RealGM

RULES:
There will be a zero tolerance, one strike policy. If ANY poster is interrupting any of the threads in a negative way, OR causing any problems they're ability to vote will be taken away.

Criteria: Take into account both peak and career play, era dominance, impact on the game of basketball, and how well their style of play and skills would transcend onto different eras. To be more exact, how great they were at playing the game of basketball.

Voting Will End In 2 Days

Please vote and nominate

Newest addition:

Charles Barkley

# NBA MVP (1991)
# 5 times 1st Team All-NBA
# 5 times 2nd Team All-NBA
# 1 time 3rd Team All-NBA
# 11 times All-Star
# All-Star MVP 1991
# Hall of Fame 2006

LeBron James

# 2x NBA MVP (2009-2010)
# 5x All-NBA First Team Selection (2006-2011)
# 2x All-NBA Second Team Selection (2005-2006)
# 3x NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (2009-2011)
# Rookie of the Year (2004)
# 7x All-Star
# 2xNBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008)

Kevin Garnett

# NBA Champion (2009)
# NBA MVP (2004)
# 4x All-NBA First Team Selection (2000,2003-2004, 2008)
# 3x All-NBA Second Team Selection (2001-2002, 2005)
# 2x All-NBA Third Team Selection (1999, 2007)
# NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2008)
# 9x NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (2000-2005, 2008-2009, 2011)
# 2x NBA All-Defensive Second Team Selection (2006-2007)
# 14x All-Star
# NBA All-Star Game MVP (2004)

Oscar Robertson

* NBA Champion (1971)
* NBA MVP (1964)
* NBA Rookie of the Year (1961)
* 3x NBA All-Star Game MVP (1961, 1964, 1969)
* 9× All-NBA First Team Selection (1961-1969)
* 2× All-NBA Second Team Selection (1970-1971)
* 12× All-Star (1961-1972)
* Voted to the HOF in 1980
* NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team

Jerry West

* NBA Champion (1972)
* NBA Finals MVP (1969)
* 14× All-Star (1961-1974)
* NBA All-Star Game MVP (1972)
* 10× All-NBA First Team Selection (1962-1967, 1970-1973)
* 2× All-NBA Second Team Selection (1968-1969)
* 4X NBA All-Defense Team Selection (1970-1973)
* 1X NBA All-Defense Team Selection (1969)
* Voted to the Hall of Fame in 1980
* NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team

Karl Malone

# 2x NBA MVP (1997, 1999)
# 14x NBA All-Star (1970-1977, 1979-1989)
# 2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (1989, 1993)
# 11x All-NBA First Team Selection (1988-1999)
# 2x All-NBA Second Team Selection (1986-2000)
# 1x All-NBA Third Team Selectin (2001)
# 3x NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (1997-1999)
# 6x NBA All-Defensive Second Team Selection (1988)
# 1986 All-Rookie 1st Team
# Elected to the Basketball HOF in 2010 as a player

Moses Malone

* 1x NBA Champion 1983 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
* 3x MVP (1979, 1982, 1983)
* 12x NBA All-Star (1978-1989), 1x ABA All-Star (1975)
* 4x All-NBA First Team Selection (1979, 1982, 1983, 1985)
* 4x All-NBA Second Team Selection (1980, 1981, 1984, 1987)
* 1x NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (1983)
* 1x NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team Selection (1979)
* 1x NBA Finals MVP (1983)
* All Rookie Team (ABA 1975)
* Basketball HOF Player (2001)

Julius Erving

NBA Champion (1983)
2× ABA Champion (1974, 1976)
2× ABA Playoffs MVP (1974, 1976)
NBA Most Valuable Player (1981)
3× ABA Most Valuable Player (1974–1976)
11× NBA All-Star (1977–1987)
5× ABA All-Star (1972–1976)
2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1977, 1983)
5× All-NBA First Team (1978, 1980–1983)
2× All-NBA Second Team (1977, 1984)
4× All-ABA First Team (1973–1976)
All-ABA Second Team (1972)
ABA All-Defensive First Team (1976)
ABA All-Rookie First Team (1972)
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (1983)
NBA 35th Anniversary Team
ABA All-Time Team
NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team

Kobe Bryant

5× NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)
2× NBA Finals MVP (2009–2010)
NBA Most Valuable Player (2008)
13× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000–2011)
2× NBA scoring champion (2006–2007)
9× All-NBA First Team (2002–2004, 2006–2011)
2× All-NBA Second Team (2000–2001)
2× All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2005)
9× All-Defensive First Team (2000, 2003–2004, 2006–2011)
2× All-Defensive Second Team (2001–2002)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997)
4× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011)

Hakeem Olajuwon

* 2x NBA Champion (1994, 1995)
* 1x NBA MVP (1994)
* 12x All-Star (1985-1990, 1992-1997)
* 2x Finals MVP (1994-1995)
* 2x NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1993-1994)
* 6x All-NBA First Team Selection (1987-1989, 1993-1994, 1997)
* 3x All-NBA Second Team Selection (1986, 1990, 1996)
* 3x All-NBA Third Team Selection (1991, 1995, 1999)
* 5x NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (1987-1988, 1990, 1993-1994)
* 4x NBA All-Defensive Second Team Selection (1985, 1991, 1996-1997)
* 1985 NBA All-Rookie Team
* NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team

Now let's have the real Hakeem v. Kobe debate before I vote

For that matter, let's have a George Mikan v. David Robinson debate before I nominate

I am seriously tempted to start the project at the 24 second clock so I don't have to figure out where Mikan (and Mikkelson/Pollard/Martin/Fulks etc.) should be but none of the other ones we have done did that so I guess no shortcuts.

P.S. Is anyone able to see the images of LeBron and Garnett? I may have to repost them again . . .

penbeast0 wrote:P.S. Is anyone able to see the images of LeBron and Garnett? I may have to repost them again . . .

I don't. But I do see Barkley's

Vote: Hakeem (wow - again)
Nominate: Dirk

And I disagree - there is no debate here. Hakeem is the last of the elites (Karl Malone would be the closest but he never had the peak. KG could squeeze in there but he lacks the longevity.)

While I give Hakeem credit for turning around the Rockets franchise and taken a team that never won anything to a 2x champion, I just don't think he has enough accolades overall to be ahead of Kobe.

Vote: Kobe
Nominate: Mikan
If not eligible then Nominate: Clyde Drexler

penbeast0 wrote:I am seriously tempted to start the project at the 24 second clock so I don't have to figure out where Mikan (and Mikkelson/Pollard/Martin/Fulks etc.) should be

Very good idea. One huge problem will be gone.

Vote Hakeem
Nominate Mikan

For me all I need to know is, given the choice would I rather have Hakeem or Kobe? I would rather have Hakeem and I don't need to think about it that much.

Out of curiosity...where does Havlicek come into play, in terms of nominations?

In other lists I've seen, he's ranked quite high. In my own personal list, I have him top 20, but I admit that's based off name only...I'm curious to know where most people here rank him?

Vote: Hakeem
Nominate: Dirk

penbeast0 wrote:
I am seriously tempted to start the project at the 24 second clock so I don't have to figure out where Mikan (and Mikkelson/Pollard/Martin/Fulks etc.)

Yeah, do this. Most of us would want this, I am pretty sure.

Vote: Kobe

Nomination: Mikan


Not sure what else can be said, that I haven't already. Kobe's the best periemeter player of his era, and a Top 3 backcourt player of alltime. He's got a Top 3 skillset ever, endless accoaldes, numerous records, elite offensive & defensive talent, and one of the top career resumes in NBA hsitory.

I was a big fan of Hakeem's, but Kobe's the better player, had the better career, and my pick for #9.

For the two of you that have already admitted to using accolades: why? Isn't this project supposed to ignore those and focus on the player himself?

Vote: Kobe
Nominate: Dirk

Gongxi wrote:For the two of you that have already admitted to using accolades: why? Isn't this project supposed to ignore those and focus on the player himself?

Well, it's kinda hard to ignore them when they're listed under each player's photo in the 1st post.

But they're not a big factor in the decision-making process for me.

therealbig3 wrote:Out of curiosity...where does Havlicek come into play, in terms of nominations?

In other lists I've seen, he's ranked quite high. In my own personal list, I have him top 20, but I admit that's based off name only...I'm curious to know where most people here rank him?

There are still some big men who have to be pick before him (Pettit, Dirk, Robinson, Ewing and maybe few others) and I don't think Hondo should be nominated before Pippen or Barry either.

vote: Hakeem

nomination: Dirk (I assume that most of us agree that shot clock as start date is good idea. if not, I'm nominating Mikan)

Hakeem

Hakeem vs. Kobe isn't a debate, sorry. Kobe isn't as good as him, usually you can take the better career guy when players they are close impact wise, but Kobe is not in the same league. I don't know how you can watch say Kobe's playoff runs and then watch Hakeem's playoff runs and come out thinking their impact was comparable. Anyways, Kobe isn't a better playoff performer than him. Kobe doesn't have his two way impact (you just know someone is going to bring up all D selections and act like that matters). Kobe wasn't as valuable to his teams. Kobe's peak/prime isn't on the same plain. Kobe hasn't even really had more success than him (both have two rings as the best player and one MVP, and Hakeem faced stiffer competition/performed better). Would take/build around Hakeem over Kobe on my team 10 times out of 10. Kobe = great player, top 10 unquestionably for me, my favorite in the league right now but he really has no business being elevated over Hakeem.

Should have been voted couple of spots ago...

Vote: Hakeem
Nominate: Dirk

penbeast0 wrote:Now let's have the real Hakeem v. Kobe debate before I vote

The only debate we need right now is Dr J vs Moses for # 10, because I hope Hakeem easily would won #9.

Please don't edit in votes and nominations later; make a new post since I am likely to miss edited ones. Thanks.

Well, the choice for me seems obvious here.

Vote: Hakeem Olajuwon

Nomination: Dirk Nowitzki


After that it gets interesting, for #10 we can make a case for several players including Bryant, Erving and the Malone's.