• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Who Are Your All Time Favorite NBA Players, and Why?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I think the title itself is pretty self explanatory, but I'm curious to see what the rest of you NBA folks think. Reasons why would make the conversation far more interesting as well.

Since I'm such huge Lakers fan, I'm separating my favorite Lakers players with non-Lakers players. Anywhere, here I go.

Favorite Lakers players

  • Wilt Chamberlain-Yes, his legacy was, in many ways, a product of his time, but for me Wilt is my favorite Basketball player ever. The numbers, the imposing dominance, the strength, the reputation, and the player himself. Given how the modern NBA will never let things like this happen for the better of the game itself, a player like Wilt will most likely never really come along again.
  • Kobe Bryant-It's Kobe Bryant, not much else needs to be said. Pretty much one of the first players that helped me fall in love with The Lakers, and subsequently, basketball as a whole.
  • Shaq-I think this one is obvious. Dude was a truck.
  • Magic Johnson-In my eyes, Magic is the quintessential Point Guard. The passing, the ball handling, and the fundamentals were amazing, and the clutch plays that he was able to deliver are still amazing to watch, from the Baby Hook shot to the amazing three pointers caught on tape. As a coordinator of offense on the floor, no one was able to do it like him him. I wish I was able to see Showtime nightly in their prime, and it's all thanks to him. On top of that, as a personality, few are as likeable as Magic are.
  • James Worthy-The statue of liberty dunks. The finger rolls. The post-baseline scoring. Dude was a blast to watch from the highlights.
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-It's kind of like watching a self contained scoring machine. You could built a whole team around this guy. The skyhook is one of the most potent weapons in all of basketball as a result.
  • George Mikan-He's the original big man, as in the original big man who pretty much made basketball a sport for big man. Amazing how it was once thought that tall people were not good basketball players. Can't imagine what the sport would be like without Mikan.
  • Elgin Baylor-One of the most unfairly overlooked player, at least by today's standards. His acrobatic moves on the court are dazzling to watch, and his fundamentals are stellar too. One of the ring-less greats, absolutely.
  • Jerry West-The original great shooting guard along with Sam Jones, his intensity, work ethic, and his...well, ability to shoot the ball, he's one of the all time great icons in basketball for sure. Little wonder why his silhouette is incorporated into the NBA logo.
  • Derek Fisher-You have to give Kobe and West credit of course for being clutch, but Fisher is up there as well when it comes to clutch players in Lakers history. I can't remember how many memorable buzzer beaters this guy has brought, especially in the Finals between Orlando...and of course, .4. Not a bad player all around in general, either.
  • Jordan Clarkson-If I had to pick one new Lakers player that is on my must watch list, it's Clarkson. The front office better develop him and NOT trade him away. By god you better not do this.
Non-Lakers players

  • Michael Jordan-Like many people, I consider Michael Jordan the best basketball player of all time. There will be another MJ and I don't think we are going to see a person who will dethrone him....in a long time, perhaps never. Others have come close in their own special ways, but Michael Jordan simply outshines everyone and is in a league of his own. As Magic Johnson put it, "There's Michael Jordan and there's the rest of us". I don't think I need to explain further.
  • Gary Payton-One of the best defensive players ever, for me it was not just his physical game and toughness, but the mentality he brought; basketball for him was about mind as much as athleticism and merely offense/defense productivity. His ability to trash talk and beat his opponents mentally was one of the reasons why to this day I consider him one of my favorites (Also, I don't really consider him a Laker because he merely played for the team, which to me is different. He will always be a Sonics player to me).
  • Scottie Pippin-In many ways I loved watching Pippin more than Jordan. He was a special player on the same Bulls team. Amazing defensive skills,
  • Kevin Durant-For me, Durant is the heir to the likes of Kobe and other famous players in the same vein. I don't know if he's necessarily better than some of the aforementioned players at this point in his career (debatable, of course), but he provides the same offensive excitement that those players do, and if his prime has not come yet, I hope to see him become an even more explosive player. Helps that he's such a cool guy, too.
  • Reggie Miller-He's one of the best perimeter shooters ever, and he constantly pissed off Michael Jordan and Spike Lee. When you piss off those two, you rule in my book.
  • Hakeem Olajuwon-One of the most well rounded and flat out bad ass centers ever. The combination of offense, defense, and flat out grace proved to me that there will be another center like him.
  • The Bad Boys Pistons (Thomas, Laimbeer, Dumar, Rodman, etc)-I put these guys together because to me they were the Ravens/Steelers of the NBA during that time, and it was a defensive team effort. Some people understandably hate them for all the reasons why I loved them (attitude, aggression, brutality, and dirty playing), and frankly that only made me like them even more. It's mostly the brutality and aggression, though.
  • Jason Collins-Probably the only player to make the list not due to the fact of him being an outstanding player, but simply due to the fact that he's a milestone for LGBT athletes. Hope others are able to follow his lead.
  • Nate Thurmond-Probably one of my favorite centers and one of the most unfairly underrated Centers, probably because some people tend to forget him. Regardless, he was a physically imposing giant and was even able to intimidate both Wilt and Kareem. That's the mark of a bad ass player.
 

Servbot24

Banned
I'm not a big NBA fan, but I always loved watching Reggie Miller play. He had a distinctive style and was super clutch.
 

cdyhybrid

Member
XzwOvAA.jpg

gBac8zS.jpg
 
As someone who grew up during the Bulls dynasty, LeBron James.

He can play every position and play them well. He is a physical freak with talent unmatched. An absolute delight to watch.

Of course, Jordan was my favorite growing up.

Dirk is my favorite shooter.
 
Nick the Quick Van Exel. So much swag. 23
inflated
assists in a game! Regulation and OT buzzer beating 3s against the Spurs in the playoffs.

Loy Vaught. Cause he signed a poster for me with the Clipper spirit when I was kid

Big Shot Rob - cause he seemed like a fun guy to hang out with and he was clutch as shit
 

Into

Member
Bad Boy Pistons, because they symbolized not just in sports but in pop culture a complete transition from the colorful, fun and "happy" 80s to the more grim 90s. I grew up in this era and you could see that transition happen as if someone drew a line in the sand. Like everyone just had enough of the 80s and wanted something different.


Allen Iverson, every basketball player since is just trying to be him. Not necessarily as a basketball player, but as a personality. He was the real deal. All these clowns since were just trying to copy his style or trying to put up a facade but just came across as corny.
 
Jordan - he was the super star I grew up with and loved. Never got tired of seeing him dominate

Dirk - after growing up with a trash home team, he made them relevant. So cool, so classy, and he did so much. The championship run by the Mavs was the most satisfying championship ever. Better than any cowboys win because of the pain it overcame
 

old

Member
Pippen and Fischer.

Pippen for being a great star. Fischer for being that super smart guy that just always seemed get his team to the championship. He made plays that don't show up on stat lines but win games.
 
Dwyane Wade - The very first ball game I truly watched was the the game Wade dropped 42 on the Wizards in game 4 back in 2005. That game is the game that got me into basketball, and he's been entertaining me ever since. For that, there will never be a player that'll come close to Wade for me.

Non Heat Player - Steve Nash. He ran one of the most fun to watch offenses I've seen. I just enjoyed watching him play.

Up and Comers - Hassan Whiteside. If he signs a long term contract for the Heat, and lives up to his potential I can see see him becoming one of my fave players.
 

therealPeterman

Neo Member
Shawn Kemp-Seattle Sonics. Dude was a dunking machine and he'd let ya ass know when he put you on a poster.

Mitch Richmond-Sacramento Kings. 25-30 points every night, could hit it from the bleachers.
 

HORRORSHØW

Member
i always liked sedale threatt because he was the bridge between magic and shaq/kobe. he kept things interesting during those lowly times.
 

Palocca

Member
I'll go with Kobe.

Watching him play is mesmerizing. His footwork is incredible and a thing of beauty. He's constantly a student of the game and his will to win is unmatched (even to a fault) in his era. His work ethic is ridiculous and I can't do anything but respect him. It really bums me out that his last two seasons were riddled with injuries and it's going to be a sad day when he announces his retirement.
 
Grimløck;162395173 said:
i always liked sedale threatt because he was the bridge between magic and shaq/kobe. he kept things interesting during those lowly times.

Like failing to pay child support for his 6 or 7 kids from multiple women.

My all time fave is Nick "The Quick" Van Exel. Jack Nicholson also says Van Exel is his all time favorite Laker, cuz he knows what's up.
I was devastated when they shipped him off to the Nuggets, but I guess "Cancun, Cancun, Cancun" didn't help.
 

Matty77

Member
Bill Russell, Paul Pierce, and Larry Bird because I am a Celtics fan.

Ray Allen just cause I think he's great, both before and after being a Celtic.

Kobe Bryant because he is one of the best I have ever seen.

And of course MJ because he truly is the G.O.A.T.
 
As a fan of the Jazz growing up, you know I gotta say Stockton, Malone, and Hornacek.

I especially loved watching Stockton play. Unbelievably good player, workmanlike, brilliant passing and playmaker abilities.
 

Beant

Member
There is very much a lack of TIM DUNCAN in this thread.

He is and will forever be my favorite NBA player.
 

rbenchley

Member
Michael Jordan.

Why? He combined the grace of a dancer with the heart of an assassin. There have been a number of players in the NBA that had a comparable mix of athleticism and pure basketball skill (Kobe, LeBron, Clyde Drexler and a few others), but I don't know if there's is anyone on the planet that hates losing more than Michael and has been able to harness that rage as fuel to win at all costs.

When I was looking for a few animated gifs for this post, I came across a video clip of Reggie Miller on Jimmy Kimmel, telling a story about how the Pacers and Bulls were playing an exhibition game during Reggie's rookie year. At the end of the first half, Miller had 10 points to Jordan's 4 and thought it was time to start talking some trash. At the end of the game, Miller had 12 points and Jordan had 44. As they were walking off the court, Jordan told Miller, "Be careful you never talk to Black Jesus like that."

Michael-Jordan-The-Shot-Over-Craig-Ehlo.gif


giphy.gif


giphy.gif


giphy.gif


giphy.gif
 

Machine

Member
As a Pistons fan, I'm not permitted to like Jordan or Bird. My favorite Pistons were Dumars because he managed to hold his own against Jordan better than any player of that era, Bill Laimbeer because he was so goddamn effective at throwing opponents off their game, and Ben Wallace and Dennis Rodman because they were so amazing at defense and rebounding that nobody complained about their absolutely abysmal offense.
 
When I was looking for a few animated gifs for this post, I came across a video clip of Reggie Miller on Jimmy Kimmel, telling a story about how the Pacers and Bulls were playing an exhibition game during Reggie's rookie year. At the end of the first half, Miller had 10 points to Jordan's 4 and thought it was time to start talking some trash. At the end of the game, Miller had 12 points and Jordan had 44. As they were walking off the court, Jordan told Miller, "Be careful you never talk to Black Jesus like that."

Holy crap, that's hilarious, ha ha. Jordan was such a trash talker.

I agree with your post too. Best player in NBA history by far.
 

jwhit28

Member
Kobe Bryant

Kobe came along at just the right time where I was transitioning from a kid that was just watching the game with his dad to someone actually watching and paying attention. I liked the Lakers because I liked Shaq but as the Lakers shipped out Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel and Kobe started getting starter minutes, he became my favorite part of the team. My dad would say he's just the best of the MJ wannabes but the only time I remember seeing MJ live he was at the post player/turn around fade away part of his career. When we were at school arguing over who was the best guard MJ was already a Wizard. There is something to seeing a player in his prime night in and night out that makes you connect with them. I feel the same way about Kobe that people older than me feel about MJ and people younger than me will feel about Lebron or Durant.

That being said, I still think the best player during Kobe's time is Tim Duncan. I hate the Spurs guts but if there was one player I wish was on the Lakers where I could share being a fan of him with my dad or played in Charlotte where I could see him live, it would be Tim Duncan. Dirk would be next.
 
MJ is #1.

As far as non-superstars I love me some Nate Robinson because he's built like a NFL running back and incredibly entertaining.
 
John Celestand

Devean George

Mike Penberthy

Jalani McCoy

Soumailia Samake

Slava Medvendenko

Elden Campbell

Travis Grant
ChickyBaby called him Grant, Imma call him Grant.

Tierre Brown

Tyronn Lue

Why? Cause they are the bestestestest.
 

rbenchley

Member
He was the best Cav ever...

Naw, I'm trolling...hahaha...how could I leave out the best Cav of all time...

Brad Daughterty

Those poor Cavs teams of the late 80s/ early 90s. They had some really good teams with Price, Daugherty, Harper, Nance, Hot Rod Williams and Ehlo, but they had the misfortune of being active at the time of the Jordan era Bulls.
 

LOLDSFAN

Member
D-Rose.

Followed him since Memphis. Hurts every time dem knees give. ;_;

I want to see him become one of the greats, but I don't think his body will let him sadly.
 
Jordan did unreal things; he just saw more things than others do, knew more things than others could, and could execute on those or was a guarenteed threat to do that unless contained than any others could do. He's rarely been approached at this level of sheer awe-inspiring dangerousness (Lebron, Kobe), and in the latter case was at great cost.

John Stockton was a maestro of smooth moves and vision and knowing when to get nasty. It wasn't "him" but it's there, waiting, should it need to come out or if an opponent made it. Being the all-time best on two main categories by huge margins proves how fucking skilled he was.

Dikembe Mutumbo being enshrined soon makes me remember how tough he was in the paint and his warrior's heart. The sight of his finger wag or him on the floor crying at the raised ball after being the only 8th seed to win is a great legacy.

Tim Duncan has turned into some kinda zen master on the court over his career. He doesn't put forth any agitated effort or even looks like he's all there in the eyes, but those points and rebounds and steals and assists keep coming! He can't even flipping jump any more but he's always THERE. He's transcended or some shit.

Drexler, Wilkins, Magic, and Bird round this out.

Those poor Cavs teams of the late 80s/ early 90s. They had some really good teams with Price, Daugherty, Harper, Nance, Hot Rod Williams and Ehlo, but they had the misfortune of being active at the time of the Jordan era Bulls.

They were great to watch, confident but never cocky, dead-eyed snipers. They were like the Hawks of Ohio, weren't they?
 

Sephzilla

Member
Micheal Jordan and Larry Bird. They were both cold blooded and when they knew they had you beat, they went for the throat.
 

Vestal

Junior Member
Mj got me I to basketball back in 89, I was 11 first bball game I saw was bulls vs pistons game 7 and they lost. Since then mj was my man.

After MJ I would say that Tim Hardaway during his tenure in Miami and now its Dwade.

Honorable mentions are Thunder Dan Majerle, he was very fun to watch, and CWebber in Sacramento, he deserved a title.
 
Michael Jordan.

Why? He combined the grace of a dancer with the heart of an assassin. There have been a number of players in the NBA that had a comparable mix of athleticism and pure basketball skill (Kobe, LeBron, Clyde Drexler and a few others), but I don't know if there's is anyone on the planet that hates losing more than Michael and has been able to harness that rage as fuel to win at all costs.

When I was looking for a few animated gifs for this post, I came across a video clip of Reggie Miller on Jimmy Kimmel, telling a story about how the Pacers and Bulls were playing an exhibition game during Reggie's rookie year. At the end of the first half, Miller had 10 points to Jordan's 4 and thought it was time to start talking some trash. At the end of the game, Miller had 12 points and Jordan had 44. As they were walking off the court, Jordan told Miller, "Be careful you never talk to Black Jesus like that."

Michael-Jordan-The-Shot-Over-Craig-Ehlo.gif


giphy.gif


giphy.gif


giphy.gif


giphy.gif
Air
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom