The Greatest Laker

[stephenPE]

Sounds too much like Jim McElwain.

...........ok the greatest players made their team mates better AND ( this is probably more defining) had the most rings WHILE leading their team. Russell is there. Magic is there. Jordan is there. Bird made his team mates better. Kobe has the rings that Wilt and Jerry do not have. Ask WIlt about the Celtics. He had to get on a team with mult. HOF'ers to win his second I believe. My dad watched lots of NBA when it was 8 teams. He said Oscar was the best guard he ever saw and Russell was the best he ever saw. Wilt had the stats but Russell had the rings. Oscar had the stats. Ave. a triple double one year.

 

[Marine1]

...........ok the greatest players made their team mates better AND ( this is probably more defining) had the most rings WHILE leading their team. Russell is there. Magic is there. Jordan is there. Bird made his team mates better. Kobe has the rings that Wilt and Jerry do not have. Ask WIlt about the Celtics. He had to get on a team with mult. HOF'ers to win his second I believe. My dad watched lots of NBA when it was 8 teams. He said Oscar was the best guard he ever saw and Russell was the best he ever saw. Wilt had the stats but Russell had the rings. Oscar had the stats. Ave. a triple double one year.

I think Wilt learned from his experiences with Russell and the Celtics. He saw Russell prioritize defense and the Celtics team orientation. His best seasons and two championships modeled that approach. In 72-73 he only averaged about 13 points a game. I’ve always liked Wilt and got to know him after his retirement. In the early 90’s he opened up a sports bar in Boca Raton and was always a gracious host. All the kids loved him and if there was any hint he was in town all the little league teams and such would pack the place on weekends. We weren’t close friends but anytime he saw us he would stop by the table and sit with us for awhile. Just found him to be a good dude.

 

[stephenPE]

WOW..............what a great story. The only basketball player I would love to really talk to would be Russell. I even sent him a letter through a publishing company he used on one of his last books. Smart man. He is like a recluse and I heard never gave autographs. Wilt was the big man they all loved to hate. He made everyone imagine if you were just that big you could be great like that. I heard that WIlt and Russell would host each other for dinner when the celtics and Philly teams played.

 

[Marine1]

WOW..............what a great story. The only basketball player I would love to really talk to would be Russell. I even sent him a letter through a publishing company he used on one of his last books. Smart man. He is like a recluse and I heard never gave autographs. Wilt was the big man they all loved to hate. He made everyone imagine if you were just that big you could be great like that. I heard that WIlt and Russell would host each other for dinner when the celtics and Philly teams played.

It was relatively unknown until their retirements that Wilt and Russell were good friends and did indeed host each for dinner often. It was often believed that they were bitter rivals. They loved the rivalry and the competition but grew to be close friends.

 

[Theologator]

Not a bad list and I understand the arguing with yourself as you write it. My view is that Johnson is the greats NBA player of all time in a close race with Russell, so to me he clearly belongs on top of the list.

Any other rookie point guards ever start at center and abuse a solid NBA veteran? Was it 42 points? Magic is aptly named. Russell is at the top of my list, though.

Aside - I attended a Celtics - 76ers game in 1979 - the year before Larry Bird arrived. Dr. J destroyed them. I went to a concession stand to buy a Coke. The girl slid me my Coke, looked above me and said, “Hey Satch!” Satch Sanders was right behind me. I was in awe.

 

[AlexDaGator]

If I was building an all-time NBA team, Magic and Wilt would be starters (on my all-time team, Russell is the 4, it's my team and I can do whatever I want). Kobe would be coming off the bench. Wilt didn't play his entire career with the Lakers. Magic's career was cut short (and he played in college so he got a later start than Kobe). Still, if two Lakers start on my all time NBA team and Kobe isn't one of them...

1. Magic (Oscar Robertson)
2. Jordan (Kobe)
3. LeBron
4. Russell (Duncan)
5. Wilt (Jabbar, O'Neal)



Alex.

 

[oxrageous]

Not Kobe, there are several better. West for one, Kareem for another, and Magic for a third perhaps the best and the only one who actually played all five positions in the NBA. I like Wilt but his offense is very suspect, not to mention free throws. How about Shaq as well Kobe would have been less effective without him.

Wilt’s offense is suspect? He’s arguably the greatest scorer who ever lived. He averaged 50 ppg for a full season.

 

[stephenPE]

Wilt’s offense is suspect? He’s arguably the greatest scorer who ever lived. He averaged 50 ppg for a full season.

well there is that........but maybe Chief was saying if he had gotten the whole team involved they miight have played even better. Russell played a team game but Wilt was always the center (no pun intended) of attention. Did you know he once lead the league in assists to prove he could pass well.

 

[78]

Wilt’s offense is suspect? He’s arguably the greatest scorer who ever lived. He averaged 50 ppg for a full season.

Had no shot, no post moves and his foul line shooting was awful. Dunk machine when he was the biggest guy in the league. Whooptidoo.

At least Kareem had the sky hook.

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

1. Magic
2. Wilt
3. Roger Murdock
4. West
5. Worthy
6. Kobe
7. Baylor
8. Mikan
9. Scott
10. Shaq

 

[oxrageous]

Had no shot, no post moves and his foul line shooting was awful. Dunk machine when he was the biggest guy in the league. Whooptidoo.

At least Kareem had the sky hook.

Wow. I have no words.

 

[78]

Wow. I have no words.

You shouldn't. There's no defending the stiff. Great defender, yes. Shaq without the bloat on offense.

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

Had no shot, no post moves and his foul line shooting was awful. Dunk machine when he was the biggest guy in the league. Whooptidoo.

At least Kareem had the sky hook.

 

[Marine1]

You shouldn't. There's no defending the stiff. Great defender, yes. Shaq without the bloat on offense.

Wilt played for the Globetrotters. It was young Wilt that scored 50 a game and led the league in scoring for many years. He was a stick at that age. He did not bully his way to the basket. He was so athletic they had not seen a big man like that before. He consistently beat his man down the court and was perfectly able to go coast to coast on the dribble. There were few athletic big men at that time and almost none that could handle the ball. Wilt changed his game as he got older. He utilized his passing and rebounding to dominate the game in his championship years in Philadelphia and LA. In 72-73 he rarely shot the ball at all averaging around 13 points a game. But led the league in rebounding and if they had kept block shot totals he would have led in that as well.

Remains to this day the leading rebounder in league history. Leads in game, season and career and #2 isn’t close.

 

[78]

All because he was freakishly large. I wanna see a pivotman with some moves, too.

 

[Marine1]

Had no shot, no post moves and his foul line shooting was awful. Dunk machine when he was the biggest guy in the league. Whooptidoo.

At least Kareem had the sky hook.

I took you for an older gent on here......you know Wilt rarely dunked in those early years

All because he was freakishly large. I wanna see a pivotman with some moves, too.

 

[Marine1]

Also by the 1960’s the bigs were arriving on the scene.....Wilt, Russell, Nate Thurmond, Walt Bellamy, Willis Reed.....these cats could alll play ball. Young Wilt was the opposite of Shaq who played by brute force. Older Wilt filled out and adapted his game accordingly as he aged.

 

[78]

I took you for an older gent on here......you know Wilt rarely dunked in those early years

So he lived off uncontested layups.

 

[Marine1]

So he lived off uncontested layups.

Well jeez I got nothing for that......if beating your man down the court is to be frowned on.

 

[78]

Well jeez I got nothing for that......if beating your man down the court is to be frowned on.

He may have been in the position occasionally via the fast break. Mainly from a height advantage.