The NBA has been graced by some of the most gifted athletes the sporting world has ever seen. From the likes of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan to modern-day greats like LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the NBA’s talent pool is truly awe-inspiring.
On that note, however, there exists the concept of the “perfect” basketball player. Tasked with building his own version of the best NBA player of all time by picking specific skills, Lou Williams shared his thoughts on “Run It Back,” but notably excluded Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Interviewer: “Build a player. Shooting?”
Williams: “Steph [Curry].”
Interviewer: “Handles?”
Williams: “Give me Kyrie [Irving].”
Interviewer: “Defense.”
Williams: “Give me Wemby [Victor Wembanyama].”
Interviewer: “Dunking?”
Williams: “Vince Carter.”
Interviewer: “IQ.”
Williams: “Rajon Rondo.”
Interviewer: “Personality.”
Williams: “Ant-Man [Anthony Edwards].”
For the most part, Williams creates a fairly intriguing NBA player.
For shooting, there is virtually no other pick than Stephen Curry. As the greatest shooter of all time and the all-time leader in three-pointers made, Curry redefined perimeter shooting in the NBA and essentially transformed the game.
Similarly, choosing Kyrie Irving for handles is also justified. While the NBA has seen many players with spectacular dribbling abilities, Irving sets himself apart. His unique rhythm, ball control, and fluidity of movement position him as one of the most creative dribblers in NBA history.
Defensively, Williams’ selection of Victor Wembanyama does raise some eyebrows. While the Spurs’ center is undoubtedly an elite rim-protector in every sense, leading the DPOY race with a league-high 2.9 blocks per game this season, at 22, he may be too young in his career to be considered in this conversation.
Barring defense, the aforementioned picks would be fairly unanimous. However, not choosing Vince Carter over Michael Jordan for dunking and Rajon Rondo over LeBron James for IQ certainly raises some questions.
In terms of IQ, many would argue that Rajon Rondo is the most intelligent basketball player the NBA has ever seen. While there have been several stories praising Rondo’s basketball IQ, there are an equal number of tales that praise LeBron James, too.
Meanwhile, Vince Carter is widely regarded as one of the most iconic dunkers the NBA has ever seen. As an incredibly talented athlete, Carter routinely pulled out all the stops at the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. But when compared to Michael Jordan’s performances at the event, along with his highlight reel of in-game dunks, there may be some room for debate.
Even if we choose to rate Carter above Michael Jordan in this category, selecting Anthony Edwards ahead of Jordan for personality may be egregious.
Many sources have noted how much Edwards resembles legends such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Thus, if personality is to be considered a criterion, it is fair to assume that Jordan may have been an equally solid pick, if not better.
Overall, it is difficult to build the NBA’s best player ever without mentioning Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Given their achievements, their unique skill sets, and their impact on the game, it is nigh impossible to overlook two of the greatest players in NBA history.
