Gilmore has a better career than Patrick Ewing if you give ABA stats and honors 100% credit, but certainly not a better NBA career. Artis entered the league at age 27 after some dominant ABA years, and he certainly deserves some credit for those years. But as I have said with Dr. J., can you really give full 100% credit for ABA years? I cannot. George McGinnis was co-MVP of the ABA in 1975 (with Doc). McGinnis entered the NBA at age 25 and had like 2 good years. I just think that ABA stats and accomplishments need to be discounted somewhat. Gilmore's time in the NBA he was basically a mid-level all-star (8th to 15th best player in the league). I believe he was always grossly underrated (took him 23 years to get into the HOF), but Top 36? I just cannot pull the trigger. While it is very, very, very close for me, I leave off Artis Gilmore again.
I predict all of this hand wringing will be largely forgotten by 2024. By April 2024, Giannis, Kawhi, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook probably join the party and move out the bottom 4 guys, meaning if you are fighting for spots 37-33 now, your fighting days are probably over if and when I turn 60.
OK - Meet the new bosses, same as the old bosses. In alphabetical order, the Top 36 as of April 2021:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Charles Barkley
Rick Barry
Elgin Baylor
Larry Bird
Kobe Bryant
Wilt Chamberlain
Bob Cousy
Steph Curry
Tim Duncan
Kevin Durant
Julius Erving
Patrick Ewing
Kevin Garnett
James Harden
John Havlicek
LeBron James
Magic Johnson
Michael Jordan
George Mikan
Karl Malone
Moses Malone
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Hakeem Olajuwon
Shaquille O'Neal
Chris Paul
Gary Payton
Bob Pettit
Scottie Pippen
David Robinson
Oscar Robertson
Bill Russell
John Stockton
Dwyane Wade
Jerry West
9 Centers
7 Power Forwards
7 Small Forwards
5 Shooting guards (I put West here)
8 Point Guards
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