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Since I became a member on fannation, I have read many a blog and throwdowns about great NBA players. Top-10 list, Comparsion on who was better, Why Kobe is not better than Jordan, I have seen them all. So I wonder what does make an All-Time Great NBA player. What seperates Hakeem from Ewing or Magic from Iverson? Rings? MVPs? Great Nicknames?.....

So before i list off who I think are the Greatest NBA players are I came up with catergories to figure out what makes a great NBA. If thier is something Imisses please share but i figure that these catergory should be pretty Universal.

1. MVPS: If you look at the list of players that won an MVP I doubt you will find someone who was not a really good player at the time. 2-MVP's most likely they are automatic HOFers. But hey some of the greatest players never won an MVP(see: Kobe Bryant) so that leads me to my Next Catergory

2. RINGS: Historically looking at teams who won the Finals they most likely have One sure shot HOFer who lead them there(exclude the 04 Pistons). This espically comes into effect with teams that won 2 or more championships within a 4-5 year span. Most likely your not winning 2 rings without ONE HOFer player on that team. But then agian even the best players never won a ring(see: Karl Malone) so that leads to my Next Catergory

3. PLAYOFF APPERENCES: All-Time NBA great players don't like sittin at home in the postseason. Karl Malone was in the playoffs every single year in the was the NBA. Ditto with George Gervin. For the most part with Paul Ariza. Great players will thier team to one of those post-season spots. But hey even great players miss out from time to time (See: Kevin Garnett) which leads to my next catergory

4. AWARDS: All NBA's teams and All-star apperences. Did people at your time think you were a great player or was it until later when people recognize you? Not to many example of ALL-time great who miss these but I will go to my next catergory

5. OFFENSIVE STATS COMPARED TO YOUR ERA: Hey Elgin Baylor 19.4 Rebounds per game sounds amazing but that was 4th best at this time. Bill Brigdes would lead the NBA with 15.1 Rebounds per game today but that was 5th best back in 66-67. Fact was they played so much faster back then it's impossible to compares Wilt Chamberlains 50.4 with no three in the key to with Kobe Bryant's 35.4 with no hand checking. So the best way to see how great a player is? How did he compete with players he played with at his position? Over your prime were you that much better than everyone else or just a really good player. But hey they are a lot of good offensive players we wouldn't call all-time greats (See: Adrian Dantley) which leads me to my next catergory.

6. DEFENSIVE STATS AND AWARDS COMPARED TO YOUR ERA: For all players who prime was before '68 they got screwed in this area. Thier wasn't a All-Defensive team until 1968, Blocks and steals weren't kept until 1973, and Defensive POY wasn't an award until 1982. So for great players before that era we have to go by reputation and rebounding numbers. Other than that any other all-time great should be on All-NBA defensive team or have some top-20 numbers in Blocks or Steals or Rebounds during thier prime. Not everyone is a defensive wizard (See: Magic Johnson) but still have everything else which leads me to my next catergory

7. PLAYOFF NUMBERS: Did you play big when your team need you the most. Now Playoff numbers can be a little decieving since in the playoffs you playing against the best in a series but still great players find a way to score on thier teams biggest stage. It easy to say that T-Mac is not great cause he hasn't gotten out of the first round but if you look at his playoff numbers (29.8/6.8/5.8) its hard to say he didn't come to play. Anyway it leads me to my next catergory

8. LEAGUE LEADING STATS AND RECORDS: Jerry Stackhouse almost lead the league in scoring once so i don't give league leading stat to much mind, but you still have to give them credit. Great scorers consistancy are in the top five in scoring. Great passes are consistancy in the top five in assist. Ditto with rebounding. If your an all-time NBA great known for those things their better be a year we can look back and say man look at this guy year. Or at least a game scoring 81 points. With all that said That leaves me to my next point

9. TEAM AROUND YOU: This one is kind of a gray area with some people. For instance  some people say that Lebron makes his teammates better and Kobe doesn't. Some people look at it as Lebron having the second best rebounding team and the 5th best defensive team while Kobe had the 25th best defensive team and 11th best rebounding team. So instead of arguing who makes thier team better its simple. How many people made the all-star team during your prime? Yes at one point Tim Duncan played with David Robison but the years they had together David Robinson made the all-star team twice and was a third option at the tail end of his career. For older player its how many HOFer had thier prime playing on your team. Bill Russell Ring collection is fantastic, but at one point he had up to 6 HOF players on his team. If Kobe gets critizied for not winning without Shaq then we have to do it to other players right? It's only fair. But one more I must throw in there

10. LONGEVITY: I said it before and I will say it again. Players that get hurt are liabilities. Yes Bill Walton was great but he played 10 seasons for and average 46 games a season. Thats not ALL-time NBA great or any All-time great in any sport. Terrell Davis was a great running back but Emmitt Smith will always be better because of the time span he did it over. In the NBA if your numbers are consitantly good over 8 seasons then you are an all-time NBA great. If not then you were just a very good player who couldn't keep it up.  

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So what makes a All-Time NBA Great player. For me its MVP's, Rings, Playoff apperences, Awards, Offensive stats during your prime in your era, defensive stats and awards during your prime in your era, Playoff numbers, league Leading stats and records, the team around you and Longevity. I think thats a pretty fair platform to put NBA players on. So with that I present my Top-10 NBA players of All-Time. 

1. MICHAEL JORDAN: Pretty Much the Outline for this entire list. Their nothing he hasn't have. Nothing.

2. KAREEM ABDUL-JABBER: 6 MVP's, 6-Championships, 2 Finals MVP's, 18 playoff apperences, 10-time All-NBA first team, From 69-81 he is the Leader in Scoring, FG%, Rebounds, and Blocks. Averaged over 20ppg in all except 3 seasons. 5-time All-NBA Defensive Team,  19-time All-star........... People often sleep on this guy because he wasn't as dominate as Wilt but you have to put longevity into the matter. This guys prime was over 12 seasons long. 19-time times he was an all-star. Thats a record we may never see broken. 6 MVP's is another one we may never see broken. Just the outline of longevity and talent all put into one. He has to be 2nd best player just too long of a prime not to put him there. 

3. WILT CHAMBERLAIN: Yes the fan favorite. Anyway 4 MVP's, 2-Championships, 1 Finals MVP, 13 playoff apperences, 6-time All-NBA first team, From 59-66 he is the Leader in Scoring, Rebounding, and 2nd in Fg %, All-Defensive team twice(didn't keep track until '68 tho), 12-time All-star...........Yes he was dominate, yes he has records, yes he did make the playoff consistantly over a long period of time, But looking longevity of Kareem I can't say that Wilt is better. Both were MVP talents both lead the league the scoring, rebounding and FG%, both were champions but Kareem was just better. For those saying Look at Wilts team, I did and found he played with Hal Greer and Billy Cunningham which are 2 HOF players and both were in thier prime playing with Wilt. Just the point goes to Kareem But Wilt was still a dominate Player. Wilt was a bigger pimp tho.

4. MAGIC JOHNSON: I'm not trying to pile on with the Lakers but, 3 MVP's, 5- Championships, 3 Finals MVP's, 13 playoff appearences, 9-time NBA first team, From 81-91 among guards, he was 5th in scoring, 2nd in FG%, 1st in rebounding, 1st in assists, 11th in steasls, 12 time All-star..........Truly one of the greats, he never miss a playoffs. During his prime he played with 2 HOF players but one was on the decline. Did't make any All-Defensive teams but 3 MVP's speak more than enough. Until Kobe Wins another title Prolly the best Laker of all-time.

5. LARRY BIRD: Not the first Celtic you expected to see. I will get to that. Anyway 3 MVP, 3 championships, 2 Finals MVP's, 12 playoff apperances, 9-time NBA first team, from 80-88, among forwars, he's 4th in scoring, 1st in FT%, 1st in 3p%, 3rd in Rebounds, 1st in assists, 1st in steals, All-NBA defensive Second team 3 times, 12 time NBA All-star...........all around one of the greatest forwards ever. I don't care if he did play with a great supporting cast(2 HOF). When you pass, steal, rebound, and score better than any other forward you play with you are dominate player. Only reason he is not about Magic is the number of rings..and what he did/is doing to the Indiana Pacers.

6. BILL RUSSELL: Explaination coming soon. Anyway 5 MVP's , 11 championships, 13 playoff apperences, 3-time NBA first team, from 57-65 he was 4th among centers in scoring, 7th in FG%, 2nd in rebounds and most likely 1st in blocks although we will never know. 12-time NBA All-star and again most likely would be 12-time All-Defensive player but only got in the one year he was eligible......Anyway a lot of people call him the 2nd best player or at least in the top-5. I understand that completely. But personally for me you have to dominate on both ends of the ball which is something Bill Russell didn't do. Offensively he wasn't a jugganaut. Not that he need to be because at one point that Bosten Celtic team was carrying around SEVEN HOF players. If Wilt had that supporting cast Lord Knows how many more points he would have scored. Anyway according to reputation he is one of the best defenders of all-time and all tapes have him swattin peoples shots. Plus 5 MVP's you can't argue against. He is truly one of the GOAT but having Seven other HOF makes it hard to judge how great you truly are.

7. SHAQUILLE O' NEAL: Once again i'm not trying to be Bias towards Lakers but 1 MVP(we all know should be more), 4 Championships, 14 playoff appearences, 8-time NBA First-team, From 94-03 in the NBA he is 1st in scoring and FG%, 2nd in rebounding, 4th in Blocks, 14 time all-star........If the NBA didn't give 3 of his MVP's away it would be hard not to put him higher. Anyway the fact that in his prime he scored, rebounded, and blocked more than just about every other player is pretty amazing. He never had a team that fielded more than One HOF player in his prime at one time(so no Malone and Peyton don't count). I think he is the best player since Jordan retired but then again Timmay still has time.     

8. BOB PETTIT: Not at lot of love for Robert E. Lee Pettit. Considering he has 2 MVP's, 1 championships, 9 Playoff appearences, 10-time All-NBA first team, from 56-64 in the NBA he was 2nd in scoring, 10 in FG %, 2nd in rebounding, and 18th in assist, 11-time NBA All-star........I never say the guy play but 2nd in scoring, 10th in fg% is pretty impressive. All-NBA team every year he played and 2 MVP's is pretty impressive. You add that on with his playoff numbers (25.5, 14.8) and its hard to make any case against this guy. Well except the 4 other HOF he played with

9. TIM DUNCAN: I hate the guy but I will fight this to the death. 2 MVP's, 4 championships, 3 Finals MVPs, 10 playoff appearances, 9-time All-NBA first team, from 98-04, In the NBA, he is 7th in scoring, 5th in FG%, 1st in rebounding, 3rd in blocks, 9-time NBA All-star, 10-time NBA All-Defense.........Tell you the truth I don't know why he is not higher. During his prime he was top-10 scorer and one of the best Defenders in the NBA. 4 rings, never missed a playoffs, 2 MVP's, I mean I just don't know what else he has to do. He played with David Robinson when he was on the tail end of his career and beside maybe Tony Parker I can't think of another HOF player he plays with. If he wins another title he shoots way up this list....

10.OSCAR ROBERTSON: I had a throwdown saying he wasn't a top-10 player which i obviously got destroyed in. I looked into it and changed my mind. 1 MVP, 1 championship, 10 playoff appearences, 9 time All-NBA first team, from 61-68 among guards he was 1st in scoring, rebounding, and assists and Fg%. 12-time NBA all-star.....A truly Dominate Guard for his time. Teams consistantly in the playoffs was far better than any guard he went up against. One MVP and One Championship bring him down a little bit but 9 All-NBA first team and 12 all star games can't really be denied. But everyone ahead of him has either More MVPs, more championships or more All-NBA appearences so I can't put him any higher. Still Truly a Great Player

HONARABLE MENTIONS

MOSES MALONE: I don't know how he didn't make top-50 greatest players when during his prime he lead his postion in Rebounds and Scoring. 3 MVP's, 12 all-star, and a Finals MVP is hard to argue against. 4 All-NBA first team hurts a little

HAKEEM OLAJUWON: 1 MVP, 2 Championships, 2 Finals MVP's, 6 All-NBA first teams, 2 DPOY, 5 All-NBA defensive teams...Really hard to keep him off but just to many other guys to put above him

BOB COUSY: 1 MVP, 6 Championships, 10-time all-NBA selections, 13-time NBA All-star 52-61 leads all guards in Points, rebounds and Assits.....Once again hard to keep him off but look at the team around him (seven HOF) its hard to judge how great he was. Robertson had to get the nod above him despite not having the rings.