defining player per 10 year stretches

[falcolombardi]

inspired by a comment doc made in another thread

example

90-99(late 90's): best player is michael jordan
2000-2009: best player is tim duncan
but best player in the 95-2004 stretch is probably neither but shaq instead

who are the best players across these 10 year stretches (evaluate them with the idea of defining THE player of that period under whatever criteris you think correct)

50-59:

55-64:

60-69:

65-74:

70-79:

75-84:

80-89:

85-94:

90-99:

95-04:

00-09:

05-14:

10-19:

15-24*: (so far)

[eminence]

50-59: Mikan
55-64: Russell
60-69: Russell
65-74: Wilt
70-79: Kareem
75-84: Kareem
80-89: Bird
85-94: Magic
90-99: MJ
95-04: Shaq
00-09: Duncan
05-14: LeBron
10-19: LeBron
15-24*: Curry

[RCM88x]

50-59: Mikan
55-64: Russell
60-69: Russell
65-74: Wilt
70-79: Kareem
75-84: Kareem
80-89: Bird
85-94: MJ
90-99: MJ
95-04: Shaq
00-09: Duncan
05-14: LeBron
10-19: LeBron
15-24*: Curry or Giannis

[Cavsfansince84]

50-59: Mikan
55-64: Russell
60-69: Russell
65-74: Wilt
70-79: Kareem
75-84: Kareem(slight case for Moses)
80-89: Bird or Magic given that Bird missed 89
85-94: Magic or MJ(I think I'd lean MJ)
90-99: MJ
95-04: Shaq
00-09: Duncan or Shaq(slight edge to Duncan)
05-14: LeBron
10-19: LeBron
15-24*: Curry but could still be Giannis or LeBron

[capfan33]

50-59: Mikan

55-64: Russell

60-69: Russell

65-74: Wilt (Russell and Kareem are really close)

70-79: Kareem

75-84: Kareem

80-89: Magic

85-94: MJ

90-99: MJ

95-04: Shaq

00-09: Actually have no idea, tentatively Duncan, then KG or Kobe

05-14: Lebron

10-19: Lebron

15-24*: (so far) Curry (Lebron is neck and neck, basically a toss-up)

[ardee]

50-59: Mikan

55-64: Russell

60-69: Russell

65-74: Wilt

70-79: Kareem

75-84: Kareem

80-89: Magic

85-94: Jordan

90-99: Jordan

95-04: Shaq

00-09: Kobe

05-14: LeBron

10-19: LeBron

15-24*: (so far) LeBron.

The last one might be controversial, but from 15-22, LeBron has 5 healthy years (15-18, 20) and 3 semi-injured years (19, 21, 22). Curry has 4 healthy years (15, 17, 19, 21), 1 mostly healthy year (16 (missed Playoff games)), 2 semi-injured years (18, 22) and one writeoff year (20). LeBron's average season was better too, and I'd probably take 2016-18 and 2020 all above Curry's best year. Easy choice.

[Dutchball97]

For 50-59 I'm surprised to see Mikan as everyone's choice so far. He was pretty much done after 54. I'd go with Schayes instead who was a star for all those years.

[LAL1947]

50-59: Mikan
55-64: Russell
60-69: Wilt
65-74: Wilt
70-79: Kareem
75-84: Kareem
80-89: Larry
85-94: Jordan
90-99: Jordan
95-04: Shaq
00-09: Kobe
05-14: LeBron
10-19: LeBron

15-24*: KD? Giannis? Curry? I'm unsure. There's arguments to be made for all 3.

An observation... the 4 who appear twice (Wilt, Kareem, Jordan, Lebron) would probably make the best Mt. Rushmore... as long as Bill Russell's Celtics are properly given credit as the Greatest Team Ever elsewhere.

For 50-59 I'm surprised to see Mikan as everyone's choice so far. He was pretty much done after 54. I'd go with Schayes instead who was a star for all those years.

I don't know about that era TBH, so I'm just going with Mikan due to peer pressure.

[70sFan]

50-59: Schayes? (Mikan was done after 1954)
55-64: Russell
60-69: Russell
65-74: Wilt
70-79: Kareem
75-84: Kareem
80-89: Bird
85-94: Magic
90-99: Jordan
95-04: Shaq
00-09: Duncan
05-14: LeBron
10-19: LeBron
15-24*: Curry (for now)

[euroleague]

50-59: Mikan

55-64:Russell

60-69: Wilt Chamberlain

65-74: Wilt Chamberlain

70-79: Kareem

75-84: Moses Malone

80-89: Larry Bird

85-94: Michael Jordan

90-99: Michael Jordan

95-04: Shaq

00-09: Shaq

05-14: LeBron

10-19: LeBron

15-24*: Curry

[Dutchball97]

For my full list:
50-59: Dolph Schayes
55-64: Bill Russell (HM: Bob Pettit)
60-69: Bill Russell (HM: Wilt Chamberlain)
65-74: Wilt Chamberlain
70-79: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
75-84: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
80-89: Larry Bird (HM: Magic Johnson)
85-94: Michael Jordan
90-99: Michael Jordan
95-04: Shaquille O'Neal
00-09: Tim Duncan (HM: Kobe Bryant)
05-14: LeBron James
10-19: LeBron James
15-24*: LeBron James (HM: Steph Curry)

I included some honorable mentions for the ones I had to at least think about for a bit. Russell seems like the clear choice in 55-64 but he missed the first 2 seasons and wasn't quite MVP level in his rookie year either. Pettit made All-NBA 1st team all 10 year, was top 4 in MVP in every year but his rookie season and 1962, won the MVP twice and was the only one to beat Russell in the play-offs untill Wilt in 67. Can't really go against Russell here but it's close enough Pettit deserves a mention at least.

60-69 was one of the hardest choices that I believe you could really go either way on. In the end I went with Russell because I think he was a bit more consistent overall on this stretch.

For 80-89 I'm pretty solid on going with Bird here but Magic is right behind him. I could see someone going for Magic if they believe there were roughly equal from 80-88 and Magic's superior 89 gives him the edge. I'm quite a bit higher on Bird than Magic from 80-88 though.

00-09 is relatively tough because there isn't someone that just dominated the period. Duncan slowed down towards the end, while Kobe needed some time to ramp up. Shaq fell of a bit too quick to really throw his name in here imo. KG is another one who deserves a mention but I don't think he had a better stretch than Duncan and Kobe.

The last one was tough because I don't think this will be LeBron by 2024 but I do think his 15-22 was a bit better than Curry mainly due to the last 2 years. Giannis might play a role here as well but his 2015 and 2016 seasons are nothing to write home about, while his 2017 and 2018 seasons also weren't quite elite yet.

[LAL1947]

00-09 is relatively tough because there isn't someone that just dominated the period. Duncan slowed down towards the end, while Kobe needed some time to ramp up. Shaq fell of a bit too quick to really throw his name in here imo. KG is another one who deserves a mention but I don't think he had a better stretch than Duncan and Kobe.

One player won 4 rings in that period... 2 rings to start* it, 2 rings to end* it... with some years of being both Top Scorer in the league + All-Defensive First Team in between. Nobody else had that many rings. So it seems an easier choice to me than a tougher period like 2015-2024.

* assuming the OP means 2000 as in 2000-01, and 2009 as 2009-10.

[Dutchball97]

00-09 is relatively tough because there isn't someone that just dominated the period. Duncan slowed down towards the end, while Kobe needed some time to ramp up. Shaq fell of a bit too quick to really throw his name in here imo. KG is another one who deserves a mention but I don't think he had a better stretch than Duncan and Kobe.

One player won 4 rings in that period... 2 rings to start* it, 2 rings to end* it... with some years of being both Top Scorer in the league + All-Defensive First Team in between. Nobody else had that many rings. So it seems an easier choice to me than a tougher period like 2015-2024.

* assuming the OP means 2000 as in 2000-01, and 2009 as 2009-10.

I didn't base my choices off how many rings someone won and by the looks of it neither did you since you went with Wilt over Russell in the 60-69 period despite Russell winning 9 rings to Wilt's 1.

Whenever someone mentions a single year for a season it is generally accepted that this is the year when the champion of that season was crowned. So it's 1999/2000 till 2008/09. Honestly if we'd swap 2000 for 2010 I'd probably agree with you that Kobe is the best for that period but as it stands I'm leaning Duncan.

[jalengreen]

for 15-24 i would personally go with lebron. it's between him and steph, steph has the regular season advantage in 2015 and 2016 but missing the entire 2020 season is a bit of a hit - overall lebron played 34 more regular season games in this span despite his own injuries in recent years

and i give lebron a clear advantage in the postseason in this span. so i'm fairly comfortable taking lebron so far

i don't really think it's possible for giannis to get it. his 2015 and 2016 seasons just aren't even close to lebron/steph in terms of impact. he'd need steph and lebron to fall off a cliff immediately and that's not happening

given the age difference and the difference in environment, steph can probably surpass lebron by 2024 though.

[Doctor MJ]

who are the best players across these 10 year stretches (evaluate them with the idea of defining THE player of that period under whatever criteris you think correct)

So, this thread totally pulls me, but I do feel like you're asking two different questions.

One statement is about competitive greatness.
The other is about representing an era - which to me would make me think of explaining something distinct about how basketball was played in the era.

Much overlap between the two, but not quite the same thing. Additionally, while for the former I feel like I should have the same player multiple times if he dominates for that long, for the latter, I feel like a new player should represent each era.

All this to say I may ramble a bit.

Okay, starting from the deep past, because y'know that's how I roll.

20-29: Nat Holman & Dutch Dehnert (primarily of the Original Celtics) are the guys on my mind. This was the dominant team of the era, and these were the two most important players, and two avatars of the era. Holman literally wrote the books of the era, Dehnert is the one who made the great innovation - the creation of the pivot player.

I might be inclined to guess that Holman was the most valuable player over the course of the entire decade, but that Dehnert represents what basketball became as a result of this era.

25-34: Tarzan Cooper (primarily of the New York Renaissance). Rens become the best team in the world, becoming the first Black Five team to be the best in the world, with Cooper as the team's most celebrated star (and Dehnert-style pivot).

30-39: Cooper of the Rens I think is the clear Player of the Decade, but Hank Luisetti (Stanford) in 1936 became the avatar of this new West Coast Basketball that would end up resulting in the creation of the point guard and the eventual dominance of the one-handed jumpshot.

35-44: Between Luisetti & Bobby McDermott (peak with Zollner Pistons). If you're focused on pro ball, it's McDermott. But Luisetti continued playing through 1944 (military, AAU) and was apparently the guy soon-to-be New York Knicks owner Ned Irish was intending to be his franchise player after the War until a bout of spinal meningitis ended Luisetti's athletic career.

Interesting to not that both Luisetti & McDermott were incredible long-distance shooters, but McDermott represented the apex in the two-handed set shot. He could hit it from well beyond the modern 3-point arc...if he could get his shot off, which became a problem for him. It's worth noting that Luisetti at 6'2" was two inches taller, and very athletic, and jumped with a more modern technique, so there is very real reason to argue that McDermott despite being the dominant pro of the era, was never the best basketball player in the world.

40-49: George Mikan (DePaul, Chicago American Gears & Minneapolis Lakers) and Bob Kurland (Oklahoma A&M, Team USA & Phillips 66ers)
45-54: Mikan (DePaul, Gears, Lakers) and Kurland (Oklahoma A&M, USA, 66ers)

Forced to pick one man, it's Mikan, but when we talk about "the big man cometh", we mean the two of them causing the biggest paradigm shift in the history of the game.

50-59: I'll give a nod to Mikan of the Lakers and Paul Arizin (Villanova, then Philadelphia Warriors), but it's tough.

This is one of those decades where the splits just don't work well. In the end, I think Mikan's dominance through '54 is the most impressive run of the decade.

One could certainly call Mikan the avatar of the decade - and I expect that anyone who doesn't begin their list in an earlier era would do so - but since I have, and I know that this was the back end of a player who did his revolution in the '40s, let me single out the player who played the bulk of his playing career in the '50s who I think was the best player: Paul Arizin.

Arizin's career was messed up by military service. There might be more to it than that, but what is pretty clear is that Arizin became the best offensive player in the NBA, left the NBA, and then came back and did it again. And yes, I would consider him the best offensive player of this era, and a sign of things to come specifically because the NBA had outlawed zone defense and widened the lane.

Arizin, in other words, can be seen as something of a proto-Jordan.

55-64: Bill Russell (U of San Francisco & Boston Celtics)
60-69: Bill Russell (Celtics)

Amazing era with 4 guys who are Player of the Decade worthy, but Russell towers above all.

65-74: Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia 76ers & Los Angeles Lakers) & Connie Hawkins (Harlem Globetrotters, Pittsburgh/Minnesota Pipers, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers)

Another transitionary period, and Wilt straddles the two half-decades and clearly deserves Player of the Decade and is a reasonable choice for avatar of the era.

I'm shouting out the Hawk here from a perspective of the influence of the non-NBA from this period which would end up looking more like the future NBA than the NBA of the time would.

70-79: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Milwaukee Bucks & Los Angeles Lakers) & Julius Erving (UMass, Virginia Squires, New York Nets, Philadelphia 76ers)
75-84: Abdul-Jabbar (Lakers) & Erving (Nets, 76ers)

Kareem is clearly the player of the decade over both of these eras, and a fitting avatar, but if there was another face of basketball encompassing this time, it was the Doctor.

80-89: Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers) & Larry Bird (Boston Celtics)

Truly this is an award that works best if split between the two. A Golden Age of basketball comes again, with the two of them leading the way.

Forced to choose between Magic & Bird, while I consider Bird the more singularly interesting player, I'd have to side with Magic.

85-94: Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)
90-99: Jordan (Bulls)

MJ takes up all the oxygen in the room.

95-04: Shaquille O'Neal (Orlando Magic & Los Angeles Lakers)

Absolutely defined this era both in his successes and failures. Big personality too.

00-09: Have to mention 3 guys here -
Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs), Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves & Boston Celtics)

I personally think the Player of the Decade award is between Duncan & Garnett. I've come to side with Garnett, but don't ever expect that to be a majority view, and have no wish to denigrate Duncan who is absolutely worthy.

While Kobe doesn't personally represent the decade for me (that would be Steve Nash), I don't think there's any doubt that Kobe is the great basketball icon of this era. As an Angeleno, I'll say flat out that if they asked the denizens here to name something important after an Angeleno - like a new airport or something - I think Kobe Bryant would be the man they'd choose to honor.

05-14: LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers & Miami Heat)
10-19: James (Cavaliers, Heat & Los Angeles Lakers)

Slam dunk choice.

15-24*: (so far) Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

Y'all are seeing me talk about Curry everywhere else so I won't make myself even more annoying here.

20-29**: (projected) Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) & Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) feel appropriate to single out.

While it's possible that, say, the American Jayson Tatum ends up being the leader of a Boston Celtic dynasty and snatches the story of the decade away, right now this seems like it will be the decade where the game of basketball if finally dominated by non-Americans...and I'll just say I'm super-excited for this.

If you were asking me for odds right now, I'd say Giannis is most likely to emerge as the Player of the Decade, followed by Luka, and then Jokic.

One thing I've been thinking about Jokic with respect to Luka: We might end up seeing Jokic as Bird to Luka's Magic. While to this point Jokic remains the more effective basketball player, I feel like it's entirely possible that Luka will blow right past him all while I sit in a corner talking about how Jokic is the more profound player.

I'm frankly pulling for all these guys to succeed - I want to see greatness reach its potential - but will admit to bias of seeing Jokic become influential, because I'm not sure he will be the way I think Luka (and Giannis for that matter) are all but guaranteed to be.

[homecourtloss]

50-59: Mikan though Schayes also has an argument
55-64: Bill Russell
60-69: Bill Russell
65-74: Wilt Chamberlain
70-79: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
75-84: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
80-89: Larry Bird and Magic a virtual tie; Bird from 1981 to 1986, Magic from 1987-1989 even though Bird in ‘87 and ‘88 was a phenomenal offensive player still.
85-94: Michael Jordan
90-99: Michael Jordan
95-04: Shaquille O'Neal
00-09: Tim Duncan
05-14: LeBron James
10-19: LeBron James
15-24*: LeBron James and Curry a tie right now with Curry likely moving ahead in the next two seasons.

[An Unbiased Fan]

50-59: Mikan

55-64: Russell

60-69: Russell

65-74: Wilt

70-79: Kareem

75-84: Kareem

80-89: Magic

85-94: MJ

90-99: MJ

95-04: Shaq

00-09: Kobe

05-14: Lebron

10-19: Lebron

15-24*: (so far) Curry

[Statlanta]

50-59: Mikan

55-64: Russell

60-69: Russell

65-74: Chamberlain

70-79: Abdul-Jabbar

75-84: Abdul-Jabbar

80-89: Bird

85-94: Jordan

90-99: Jordan

95-04: O'Neal

00-09: Duncan

05-14: James

10-19: James

15-24*: James

[MyUniBroDavis]

50-59:
Mikan
55-64:
Russell
60-69:
Russell
65-74:
Wilt
70-79:
Kareem
75-84:
Kareem
80-89:
Bird
85-94:
Magic
90-99:
Jordan
95-04:
Shaq
00-09:
Kobe
05-14:
Bron
10-19:
Bron
15-24
Curry

I’m not thinking of it like an all time list, Duncan was more impactful over the stretch than kobe but in terms of as an icon and representing the nba kobe has a stranglehold on the 2000s from a recognition perspective.

15-24 I think brons been better than curry this period from an all time perspective, but curry literally revolutionized the game, but this one is closer for sure and definately could change

[Blazers-1977]

50-59: Mikan
55-64: Russell
60-69: Russell
65-74: Wilt
70-79: Kareem
75-84: Kareem
80-89: Magic
85-94: Jordan
90-99: Jordan
95-04: Shaq
05-14: LeBron
10-19: LeBron
15-Present: Durant for now