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INTELEKTUALNE WYTWORY KUBY – NBA’S GREATESTS
Hi, it’s Kuba here. The NBA season just
started so I decided… well, actually I
was forced by my dad to write about
the greatest players in NBA’s history.
The reason he told me to do it is that
every time he hears teenagers say that
the greatest player ever is Kobe or
Lebron he gets sick. As he puts it, first,
kids these days should learn the history
of great basketball players (hence the
list); second, there is only one G.O.A.T –
Greatest Of All Times and that is… keep
reading till you get to number one on
the list
The list is organized according to a
simple system – 2 players for each
position; number of championships is a
factor
as
well
as
individual
accomplishments, or to put it simply
“no rings, no list”; random order in the
ranking with the exception of No. 1 –
the G.O.A.T. Here we go.
POINT GUARD (ROZGRYWAJĄCY)
Honorable mentions Wyróżnienia:
Walt Frazier, John Stockton
10) Magic Johnson began his career
with greatness and never looked back.
He won Finals MVP as a rookie when he
famously started center in place of the
injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6
of the 1980 NBA Finals. In his 14-year
career, he amassed 10 All-NBA
selections. A point guard in a power
forward’s body, Johnson had perhaps
the best court vision in NBA history. The
Lakers trusted No. 32 with the ball
when the game was on the line to
either find the open man, or hit the
game-winning shot, which he did on
countless occasions. During the fastbreak 1980s, he was better than anyone
at leading the charge in transition.
Johnson had little trouble grabbing
rebounds and assists, recording tripledoubles rather routinely. Had his career
not been cut short, Johnson would
almost certainly be the all-time assist
leader, since he still has the highest
average (11.2).
9) Isiah Thomas was one of the greatest
"small men" ever to play professional
basketball. Thomas, who stood barely
over six feet, was in his day the grittiest
performer to play the position, a feisty
competitor who offered no quarter and
expected none in return. Thomas
possessed the skill and determination to
take over a game at will and helped
build a last-place Detroit Pistons team
into back-to-back NBA champions in the
late 1980s. Thomas' sunny smile belied
an inner toughness that made him a key
member of a scrappy, physical group of
players dubbed the "Bad Boys" of
Detroit.
CENTER (ŚRODKOWY)
Honorable mentions Wyróżnienia: Wilt
Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal
8) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a
consummate professional, the Lakers
long-time captain made the players
around him better with his low-post
defense that started fast breaks and his
ability to convert important shots.
Though he often looked too relaxed
with his effortless style, the all-time
leading scorer was also a hard-nosed
player who wasn’t afraid to be physical.
Jabbar’s seemingly unstoppable sky
hook helped him win six titles after
winning three titles in college. Here's a
rundown of Kareem's biggest feats: alltime leading scorer in NBA history, most
regular season MVP awards (six), 15 AllNBA
selections,
11
All-Defense
selections, 19 All-Star appearances. His
ability to maintain such averages while
competing for 20 seasons is simply a
testament to his greatness.
7) Bill Russell is the greatest winner in
all of sports. His 11-championship count
may be the safest record in the NBA
game. Russell is also easily among the
smartest players to have ever laced up
high tops. An impeccable rebounder
and defender, perhaps no player
competed with more focus. Russell
could flat-out dominate the game
defensively. Russell was an exceptional
teammate, doing whatever his team
needed to win. Though he was
surrounded by Hall-of-Famers, Russell
was the glue that kept the Celtics
together. It’s highly doubtful any player
comes close to his replicating his
championship success.
POWER-FORWARD
(SILNY
SKRZYDŁOWY)
Honorable mentions Wyróżnienia: Karl
Malone, Charles Barkley
anything flashy about him, but the
fundamentally sound big man has
flashy rings to show for it. When he
retires, he will be remembered as one of
the greatest scorers and rebounders
ever.
6) Dennis Rodman may be the greatest
defensive forward of all time. In his
prime, Rodman could guard and shut
down all five positions on the floor.
During his career, Rodman made seven
appearances on the first-team alldefensive list. As a winner, Rodman
helped bring home a total of five
championships to Detroit and Chicago.
In Detroit, Rodman was the perfect fit
for a Bad Boy Piston ball club as he
battled with the likes of Scottie Pippen,
Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, and Karl
Malone. In Chicago, Rodman’s freak
show antics transformed further into his
full-body tattoos, wild hair, and random
kicks to opposing groins. Beneath the
circus act, Rodman was the league’s
greatest rebounder. Largely through
desire, Rodman owned the NBA’s
rebounding crown for seven consecutive
seasons between 1992 and 1998.
Dennis Rodman just wanted it more.
5) Tim Duncan is the model of
consistency. Look through his statistics
throughout the years, and you won't
find too much variation. "The Big
Fundamental" led the San Antonio
Spurs to five NBA Championships, en
route to three Finals MVPs. Duncan has
been selected to 14 All-NBA and AllDefensive Teams each and still looks to
have a little left in the tank. He’s an
example of a quiet player who never
posts eye-popping statistics or jawdropping dunks, but does what’s most
important: win. There has never been
SMALL-FORWARD (SKRZYDŁOWY)
Honorable mentions Wyróżnienia:
Scottie Pippen (more rings than Bird,
but we know who REALLY won those
rings), Julius Erving,
4) LeBron James entered the league
burdened
with
unimaginable
expectations. Among the most athletic
players in NBA history, James is the
definition of a full-court player. Just 12
seasons into his NBA career, he's
already one of the game's all-time
greats. He is a force on both sides of the
court, and continues to add to his
legacy with an impressive streak of
reaching the Finals. He can move up this
list if he continues to win and post
similar statistics, but he has already
accomplished so much. On top of his
high scoring seasons year after year,
James is an under-appreciated passer
with the court vision of a veteran point
guard. The statistics and MVP counts
speak for themselves. "King James" has
been named to 9 All-NBA and 5 AllDefensive Teams, won 4 MVP awards
and 2 championships with the Miami
Heat. He went back to Cleveland where
his career started and is now chasing
history.
3) Larry Bird was one of the great
sharpshooters of all-time, as well as one
of the game’s best passers. An under-
rated defender, Bird is remembered as a
fierce competitor who often dove on the
court and into the stands for loose balls.
Bird’s competitive spirit was legendary;
he despised losing, and he played like it.
A superstar scorer on a team of scorers,
Bird had a knack for finding inventive
ways to score while not compromising
the Celtics’ chances of winning. Bird
was never the most athletic player on
the court, but he was always dominant.
Whatever he lacked in athleticism, he
made up for with his basketball IQ,
great skills—including that deadly jump
shot—and fierce competitiveness. Bird
led the Boston Celtics to three NBA
Championships, compiling three regular
season MVPs and 2 Finals MVPs along
the way. "Larry Legend" was selected to
10 All-NBA and three All-Defense Teams
in his 13-year career.
SHOOTING
GUARD
(RZUCAJĄCY
OBROŃCA)
Honorable mentions Wyróżnienia:
Oscar Robertson, Jerry West
2) Kobe Bryant perhaps would have
been better off playing in a different
era. Bryant’s name will always be linked
to Jordan, as he attempted to surpass
his idol’s accolades. It always seemed
like a futile attempt, considering
Jordan’s far-reaching influence on the
game, and how fans always side with
the original over the next guy. But
Bryant’s achievements can’t be
diminished or downplayed. He’s No. 3 in
scoring, has five titles, 17 All-Star Game
appearances and nine All-Defensive
First Teams to his credit. And he is the
only player in history to have collected
30000+ points and 6000+ assists. While
he didn’t surpass Jordan in most
people’s minds, he has been a
memorable and ruthless competitor,
just like his idol.
1) Michael Jordan is widely known as
the game's greatest player—and for
good reason. "MJ" accomplished
everything possible in the game, piling
up on the stats and awards. There
aren’t enough superlatives to describe
him. Unquestionably the greatest
perimeter scorer in history, Jordan
defined the 90s as a six-time champion
after dropping jaws with his raw scoring
ability in the 80s. The Chicago Bulls
legend had amazing coordination and
balance, making his style of play a
pleasure to watch. To top it all off, he
hit numerous clutch shots and never
lost in the Finals. Few players have ever
played with as much fierce competitive
spirit. On the game's biggest stage—the
NBA Finals—Jordan went a perfect 6for-6, also sweeping Finals MVP in his
appearances. The Chicago Bulls legend
dominated both sides of the ball,
amassing 11 All-NBA selections, nine
All-Defensive First team selections and
10 scoring titles. There is plenty of
evidence to support Michael Jordan's
GOAT status, however, his greatest feat
of all might have come before he even
won an NBA title. In the 1988 season,
he won MVP, Defensive Player of the
Year and the NBA's scoring title. His
insane '88 season went like this: 35
points on 53% shooting, 5.5 rebounds,
5.9 assists, 3.2 steals, 1.6 blocks.
Yup, Michael Jordan is the greatest. For
now...
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