He would defend players in the direction of these areas and use the spots to aide him in stealing the ball. This, among other things, is one of the examples of amazing practices that gave Bird the nickname "Larry Legend. Bird led a great dynasty for the Celtics, winning three rings and three consecutive MVPs during his career.
Bird is one of three players to ever earn the award three years in a row. He was a great fundamental ball player who could score with the best of them and defend anyone who came his way. His career is filled with things that few have accomplished, such as winning three consecutive MVPs, shooting unmatched field goal percentages, and sweeping Michael Jordan twice in the playoffs.
He was a killer on the court and he'll forever be known as one of the greatest players of all time. With Bird and Magic being so close in the standings, I thought it would be nice to put a brief comparison of their careers side-by-side and look at their head-to-head matchups. In their careers, the two rivals faced each other 18 times in the regular season and 19 times in the playoffs. The final record in the regular season was 11—7 in favor of Magic Johnson, and the final record in the playoffs was 11—8 in favor of Magic as well.
Magic also has a 2—1 record against Bird in head-to-head Finals series. Below are how the two matched up statistically in their matchups.
Shaq was also known as "Diesel" due to the fact that he was a hulk of a man. He stood 7'1" and weighed in around pounds. Despite Shaq's enormous size and power, he was much more than an unstoppable force due to his size. Shaq was incredibly athletic, handling the ball well and being able to find his way in and out of lanes to score and grab rebounds.
He famously played Michael Jordan one-on-one and crossed Jordan on his way to the basket. Shaq dominated the court both offensively and defensively. During his career, he scored 28, points; this currently gives him the 8th all-time record for career points. He also grabbed 13, rebounds, which places him 15th for the all-time record.
Defensively, he also blocked 2, shots, placing him 8th all-time in that category as well. So not only could Shaq score, but he could also rebound and defend with the very best.
Shaq went on to create a great career for himself outside of basketball as well. It's rare to find a person who doesn't know who he is, even if they didn't watch him play. He's been an actor, spokesperson, rapper, and more. His impact on the game and pop culture are unmatched, and his play is often forgotten or dismissed as "great due to his size.
It's also why he's one of the greatest to ever play the game. In high school, Kareem won 71 consecutive games. He was drafted first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in He played in Milwaukee for six seasons before finishing his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Kareem became one of the league's most prolific scorers and all-around players. He used his signature "skyhook" shot, an unblockable swing lob, to dominate his opponents.
During his career, Kareem took his team to the Finals 10 times, winning 6 championships. He also won six MVP awards, a record that still stands. At Kareem retired at the age of 42, he held the record for most points scored, most rebounds, most blocks, most games played, and most wins.
Kareem was a focal point of the greatest Lakers dynasty in the franchise's history. He led the team, later known as "The Showtime Lakers," in a fast-paced offense that left teams in the dust. The team capitalized in the fast-break, quickly moving up and down the court and scoring quickly. Despite his offensive effectiveness, he was also an incredible defender, earning an All-Defensive selection 11 times. More importantly than the game of basketball, Kareem was also an advocate who stood for what he believed in.
He protested multiple times to stand up for what was right. In , he boycotted the Olympics to protest the way African-Americans were treated in the United States. When Muhammad Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War, Kareem traveled to join other outspoken black athletes like Jim Brown to support his decision.
Kareem's activism is still seen as a strong area of influence, with young athletes like Colin Kaepernick continuing to fight for their beliefs through the platform sports creates. Without Kareem, this may never have been able to happen today. Kareem's blocks and steals weren't recorded in his first Finals appearance because the stats were not recorded until The averages above are all accurate except for blocks and steals, which are averaged based on all of his other Finals appearanc.
I know what you're thinking, Michael Jordan at 2 is blasphemy. His "Airness" brought the game of basketball back to life when its ratings were at their lowest point. He was marketed better than anyone, putting the Jordan brand on a pedestal that has yet to be reached.
Jordan is synonymous with basketball. When people think of the sport, they typically think of Jordan.
However, he still sits at second place for me. Jordan is the greatest scorer in the history of the game. He wasn't born with the power of Shaq or the size of Kareem, and yet he could not be stopped by any player on the court. He won the league's scoring title 10 times during his career, and this piled on the wins.
Jordan won more than anyone. He set a record for wins in a season with the Bulls in when he led the team to 72 victories and a championship, a feat that wasn't broken for 20 years. He also has two separate threepeat championship runs, and a perfect 6—0 Finals record. Jordan was offensively godlike and was also a great defender.
Jordan led the league in steals three times and was an all-defensive selection nine times! He also led the postseason in steals twice and led the postseason in scoring 10 times. Jordan was an unstoppable force throughout his time in the league, even with two separate retirements during his career.
Michael Jordan was a visionary who took his dominant play on the court and created an empire with it. He's the greatest scorer the game has ever seen; his unblemished Finals record is something that many people claim make him the greatest.
He completely owned the '90s, he created a shoe empire that made him a billionaire, and he made of the greatest kids movies of all time. Jordan is absolutely one of the greatest to ever do it. LeBron James is the greatest player of all time.
He has dominated the NBA since he came into the league at the young age of 18, fresh out of high school. When James came into the league, he was looked at as "The Chosen One" who would take the mantle of greatest from Jordan, and he did. LeBron has done things that no other player before him has been able to do.
He carried a decrepit Cleveland Cavaliers team to the Finals all on his own. He's defeated not one but two of the league's greatest dynasties for championships in the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors. He also brought a championship to Cleveland after a year championship drought. Not only has James accomplished great things, but he also plays at a higher level and a more well-rounded level than anyone in history.
James can do it all. He can score on any given night, he can rebound the ball, and he is the greatest passing forward in league history. He currently is the only player in league history that sits in the top 10 for points scored and assists. He also sits in the top 50 all-time in rebounds. He's the only player ever to record over 34, points. James recently finished playing in his 17th season, and yet he still is arguably the best player in the league and is unarguably a top-five player.
He has dominated in his youth, his prime, and now in his later years. When the game is on the line, even if he doesn't win, he is going to be the best player on the court.
Outside of basketball, James also impacts the world in a positive manner. He's guaranteed each of the students a full-ride scholarship if they graduate through his school, ensuring 2, kids will get a college education when they may not have previously had the chance.
He has advocated for African-Americans against police brutality and has spoken publicly against discrimination throughout America. He's an advocate for positive change and an improved culture. All of these things, combined with his many accolades, make him the greatest basketball player in the history of the game. Because of this, these stats will be updated throughout his career at midseason and the end of the season each year. This is a great list man. I really like LeBron at 1, and Shaq over Hakeem.
I would have Wilt at 10, and Magic over Larry, and Tim a bit higher but regardless, it is still an awesome list. What are you people smoking, where is wilt. Wilt should at least be in top 3!!! Look at the stats and highlights.
MJ is the goat, not even a debate. The other players you mentioned all had great teams built around them or actually DID team hop though. Magic was drafted with multiple HOFers around him. Same with Bird. Mike was under an 8 year contract and never had an option to leave, so that reasoning is null, but also had a HOFer drafted in Scottie and they went after a high level rival in Rodman.
Kareem team jumped, as did Shaq. Kobe was drafted with Shaq on his way and great team managing that brought talent around him his entire career. Who was even brought onto LeBron's teams that was a worthwhile teammate to help in a league that was fully of big 3s and power duos? Antawn Jamison? A washed up Shaq? Lebron is NOT an alpha dawg with a killer instinct like mike, Larry, or magic had. The only individual involved with the NBA who is responsible for fundamental rules changes to the game is Wilt Chamberlain.
No other player, coach, front office person, officiating representative, or league official can make that claim. Jordan was in Chicago for 5 full seasons before the Bulls made it out of the Eastern Conference, and that occurred only after the Bulls franchise made the necessary off season moves, that brought in Bill Cartwright, a legit pivot man.
Magic - without Kareem - played all 5 positions on the floor in the deciding Game 6 of the Finals against a HOF laden 76ers team in his rookie season. I appreciate much of your list and have just a few disagreements. Your take on LeBron as the best player ever, particularly from your article comparing he and Jordan, is bold because few are willing to legitimately look beyond the ring argument and look at the facts.
Anyone who disagrees on this, please read the man's article, it's really tough to argue against LeBron at this point with all things considered, and I'm not a LeBron fan. LeBron had to face the dynasty Spurs or Warriors in seven of his nine Finals, he tallied a record in those series.
When Jordan faced a dynasty team in its prime such as the Pistons and Celtics, he failed to the tune of a record in those series. LeBron is superior statistically and has had similar playoff success against mediocre to good teams with little success against historically great teams, same as Jordan. Kareem is an easy choice at 3. I think it's fair to put Shaq at 4, but I do think Magic has a slight edge over Bird I personally value playmaking and assists over rebounding.
He got his wish when the Lakers acquired him in a six player trade. In his first four seasons with the Lakers, Kareem won two more MVP awards to push his total to five, which tied the record at the time, but they couldn't get past the Blazers in or the Sonics in and in the playoffs. However, his career took a dramatic change for the better in the Draft when the Lakers drafted Earvin "Magic" Johnson and the greatest duo and arguably the greatest team ever was born.
In their first season together, the Lakers won the championship in six games over the 76ers thanks to the greatest performance ever by Magic in game 6 of the Finals without an injured Kareem. Kareem won his sixth and final MVP award that season, which is still an all time record.
Overall, Kareem Abdul Jabbar is the most accomplished player ever as he was without a doubt the most dominant and successful college basketball player ever and in my opinion the greatest center in NBA history. He is the all-time leader in total points with 38, points and he ranks third all time in blocked shots even though they weren't recorded in his first four seasons with in his career.
He also ranks 4th all time in total rebounds with , 1st all time with an amazing 19 All Star appearances, 2nd in games played with , 1st in MVPs won with six and even 31st in career assists with He led his teams to six championships, five with the Lakers and one with the Bucks and ten Finals appearances. He was also selected to the All Defensive team ten times, with five of the selections as a first team member. Finally, Kareem was also the most durable player ever as he played in at least 76 games in each season, except for in two of them even though he played for 20 seasons.
When arguably the greatest defensive player ever Bill Russell was asked how he would defend Kareem's sky hook, he replied, "I just thank God that I didn't play in his era cause I don't know how I would've defended him. Enjoy our content? Join our newsletter to get the latest in sports news delivered straight to your inbox!
Early into his career, he drew Peter Pan-like admiration for his gravity defying leaps and belief that he would remain youthful forever. However, during the three-peat, players and teams seemed to concede that the title was Jordan. In the Finals, Jordan opened up Game 1 with a record setting point first-half performance to lead the Bulls to a rout. The Blazers bounced back and seemed poised to force a Game 7 as they took a lead into the fourth quarter of Game 6.
However, the Bulls roared back for a series-clinching win. That summer, Jordan was the key figure in forming the Dream Team that competed in the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
In , Jordan led the Bulls past the Patrick Ewing-led Knicks for the fourth time in five postseasons — this time in the Eastern Conference finals in six games without the home court advantage. Jordan scored 54 points in a Game 4 win. The Bulls sealed the series with a victory in Game 6.
In the Finals, Jordan set a Finals record as he posted a In the decisive Game 6, the Bulls again stormed back to overcome a fourth-quarter deficit. This time, Jordan scored nine straight points down the stretch. But trouble was brewing. Jordan was under scrutiny for what was thought to be poor decisions with respect to his gambling endeavors. But that paled in comparison to the loss of his father who was murdered during an armed robbery.
Emotionally drained and seeking new challenges, just one day before the start of training camp, Jordan stunned the basketball world by announcing his retirement.
After much speculation about his plans, Jordan returned to the spotlight in a baseball uniform. Attempting to fulfill a dream inspired by his father, the younger Jordan set his sights on Major League Baseball. He was a competent if unspectacular performer. He was back, albeit with the unorthodox No. The most memorable game of the initial comeback occurred six games in when he scored 55 points against the Knicks in the Garden.
Robbed of his youthful bounce at age 32, he turned primarily to fadeaway jump shots and spinning layups. And in the waning moments of a tie game, he drew attention as he dribbled around the perimeter and passed to a wide-open Bill Wennington under the basket for the winning points in a victory. But he had the whole evening in the palm of his hand.
Sometimes the game just seems to gravitate into his grasp. In the playoffs, he poured in He began the season with his old No. The Bulls added Dennis Rodman, an enigmatic player but a rebounding and defensive phenom. The team enjoyed one of the most remarkable years ever posted by any club.
Jordan led the NBA with The emotional impact of the moment was overwhelming. Despite a horrible case of stomach flu in a critical Game 5, he would not let his team lose.
He scored 38 points and the Bulls won the game and then the title at home in Game 6. The final shot Michael Jordan took in a Bulls uniform was perhaps his most memorable moment. Jordan topped the list above Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali — substantiating his link to those earlier cultural icons.
One year later, Jordan added another accomplishment to his storied career. Since , Jordan held a minority ownership stake in the then-Charlotte Bobcats. Under Jordan, the Bobcats were eventually renamed the Hornets starting in the season to reunite the city with the nickname of its first NBA franchise.
Jordan has been deeply involved in the Charlotte community from a philanthropic perspective, donating millions of his dollars to various causes and charities in the community.
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