Taking NBA All-Time Top 80 Down to 60

Here is the list of 80 guys from which I am going to choose the 36 greatest. 


For this Blog entry, I am going to apply some "subjective analysis" based upon my own personal observations of 20 of these players (or what I personally know/have learned) and take our list to 60.




1 -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Ray Allen
Paul Arizin -- a tough deletion, but while he was considered a true great in his time, those who know the game of that era consider Mikan and Pettit and Schayes to be better players.  I am going to give Neil Johnston the slight edge on Arizin.
Charles Barkley

Rick Barry
Elgin Baylor

Dave Bing  Bing was a very good player.  I have seen numerous other guard who were substantially better than Dave Bing. 
Larry Bird
Kobe Bryant
Wilt Chamberlain

11 -- Bob Cousy
Dave Cowens  -- he was a key to a very successful team, but his stats just don't jump out as "top 36 great".  His playoff stats?  Same.  He is like Lanier or McAdoo or Parish or Horford - not top 36 player.
Billy Cunningham
Steph Curry
Mel Daniels
Bob Davies - played 7 years, 4 AS games, averaged under 15 ppg. 
Anthony Davis

Clyde Drexler

Tim Duncan
Kevin Durant


21 -- Julius Erving

Patrick Ewing
Bob Feerick - short career, only one great year and one very good year.
Walt Frazier
Joe Fulks - if you review Joe Fulks' stats, he was an inefficient volume scorer in an era in which everyone was an inefficicent player.  Sorry, Joe.
Kevin Garnett
George Gervin


Artis Gilmore.
Tom Gola
Hal Greer
31 -- Richie Guerin
Anfernee Hardaway
James Harden
John Havlicek


Connie Hawkins - Connie was "done wrong" by being kept out of the NBA, but his actual play while in the NBA was certainly not so dominant to be considered top 36
Elvin Hayes
Spencer Haywood - great for a short period of time, not for a long enough period of time.
Dwight Howard
Allen Iverson

LeBron James


41 -- Magic Johnson
Neil Johnston

Michael Jordan

Jason Kidd
Kawhi Leonard - great start to his career, just has not played enough to warrant top 36
Jerry Lucas
Ed Macauley

Karl Malone


Moses Malone
Pete Maravich - Pete was an excellent player, but his longevity and overall play are not up to top 36 standards
51 -- Bob McAdoo - a favorite of mine, but really only great for 3-4 years.
Tracy McGrady -- was not so dominant as a regular season player that you can overlook his wretched playoff record or his quitting on his team
Dick McGuire
George Mikan

Reggie Miller


Yao Ming - great player, career too short
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki

Hakeem Olajuwon
Shaquille O'Neal

61 -- Chris Paul

Gary Payton
Bob Pettit
Scottie Pippen
Willis Reed
Oscar Robertson

David Robinson
Bill Russell
Dolph Schayes
Bill Sharman - at some point not every Celtic can be a top 36 player - Sharman was left completely off ESPN's top 100; that was wrong, but I cannot see him being top 36.

71 -- John Stockton
Maurice Stokes - should have been eliminated last round.....oops. 
Isiah Thomas
David Thompson - one of my favorite players, but a drug habit and a knee injury cut off a great career prematurely
Wes Unseld - Wes was always quite overrated as a player.  It was only his MVP that saved him last round
Dwayne Wade

Bill Walton - Bill Walton played about 150 games as a great player.  One could argue that Kawhi Leonard has had a better career if he never plays another game.

Jerry West
Paul Westphal - Criminally underrated, but his great years were over by age 29 and he didn't crack 70 WS
Russell Westbrook