My list of the greatest players of all time, based solely on their 3 season prime.
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The game of Basketball has been my passion since I was 5 years old. I grew up as a kid watching my dad's recorded VHS tapes of playoff games through the 70s and 80s, and collected all the Basketball cards. Something about the game and what it represents just hooked me from a very young age.
My love for the game only continues to grow as time goes on. I love studying and analyzing the game, with an unbiased perspective. Feel free to subscribe, follow me on social media, and celebrate this amazing game and it's rich history with me!
I post videos every week on NBA history, predictions, hypothetical scenarios and current NBA topics.
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Intro Music: Turn On - RW Smith • Turn On - RW Smith (No...
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#nba #michaeljordan #lebronjames
I wanna hear some of your list! Give me some rankings...
My Top 10 (peaks only) 1. MJ 2. Wilt 3. Kareem 4. Bird 5. Magic 6. LeBron 7. Bill 8. Kobe 9. Hakeem 10. Shaq
@@vb2388 Bird over Bron? Wasn’t alive to see Bird play so im not disagreeing, but is there a main reason why you say that?
@@vb2388 I would also put Steph in this
I think Arvydas Sabonis at hes peak was top 25 player of all time but that is my opinion
I think Jokic aftter this Year might be on this list
Fun fact: not only is KG on of the few players to lead his team in all five stat categories for a season… but KG is the only player to lead his franchise’s entire history in all five stat categories.
I feel like giannis could join him if he plays for the bucks for the rest of his career.
He played in shitty Minnesota
Not to mention, the entire history of the Minnesota Timberwolves success begins and ends with him.
@@crookedbraincrookedbrain9874 you mean Minnesota? 😂
Insane
List is great, but I thinking missing 1974-1976 Bob McAdoo is a big oversight. Dude averaged 32ppg and 14rpg, was a 3x scoring champ and MVP, and rivaled prime Kareem while playing the center position at 6’9.
Bob McAdoo is super underrated.
Bob isn’t top 20 lmfao outta here with these black and white players
@@imonthatbeno1964 Ignorant.
If the pathetic NBA included ABA stats, Dr. J would be in the top 10
@@imonthatbeno1964so take out Wilt?
After watching this video I think Bird's 3 year peak might be 1984 - 1986. During those 3 years Bird won the MVP all 3 years and made it to the Finals all 3 years and won 2 FMVP awards. His MVP awards were won by a large margin and his leadership and win over the rival Lakers in 1984 was huge. See Bird's game 5 performance in the "heat game" where Bird shot 15 of 20 for 34 points and had 17 rebounds as Boston took control of that series. Also Bird's game 7 vs the Knicks in 1984 was a huge 39 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists game where Boston finally put NY and Bernard King away. I realize Bird's stats and numbers actually went up in 87 and 88 but that was due to Boston getting older and the loss of Len Bias really hurt the team from getting some youth and young legs. Bird's numbers over these 3 years were still impressive as his per game turned out to be 26.2 points and 10.1 rebounds and 6.7 assist and 1.8 steals and .9 blocks per game while shooting a FG% of 50.36% and 3 pointers were at 39.2% and FT were at 88.9% Thanks for your videos!!
I literally just posted about this before reading this post.. Birds actual peak was 84-88 which basically holds up against anyone ever. 3 straight MVP's, made the finals 4yrs in a row, won 2 championships, 2FMVPs, on 28/11/7.. That's just ridiculous.
There is no argument that anyone could make against Jordans 91 - 93 run . Some of the most brilliant basketball ever played . It was impressive to watch .
If it didn’t end in rings Kobe from 01-10 was different..
@@dontbemad.5435 - If
@@dontbemad.5435 No even if mj lost every finals during that period due to his cast playing bad or whatever thats still the GOAT peak by miles.
@@MIZ0217 No because the only reason he WOULD lose the finals is that they are playing bad. And MJ wouldn't have said stats without them exception being points and steals. They're literally the Warriors and I see this as the equivalent as Curry > LeBron logic.
@@dontbemad.5435 which is why i mentioned if his cast was playing worse and not him specifically
If Jokic wins FMVP this year, he's definitely gotta be top 15 at least for peak. Insane levels of offensive efficiency, 2 MVPs and some would argue was screwed over this season. Easily one of the most dominant runs by a big-man
The problem with modern players is that they're playing in such a weak league, it's difficult to tell how good they really are. Between softer players and softer rules, it's almost a different game now
@@hlf_coder6272 Are you suggesting players in 60s and 70s were at a higher standard? The NBA talent pool is deeper than ever, it takes more and more for a player to be considered elite. Scouting is improved, players are watched and trained from a young age and come into the competition at standards unseen before this century. Even in Jordan's era (still the GOAT IMO), the talent pool was marginal. Don't you find it odd how many teams were winning 60 games a season during that era? A few teams were stacked while the rest were filled with ordinary players. In today's game, there are phenomenal players in nearly each and every team. Are you really suggesting the likes of Giannis and Jokic wouldn't dominant in the 90s? If Giannis can dominate in defense in an alleged weak league, wouldn't he be even stronger in a league that would enable him greater physicality in his enormous frame and strength?
@@cheezydubs2549no the 80s and 90s....people are looking for the next Jordan and Bird too much
Not a mvp but a ring and a fmvp
That’s not true. Jokic is one of the most overrated players in NBA history, he would not even be in the top 25.
Bob Pettit's best three 29.1 ppg 18.0 rpg 3.5 assists per game, brought the Hawks their only title and took them to the Finals a couple of other years. A bad man, before there were many in the NBA.
Thank you for sharing your list!! Glad to see Moses Malone and Oscar Robertson getting mentioned. I am sure there will be people that will want to make changes and that is great = let them publish their list. I think your list of peaks is very well done!
Dr J deserves an honorary mention. His best years were in the ABA and not the NBA so yes, I get it...but damn if he wasn't greatness personified on the court. I would almost go as far to bump Karl Malone off the list..
You should do a vid where you take the best 3 years regardless of chronological order. For example Curry in 2016, 2021, and 2019
Or Lebron 2009, 2013 and 2018
This is a great idea although I’m sure it would require a lot of research to find all those seasons for all those players cuz stats might not always tell the whole story
I think curry 2022 was better than 2019 or 2015 is first MVP
Curry this year is better than every other curry
Thichicken I think unanimous was better than this year
Dominique Wilkins from 1984 until 1993 was one of the best NBA players who avg 28.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and almost 3 assists. He deserves to be in the list.
He was one of my guys who barely missed the cut for me. 26-28 range on my list
@@jonnyarnett You are the man!! Merry Christmas
Thanks! Merry Christmas to you!
@@jonnyarnett Don't forget George Gervin, Alex English, ANDRIAN DANTLEY, and Bob McAdoo. From 25 - 30 in the list in my opinion.
Adrian Dantley probably in terms of peak could have been on here. Same with George Gervin.
Haha. As we got closer to #1, I wondered if you'd pull a fast one and leave Mike out of the top spot; but as he does indeed belong there, I'm not surprised how the video ended. Great work. You're a very reliable KZhead creator. One of the best.
Quality content. You’re one of the best basketball channels on KZhead!
Man I wanted Shaq to come out on top but… you’re just right. Hard to argue with MJ’s success
MJ just had the best peak in NBA history with the least negatives failings and defficiencies, even compared to other all time greats. the man is really in a league of his own.
After this season no matter what happens in the postseason Jokic SHOULD be on this list with his current 3 year run..... Im not a big Jokic fan but I SEE and I RESPECT what he's been doing in this current run he's on
I don't root for him at all but you are right
jokic would avg something like 15 8 and 5 if he was playing in 90s😃
@@ziginaigra lol
What has he done in the playoff to be on the greatest peak?
@@mixedpleasure4324 averaged 27 11 and 6 on 52/40/84 and had back to back 3-1 comebacks, he’s an elite playoff performer lol
Great list. In terms of overall stats and impact on winning, I’d say Bird’s 1984-86 three season stretch was his best. During those 3, he won 3 straight league MVPs, went to 3 straight Finals, won 2 rings, and won 2 Finals MVPs while leading the league in Box +/- 3 straight, PER twice (2nd once), Win Shares twice (2nd once), and Defensive Win Shares twice (2nd once). Bird’s Celtics beat the Magic-Kareem-Worthy Lakers (one of the greatest teams with two Top 6 All-Time players) in one Finals and beat the Hakeem-Sampson Rockets in the another. Considering the quality of playoff and Finals opponents, I’d put that Bird Prime 3 season stretch at #2 All-Time behind Jordan’s 1991-93 🥂
I literally just posted this before I saw this.. Birds actual peak was 84-88.. In which he averaged 28/11/7, went to the finals 4yrs straight, won 3 straight MVP's, 2 titles, 2Fmvp's.. His 3 straight MVP's to this very day have only been done by Russell, Wilt and Bird. His peak holds up against any peak by anyone ever.
Dirk Nowitzki is defintily in the top 25 of all time
Did he not make it?! Just started video but having Malone over Dirk is a joke when you look at what they did in the playoffs. Dirk outplayed LeBron, Wade, Kobe and Durant in the SAME PLAYOFF. The disrespect is insane.
he is not even top 6 pf. he might make top 60. the dude was below average on defense and averages 20 points and 7.5 rebounds for his career.
@@willh1655 he only averaged 20 and 7.5 because he stayed around for so long and started much younger than the other greats. Over 12 seasons of his prime he averaged 24 and 9. Effective FG of 51% and most importantly had a dominant postseason run that Malone and Barkley never had. And he finished with MVP votes in 11 consecutive years. Not many guys can say that.
Jokic definitely deserves to be here at this point, I don’t know if people are properly appreciating how good he is
I just made a similar comment about Jokic after watching this video
Why, his peak is not better than that 25 players, more players deserve being in this list more than Jokic
The greatest big passer ever and one the greatest passers ever already
@@emilioreyes4159 that doesn't make his peak a top 25 peak just yet
He’s too busy “appreciating” dudes he wasn’t even born to watch. I’m sorry I appreciate the old dudes that pioneered the league we love today but it was way too many old dudes in this peak video. Most of em didn’t belong
"If you average 30 ppg and I can reduce that to 20 ppg (and reduce your FG% by 10%) whilst I'm still getting 18 ppg, then that's dominance" ~ Bill Russell
So true
I get what he’s saying, but getting out scored by your matchup is the total opposite of dominance
Well wilt averaged like 30 and 28 against Russell (on 49% shooting, which is 5% lower than his regular average), while Russell averaged 14 and 23 on 37%, which is 7% lower than his normal efficiency. Not quite the dominance you are referring to lol despite all that, Russell’s team won 57 of 94 matchups when their teams played. The Celtics were stacked and that’s what led to their dominance lol not Russell saying this bs you are quoting
@@floorgeneral309 it is dominance if you win the actual game and I think Bill Russell knew a couple of things about winning
@@emilioreyes4159 sure, but when your team is clearly better than the rest, it’s not individual dominance, especially not over another player who consistently outplayed you
Johnny Arnett, did you consider George Mikan's three seasons from 1948-49 through 1950-51? I know it's old school, but he had three scoring titles and two championships. He likely led the league in rebounds and blocks in some of those seasons. And if MVPs were awarded, he would have had 3x MVPs and 2x final MVPs.
Who’s gonna be alive to remember that 🙄
Mikan and the Lakers were the first dynasty, winning 5 titles in 6 years.
I love it when jonny ranks players I might not always agree but I love listening to these videos❤️
Excellent points about Kobe I never considered. Also, about Wilt, Tommy Heinsohn said teams beat Wilt and the refs didn't call the fouls. He further stated Wilt was EGREGIOUSLY fouled. If you listen to the 4th quarter of Wilt's 100-point game the play-by-play guy said, "They're fouling Chamberlain and not calling it." Check Bernard King, George Gervin, Bob McAdoo, and Julius Irving's peak.
I am going to be biased right now, but you are stating factual information, that a lot of people (of all ages, but mostly 45 and under) have no idea of .. I was fortunate to be around older influences who informed me, how much Wilt was beat on, and didn't get calls, and I seen him play, but it was while he was a Laker.
Yeah Russell and Wilts time is also negatively impacted by them being black too. They faced more opposition than any current player sees. Not getting calls, missing out on awards, being overlooked for a white team mate and the blatant racism from fans and the pubic aswell. Also they didn't track all stats back then, there's alot of rumours if they did Wilt and Russell both would have been near double digit block averages and Oscar was apparently a prolific stealer which means we'd possibly have more triple double seasons and maybe even Quadruple double season with Wilt and/or Oscar.
Only one issue. This would be way more relevant if Wilt was even average from the FT line. He was historically bad. Not saying you're wrong, but it's not as impactful when Wilt missed Ft's at a historic rate.
@@Jbf-76 Making free throws and being deliberately and aggressively fouled are two (different) categories. Also, Heinsohn stated this fact in an article: "At 7’ 2” tall and weighing at least 250 pounds, Wilt may have been the strongest man in the league as a rookie. Despite his size, Wilt’s introduction to physical aggression in the NBA was far worse than what confronted Bill Russell. Wilt was grabbed, held, jostled, and manhandled worse than any player in the short history of the league. It went beyond rookie hazing: it was a deliberate attempt to stop the taller, stronger player by frustration and intimidation. Wilt was constantly double- and triple-teamed, hacked and whacked and smacked as opponents tried to knock the ball out of his hands. The tactics were all the more effective because of Wilt’s notoriously poor foul shooting. Even the referees contributed to the harassment, letting opposing players get away with often egregious fouls, but calling Wilt for the slightest infraction." samcelt.forumotion.net/t2803-wilt-meets-bill-and-tommy-4000-words
Greatest Christmas gift ever. Thank you Jonny
Jonny answers the questions I ask myself but am too neurotic to ask. Great channel. Never disappointed.
came here for the 2nd through 25th spot great stuff as always!
48% shooting in the running around era is crazy
As always great work but the criteria can be discussed: I'd take playoffs into account for peaks so i would argue Russell and Duncan could be ranked higher while Garnett McGrady and Iverson could be a bit lower. Anyway great list!
Kobe was also way to high, otherwise we could put russ in the top 10 if we ignore postseason and efficency
great list! thanks for the hard work!
great content per usual 💯
Thank you for giving Larry Bird the respect he deserves. Dude won three mvps back to back to back while playing in the same league as Jordan, Hakeem, Dr J, Magic, Kareem, Thomas, Wilkins, etc….
Jonny! I love this list and I agree with it. People act like Shaq wasn't the most feared man in the league. Opposing Teams and Fans hated knowing you had to go up against this beast.
Shaq denied some legitimate Blazers and Kings teams of their shot at a title. Nobody in the east even had a chance against Shaq and I'm a Reggie Miller fan. Shaq talks up Ric Smits but Ric looked like he was hit by a truck by the end of that series. Because he was.
I remember as a kid, watching Laker games just to see what Shaq was gonna do. He would post up and some how dunk on 3 sometimes 4 people
@@Bleatmop u do realize those series were rigged by the refs and no one can deny that lol
@@tj5180 I was actively cheering for the Blazers back then. I remember what happened. The source on it being rigged is from the ref who would later be caught and convicted of betting on the games he was reffing. I don't believe him when he says there was some conspiracy from the league to rig the game. I just believe he was trying to win money. That said, none of that takes away from Shaq's performance. The guy was an absolute beast. I have nothing but respect for his game, and this is someone who was rooting against him the entire threepeat.
@@Bleatmop it’s common knowledge it was rigged considering the calls in that series, Tim does have credibility
Your intro music and video is 🔥 and enough for me to smash the like button ❤
This is great work!!!
MJ the best ever! Set the bar so high and is the gold standard of what every basketball player should strive for! GOAT!
Lebron better
@@playboicarti5412 r u smokin dude
@@lloydramos7012are you?
@@dontbemad.5435 are you?? Thinking Basketball has Jordan as best 10 year peak. 538 has Jordan as the GOAT and said that in their player impact metric (raptor), Jordan has 7 of the top 8 seasons ever.
@@playboicarti5412 I’m sure if there was a worldwide vote amongst people who know basketball, 98% goes to mj over lebron. You reside in that 2% sir 😂
I feel like Duncan KG KD Hakeem LeBron and West should be higher. I also feel like James Harden from 2018-2020 should be on here, the guy did average like 33.7 ppg
I respect it. Suggesting additions aren't difficult, its subtractions that are tough though, so who would you take out for Harden?
@@jonnyarnett probably AI, I just feel Harden was a better scorer, playmaker, and rebounder during their peaks, and defensively they were both pretty bad, so I’d say Harden has an edge, imo even considering the eras
@@jollfamily4379 AI led his team to the finals. Harden accomplished nothing in the playoffs as the leader.
@@facelessandnameless besides that 2001 finals, ai never got past the second round once
@@facelessandnameless AI’s competition in route to the finals was mediocre. Harden had to go against the greatest team of all time and almost defeated them
Great video idea, I like the uniqueness.
Great timing for this Video
I think going forward for your all time rankings vids for whatever category you should include playoff stats to give more context of how great a player is. Positive examples are MJ, Bron and Hakeem while negative examples are David Robinson, Karl Malone, and Carmelo Anthony
Hakeem has pretty insane playoff stats
@@bigsmall2842 Yes. Man played like a top 5 player of all time in the playoffs🔥
Thanks Johnny for putting an emphasis on defense. Guys like KG, Timmy, Jerry West, and Hakeem are often overlooked on lists like this. But I believe KD should be a lot higher here since his offensive impact is way too much.
I think Russell should be higher if defense is an emphasis. He's considered by many to be the single greatest defensive player ever and I think rightly so. Even tho the lack of balance with great offensive play hurts his argument, it's just strange to see him outside of the top ten on any list that isn't purely based on offense because his defense was so debilitating that it could shut down any team in an era with inflated concentrations of talent.
@@kannon1610 russell wasn't bad as a offensive player and much context is needed. But his impact and how great he was defensively also his peak and longevity deserves to be in the top 10 list or top 5
@@tj5180 Yeah I'm very Billpilled tbh, I hope it's not too oppressive a bias but I think for having 11 rings Bill's greatness somehow manages to get underrated frequently. I see a lot of offensive statistic minded people really lay into him in hoisting Wilt over him and they certainly have *some* arguments. Personally the argument that I think has merit but is the most overused is that Bill's team was so overpowered that it reduces his argument for GOAT status. He may have played with a great supporting cast, but honestly where would that supporting cast be without him? His defensive impact was so massive that his teams were frequently winning championships at the same time as being the WORST offense in the entire league. That's only possible if the defensive play is so good that it limits opposing offenses to even less production. And while Bill's teammates were clutch and certainly responsible for shouldering a balanced load offensively, there's certainly no argument as to who the most dominant defensive player of that era and possibly all time was, let alone just on his team. People like to cite Wilt's career average in contests with Bill, which aren't super impressive for Bill, but let's talk about games 6 and 7 of the 69 finals. Bill held Wilt to 8 and 18 points in those games. 8 points from Wilt in game 6, a guy who rarely ever put up fewer than 20 or 30 got stuffed down to just 8 against Russell's chokehold. That's clutch play on the defensive end. Russell never lost in 21 winner take all tournament games. He defined clutch defensive excellence.
Jerry west was underrated and casuals disrespecting him bc of the JJ beef when West didn't start shit and west is literally a guy who appreciates players of today's game also isn't a old head compare to other guys who talk smack about players
Thank you for this I consider it your Christmas present for us
Excellent analyses. Congratulations!
2006 Kobe is the greatest player I have ever seen in their prime. Imagine if he had acquired Paul Gasol in '06. Also Kobe and Jordan are the only 2 players to average 35+ ppg and make 1st Team All Defense post merger in NBA History. Prior to the 2012-2013 season the All Defensive Team selections were voted on by NBA head coaches who were restricted from voting for players on their own team. After that season the media and journaist took over where you had people like Rachel Nichols not vote Klay Thompson in his prime for the All Defensive Team and Maria Taylor not vote for Anthony Davis for 1st Team All-Defense in 2020.
Nah bruh he needed to be on a shit team to give you an average effeciency 35ppg
Mj did it 2x
MJ in 1987 was not in the first team all-defense and in 1988, Jordan averaged 34.98 ppg being 1st team all-defense. So Kobe is the only guard to average 35+ ppg and being 1st team all defense
Kobe 'the greatest'? 🤔😂😂😂
@@legrandelysee98 You're right. But averaging 0.02 less points doesn't change anything to me. Both Kobe and Jordan had insane scoring seasons and defensive seasons altogether. The only player who did that,besides Jordan and Kobe,was Wilt. It's hard to fathom how much energy they had to spend to do that.
Glad T-Mac got some love. I saw his whole career and yet people even from my generation (I was born in 1986) still forget how unguardable he was during his prime. I mean, he single-handedly won a game against the Spurs with 13 pts in the final 35 secs of the game to win by one. No one has EVER had as good a close out to a game ever (except maybe the Reggie Miller game against the Knicks in the playoffs where he went crazy).
This is a good list and breakdown. ❤❤❤❤
Fun list, the T Mac spot surprised me no doubt. It's your barbershop/ your local Y talk forever, gotta love it!
Healthy Bill Walton in his prime should probably be on this list as well. He was the big fundamental before Duncan, and was a great two-way player. Too bad, his prime was cut short by injuries. Appreciate the content, thanks.
no he shouldn’t
Another banger as always 😮💨
lying to yourself this was horrible
@@chozen3769 you probably think curry’s the goat too huh?😂
@@chozen3769 what is wrong with it?
@@Sf75178 the fact that you have to ask lol
@@Evan-mp4ev what?
That image of Hakeem dribbling right behind David Robinson's back pretty sums up why The Dream is among The Elites among the elites in NBA history. Imagine you're guarding a player in front of you and he still managed to run in your back while dribbling the ball all while you're still looking in front "guarding him".
Can't argue with this list. Nice job.
Johnny this list is one of the best ive seen so far. The only two things I would change would be BIg O a little bit higher and mavbe Kareem a spot or two higher. Merry Christmas to you and your family, keep up the good content.
I wonder how the list would look if players weren’t limited to one appearance. MJ should have two perhaps three spots. His 87-90 seasons were easily better than Kobe and T-Mac’s peak and 96-98 still had solid numbers with another three peat. LBJ’s first go round in Cleveland would surely produce another 3 year stretch that makes the list. KD’s Warrior years? David Robinson and Hakeem’s early years were monsters also.
Yep he could have 87-89, 89-91, 91-93 and 96-98 Mj is easily the goat
Yea so could wilt😂 wilt could have 4 1 from 20-25 and 3 in the top 10
You can only have one peak
@@doni9824 A players prime is not limited to 3 seasons though. Anyone with a working brain knows this.
@@roboninja3194 prime and peak is different...
lebron peak at 7 is crazy, he couldn’t be stopped
This guy has a hate boner for lebron while embellishing players who were before Lebron.
He kinda lost me when I saw that
Know, dude was literally the best offensive and defensive player in the NBA at the time.
The funny thing is, Lebron's peak can be multiple different years during his career. Having him at 7 is blasphemous.
Yes he could , but refs wouldn’t allow it
My mans Kobe really had Chris Mihm and Smush Parker in his starting line up while playing in the west 😭
LeBron would’ve lead them to the finals😂
@@demier-cn1ul not in the west. The only reason bron got to the finals was bc of horrible comp.
@@demier-cn1ul the east was weak while Lebron was playing there the west was always stack for 20 years also kobe beat more 50 wins team then anyone in NBA history
Bill Russell’s peak deserves to be higher. One stat not mentioned is at his best was pumping out insane all time DWS stats.
His defensive win share of 16 he put out will NEVER be broken. That’s sometimes four times better than the best defender he was an animap
Shaqs first finals with the Lakers is probably the best performance in Finals History. Man averaged 38 pts 17 rebounds and 3 blks. Last 2 games he had 40 pts and 24 reb as well as 43 pts 19 reb. I don’t think we’ll ever see something like that again
Maybe statistically....but inflated due to facing 2 over the hill Centers that retired right after the 00 Finals.
I don't know man, I think MJ's 93 Finals performance beats that. He averaged 41 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.7 steals. He shot 51% for the entire series. He was everywhere. Agreed though, it's a toss up. 17 rebounds is a lot of rebounds.
Nobody would have stopped that man 😭
@@hlf_coder6272 I would agree only if Shaq wasn’t carrying on both sides of the ball that series. At least Jordan had his defensive anchors (Scottie, Horace Grant) but offensively it’s very close
Preciate ya Perspective 💯
Interesting I thought you were going to use advanced metrics to make your arguments, but this is certainly another way to do it. Great video!
This list is totally accurate and unbiased, I'm actually impressed
lebron at 7? lmao
Ngl Brons peak outside the top 5 is nuts. The man was the best 2 way force in the league who won it all twice in that 3 year run. And if we’ll be honest, he falls in the Jordan category in which you could argue he had two peaks. That 2016-18 run against the Warriors is the best playoff basketball we have seen from a player since Shaq.
Lmao he’s no where near Michael Jordan’s peak. I’m assuming you weren’t around to watch MJ?
Yeah, also his early cavs team was just as bad as Kobe's Lakers, yet he took them to the finals (albeit in a weaker Eastern Conference). It's actually crazy how hard it is to determine what Lebron's real peak is with how consistent he has been. That being said, who are you bumping out? Prime Kareem? Also the best player in the league on both ends of the court. Larry Legend? Maybe worse on defense (though he was a great defender), but he's one of the few players who is actually a better passer and scorer than Lebron. And I don't think Wilt, Shaq, or Jordan are getting bumped out. I would put him ahead of Kobe at 6 though, since if you highly value being a floor raiser, Lebron was the best floor raiser of all time.
@@cabriskus4700 nowhere near? 😂 Lebron at his peak is a better 3 pt shooter, driver/finisher, passer, playmaker, rebounder, versatile defender, shot blocker, more valuable, only thing jordan has is mid range shooting and free throw shooting but your right he’s nowhere near jordan
@@cabriskus4700 Read what he said again. Bro hears Jordan’s name once and then immediately defends him.
He is a good KZheadr but hates LeBron slightly
Pretty solid list tbh, well done. Its hard to argue against it
great list!
Olajuwon gotta be top 5
I was shocked too in every top 5 peak that I saw : MJ, Bron, Shaq, Dream and Kareem are always top 5
Bird Jordan Magic Akeem Abdul-Jabbar
I started watching full games of NBA in the 94 Playoffs. Hakeem was so good on both ends I still haven't seen anything like that guy. The Nigerian Nightmare for his opponents who can only Dream to play like him.
I personally take prime as best six or 7 year stretch, but three years is certainly also a great thought experiment
Peak is not the same as prime
I go with 5
This is the best list I have ever seen !!!
Give Pete Maravich a cast of surrounding players during the championship years of Boston or Los Angeles and you can’t keep him out of the top five. Even without such a supportive cast, Maravich belongs in the top 10.
Nope never
Nice to see some appreciation for Larry Legend which I expected from you Jonny but still I'm glad People need to remember Bird the right way
To this day I haven’t seen a more all round player like bird was from 84-86... he did everything and anything the team needed every game weather it was scoring, rebounding, passing or making a key defensive play. He did it all so unselfishly.. he made everyone around him so much better it was an honor to watch him in his prime. Jordan is great and I loved watching him but he wasn’t bird. The difference between them is imagine bird taking as many shots as Jordan did in a game and tell me he wouldn’t have averaged 32-36 points a game. In birds prime I have yet to see a better leader and all round player and I be watch basketball for 45 years. I only wish I could’ve seen wilt play. I bet he was amazing
@@louisgardner1129 Δεν τον πρόλαβα αλλά οι αριθμοί είναι οι αδιάψευστοι μάρτυρες της αλήθειας... Την δεκαετία του 80' ο Bird ήταν ο καλύτερος και πιο ολοκληρωμένος μπασκετμπολίστας 🏀
Bird should be #1.
I am a Celtics fan all my life and Bird was my favorite player of all time. 1985-1986 Celtics is one of the greatest NBA teams of all time!
Agreed, except Bird's peak was actually 84-88.. The man won 3 straight mvp's, on 28/11/7, made the finals 4yrs straight, won 2 titles, 2 finals MVP's, on insane efficiency.. His peak holds up against any peak of any player ever.
Can’t really see how KD’s peak isn’t greater than T-Mac and I love T-Mac I’m from Houston and I have his Orlando jersey. Lol
Lol. Well you're unbiased, so that's good. Honestly, I may look back on this one a year from now, and be like "yeeaah, I should have ranked KG higher".
I loved this video! Very on point! Can’t ever not put mike on top of a basketball list cmon bro! 😂😂😂
Great video, I understand the logic behind your picks and agree with a lot of your points. Hakeem is too low in my opinion, still 8th tho, so not a bad place by any means.
Wilt 66-68 won 3 mvps in a row and a ring avg 27 24 7 on 61% shooting. Bare in mind he was avg double digit blocks too!
he could have two peaks both in the top ten lmao
Kareem Hakeem and Shaq were greater
Good list, especially with your inclusion of TMAC, but I would include John Havlicek instead of AI. At his peak he was an all time great defensive player, elite rebounder and scorer, great passer, very efficient for his era, and clutch as hell.
good??? GOOD????? worst list ive ever seen in my life LMAOOOOOOO
@@chozen3769 At his place, your top would be attrocius
A top 25 of best single seasons would be interesting also!
The only slight argument for putting Shaq over MJ is competition. Shaq was dominating players like Mutumbo and Duncan, some of the greatest defenders of all time. Jordan was really a force that started to bring about the stream of great shooting guards. MJ still probably has it, but I don't think it's an unreasonable take to have Shaq at number 1, especially since in my opinion, Shaq looked like the more unstoppable force based on the eye test.
Jordan's competition was insane though. Many of the all-time greats played in his era, several of them being featured in this very video. Also, you don't just play against the same player on your position - not to mention that positions in basketball are by far not as strict as in some other sports.
Shaq was without a doubt an unstoppable force in his peak. However, I remember watching Jordan when I was younger, and not matter how much the Bulls were losing by, you were always wondering if Michael Jordan was just going to take over and win anyway. There was a level of absolute dominance with him that I never saw before. Sure it was that way with Wilt too, but I was too young to see his games.
Shaq didn't really have any competition during his peak though. His biggest rivals were an older Mutombo, a B-list center like Mourning, and maybe Yao Ming. Tim Duncan was mostly a Power Forward during that time, and most of the best centers from the 90s were retiring or on their last legs. Not saying he couldn't hang with them, even as a young player he was going toe to toe. But, Shaq just never had that comp level in his prime.
Shaq was NOT dominating Duncan. His role had to change to deferring to Kobe in those series wins in 01 and 02. If that didn't happen then the 99 and 03 meetings were what happened
@@DevonDaVinci Mutombo was a B-list center because of his offense. He was still one of the greatest rim protectors of all time, and Shaq made him look foolish.
I am glad you put Shaq at #2. The diesel at his peak could only ever be beat out by Jordan. If the 91-93 run for Jordan didn't happen then it would be Shaq at #1 for sure. Both those players at their peak completely bent the way the league played around them and were basically invincible and inevitable. That they are the only two that won the championship in all three years also speaks to just how dominate they were at their peak.
Peak shaq > Peak mj tbh
@@accountant3847 Bro did you not eat h the vid. Man broke it down clear as day and you still can't understand.
@@JT-km6th I watched the video...since both went to finals 3 times a row...i value finals stats > playoffs stats > reg season stats since those are ranked on how big the stage is and based on that, from the statlines given in the video, shaq's 3 straight finals statline > mj's 3 straight finals statline not to mention, shaq's era's pace is slower than mj's era's pace which makes those shaq's numbers more impressive So yeah, peak wise in the biggest stage, 3y stretch, shaq > mj > anyone else
@@accountant3847 I mean I can respect that opinion. I disagree, but not by much.
@@Bleatmop aight, np bro👌🏽
Fantastic list. My first thought I had when I clicked the link was "I hope Dwayne Wade made the list" 😁
I would love to see the 25 greatest peaks of all time and see which players have multiple peaks in the top 25
Good list, I feel that you were a little more offensively minded than in some of your other rankings. I agree with Steph's offensive gift, but I see him as defensively weak compared to most everyone else on the list. Also although I don't dispute Larry's spot on the list, and love how you rightly call him arguably the most efficient scorer in history, I can't see him as the best rebounding small forward. Rodman, Barkley?
Both of them were considered power forwards. Elgin Baylor is the only other SF I think competing with bird for that crown of best rebounding 3’s
@@LukasHale Not really. When Barkley brought the ball up the court at times, and was the 3rd or 4th tallest guy on his team he clearly doesn't fit into the power forward role. When Rodman was on the floor with Lambeer and Mahorn, or Lambeer or Oakley who was the power forward? Many players played 3-4 interchangeably. Particularly a player like Barkley who often played on the perimeter and who handles the ball is considered a 3.
@user-jt1fp8gq5y At a point it becomes a silly discussion, because at times Bird covered the 5, and he spent a lot of time banging in the post as well. There are many players who weren't a pure 3-4. What makes Bird a pure 3 and Barkley a pure 4? There is no question particularly in Phoenix that Barkley was more a 3 than a four, and even in Philly he was not a classic 4. Also no question that Bird sometimes played like a 4 and was big enough to do it. How many 4's grab the rebound and run the fast break? What is the strong argument to say Barkley was not a 3?
@Jonny Arnett Merry Christmas 😁😁🎅🎅🤶🧑🎄🧑🎄
Missed Patrick Ewing from 1989-1992. Very similar to Malone and Robinson with great playoff success!
61-63 wasn' wilts peak, it was 66-68 because thats when he stopped his selfish scoring habits and began passing, and his teams finally saw success because of it.
He got his ring, but all the records come from 61-63
61-63 is the peak of his powers. especially the 50ppg season.
Jokic is about to crack this list if he wins the finals this year. Definitely top 15 if he does. He's had the best statistical 3 seasons in history according to advanced stats, including wilts. League MVP 2 (maybe 3) years, and a Finals MVP.
If he had the best three statistical seasons he should be nr 1.. !! Its a individual ranking.. team results dont realy mean nothing
@Sander Konto according to BPM and PER both, he's had the best statistical 2 seasons in history and is on pace for the best 3 year stretch on both. However, winning a finals MVP is an individual accolade that absolutely counts for a lot when ranking best primes of all time.
problem is he is playing in weak era:)
@ziginaigra you are definitely at odds with most people with that opinion. Most people consider this one of, if not the strongest era. You have lebron, KD, Steph in the older era, all topb 15 players all time. Then you have giannis, jokic, embiid, and AD. And Trae, and Luka, and Booker and Tatum. And that's not counting butler and kawaii, and others.
@@ziginaigra For example durant put up similar/better numbers then Kobe before Kobes achilles injury. KD is still in putting up similar numbers. So its not changed that much. Players have gotten better.
9:51 I’ve always wondered what’s the context of this picture? When would you ever need to make this move on the basketball court? Was he grabbing a rebound or something? I’m so confused lol
Me too, if u figure it out lmk
What would interest me is to see a list of the all time 2 way players list of players who were great on both ends of the court.
Missing the Iceman George Gervin & Dr. J. Julius Erving . Not fair . Those two were great players Iceman was a scoring machine with a unique soft shooting style . Dr.J was a force on the floor . A good dunker, defender and a shooter.
If Giannis played at any other time, the 3 point game wouldn't even be a discussion.
Facts
Agreed. Shaq couldn’t shoot free throws or 3’s and people don’t hold that against him as harshly as they do Giannis.
5 guys that I feel deserved spots or mentions on this list Patrick Ewing (omitting him but having Dwight blows my mind), Gary Payton (imo the greatest defensive PG in league history), John Stockton, James Harden, and Nikola Jokic. It's a hard list to make for sure but I would think these guys are at least in the conversation.
Gary payton isn't close to being the greatest defensive Pg all time. That goes to walt Frazier
Howard was literally the most dominant centres at his time and was a great defensive big who took the magic to the finals also was a mvp candidate in 2011 etc. How is that not being worthy in the list ? Just say ur a old head
@@tj5180 I said what I said. I also showed love to new guys like Harden and Jokic. Howard is also older than me lol. Just admit you never saw Pat in his prime. It's all good.
@@GloriousKev where did I say ewing wasn't good enough to be in the list ?
Excellent list. I'm good with it.
I think the faster pace and the stamina these guys had was impressive, and it adds (not detracts) even more weight to those great stats.
that's funny because ppl love to use the pace of today's pace against players of today
Glad to see t Mac in your list..he was such a monster in the first years of 2000's MJ is...MJ And I agree with you for KB, his peak was crazy...if he could have the same supporting cast that he had in 2009-2010, it will be similar to Jordan in 1990-1993...
once you made your points, i totally agreed with the list, but, when you got to 6, i tried to guess 4-1 lol i was thinking shaq, bird, wilt, and jordan, in that order. and ill be honest, i had no idea whod be 5 cause i embarrassingly forgot all about kareem
The fact that people think anyone comes close let alone surpasses Wilts peak let’s down most hope in humanity to thrive as a prosperous species rather than go extinct. Man’s averaged 24, 24, 8, n 12 off 68 percent shooting in the season then, 22 PTS 29.1 REBS 9.0 ASTS and 9.2 BLKS off 58 % shooting in the postseason while attaining the most impressive ring with the most impressive reg season postseason and finals performances of all time against majority black league and against the goat team ever against the most hall of famers ever in 7 with only 3 by his side to help him. Man’s impacted winning on both ends combined more than anyone Goat by far and goat peak by far
I honestly don't get how Bill Russell can be disrespected that much ! He has 3 League MVPs in a row, would probably have 2 or 3 Finals MVPs to go with it and obviously has 3 titles in a row (just joking, he has 8), but he is after Elgin (just as an example) who does not have anything of that. I understand he scored way less, and yeah, he did have a great team, but come on, he also did finish his career with 5 MVPs for a reason...
Great list of nba goat..🦌
really good list
I think the top 6 for me are pretty clearly Wilt, Kareem, Bird, MJ, Shaq, and LeBron - from a statistical and accomplishment perspective I think it’s hard to beat those. I’m probably going MJ, Kareem, Shaq, Bird, LeBron, Wilt, Magic, Russell, Steph, Giannis, and Kobe. LeBron and Kobe get hit by the 3 consecutive years rule and are higher otherwise, and Wilt is impossible to rank.
Curry doesn't belong in the top 10.
@@fredthered1074 Thank you all others on the list can do more then 1 thing. Curry can shoot(the best alltime) but can't do anything else.
@@fredthered1074 Maybe? It's definitely borderline, but from an achievement standpoint, 2 MVPs are elite, and the 2015-17 Warriors had one of the most dominant runs in NBA history. He was definitely an underrated passer here too (7.0 assists), although his other stuff is more question. Steph, Giannis, Kobe, Duncan, Moses, Olajuwon, (maybe) Robertson, and now Jokic are kind of in that big tier.
Your rank on Kobe wasn't biased whatsoever
The haters are dumb af they could say anything about kobe s ranking
The thing I appreciate most about this list is that all five superstars from the 60s were included: Chamberlain, Russell, Baylor, Robertson, and West. Quite the starting lineup!
Will you do a video on the 50/40/90 club?
Harden from 18-20 averaged 33.7 points 7.9 assists and 6.2 rebounds with 2 steals. Over the same span in the playoffs averaged 29.7 points 7 assists and 6 rebounds with 2 steals and also was the only guy who ever pushed the KD warriors to atleast 6 games. He most definitely deserves to be on this list, the Harden hate needs to end
Something Jonny took into consideration in his rankings were contributions on the defensive side of the court, applying context to stats, and playoff performances too. When considering all three of those, it's understandable why Harden wouldn't be considered a top 25 peak player. Then again, perhaps it still seems wrong since TMac and AI were in this video and I don't see much reason why Harden shouldn't be right there next to them.
@@jordanjenkins1671 He also took into consideration the help all the guys had around them during their peak years and Harden had way more help than AI n McGrady and underwhelmed
@@scorpio27smooVeWay More? He only had CP3 at best ,while AI had Mutombo too. Mcgrady is understandable but Harden being not on this list is truly a disrespect imo
Who is that 😂😂😂
Oscar Robertson has to be very high on this list.