All The Smoke co-hosts Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes appeared on the latest episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, and the former shared an interesting all-time top 10 list there. Barnes’ list had five big men and he also opted to have Kobe Bryant above LeBron James.
“I’m going one through 10,” Jackson said. “I go MJ (Michael Jordan), I go Kob, I’ll go Bron, I go Tim (Duncan), I go Shaq, I go Magic (Johnson), I go (Larry) Bird, I go Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), I go Wilt (Chamberlain), and I go Bill Russell.”
There is no egregious selection in that top 10, as all those players certainly have a good case to be in there. I don’t necessarily agree with the order, though.
Jackson has Michael Jordan as the GOAT and I won’t argue against that placement. Jordan won six titles, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, 10 scoring titles, and a DPOY award in his career. He is still generally regarded as the best to ever do it.
Bryant came in at No. 2 and I think that’s a bit too high. Kobe won five titles, two Finals MVPs, an MVP, and two scoring titles in his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. There is no denying his greatness, but I certainly would put the guy who’s next above him.
LeBron was third on Jackson’s list and I can safely say I won’t be the only one to bump him up a spot. James has won four titles, four Finals MVPs, four MVPs, a scoring title, and an assists title in his career. He is also the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and I believe is the closest challenger to Jordan for that GOAT title.
Jackson then went with his former teammate Tim Duncan at No. 4 and there does seem to be a little bit of bias involved there. Duncan does have a stellar resume, with five titles, three Finals MVPs, and two MVPs, but I wouldn’t put him in the top five.
Podcast host Shaquille O’Neal landed a spot below Duncan. O’Neal won four titles, three Finals MVPs, an MVP, and two scoring titles in his career and is arguably the most dominant player we have ever seen. Again like Duncan, though, I wouldn’t have him in my top five.
Magic Johnson was sixth on Jackson’s list and that’s someone I would put in the top five. Johnson won five titles, three Finals MVPs, three MVPs, and four assists titles in his career with the Lakers. I think he’s the greatest point guard of all time, although, Stephen Curry is making a strong case for that title now.
Johnson’s great rival Larry Bird came in at seventh and I believe that’s about where he should be. Bird won three titles, two Finals MVPs, and three MVPs in his career with the Boston Celtics. He remains the last player to win MVP three years in a row.
Jackson had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at No. 8 and that’s way too low. Abdul-Jabbar won five titles, six MVPs, two Finals MVPs, two scoring titles, and a rebounding title in his storied career. He was the NBA’s all-time leading scorer before LeBron surpassed him and is a lock for that top five.
Wilt Chamberlain was next and he was the one Abdul-Jabbar passed to become the all-time leading scorer back in 1984. Chamberlain won two titles, a Finals MVP, four MVPs, seven scoring titles, and 11 rebounding titles in his career. If we just go by raw numbers, there is no one who can match Wilt, but he just didn’t win enough.
The reason Chamberlain didn’t win more was, of course, Bill Russell, the final selection on this list. Russell won 11 titles, five MVPs, and five rebounding titles with the Celtics. He is the greatest winner in NBA history and deserves a spot in the top 10.
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