Who Is The Greatest Player Of All Time In The NBA?

Let's clear this up once and for all. The G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) being Micheal Jordan (MJ) is an urban legend. There are eras in basketball's evolution.

MJ was the greatest of his era (90's). Magic Johnson was arguably the greatest of his era (80's) but Larry Bird, Dominique Wilkins, and Isiah Thomas have to be in those conversations. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Julius Erving toss up for their eras (70's-early 80's).

Bill Russell (11 rings, served as a player/coach) would be the greatest of his era (60's) and if we were to say all time, he's top of the list depending how old the person you ask is. Hands down, Kobe Bryant is the greatest player of this era in basketball (post-MJ to today) and he mirrored his game after the likes of MJ but took it to the next level much as all the others did with the icons of their generations. My step-father, 66 years old, will say Oscar Robertson is the G.O.A.T and the year he watched that guy average a triple double over a season (and nearly his career) has never been matched by any basketball player.

I have to give it to MJ he revolutionized the game today. He revolutionized a generation of kids and inspired a nation through basketball. He is by far the biggest brand the sport had ever seen and his accumulated net value of more than $800 million. 

A paragraph can by no means cover MJ's legacy.  Six championships via back to back to back methods twice isn't so bad, either. A logo that can be recognized almost as clearly as the golden arches or the swoosh around the world. Sixty-plus points in the Boston Garden (with overtime) surely is amazing. He had the first million-dollar shoe deal. He should have been paid an appearance fee as having the greatest streak of sellout crowds wherever he played in the nation. The attention and viewership he brought to the sport is also amazing.  The amount of Chicago Bulls jerseys and collectible shoes he was able to generate sales from is also a dominating category for him.

In my opinion there is no valid argument that post-MJ, Kobe Bryant will end his career as the greatest player of this era. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett will all be in those conversations at a close second.

We are currently watching Bryant perform jaw-dropping miracles that people never thought could happen. Eighty-one points in a game, averaging more than 40 points in a month, 60+ points in Madison Square Garden as Knicks fans (arguably the most dedicated fans in the basketball world, especially after the last losing decade since they went to the NBA finals) chanted MVP to the opposing team's player!

Every year the NBA does a marketing campaign to produce who will be the next greatest player. Remember when they preached Penny Hardaway was the truth? How about Grant Hill, Carmelo Anthony (recent), Larry Johnson (Grand Ma Ma), Vin Baker (Employee #8)?

Mind it those guys, except Anthony, all suffered injuries and one a town drunk. I don't think they were on the levels of MJ or Kobe or anyone in the first paragraph. That to say, MJ, will ALWAYS be the player people will compare the upcoming talent to much like before him they compared others to the likes of their generational icons.

So my questions, and the round table, are open for discussion.  Is there a greatest player off all time or does the sport need to be broken into eras?  In football and baseball we generally say that the greatest player of those sports are broken into their positions they played on the field.  So how do we truly rank the greatest basketball player ever?