats. Never watched any game)
8. LeBron
9. Russel ( never watched any game, but the guy has 11 rings. Even if it wasn't competitive as it is today, it's great)
10. Hakeem

How do you have Robertson over LeBron for stats when you don't account for pace or level of defense played?

[D Nice]

All of the Oscar in this thread (probably by a bunch of teenagers) gives me a headache. Not sure what's worse between having him as a top 10 player, or Kevin Garnett. Seems that the 1000-post filter is pretty inadequate (and that a bunch of posters have problems reading and following directions...what a surprise!)

1. Jordan
2. Kareem
3. Russell
4. Magic
5. Shaq
6. Duncan
7. Hakeem
8. Lebron
9. Wilt
10. Kobe
HM: Larry

Russell and Wilt are by far the toughest players to rank, as others have touched on. Any spot #2-#11 is fine with me for either guy. Most other spots I'm pretty solid on, give or take +/- 1 or 2 spots.