11 championships are great. The years that Russell played, the NBA had anywhere from 8 to 14 teams and the Celtics where loaded.
Best All-Time Big Man
- Thread starter SemperFiCat
- Start date
I would take Wilt any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
How can you leave the most dominant off that list, Wilt.
It was hard to tell since he didn’t play against the top guys in the 80s-90s. I’m not making any statement as to how each would fare, just would have liked to see it.
Shaq couldn’t hang with Wilt. I’ve seen both play. No comparison.
Wilt is the best big man to ever play in the NBA. He just wasn’t surrounded by the talent some of the other players had.
you made the statement, but didn't provide any reason why.. Maybe Shaq couldn't hang with Wilt, but I doubt Wilt could've stopped Shaq.
I have seen them all for the most part in person. In my opinion it really is not close. Wilt was the best player I have ever seen. Forget basketball a moment, he maybe the best athlete of all time. Track and field, volleyball, and in a little known fact, Wilt was going to fight Mohammed Ali in 1966 in the Houston Astro Dome. It was for the Heavyweight Championship. Tickets were printed, paperwork signed. The reason it never took place was Ali's draft issues. As a sidenote Wilt was the only player to ever block Kareems Ski Hook. It happened when Wilt was on the downside of his career and Kareem was at the top of his game
Lew Alcindor is the most dominating college player and many say the best college basketball player ever.
Kareem was the greatest big man ever. Won 3 NC's, won a championship in Milwaukee in NBA, won with LA, Had the greatest or go to move ever. Dan Issel said Kareem was best big man ever. Bill Walton did.
Wilt was dominant but no way you take him over Russell,
Russell and Kareem are 1A and 1B but Kareem was more skilled and had to play better competition with bigs in 70's and 80's. You drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court.
Gilmore, Parrish, Walton, Moses, Lanier, Sikma, Lanier, played Ewing, Laimbeer, Sampson, not to mention Wilt and Willis Reed, Clifford Ray early in career.
Russell and Wilt were two bigs of that era.
Kareem was the greatest big man ever. Won 3 NC's, won a championship in Milwaukee in NBA, won with LA, Had the greatest or go to move ever. Dan Issel said Kareem was best big man ever. Bill Walton did.
Wilt was dominant but no way you take him over Russell,
Russell and Kareem are 1A and 1B but Kareem was more skilled and had to play better competition with bigs in 70's and 80's. You drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court.
Gilmore, Parrish, Walton, Moses, Lanier, Sikma, Lanier, played Ewing, Laimbeer, Sampson, not to mention Wilt and Willis Reed, Clifford Ray early in career.
Russell and Wilt were two bigs of that era.
Wilt with Kareem a close second. Then the next tier of aforementioned after that.
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anon_q409idbs5m40a
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And he averaged more women in his career than anyone else. For that reason alone he has to be the greatest.
That’s a bs statement. Wilt played with nearly as many HOF’ers as Russell did. He played with more Top 50 at 50 players than Russell. His teammates played in nearly as many All Star games. It’s a total myth that Wilt wasn’t surrounded by talent and that’s why his teams came up short.
Bill Walton was unstoppable except for his back problems.
Wilt, Shaq and Kareem would be the top 3, Wilt was 285 plus the last 5 years of his career and not even Shaq would have pushed him around. Bob Lanier was a big strong man and he didn't do it. As for the scoring record, Wilt said if he knew Kareem was going to break his record he would have put it out of reach. All 3 of those were great but Wilt was the most dominant player ever in the NBA.
And you would have the most dominate basketball player that ever lived. Russell just happened to be in the right place at the right time. If wilt would have been on those celtic teams they would have won 13 titles in 13 years instead of 11 for 13. Russell was not even in Wilt's league as a basketball player.
Tim Duncan may never be the GOAT...but he's dominant no matter the era.
Played 4 years of college...so he didn't get a jump start to get all the record numbers...but look at his career.
-5 time champion
-3 time Finals MVP (As many as Shaq & LeBron)
-His team won 50+ games every year of his career...other than a lockout shortened season where they won the NBA title
-That means his team was a title contender every year of his career
-2 time MVP
-10 time ALL NBA First team
-15 time All-Star
-8 Time All-NBA first team defense
-He beat teams like Kobe/Shaq Lakers, Pistons w/ Billips, Malone/Stockton Jazz, LeBron-Cavs, Miami's Big 3, Steve Nash Suns, Durant/Westbrook Thunder, Paul/Griffin Clippers, Jason Kidd's Nets, Dirk's Mavs....over his career
-Completely unselfish...he wasn't ball dominant or stat chasing...he let his teammates develop into stars. Manu, Tony Parker, and Kawhi all 3 were drafted and he let them have their shine.
The man started his career at the height of the Jordan years and ended during the peak of the LeBron run....and he was consistent throughout his entire run.
Played 4 years of college...so he didn't get a jump start to get all the record numbers...but look at his career.
-5 time champion
-3 time Finals MVP (As many as Shaq & LeBron)
-His team won 50+ games every year of his career...other than a lockout shortened season where they won the NBA title
-That means his team was a title contender every year of his career
-2 time MVP
-10 time ALL NBA First team
-15 time All-Star
-8 Time All-NBA first team defense
-He beat teams like Kobe/Shaq Lakers, Pistons w/ Billips, Malone/Stockton Jazz, LeBron-Cavs, Miami's Big 3, Steve Nash Suns, Durant/Westbrook Thunder, Paul/Griffin Clippers, Jason Kidd's Nets, Dirk's Mavs....over his career
-Completely unselfish...he wasn't ball dominant or stat chasing...he let his teammates develop into stars. Manu, Tony Parker, and Kawhi all 3 were drafted and he let them have their shine.
The man started his career at the height of the Jordan years and ended during the peak of the LeBron run....and he was consistent throughout his entire run.
How many times did he do that?That was a great year for him,but his stats were more individual.
Wilt was dominant but no way you take him over Russell
In 142 matchups, from 1959 to 1969, Chamberlain averaged 28.7 points and 28.7 rebounds. That's 14 points and five rebounds better than Russell. His NBA-record 55 rebounds came against Boston, as did a 44-point, 43-rebound performance. ...
In 142 matchups, from 1959 to 1969, Chamberlain averaged 28.7 points and 28.7 rebounds. That's 14 points and five rebounds better than Russell. His NBA-record 55 rebounds came against Boston, as did a 44-point, 43-rebound performance. ...
You can average 30 points a game and 20 rebounds,great stats but it does not make you the best of all time.Over a five year period Oscar Robertson averaged a triple double,could he be the best player ever?
I thought the lens through which everything is looked at today is championships. If so, it’s not Wilt. Kareem, Russell, Shaq. That’s how skewed that perspective is.
Each era has its own version of the greatest starting with George Mikan for the Minnesota Lakers and then came Wilt and then came Kareem followed by Shaq . It's tough to say who was the best
Sleeping with 20K women trumps that.
Yea...right.
And neither would 6'6" Charles Barkley.
No offense, but You speak from ignorance.
I don't see how any argument against Wilt would hold up under scrutiny. Dude would have been dominant in any era