"The greatest player ever to play the game... is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar" -- Isiah Thomas

heythanks. to me there's a bunch who are very close in that respect...

Russell and Wilt accelerated the de-segregation of the NBA, and, as well, made the game more fun and creative. Showtime? The Lakers brought it to a new pinnacle, but Russ and Cousy and Red started it with the great Celtics fast break.

Bird and Magic were great basketball, and team players. As they became friendly, I think they also helped break down a lot of racial stereotypes and divides. It sort of came to a crescendo in the 87 finals, their last together, when Bird gracriously defended Isiah from the racial doo-doo Isiah stepped in. They had something MJ never did, a great, pretty co-equal rival... not MJ's fault, there just wasn't another guy on that level.

MJ, you've already described, agree. I believe his sneakers are still like top 3-4-5 today, yes?

LB, to me, coincides with, but very much helped create, the era of player power. Starting with "the decision," but also, his clear role in the labor negotiations (w/ his pal CP), and then the second decision... and, as well, the opt-out clause that he didn't invent, but has popularized.

So now we have the star player as de facto GM. He was on the shoulders of others, just as MJ, Bird/Magic, and even Russell/Wilt were (Jackie Robinson, etc.)..... but he's the one who climbed up on them.

On balance, I don't see MJ as having a huge edge in off-the-court, transcendant impact. but i think you make a great case that, in some unquantifiable way, he was a little bit more of That than the others.

/r/nba Thread Parent