Top 10 NBA Players Impossible to Rank All-time
Deep down I think the rational sports fans know that ranking athletes all-time is just a guess since it is impossible to compare generations since athletes get better and better. But putting that aside, other factors such as injuries, drug use, poor team fits, intangibles, or lack of playoff success or an all-around game also make it even harder. Here is a list of NBA players I find impossible to rank and the reasons why.
- Bill Walton: injuries and more injuries A great all-around player and if was healthy his whole career he would surely have cracked the top 15 or 20 all-time.
- David Thompson: Known as “Skywalker" for his great leaping ability. After an ankle injury at age 25 he started a daily cocaine habit; 4 years later he had a career ending knee injury.
- George Mikan: was the best player in the world for 6 years but suffered 10 broken bones and retired early. Also, he played when there were almost no black players and also his height (6’10”).
- Wilt Chamberlain: his fans call him the GOAT (while others would not put him in their Top 10) for his extremely impressive stats but others say he cared too much about them and had somewhat limited playoff success for his dominant presence with only 2 championships.
- Pete Maravich: sadly he played almost his entire career before the 3 point shot (career 10-15 or .667) and was a great passer but too fancy at times. His defensive effort wasn’t always there but had elite ball handling skills and scoring ability. Knee injuries cut his career short and he played on talent challenged teams.
- Penny Hardaway: He looked like he was going to be the next "Michael Jordan” until injuries cut his career short.
- James Harden: lack of playoff performance and success and defensive effort.
- Allen Iverson: seemed unaware that he had teammates; lack of playoff success.
- Russell Westbrook: ditto
- Dominique Wilkins: ditto and defensive effort.
Honorable Mention: Not for me but for others. I have LeBron James 2nd all-time without much hesitation (although you can convince me he should be 3rd and Jabber 2nd) – but his haters would not put him in their top 10 and his biggest fans call him the GOAT. I don’t find either of those realities since he’s a phenomenal player but also I saw Jordan play.
Who did I miss? What NBA players do you find almost impossible to rank?