NBA Top 50 Players of All Time

Is the List Outdated After Almost TEN Years?

Here was an article 6 year's after the list was announced...Interesting, is there anybody else you would add?

http://probasketball.about.com/od/history/l/bl_top50nba.htm

As we wade through the "Dead Zone" of American sports -- the doldrums spanning the end of the Super Bowl and the beginning of March Madness -- I couldn't think of a better topic to shake things up than a revisiting of the NBA's Top 50 Players.

You remember the Top 50 don't you? It was six years ago, at the NBA's 1997 All-Star weekend where the League unveiled their list of who they believed were the 50 greatest NBA players of all time to coincide with the League's 50th Anniversary. The selections touched off a storm of debate, it was as if the NBA had just opened the doors to its Hall of Fame after 50 years of operation and 50 years worth of discussion ensued. It was brilliant.

We sit here six years later and still some have issues with the list. So is it a mistake to add fuel to the fire and re-evaluate the list after just six years? While it's certainly not necessary now -- I'm sure waiting four years would only add merit to the inclusion of four of the five new faces I've nominated below -- but the game needs a little "juice" right now. And, to placate the old-timers, a new generation will get a lesson in the great players of the past through this exercise.

Here then are my nominations for five players who I feel rightly belong on the NBA list of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time ... and the five players currently on the list who will be relegated as a result.

IN: Kobe Bryant, SG, 1996-Current
OUT: Dave Bing, SG, 1966-78

Some will argue the only thing Bing concedes to Bryant is style and flash. Bing, one of the most steady scorers in League history, played his career in relative obscurity as evidenced by his mere 31 career playoff games. Having never played on the grand NBA stage certainly hurts his case -- but should he personally be penalized for the mediocrity of his teams? Not necessarily, but in comparison to Bryant's pivotal role in the three Laker championships and his status as one of the top 5 players in the game, Bing has to take a back seat and concede his spot to Bryant. Five years from now, there will be no debate as Bryant continues to ascend to greatness and Bing settles into the recesses of history.

IN: Tim Duncan, PF/C, 1997-Current
OUT: Nate Thurmond, C, 1963-77

One of the most unheralded centers in the history, Thurmond toiled as a defensive foil to some of the greatest centers (Jabbar, Wilt, Russell) in history. Best known for his long arms, rebounding and defensive prowess, Thurmond does not compare favorably to Duncan on the offensive end. Duncan, ironically considered a throwback to Thurmond's era, sports a refined offensive arsenal that dwarfs Thurmond's. We'll boil the argument down to this: had Duncan played in Thurmond's era, he still would have played at the high level he does in today's game -- his game transcends eras. If Thurmond played today, he would still put up tremendous rebounding and defensive numbers, but his offense would be way down as today's game does not habitually reward big men on the offensive end as in years past.

IN: Kevin Garnett, SF/PF, 1995-Current
OUT: Dave Cowens, C, 1970-83

Garnett has revolutionized the sport, creating the paradigm for the 7-footer of the future. Skilled in every aspect of the game -- scoring, defense, rebounding, passing -- Garnett sports a skill set that rivals that of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Cowens? Classic case of a guy who that didn't belong in the NBA, yet carved out an incredible career thanks to pure effort and unique shooting and passing skills for a center. Heart is a characteristic that needs to be rewarded, especially in today's apathetic environment, but not at such a level as the NBA Greatest Player of All Time. Thanks for the memories for Mr. Cowens, but move aside for the remarkable Mr. Garnett.

IN: Gary Payton, PG, 1990-Current
OUT: Sam Jones, SG, 1957-69

Perhaps the greatest two-way point guard in history, Payton is terror on defense and offense. Think about it? What other point combines the two facets of the game better than GP? And yet he's not celebrated, primarily due to his surly attitude. But this isn't a popularity contest and as great a player and person as Jones was, he was really a cog, the third option on the great Celtic championship teams of the 60s. Would Jones have achieved the same notoriety had he played for a different team all those years? Debatable at best. Meanwhile, Payton continues to excel well into his 30s and hopefully he'll achieve the highest honor of an NBA Championship as his career winds down the next few years.

IN: Dominique Wilkins, SF, 1982-99
OUT: Dave DeBusschere, PF, 1962-74

To compare Wilkins to DeBusschere is to open up a Pandora's box and find a basketball in it. (What the hell did that mean?) What do you value Offense or Defense? Team success or individual achievement? Everyone's different, but when you're talking about a list of the Greatest ever, I think you need to look at the pinnacle of the two player's careers and ask yourself who do you remember more vividly. And that's clearly Dominique -- his "Human Highlight Reel" nickname says it all. If I was starting a team, I'd want DeBusschere more than Wilkins -- a team of four DeBusschere's and one Dominique would beat a team of four Dominique's and one Debusschere -- but that's not what we're doing here with this list. 'Nique belongs on the list and if it's not at the expense of DeBusschere, than one of the other four needs or George Gervin, needs to come off.

From Brendan McGovern,

Hmmmm...lebron and Wade are well on their way, yes even at this young age, for sure.

yep, I agree. Kobe was in his second year when the list came out but I'd have to say while he's not really top 50, an argument could be made.

I don't even remember who was on that team anymore to tell you the truth, the cool thread is the enyspree favorite starting 5 thread.

http://ultimateknicks.com/forum/topic.asp?t=16257

Check it out.