Tim Legler recently revealed his Top 10 NBA players of all time, and as with any list, it was met with plenty of reactions, including violent ones.
Legler began by naming Michael Jordan , LeBron James , and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as his Top three players of all time. According to Legs, these three names for him are not debatable. He went on to explain his reasoning behind this bold claim.
"MJ six for six in the finals speaks a lot to me," said Legler. "The fact that he won all of those at one franchise means a lot to me. LeBron James, obviously we've talked about him enough. Everybody knows where LeBron James ranks historically. Some people even have him number one. I think he's the only guy that's a legitimate debate with Michael Jordan for the top spot. But for me, it's MJ. And then Kareem, one guy's got six MVP, six rings, it's that guy. He also had three titles in college. Those are my Top 3, not debatable."
The rest of Legler's Top 10
Tim then proceeded with his next tier, the Top 4-6 players on his list: Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, and Bill Russell. The former Washington Wizards sharpshooter said these three names are most likely present in many Top 10 lists.
"Magic Johnson greatest floor leader of this league has ever seen, greatest point guard. Bill Russell is the ultimate winner and nobody did it at a higher level. And then Wilt Chamberlain, what he did statistically in separating from the guys that played during his era and even to this day when you look at any sort of record list, Wilt's name is going to appear on any list more than anybody else's," Legler said.
Tim then completed his list by naming Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, and Steph Curry . He went on to say that one can also make arguments for Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin Durant, but as far as he is concerned, he will stick with his Top 10.
Legler makes his case for Steph Curry
Perhaps the most surprising name on Legler's Top 10 list is Curry, as he picked him over Hakeem and KD and even ahead of Tim Duncan and Oscar Robertson. He justified Curry's inclusion by saying that it's not just the stats and accolades that make Steph a Top 10 player of all time.
"I said it, and I'm going to back it up," continued Legler. "Putting Curry in there, four rings, and I think here's what plays into it for me also. It's obviously stats, it's winning, it's personal accolades, it's all that. I think there's another element to it of 'must-see TV' and also how singularly unique you are. There's one Steph Curry historically. There's nothing been anything close to what Steph Curry does, how he plays, and the way he makes guys better without touching the ball."
Steph has been an intriguing name in these Top 10 lists after his performance in the 2024 Olympics. Ex-Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless said last month that he's not ready to put Curry on the list yet . On the other hand, former Washington Wizards All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas said he has Steph as the sixth player on his personal Top 5 list.
Related: Tim Legler explains why Wemby is a better talent than Ant: "This is uncharted territory here"
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