Who is the GOAT of basketball? Taking a closer look at the five greatest players ever

The GOAT in basketball and the top five greatest players ever are debates that are unlikely to be settled. Any list that has tried to come up with a quintet of the best hoopers has both been ridiculed and praised. Picking the best five out of probably a hundred great players is just a daunting and often thankless task.

LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are just some of the names often seen in any ranking of the best basketball players in history. They also played in different eras, which only makes a compilation of the top five players even more difficult to do.

Despite that, here’s a list of the top five best players of all time that’ll likely only add to the unending GOAT discussion.

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Players in the Top 5 basketball GOAT conversation

#5, Bill Russell

The late Bill Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics.

Critics of the great Bill Russell insist that he played in an era of farmers and firemen. Part of that is true, but he didn’t choose the time he played basketball. Some of the players in his time were also among the best to ever play basketball.

Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and others weren’t your usual run-of-the-mill opponents.

Most analysts consider Bill Russell to be the greatest and smartest defensive player ever. Blocks and steals weren’t tallied back then but he would have lorded over these two categories by a mile had they been counted as official stats.

Russell won 11 titles, the last two as a player-coach. It’s a record that will unlikely be matched. Other than the number of championships, there’s another statistic that has stood out for the legendary Celtic big man. He was 10-0 in Game 7s.

Chamberlain, West and Baylor couldn’t beat an aging Bill Russell in 1969. It’s for the above reasons that some put him in the GOAT debate.

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#4, Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson is a five-time champion with the LA Lakers.

An argument could be made that Steph Curry is the best point guard ever and that he should be on this spot. Magic Johnson, though, still has more championships (5) than Curry (4). The LA Lakers great has more MVPs (3-2) and Finals MVPs (3-1).

Johnson’s rivalry with Larry Bird carried the NBA in the ‘80s. The league was on the brink of collapse when the two pushed basketball into international consciousness with their heated confrontations.

“Junior” changed the game since entering the league in 1979. He could play all five positions and was an unparalleled leader. More importantly, he made basketball fun with the way he orchestrated the LA Lakers’ play, particularly on the open floor.

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#3, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a staple in GOAT talks.

Magic Johnson had five championships with the LA Lakers. He probably would have had fewer than that had it not been for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

“Cap” was a six-time MVP, a six-time NBA champ and a two-time Finals MVP. His track record of winning from high school, the college ranks and pro basketball is unheard of. He is another player whose resume deserves consideration as the GOAT.

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#2, LeBron James

LeBron James is the GOAT among many younger generations of players.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, who dethroned Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the scoring record, is the GOAT on many lists. Some could make the argument that no one has been better than LeBron James when it comes to basketball.

James’ greatness is even more pronounced now that he just finished his 20th season. Nobody has been as good as him for as long as he has been playing.

“King James” is a four-time MVP, a four-time Finals MVP and a four-time champ. He owns nearly every record in the playoffs due to his remarkable blend of longevity and mind-numbing skills.

Several of the youngest players in today’s NBA consider him the GOAT.

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#1, Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is always in the greatest basketball player of all time debates.

Michael Jordan didn’t play for as long as LeBron James. Fans could argue, though, that he accomplished so much more in a much shorter time.

Jordan won three championships, went to play baseball and then returned to add three more titles to his resume. “His Airness” was a five-time MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year winner and a six-time NBA Finals MVP.

Michael Jordan’s GOAT claim has also something to do with his 6-0 record in the NBA Finals. He never even had to play Game 7 to win each of those six championship rounds.

Before “King James” ascension, Jordan was considered by many to be the undisputed GOAT.

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