Who Are Your Top 10 Players All Time (In Order)?

[ty 4191]

With so much discussion of Duncan, Curry, Bird, and others being top 10 or "potentially top 10", and, with Real GM not having a Top 100 Project in a couple years, I'm genuinely curious where/how our current members rank the greatest players of all time.

I'm also trying to formulate an ordinal top 10 for the first time ever, and I'm really struggling. I'd love to learn from everyone here, who are more knowledgable than me about NBA history.

Thanks, everyone, and please discuss!

[ty 4191]

My (VERY) tentative Top 10:

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

[NbaAllDay]

LBJ
Jordan
Kareem
Russell
Magic
Duncan
Wilt
Bird
Shaq
Hakeem

There is obviously always hype around Kobe but nothing measurable stacks up to most of the above e outside of maybe hakeem/shaq.

Curry is very much the man of the moment but I'd need to see this level for another few years before I can see him in the top 10. It's not a "get 1 more rang and you are a lock" because that analysis is too simplistic. 2-3 Superstar level years and its a possibility.

Then I start look at the Wade's and Dirks etc. I haven't put as much thought into anyone past that.

Note:.I've taken more of a liberty with Russell and Wilt and relied on more knowledge posters and cross refernced their research to put Russell and Wilt in these spots although I'm not overly confident in them.

As for the others I am confident in how they are measured to be in those positions given e or take some moves from 5-10.

[KGtabake]

1. Wilt
2. MJ
3. LeBron
4. Jabbar
5. Duncan
6. Bird
7. Shaq
8. Kobe
9. Steph
10. Magic

[Dutchball97]

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

[ty 4191]

1. Wilt
2. MJ
3. LeBron
4. Jabbar
5. Duncan
6. Bird
7. Shaq
8. Kobe
9. Steph
10. Magic

LOVE this list (especially Wilt as GOAT where I think he belongs). But where is Russell?

[LAL1947]

1) MJ
2) Wilt
3) Lebron
4) Larry
5) Kobe
6) Magic
7) Hakeem
8) Kareem
9) Shaq
10) Duncan
*11) Russell

[Statlanta]

1. Jordan
2. Russell
3. Abdul-Jabbar
4. Duncan
5. James
6. O'Neal
7. Chamberlain
8. Johnson
9. Olajuwon
10. Bryant

[Narigo]

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

[falcolombardi]

1 A- Lebron james
1 B- kareem abdul jabbar
2 A- Michael jordan
2 B- Bill russel
5- tim duncan
6- shaq
7-wilt
8-hakeem
9-Magic
10- someone among kobe/oscar/west/curry/Bird/maybe garnett

i am unsure how to rank mikan but he could easily make a top 10 based on era level of dominance even with healtht handicap applied to era

[migya]

Chamberlain
Jordan
Kareem
Russell
Lebron
Bird
Magic
Duncan
Olajuwon
Shaq

[ceiling raiser]

Jordan
Russell
LeBron
Magic
Duncan
Kareem
Shaq
Garnett
Curry
Hakeem

HM: Robinson, Dirk, Robertson. Still don’t know what to do with Wilt; he’s not necessarily 14th or worse. I could see him as high as 6th if I was convinced of his defensive impact/big man passing being at the GOAT level.

[wojoaderge]

1. KAJ
2. MJ
3. LBJ
4. Wilt
5. Russell
6. Bird
7. Magic
8. Duncan
9. Mikan
10. tbd

[Dutchball97]

Jordan
Russell
LeBron
Magic
Duncan
Kareem
Shaq
Garnett
Curry
Hakeem

HM: Robinson, Dirk, Robertson. Still don’t know what to do with Wilt; he’s not necessarily 14th or worse. I could see him as high as 6th if I was convinced of his defensive impact/big man passing being at the GOAT level.

How would you explain Magic at 4 but Bird out of the top 10?

[ceiling raiser]

Jordan
Russell
LeBron
Magic
Duncan
Kareem
Shaq
Garnett
Curry
Hakeem

HM: Robinson, Dirk, Robertson. Still don’t know what to do with Wilt; he’s not necessarily 14th or worse. I could see him as high as 6th if I was convinced of his defensive impact/big man passing being at the GOAT level.

How would you explain Magic at 4 but Bird out of the top 10?

(1) Magic has more quality seasons
(2) Magic was a better defender
(3) Bird declined more in the playoffs
(4) Magic led GOAT offenses

I view Magic as an immortal player, almost akin to Russell.

[freypies]

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

HM: Wilt, Garnett, Kobe

[capfan33]

1. LBJ
2. MJ
3. Kareem
4. Duncan
5. Hakeem
6. Wilt
7. Shaq
8. Russell
9. Magic
10. Bird

[ardee]

LeBron
Jordan
Kareem
Shaq
Russell
Wilt
Duncan
Magic
Kobe
Hakeem

Have moved Shaq up from 6 to 4 recently.

[ardee]

Jordan
Russell
LeBron
Magic
Duncan
Kareem
Shaq
Garnett
Curry
Hakeem

HM: Robinson, Dirk, Robertson. Still don’t know what to do with Wilt; he’s not necessarily 14th or worse. I could see him as high as 6th if I was convinced of his defensive impact/big man passing being at the GOAT level.

Wow, that is very high on Magic. How do you reconcile his lack of longevity?

[ceiling raiser]

Wow, that is very high on Magic. How do you reconcile his lack of longevity?

I am increasingly higher on his peak, and think he was close to his peak for most of his career. We have some limited +/- data that Squared 2020 produced that made me rethink.

At the same time, I am also considering moving Jordan down, and moving Kobe up significantly. I have wondered for a while -- what if Jordan actually was just a neutral defender for his career? His profile is similar to Dr. J, who looks pedestrian by +/- data. One counterpoint though, I think Jordan was likely at an MVP level from his rookie year.

I really have changed how I think about players a lot though. My process now is:

(1) Establish regular season baselines
(2) Evaluate playoffs on series-by-series basis
(3) Adjust for portability/ceiling raising ability

Part of why I moved Bird down and have begun to bump down Kareem and Hakeem.

I think in a month or so my GOAT list will look very different than it has for the past 5-10 years.