Welcome to part two or round two of our six-part series of the greatest player in NBA history. In the spirit of March Madness there were a few token upsets seeding wise in part one including your dependable 12 over 5 upsets as 12th seeded Kevin Durant got by 5th seeded Elgin Baylor in the all-around stars bracket and 12th seeded “Pistol” Pete Maravich won a battle of ball handling innovators over 5th seeded Bob Cousy.
There were plenty of all-time greats who didn’t make it past round 1 including Charles Barkley, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Karl Malone, and the intensity only picks up this round as we dive into the round of 32.
Once again here is a quick description of each of the four regions:
Floor Generals:
This region includes the best point guards in NBA history.
Sensational Scorers:
This bracket is full of the best shooting guards in NBA history
All-Around Athletes:
This bracket includes the best small forwards of all-time
Men in the Middle:
This highly competitive bracket features the best centers and power forwards in NBA history
Without further ado lets breakdown round two….
Floor General Region:
(1) Magic Johnson over (8) Steve Nash
One could argue (correctly I might add) that these were the two best run and gun, fast break maestros to ever grace an NBA hardwood. Magic’s “Showtime” Lakers were a sight to behold in the 80s and Nash’s “Seven Seconds or Less” Phoenix Suns ran the league rampant in the mid-2000s. Nash’s announced retirement in the past week is bringing back a lot of nostalgia and love for this two-time MVP winning point guard whose unorthodox game was incredibly beautiful and entertaining. As great as Nash was winning back-to-back MVP’s and 5x single season assist titles, he just can’t matchup to Magic Johnson’s five NBA titles, three MVP’s and three NBA Finals MVP awards.
(4) John Stockton over (12) Pete Maravich
Both of these players donned a Jazz uniform during their careers and both were magnificent shooters. As much as Maravich was able to entertain crowds with his flash and light up the scoreboard, Stockton is the NBA’s all-time assist and steals leader and was possibly the best pure point guard the game has ever seen. This sets up a classic Magic-Stockton sweet 16 matchup.
3 Isiah Thomas over (6) Walt Frazier
Both players can claim two NBA titles and an all-time great NBA Finals moment. For Frazier it was having 36-19-7 in game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, while for Thomas it was one of the gutsiest performances of all-time scoring 25 points in the third quarter of game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals in Los Angeles with a sprained ankle. Thomas was a soft spoken assassin who would cut you in an alley, while Frazier was a smooth, stylish talent. This is a good matchup but the fact that Thomas won two titles in a row while having to oust Bird, Magic and Jordan to do it gives him the win here.
(2) Oscar Robertson over (10) Chris Paul
Chris Paul has consistently been the most complete point guard and leader in the NBA almost since his arrival in 2004, a modern day version of Isiah Thomas with a trademark smile concealing a dirty assassin. As great as Paul is though, The “Big O” transformed the game of basketball with his all-around ability and averaged a triple-double for an entire season (where you at Westbrook?) Oscar moves on.
Men in the Middle Region:
(1)Bill Russell over (9) Moses Malone
This is a matchup over two beasts who could flat out rebound the basketball. Neither was known for their finesse or elite post moves but rather their never-ending hustle and ability to patrol the paint and control the boards. Moses Malone is the most underrated player in NBA history in my opinion as he was a three-time MVP, and a NBA Finals MVP for the 76ers dominant title run in 1983, but isn’t often mentioned with the greatest big men in NBA history. That being said though Bill Russell was still the heart and soul of a team that won 11 NBA titles. Russell moves on.
(4) Tim Duncan over (5) Hakeem Olajuwon
This is without question the most competitive and best matchup of the round of 32. These are two of the 10 best players in NBA history in my opinion and both use elite finesse, awareness and skill to dominate on both ends of the floor. Hakeem quite possibly developed the best post game in NBA history while becoming the NBA all-time leading shot blocker and winning back to back titles, while Duncan has five titles and counting, along with two MVP’s and three Finals MVP’s and is still one of the 15-20 most valuable players in the NBA a month from his 39th birthday. As great as “Hakeem the Dream” was, Duncan gets the nod here.
(6) Shaquille O’Neal over (3) Wilt Chamberlain
This is a colossal battle between the two most physical imposing, dominating and gifted centers in NBA history. Both were the most unstoppable forces of their era at their peak. Shaq is often viewed as the more modern version of Wilt. As mind numbing as Wilt’s career resume is…
• Averaged 50 and 25 for a season
•Led the league in assists after saying he didn’t pass enough
•Scored 100 points in a game
•Never fouled out of a game
•Claimed to have slept with 20,000 women (highly unlikely if you do the math, regardless highly impressive)
Shaq was much more of a winner and dominated in a much more advanced and difficult era. As much of a freak as Wilt was, Shaq was more of a freak and won twice as many titles as Wilt (four to two). Shaq gets the minor upset here.
(2)Kareem Abdul-Jabbar over (10) Kevin Garnett
Garnett has been an incredibly passionate and hardworking leader throughout his career and for a stretch in Minnesota was the most skilled power forward the league had ever seen. He has a championship and an MVP award on his resume, but he may be the most overmatch opponent in the second round. Kareem has six titles, six MVP’s, 19 All-Star appearances and is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He wins easily here.
Sensational Scorers Region:
(1)Michael Jordan over (8) George Gervin
Most people don’t realize these two silky scorers were actually teammates in Jordan’s early days in Chicago. Few people could score and move as gracefully as the “Ice Man” and he averaged over 26 points per game in 10 seasons in the NBA, including four scoring titles. He is no match his airness though as Jordan averaged 30-6-5 over a 15 year career and also won six more titles, five more MVP awards and six more scoring titles than Gervin.
(4) Dwayne Wade over (5) Clyde Drexler
This was an extremely tough matchup to pick as both of these explosive two-guards have averaged over 20-6-5 for their careers (Wade is currently at 24-6-5) and were seen as one of the two best at their position in their prime. As great as Clyde was, Wade’s three championships by the age of 32 and his Finals MVP award in one of the most dominant finals performances ever in 2006, earn him a shot at MJ.
(3) Jerry West over (6) Allen Iverson
This is a fascinating matchup between “The Logo” and Mr. anti-establishment . Both of which were supremely gifted and talented offensive players who could heat up and take over a game in an instant. They have eerily similar stats, West 27-6-7 for a career and Iverson 27-6-4. Iverson has an MVP but West has a Finals MVP (in an NBA finals he lost by the way, only player to ever do that). I’m tempted to pick A.I. but West’s longevity and championship give him a slight nod.
(2)Kobe Bryant over (7) Rick Barry
You won’t find a better pairing of two ornery assassins who were feared and respected by adversaries but not necessarily loved, and that’s exactly how they prefer it. Barry was an alpha for a NBA champion Warriors team in 1975, but he gets bitten by the Mamba here as Kobe’s five titles and MVP award are too much for Barry to overcome.
All-Around Stars Region:
(1)Larry Bird over (9) Paul Pierce
How fitting that we have a matchup of two of the greatest Celtic small forwards of all-time. Paul Pierce is the second leading scorer in the storied history of the Boston Celtic franchise playing 15 seasons in Boston and averaging about 22-6-4 with 10 all-star appearances, and one Finals MVP and title. The one and only “Larry Legend” played 13 seasons in Celtic green and averaged 24-10-6 with 3 titles and three straight MVP awards from 1984-1986. The “Hick from French Lick” wins this battle.
(12) Kevin Durant over (4) John Havlicek
Well we have found our Cinderella in this hypothetical dream tournament. Although the 6’11” athletic, fluent, silky smooth freak of nature Kevin Durant is not your typical Cinderella prototype he is a great candidate because he is still young and already has an MVP and multiple scoring titles to his name. As accomplished as Havlicek is with eight championships and one Finals MVP, at 6’5” he just seems overmatched against the futuristic scoring machine that is Kevin Durant. We are set up for an epic Bird-Durant sweet 16 matchup.
(3) Julius Erving over (6) Scottie Pippen
This was actually a really tough decision and I would have paid to just watch Scottie Pippen guard Julius Erving in their primes. Although Pippen was the greatest second banana potentially in human history and was a big part of a dynasty that won six titles and was All-Defensive 1st Team eight times in his illustrious career, he was never the innovator, icon and generational talent that The Doctor was. Julius Erving was the first mega star to play above the rim and wow fans with his world-class athleticism and paved the way for players who would follow in his footsteps such as MJ, Vince Carter, LeBron etc.
(2)LeBron James over (7) Dominique Wilkins
Speaking of athletic specimens this is an incredible matchup of two of the most powerful and explosive athletes the game of basketball has ever seen. “Nique” was the nastiest in game dunker in NBA history and would regularly double pump and ferociously dunk on whoever stood in his path and averaged 25-7-2 for his career. He isn’t quite the evolutionary, revolutionary near perfect basketball creation that King James is though. LeBron won four MVP’s, two NBA Championships, two Finals MVP’s and made eight 1st-Team All NBA appearances before the age of 30 and he is just over the halfway point of his career. LeBron moves on.
Here are the winner’s thus far (click to enlarge):
Come back next week for part three and the sweet 16 round of the tournament to decide the greatest player in NBA history.
