Layups: Can You Name the 50 Greatest Players?
Posted by Neil Paine on December 23, 2008
From Sporcle, here's a fun quiz that's right up our alley here at Basketball-Reference... Can you name all of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in 8 minutes?
Posted by Neil Paine on December 23, 2008
From Sporcle, here's a fun quiz that's right up our alley here at Basketball-Reference... Can you name all of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in 8 minutes?
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:45 am
I just have to say, I love Sporcle. I took that quiz a few days ago and got 38/50. Not all that familiar with the players from the 60s and 70s.
June 7th, 2011 at 10:11 pm
I could have sworn Tom Heinsohn was on the 50 greatest list. Not that he deserved it, although he was a fine player. Worthy was fortunate the list was made shortly after he retired. I dont think he would make it today. Gervin, Sharman, Robinson and Monroe are also ?able picks but excellent players.
If the list were extended to 65 today (equal to the number of seasons in league history), here are the players I would add:
Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Bob Davies, Bob Lanier, Gail Goodrich, Connie Hawkins, Dennis Johnson, Tim Duncan, Dominique Wilkins, Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tom Heinsohn.
First 5 out: Iverson, Chris Mullin, Artis Gilmore, Mark Price, Paul Westphal.
Havent played long enough but probably will be there on the 75th anniversary, or just missed top 65: Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, Paul Pierce, Jack Sikma, Chet Walker, Amare Stoudemire, Manu Ginobili, Bobby Jones, Carmelo Anthony.
Bob Davies made the 25th anniversary all-time NBA team, but couldn't crack the top 50 list 25 years later. Disrespect to the past, big time. Richie Guerin is another older guy whose stats are impressive but you never hear of him.
Just an opinion off the top of my head after doing the top 50 timed quiz.
June 7th, 2011 at 11:29 pm
haha mark jackson says wade is the 3rd best shooting guard ever?! come on now. great player yes, but not in the same class as jerry west. i dont know that he is much better than dave bing, for example. jackson is older than me yet he doesnt know about those guys? shameful for an NBA analyst. west shot better, defended at least as well, rebounded well, was the mr. clutch of his era, drove well, and didnt carry the ball or travel nearly as much. wade is great but lets not go overboard. he pratfalls better than west though.
June 9th, 2011 at 10:53 pm
i suppose reggie miller deserves consideration too for the top 65/75, but i think hes a bit overrated. wasnt as good in the clutch as people think either. the 8-point spurt at NY and the jawing with spike the midget wannabe lee made him out better than he was. not even sure if they won that series either, btw. of course doing something big in NY NEVER gets one more ink, lol. and a cheesy 30 for 30 ESPN film misleadingly called "winning time". wow, talk about not deserving of such attention, jeez. reggie never won a title in college or pros, unless you count the 1985 NIT. only got to 1 finals. blew a potential winning breakaway layup that sealed indiana's doom in the 2004 ECF vs. detroit when prince chased him down from 20 feet behind at the end of game 6, i think it was.
when miller finally got to the NBA finals in 2000, reggie shot a miserable 1-16 in game 1. 1-16!!! for the series he shot 43-104. and missed a winning 3 at the buzzer in the pivotal 4th game when it was 120-118 in OT and rik smits was wide open for a tying dunk. but reggie tried to be the hero. shaq had fouled out and in a 2nd OT at home indiana would have been favored. but kobe outplayed miller late despite a twisted ankle, and indiana fell behind 3-1 instead of being tied 2-2.
reggie was a great shooter, fine player, but not as clutch as advertised. enough repeating of 1 big outing in NY, and it became his constant reputation.