International VPN day Deal! Go to nordvpn.com/jonnyarnett to get 73% off the 2-year plan plus 4 additional months free, only $3.18 per month! A very tough the list. Should have done a 75 list, because the guys at the 51-55 spots are gonna keep me up at night. Who was too high, and who was too low??
Too high, Iverson, Mchale, Gervin, Chris Paul, Cousy, Giannis is way too high (recency bias), Charles Barkley (He is not the 2nd best PF ever? he is probably 5th), Elgin Baylor, Isiah Thomas,
Wilt chamberlains nba career is so insane I have to remind myself that he was a real person who did those things and not a simulated player in a 2k game
“In a sense, you could say that Michael Jordan dominated the regular season like he was Wilt Chamberlain, but he dominated the post-season like he was Bill Russell.” Wow what a line.
that is too much. Wilt didnt score as much in playoffs because he was asked to pass, and if Im not mistaken he was having 30 30 one time in NBA finals. Not to mention he was clutch with freethrows in playoffs or close games, also if blocks were recorded, he would most likely have over 10 for his CAREER
Birds career couldve been cut 7 years earlier because he started getting back pain around that time, and yet he still continued to dominate and get mvps, fmvp and some rings whilst having a broken back, shows how these professionals are way ahead of the average human
If magic bird orbit never got hurt they could’ve dominated a lot more shoot Jordan might not have 6 rings. You guys forget that bird beat Jordan and the man drop 60. And it took the Pistons to be old along with injuries to finally lose to Jordan
@@whenisdinner2137 No I don't think so. Part of Jordan's domination was that Bird and Magic were gone and there was no-one on that level to challenge him.
Dominique Wilkins coming back from the Achilles tear was not just the best comeback the NBA had ever seen, but you could argue that it was the best comeback in sports history from athletes who have been unfortunate enough to suffer an Achilles tear
The crazy thing about Pistol Pete is when I watch his highlights, he seems like a guy who has been taken out of our modern NBA and transplanted back into the 70s. The way he dribbled, little floaters, pulling from pretty much anywhere. Even his form stood out as being really smooth for a time when there were a lot of weird jumpshots out there. Just way ahead of his time.
Pistol Pete is a little bit overrated. There are guys who have put up the same or better amount of production for longer that don’t get the same amount of recognition.
alot better than 48 or whatever...and yes i saw him play, up close first row. Had Curry range and would have been ginormous with social media and shoot from anywhere allowed! Might average 50!
I'm so glad you included Bob Mcadoo. He's so ridiculously underrated. He's an anomaly from his era. A big that could shoot? That was unheard of in the 70's. 2nd best 70's player in my eyes.
And he played in Milan at the end of the 80s together with Mike D'Antoni, they won 2 consecutive Euroleagues, at 40 years old he was still giving his all like a newcomer, what an example for everyone
Good to see George Mikan on the list. He probably had the biggest impact on the game, being the cause for a lot of rule changes like shot clock or goaltending. He was too dominant for his time.
@@cyber7273 after George Mikan quit as the head coach of the Lakers he went and created the ABA and introduced the 3 point three so shorter players could play easier. He also introduced the dunk contest.
Cousy also said Mikan was a better overall player than Bill Russell, meaning he was dominant both offensively and defensively. Kareem was heavily influenced by Mikan's style.
So here's the goat in the top 5 position, according to Jonny - PG - Magic Johnson (#7), Isiah Thomas (#15), Oscar Robertson (#16), Stephen Curry (#23), John Stockton (#29) SG - Michael Jordan (#1), Kobe Bryant (#9), Jerry West (#12), Dwayne Wade (#22), Allen Iverson (#31) SF - LeBron James (#4), Larry Bird (#6), Julius Erving (#14), Elgin Baylor (#17), Kevin Durant (#18), PF - Tim Duncan (#10), Charles Barkley (#19), Karl Malone (#21), Kevin Garnett (#24), Giannis Antetokounmpo (#25) C - Wilt Chamberlain (#2), Kareem Abdul Jabbar (#3), Bill Russell (#5), Hakeem Olajuwon (#8), Shaquille O'Neal (#11)
@@nikosofidemporas ya, you are right. I only pay attention to NBA since the 90 era. I consider Kawhi is a top 4 SF after Bird, LBJ,, and KD a bit. I really don't know how great Dr.J and Baylor actually were during their prime.
Can't lie, even tho I don't agree with everything, this was a very solid ranking list. It was well thought out, explained himself well. Got a sub from me.
@@Destroyer-oz5dj it certainly isn't blasphemous, I think they are both right there with each other even though I have duncan over kobe. that guy is dumb as hell for calling it blasphemous though
"Hakeem has the best argument for being the greatest of all time, of any of the players who are not normally in the discussion" Took the words right out of my mouth!
@@Krazywillz21 Hakeem was a better defender than Shaq, hands down. You can pretty solidly make a case that Hakeem is the greatest defender since the merger. And he was able to put up almost as good scoring numbers while not being surrounded with as good of players as Shaq was. The same argument for Kareem really. Russell? Hakeem was similarly impactful on defense while being much better offensively. Thinking Basketball does a brilliant job breaking a lot of that down. The fact of the matter is that Houston didn't do a great job for most of Hakeem's career in putting anyone around him. And in the brief windows where they did Hakeem lead them to the Finals 3 times and won two of those titles. And honestly, it's splitting hairs with al these guys, Wilt, Russell, Kareem, Moses, Hakeem, Shaq, there's not a bad pick and they all have arguments.
@@Noin007 Honestly, Hakeem is the 2nd best defensive player in history. Facts. 100% facts. However Bill Russell is undoubtedly the greatest defensive player in history. The gap between him and Hakeem is the gap between Hakeem and the 10th best defensive player. Kareem wipes Hakeem career wise. So i don't know how anyone could make the argument for Hakeem over Kareem. Your comments about Shaq are a massive W. However, looking at longevity (not career stats), makes them comparable imo. Also, Shaq UNDOUBTEDLY had the better peak than Hakeem. So imo, Hakeem or Shaq at 5 its fine for me🤷♂️.
I totally respect where you put Isiah Thomas, he’s one of the most underrated players ever. Easily a top 15 player of all time, could argue top 10. If he was 6’6 he’d be top 5. Also, Isiah is the only player in history to beat Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson - all in the same postseason. Absolutely an all time great
It’s sad that you have to say “according to me” like it wasn’t your opinion to begin with, but people get mad so quick now in days like your not aloud to disagree
@@jahimuddin2306 There are opinions and then there is bias. This guy is not biased but to have so many people he hasn't seen that high is insane. You think Westbrook is not better than Pete?
@@JackC85 Don't deny that, but he's still like 60th or so in my book. Westbrook and Harden should be at the same place CP3 is. They've been way way way way more successful team and individual wise.
The craziest thing to me is that the media said Jordan couldn't shoot 3 pointers so he broke 3 NBA records in just 18 minutes (didn't even play the full half) including a 3 point record that lasted until Ray Allen came along and the 35 points in a finals half record still stands. He then checked himself out of the game...
@@blowc1612 Clyde tried to stay quiet. The media narrative was that both players were nearly identical except one could shoot threes while the other couldn't.
MJ (after recording six three-pointers in a half in Game 1 of the 1992 Finals): "My 3pt shooting is something that I don't wanna excel at because it takes away from all phases of my game. My game is fake, drive to the hole, penetrate, dish-off, dunk... whatever. And when you have that mentality, as I found out in the first game, of making threes, you don't go to the hole as much. You go to the 3pt line and you start sitting there waiting for someone to find you. And that's not my mentality, and I don't want to create that because it takes away from the other parts of my game." He also raised his assist game against Magic in the '91 Finals.
@@stopplzs it's not a weakness if opposing teams can't exploit it. If they know MJ couldn't shoot threes, why are they still defending him in the 3pt line? He's a threat when given a chance that's why.
@@swagondisdick AD is a more talented player, but not as accomplished. He’s only made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs once before teaming up with LeBron. There’s a lot of player that if you rank them as individual talents would be on this list like Tracy McGrady, but career accomplishments is what makes you an all time great.
@@tdot8645 I consider shooting a measure of talent. When AD is healthy he’s arguably just as good of a defender as Giannis and has a more complete offensive game. But, he doesn’t play as hard as Giannis game in and game out… A lot of player have great talent, but without the accomplishments it doesn’t make you an all time great.
I love your emphasis on defense... NBA Twitter and a lot of my friends really act like there isn't two sides of the game. Players literally spend the same amount of time playing defense as they do offense but a lot of people only watch for offensive highlights unless its game winning block in the post season or something of that nature.The statement that is most tried and true imo... "Defense wins championships"
Most ranking videos by other channels just list achievements and no reasoning as to WHY they are there statistically and go into the tangible reasons. Jonny is the GOAT.
Because of Wilt Chamberlain these rules were changed included widening the lane, instituting offensive goaltending and revising rules governing inbounding the ball and shooting free throws (Chamberlain would leap with the ball from behind the foul line to deposit the ball in the basket). Players would run into him and automatically fall to the ground without moving him one inch. He could have been a Professional Tennis Player at 280lbs, he was continuously drafted by the NFL every year well into his 50's. He was a competitive track athlete who ran the quarter mile, ran the mile, the decathlon, high jump, long jump, javelin and the shot put. Athletically the only one comparable to him would be Bo Jackson.
@Truth is Truth! 2022 MJ wouldn't be able to stop Wilt one on one, and Wilt's vertical leap was higher. Wilt was a freak of nature while MJ as an awesome Basketball Player and a mediocre Baseball Player. Bo Jackson was even a better all around athlete than MJ though Bo couldn't play basketball but he could crush a baseball, RUN UP a wall to make a catch and throw a base runner out at home plate with a throw from center field warning track. Plus they were both faster than Jordan in a sprint because they were also Track Athletes. Bo was a world class track sprinter.
@@ripcordverbist9673 George Gervin 6'7' started his NBA career in 1973 and was one of the best pure shooters in NBA history. Goaltending actually started in the 1944 NCAA season because of George Mikan, and then it was instituted in the 1945 NBA Season. Gervin was born in 1952. In 1964, trying to stop Chamberlain, the NBA widened the lane area from 12 feet to 16. Curiously, they first widened it from 6 feet to 12 to diminish the dominance of George Mikan in 1951. Though goaltending was additionally changed because of Chamberlain.
@Truth is Truth! 2022 Wilt weighed more than anyone but Shaq and still jumped much higher than anybody of the 90's. He was a freak like Bo Jackson, but even more so. He was in such great shape the NFL continued to offer him short term contracts to play DE well into his late 50's.
@Truth is Truth! 2022 Basketball - Wilt Chamberlain (48 inches/1.22m) and Michael Jordan (46 inches/1.17m) Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain owns the highest vertical jump in NBA history, reaching a height of 48 inches. Shaq can only dunk and that word "dunk" was also coined by Laker announcer Chick Hern! So stuff it!
This was fun and I was shocked at Wilt's ranking. Never heard a list with him that high before. But your explanations is why this was good. I'm way too lazy to go through this much detail but it's cool to hear. Gives perspective.
The funny thing is, growing up as a kid watching the NBA, all I heard was that Wilt was the greatest, or if not him, then it was Bill Russell. They didn't use the term "GOAT" back then. That came later.
In my honest opinion, Bill was the better player between the two. Everyone talks about how Wilt Chamberlain was putting up the most impressive numbers and scoring with ease throughout the season, but nobody seems to mention his performances in the playoffs. This is because Chamberlain consistently had a drop in productivity each year. In every part of his career - from his days in Philadelphia to his last days in Los Angeles - Wilt had gotten worse in the playoffs. It’s one thing to have a few bad playoff seasons, all legends have had bad performances when it really mattered. However, no other legend has had as many failures as Wilt Chamberlain did. People said that he only lost to Bill so much because the Celtics were loaded with talent and Wilt was alone, but this is simply not the case. Wilt was never truly alone in his time in the NBA; he always had at least one or two dependable teammates. He had hall of famers like Paul Arizin, Hal Greer, and Billy Cunningham on the warriors and 76ers, and he had Jerry West and Gail Goodrich in LA. Wilt just didn’t do well when it mattered the most, and he caved under pressure. He was also a selfish player for a lot of his career as well. Chamberlain led the league in scoring for the first 7 seasons of his career, and his numbers have never been replicated before or since. However, this style of play didn’t lead to wins. In those 7 years, Wilt only made it to the finals once and got beat by Bill Russell 5 times in the playoffs. The very first year he stopped completely prioritizing scoring and became less selfish, his team broke the record for the greatest regular season record, they beat the Celtics in the playoffs, and they won the finals. This was the ultimate example of how Wilt’s unbelievable scoring didn’t lead to wins. Not only this, Wilt Chamberlain got selfish again during the very next season. This time, however, he was trying to get the most assists. He ended up leading the league, marking the first time a center had ever led the league in assists. But yet again, he folded under pressure during this year. He was up 3 games to 1 against the Celtics in the Eastern Division Finals, but he blew the lead and lost the series again. Next year on the Lakers, they were expected to win the finals. The Celtics were old, and the Lakers had formed the first team to be considered a super team. When the teams faced each other, the Celtics still came out on top yet again. For his time in Los Angeles, it can easily be argued that Jerry West was the best player on that team over Chamberlain. He was far superior to Chamberlain in the playoffs. People say that Wilt "only" won 2 championships solely because of the Celtics, but that’s also not true. Chamberlain's Lakers played the Knicks in the finals 3 times, and they only won once. Even in this stage in his career, decreased effectiveness was the norm for Chamberlain in the playoffs. It is important to mention that there are only 2 top 10 players that have a losing finals record, and Chamberlain is one of them. While that doesn’t automatically determine a player’s ranking, it does say a lot about a player if they had a losing record and they were also considerably worse players in the playoffs. This is where Russell comes into play. Bill was never an amazing scorer. He also wasn’t an efficient scorer either, even considering the era he played in. But that’s not where he was expected to dominate. He was expected to be the team’s defensive anchor and rebounder, and he did that on a level just as good, if not better, than Chamberlain. He wasn’t a guy that would create his own shots like Wilt did, but what he knew exactly what to do to help his team win. He was very similar to Tim Duncan; he would sacrifice personal glory for a better cause, and he did that in a way nobody else did. If Wilt Chamberlain was the most dominant player ever, then Bill was the greatest team player you can ask for. He was always there when it mattered; he never lost a game 7 in his entire career, while Wilt Chamberlain had a losing record of 4-5 in those games. Bill Russell, despite only having a 13 year career, has by far the most defensive win shares in history. There are many defensive stats that weren’t counted in the time they played, but Bill Russell likely would have dominated those stats in a similar manner to which Wilt Chamberlain dominated the stat sheet in the first half of his career. Personally, I would take Russell’s leadership and ability to impact games over Wilt Chamberlain’s statistical dominance. Both of them are in my top ten, but I will always have Bill slightly ahead of Wilt.
@@littlebillyjoejimbobcouldn’t have said it better myself. Wilt was incredible, but I don’t understand how someone could rank him ahead of Russell or Kareem under any circumstances
I have a lot of disagreements with this list...and that's why I love it lol. I think it's so fun how radically different someone else's list can be from my own. I love hearing the reasons why. Always makes me think about my own reasons and how I think they stack up to other people's. Great video man 👍
"If we all had the same list then they video woundnt be interesting, its the debate that makes you want to watch these videos" Wisest and truest thing ive ever heard😊👌
This is such a great video. I love how you explain your top ten (11) in such detail. I can't criticize any of you choices because you explained them so well. Thanks. I had been seriously looking forward to this and it didn't disappoint.
This is a great list. One of the things I love is everyone is different and their tastes in players are unique. It’s very hard to watch older footage and be objective as the eras of the game were different. I’m glad you had a great sense of the game when you made this and yes dude, you have credibility in making your videos. Yes, everyone’s opinion matters but you’ve put in the work (videos, research etc) enough to at least have your opinion respected by others.
@@camaradiop3731 lets not forget no one loved Goliath in his time. Everything he did wasn't good enough and always criticized. They changed the rules to stop him & help players like mj. Imagine if the NBA let Wilt dunk on players like shaq. His numbers would be even better..
Wilt is the only one who gets the respect due to his video game stats. That era was very inflated in fast pace of play and It was the norm to shoot from far from the basket for bigs to grab the easy rebounds which led to stuff like that. Teams Averaged well over 140 Points a game back then. Add in that wilt and Bill AVG’d Nearly 50 minutes a game. And their Crazy Stats seem more realistic. That being said, Playing that fast play and that Long Minutes is TIRING. And players Like Wilt Big O, Bill Russell Bob Cousy Etc we’re bonafide superstars up to the challenge. Due to this almost all 1960s superstars dominate almost every facsid of the stat sheets. It makes uneducated fans conclude that the talent was Just weak. Not true.
@@gorrthememebutcher7060 I don’t Stan lebron😂 I think Jordan is and always will be better than Lebron. But Wilt AND Kareem above him? That’s Fing crazy😂😂😂
Zeke could do everything asked of a point guard at an elite level and went back to back with his squad during an era that had MJ Magic Bird and many others. His position on this list is deserved
Absolutely. 2nd greatest point guard of all time currently. Isiah could literally do it all as a point guard. And took over games at will when necessary.
This was amazing. You can tell you didn't just throw out a list of all time greats, you have thought and reason behind why the players are where they are. Well done sir!
@@lamefart Bro about they rule changes they shortened the 3pt line not to mention back then i think double handcheck was allowed during Wilt's time, not to mention the game was even more dirtier
Notice in the still shot of Shaq at 36:35 how he's cradling the ball with his fingertips with no contact between the ball and the palm of his hand. That's exactly why he struggled making free throws. I heard it said once before that he's got a metal plate in his wrist that severely limits flexibility there and so he shot the ball that way to compensate. It might've been Bill Walton or Snapper Jones (can't remember for sure) but other than that, I've never heard anyone talk about it, including Shaq himself so I'm not sure if that is factual or not.
i saw someone analyse shaq's shooting once and they said that if he shot like kawhi instead he would've been better since kawhi has a unique way of holding the ball to compensate for his huge hands where he releases the ball off the middle of his fingers rather than the tips. this might ecplain why shaq never tried this
My biggest argument against Wilt at 2 is yes, he averaged amazing numbers, but he was playing in the fastest paced era of all time, getting about 30 more possessions per game than today. He averaged abt 40% of his teams points when he averaged 50, and Kobe and MJ averaged more than 40% of their team's points, while averaging considerably less points.
This is false mj and kobe never averaged 40% of thier team points also if we combine total production which is adding thier points rebounds and assists and the divide by the rest of thier teams, you can clearly see that wilt did more and since his teammates played in his Era the Era argument cant be used. Jordan average of 37 points per game was below 40% of his teams points while wilt average of 50 when his team averaged 125 literally means he was the reason of 40% of his teams points but if you count his rebounds to his team contributions since his getting them extra possessions he did far more then kobe and mj
Sounds about right. Only thing that seems weird to me is steph outside top 20 but everything else seems about accurate and unbiased of era, rings or team preference. The list is purely based on resume and accolades and yes I'd say I completely agree with the top 10
Your case for Wilt at #2 was executed brilliantly 👌I had Wilt ranked lower, but you changed my mind. I think people forget just how dominant he really was. Great video, Jonny!
Bro no wilt is top 15 what you forget to realise that the reason he only has 2 rings is because he underperformed alot in the playoffs most of these listings forget to mention that
@@voltbug uh they only lost 69 to Boston because he got hurt and wilt would have got an insane amount of rings like Russell if he had his coach. Wilt was asked to pass more in the playoffs. Rings don’t tell the whole fucking story. Wilt is the goat hands down and it’s not close most dominant force in sports. If wilt had coaching like in 67 and 72 when he got rings and set the league record for wins at the time he would have been bill Russell and dominated. Russell could never be wilt.
You're explanations are so good kudos on a great video you had to spend a lot of time on this and it shows, great job! My top 50 would probably differs a bit in some positions, but as you stated in the beginning it's a personal preference, again great video, I enjoyed it!
@@jonnyarnett no way in hell Shaq in 11. Kobe definitely isn't better Shaq or Duncan & Hakeem should be in Shaq's spot. I saw Hakeem play most of his career. Hakeem better the championships was Kevin Garnett level
Couldn't help but notice some MJ haters... Guess they don't take into account that the 3pt line was not the priority it is today along with the fact he played in the most physical Era of the league and he still had these Stat lines and there's not much more to be said. Maybe the fact he, Freak, and Dream are the only guys with DPOY, scoring title, MVP, Finals MVP, and NBA championships? Or the fact he missed 3 of his prime years (baseball and the broken foot)? Lol
Even though I realistically don’t agree with everything you said , it’s a well thought explained list all around , we’ll always appreciate you jonny ❤️
Jonny! First - love the list and your insights. Second - I love the fact that you factor in defense to your rankings. Many professional analysts either don’t factor it or don’t weigh it as heavily as it should. So thank you for that 👍
He absolutely is he is Top 5 All Time and the best center ever to me based on his skillset, level of competition he dominated at his respective position, winning with the least amount of help.
Kudos for ranking Olajuwon as high as you did. He was an incredible talent for a Center/low-post player... especially when you consider he was "only" 6'11".
@@siya2195 imagine if hakeem and duncan switched careers meaning the spurs drafting hakeem in 98 and the rockets drafting duncan in 84. If that happened, hakeem may have more than 6 rings playing alongside robinson then manu and parker then kawhi. Duncan on the otherhand may not win a ring with the rockets sans a single allstar in the loaded west and thus out of the top 10 rankings. This is why i agree with robert horry who played with both of them that the dream is 20 times better than duncan
You should do a “responding to comments” for this video. Mine would be. “If Chris Paul lead the suns to the championship in 2021, would he be in the top 30?”
Nah. I'd take Nash over CP3 alltime right now with those accomplishments. Even if cp3 won a chip out of his prime this year, it would be comparable to Nash and his accomplishments
@@MrE_ except CP3 is a better defender, better scorer, better ball handler, equal if not greater a playmaker, so essentially Nash if he were a better player
@@RiceSkinKakarot except nash won 2 mvps over guys like shaq and kobe, while also doing essentially the same thing cp3 dis this year with bringing the suns to a top seed
@@MrE_ what does his winning an mvp have to do with me comparing their individual abilities on the basketball court? But let’s count all defense and all nba teams then, 9>0 & 10>7. And guess who is winning. CP3 has also been to a finals, been to more Wcf than Nash with equal talent, he was also an MVP candidate as well. Not really close
Thank you Johnny. Not because I agree completely with your video/s. Just because you are a good influence to young fans out there. You teach them things about past basketball legends and you give them the respect they deserve and all through facts and good arguments. I am young too but was a student of the game from early on. Not an old head just appreciative of past legends and eras. So, you are doing a great job with your channel.
What a marvelous assessment of such great nba talent . So what if some disagree on number 39 or 7 … it happens. But the information provided and details of so many players in such a short time? All I can say is amazing work absolute brilliance! Thank you.
@@jonnyarnett I’m shocked that LeBron was only at four. Still though, I agree with MJ as the GOAT. When a younger fan like me thinks you’re the GOAT, you know you’re doing something right. But LeBron is coming close, I don’t believe the gap is as astronomical as some people think. If MJ didn’t retire and played as long as LeBron, I believe he’d have right straight
@@stayofftheweeeeeeed7249 he’d be a much more average player as a 3. With today’s rules he’d be best suited at the 4 playing around shooters like Giannis
@@Ballfondler624 He spent the majority of his playoff career playing as a playmaker (1967- onwards) so of course his numbers are going to go down. Plus even though he only has 2 rings to Russell’s 11 he made the finals almost every year and went to 4 game 7s against Russell losing by a combined 9 points Russell always had the better organization and coach.
Wilt was just lucky he was super tall and talented. There was no 3 second violation, so he could stand in the paint all day and they would just pass him the ball for a dunk. He's not even in the top 10 all-time.
90% of them are just kids who pretend there isn’t hours and hours of footage of him dominating the NBA, start to finish. The only reason we don’t consider him the goat is because it’s a team sport. No athlete since was athletic as he was at his size. He was hall of fame in at least two sports. I consider him the goat, but I think mj has the greatest career, obviously. That doesn’t change the fact it took entire teams and the league itself to stop wilt, and even then he still won some.
Very interesting list, Jonny. Thank you for including ABA. I don't know the differences well enough between it and the NBA, but I think zeroing all ABA accomplishments for a player is too much. Also nice to see Hakeem so high. :)
@@tyjohnson3111 this has to be joke right? When they drafted him the Bulls were one of the worst teams in the League and at the time you can’t just build a superteam because of how low the salary cap was, MJ at 98 made 38 million, more than 15 NBA teams salary, and in order to win you had to draft well and trade to get the right pieces, They drafted well and got Pippen but he took a while to develop but when he did they eventually went to the finals and never lost, winning 2 3peats in 8 seasons, also in the 80s the west was far weaker than the east because the only real contender there was the Lakers that actually won the finals 5 times in the 80s(reaching the finals 8 times in the 80s)and the East was alot tougher because more teams could reach the finals which means more contenders and in the 90s the East was the stronger conference with the Bulls winning 6 out of 10( going 6 for 6 in the finals or 6-0)and the only reason the west even won a championship at the time was because MJ retired for a season and half and after 98 he retired which allowed the west to slowly dominate the East in the Shape of the Spurs and in the season and a half where he didn’t play the Rockets won back to back.
Not gonna lie I was shocked seeing Magic at #7 and Wilt at #2 but I can definitely understand your argument. On the other hand I loved the praise for Moses and Hakeem. Love your work.
Great video and I agree with most rankings on this list. MJ is definitely number one and it seems like all the others are interchangeable in the other spots since it is so close. My personal rankings change often.
Johnny, I know you just came out with the 75 best players video according to fans, but I should have told you this a while back… Your 50 Best Players Video that came out earlier in the summer may have just been your best work ever. It is very hard for anyone making a list like this for several reasons… 1. Layers upon Layers of research and historical video 2. Not being Biased; I’m a Lakers fan myself and I know that can be hard at times when doing this sort of thing. 3. Being able to disagree with the waves of majority opinion; the perfect example is LBJ at No. 4 on your video. This took Brass Balls to do and I admire it. But it also shows that you care as a historian and not cater only to the generation of today. I know you had your reservations about doing this sort of thing but sometimes you just have to put your foot on the gas and go for it. Great Job 👏 and thank you as a Basketball 🏀 Junkie.
"When a Kobe Bryant stat line is considered one of your worst [finals] performances you just might be the GOAT." Yeah, great line. But Jordan's rookie numbers rivaled Kobe's MVP numbers, as well.
I take my hat off, this the best list I've ever seen, good arguments, unbiased and acknowledging players from all eras. Of course I dont agree with every Seed (Who would?) but I do with the hottest topics. GOAT list
This might be the greatest and most accurate top 50 all time list, of all time! Nice. I can’t disagree with anyone you have in their spots. I might adjust some spots. But not argue against yours.
1. Jordan 2. Russell 3T. Bird 3T. Magic 5. Kareem 6. Wilt 7. LeBron 8. Hakeem 9. Duncan 10. Kobe 11. Shaq 12. Dr J 13. Moses 14. Oscar 15. West 16. Zeke 17. Elgin You have the top 17 right. Just a bit out of order. Bird is definitely a better SF and player period than LeBron.
Love the list, personally have Kidd, Frazier, Allen and Reed in my list and don't have Cousey, Payton, McAdoo and Gilmore (though they'd all be honourable mentions), otherwise 46/50 is a hell of a match.
Interesting list. Great job. For me Dr. J was the most inspiring player of all time. Michael Jordan is there too. It's just so hard to pick because there were so many great players through history.
Yeah I think Doc should be higher on that list when look at his entire career of stats he should be next to Bird or higher and before anyone disagrees look at the stats along with impact on the game they don’t lie
@@ogphil5600 I'm a little biased because i grew up in the Doc era but he was so influential at the time. He truly was one of the most creative and interesting athletes during his era. Michael Jordan deserves to be the best because he truly was the most amazing player of all time and he was a winner. But then again Doc influenced Jordan. Then you have Larry Bird and Magic who were legendary talents and were winners. And of course Kareem but Kareem to me wasn't as creative and interesting as Doc but Kareem was a consistently dominant player both offensively and defensively who was a winner. And then you have Wilt and Bill Russell and also Elgin Baylor. There are just so many amazing talents throughout history , it's incredibly hard to pick a numbered list.
@@surfshack2 I’m with you man I agree I think Doc and Kareem deserve a lot more credit than they get those really carried the league especially Doc… MJ was something we will never see again and Magic
Great video, I agree with pretty much all of your picks, and most of the actual rankings. I think Dolph Schayes definitely belongs on this list. I would put him in the 30-40 range. Great video overall!
Love the list, we all love the crazy regular season stats. But if you only compare their playoff stats (not championships but all post season stats) when the competition is highest, then the best of the best become clear. Giannes higher, Curry higher, Harden lower Malone lower, Gary Peyton lower.
Very interesting list Jonny! Even though I disagree with some of these rankings (some are questionable imo), it's fine since everyone has their own opinions, great video!
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A very tough the list. Should have done a 75 list, because the guys at the 51-55 spots are gonna keep me up at night. Who was too high, and who was too low??
A 75 List Would Be Great...
You're brilliant
Too low: Dirk, Clyde
Too high, Iverson, Mchale, Gervin, Chris Paul, Cousy, Giannis is way too high (recency bias), Charles Barkley (He is not the 2nd best PF ever? he is probably 5th), Elgin Baylor, Isiah Thomas,
I feel like Duncan and Shaq are better than Kobe
Wilt chamberlains nba career is so insane I have to remind myself that he was a real person who did those things and not a simulated player in a 2k game
@CT also was put on earth to show Kareem how not to waste All NBA talent supporting his career
@@tyjohnson3111 dawg stop it😂
Wilt averages was crazy but he couldn’t beat Bill Russell for shit he 11 on my list
@@kidtristan4073 why are you still talking? You never have any facts to provide. Stfu
@@mall31st56 but on 1 on 1 match ups, he dominated Bill
“In a sense, you could say that Michael Jordan dominated the regular season like he was Wilt Chamberlain, but he dominated the post-season like he was Bill Russell.” Wow what a line.
I know right?! Mind blown! 🤯
I know.
that is too much. Wilt didnt score as much in playoffs because he was asked to pass, and if Im not mistaken he was having 30 30 one time in NBA finals. Not to mention he was clutch with freethrows in playoffs or close games, also if blocks were recorded, he would most likely have over 10 for his CAREER
@@QankoIvanov You completely missed the point bud
Great catch! That is the GOAT line
It really is too bad that Larry and Magic had their careers cut a bit short.
Birds career couldve been cut 7 years earlier because he started getting back pain around that time, and yet he still continued to dominate and get mvps, fmvp and some rings whilst having a broken back, shows how these professionals are way ahead of the average human
Jordan was gonna dominate them regardless but I still would have liked to see it.
And Isaiah thomas
If magic bird orbit never got hurt they could’ve dominated a lot more shoot Jordan might not have 6 rings.
You guys forget that bird beat Jordan and the man drop 60.
And it took the Pistons to be old along with injuries to finally lose to Jordan
@@whenisdinner2137 No I don't think so. Part of Jordan's domination was that Bird and Magic were gone and there was no-one on that level to challenge him.
Dominique Wilkins coming back from the Achilles tear was not just the best comeback the NBA had ever seen, but you could argue that it was the best comeback in sports history from athletes who have been unfortunate enough to suffer an Achilles tear
Kevin Durant?
It’s definitely Kevin Durant
Bernard king shoot!!
Now I think bout it that be nice one on one Bernard was Nice if u Don't know look him up .
Flu game?
"When a Kobe Bryant stat line is considered one of your worst performances you might just be the G.O.A.T."
ye ye ye
Agree....and KOBE' Was His Favorite Player. But M.J is M.J and The
G🏀AT.... Respect For Both Legends
Kobe was the 🐐, me being born in 94 he was my generations Michael Jordan 💯. In my opinion
@@jesusbermejo7291 he was your favorite, not the "goat." You're just using the term "goat" too loosely
@@punyemas9783 No. He's using the term just right. Kobe is the real GOAT
The crazy thing about Pistol Pete is when I watch his highlights, he seems like a guy who has been taken out of our modern NBA and transplanted back into the 70s. The way he dribbled, little floaters, pulling from pretty much anywhere. Even his form stood out as being really smooth for a time when there were a lot of weird jumpshots out there. Just way ahead of his time.
It just goes to show that what you see today isn’t new!
Pistol Pete is a little bit overrated. There are guys who have put up the same or better amount of production for longer that don’t get the same amount of recognition.
alot better than 48 or whatever...and yes i saw him play, up close first row. Had Curry range and would have been ginormous with social media and shoot from anywhere allowed! Might average 50!
Jesus Christ loves you !
@@MoeJaxon Jesus Christ loves you
I'm so glad you included Bob Mcadoo. He's so ridiculously underrated. He's an anomaly from his era. A big that could shoot? That was unheard of in the 70's. 2nd best 70's player in my eyes.
One of the elite scorers
I agree. He’s always in the 60-70s in lists that I look at. Super underrated.
yea he needs his own video tbh👀
And he played in Milan at the end of the 80s together with Mike D'Antoni, they won 2 consecutive Euroleagues, at 40 years old he was still giving his all like a newcomer, what an example for everyone
A lot of bigs could hit open mid range jumpers, it wasn’t unheard of but I get what you’re saying
Good to see George Mikan on the list.
He probably had the biggest impact on the game, being the cause for a lot of rule changes like shot clock or goaltending. He was too dominant for his time.
He also created the 3 point line
@@najmehajipour7430 really never heard of that. Story?
@@cyber7273 after George Mikan quit as the head coach of the Lakers he went and created the ABA and introduced the 3 point three so shorter players could play easier. He also introduced the dunk contest.
not goal tending that’s someone else
Cousy also said Mikan was a better overall player than Bill Russell, meaning he was dominant both offensively and defensively. Kareem was heavily influenced by Mikan's style.
So here's the goat in the top 5 position, according to Jonny -
PG - Magic Johnson (#7), Isiah Thomas (#15), Oscar Robertson (#16), Stephen Curry (#23), John Stockton (#29)
SG - Michael Jordan (#1), Kobe Bryant (#9), Jerry West (#12), Dwayne Wade (#22), Allen Iverson (#31)
SF - LeBron James (#4), Larry Bird (#6), Julius Erving (#14), Elgin Baylor (#17), Kevin Durant (#18),
PF - Tim Duncan (#10), Charles Barkley (#19), Karl Malone (#21), Kevin Garnett (#24), Giannis Antetokounmpo (#25)
C - Wilt Chamberlain (#2), Kareem Abdul Jabbar (#3), Bill Russell (#5), Hakeem Olajuwon (#8), Shaquille O'Neal (#11)
can not believe that kawhi does not even make the top 5 SF
@@fl3782 He's maybe top 10-20 worthy.
@@aznpikachu215 I kinda agree John's list. Only Kawhi are way off
@@fl3782 How is he better than any of the 5 SFs above him? Until the moment we speak anyways.
@@nikosofidemporas ya, you are right. I only pay attention to NBA since the 90 era. I consider Kawhi is a top 4 SF after Bird, LBJ,, and KD a bit. I really don't know how great Dr.J and Baylor actually were during their prime.
Can't lie, even tho I don't agree with everything, this was a very solid ranking list. It was well thought out, explained himself well. Got a sub from me.
Nice vid. Kobe over Duncan is blasphemous and I would have Kareem and Lebron over Wilt, but those are just quibbles.
Kobe over Tim Duncan blasphemous lmao good one
@@Destroyer-oz5dj it certainly isn't blasphemous, I think they are both right there with each other even though I have duncan over kobe. that guy is dumb as hell for calling it blasphemous though
Agreed with the last 2. It's literally one spot ahead.
@@atquinn1975 that wasn't blasphemous lol. Barkley over curry and kawhi that low is blasphemous
"Hakeem has the best argument for being the greatest of all time, of any of the players who are not normally in the discussion"
Took the words right out of my mouth!
How is he greater than Jordan, Lebron, Kareem, Russell, or even Shaq?
@@Krazywillz21 Hakeem was a better defender than Shaq, hands down. You can pretty solidly make a case that Hakeem is the greatest defender since the merger. And he was able to put up almost as good scoring numbers while not being surrounded with as good of players as Shaq was. The same argument for Kareem really. Russell? Hakeem was similarly impactful on defense while being much better offensively. Thinking Basketball does a brilliant job breaking a lot of that down.
The fact of the matter is that Houston didn't do a great job for most of Hakeem's career in putting anyone around him. And in the brief windows where they did Hakeem lead them to the Finals 3 times and won two of those titles.
And honestly, it's splitting hairs with al these guys, Wilt, Russell, Kareem, Moses, Hakeem, Shaq, there's not a bad pick and they all have arguments.
@@Noin007 Honestly, Hakeem is the 2nd best defensive player in history. Facts. 100% facts.
However Bill Russell is undoubtedly the greatest defensive player in history. The gap between him and Hakeem is the gap between Hakeem and the 10th best defensive player.
Kareem wipes Hakeem career wise. So i don't know how anyone could make the argument for Hakeem over Kareem.
Your comments about Shaq are a massive W. However, looking at longevity (not career stats), makes them comparable imo. Also, Shaq UNDOUBTEDLY had the better peak than Hakeem. So imo, Hakeem or Shaq at 5 its fine for me🤷♂️.
@@Noin007 Moses Malone is not even closer to the top 10
Hakeem is easily top 5 all time. Anyone who doesn't put him in at least the top 10 is clinically insane.
I totally respect where you put Isiah Thomas, he’s one of the most underrated players ever. Easily a top 15 player of all time, could argue top 10. If he was 6’6 he’d be top 5.
Also, Isiah is the only player in history to beat Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson - all in the same postseason. Absolutely an all time great
I agree 💯💯
Same here. Definitely top 20-25 player of all time!
He’s is not even that good if your putting him top 15 what 15 what is wrong with you
Did you see my team back then
He’s overated
It’s sad that you have to say “according to me” like it wasn’t your opinion to begin with, but people get mad so quick now in days like your not aloud to disagree
It is annoying how people do not understand that different people have different opinions.
*you're
**allowed
@@jahimuddin2306 There are opinions and then there is bias. This guy is not biased but to have so many people he hasn't seen that high is insane. You think Westbrook is not better than Pete?
@@kritav1111 pistol Pete Maravich was a monster
@@JackC85 Don't deny that, but he's still like 60th or so in my book. Westbrook and Harden should be at the same place CP3 is. They've been way way way way more successful team and individual wise.
Take a shot whenever Jonny says "league history"
You tryna kill my subs?!?! lol
@@jonnyarnett I'd pass out way before I can drink enough to die 😂
I was thinking the same thing but with “Ever seen”
Shorten that to just "history" and it's a way quicker game.
* take a shot whenever Jonny says Micheal Jordan or Hakeem Olajuwon
Saying that Elgin Baylor is the most underrated player in history was legendary. Finally someone acknowledges him
Idk I'd say Wes Unseld is the most underrated
@@trusolace3117 Respectable
Elgin Baylor top 5 greatest sf of all time
@@thebigchap101 think I’d have to say Moses Malone. But I’ve always said it’s between Malone and Baylor
@@trusolace3117 i dont think so he only had one all nba season
The best list i have ever seen so far in TH-cam. Glad that someone give Wilt the respect he deserved.
The craziest thing to me is that the media said Jordan couldn't shoot 3 pointers so he broke 3 NBA records in just 18 minutes (didn't even play the full half) including a 3 point record that lasted until Ray Allen came along and the 35 points in a finals half record still stands. He then checked himself out of the game...
All them Jordan haters real quite huh
That’s not true, it was Clyde who said it.
@@blowc1612 Clyde tried to stay quiet. The media narrative was that both players were nearly identical except one could shoot threes while the other couldn't.
MJ (after recording six three-pointers in a half in Game 1 of the 1992 Finals): "My 3pt shooting is something that I don't wanna excel at because it takes away from all phases of my game. My game is fake, drive to the hole, penetrate, dish-off, dunk... whatever. And when you have that mentality, as I found out in the first game, of making threes, you don't go to the hole as much. You go to the 3pt line and you start sitting there waiting for someone to find you. And that's not my mentality, and I don't want to create that because it takes away from the other parts of my game."
He also raised his assist game against Magic in the '91 Finals.
Without the shortened 3 point line between 1994-1997, MJ would be a career 28% 3 point shooter
Jordan didn't have any weaknesses. I watched the man play, and that's still crazy to hear...
But it's true.
He couldn’t shoot 3’s
@@stopplzs He was an average 3 Point shooter which was good enough
@@stopplzs
They told him that in 92 finals so he broke the record for 3pm in a finals half.
@@stopplzs it's not a weakness if opposing teams can't exploit it. If they know MJ couldn't shoot threes, why are they still defending him in the 3pt line? He's a threat when given a chance that's why.
Everyone has weaknesses. He isn't god
Having to explain why Giannis deserves a top 25 spot is so sad. People really can't appreciate greatness until it's too late.
If AD isnt on this list then Giannis shouldn't be. Up until this past season he's been better than Giannis
@@swagondisdick AD is a more talented player, but not as accomplished. He’s only made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs once before teaming up with LeBron. There’s a lot of player that if you rank them as individual talents would be on this list like Tracy McGrady, but career accomplishments is what makes you an all time great.
@@swagondisdick Giannis is Better than AD and his Career Accomplishments SMOKE AD.
@@jasonlewis1496 he’s not more talented just because he “shoots” better
@@tdot8645 I consider shooting a measure of talent. When AD is healthy he’s arguably just as good of a defender as Giannis and has a more complete offensive game. But, he doesn’t play as hard as Giannis game in and game out… A lot of player have great talent, but without the accomplishments it doesn’t make you an all time great.
I love your emphasis on defense... NBA Twitter and a lot of my friends really act like there isn't two sides of the game. Players literally spend the same amount of time playing defense as they do offense but a lot of people only watch for offensive highlights unless its game winning block in the post season or something of that nature.The statement that is most tried and true imo... "Defense wins championships"
Jonny you’re the goat basketball TH-camr🐐
Fact.
No tf he ain't
Better than Jimmyhighroller, korzemba, and Andy hoops!
@@jiujester5717 Him and Andy are awesome!
Clayton Crowley is already the goat. No contest
This list genuinely has some of the best reasoning for personal placement I’ve seen in a long time. Great stuff.
Jonny knows his sh**
Most ranking videos by other channels just list achievements and no reasoning as to WHY they are there statistically and go into the tangible reasons.
Jonny is the GOAT.
Except Wade, he is ranked higher than others.
@@yvans. man didn’t even put Jason Kidd on the list when Jason is better than nash, Gary Payton and arguably cp3
Because of Wilt Chamberlain these rules were changed included widening the lane, instituting offensive goaltending and revising rules governing inbounding the ball and shooting free throws (Chamberlain would leap with the ball from behind the foul line to deposit the ball in the basket). Players would run into him and automatically fall to the ground without moving him one inch. He could have been a Professional Tennis Player at 280lbs, he was continuously drafted by the NFL every year well into his 50's. He was a competitive track athlete who ran the quarter mile, ran the mile, the decathlon, high jump, long jump, javelin and the shot put. Athletically the only one comparable to him would be Bo Jackson.
@Truth is Truth! 2022 MJ wouldn't be able to stop Wilt one on one, and Wilt's vertical leap was higher. Wilt was a freak of nature while MJ as an awesome Basketball Player and a mediocre Baseball Player. Bo Jackson was even a better all around athlete than MJ though Bo couldn't play basketball but he could crush a baseball, RUN UP a wall to make a catch and throw a base runner out at home plate with a throw from center field warning track. Plus they were both faster than Jordan in a sprint because they were also Track Athletes. Bo was a world class track sprinter.
George Gervin was actually the reason the goaltending rule was implemented, a little before Wilt.
@@ripcordverbist9673 George Gervin 6'7' started his NBA career in 1973 and was one of the best pure shooters in NBA history. Goaltending actually started in the 1944 NCAA season because of George Mikan, and then it was instituted in the 1945 NBA Season. Gervin was born in 1952. In 1964, trying to stop Chamberlain, the NBA widened the lane area from 12 feet to 16. Curiously, they first widened it from 6 feet to 12 to diminish the dominance of George Mikan in 1951. Though goaltending was additionally changed because of Chamberlain.
@Truth is Truth! 2022 Wilt weighed more than anyone but Shaq and still jumped much higher than anybody of the 90's. He was a freak like Bo Jackson, but even more so. He was in such great shape the NFL continued to offer him short term contracts to play DE well into his late 50's.
@Truth is Truth! 2022 Basketball - Wilt Chamberlain (48 inches/1.22m) and Michael Jordan (46 inches/1.17m) Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain owns the highest vertical jump in NBA history, reaching a height of 48 inches. Shaq can only dunk and that word "dunk" was also coined by Laker announcer Chick Hern! So stuff it!
This was fun and I was shocked at Wilt's ranking. Never heard a list with him that high before. But your explanations is why this was good. I'm way too lazy to go through this much detail but it's cool to hear. Gives perspective.
Wilt has the best prime of all time and is the best player of all time
@@QankoIvanov wilt isn't the best player of all time but he does have the highest PEAK of all time
The funny thing is, growing up as a kid watching the NBA, all I heard was that Wilt was the greatest, or if not him, then it was Bill Russell. They didn't use the term "GOAT" back then. That came later.
In my honest opinion, Bill was the better player between the two. Everyone talks about how Wilt Chamberlain was putting up the most impressive numbers and scoring with ease throughout the season, but nobody seems to mention his performances in the playoffs. This is because Chamberlain consistently had a drop in productivity each year. In every part of his career - from his days in Philadelphia to his last days in Los Angeles - Wilt had gotten worse in the playoffs. It’s one thing to have a few bad playoff seasons, all legends have had bad performances when it really mattered. However, no other legend has had as many failures as Wilt Chamberlain did. People said that he only lost to Bill so much because the Celtics were loaded with talent and Wilt was alone, but this is simply not the case. Wilt was never truly alone in his time in the NBA; he always had at least one or two dependable teammates. He had hall of famers like Paul Arizin, Hal Greer, and Billy Cunningham on the warriors and 76ers, and he had Jerry West and Gail Goodrich in LA. Wilt just didn’t do well when it mattered the most, and he caved under pressure. He was also a selfish player for a lot of his career as well. Chamberlain led the league in scoring for the first 7 seasons of his career, and his numbers have never been replicated before or since. However, this style of play didn’t lead to wins. In those 7 years, Wilt only made it to the finals once and got beat by Bill Russell 5 times in the playoffs. The very first year he stopped completely prioritizing scoring and became less selfish, his team broke the record for the greatest regular season record, they beat the Celtics in the playoffs, and they won the finals. This was the ultimate example of how Wilt’s unbelievable scoring didn’t lead to wins. Not only this, Wilt Chamberlain got selfish again during the very next season. This time, however, he was trying to get the most assists. He ended up leading the league, marking the first time a center had ever led the league in assists. But yet again, he folded under pressure during this year. He was up 3 games to 1 against the Celtics in the Eastern Division Finals, but he blew the lead and lost the series again. Next year on the Lakers, they were expected to win the finals. The Celtics were old, and the Lakers had formed the first team to be considered a super team. When the teams faced each other, the Celtics still came out on top yet again. For his time in Los Angeles, it can easily be argued that Jerry West was the best player on that team over Chamberlain. He was far superior to Chamberlain in the playoffs. People say that Wilt "only" won 2 championships solely because of the Celtics, but that’s also not true. Chamberlain's Lakers played the Knicks in the finals 3 times, and they only won once. Even in this stage in his career, decreased effectiveness was the norm for Chamberlain in the playoffs. It is important to mention that there are only 2 top 10 players that have a losing finals record, and Chamberlain is one of them. While that doesn’t automatically determine a player’s ranking, it does say a lot about a player if they had a losing record and they were also considerably worse players in the playoffs. This is where Russell comes into play. Bill was never an amazing scorer. He also wasn’t an efficient scorer either, even considering the era he played in. But that’s not where he was expected to dominate. He was expected to be the team’s defensive anchor and rebounder, and he did that on a level just as good, if not better, than Chamberlain. He wasn’t a guy that would create his own shots like Wilt did, but what he knew exactly what to do to help his team win. He was very similar to Tim Duncan; he would sacrifice personal glory for a better cause, and he did that in a way nobody else did. If Wilt Chamberlain was the most dominant player ever, then Bill was the greatest team player you can ask for. He was always there when it mattered; he never lost a game 7 in his entire career, while Wilt Chamberlain had a losing record of 4-5 in those games. Bill Russell, despite only having a 13 year career, has by far the most defensive win shares in history. There are many defensive stats that weren’t counted in the time they played, but Bill Russell likely would have dominated those stats in a similar manner to which Wilt Chamberlain dominated the stat sheet in the first half of his career. Personally, I would take Russell’s leadership and ability to impact games over Wilt Chamberlain’s statistical dominance. Both of them are in my top ten, but I will always have Bill slightly ahead of Wilt.
@@littlebillyjoejimbobcouldn’t have said it better myself. Wilt was incredible, but I don’t understand how someone could rank him ahead of Russell or Kareem under any circumstances
I have a lot of disagreements with this list...and that's why I love it lol. I think it's so fun how radically different someone else's list can be from my own. I love hearing the reasons why. Always makes me think about my own reasons and how I think they stack up to other people's. Great video man 👍
I think the same.
"If we all had the same list then they video woundnt be interesting, its the debate that makes you want to watch these videos"
Wisest and truest thing ive ever heard😊👌
Yep...Its impossible for everyoneto have the same list
This is such a great video. I love how you explain your top ten (11) in such detail. I can't criticize any of you choices because you explained them so well. Thanks. I had been seriously looking forward to this and it didn't disappoint.
I appreciate you takin the time to make this list. This is such an excellent channel. Keep up the great work!
Jonny is so damn respectful
Best NBA youtuber by far.
That's why I subscribed. The channel is respectful of basketball's past and present, and it will be of the future, you just know it.
You literally one of the best basketball you tubers of all time tbh
29:48 I can hardly believe that that picture is real
Bruh he looks like he's gonna karate kick whoever goes after that loose ball with him
That split would even made Van Damme jealous
If you did that in today’s NBA it would probably be called a technical or flagrant foul for a potentially dangerous play. Smh
Man’s lookin like an upside down helicopter fr
@@jasonlewis1496 if he kicked me like that for a rebound I'm putting a hit on him!!
I saw the first sentence of this comment and immediately knew what picture you were talking about.
Good to see Zeke get well warranted respect.
You say some people would say you have Hakeem ranked too high, but I have him ranked higher than you do...lol
i think hakeem is right where he should be, id have tim duncan in the top 8, guy has 2 mvps, longevity and 5 rings
Id have hakeem top 3
YEA , I HAVE HAKEEM OLAJUWON # 2 . ALL TIME .>🎤
@@GABEMOORE533 tf man, never seen him in a top 5
He’s so much better than bill it’s not even a joke
This is a great list. One of the things I love is everyone is different and their tastes in players are unique. It’s very hard to watch older footage and be objective as the eras of the game were different. I’m glad you had a great sense of the game when you made this and yes dude, you have credibility in making your videos. Yes, everyone’s opinion matters but you’ve put in the work (videos, research etc) enough to at least have your opinion respected by others.
I respect this comment and I agree
this is a horrible list, you're delusional
I love wilt too. Good job having the cojones to rank him that high.
Wilt Chamberlain should have been #1.
@@camaradiop3731 lets not forget no one loved Goliath in his time. Everything he did wasn't good enough and always criticized. They changed the rules to stop him & help players like mj. Imagine if the NBA let Wilt dunk on players like shaq. His numbers would be even better..
@Itz Motion
????
@@camaradiop3731 are you sped
no way he is that high
I totally get why you have Wilt at second place. I’m just glad to see players of that era get the acknowledgment they deserve. Great list!
Wilt is the only one who gets the respect due to his video game stats. That era was very inflated in fast pace of play and It was the norm to shoot from far from the basket for bigs to grab the easy rebounds which led to stuff like that. Teams Averaged well over 140 Points a game back then. Add in that wilt and Bill AVG’d Nearly 50 minutes a game. And their Crazy Stats seem more realistic.
That being said, Playing that fast play and that Long Minutes is TIRING. And players Like Wilt Big O, Bill Russell Bob Cousy Etc we’re bonafide superstars up to the challenge. Due to this almost all 1960s superstars dominate almost every facsid of the stat sheets. It makes uneducated fans conclude that the talent was Just weak. Not true.
@@NickIntoTech nah man jump off that full af bandwagon and just admit lebron is overrated and not as good as wilt kareem or jordan 🤣
@@gorrthememebutcher7060 old head alert
@@noobmaster-wg4no lebron stan alert
@@gorrthememebutcher7060 I don’t Stan lebron😂 I think Jordan is and always will be better than Lebron. But Wilt AND Kareem above him? That’s Fing crazy😂😂😂
Zeke could do everything asked of a point guard at an elite level and went back to back with his squad during an era that had MJ Magic Bird and many others. His position on this list is deserved
Isiah eliminated all three during the playoffs. . Legend period
He's definitely top 5 greatest point guards of all time
Absolutely. 2nd greatest point guard of all time currently. Isiah could literally do it all as a point guard. And took over games at will when necessary.
They should've 3 peated but they had the worst foul called on them in NBA history
@@rodolopez1971 agreed also the collision with Adrian dantley and Vinnie Johnson
Not gonna lie, this video is perfect to put on while you sleep because it's an hour long and his voice is soothing
This was amazing. You can tell you didn't just throw out a list of all time greats, you have thought and reason behind why the players are where they are. Well done sir!
"NBA changed rules to make it hard for me, while NBA changed rules to make easier for you" -wilt to mj
I agree to some degree to Wilt but rule changes has been made vs MJ's dominance (illegal offense or iso rule) and to find the next MJ.. 😅
@@lamefart refs helped MJ too
@@lamefart if im not mistaken
@@QankoIvanov "helped" is a stretch but whatever floats your boat.
@@lamefart Bro about they rule changes they shortened the 3pt line not to mention back then i think double handcheck was allowed during Wilt's time, not to mention the game was even more dirtier
Notice in the still shot of Shaq at 36:35 how he's cradling the ball with his fingertips with no contact between the ball and the palm of his hand. That's exactly why he struggled making free throws. I heard it said once before that he's got a metal plate in his wrist that severely limits flexibility there and so he shot the ball that way to compensate. It might've been Bill Walton or Snapper Jones (can't remember for sure) but other than that, I've never heard anyone talk about it, including Shaq himself so I'm not sure if that is factual or not.
I heard that exact same conversation. I take it as fact as they had no reason to make it up.
i saw someone analyse shaq's shooting once and they said that if he shot like kawhi instead he would've been better since kawhi has a unique way of holding the ball to compensate for his huge hands where he releases the ball off the middle of his fingers rather than the tips. this might ecplain why shaq never tried this
@@cycleoflife565
Shaq has limited range and flexibility in his palm due to childhood accident do not think he has a metal plate but it's posdible
My biggest argument against Wilt at 2 is yes, he averaged amazing numbers, but he was playing in the fastest paced era of all time, getting about 30 more possessions per game than today. He averaged abt 40% of his teams points when he averaged 50, and Kobe and MJ averaged more than 40% of their team's points, while averaging considerably less points.
@ davi Agree. Well noted.
MJ and Kobe never quite reached that 40% mark I don’t think.
This is false mj and kobe never averaged 40% of thier team points also if we combine total production which is adding thier points rebounds and assists and the divide by the rest of thier teams, you can clearly see that wilt did more and since his teammates played in his Era the Era argument cant be used. Jordan average of 37 points per game was below 40% of his teams points while wilt average of 50 when his team averaged 125 literally means he was the reason of 40% of his teams points but if you count his rebounds to his team contributions since his getting them extra possessions he did far more then kobe and mj
Sounds about right. Only thing that seems weird to me is steph outside top 20 but everything else seems about accurate and unbiased of era, rings or team preference. The list is purely based on resume and accolades and yes I'd say I completely agree with the top 10
Amazing job, this obviously took a ton of effort. Our top ten is pretty much identical-I always had Wilt No. 1, but you've convinced me.
I didn’t know Gary Payton was that good thanks for informing me 😊
He forgot that Gary Payton won a Championship with Dwayne Wade 2006..
He wasn't top 48 at best
@Ethan Hill ik I'm just mad he was over cp3 and kawhi
Your case for Wilt at #2 was executed brilliantly 👌I had Wilt ranked lower, but you changed my mind. I think people forget just how dominant he really was. Great video, Jonny!
Kareem>Wilt
Bro no wilt is top 15 what you forget to realise that the reason he only has 2 rings is because he underperformed alot in the playoffs most of these listings forget to mention that
@@voltbug someone please relate his USG% to his winning
@@voltbug uh they only lost 69 to Boston because he got hurt and wilt would have got an insane amount of rings like Russell if he had his coach. Wilt was asked to pass more in the playoffs. Rings don’t tell the whole fucking story. Wilt is the goat hands down and it’s not close most dominant force in sports. If wilt had coaching like in 67 and 72 when he got rings and set the league record for wins at the time he would have been bill Russell and dominated. Russell could never be wilt.
@@yoshpeters3079 what if accolades do not make you a case for the goat
You're explanations are so good kudos on a great video you had to spend a lot of time on this and it shows, great job!
My top 50 would probably differs a bit in some positions, but as you stated in the beginning it's a personal preference, again great video, I enjoyed it!
Great list Johnny. I don’t agree with everything but it was well thought out and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it
I give a thumb up and a commentary before even watching, knowing it's going to be good even if we don't have the same ranking. You always deliver!
Thanks! I appreciate that!
@@jonnyarnett no way in hell Shaq in 11. Kobe definitely isn't better Shaq or Duncan & Hakeem should be in Shaq's spot. I saw Hakeem play most of his career. Hakeem better the championships was Kevin Garnett level
I do the same but I still anticipate watching. We should be able to double like. One in anticipation and one as evaluation.
Same. No hesitation before smashing the "thumbs up"
Couldn't help but notice some MJ haters... Guess they don't take into account that the 3pt line was not the priority it is today along with the fact he played in the most physical Era of the league and he still had these Stat lines and there's not much more to be said. Maybe the fact he, Freak, and Dream are the only guys with DPOY, scoring title, MVP, Finals MVP, and NBA championships? Or the fact he missed 3 of his prime years (baseball and the broken foot)? Lol
He didn't play in the most physical era, that was the 60s. But the late 80s and 90s are up there in terms of physicality, especially over now.
Great list except for LeBron. He’s #2 for me. Even when this video was made.
1. Jordan
2. LeBron
3. Wilt
That’s my top 3
The “according to me” got me Laughing hard no cap
Facts we all know Jonny’s gonna have the most accurate list.
Even though I realistically don’t agree with everything you said , it’s a well thought explained list all around , we’ll always appreciate you jonny ❤️
Most well thought out top 50 rank I’ve seen
Very well thought out and delivered..no-onne will agree with everything..but everything he presented has a jsutifiable reasoning for its ranking
You've opened my eyes to Wilt being 2nd and Larry ahead of Magic. I've always had magic ahead of Larry but I have to rethink it now...
Jonny! First - love the list and your insights. Second - I love the fact that you factor in defense to your rankings. Many professional analysts either don’t factor it or don’t weigh it as heavily as it should. So thank you for that 👍
I'm just glad that you have Hakeem in your top ten all of time.. the dream is criminally underappreciated when it comes to greatest of all time list.
He absolutely is he is Top 5 All Time and the best center ever to me based on his skillset, level of competition he dominated at his respective position, winning with the least amount of help.
@@koolkai4299 Exactly !!! Im sick and tired of this " Kareem and Shaq are better " bullshit
34:00 you forgot to mention Kobe is one of 4 players with Kevin Garnett Micheal Jordan and Gary Payton to make 9 first team all defense
This is probably my favourite list, nice one.
Kudos for ranking Olajuwon as high as you did. He was an incredible talent for a Center/low-post player... especially when you consider he was "only" 6'11".
Factual.... The dream is the most skilled big man ever.... The big man with the best footwork too!
No he 7ft
And he could have won more rings if he had help
@@siya2195 imagine if hakeem and duncan switched careers meaning the spurs drafting hakeem in 98 and the rockets drafting duncan in 84. If that happened, hakeem may have more than 6 rings playing alongside robinson then manu and parker then kawhi. Duncan on the otherhand may not win a ring with the rockets sans a single allstar in the loaded west and thus out of the top 10 rankings. This is why i agree with robert horry who played with both of them that the dream is 20 times better than duncan
So overrated...Olajuwon and Gary Payton the two most overrated players in league history
You should do a “responding to comments” for this video. Mine would be. “If Chris Paul lead the suns to the championship in 2021, would he be in the top 30?”
I got kawhi and cp3 over gary
Nah. I'd take Nash over CP3 alltime right now with those accomplishments. Even if cp3 won a chip out of his prime this year, it would be comparable to Nash and his accomplishments
@@MrE_ except CP3 is a better defender, better scorer, better ball handler, equal if not greater a playmaker, so essentially Nash if he were a better player
@@RiceSkinKakarot except nash won 2 mvps over guys like shaq and kobe, while also doing essentially the same thing cp3 dis this year with bringing the suns to a top seed
@@MrE_ what does his winning an mvp have to do with me comparing their individual abilities on the basketball court? But let’s count all defense and all nba teams then, 9>0 & 10>7. And guess who is winning. CP3 has also been to a finals, been to more Wcf than Nash with equal talent, he was also an MVP candidate as well. Not really close
Thank you Johnny. Not because I agree completely with your video/s. Just because you are a good influence to young fans out there. You teach them things about past basketball legends and you give them the respect they deserve and all through facts and good arguments.
I am young too but was a student of the game from early on. Not an old head just appreciative of past legends and eras.
So, you are doing a great job with your channel.
Wow, what a nice and thoughtful comment! Thank you so much, and I appreciate you watching
This is a goat comment
What a marvelous assessment of such great nba talent . So what if some disagree on number 39 or 7 … it happens. But the information provided and details of so many players in such a short time? All I can say is amazing work absolute brilliance!
Thank you.
What a kind comment! Thank you so much, and I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
@@jonnyarnett I’m shocked that LeBron was only at four. Still though, I agree with MJ as the GOAT. When a younger fan like me thinks you’re the GOAT, you know you’re doing something right. But LeBron is coming close, I don’t believe the gap is as astronomical as some people think. If MJ didn’t retire and played as long as LeBron, I believe he’d have right straight
The video we’ve all been waiting for. The video we all needed, but didn’t deserve.
I deserved it
Another great video. Top notch basketball analysis.
If Dr. J was drafted in the 2010s, he'd be playing power forward imo
he would be like giannis
No he would be SF.
@@stayofftheweeeeeeed7249 he’d be a much more average player as a 3. With today’s rules he’d be best suited at the 4 playing around shooters like Giannis
He'd start at 3 and play 4 in smaller lineups with today's shooting and his defense.
He played some seasons as PF in playoffs
Even now, Tim Duncan continues to be underrated.
Yeah I don’t know how Hakeem was over him 🤷♂️
Yep, very underrated. I definitely have him over Bryant and Olajuwon, maybe even higher
I see the video currently i dont where he ranks him but he ranks 7th behind shaq russel kobe kareem bron and mj but he is underrated
This is the best list I have ever seen the most non biased list I have ever seen and he didn’t miss a single time. I love you
I’m so happy you’re getting sponsors. These videos are great and you deserve it bro.
Thanks for giving Wilt his respect. He’s the most disrespected and under appreciated player in nba history.
he was a statpadder who under achieved in the playoffs
I don't think so but its your opinion.🤷🏿♂️
@@Ballfondler624 He spent the majority of his playoff career playing as a playmaker (1967- onwards) so of course his numbers are going to go down. Plus even though he only has 2 rings to Russell’s 11 he made the finals almost every year and went to 4 game 7s against Russell losing by a combined 9 points Russell always had the better organization and coach.
Wilt was just lucky he was super tall and talented. There was no 3 second violation, so he could stand in the paint all day and they would just pass him the ball for a dunk. He's not even in the top 10 all-time.
90% of them are just kids who pretend there isn’t hours and hours of footage of him dominating the NBA, start to finish. The only reason we don’t consider him the goat is because it’s a team sport. No athlete since was athletic as he was at his size. He was hall of fame in at least two sports. I consider him the goat, but I think mj has the greatest career, obviously. That doesn’t change the fact it took entire teams and the league itself to stop wilt, and even then he still won some.
Very interesting list, Jonny. Thank you for including ABA. I don't know the differences well enough between it and the NBA, but I think zeroing all ABA accomplishments for a player is too much. Also nice to see Hakeem so high. :)
'MJ dominated the regular season like Wilt Chamberlain and dominated the playoffs like Bill Russell' great quote.
Yes yes
@@wonderwanderer4608 dominated 5 games series in the first round when his sub.500 teams made the playoffs 🤔
@@tyjohnson3111 the team was a joke when he 1st got there, it takes a team
@@bilalkhares9337 makes sense, since they drafted that high in the first place to get him. 🤔 Still doesn’t take away from how weak the East was.
@@tyjohnson3111 this has to be joke right? When they drafted him the Bulls were one of the worst teams in the League and at the time you can’t just build a superteam because of how low the salary cap was, MJ at 98 made 38 million, more than 15 NBA teams salary, and in order to win you had to draft well and trade to get the right pieces, They drafted well and got Pippen but he took a while to develop but when he did they eventually went to the finals and never lost, winning 2 3peats in 8 seasons, also in the 80s the west was far weaker than the east because the only real contender there was the Lakers that actually won the finals 5 times in the 80s(reaching the finals 8 times in the 80s)and the East was alot tougher because more teams could reach the finals which means more contenders and in the 90s the East was the stronger conference with the Bulls winning 6 out of 10( going 6 for 6 in the finals or 6-0)and the only reason the west even won a championship at the time was because MJ retired for a season and half and after 98 he retired which allowed the west to slowly dominate the East in the Shape of the Spurs and in the season and a half where he didn’t play the Rockets won back to back.
Not gonna lie I was shocked seeing Magic at #7 and Wilt at #2 but I can definitely understand your argument. On the other hand I loved the praise for Moses and Hakeem. Love your work.
About the under-the-radar Great #13 Moses Malone- 33:20 the only player to receive league MVP *with Julius Erving already on the team*
GOATED BEST YTER EVER GOATED DISCORD
Great video and I agree with most rankings on this list. MJ is definitely number one and it seems like all the others are interchangeable in the other spots since it is so close. My personal rankings change often.
finally some respect for the most dominant player in any sport.
Who?
@@coolwitzayy Wilt Chamberlain
You forgot to mention that David Robinson also has the best biceps in NBA history.
Johnny, I know you just came out with the 75 best players video according to fans, but I should have told you this a while back…
Your 50 Best Players Video that came out earlier in the summer may have just been your best work ever. It is very hard for anyone making a list like this for several reasons…
1. Layers upon Layers of research and historical video
2. Not being Biased; I’m a Lakers fan myself and I know that can be hard at times when doing this sort of thing.
3. Being able to disagree with the waves of majority opinion; the perfect example is LBJ at No. 4 on your video. This took Brass Balls to do and I admire it. But it also shows that you care as a historian and not cater only to the generation of today.
I know you had your reservations about doing this sort of thing but sometimes you just have to put your foot on the gas and go for it.
Great Job 👏 and thank you as a Basketball 🏀 Junkie.
Not gonna lie, I was shocked that LeBron wasn’t top 3
"When a Kobe Bryant stat line is considered one of your worst [finals] performances you just might be the GOAT." Yeah, great line.
But Jordan's rookie numbers rivaled Kobe's MVP numbers, as well.
Yeah, with a losing record. And still made the playoffs, that's how bad he was
@@lamelo5101 You're confused. Making the playoff is good. Missing is bad.
I take my hat off, this the best list I've ever seen, good arguments, unbiased and acknowledging players from all eras. Of course I dont agree with every Seed (Who would?) but I do with the hottest topics. GOAT list
LOL how? He put a lot of effort in, and its well made, but holy shit is this list hot garbage
@@pearlywhites3025 sure let's see you make a better one with more impartial and smart analysis I'll wait.
@@pearlywhites3025 sure let's see you make a better one with more impartial and smart analysis I'll wait.
@@pearlywhites3025 unless you can explain why your comment is meaningless
@@retrosoul8770 "impartial" even though its litered with winning bias
This might be the greatest and most accurate top 50 all time list, of all time! Nice. I can’t disagree with anyone you have in their spots. I might adjust some spots. But not argue against yours.
Very well done list, greatly nuanced and articulated. Great job!
1. Jordan
2. Russell
3T. Bird
3T. Magic
5. Kareem
6. Wilt
7. LeBron
8. Hakeem
9. Duncan
10. Kobe
11. Shaq
12. Dr J
13. Moses
14. Oscar
15. West
16. Zeke
17. Elgin
You have the top 17 right. Just a bit out of order. Bird is definitely a better SF and player period than LeBron.
Finally!!!!! I have been waiting for months!!!!!
Love the list, personally have Kidd, Frazier, Allen and Reed in my list and don't have Cousey, Payton, McAdoo and Gilmore (though they'd all be honourable mentions), otherwise 46/50 is a hell of a match.
I love these kinds of videos
List is pretty damn good, can't even lie!!! Good job yo!!
These videos are so well-researched and I learn so much from them. Thank you!
Thank you for watching! Happy to hear you enjoy them :)
I have been waiting for this for a long time
Interesting list. Great job. For me Dr. J was the most inspiring player of all time. Michael Jordan is there too. It's just so hard to pick because there were so many great players through history.
Yeah I think Doc should be higher on that list when look at his entire career of stats he should be next to Bird or higher and before anyone disagrees look at the stats along with impact on the game they don’t lie
@@ogphil5600 I'm a little biased because i grew up in the Doc era but he was so influential at the time. He truly was one of the most creative and interesting athletes during his era. Michael Jordan deserves to be the best because he truly was the most amazing player of all time and he was a winner. But then again Doc influenced Jordan. Then you have Larry Bird and Magic who were legendary talents and were winners. And of course Kareem but Kareem to me wasn't as creative and interesting as Doc but Kareem was a consistently dominant player both offensively and defensively who was a winner. And then you have Wilt and Bill Russell and also Elgin Baylor. There are just so many amazing talents throughout history , it's incredibly hard to pick a numbered list.
@@surfshack2 I’m with you man I agree I think Doc and Kareem deserve a lot more credit than they get those really carried the league especially Doc… MJ was something we will never see again and Magic
Doctor J did not pump 10 billion dollars into the American economy and did not change the game like Air Jordan did.
Bruh… absolutely excellent video. Props
This is REALLY well done.
definitely been looking forward to this🐐.
When you got to number 1 you should've just said MIchael Jordan and ended the video right there
mj isn’t number 1 tho
@@ave204 leflop?
@@slee2695 no lebron is 3 number 1 is curry
@@ave204 Damn what are you doing here flight?
@@ave204 what ahahahhaha you must know nothing about basketball but ok
Another W as always
Great video, I agree with pretty much all of your picks, and most of the actual rankings. I think Dolph Schayes definitely belongs on this list. I would put him in the 30-40 range. Great video overall!
Your right
Respect. I’ve got him at 43.
Love the list, we all love the crazy regular season stats. But if you only compare their playoff stats (not championships but all post season stats) when the competition is highest, then the best of the best become clear.
Giannes higher, Curry higher, Harden lower Malone lower, Gary Peyton lower.
Love where you have hakeem, and I completely agree in having Bird over magic...ever so slightly
Very interesting list Jonny! Even though I disagree with some of these rankings (some are questionable imo), it's fine since everyone has their own opinions, great video!