| 22 July 2011
Any who... his take:
10: Alex English - a pure scorer who never had the supporting cast around him to get anywhere near a title.
9: Dominique Wilkins - the Human Highlight Reel was exactly that. One of the most exciting players ever to grace the hardwood, but another who was not able to go the dsitance in the playoffs.
8: LeBron James - destined to move a long way up this list when it's all said and done. Has changed the way this position is played and has been a dominant regualr season force. Needs to get it done in the post-season to be one of the all-time greats.
7: James Worthy - Big Game James was an integral part of the great Lakers of the late 80s. His triple double in game 7 of the 88 finals -36/16/10 - was one of the all-time great Game 7 performances.
6: Rick Barry - after Larry Bird, possibly the least likely looking superstar ever to play at this level. One of the best shooters in the history of the game with one of the ugliest free throw techniques!
5: Scottie Pippen - Despite playing Robin to MJ's Batman, Scottie was a great player in his own right. A forerunner of the style now embodied by LBJ, but Pippen was a truly outstanding defensive player. At his prime, Pippen guarding LBJ would be worth the price of admission on its own.
4: Elgin Baylor - Rookie of the Year, 11 time All-Star, 10 times on the All-NBA first team, Hall of Famer and probably the best player never to have won a championship.
3: Julius Erving - When I started watching the NBA, our Michael Jordan was named Dr J. 16 time All-Star, 12 time All-NBA or All-ABA first or second teamer, four time MVP (NBA and ABA), two-time NBA All-Star game MVP and NBA champion. Air Erving was electrifying and with Moses Malone, Andrew Toney and Maurice Cheeks his Sixers team was a joy to watch.
2: John Havlicek - Started life as a 6th man, but quickly became an integral part of the Celtics engine room. Hondo could do everything - score, pass, rebound - but it was his defense which separated him from the rest. An 8 time NBA champion, 1 finals MVP, 13 All-Star games, a 4 time All-NBA first teamer, Celtics' all time leading scorer but still most remembered with that famous line "Havlicek stole the ball."
1: Larry Bird - Back in the 80s the two big choices you had to make were Madonna or Cyndi Lauper and Magic or Larry Legend.I was always a Larry Legend kinda guy. Couldn't run that fast, couldn't jump that high, but man could he pass and shoot! Coupled with a fierce desire to win (or simply beat YOU) the hick from French Lick was the ultimate competitor. Three NBA titles with the Celtics, 3 MVP's, 2 Finals MVP's, 12 All-Star games, 9 All-NBA first teams and finished with a career average of 24.3 points, 10 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
