He changed the way the game is played

[GQ Hot Dog]

We hear this a lot, who most deserves this compliment? I guess it's players that were not only great, but played in a unique or unprecedented style that those that came after tried to emulate.

I'll go first by picking the first player that "changed the way the game is played."

George Mikan

[CumberlandPosey]

Going way back i would say joe lapchick.together with the original celtics he basically invented modern hoops.examples are the pivot play or the give and go.both fundamental plays everbody uses nowadays.
Earliest jumpshooters also really changed the game a lot.some names are joe fulks,kenny sailors,belus smawley,johnny adams,whitey skoog or bud palmer.true pioneers.
Marques haynes or even earlier fats jenkins pioneered how to actually dribble or manipulate the basketball.
Mister bill russell made blocking and defending an integral part of the game.speaking of above the clouds...
The game became airborne with elgin baylor.dolph schayes was the first great big with unlimited range.kind of a blueprint for every finesse shooting big.
Wilt made everything one knew about ball obsolete....

Edit
Steph curry steph curry steph curry steph curry steph curry steph curry steph curry steph curry steph curry steph curry steph curry

[Rn5ho]

Dirk.

[gorz]

Draymond Green..tweeners are now acceptable bc of him.

[Showdown]

Divac, Del POC, Ginobili

[jumpinmp]

Draymond Green..tweeners are now acceptable bc of him.

Tweeners with great skill sets were always acceptable. Especially if they were good on D.

[unclewai]

Patrick McCaw changed the ring chasing game.

[TimRobbins]

Magic, Dr. J, Larry Bird, Barkley, Steph Curry, Dirk

[NuggetsWY]

1936 - Offensive 3 Second Rule - Leroy Edwards (reduce lane dominance)
1945 - Defensive goal tending - George Mikan & Bob Kurland (NCAA first)
1951 - Expand lane's width - George Mikan (reduce his offensive impact)
1954 - 24 Second Shot Clock - George Mikan (teams wanted to limit his possessions)
1964 - Free throw plane - prohibit free throw shooter from crossing free-throw line (Chamberlain would rush the basket)
1967 - NCAA only - prohibted dunking until 1975 - called the Lew Alcindor Rule
1970 - Pistol Pete Maravich - dribbling & passing in a "new way" (a few preceded him, but he took it to new levels)
2009 - Steph Curry - 3pt shooting at a new level (some preceded him, but he took it to new levels)

[iLLmatic860]

Curry changed the game forever

Theres gonna be so many undersized guards in the future that make the NBA because of having extended range from behind the arc

[Bolivar]

1964 - Free throw plane - prohibit free throw shooter from crossing free-throw line (Chamberlain would rush the basket)

Um what, you could just dunk or lay-up a free throw before that?

[2020]

Shaquille O’Neil - dump it down low to the big man

[2020]

Dirk.

He made it okay to be a soft big man.

[Prokorov]

Wilt.... quite literally. he is the reason they had to put in the shot clock

[CeltsfanSinceBirth]

Wilt.... quite literally. he is the reason they had to put in the shot clock

Lol. The shot clock was already put in because the NBA didn't want to see scores of 25-23 due to teams running out the clock once they got the lead. Already there before Wilt entered the league. So was the 3 second rule, but nonetheless, Wilt was still a dominant player.

[dhsilv2]

Curry changed the game forever

Theres gonna be so many undersized guards in the future that make the NBA because of having extended range from behind the arc

"undersized" - about a 6'3 190+ pound guard...

[dhsilv2]

Wilt.... quite literally. he is the reason they had to put in the shot clock

There are legit rules that were created because of wilt...and yet you go with one that was already in place before he came into the league?

[HeartBreakKid]

Curry changed the game forever

Theres gonna be so many undersized guards in the future that make the NBA because of having extended range from behind the arc

Stephen Curry isn't remotely undersized. He has almost the prototypical size for a PG...

[CumberlandPosey]

1936 - Offensive 3 Second Rule - Leroy Edwards (reduce lane dominance)
1945 - Defensive goal tending - George Mikan & Bob Kurland (NCAA first)
1951 - Expand lane's width - George Mikan (reduce his offensive impact)
1954 - 24 Second Shot Clock - George Mikan (teams wanted to limit his possessions)
1964 - Free throw plane - prohibit free throw shooter from crossing free-throw line (Chamberlain would rush the basket)
1967 - NCAA only - prohibted dunking until 1975 - called the Lew Alcindor Rule
1970 - Pistol Pete Maravich - dribbling & passing in a "new way" (a few preceded him, but he took it to new levels)
2009 - Steph Curry - 3pt shooting at a new level (some preceded him, but he took it to new levels)

excellent post.its a shame that cowboy isnt in the hof.dont agree with mikan and the installment of the shotclock though.imo there were more severe and pressing reasons than the dominance of big george.

[iLLmatic860]

Curry changed the game forever

Theres gonna be so many undersized guards in the future that make the NBA because of having extended range from behind the arc

Stephen Curry isn't remotely undersized. He has almost the prototypical size for a PG...

Im sorry thats not what I mean

Im saying is theres alot of people who are in the 5’11-6’2 range that been told all their life that they will be too short to play in the league because of the way the game was played. Well now that the game has changed this gives them hope and will inspire kids to be the next Steph. I just feel like we are going to see alot of undersized guards that make the league because they have extended range.