| 09 July 2011
As with all lists of any type, there'll be some disagreement on where players fall in their particular place in history. I'm fine with it... basically, 'tis the nature of the beast.
Anyway, on with it.
10. Jason Kidd - A lot of other guys could have appeared at #10. Guy Rodgers, Lenny Wilkens, even Allen Iverson. But Kidd's last season guaranteed his place in the top ten. His best years were just past the turn of the millennium, when we saw him take an underpowered New Jersey team to nigh on unfathomable heights... nearly taking them all the way to a championship.
9. Gary Payton - The Glove took swagger to extremes. That glare long annoyed me as an LA fan... but there's no denying the ability or the presence he brought to the hardwood. Perhaps the only guy that could lay claim over Frazier as being the best point man ever.
8. Steve Nash - Two time MVP. The guy has vision like no other I've ever seen, and whilst there might be some that are more accomplished, doubtless they've done it with more than Nash has had at his time in Phoenix. Nash's been the man in Arizona.
7. Nate Archibald - Once lead the league in both scoring and dimes in the same season, not a solitary other has done that. Guy practically invented "dribble penetration".
6. Bob Cousy - Basically the first ever true point guard. Way, WAY ahead of his time with ball-handling and dishing. The Cooze lead the league for 8 seasons in assists. Pretty much everyone else on this list owes at least something to Bob Cousy.
5. John Stockton - Another guy I completely despised growing up. The shorts. The socks. The hair. Ugh. But... (begrudgingly) one helluva point guard. All time assists leader, all time steals leader.
4. Walt Frazier - Quite a bit before my time, but watching footage of him and it's difficult not to be in awe of him. A true leader, able to do it all - including take over when he had to. And with more style than 100 cardigans.
3. Isiah Thomas - Has their ever been a guy who has had such a disparate career when you combine him on the court, to off-court? As a player, he was the baddest of the Bad Boys, despite also being the smallest guy on the floor. Tough, and a phenomenal player. Off-court? Hell... I don't even want to go there.
2. Oscar Robertson - This is tough. I'm currently reading Bill Simmons' Book of Basketball, and he wasn't overly impressed with The Big O's triple double season... and he explains well as to why that's so (you want to know? Buy the damn book!)... but when you actually string together the numbers for his first five seasons, he STILL averages a triple double for each one.
1. Magic Johnson - Surely, this needs no explanation.
