SI's (new) 50 Greatest NBA Players list

The Mark Buehrle of basketball, one could reasonably argue.

 

You are relentless, man.

Hakeem was a special place in time for those who were following closely. He represented the NBA zeitgeist as a female writer from a large East Coast city might hypothetically represent the millennial zeitgeist.

 

This always pisses off the old fogies when I say it, but I think Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain get way overrated on these lists.

So much of their resume is based on those preposterous statistics they amassed during that preposterous early 60s era when the game was entirely different (indeed almost looked like a different sport) in ways immeasurably more conducive to amassing preposterous statistics. As far as I'm concerned nearly all of those statistical records from that era (especially the insanely wacky 1962 season) might as well come with an asterick next to them.

 

I always come back to this:

If they change the rules in an attempt to stop you, you are probably not overrated.

Thus, Wilt is not overrated. No other NBA player meets the standard listed above.

 

Iverson, who carried a team to an NBA finals, is 45, while Pippen, who couldn't carry the team's water jug, is 23. That makes sense.

 

The first #deviltake I thought it would have come much sooner.

 

Well, we saw during the 1995 season what Pippen is capable of when he was Batman. A seat on the bench.

 

He was terrible that year.

 

The Bob Ryans of the world are going to lose their shit that Russell is behind Jabbar and Chamberlain.

 

Steph Curry is #31.

Where will he be on the 2026 list?

 

To turn the conversation to a player who is completely non-controversial, how do we feel about Kobe at 12?