The Greatest Rim Protectors in NBA History
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- My list of the 5 greatest rim protectors in NBA History.
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How would you rank the greatest rim protectors?
1. Hakeem
2. Dikembe Mutombo
3. Tim Duncan
4. Bill Russell
5. Ben Wallace
Wemby will easily be in the top 5 very soon, imo
Dikembe motumbo, David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwan, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russel
1. Hakeem
2. Bill Russell
3. Dikembe Mutombo
4. David Robinson
5. Wilt Chamberlain
Honorable mentions
Mark Eaton
Ben Wallace
Kareem
Tim Duncan
And likely Wemby by the time his career is coming to an end
@@iamspenceOver Eaton 😅Crazy
It's just unfortunate that blocks weren't counted as stats and we lost a lot of numbers from Wilt, Bill and some from Kareem. If Kareem had the most number of blocks apart from scoring, he would have more noise in the GOAT conversation.
Kareem was likely swatting around 5 bpg during those first 3.5 seasons
Yeah, if we had the video, info and the stats were tracked back in their time Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell would have some unbelievable and unbreakable defensive stats. Still I'm glad Jonny gave them a shoutout at #5.
@@17thN.O They likely avg double doubkes just off rebounds and blocks. Probably had some crazy steal amounts since Russell was famous for keeoing the ball in play and since swating it out if bounds was cknsidered in poor taste
@@andrewcook1246 I watched a doc on Russell and he's basically the inventor of shot blocking. He was very controversial in college because he blocked shots and the NCAA almost made shot blocking against the rules. I really wish that I could go back in time to watch WIlt and Russell play in their prime. Or kidnap them at the age of 20, bring them back to 2024, and unleash them on the NBA.
We have the states you just have to look at the old game logs they keep track of them just didn’t count them as a block
5:32 Kenny being too slow on his way to the board. Some things never change.
Next video: the greatest perimeter defender would be interesting
The Glove.
@@RoChedeMoncrief
Prime kwahi will be up there
I would probably say either kawhi Leonard or scottie pippen
Throwing Alvin Robertson and Michael Cooper's names out there.
Crazy how you’ll probably have to add Wemby in like 5 years
Fr
5 years? He recorded the highest block average in 10 years, playing 30 minutes per game as a rookie. He should've been a mentioned already.
Another fire video Jonny! Keep it up! Agree on Wilt Chamberlain because even though stats don't back up their position on this one. Blocking the most unstoppable shot (Skyhook) in NBA History is mind blowing.
The problem with wilt is that if you actually watch his blocks, a LOT of them are goaltending. And not just a replay goaltending, but like hitting it when it is clearly going down. So idk if the rules were different then, but the skyhook block was clearly a goaltend.
@@OliverGuitermanthe skyhook was literally clean at its apex
It would require slow mo replay to argue it being a goal tend
Goal tending been a thing since 1944
Ralph Sampson also blocked Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's venerated sky hook, albeit it was a sky hook released by a still good but not in his prime Abdul-Jabbar (compared to Abdul-Jabbar's first three seasons).
There are a lot more instances of the skyhook getting blocked than people realize. It wasn't just Wilt that blocked it.
@@squanchy2925 the thing is blocking the skyhook
And blocking it at its apex are 2 different things
And also have to realize the early 70s has extremely limited footage so am actually video of wilt blocking Kareem is just absurd to find and from what I’ve heard his done this dozens of times when it wasn’t being recorded, and wilt has the highest ever max reach in nba history so he is probably the only human in history to be able to block a skyhook at its absolute apex
I would have Bill Russell at 1 but your reasoning checks out. If we had all the information he would be number 1 easily for everyone
@@celtics17banners84 either him or Wilt
oh Bill Russell is number one for you? shocker! as Charles Barkley would say “that’s just homerism”
those numbers would've come when the 3-point line and the pick-and-roll wasn't a thing.
@@GoatLife755pick and roll was always a thing
@GoatLife755 there's always differences in eras. Even from the 90s to today. There were more blocks in the 80s and 90s than there are today
Mad respect for including Rudy Gobert in your honorable mentions. Dude gets WAY too much flak by the average fan.
One of my favorite NBA stats is that Manute Bol has more career blocks than points.
Still gotta give it to Russell. No other player has been even known for blocking shots *and* keeping the ball in play, a true double whammy for opposing offenses.
That and for pioneering shot blocking. So not only did he popularize it, he was the most efficient at it.
Respectfully Jonny, numbers or not, Russell and Chamberlain should've been higher. You know the history of the game; some things are bc players made them that way.
For shotblocking, Russell and Chamberlain are indisputably the 2 best ever.
Agree
These TH-camrs cannot recognize raw greatness without "numbers" or some made up formula that has to be written on paper, no offense to the TH-camr here though.
Awesome video, Jonny! Great list. I admit that I was a bit shocked at first when I saw Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell were ranked at #5. However, your argument makes sense. I agree that it is objectively hard to rank them, given the lack of stats for them. It's a shame that blocks and steals weren't recorded until the early 70s. But, yes, I think it's fair how you ranked both Chamberlain and Russell as #5.
I like the cases you made for each of the players. I especially agree with Mutombo and Olajuwon being in the top 2. Both are so impressive and iconic. Olajuwon is especially amazing with his footwork. If I remember correctly, he played soccer and handball, and that contributed to his skills as a basketball player. I don't think I've seen a center with better footwork and athleticism than him. There's definitely a great case for him as the best shotblocker - and also best defensive center overall, given how he was great at steals also.
Great video again. Have a nice rest of the week, Jonny :).
Solid list, Jonny. Kareem's deservedly in your honorable mentions, but he could easily be in the top 5. He's third all-time in blocks, and played 3 full seasons before they started recording blocks. Along with Wilt, It's very likely he'd be #1 all-time if they had recorded blocks before he entered the league.
Bill Russell is easily 1 for me,his defensive impact is by far I mean BY far the best of all time. His defensive impact was so immense that he carried multiple subpar offenses to championships.just one example of bill russells defensive impact,before bill Russell came itl the 56 Celtics had a DRTG of 91.7 (or +1.4 DRTG compared to league avg, wich means the Celtics were a below avg defense)now when bill Russell came in the league in 57 Boston had a 87 DRTG(-4.9 below league avg,wich means they were already an elite defense in bill russellls rookie year(-4 DRTG below league avg or higher means it’s an elite defense)) and by 1964 he made that Celtics team the best defensive team in history relative to era having a DRTG of -10.8 below league avg wich is crazy.and the year after lead the second best defensive team relative to era.and in bill Russell’s last season 1969 Celtics had a DRTG of -6.4 below avg and by the time Russell left Celtics were now only -1.9 DRTG below league avg.Here is another example. Across his 13 year career DWS: 3rd, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 1st. He had 50% more DWS than 2nd place in ... 7 of those seasons, He's still the highest DWS leader in NBA history (133.64), with a huge margin over 2nd place in Tim Duncan (106.34)(keep in mind Duncan played way more seasons).Bill Russell led the league in DWS for 10 straight seasons. 2nd place for season for DWS streaks? 4 by Hakeem Olajuwon, Ben Wallace and Dwight Howard. Yes, DWS as a stat has it's limitations, but it's one of the only metrics that go back so far. And the all time DWS list is a pretty damn good list of all time defenders.i can give even more examples but i think I already wrote to much😅,but good list Jonny
But man let me analyze bill Russell’s defense for you just because I feel like it, His defensive IQ was probably his most valuable asset. In the limited film we have of Russell, he demonstrated an intuitive feel for when to help, and how to roam and recover (something he dubbed his “horizontal game”).He pure Rim deterrence was also very great. Conservation of energy was a strategic play then - Russ logged nearly 45 minutes a night - so these occasional hiccups traded quality for quantity. On most possessions, he engaged, and his timing made him nightmarishly effective. He could cover just about any opponent in front of him. In the publicly available games, the number of blocked shots is staggering. Based on about 100 unofficial box scores (journalists would sometimes track them), Russell tallied around 8 blocks per game during his career, and was closer to 9 per contest during his peak seasons. Adjusting for pace, this yields about 5.5-6.0 blocks per 100 possessions, which would fall between the 30th and 60th-best seasons on record.( thabks to Ben Taylor for that block information)
Whatever the number was, it’s clear that his combination of awareness and athleticism was like a cheat code for the era, introducing verticality into a previously grounded game.3 His rebounding was also top-notch, and the best estimates of his glasswork put him on the edge of the top-100 seasons historically, with rebounding rates around 20 percent. He wasn’t into powerful box outs, instead, counting on timing and a nose for the ball to snatch it off the rim
Thank you Jonny for this awesome video! 👍
Wilton Norman Chamberlain is the greatest shot blocker in NBA history….25 in a game! TWENTY FIVE!
And probably because he made his mind to get 25 blocks that night just to see if he could.
myth
@@squanchy2925 Maybe. The highest we have definitive evidence for is the Christmas game in '68, where he got 23 blocks. Most in the second half, after a half-time interview riled him up. That was a nationally televised game and received newspaper coverage, so receipts are there.
Also in a game against the Detroit Pistons...he blocked 26 shots
Love the respect and recognition of David Robinson , I think people like to underrate him because of that 95 series and highlights Hakeem did vs him
All the glory to The Admiral but Kareem should have been in the top 5. He is 3rd in all time blocks even though blocks weren't recorded durin 4 of his first seasons.
I love Hakeem, he is my all time favourite center, but Kareem would be the only one to have 4000+ blocks if the stat had been recorded a bit earlier.
I'm glad Kareem got an honorable mention, but I think he should have been in the top five. Blocks weren't counted the first four years of his career, and in those four years, he was already the best player in the league, with two all-defensive teams, two MVPs, and two more top-five MVP finishes in those four years. If we just assume he has the same number of blocks in each of those four years as the year he had the *_fewest_* in the next four, that would give him 848 more blocks, and he would be #1 all time ahead of Hakeem. And honestly, that's probably a little low; more likely he'd have 1000+ blocks in those four seasons.
Aside from that, he also led the league in (counted) blocks four times and made the all-defensive team 11 times. He never got the DPoY, but it wasn't awarded for the first time until he was 35. I think Kareem's defensive reputation suffers a bit because there is so much more video of his days with the showtime Lakers, when he was still a competent defender into his late 30s, but not the force he was in his youth with the Bucks.
Love your videos, but the dearth of footage of Russell and Chamberlain doesn't and/or shouldn't minimize the defensive footage that we do have of the 3 greatest rim protectors (e.g., Russell, Chamberlain, Thurmond) in NBA history. For example, there is available footage of a 34 and 35 year old post-knee injury Chamberlain blocking several sky hooks from the 24 and 25 year old Abdul-Jabbar. There is little chance that a prime Robinson or Olajuwon could block a single sky hook from a prime Abdul-Jabbar.
The same can be said of unofficial blocked shot statistics. Newspaper sports columnists and HOF statistician Harvey Pollack began counting blocked shots on a consistent basis in the mid to late 60's. Televised playoff games in the early 70's kept track of blocked shots (e.g., last 4 games of the 1972 Western Finals, 35 year old Wilt Chamberlain blocked 33 shots) which led to blocked shots becoming an official statistic in the 1973-1974 season.
I love the List, but Ben Wallace would definitely be it in my top 3.
Before I watch this, Ben Wallace better be on the list
Don't think so. I wouldn't put him over any of these guys. Kareem has more of an argument than Wallace
people talking about wilt and russell like they have 1st hand experience. the youtuber stated it perfectly for you guys: no stats, no footage. what are you guys even basing your ranking on lol. legends get exaggerated as time goes on and stats help keep things objectively grounded.
No complaints Jonny.
Life on the line, you need somebody to block a shot at the rim.. I'm taking Wilt or Russell.
Favorite centar position player
Johnny, why weren’t guys like Ben Wallace or Rudy even mentioned? I get the blocks average from those 90’s big men, but that area didn’t have the floor spacing or the defensive 3 second rule, making getting blocks so much easier
Sorry, they were mentioned
And that’s why the Dream is my GOAT center
Simply the best two way center of all time
And Bball is about dominating on both sides
Another tremendous shot blocker you didnt mention,maybe the best shot blocker in history inch to inch is Dr J..if 1970 was counted he would have over 20000 blocks..that is insane for a 6.7 player still ranking no 23 in blocks all time ahead of so many centers and power forwards!
1:05 unstoppable shot, eh?
Greatest Wings
Greatest Pickpockets
Greatest Perimeter Defenders
Greatest Haircuts
I'd also honorably mention AK-47,& Oliver Miller. Otherwise a perfect list imo.
🏀
Please make a video about Michael Jordan's real vertical leap.. people today underestimate how atlethic Jordan was especially in the 80s. I hope u notice this.😔😔🙏
Jordan would be more athletic in other decades than the 80's, compared to his peers.
Was Jonny facing a deadline for the daily video? Video with this title should have been more like a top 20.
You can already add wemby to honorable mention list
How long before Wemby gets on the list, he certainly has the potential one day
He blocked the most shots per minute in the last 30 years out of all players, even as a rookie. He already has a valid case to be on the list. It's a subjective matter.
Tim Duncan easy! The whole defensive scheme was to funnel the ball to the paint where Duncan can block it at the basket
As a rim protector TD is the best imo
All your shot blockers are great but bein an old guy I think you should have made Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain Co-#1! Mark Eton was amazing but putting him ahead of Bill and Wilt is ?? I would put Alejawon #2! 11 NBA Championships plus NCAA and HS Champions
This would be a great video if it was titled “Greatest shot blockers of all time” because with the current title there is no reason Ben Wallace shouldn’t be on this list..
Ben Wallace snub
Ming should have been crazy man
Oh! The Admiral didn't make your list or your honourable mentions list
Why?
🤔🤔🤔 Yeah he did 😂
@@jonnyarnett I didn't see him in the honourable mentions?
Then I'll watch the vid again
@@d3m1g0d4 He made the actual list at #4.
Your comments were civil, so props to you d3m1.
6:19 Sure of that?👽
🎉❤
6:13 You have a really hard time seeing anyone challenge Hakeem as the greatest shot blocker of all time anytime soon? I hope Wemby and Coach Pop reads this and takes it personally because who wouldn't want to see that?
Dikembe is top imo
Bro I just noticed that the clock at the beginning of the videos is at 4:20
No, it's not.
@@penkima4923 I meant that it's positioned at the time 4:20. Like, if you were to read it, you would think that the current time is 4:20.
@@ClaytonLee-j8c I meant that the clock doesn't read 4-20. It reads 4-10.
@@penkima4923 Oh shoot, you're right. For some reason I thought it was at 4:20. I wonder why it's at 4:10, though.
@@ClaytonLee-j8c 4-20 would mean w33d. High school days tend to end at 4-00, so 4-20 is a common time to gather for a joint.
The exact time that Jonny's clock reads is irrelevant. The clock is a symbol of history, and the roman numerals on the clock enhance that notion. Jonny's channel is primarily a basketball history channel. Hence, Jonny's logo has a basketball, and an old-fashioned, historic clock on it.
what about kareem
How can you leave out been Wallace
Dwight Howard had a great peak in Orlando, but not longevity. Tim Duncan is the opposite
wemby #1 in 2 years
Wemby will peak his head one day
Kareem 🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️ no block stats for his 1st 4 seasons.... and still 3rd all time blocks
So you do think Wemby got a shot at breaking the Dream block record 🤔
I think he won't, not because he isn't as good a blocker as the Dream, but because he is possibly better, so teams will probably avoid mid-range shots around him. 3-pointers and dunks are harder to block, and players shoot and score with 3-pointers way more now than they did in the 90s.
@@c99kfm Wemby is exceptionally good at blocking 3-pointers.
@@penkima4923 Compare it a bit to FG% and 3P%, even someone who is truly great at making three pointers doesn't make as many of them as e.g. Shaq makes of his dunks. There's a reason it's the 50/40/90 club, not the 50/50/90 club.
Even if Wemby is the greatest at blocking three pointers ever, he will not block as many shots from outside the line as he would if they were shot from inside.
The game has changed, and I believe it has changed enough that Hakeem's all-time block record is safe, even from Wemby.
I could be wrong, and I would be happy to be proven wrong, because that would mean the three pointer hasn't killed off the defensively dominant center. If Wendy starts averaging north of 4.0 BPG, the rest is just a matter of longevity. Fingers crossed!
@@c99kfm Calling him Wendy with your stance in the argument is childish.
Wemby averaged 3.6 blocks per game in his rookie season playing 30 minutes. If he plays 35 minutes next season, he's likely to average over 4 bpg. If he plays 40 minutes per game, he's likely to average 5 bpg (LoL).
At this block pace
Playing 30 min a game, it would take 15 healthy seasons to catch Hakeem.
Playing 35 min a game, 13 seasons.
Playing 40 min a game, roughly 11 seasons, plus a few games.
Hakeem played 18 seasons himself. His record isn't safe at all. Wemby blocked more shots per game in his rookie season than Hakeem blocked in any of his first 5 seasons.
@@penkima4923 Autocorrect hates me, I wasn't trying to butcher his name. :/
No Duncan huh? 🤔 I mean 6th all time in blocks, 3rd all time in defensive rating, and second all time in defensive win shares. One of only 2 players with over 100 (Bill Russell). And most all defense selections all time.
He isn't 6th all time in blocks. He's 22nd. Total blocks don't matter as much.
@@penkima4923 that's not a well researched take. 14 of the players above him played less than 1000 games. 7 were either out of the league by or are currently under age 34 (5 under 32) which means their numbers only represent their athletic peak. If you look at Duncan's per game blocks up until age 32 he would move into 15th. On top of that most above him played in eras with more team FG attempts per game meaning more chances for blocks. Let's look at Mark Eaton. When he was on his 4 year run in the mid 80's, teams averaged over 88 shots per game. Half of Duncan's career that number was under 81 and it wasn't til he was older that it started to creep up but was never higher than 84 and that was his last season. It's a far more nuanced topic than total blocks or even blocks per game. Both carry weight. If per game numbers were all that mattered then Pettit, Embiid, Oscar, and Trae would be better scorers than the likes of Kobe, Bird, Curry and Malone
@@Andrew-ms8md The take doesn't require research at all. Blocks per game weigh more than total blocks. That's also very relevant regarding Duncan, because he played for ages.
@@penkima4923 so then it's also your opinion that Trae Young is a better scorer than Kobe and Steph? Or that a guy named Ira Harge is a better rebounder than Duncan, Olajuwan, Shaq, and Kareem?
@@Andrew-ms8md Scoring is a whole other subject, and I didn't comment on it.
Gobert shouldn’t even be an honorable mention
You shouldn't comment without reasoning.
@@penkima4923 you should watch more sports
There are no 2020s player here for a good reason.
Gobert has a case of being on the list. And Wemby will be on the list.
Not even honorable mention
Ben Wallace bottom line
You somewhat contradicted yourself. You called David Robinson agile when talking about him, but when talking about Olajuwon you said he was agile but unlike the rest of the players on the list.
Heavily biased list but I acknowledge your criteria on longevity.
Wilt was probably the best unrecorded rim protector
Another case for Hakeem are his steals. In interesting way - if he didn't intercept that many passes he would obviously have more blocks ;)
If blocks were always counted then Kareem would be top 2 in points, top 5 in rebounds, and top 5 in blocks, with 6 MVPs and 6 rings…. Goat candidate for real
And Kareem isn't even considered the greatest Laker player of all time either.I'd chose Kareem over ball-hog Kobe any day.
@@kerry-j4mkobe is amazing but i,ll take wilt and kareem over everyone else
@@GlenDeaton Kobe is an amazing ball-hog. LOL. Even Gary Payton made a joke about not passing the ball to Kobe in that Pistons finals ( he also said you'd never get it back ) in an interview.
@@kerry-j4m and Kobe won 5 championships, 2 final MVP's, 1 MVP, 4 all star MVP's, 2 scoring titles, he was a 9 time all defensive 1st team member, and a 3 time all defensive 2nd team member
@@GlenDeaton Kobe is also the only HOFer ever to have a rape trial/case.Be sure to mention this also,don't be afraid to also discuss his mess.
If Wemby stays healthy, I can see him making this list by the time he retires
Great video! you should also do a vid where you make your all time defensive team!
Great list! Can't disagree with any of the picks. It's a testament to how amazing Hakeem was that his defensive dominance with finesse and power superceded even the insane athleticism of Admiral and pure shot blocking dominance of Mutombo/Eaton as well as shutting out Zo and Ewing from the top 6!
Larry Brown's story of Wilt Chamberlain playing in a pick up game against a prime Magic Johnson and other talented players and blocking every shot is incredible. If that really happened, it would be hard to argue against Wilt.
But like Johnny said, thats just another "if"
@@markduffin4323 I wasn't saying we take that and run with it. All I'm saying is if that really happened... If an old Wilt did that to young players... That's just incredible.
Wilt did that at 50. Incredible. Wilt went on to be a beach volleyball pro after basketball. Out lifted Arnold Shwarzenegger in the weight room during the filming of Conan. The guy was Paul Bunyon. If someone told me that Wilt got into a fight with a grizzly bear, I would ask: "Did the bear survive?" RIP Wilt. If half or your incredible stories are halfway true, you are still a legend.
@@Davivd2
Because of Chamberlain's myriad abilities (most which are in use playing basketball), I adamantly maintain that he's the greatest player ever (no one else, including Jordan or Dr. J) can do what he did; this is a very unpopular opinion, but, I DON'T CARE.
@@Davivd2You're faded if you actually think Wilt could out lift Arnold.
Kareem didn’t make this list? wow
@@markjackson6431 Kareem gets mad disrespected for a dude who in his prime was avg 34/16/4/5/2 on 59%
@@andrewcook1246 Averaged, when there were two professional leagues.
@@penkima4923 I'm guessing thats a slight? It doesn't matter as much as ppl think. Even after the merger he was the most dominant player. If 6'7 / 210 pound Dr. J was grabbing 15 boards a game and 30 pts then surely Kareem would've put up Wilt numbers in the ABA.
@@andrewcook1246 "I'm guessing thats a slight?"
The leagues were diluted.
"It doesn't matter as much as ppl think."
It matters more than you think.
"Even after the merger he was the most dominant player."
The season before the merger Kareem led the NBA in rebounds and blocks. The first season after the merger he didn't, as his numbers dipped, just like for everyone else. Kareem was still the best player, but he wasn't putting up 34/16/4/5/2 on 59%.
"If 6'7 / 210 pound Dr. J was grabbing 15 boards a game and 30 pts then surely Kareem would've put up Wilt numbers in the ABA."
Then, Kareem would've possibly put up great numbers for one of the seasons, as Dr. J grabbed 15 boards a game for one season.
@@penkima4923 Aside from a few stars, a lot who were disgruntled ex NBA guys the talent stayed about the same. The 70s was actually the most even the nba had ever been until the 2020's rolled around.
Kareem was still the best player at the time. 26/13/4/3/1 and 55+ from the field.
The Ben Wallace disrespect…. Naming guys who won defensive player of the year once. He won it four times. Never seen a player take over a game with only defense like him.
Hakeem should’ve won the award more and it wasn’t even around in Wilts day otherwise he and Bill would’ve won a lot of them.
Dude , like he said, the competition, Hakeem , Mutoumbo, Ewing, D. Robinson, A. Mourning, M.Bol etc most were 6’ 11” +
@@gnnacharles1 Stew had a nearly 7’5 wingspan, a 9’0 standing reach and and insane three foot verticle. That on top of playing harder defensively for the full game than the players mentioned because offense was not a focus for him. He led a defense that held teams to 93 points per game, and teams only scored 80 points per game against them in the playoffs. Stew was the backbone of that. Detroit would just funnel everyone into him. He even gave Shaq hell.
Oh boy forgot about Ben. Ewing is up there too but often forgotten about
Shot blockers bro, not overall defensive players
If blocks were counted Wilt Chamberlain indeed averaged a triple double throughout his career
The blocks when counted Wilt averaged 9 blocks note the end of his career, so do the math a younger prime Wilt was averaging about 12-15 blocks a game, there’s games where he has 20+ blocks
Bill Russell probably averaged as close too
Wilt
Russell
Kareem
Top dogs in Blocking
We do have numbers of blocks and steals of some games from Wilt and Russell’s careers, as Harvey Pollock did record them back when wilt and Russell were playing.
It's best to just start by announcing you're only doing modern day. Russell and Wilt were far ahead of anyone on that list. Russell controlled the entire game with his rim protection. Wilt's numbers were likely unimaginable across several seasons. I don't see anyone on that list getting close to those two, unless we're just counting players with HD footage.
This is a pretty solid list of shot blockers
Honestly Ben Wallace should be up there he really doesn't get the recognition he deserves
He's talking about shot blockers.
He doesn't have that many blocks.
This is blocks not defense
really cool video man keep em coming. Also great list!
There is enough video footage, witnesses, and unofficial stats kept by the Philly & Lakers teams to assert the claim that Wilt was the greatest shot blocker of all time and it's not close. Who else could blocked Kareem's sky hook multiple times? Russell, Olajuwon (with his steals) & maybe Nate Thurmond could possibly claim to be the best post defenders overall but this list is about rim protection, so: # 1. Chamberlain, 2. Russell, 3. Olajuwon, 4. Mutombo, & 5. Eaton. Honorable mention to Elmore Smith for most official blocks in a game (17) but we know Wilt really holds the record at 26.
I would give Will Chamberlain number one for black shots and Bill Russell number two for blocked shots I would have Bill Russell as the greatest rim protector of all time though. I don’t need stats for that. You won 11 championships in a row. You have the most defensive shares of all time and that was way back in the 60s. None of the men nowadays are with guarding a player of Wilt Chamberlain level 18 times in a season not including playoffs. Along with damn near every other basketball player at center position being taller than Bill Russell except I believe for Detroit, who had 3 6’9 guys. Bill Russell won eight rings in a row because of his defensive prowess and leadership. His leadership and defensive prowess even extended further when he became a coach and he was the mind for the whole team. That guy is definitely the greatest protector of all time.
Great piece as always. Based on your soinf reasoning pertaining to Wilt & Russell, you could also add Nate Thurmond as another "#5". Noticed you did him "honorable mention" status. However, in my humble opinion, he was right there w/ Wilt & Russ.
It was said the Bill Russell had the most accurate block. He could generate an offensive drive off the block. I love this new series
I love your list Jonny but I think you maybe underestimating Wemby. Given longevity he maybe able to challenge Hakeem for that top spot.
Bill and Wilt r 1a and 1b in this category and oddly think they would b in any era. Both athletic freaks w great instincts there. Per 36 Bill would prob b the best ever
Have a great day!!🎉🎉🎉
Wilt and Hakeem the goat shot blockers for me.
I think Wemby has the only shot of being in the top 5-10 range anytime soon, but he will have to stay healthy
Marcus Camby should have been in your honorable mentions Jonny. Not trippin about it tho and no offense.
Mark Eaton, not too shabby for a polo player!
Nate Thurmond was one of the greatest defensive big men that ever graced an NBA court.
Can't disagree with that. Alonzo Mourning has a case for the top5 also.
Where's Ben Wallace and Manute Bol?
Wallace is 25th all time in blocks. Bol is 2nd.
HOW IS BILL NOT ONE
There's a video about it, and you just commented on it. By shouting.
Chamberlain hands down number one. His 25 blocks in the playoffs according to Harvey Pollack,his 23 blocks against Phoenix in a nationally televised game,his 26 blocks against Detroit,his 20 blocks over 2 games in the playoffs against the Bucks 11 of which were against Kareem.Many of these feats were witnessed by thousands at the game and perhaps hundreds of thousands on tv. I'm 64 years old and even though I don't remember his early 60s prime years he is still the best shot blocker I have ever seen.
myths
I get it,who am I to have an educated opinion, however you can read the article about the 23 block game at the Sports Illustrated web site, it's in the Jan 27 1969 issue.I know there may not be a tremendous amount of journalistic integrity in todays media but it was a different world 50 years ago. Larry Brown,Frank Deford and Harvey Pollack are some of the most respected names in sports ,to not believe these names may just be showing your colors as a Chamberlain hater. @@squanchy2925
Robinson was just as quick as Olajuwon.
Olajuwon was a soccer goal keeper. David was probably quicker honestly. Hakeem was just more efficient with it maybe because of his goal keeping days. His footwork has yet to be surpassed, & I’m not sure it ever will be.
@@tyrellhoward Still to this day, the best foot work that I've ever seen from a center.
@@Davivd2 same thing here… he diced up Ewing, Shaq & David for those championships. Made them look like rookies! The year David Robinson won the MVP & they announced it with the rockets on the floor. It was personal for Hakeem! Hmm, just realized that is so similar to Jordan! & I took that personally lol 😂. Miss the old competitive spirit, when teams weren’t dapping up everyone from their competition!
Hakeem routinely abused every big in the league including Robinson
Robinson was more explosive especially vertically. But laterally Hakeem was by far quicker, only guys like Anthony Davis or Kevin Garnett are as quick as olajuwon
1. Chamberlain
2. Russell
3. Olajuwon
4. Wembanyama
5. Mutombo
I'm mostly with you, but it's too early for Wemby. Replace him with Eaton, and you have my list.
Nobody cares Jonny because the gaudy analytics of all-time rim protectors like Hakeem and Rudy Gobert don't carry the same impact over eras because today's era can bring bigs away from the rim entirely and actually exploit these bigs and make them be a negative for the team in many matchups
We saw this with the Twolves and Gobert being a negative for them in so many spots... Time and time again we see this trend of so-called great-defending bigs being completely nullified in today's game - we saw it with DeAndre Ayton in Phoenix or DPOY's like DeAndre Jordan and many more - it's standard to nullify 7-footers like Hakeem in today's game... It's interesting how Ayton was a prodigal #1 pick but he came around right at the time of the 3-pointer era, which effectively reduced him to nearly a role player.
With 7-footers or that type of defender out of the way, who else could be the GOAT defender except the GOAT himself?.. It's all intuitive - the GOAT is the best on both sides of the ball.
"Nobody cares Jonny"
Nobody cares what you say, cause you don't know the game.
"Hakeem and Rudy Gobert don't carry the same impact over eras because today's era can bring bigs away from the rim entirely"
Hakeem had no problem defending the perimeter. He'd win far more defensive player of the year awards in today's era. And Gobert's presence obviously makes the opposing team alter their game radically.
"Ayton was a prodigal #1 pick but he came around right at the time of the 3-pointer era, which effectively reduced him to nearly a role player."
Nearly a role player? So, it didn't reduce him to a role-player. Ayton came to the league in the latter part of the 3-point era. He's played far more like an all-star than a role-player.
"who else could be the GOAT defender except the GOAT himself?"
This was a rare topic not involving the GoaT at all. Zero reason to force the GoaT talk to everywhere.
@@penkima4923 I played D1 ball and played with some of Lebron's teammates like Carlos Arroyo and Anthony Parker, while Jonny Arnett never went within 10 feet of a spherical object in his life.. so carry on
@@andrewmcfarlane4724 Thank you.
You being able to impress people on the basketball court doesn't mean you're going to be able to impress people off the basketball court. Analysis is quite literally a whole new ball game, and talented players rarely excel at analysis. Normally the opposite is true.
Playing with Arroyo must've been awesome. I feel like he's an underrated player. The NBA can be a harsh place for small guards, and they are often under-utilized.
KAJ, Duncan and Ben Wallace would be in my top 5.
Nate Thurmond deserves a mention. Just like Russell and Wilt, he would have had insane block numbers if they were officially accounted for his entire career.
Love me some Mt. Mutombo. He helped make his skillset style players into stars and seen as valuable. One of my favorite players of all time. I love defense.
Gen Z Bron fans after him not being mentioned in the video for doing a chase down block every 4 to 5 games:
How dare you 😦
Elmore Smith is missing. Dude got 17 in a game once, which is approximately 17 more than most players get in a game,
or even a whole season in many cases, and still an unbroken record. Good to see Mourning was not overlooked. Camby's blocking prowess often gets overlooked.
Outside of Centers, there are also many Forwards under-rated or overlooked in the category.
McDyess, Kirilenko, DrJ, and TMac were all great shot-blockers.
Elmore Smith has the record, because it was the first year the stat was recorded. He led the league in blocks only once, so he doesn't belong on the list.