Jordan not the greatest; Kareem is!

With all due respect to Michael Jordan, I still believe Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest basketball player of all time. Kareem dominated at all levels of the sport, from high school right up to the pros. Kareem's list of accomplishments is unrivaled and second to none.
Kareem's college accomplishments:
3 NCAA championships
3-time NCAA Tournament MOP (Most Outstanding Player)
2-time College Basketball Player Of The Year
2-time Naismith Award Winner
3-time First Team All-American
#1 Overall Draft Pick-1969 NBA College Draft

Kareem's Pro Credentials:
Rookie Of The Year
2-time NBA scoring champion
NBA rebounds champion
4-time blocked shots leader
6 NBA MVP awards
15 All-NBA Teams
10 All-NBA First Teams
11 NBA All-Defensive Teams
5 NBA All-Defensive First Teams
19-time NBA All-Star
2 NBA Finals MVP awards
NBA career leader in points, field goals made, field goals attempted and minutes played.

 

I agree with you, Kareem is the most complete player in the history of the game.

I have Jordan behind Magic and Kareem as the greatest players ever.

 

I agree, and have argued this point many times with my friends going back to when Jordan left to play baseball. I think you're the first one I have found who agrees with me.

 

Oh, did I fail to mention that he won 6 NBA championships and once led the league in field goal percentage?

 

He also developed a unique and unstoppable shooting technique: The Sky Hook

 

If you would've said Kobe Bryant instead of Kareem, I'd be clowning the shit outta you right now.:smt042

 

This has the distinct flavor of a Lakers thread.

I will say that being the greatest player is different from being the most ACCOMPLISHED player.

Emmitt Smith is the most accomplished NFL running back of all time.

USA Today and Parade Magazine H.S. Player of The Year (1986)
Ran for 100 yards in 45 of 49 H.S. games
2nd all-time (when he graduated) in American H.S. football history at 8,804 yards
Florida H.S. Football All Century Team
Named best player in history of Florida H.S. football (that's saying a lot)

Owner of 58 University of Florida football records
Member of the College Football Hall of Fame
1989 SEC Player of the Year
Reached the 1000 yard mark faster than any player in college history (7 games)

First NFL player with 5 straight 1,400 yard seasons
One of five players with 10,000 yards rushing and 400 receptions
NFL's all time leader in rush yards
NFL's all time leader in 1,000 yard seasons/consecutive 1000 yd. seasons
NFL's all time leader in carries
2nd in touchdowns scored in NFL history
One of two non kickers with 1000 points scored in a career
All time leader in postseason rushing yards and tied for touchdown lead
Offensive Rookie of the year (1990)
8 Pro Bowl Selections
4 All-Pro Selections
Member of the NFL's 1990's All-Decade Team
One of 4 players to eclipse 21,000 all purpose yards in a career
3 time Super Bowl Champion
1993 NFL MVP
Super Bowl XXVIII MVP


All that and yet most people would say he is only the 4th best running back behind Payton, Jim Brown and Barry Sanders....but if Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest on the hardwood...it's hard to say that Smith is not the best on the gridiron...at least as far as RB's go.

 

Lawd! This one hurt my ribs....BAD! :smt042

 

Apples and Oranges...

 

According to John Wooden:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-simers1-2009may01,0,6478714.column

There you go, the greatest mind in the history of basketball, all sports period.

 

All of that is worthy of admiration, but it does not necessarily make him the greatest of all time. It makes him perhaps the most accomplished, but not necessarily the greatest. They are two different things. Michael Jordan's influence on the game goes simply beyond basketball as a sport - he redefined it into an artform. He made even the most ardent opponents of the Chicago Bulls - and even those who perhaps never cared much for basketball - want to see what exactly it is that was so enthralling about MJ. He single-handedly turned a shoe franchise into a billion dollar industry, all because of his play on the court.

Look, you can't personally go wrong with arguing in favor of Kareem, but i think MJ remains hands-down the G.O.A.T.

 

Wait until the LeBron James saga is all said and done with.:smt045

 

Don't tell me you think Lebron James will be an even greater player than Jordan!:smt037

 

You don't see what I see on a nightly basis what is going on within the organization.

 

He is a phenomenal player. I hope he's up there with Jordan when his career is done

 

He will be in the Hall no doubt and one of the GOAT, but 6 rings is hard to match.

 

Oh, without a doubt 6 titles is difficult. I just wanna get the first one this year lol

 

It's not about whether LeBron & the Cavs are gonna win it this year, it's about how many world titles will LeBron & the Cavs win.

The possibilities are limitless...

 

Quite frankly, if you take away the slam dunks, Lebron doesn't really have much to work with. I know some of you dont want to hear this, but i'll say it anyway. His jumpshot is iffy at best, and whilst he's a good passer, he has always come up short whenever the game is on the line i.e. Game 7 of the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals.

I'm not saying he isn't good, or that he can't be a great player, but all of this comparisons to Jordan is not only poppycock, they're unfounded.

 

Yep, he needs to get that first one under his belt and then he can start working on building some kind of legacy. Hopefully the Cavs organization will be able to keep a strong team around him and keep him happy in Cleveland. I think it would be good for the NBA and for the game if he has a long run there with several championships.