My understanding is as follows:
'Best' is the easiest to define. If you took two players from history and put them up against each other, perhaps in a game of 1-on-1 (although that might be unfair when comparing guards with centers, for example), who would win? Using this criteria, Shaq is better than Bill Russell. For all of his defensive abilities, it's hard to imagine a 6'9" Russell stopping a 7'1" Shaq, especially since Shaq would have a 100lb weight advantage (although Russell fans will protest that he did a good job defending the similarly-sized Wilt Chamberlain). Another way to look at it is as follows: if all the players were in the same draft, who would get drafted above who? I'm taking the 7'1" 325 giant over the Celtics legend.
'Greatest' refers to who had the greater career. There's really no need for debate here: With 11 championship rings, Bill Russell had a far greater career than Shaq (who won 4 rings). Russell is the greater player of the two.
(For those keeping up, you might have already considered that LeBron James is certainly one of the very best players in NBA history, but definitely not the greatest)
Meanwhile, 'Significance' is by far the hardest to define and, therefore, the most difficult way of ranking players.
Meanwhile, 'Significance' is by far the hardest to define and, therefore, the most difficult way of ranking players.
In history teaching, Cambridge University's Christine Counsell (2004) proposed that we should use the '5Rs' to determine the historical significance of past events. I have adapted these below:
- Remarkable - It was remarked upon by people at the time
- Remembered - It was important at some stage in history
- Resulted in change - It had consequences for the future
- Resonant - People like to make analogies with it
- Representative - ...of some other aspect of historical significance.
Therefore, using Counsell's (2004) criteria, which players are the most significant in NBA history? Let's start with players who ticked some - but not all - of the five Rs criteria. There are a variety of permutations we could consider, and here are some of them:
Group 1: Remarkable, Resulted in change... but not necessarily Remembered, Resonant or Representative of any other aspect of historical significance
Joe Fulks was one of the first proponents of the jump shot (which helped change the way basketball is played) and he once scored 63 points in a game (certainly remarkable at the time). But ask your Dad (or his Dad, for that matter) if he's heard of Joe Fulks. He's not remembered by enough people to be resonant.
Same goes for Maurice Stokes. He was the first black star of the NBA and made the All-League 2nd Team in all three seasons of his short-lived career. Certainly remarkable. Meanwhile, he helped change the way the public viewed black players. But his career was cut shorty by a tragic head injury and, therefore, is not very well remembered today.
Group 2: Remarkable, Remembered, Resonant... but didn't Result in change and wasn't Representative of any other aspect of historical significance:
These are the players that we still make comparisons to today. They were remarkable for a variety of reasons and we certainly remember them with fondness. Tiny Archibald, Dennis Rodman and Reggie Miller are three such players. Fan favourites, certainly, but did they change the game? I don't think so. Plenty of other All-Star calibre players could be included in this category.
Group 3: Remarkable, Remembered, Resulted in change... but not Resonant or Representative of any other aspect of historical significance:
George Mikan fits this category. He is certainly more memorable than Fulks or Stokes (most basketball fans have heard of Big George) and he helped change the game (the lane was widened to make life more difficult for him - but he still dominated). But do fans still resonate with him? When did you last hear someone make a player comparison to George Mikan? ("You know who that Tyler Zeller reminds me of? George Mikan" - just no). Mikan was certainly important but not quite significant enough to make the NBA's Mount Rushmore.
Next up, we have Elgin Baylor. He was a remarkable talent - one of the first to play 'above the rim' - and, therefore, he changed the game as we know it. He's still remembered to this day as one of the best players ever. And yet it's rare to hear people make analogies to Elgin Baylor. Some might argue his Lakers teammate, Jerry West, was equally remarkable. He's another player who doesn't necessarily resonate with fans today (despite being the NBA's logo).
Group 4: Remarkable, Remembered, Resonant, Resulted in change... but not Representative of any other aspect of historical significance:
Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James - four of the most remarkable players of all-time who will be remembered for years to come. Shaq's size resulted in changes to foul-calls, KG and Kobe opened the door to high-school players entering the NBA, and King James pretty much slammed shut that door behind him. All three players changed the game with their unique size and skill sets. But what do they represent about any other aspects of historical significance? Maybe it is too early to say?
Same goes for Pete Maravich, Earl Monroe and Allen Iverson. These players lacked the talent of Shaq, KG and LeBron but were still remarkable for their flashy style of play (which brought about changes in the way we perceive ball-handling and passing). All three resonate with fans to this day. None represent much about the past. Same goes for Oscar Robertson.
Group 5b (just missing the cut): Remarkable, Remembered, Resonant, Resulted in change, Representative of other aspects of historical significance:
Wilt Chamberlain ticks all the boxes and was one of the hardest cuts from Mount Rushmore. He changed the game and will be remembered forever as a remarkable player, but does he represent anything from the past? Same goes for Bill Russell, who wasn't as remarkable as Wilt the Stilt, despite being the greater player. However, Russell succeeds in representing the changing racial make-up of professional sports.
Perhaps surprisingly, Yao Ming also meets all the criteria but it is difficult to predict how memorable he will be in the future (outside of China, might he be largely forgotten? Time will tell). Ming certainly represents a potential (and likely) hegemonic shift in power from the USA to China.
Dirk Nowitzki - the greatest European NBA player of all-time - is another player who meets the selection criteria, but not to the same extent as the players chosen for Mount Rushmore.
Finally, another tough omission was Larry Bird. A truly remarkable player who certainly resonates with people to this day, but did he really change the game?
It is time, ladies and gentleman, to introduce the NBA's Mount Rushmore of the most Significant Players in NBA History <drum roll, please>
Group 5a (AKA Mount Rushmore): Remarkable, Remembered, Resonant, Resulted in change, Representative of other aspects of historical significance
First up we have Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was remarkable for his combination of size and skill, remembered for his scoring records and longevity, resonant as a dominant big man, resulted in change to the NCAA anti-dunking rules and representative of a post-Martin Luther King politically-charged America.
Remarkable for his graceful assaults on the basket, remembered for his nickname, resonant as a comparison for modern day high-flyers, resulted in a change to the structure of the league (ABA/NBA merger) and representative of 1970s funk and soul, Julius 'Dr J' Erving is the second name etched into the stone of the NBA's Mount Rushmore.
Next we have one of the most charismatic players in NBA history: Magic Johnson. He was remarkable for being able to lead the fast-break better than anyone, remembered for his uncanny passing ability, resonant as an unusually tall point guard, resulted in change to the way we perceive people with HIV/AIDS and representative of the glitz, glamour and excess of 1980s Hollywood.
Finally, we have the most obvious selection to the NBA's Mount Rushmore: Michael Jordan. MJ was remarkable for his athleticism, remembered for his intensity and dominance, resonant as a measuring stick for every player that followed, resulted in change to the NBA's hand-checking rules, and represents global capitalism and the Americanisation of cultures across the world.
Who makes your NBA Mount Rushmore?
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February 2014 update:
I change my mind regularly - I'd probably go with the following:
- Firstly, we have the most obvious selection to the NBA's Mount Rushmore: Michael Jordan. MJ was remarkable for his athleticism, remembered for his intensity and dominance, resonant as a measuring stick for every player that followed, resulted in change to the NBA's hand-checking rules, and represents global capitalism and the Americanisation of cultures across the world.
- I personally think it's impossible to leave Bill Russell off the list. He is well remembered - the Finals MVP award is named after him for a reason. His team success was truly remarkable. He represented a shift in opinion about the black sportsman and was the first black coach in American sports history.
- Next up we have Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was remarkable for his combination of size and skill, remembered for his scoring records and longevity, resonant as a dominant big man, resulted in change to the NCAA anti-dunking rules and representative of a post-Martin Luther King politically-charged America.
- The final player etched into the stone of the NBA's Mount Rushmore should be Larry Bird. His all-around ability was remarkable and readily accessible for future generations thanks to endless YouTube tribute videos. He will certainly be remembered as the greatest white player of all-time, all the more astonishing given his relative lack of athleticism. He represented every rural kid in America with basketball hopes and dreams.
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February 2014 update:
I change my mind regularly - I'd probably go with the following:
- Firstly, we have the most obvious selection to the NBA's Mount Rushmore: Michael Jordan. MJ was remarkable for his athleticism, remembered for his intensity and dominance, resonant as a measuring stick for every player that followed, resulted in change to the NBA's hand-checking rules, and represents global capitalism and the Americanisation of cultures across the world.
- I personally think it's impossible to leave Bill Russell off the list. He is well remembered - the Finals MVP award is named after him for a reason. His team success was truly remarkable. He represented a shift in opinion about the black sportsman and was the first black coach in American sports history.
- Next up we have Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was remarkable for his combination of size and skill, remembered for his scoring records and longevity, resonant as a dominant big man, resulted in change to the NCAA anti-dunking rules and representative of a post-Martin Luther King politically-charged America.
- The final player etched into the stone of the NBA's Mount Rushmore should be Larry Bird. His all-around ability was remarkable and readily accessible for future generations thanks to endless YouTube tribute videos. He will certainly be remembered as the greatest white player of all-time, all the more astonishing given his relative lack of athleticism. He represented every rural kid in America with basketball hopes and dreams.
