[pepsionice]

Lets set the record straight here....number one, without any doubt is Bill Russell, period. Number two, without any doubt is Kareem. Number three, without any doubt is Larry Bird. After that comes Mr. Chamberlain as number four. Magic and Micheal Jordan can fight out number 5 and 6. And you'd have to let Oscar Robertson have the 7nd position, with Jerry West as number 8. Pettit and Cousy can fight out 9 and 10.

As for why Mr. Russell is number one...he was a players player. He made the entire team look good. He was not into selfish basketball. And if you look at his attitude...he was a gentleman on and off the court.

[Charles Henrickson]

Hard to pick who's better at some of these positions. I'll pick the three best centers, the six best forwards, and the six best guards:

Centers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain
Power forwards: Karl Malone, Bob Pettit, Elvin Hayes
Small forwards: Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Elgin Baylor
Shooting guards: Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West
Point guards: Ervin Johnson, John Stockton, Bob Cousy

Jordan, Robertson, and Johnson could have a good contest for best all-around player ever.

[q_an_a]

don't know if the thread started out to be about who is best, but Russell is and the answer is not only in his NBA championships, but in the unbeaten record at USF...it still stands.

Anyone that thinks Bird is over rated should go ask D. Wilkens and all of the Hawks. They played second fiddle to the Celtics because Bird learned to go right and shoot with his left hand. That shot won a championship and he worked all summer the previous year to perfect it.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Of the names you mentioned, only one holds records that will never be broken. Wilt Chamberlain. A very good argument can be made that Wilt is the greatest player ever, even though I reject the whole idea of such ratings.