Steph Curry Is Now Amongst the Top 5 Greatest NBA Players Of All Time
Here’s the complete list
Ah, GOAT lists. Controversial, mostly subjective, beloved or hated, and a lot of fun. As the huge basketball fan that I am, I’ve made my own GOAT list at the end of 2021. And it might be quite different from yours. Let’s see!
Wait
Before we begin, this list is purely my interpretation. It’s subjective and for entertainment purposes only. That being said, I’ll give you my reasons for picking each of these 5 players. Also, stay for the honorable mentions at the end!
5. Wilt Chamberlain
Surprisingly, Walt doesn’t make it onto a lot of GOAT lists out there. I suspect the reason for that is the era. Long ago. Without a doubt though, Wilt was a hell of an athlete, center, and personality.
In my mind, Wilt is the most dominant player to have ever stepped onto the court. Only rivaled by another famous center from a completely different era named Shaquille O’Neal.
For the 60s and 70s however, there was and never had been a player like Wilt. That’s why he’s number 5 for me.
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Von Wilt_Chamberlain2.jpg: Fred Palumbo, World Telegram staff photographerderivative work: JoeJohnson2 (talk) — Wilt_Chamberlain2.jpg, Gemeinfrei, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8337686
4. Bill Russell
The only player to have ever come close to containing Wilt Chamberlain is the man who sits one spot above Wilt. Bill Russell, the winner of all winners. More rings than fingers. A defensive genius that made life tough for Wilt and every other big (and small) man during his era. 11 titles with the Celtics. In 1966, the first Afro-American coach ever in the league. He’s a walking trophy. A worthy number 4 spot. Some might have him higher than this.
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By Unknown author — Here, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=111833890
3. Steph Curry
I know, I know… you didn’t expect this one. He's still active, he has fewer titles and accolades than many players who came before him. But let me tell you why Steph is a worthy number 3.
Oh, I already did. It's the 3s! Without Steph, the NBA wouldn’t be the same today. The 3-ball would not nearly be as prominent and popular as it is today. He changed the game. Completely. That’s why he needs to be in the GOAT discussion. And with the way this current season is going for the Warriors, Steph might not be done with winning titles and awards anytime soon.
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By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA — Stephen Curry, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56714869
2. LeBron James
Love him or hate him, he’s the second-best NBA player to ever step onto the court until now. Why? Because he is without a doubt and without any close competition the most well-rounded, gifted, versatile, and most complete player of all time.
He can play 1 through 5, he can guard 1 through 5, and not just for a minute, but for a whole season. He can shoot, score inside, hit 3s, hit game-winners, handle, pass like Magic, defend like Russell, and is still going strong at 37 years of age like very few others before him. That makes him the runner-up GOAT. And maybe someday even the number 1.
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By All-Pro Reels — https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeglo/47931420798/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=94519256
1. Michael Jordan
For now, though, that number 1 spot still belongs to the one and only, His Airness, Michael Jordan. No surprise here. I have never seen a GOAT list with any other 1st place. Some could argue for others. I’ve heard names like Wilt or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar here, but in the end, it’s always Michael.
Why? Because he’s the ultimate killer. Had he not retired for the first time to play baseball, we can probably all agree that he and the Bulls would have won 8 instead of 6 championships. And had he not retired the second time, he might have even challenged Bill Russell’s eleven rings.
Moreover, if the game’s on the line and you need a game-winner, it’s MJ all the way. I wouldn’t pick any other player to take the last shot. He’s the killer. And the GOAT.
!https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*WE8HQ3Y42elo2tTdaOyoyw.jpeg
By Unknown author — El Gráfico, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86281370
Honorable mentions
Of course, there are several players who could have made this list. Players who are unique and masterful on the court. So, let me include 3 honorable mentions.
The first goes out to the late and great Kobe Bryant. If there ever was a player resembling Michael Jordan, it was Kobe. The same killer instinct, the same talent and athleticism. A true genius on the court.
Number 2 is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The most points ever, rings and awards everywhere, and one of the if not the toughest player to guard with his famous skyhook. To be honest, it was a hard decision to not include him here.
Number 3 is Dirk Nowitzki. To me, he’s the greatest Power Forward ever. Tim Duncan is a very close second. But Dirk, much like Steph Curry, completely changed the game and how it is played. He was the original shooting big, 7-footer. His one-legged fade-away was unguardable and never before seen. That’s why he’s definitely a top 10 pick.
(left) By Unknown author — 1971–72 National Basketball Association program, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36192403 — (right) By Keith Allison — originally posted to Flickr as Dirk Nowitzki, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6338568
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The bottom line
There it is. My top 5 greatest NBA players of all time. Ranked in 2021. A quick recap:
5. Wilt Chamberlain4. Bill Russell3. Steph Curry2. LeBron James1. Michael Jordan
I don’t see many changes there anytime soon either. What do you think? Different list in mind? I bet. So, tell me!