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OT: Who is your favorite NBA player of all time and say why he is.

skysdad

skysdad

Devils Illustrated Hall of Famer
Mar 3, 2006
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I'll go with Julius Irving or Dr. J. He was about 6'6" but with his fro stood about 6'11". Always classy and even tempered. I only saw him play once in person back in his ABA days. I saw him play in the Greensboro Coliseum with the Nets. They were playing the Carolina Cougars and Cougar Billy Cunningham who could jump out of the gym himself stole the ball about half court and went down to score an easy basket but Dr. J was trailing him and instead of dunking the ball Cunningham put the really ball high off the glass in a lay up attempt. Dr J. pinned the ball against the back board and got a goal tending call. The crowd went crazy because of how high both players went up. OFC
 
Magic. In my opinion the greatest to play the same. Could and did play every position. Would build a team around him over anyone.
 
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My man from French Lick, Larry Bird. I think he got more out of his athletic ability than anyone to play the game. I saw him give a clinic on how to use the bankboard. He shot it about 9 different times showing various angles to utilize the board. What a shooter, passer, and man he had an understanding of how to play the game! I haven't even mentioned his effort and heart. I love players that hate to lose, and he was one of them.
 
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Was Patrick Ewing. He was just so tough and aggressive and he learned an incredible fadeaway. The older I get though, the more I appreciate Hakeem Olajuwon. He was just so dangerous down low and what he did to Shaq in the finals was just brutal. His athleticism at that size was truly elite. Steph Curry is working his way up my list though. He just passed World B. Free. ;)
 
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I loved David Robinson growing up! Such a skilled big man that could shoot the mid range and take it down low. Use to love the match ups with Hakeem and Barkley
 
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Larry Bird he was slow, couldn't jump that high but he abused the more athletic players in the NBA for years.
 
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Grant Hill...obvious reasons. How good would he had been if not for the injuries?
 
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Goes back a long way, when the NBA was actually watchable: loved the use of the backboard: SAM JONES.
OFC
 
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Grant Hill. Never gave up. He was incredible before the injuries. Probably Lebron before Lebron came around. He could have just quit after everything that happened, but just kept on going.
 
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Among non-Dukies:
Joe Dumars- defensive-oriented, reliable, humble
Magic- amazing taken and versatility, made others better, such joy for the game
Duncan- the "Big Fundamental," has practically trolled the NBA's flashy image his whole career
 
As much as I love college basketball, I just never put too much interest in the NBA. I like to watch games now and then, but not emotionally attached to it. But I am a fan of shooters. Liked Reggie Miller, but was a bigger fan of Dennis Scott. Steph Curry is quickly becoming my favorite now. I was pretty young during the Magic / Bird era, but I'm sure otherwise I would be willing to throw them in there.
 
carlsondevil said:
Grant Hill. Never gave up. He was incredible before the injuries. Probably Lebron before Lebron came around. He could have just quit after everything that happened, but just kept on going.
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There was an article written about Hill a couple years back talking about how he was the original "LeBron".

I personally think he should be in the Hall despite injuries. There have been guys not as good as him POST injury that are in. PRE injury, he was the league's face when Jordan left.
 
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I have 3.

Larry Bird. He was a target of every opposing team because, being honest, he was a white guy. Yet he was the best player on the court most nights and was one of the best competitors I have ever seen. He talked trash, was cocky but backed it up so much. Heck he talked trash to his own teammates.

Reggie Lewis (RIP). A soft spoken assassin on the court. One of the best mid range players I have seen. He could also d you up. A likable guys with a lot of game. Being he was a Celtic, that helps my decision here as well.

Grant Hill. Combining college and pro careers. he would easily be my favorite player of all time. His all around game and his classy manner about him made him a great in my eyes. Injuries derailed what would have been an amazing career numbers wise but he still managed to hang around 20 years.

Honorable mentions, Paul Pierce, Johnny Dawkins, Sir Charles and Kevin McHale.
 
carlsondevil said:
I think that Grant will make the Hall too. I believe they take college careers into account for that.
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I think there are two different HoF. One might take all college, pro, international, and Olympic performance into account, but I am pretty sure the more prestigious one is strictly about pro career.

I could see Grant making it. He had a loooooong career for a non-post player, especially when you consider the injuries, and he performed admirably following those injuries. He had a chunk of really, really good years prior to injury, too. He might not be a first ballot HoFer, but if they think of his entire body of work instead of how much he dropped off after his injuries, he has a fair shot.
 
Dattier said:
I think there are two different HoF. One might take all college, pro, international, and Olympic performance into account, but I am pretty sure the more prestigious one is strictly about pro career.

I could see Grant making it. He had a loooooong career for a non-post player, especially when you consider the injuries, and he performed admirably following those injuries. He had a chunk of really, really good years prior to injury, too. He might not be a first ballot HoFer, but if they think of his entire body of work instead of how much he dropped off after his injuries, he has a fair shot.
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The Hall of Fame is the Naismith Hall of Fame, all around contributions to basketball. There's no actual NBA Hall of Fane. Between his pro, college and international experience, on top of being named NBA's Man of the Year on multiple occasions, there's no reason to keep him out.
 
1A Grant Hill
1B Tim Duncan

both for the same reason...they are class acts on and off the floor and i've met both and they are great guys
 
Really loved David Robinson growing up. Now really love Charles Barkley for completely different reasons.
 
Steph (Chef) Curry is becoming my favorite. And I'd like to see him turn Golden State into the new dynasty like Jordan did with the Bulls.

Before Curry, maybe I'd say Steve Nash. It's a shame he never won a championship, the Suns would always have to get through the Lakers and/or the Spurs so it was always tough.
 
Almost impossible for me to pick one since I've been an NBA fan since the late 60's. I'd probably still say Wilt Chamberlain. But, at any given point, others became favs: Bill Walton (probably my favorite player of all-time at any level - b/c of his days at UCLA), Magic, and Kareem.

Dr. J is an all-time favorite - but largely from ABA days. So, I'll list him as my favorite ABA player of all-time (when his fro was truly epic! And, his dunks were truly other-worldly). Dr. J in the ABA dunk contest was truly amazing.
 
scottie pippen....prototypical SF that could do it all...followed by my fave dukie grant hill
 
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