The Greatest Players of All time and the Last Crusade Part 3: 30–21
30. Rick Barry (1965–1980)
Points: 401
12x ABA/NBA All-star, 9x all ABA/NBA 1st team, 1x all 2nd team, 1x Finals MVP (1975) 2x ABA/NBA Champion (1969, 75), Scoring Champion (1967), Steals Leader (1975)
Hey look it’s the Dwight Howard and Steph Curry of his era. Barry was an offensive savant, he still might be the greatest scoring small forward of all time. At the same time his peers hated him, he lost the 1975 MVP because back then the players still voted.
Barry had a financial disagreement with the Warriors owner in his second year and didn’t play at all in his third season because of legal issues. “Baseball player Curt Flood gets credit for standing up to The Man and paving the way for a new era of sports contracts, only Barry did the same two years earlier. So why doesn’t he get the credit? Because Rick Barry was a dick.” Bill Simmons-The Book of Basketball. His first ABA team move three times and in two years. By the time he came back to the lead Warriors in 1974–5 to a championship he was seen as an outsider.
He is this low because like Havlicek he played most of his career during the ABA/NBA. It’s even worst for Barry because he played in the ABA which penalizes more than playing in the NBA. In fact, Barry lost the most points of any player because of the ABA. You could make the argument he should be much higher.
29. Steve Nash (1996–2015)
Points: 407
8x NBA All-star, 3x NBA 1st team, 2x all 2nd team, 2x MVP (2005–06), 5x assists leaders (2005–7,10–11)
Two MVPS. Nash’s career is in the 40s and maybe out of the top 50 altogether without those two MVPs. He probably didn’t deserve them. Shaq for sure should have won in 2005 and maybe Kobe in 2006. He was a primarily offensive player who’s team never made it past the conference finals. But unlike Barry and Howard, the media LOVED Nash.
Nash for his part was a fun player and one of the best passers of the 2000s. He is credited with running an offense that changed basketball and pioneering the caveman mullet.
I can talk about the what ifs but at the end of the day, Nash won those two MVPs and that put’s him in elite company. Everyone else who’s done that is either ahead of him on this list or named Steph Curry.
28. Oscar Robertson (1960–1974)
Points: 409
12x NBA All-star, 9x all 1st team, 2x all 2nd team, MVP (1964), NBA Champion (1971), 6x assists leaders (1961–2,64–66,69)
Oscar suffers from a lot of the same issues Elgin Baylor did. He played in the era that is considered weak. He could never quite win a championship as the best player.
The difference is that Oscar was a clear top three player in the league during the early sixties. He won the MVP against a crowded field on legends in 1964. If Nash changed the offensive future of the NBA Robertson created it. He was a triple-double machine. The only player in sixties that could come close to matching Wilt’s star power.
Oscar’s playoff failure is mainly the fault of the horrible management of his team the Cincinnati Royals. The Royals had Bob Cousy their 41-year-old head coach played seven games during 1969–70 season to boost their failing attendance.
Robertson was the first in a modern 6'5 point guard and could play in today’s NBA. Hell, he is one of the few players from his era who might have been even better.
27. Chris Paul (2005-Present)
Points: 412
9x NBA All-star, 4x all 1st team, 3x all 2nd team, 7x All Defensive 1st Team, 4x assists leader (2008–09,14–15), 6x steals leader (2008–09,11–14)
I am a Chris Paul hater. He has been overrated his whole career. To me in his early/mid-career is littered examples of his poor decision making in the clutch and being worked by more athletic guards.
Why is he so high on this list? He is a two-way player that has been at an elite level for a decade on both the defensive and offensive end. He also an all-time when it comes to advanced stats (12th all-time) and PER (3rd all time). He is in the top ten in assists all time already.
Paul isn’t higher because of the playoffs. He is now in the part of his career where if he wins a title. He will be the second or third best player on that team. So he has a good chance of being top 25 by the end of his career but not top 20.
Robert’s Alltime Top Five Sports Hate List
- Brett Favre
- Kobe and Shaq when they played with each other
- Chris Paul
- 90s Knicks coached by Pat Riley
- All German National Teams
HM: Tony LaRussa with the Cardinals, Bill Laimbeer, Lenny Wilkens as a coach, All NFL Owners
26. Jerry West (1960–74)
Points: 523
14x NBA Allstar, 10x NBA First Team, NBA scoring champion (1970), Assists leader (1972), NBA champion (1972), NBA Finals MVP (1969), 4x all defensive first team
Jerry West much like Oscar Robertson suffers from the era and never being the best player on a championship team. Unlike Robertson, he was a multiple time best player on a finals team even winning the Finals MVP in 1969.
West is the type of player that is very tough to rate on this list. He was always on great teams that just never could quite beat the Celtics. He is logo and genius GM so it feels like he should be higher. I accidentally had him higher when I mistakenly thought he was the best player on the 1972 championship. But he still suffers from era and longevity issues that everyone from the 1960s did. The league is just better and takes care of players better now.
I do think he could play in today’s NBA on the offensive side. He could shoot from anywhere. The true question would his defense translate? It’s easier to imagine him as a Steph Curry than a prime Rajon Rondo. Still, that is pretty good.
25. Isiah Thomas (1981–1994)
Points: 425
12x NBA All-star, 3x all 1st team, 2x all 2nd team, Assists leader (1985), 2x NBA Champion (1989–90), Finals MVP (1990)
Thomas, unlike Paul, Robertson, and Nash, is here because of championships. He was the best player on the late eighties/early nineties pistons Bad Boys. He went toe to toe with Bird, Magic, and Jordan in their primes and beat them. They beat his team too but still that is pretty incredible.
At this point, it feels like Thomas is a little underrated and that partly his fault. Isiah is the point guard on the “man my peers don’t like me All-star Team.” He had individual feuds with Bird, Magic, and Jordan. They responded by shutting him out of the first Dream Team and putting Chris Mullin on it. Rough. Also, his entire post-career tenure with the New York Knicks has hurt him as well.
Attitude aside as a player Isiah Thomas is one of the most decorated winners in basketball history.
Fun Fact: My mother’s first memory of me watching basketball is yelling at the Bad Pistons as they beat Jordan’s Bulls in eastern conference finals. Her quote, “I was shocked on how many curse words you knew as a nine-year-old. I didn’t yell at you because honestly, it was impressive.”
24. Bob Cousy (1950–1963)
Points: 427
13x NBA All-star, 10x all 1st team, 2x all 2nd team, 8x Assists leader, MVP (1957), 6x NBA Champion (1957, 1959–1963)
We are having a run on point guards. It’s like we are in the middle of the first round of 2009 NBA draft.
Quick side note on 2009 draft, a lot of folks kill the Timberwolves for picking two point guards before Steph Curry. I don’t kill them for Rubio although I liked Curry more than Rubio people genuinely thought Rubio could be a star.
But Jonny Flynn was a what the fuck when he got drafted. I think everyone but David Kahn thought that Flynn was at best a back up in the NBA. Curry was not the only point guard picked after Flynn 2009 was a good year for point guards. Jrue Holiday, Jeff Teague, Eric Manor, Patrick Beverly, Ty Lawson, and Darren Collision were all drafted after him. Sergio Lull who stayed in Spain was also in that draft. Jonny Flynn only saving grace in the 2009 draft is that he is not named Hasheem Thabeet.
Bob Cousy has Bill Russel to thank for the best season of his life in 1957. Russel’s rookie year finally pushed a Cousy Celtic’s team from the perennial playoff team that never made the Finals to a Champion. That season garnered him an MVP Trophy and Best Player a Championship honors. By the time the Celtics won again in 1959 Russel was the clear alpha dog but he gave Cousy five more titles before Bob retired in 1963.
To his credit, Cousy also made ten first team all NBA which is pretty good even in a weak era. Could Cousy play today? I think he might be able to play in the modern NBA he was a maestro with the ball. Would he have started? That is another question entirely.
23. Charles Barkley (1984–2000)
Points: 439
11x NBA All-star, 5x all 1st team, 5x all 2nd team, Rebounding leader (1987), MVP (1993)
At first glance, Barkley has a very similar career to Allen Iverson offensive stand out who has one MVP and One Finals appearance. Barkley in many ways was the Iverson of his generation. A loud mouth freakish athlete that had a group of very dedicated fans. Quotable as fuck. “I am not a role model.” “We are just talkin’ about practice.” Undersized for their positions. Both had on super elite skill in their prime. Iverson’s was speed. Barkley’s was hops.
The reasons Barkley is higher on the list? He had a ten-year run as a top ten player in the league. Iverson had a six-year run. As good as Chris Paul is in advance stats Barkley was better his VORP, PER, and +/- numbers are insane. He also played the part of his career in the 80s which I rate as slightly better era than the 90s and 00s.
Fun Fact: I met Charles Barkley in the Houston airport in the 90s while he was still playing. I was afraid to go up to him. My friend Stephanie was with me. She said, “I don’t know who this guy is. If you are to chicken shit to talk to him I will.” So Stephanie went up to him and introduce us. When I finally walked up to him I sheepishly said, “ You are so nice, I’m sorry the media is so hard on you.” He was like “Thanks, man” but I felt like he appreciated it.
22. Jason Kidd (1994–2013)
Points: 447
10x NBA All-star, 5x all 1st team, all 2nd team, 5x Assists (1999–2001,03–04), 4x all 1st team defensive, NBA Champion (2011)
Jason Kidd had incredibly consistent and long career. Even at the end he was still a starter for the New York Knicks. He was the best player on two finals teams. He also stood out on both offense and defensive. He second all time in assists.
I got to be honest he feels too high to me. Part of the is played in a very weak east conference. As bad as the conference has been in last 10 years. The conference was putrid from 1999–2003.The Nets won 52 and 49 games in their two finals appearances and they were the 1st (2002) and 2nd (2003) seed in the east. There were four teams in the west that had a better record than them in 2002. That means they wouldn’t have home court in the western conference that year. What I am saying is Steve Nash is pissed off right now.
I don’t know if we should punish Kidd for being in the east. Is the eastern conference the ABA of the 2000s and 10s? My head hurts. I need to move on.
21. David Robinson (1989–2003)
Points: 448
10x NBA All-star, 4x all 1st team, 2x all 2nd team, Rebounding leader (1991), Blocks Leader (1992), Scoring Champion (1994), MVP (1995), DPOY (1992), 4x all 1st team defensive, 2x NBA Champion (1999, 2003)
It’s the Admiral! He called that because instead of jumping to the NBA right after college he served additional two years in Military. So he joined the NBA at the age of twenty-four! TWENTY FOUR! He was the number one first pick 1989! Can you imagine someone drafting a 24-year-old first pick now? That Robinson is this high with a very shorten career compared to contemporaries is pretty amazing. Part of the reason is he is tied for fifth in my stats advance category that a part of the reason that when you read other lists they call Robinson underrated. I think they usually put him about five spots too high.
Another reason Robinson is this high is was very good at both offense and defense. To be a scoring champion and blocks leader in your career is rare indeed.
Robinson was not a great playoff performer as the best player. Look up Hakeem Olajuwon versus David Robinson 2005 Western Conference Finals if you don’t believe me. Robinson’s prime ended when he injured his back and then his foot missing most of the 1996–1997 season. He was never the same player offensively. Luckily his injuries and the Spurs just flat out tanking brought them, Tim Duncan. Duncan brought Robinson two titles changed the perception of both the Spurs and The Admiral. More on that later.
We are getting to the really good part now. Stay tuned for 20–11.