The Mistakes in ESPN’s Top 100 NBA Players List

Craig Bolerjack is back with host Sean Bingham to discuss the top players in the NBA and tell you where ESPN’s panel got it wrong. Click play below to listen while you read. Or, have a listen on iTunes here: Simply The Best Sports Podcast (find us, subscribe to us and rate us on iTunes please!)

Who saw ESPN’s Top 100 NBA Players of All Time list? Who else felt like it was full of surprises?

I’m not sure what’s more inaccurate–Oscar Robertson giving us some no-name guy as a better shooter than Stephen Curry, or this ESPN list. Yes, Steph Curry is the best shooter ever, but even to get that title, he needs more time in the league. Longevity has to count for something. Steph Curry ahead of Isiah Thomas all-time, already? Really? Who was on this panel? Steph just went to his third all-star game, Isiah went to 12, won two titles and was MVP of one of those. Isiah had 377 career double doubles. Steph currently has 96. Isiah has a 44-5 lead in playoff double doubles. Let’s let Steph do what he’s doing for a few more seasons before catapulting him into the all-time greats.

I have a hard time putting LeBron ahead of Magic too. LeBron has definitely proven he’s one of the best the game has ever seen and he has a few more prime years to improve his standing, but I can’t say if he were to retire today that he had a more impressive career than Magic. Magic did more in his 13 seasons than LeBron has done in his. More titles, more Finals appearances, more double doubles (462-307) and twice as many triple doubles (107-54). Better FG%, better FT%, more assists, more steals, more rebounds, more Finals MVPs. What else is there? Points? OK, LeBron’s career average in points is 27.2 compared to Magic’s 19.5. I’ll give up those 7.7ppg for everything else Magic did night in and night out. The debate goes on.

This topic is one I could talk about for days. Boler and I break it all down on Simply The Best Sports Podcast (find us, subscribe to us and rate us on iTunes please!)