MJ

[jaketwice]

IMHO Russell is the greatest. Even if you say that he had great teammates - he also won as a player-coach. Who can question his value to his team?

Jordan arguably played in a more competitive era. But that's debatable. Russell was indubitably a two-way player.

I'd say:

1. Russell
2. Wilt
3. Kareem
4. Jordan
5. Oscar Robertson

Kobe is not top five. Magic, Bird, and even Shaq arguably outrank him.

[Kane3387]

Kobe would be a lot closer if it wasn't for the charges in Colorado, I think.

I don't think Kobe is nearly as good.  He is a great scorer and not great at anything else.

Can't be robin for three of your five titles while Jordan was batman for all six of his. Lebron has to get to six titles to be in there bc of his defection to Miami. It was the easy way out. Out as in winning.

Doubt either ever really threaten mike for the throne.

Jordan is an icon. He's like Elvis or Ali. Just a pop culture phenom. It's part of his legend.

But take that all away and I still think he's the best basketball player ever. He was the perfect combination of athleticism, tenacity, skill, work ethic, and physical and mental toughness. He's the best two way player ever. The most clutch player ever and the most feared. All his opponents he left in awe.

When watching Jordan in the 90s you never expected him to lose. You were always surprised when he lost or missed a game winner. He was literally like a comic book super hero that you knew would always win in the end.

[staticcc]

LeBron or Kobe - who is the closest to MJ or will most likely surpass his legacy? Can Durant be mentioned in the same question yet?

As a killer and scorer, it's Kobe. As an all-around two-way and complete player, it's Lebron.

KD is slowly becoming both a killer/scorer and an all-around two-way player. He may be the closest when it's all said and done.

[Boris Badenov]

IMHO Russell is the greatest. Even if you say that he had great teammates - he also won as a player-coach. Who can question his value to his team?

Jordan arguably played in a more competitive era. But that's debatable. Russell was indubitably a two-way player.

I'd say:

1. Russell
2. Wilt
3. Kareem
4. Jordan
5. Oscar Robertson

Kobe is not top five. Magic, Bird, and even Shaq arguably outrank him.

I was looking at MJ's career stats and realized that if he didn't take two years off at his peak, and then "retire" again in 1998, he very well could have won ten championships in a row. Not a sure thing, of course, but if he played a fuller career I think even the Russell "winningest" argument would be a closer one.

I'll personally pass on the MJ/Russell argument because I'm too young to have seen Russell play, but in my era (1980 onward), MJ is IMO just so clearly the greatest I find it difficult to think that anyone could disagree. I love Bird more than any other player, but MJ had it all, as others have said above. On the greatest stage he produced time and time again.

I think Lebron has a shot at ending up in the Magic/Bird conversation (as much as I hate to admit it), but I can't see him ever hitting MJ's level. No one else in the current crop of players is anywhere close.

[LarBrd33]

LeBron or Kobe - who is the closest to MJ or will most likely surpass his legacy? Can Durant be mentioned in the same question yet?

As a killer and scorer, it's Kobe. As an all-around two-way and complete player, it's Lebron.

KD is slowly becoming both a killer/scorer and an all-around two-way player. He may be the closest when it's all said and done.

No.   Kobe was great, but he was never the best player on any title team.  I honestly think Pau carried him those two years and Shaq clearly carried him the first 3.

Kobe was a great player, but Jordan was on another level.   It's not even close.   

LeBron, however... is vastly superior to Kobe.  He's the closest thing we've had to Jordan.  Very different player, but  he's an unreal talent who just lacks the 4 additional titles.

[Kiorrik]

Bill, bleeping, Russell.

Full stop.

Period.

End of.

Fin.

[Clench123]

Bill Russell of course.  Is this a joke?

Without all the hoopla and marketability, Jordan is not even close. 

I would say he's the most popular basketball player of all time.  I'll give him that.

He didn't win a championship until Pippen came to town (sort of thesame thing peoole often accuse Lebron of)

Bill Russell won 11 rings as a player and a coach and was better than a guy that is head and shoulders above everyone in Wilt.  And you people are mentioning Jordan?

Ps.  And they didn't record block stats in Russell's days!!!

[cb8883]

Honestly I hate LeBron but...

Currently
1) Russell
2) Jordan
3) Wilt
4) Magic
5) Bird

In 5 years
1) Russell
2) LBJ
3) Jordan
4) Wilt
5) Magic

Love him or hate him, I'm in the second camp you can't deny that he's the best player since Jordan and could make a serious run at GOAT.

[BballTim]

  Jordan was the undisputed best player in the nba for most of his prime. You'd have to decide whether that works for him or against him. You'd have seen the same level of dominance in the 80s if Bird stayed healthy and Magic wasn't in the league or Magic stayed healthy and Bird wasn't in the league. The fact that the league's success seemed to be tied so closely to his success didn't hurt either.

[scaryjerry]

It was ten times more warranted for mj then it has been for any star since...I actually feel bad for someone who has to ask this question, because clearly you weren't lucky enough to watch him play..best athlete ever

[scaryjerry]

Honestly I hate LeBron but...

Currently
1) Russell
2) Jordan
3) Wilt
4) Magic
5) Bird

In 5 years
1) Russell
2) LBJ
3) Jordan
4) Wilt
5) Magic

Love him or hate him, I'm in the second camp you can't deny that he's the best player since Jordan and could make a serious run at GOAT.

Lol. The prisoner of the moment stuff is great...LeBron won't even pass kobe Bryant in 2 years, never mind the greatest ever....kobe 2 years ago was on these type of lists, no one dared but LeBron over him...um now miraculously lbj is already on bird and magics level all time...completely and utterly laughable. He wouldn't be on a Rushmore over kobe or shaq and durant is currently the mvp and LeBron could start a decline in 2 years.

[scaryjerry]

LeBron or Kobe - who is the closest to MJ or will most likely surpass his legacy? Can Durant be mentioned in the same question yet?

As a killer and scorer, it's Kobe. As an all-around two-way and complete player, it's Lebron.

KD is slowly becoming both a killer/scorer and an all-around two-way player. He may be the closest when it's all said and done.

No.   Kobe was great, but he was never the best player on any title team.  I honestly think Pau carried him those two years and Shaq clearly carried him the first 3.

Kobe was a great player, but Jordan was on another level.   It's not even close.   

LeBron, however... is vastly superior to Kobe.  He's the closest thing we've had to Jordan.  Very different player, but  he's an unreal talent who just lacks the 4 additional titles.

This is silly. LeBron is absolutely nothing like Jordan in literally any way...he's great in a totally different way...kobe was a Jordan replica, his game every bit as good...just didn't have the killer instinct or the guts of Jordan, there was a chip missing in kobe otherwise his game is so much closer to Michaels

[Clench123]

Honestly I hate LeBron but...

Currently
1) Russell
2) Jordan
3) Wilt
4) Magic
5) Bird

In 5 years
1) Russell
2) LBJ
3) Jordan
4) Wilt
5) Magic

Love him or hate him, I'm in the second camp you can't deny that he's the best player since Jordan and could make a serious run at GOAT.

I agree

[Roy H.]

kobe was a Jordan replica, his game every bit as good...just didn't have the killer instinct or the guts of Jordan

I almost see it as the opposite.  I've always thought that Kobe had the killer instinct and the guts, he just didn't quite have the game that MJ had.  MJ was simply more skilled.

Both had tremendous egos, but Jordan was more willing to suppress his for the good of the team.  You didn't see Jordan taking many potential game-winners when he was triple-covered; he was more likely to pass to an open teammate.  Kobe never had that desire to pass.

[Fafnir]

LeBron or Kobe - who is the closest to MJ or will most likely surpass his legacy? Can Durant be mentioned in the same question yet?

Kobe wasn't even the best player of his era.

Duncan was better, KG was better, and Shaq was better.

Kobe was the best guard for a while, that's it. Even there he's overrated as Wade surpassed him pretty quickly.

MJ wasn't the best guard, he was outright the best player without a doubt when he played.

So LeBron is the only one in the conversation. Durant needs to keep this level of play up for 2 or 3 more years before he sniffs it too.