Bleacher Report Top 100, 2025

[iggymcfrack]

Bad list, but I've seen worse. My top guys would be something like:

1. Lebron

2. Duncan
3. Kareem
4. Shaq

5. Magic
6. Jordan
7. Curry
8. KG
9. Hakeem
10. Bird

11. KD
12. Jokic
13. Giannis

14. Dirk
15. K.Malone
16. D.Rob
17. Nash
18. CP3

After that a bunch of guys are all close; Wade, Harden, Dr J, Barkley, etc.

Magic over Jordan is nuts, come on now. BPM is a metric that should theoretically favor big PGs who can combine rebounding and passing. Magic's career high BPM for a postseason was 9.3 in 1987. Jordan beat that in 11 out of 13 postseasons. The only ones he didn't were the year he missed most of the regular season in '95 and his final playoffs in '98. And there's no way that statistics can properly account for Jordan's superior defense either.

[70sFan]

On one hand, it's nice they included him at all, but on the other - having Gilmore that low is horrible for my soul. Gilmore is top 50 player easily, as long as you count ABA at all.

[eminence]

They seem brutally harsh on the ABA outside of DrJ (reasonably high on Gervin/Moses too, but that's pretty much all NBA). Artis extremely low, none of the fringe top 100 guys who did their best work in the ABA made the list.

I don't see a coherent way to have DrJ at #20 and Artis at #100. Easy top 50 is higher tier than I'd have Artis, but he's not *that* fringe either.

[One_and_Done]

Bad list, but I've seen worse. My top guys would be something like:

1. Lebron

2. Duncan
3. Kareem
4. Shaq

5. Magic
6. Jordan
7. Curry
8. KG
9. Hakeem
10. Bird

11. KD
12. Jokic
13. Giannis

14. Dirk
15. K.Malone
16. D.Rob
17. Nash
18. CP3

After that a bunch of guys are all close; Wade, Harden, Dr J, Barkley, etc.

Magic over Jordan is nuts, come on now. BPM is a metric that should theoretically favor big PGs who can combine rebounding and passing. Magic's career high BPM for a postseason was 9.3 in 1987. Jordan beat that in 11 out of 13 postseasons. The only ones he didn't were the year he missed most of the regular season in '95 and his final playoffs in '98. And there's no way that statistics can properly account for Jordan's superior defense either.

I don't care about BPM.

I think Jordan was more impactful than Magic in his own time, but I'm not sure he would be today. They'd both have a few translation issues, but I'm starting to come to the view that Magic was the objectively better player in a vacuum.

I don't feel strongly about it though. I could see both dropping on my list a little in the future. If Kawhi had the health of K.Malone he'd rank over both for instance. Similarly, Jokic and Giannis can go up this list for me, provided they have long and healthy careers (in Giannis case he's a little hurt by previous poorly timed injuries).

[eminence]

Also agreeing that the old guys seem randomly placed. Guys I really think of as 50s guys:

Cousy 37 (Pettit at 38)
Mikan 44
Schayes 56 (between Walton and Doncic...)
Arizin 72
Sharman 94

I'm assuming no NBL years for them.

Cousy that high and significantly above Schayes is pretty out there imo.

Sharman is the type of guy hanging on due to his original NBA 50 placement. Good player, but never a real top of the league guy without special longevity either.

With NBL years included I'd easily take Davies over Sharman. To make a pretty clear top 5 of guys who played pre-shotclock and still make my own top 100 - Mikan/Schayes/Cousy/Arizin/Davies. Arizin vs Davies my toughest pick.

[BusywithBball]

I think Lowry can be included. He was not flashy scorer but could be trusted to score 20 on good efficiency while being a very strong point guard and defending well. I think he also was a great leader of example. Always jumping in way to take charge and trusting the others. I prefer him over Melo and maybe Kyrie. Maybe less talent but he understands how to play point guard better.

[migya]

Very recency biased based.

Jokic and Giannis just haven't done enough to be that high but are rising. Never understood Curry so high, his longevity isn't special yet and elevated by his team talent.

[Special_Puppy]

Neither Kevin is better than Jokic or Dirk

Garnett has a pretty substantial longevity advantage over Jokic. Also pretty easy to prefer Garnett’s peak and prime to Dirk’s

[Elpolo_14]

Neither Kevin is better than Jokic or Dirk

Garnett has a pretty substantial longevity advantage over Jokic. Also pretty easy to prefer Garnett’s peak and prime to Dirk’s

I'm not sure if he was talking about KD or KG but your reply can be use for Both lol

[Elpolo_14]

Very recency biased based.

Jokic and Giannis just haven't done enough to be that high but are rising. Never understood Curry so high, his longevity isn't special yet and elevated by his team talent.

Where would you put Stephen curry personally?

[OverAndOut]

Paul and Nash are too low. #30 and #35?

[migya]

Very recency biased based.

Jokic and Giannis just haven't done enough to be that high but are rising. Never understood Curry so high, his longevity isn't special yet and elevated by his team talent.

Where would you put Stephen curry personally?

At the moment not in the top 20 but just outside. Curry is the best shooter ever but isn't great or better than other top 20 players at anything else. CP may have had a better career

[daoneandonly]

Neither Kevin is better than Jokic or Dirk

Garnett has a pretty substantial longevity advantage over Jokic. Also pretty easy to prefer Garnett’s peak and prime to Dirk’s

I'm not sure if he was talking about KD or KG but your reply can be use for Both lol

I was talking about both tbh. Jokic is the best of the 4, then Dirk. Dirk was far more successful than KG and didnt exactly have star caliber team himself. KD sure has 2 FInals MVP, but we know that story. Not saying the 2 Kevins werent great, just not better than Joker or Dirk

[Elpolo_14]

Very recency biased based.

Jokic and Giannis just haven't done enough to be that high but are rising. Never understood Curry so high, his longevity isn't special yet and elevated by his team talent.

Where would you put Stephen curry personally?

At the moment not in the top 20 but just outside. Curry is the best shooter ever but isn't great or better than other top 20 players at anything else. CP may have had a better career

Not top 20?? What is your criteria to evaluate a player? What is a the most important aspect of the game a player need to have to be rank higher than his Pier in your estimation.

[AEnigma]

^ To have played in the 1990s.

[homecourtloss]

^ To have played in the 1990s.

def evaluate_player(era):
if era == "1990s":
print("Greatest player ever. No debate. Built different.")
else:
print("Soft. Overrated. Wouldn't last a quarter in the '90s.")

# Example usage:
evaluate_player("1990s") # Output: Greatest player ever. No debate. Built different.
evaluate_player("2020s") # Output: Soft. Overrated. Wouldn't last a quarter in the '90s.

[eminence]

Folks are aware that KG won the same number of playoff series as Dirk right? There’s not much of a team success gap between the two.

[Elpolo_14]

Folks are aware that KG won the same number of playoff series as Dirk right? There’s not much of a team success gap between the two.

I think KG moving team to the Celtics and winning there while he was struggling in Trimble wolves with garbage situation. Really make people persuasion of him lower than Dirk someone who already get to the final in 2006 and stay with his team to another final which he able to win.

For me I rank KG much higher due to Two way ability ( being top 3 defender ever IMO ).

[Elpolo_14]

^ To have played in the 1990s.

def evaluate_player(era):
if era == "1990s":
print("Greatest player ever. No debate. Built different.")
else:
print("Soft. Overrated. Wouldn't last a quarter in the '90s.")

# Example usage:
evaluate_player("1990s") # Output: Greatest player ever. No debate. Built different.
evaluate_player("2020s") # Output: Soft. Overrated. Wouldn't last a quarter in the '90s.

LMAO

Is that really the case? I never saw this person criteria or though on basketball before.

But I think it hold True to an extent. Player who wasn't born in 1920s should not be qualified to get praise about their skills+impact in public space.

[Smoothbutta]

I petition to see migya's top 30 or 40 while I go get some popcorn. Pretty please.

Regarding the B/R list, it's much better than the hoopshype one but unfortunate they both have some similar mistakes like having Zeke/Dominique/Baylor too high, Mikan not in top 30 somehow, Carmelo/Bosh way too high, underrating Ginobili/Draymond/Gilmore