With a few exceptions, many of the NBA’s 50 greatest players agreed that Michael Jordan was the best of all. Most agree he changed the game of basketball forever. Here are some of their comments:
Paul Arizin
“I don’t think you can pick a single greatest. Jordan is more a forward than a guard. But how do you compare him to a center? It’s apples and oranges. It’s comparing golfers to tennis players. Is he the greatest in his category? I wouldn’t say that. A guy like Elgin Baylor got less publicity. Wilt, Russell, there are many great players. You can name the 15 greatest. He’d probably be in that category.”
Rick Barry
“I keep hearing he’s the greatest and that upsets me. It’s not fair to other players. You can’t compare a 2-guard to a center. There are five different and distinct positions. He’s the greatest 2-guard I ever saw and the most exciting player.”
Elgin Baylor
“I don’t think there will ever be another player to have the same impact as Jordan. If you look up the definition of greatness in the dictionary, it will say Jordan.”
Dave Bing
“Wilt was the most dominating, but Michael has the most talent in every aspect of the game, even defense. Russell, Wilt, Kareem dominated because of their size, but they didn’t have Michael’s skills.”
Larry Bird
“Is he the greatest?
He’s in the top two.”
Bob Cousy
“He’s by far the best since Naismith hung up the basket. He could play three, maybe four positions and maybe even center, too. He has no discernible weakness. The keys to basketball, despite the emphasis on big men, is still speed and quickness. He has them in abundance.”
Billy Cunningham
“The whole package. He’s scary sometimes with his defense. The passion he had amazes me. At a certain age, it’s more difficult to get up for a game. A big game, sure, it’s easy. But he did it for every game. It’s something within himself. If I had to play him, I’d pray a lot.”
Magic Johnson
“He’s an icon, a one-man show. He has won one more championship than I did. He’ll be rubbing it in my face for eternity.”
Sam Jones
“I don’t know if he knows how good he is. I’ve never seen anything like him. He’s only 6-6. You seldom see a person that size do those things. Oscar and West were the best, but there’s no other version of Jordan, the hang time, how high he jumps, how quick he moves.”
Jerry Lucas
“He has been probably the most important player in the history of the game as far as its success, popularity and growth. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird provided a lift when the game needed it. Michael took it to another level.”
George Mikan
“What else would you want a guy to do? When you see a guy scoring 40 points every time . . . and he plays more with his head today. He doesn’t rely on instinct anymore. He’s always in the right place.”
Bill Russell
“I cannot imagine anyone playing any better.”
Dolph Schayes
“Michael has had the greatest impact on the NBA than any player in history. He was the greatest competitor who came through when asked. He rarely had a bad game. You’d expect 10 percent of the time that he would not do well. He beat those odds.”
Bill Sharman
“I don’t believe Michael was the greatest shooter or the greatest dribbler or passer or the greatest defensive player, etc. However, I believe he could do all these things better than anyone else who ever played in the NBA.”
Nate Thurmond
“He’s the greatest that ever touched a basketball, that ever lived, any way you want to put it and without a doubt. I hope I’m alive when there will be an argument of who is another player who comes along who’s as good.”
Bill Walton
“He has no peers but Michael Jordan. He competes against himself.”
Jerry West
“He’s a marvel. He has separated himself from the rest of the good players as far as I’m concerned. He’s the modern day Babe Ruth.”
