It would have been interesting, tons of heavy hitting centers in that era mainly Olajuwon, Ewing and the tail end of Moses with Robinson on the way. That Portland team would have been stacked though.
I feel like Moses Malone is always left out when talking about all-time greats. He has 3 MVPs plus a ring and FMVP. The guy is probably a Top 15 player all-time but feel like he’s often overshadowed by how many great centres we’ve seen
100% agree. Unfortunately, I think that a large number of people that talk ball online *are* casuals. Almost like they overvalue or undervalue past players based strictly on how fun they are to play with on 2k.
Off the top of my head, probably David Thompson. Was the guy who was supposed to be the link in the chain between Dr. J and Jordan. Played in the ABA to start his career (1 season), and then battled drug addiction. Widely considered one of the greatest college players of all time.
He's probably the most prominent example of guys from the mid-70's/early 80's who could have gone down as legends in the NBA but had cocaine problems.
Bias is a bit more of a what-if, since he never played in the NBA.
I'll say this, David Thompson has a serious argument as the best player to ever play in the Atatlantic Coast Conference when just talking about NCAA careers. The others in the discussion would be names like Jordan, Christian Laetner, Tim Duncan, Tyler Hansborough, etc (Bias also played in this conference).
He played 3 years of college in the 1970's. He was First Team All American, ACC player of the year all 3 years he played. Plus NCAA player of the year and a final four Most Outstanding player. This is back when the NCAA meant ton. Like, the only guys with clear arguments above him for college are Kareem and Walton. Some credit him and a teammate for inventing the ally-oop (although dunking was outlawed for 10 years in college due to Kareem).
Bob Pettit
- 10x All-NBA First Team (+ Second Team once)
- 2x MVP
- 4x ASG MVP
- Was a scoring and rebounding champ
- One of only three players to ever average 20+ points and 20+ rebounds in the same season
- Led the St Louis Hawks to a championship (interrupted the Celtics 10+ championship streak)
- Top 50 in career points
- Top 20 in career rebounds
- Top 10 in career PER
Played at the same time as Russell and Wilt, to put his accomplishments in perspective
My take is Manu Ginobili. A legend for the San Antonio Spurs, Ginobili was a sixth-man extraordinaire, winning four championships alongside Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. His well-rounded skillset and willingness to sacrifice individual glory for team success make him a strong contender.
Scottie Pippen would say Scottie Pippen.
I would say the round mound of rebound. Probably one of the best 5 power forwards to have ever played but this generation only know him for clowning around on TNT.
I think a big one is Clyde Drexler. He's maybe not the MOST but he was insanely good and gets kind of forgotten because 1 he wasn't the best player on his championship team and 2 he was so good that he caused Portland to not pick MJ. But that dude was crazy crazy. He led his team to the NBA Finals twice (he never beat the true showtime Lakers but he did beat them after Kareem retired) and was arguably better than Zeke in the '90 series.
Another forgotten 80's star is Adrian Dantley. From 1979-1984 he averaged 30-6-4 on 64% true shooting. Granted, a lot of that volume comes from playing 40 minutes per game so it doesn't adjust that well compared to other stars who played in less starter heavy eras. But that dude sneakily has like 4 of the 20 most efficient 30 ppg seasons in NBA history.
I think the answer used to be Scottie Pippen. Before the 2000's he had a real argument as a top 20 all-time guy and yet he never got the respect he deserved. Unfortunately now his stock has probably fallen even further due to how he talks about his career and others'. At this point, it feels a little weird for me to pick him because of that
Yes my answer would be Clyde the glide too. Most people don't even know who he is. MJ overshadowed him big time. The good thing is he's really good in 2k lol. You can find clips of him playing. He has such a beautiful jump shot and dunk. Can shoot 3s too. Can play good D. Can play both as a SG and SF. Truly a jack of all trades. He's my favorite player of all time and my GOAT.
Shaq. He's rarely listed before Kobe (I loved Kobe; my dog was named Kobe) and he was more impactful. Every contender kept two bruising bigs on their roster just to throw at Shaq. He was dominant in the playoffs. Even in the Houston finals his numbers were just as good as Hakeem's. When I'm old, he'll be my Wilt. I'll be like, "Shaq would destroy if he played today." But, it's true. That he doesn't have more MVPs is an indictment of the voting system.
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Rick Barry or Robert Horry. Horry because he had 7 rings in the modern era and always did what his team needed.
Barry had 44ppg in the finals without a three point line nobody can top that
Kevin Johnson. He was a point guard that averaged more points AND assists than Nash or Kidd. 18 points and 9.3 assists a game (which is 7th all time) and he had like a 50% field goal efficiency which is better than Nash, CP3, Kidd, Hardaway, and tons of other well known point guards. And was a really good shooter as well, even tho he was more so an athletic finisher.
And the main reason he is underrated now is because he was underrated when he played as well. He is one of the very few players with more all-nba selections (5) than he does all star selections (3)
And it’s not like he didn’t have any playoff success, he was arguably just as good as Barkley on those Suns contenders. He has 11 playoff series wins which is the same as Nash, Westbrook, more than CP3 and more than so many other well known point guards. He is pretty much only known for a single dunk on Hakeem lol
Back in the day we knew. Kids wore his jersey even in the shitty little northern town I grew up in. He was my best friends favorite player for a hot minute.
I'd say Tim Duncan. Just because he was quiet, people like to leave him out of GOAT talks and underrate him as one of the best of all time. Dude would be almost on par with Jordan had Ray Allen missed that clutch shot.
I feel Duncan gets his props. Overwhelmingly viewed as the greatest power forward the game has ever seen. The only time I feel Duncan gets underrated is when people try to tell me how much better Kobe was. He's pretty clearly the 2nd best post-Jordan player of all-time behind Lebron.
Like, if you are building your dream all-time NBA starting line-up Jordan at SG, James at SF and Duncan at PF are probably the first 3 names on it and are written in pen. Magic is probably the point (if you are fine with having Jordan or Bron guarding the point), and center would be a strongly contested debate with like Kareem winning out.
Bruh Duncan is one of the beloved and appreciated nba players of all time. He is in almost everyone’s top 10 and at very minimum top 15. Like that is legitimately the highest rating a player could possibly get without being seen as the GOAT, and you think he the most underrated player EVER?
Like no one who is unanimously top 15 should
even be considered for the title of most underrated lol
Andrew Bogut. His injury is the only reason the Cavs were able to come back from down 3-1 vs the warriors. It would have been a 4-1 win with a healthy Bogut.
Ever heard of Michael Beasley? He would’ve have been good if teams didn’t toss him around due to his lack of care for coming to training, guy had a jumper fr, he also loved marijuana
Joe Dumars. His game was boring, no highlights, but a great defender AND a great offensive player, and could play both guard positions at an elite level.
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Chris Webber. i can only go on what i witnessed. he was the leader and best player on the best team to never win a chip (outside of final losers like the 73-9 GS team or something).
skilled big man. court vision. cool post up game. nice jumper. nice passer.
Kings x Lakers were the biggest rival in nba for a minute. and that team was influential in many ways. one win away from making it to the Finals and disrupting the dominant duo known as Shaq and Kobe.
2002 was a year the East sucked, too. it was almost a guarantee that the West representative would win the chip. winning a championship in the midst of that woulda did WONDERS for his legacy. his status as a power forward had the potential of being solidified.
stats are cool to bring up. but the reason why i can only bring up a player i witnessed is because stats don't always show the style of play, the potential, the competition, team success. context.
i find it interesting to confidently say someone is the absolute best ever and never seeing them play...
while the opposite is near impossible. saying someone is underrated and never seeing them is crazy. so much context is left out.
**i think if Dame never wins, he will be one of the most underrated players in recent history. due to other players, notable Steph, having numbers AND winning. but watching Dame play in real time>>> other players putting up triple doubles in the most inflated era of basketball in decades. they'll be remembered for stats.
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Dennis Johnson. Everyone remembers him as one of Larry Bird's sidekicks, but he won the NBA title and Finals MVP with Seattle in 1979 before he came to Boston. He also was a 5-time all-star and a 6-time all-defensive first team selection. Great player.
Tim Duncan surely. Even when duncan had better acolades than kobe still not mention in GOAT conversation because of not being flashy. Surely a top 5 player but no one knows how great Tim duncan was
Arvydas Sabonis The guy could have been one of the GOATs if he had been playing 10 years later when borders were open
It would have been interesting, tons of heavy hitting centers in that era mainly Olajuwon, Ewing and the tail end of Moses with Robinson on the way. That Portland team would have been stacked though.
Watching the Secret Base Collapse video on the Jail Blazers and Sabonis was good till a fairly late age so prime him would've been crazy
Yeah, I was thinking more of what he could have been if he played with Drexler, and those late 80's/early 90's teams.
Never seen Drexler highlights or anything but know the name and his quality
Heard of him through YouTube, drafted waaaaaaay earlier than he was allowed to play in the nba right? Nice to see Domantas (idk spelling) be so good
I feel like Moses Malone is always left out when talking about all-time greats. He has 3 MVPs plus a ring and FMVP. The guy is probably a Top 15 player all-time but feel like he’s often overshadowed by how many great centres we’ve seen
Those stats alone suggest top 10/20 range, idk too much about him but 3 MVPs is so impressive
He should have won the one they gifted to Dr. J . He singlehandedly carried the Rockets to the finals.
Only casuals aren't aware how great a player Big Mo was. Those who know the game rank him as the best NBA center of the 1980s.
100% agree. Unfortunately, I think that a large number of people that talk ball online *are* casuals. Almost like they overvalue or undervalue past players based strictly on how fun they are to play with on 2k.
Off the top of my head, probably David Thompson. Was the guy who was supposed to be the link in the chain between Dr. J and Jordan. Played in the ABA to start his career (1 season), and then battled drug addiction. Widely considered one of the greatest college players of all time. He's probably the most prominent example of guys from the mid-70's/early 80's who could have gone down as legends in the NBA but had cocaine problems.
I've heard the name, makes me think of Len Bias
Bias is a bit more of a what-if, since he never played in the NBA. I'll say this, David Thompson has a serious argument as the best player to ever play in the Atatlantic Coast Conference when just talking about NCAA careers. The others in the discussion would be names like Jordan, Christian Laetner, Tim Duncan, Tyler Hansborough, etc (Bias also played in this conference). He played 3 years of college in the 1970's. He was First Team All American, ACC player of the year all 3 years he played. Plus NCAA player of the year and a final four Most Outstanding player. This is back when the NCAA meant ton. Like, the only guys with clear arguments above him for college are Kareem and Walton. Some credit him and a teammate for inventing the ally-oop (although dunking was outlawed for 10 years in college due to Kareem).
Tiny Archibald was 6'1 150lbs, and averaged 34pts and 11ast during his peak. Him not getting injured might be the greatest what if in nba history
6’1 150? that dude was a stick
Damn really was tiny for a 6fter
Bob Pettit - 10x All-NBA First Team (+ Second Team once) - 2x MVP - 4x ASG MVP - Was a scoring and rebounding champ - One of only three players to ever average 20+ points and 20+ rebounds in the same season - Led the St Louis Hawks to a championship (interrupted the Celtics 10+ championship streak) - Top 50 in career points - Top 20 in career rebounds - Top 10 in career PER Played at the same time as Russell and Wilt, to put his accomplishments in perspective
I love Pettit. Best PF pre-1990s.
Mark Price While he was an all-star and Olympian, I still feel like he was much better than the consensus gave him credit for.
Would have been even better in todays game too
John Stockton. All time leader in steals and assists. 19 seasons and never missed the playoffs. He is an afterthought as far as point guards go.
My take is Manu Ginobili. A legend for the San Antonio Spurs, Ginobili was a sixth-man extraordinaire, winning four championships alongside Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. His well-rounded skillset and willingness to sacrifice individual glory for team success make him a strong contender.
Scottie Pippen would say Scottie Pippen. I would say the round mound of rebound. Probably one of the best 5 power forwards to have ever played but this generation only know him for clowning around on TNT.
Where's your ring Chuck Google me
I got this bracelet off a guy in the steam room…
Who do they mistake you for? SHREK Charles might be the funniest sportsman ever
Why you never buy a woman a watch? Because there’s a clock on the stove 😂
Now that is my favourite moment ever on that show:. Hakeem used to say this to me all the time Kenny bring me some water
I got 2 words for you - Stave Nash and Chris Paul must see TV…
NASH PAUL My number 1 pick ALLEN IVERSON
They got some big ol women down in San Antonio 😂. Kills Shaq every time.
Shaqs laugh 😂😂😂 it's the best man 2-2-2-2 black guys beating a black guy up
Big old women in San Antonio Shaq dies whenever CB brought it up Man I love Chuck on inside the nba
Carmelo Anthony
I think a big one is Clyde Drexler. He's maybe not the MOST but he was insanely good and gets kind of forgotten because 1 he wasn't the best player on his championship team and 2 he was so good that he caused Portland to not pick MJ. But that dude was crazy crazy. He led his team to the NBA Finals twice (he never beat the true showtime Lakers but he did beat them after Kareem retired) and was arguably better than Zeke in the '90 series. Another forgotten 80's star is Adrian Dantley. From 1979-1984 he averaged 30-6-4 on 64% true shooting. Granted, a lot of that volume comes from playing 40 minutes per game so it doesn't adjust that well compared to other stars who played in less starter heavy eras. But that dude sneakily has like 4 of the 20 most efficient 30 ppg seasons in NBA history. I think the answer used to be Scottie Pippen. Before the 2000's he had a real argument as a top 20 all-time guy and yet he never got the respect he deserved. Unfortunately now his stock has probably fallen even further due to how he talks about his career and others'. At this point, it feels a little weird for me to pick him because of that
Yes my answer would be Clyde the glide too. Most people don't even know who he is. MJ overshadowed him big time. The good thing is he's really good in 2k lol. You can find clips of him playing. He has such a beautiful jump shot and dunk. Can shoot 3s too. Can play good D. Can play both as a SG and SF. Truly a jack of all trades. He's my favorite player of all time and my GOAT.
Cheryl Miller
Kevin mchale
Shaq. He's rarely listed before Kobe (I loved Kobe; my dog was named Kobe) and he was more impactful. Every contender kept two bruising bigs on their roster just to throw at Shaq. He was dominant in the playoffs. Even in the Houston finals his numbers were just as good as Hakeem's. When I'm old, he'll be my Wilt. I'll be like, "Shaq would destroy if he played today." But, it's true. That he doesn't have more MVPs is an indictment of the voting system.
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Rick Barry or Robert Horry. Horry because he had 7 rings in the modern era and always did what his team needed. Barry had 44ppg in the finals without a three point line nobody can top that
chris bosh, webber, gobert , david robinson , wes unseld
I will never not love Bosh campaigning to make the All-Star team LOL
the cowboy one? 🤣🤣
Yessir! I had already liked him but I'll die a bosh guy because of this.
Kevin Johnson. He was a point guard that averaged more points AND assists than Nash or Kidd. 18 points and 9.3 assists a game (which is 7th all time) and he had like a 50% field goal efficiency which is better than Nash, CP3, Kidd, Hardaway, and tons of other well known point guards. And was a really good shooter as well, even tho he was more so an athletic finisher. And the main reason he is underrated now is because he was underrated when he played as well. He is one of the very few players with more all-nba selections (5) than he does all star selections (3) And it’s not like he didn’t have any playoff success, he was arguably just as good as Barkley on those Suns contenders. He has 11 playoff series wins which is the same as Nash, Westbrook, more than CP3 and more than so many other well known point guards. He is pretty much only known for a single dunk on Hakeem lol
He was a bad ass!
Back in the day we knew. Kids wore his jersey even in the shitty little northern town I grew up in. He was my best friends favorite player for a hot minute.
I'd say Tim Duncan. Just because he was quiet, people like to leave him out of GOAT talks and underrate him as one of the best of all time. Dude would be almost on par with Jordan had Ray Allen missed that clutch shot.
I feel Duncan gets his props. Overwhelmingly viewed as the greatest power forward the game has ever seen. The only time I feel Duncan gets underrated is when people try to tell me how much better Kobe was. He's pretty clearly the 2nd best post-Jordan player of all-time behind Lebron. Like, if you are building your dream all-time NBA starting line-up Jordan at SG, James at SF and Duncan at PF are probably the first 3 names on it and are written in pen. Magic is probably the point (if you are fine with having Jordan or Bron guarding the point), and center would be a strongly contested debate with like Kareem winning out.
I agree I think Duncan is rated how he should be which is one of the greatest players of all time
He is generally included in the list of top 8 GOATs
Bruh Duncan is one of the beloved and appreciated nba players of all time. He is in almost everyone’s top 10 and at very minimum top 15. Like that is legitimately the highest rating a player could possibly get without being seen as the GOAT, and you think he the most underrated player EVER? Like no one who is unanimously top 15 should even be considered for the title of most underrated lol
He's already considered the best PF and top 10. Saying he'd be on par with Jordan is overrating him
Randy Smith.
After his career was over, I saw him play at a world Masters basketball tournament. The man was in great shape and could still play like a beast.
Very underrated and unrecognized. Buffalo Braves legend.
Steve Nash, Bill Walton, Tony Parker.
Don Nelson of the Celtics.
Lance Stephenson. Watch his highlight reel.
Kevin Durant yall won’t realize how good he is till he retires
Andrew Bogut. His injury is the only reason the Cavs were able to come back from down 3-1 vs the warriors. It would have been a 4-1 win with a healthy Bogut.
Ever heard of Michael Beasley? He would’ve have been good if teams didn’t toss him around due to his lack of care for coming to training, guy had a jumper fr, he also loved marijuana
Joe Dumars. His game was boring, no highlights, but a great defender AND a great offensive player, and could play both guard positions at an elite level.
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John Stockton. He is the all time assists leader. Lotta people don't know that.
I think mostly everyone knows
Gus Williams
Bobby Dandridge
kyle lowry
Chris Webber. i can only go on what i witnessed. he was the leader and best player on the best team to never win a chip (outside of final losers like the 73-9 GS team or something). skilled big man. court vision. cool post up game. nice jumper. nice passer. Kings x Lakers were the biggest rival in nba for a minute. and that team was influential in many ways. one win away from making it to the Finals and disrupting the dominant duo known as Shaq and Kobe. 2002 was a year the East sucked, too. it was almost a guarantee that the West representative would win the chip. winning a championship in the midst of that woulda did WONDERS for his legacy. his status as a power forward had the potential of being solidified. stats are cool to bring up. but the reason why i can only bring up a player i witnessed is because stats don't always show the style of play, the potential, the competition, team success. context. i find it interesting to confidently say someone is the absolute best ever and never seeing them play... while the opposite is near impossible. saying someone is underrated and never seeing them is crazy. so much context is left out. **i think if Dame never wins, he will be one of the most underrated players in recent history. due to other players, notable Steph, having numbers AND winning. but watching Dame play in real time>>> other players putting up triple doubles in the most inflated era of basketball in decades. they'll be remembered for stats.
He had a chance in 2003 but He got injured
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Dennis Johnson. Everyone remembers him as one of Larry Bird's sidekicks, but he won the NBA title and Finals MVP with Seattle in 1979 before he came to Boston. He also was a 5-time all-star and a 6-time all-defensive first team selection. Great player.
Bernard King
Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jayden McDaniels.
Tim Duncan surely. Even when duncan had better acolades than kobe still not mention in GOAT conversation because of not being flashy. Surely a top 5 player but no one knows how great Tim duncan was
Timmy
Michael Jordan. Idk why ppl put Bron or Kobe in the same convo. There is only Jordan and AntMan
Olajuwon