75 Best Players in the History of the NBA: Dame?

Wilt would dominate today’s NBA.

 

They changed 10 or 12 rules because of Wilt, including the size of the key. Anyone want to guard prime Wilt with the old key?

 

What attributes does he have that are vastly superior to today's centers?

The league was shit back then with 8 teams when he entered the league. Players were smaller, and big guys were unathletic lumbering unskilled stiffs. None of that is true in the last 10-20 years. Wilt wasn't skilled shooting; 6 seasons he shot under 50% FT's.

Javalee McGee and Andre Drummond would've also dominated in that era. Now I do think Wilt is better than them... but today he would get outplayed by guys like Jokic, Anthony Davis, maybe even Gobert. Even Nurk could probably slow him down a lot, Nurk would've been a hall of fame center in that era.

 

Imo it’s the wrong question to ask “would player x beat player y if they played today?”

this leaves out impact and context-specific greatness.

Would Casablanca be considered the greatest movie ever if it came out today? Prob not. But it’s still one of the goats because of its impact and how revolutionary it was at the time.

 

Wilt would dominate all those guys. Have you seen footage of how big and mobile he was? Would he average 50 ppg? Probably not. But he'd be the best player in the league.

 

I understand the idea that he was a great but lets get real here. He would not dominate this league right now and no he would not be the best player in the league.

 

According to Hoopshype, Dame is #52 and had Bill Walton completely fall out of the top 75.

 

Kinda like a RB in football where he has 3-4 meteoric years, gets injured, and is a shell of himself the rest of his career. Terrell Davis was like this. No one better for a 3 year period, then blows out knee, and was never the same. H of F talent, but loses placing as time and new talent enter the scene. This is exactly what happened to Bill as well. For 2 years, NO ONE BETTER. Injuries made him into a nice role player, nothing more. Got a Sixth Man of the Year Award.

 

same for Bernard King. He never makes any of these all-time lists but for about 2 years (actually less), he was the best player in the NBA

 

He was amazing. Still the favorite player of all time for many Knicks fans.

 

Not sure what is worse, this opinion or that somebody LIKED it.

 

I don’t see Billy Ray Bates on there anywhere?

 

ANYTIME somebody brings up players playing in different eras, I think of this NIKE commercial. Guys trying to guard Wilt during the 60s literally look like my retired father in law. Nobody from back then is dominating anything nowadays. Nas could go back and play in the 60s and they would have his statue outside of the Hall of Fame in Massachusetts!

 

Slow down dropping all these knowledge bombs in one post. Let this kid have a chance to take cover!

 

I didn’t think they were ranking them.

 

Not Jeremy Lin?

 

again...Wilt would dominate today's NBA if there was no restricted circle, no hand check rules & impediment rules, and no 3 point shot.

just like Dame would be just another good PG if players were allowed to hand check and impede him, and there was no 3 point line

 

Wonder if JinxSpeed thinks Dame would put up the exact same numbers in 1959 as he does today? I got a little feeling deep down he might be averaging 100 A GAME!!!

 

I don't know what people mean by "dominate." Chamberlain obviously wouldn't dominate the current league the way he did in his own league. But Chamberlain (and Russell for that matter, and I used to be a real skeptic of Russell at one time) would at least be stars, if not superstars, today. Chamberlain's size and athleticism wasn't of his time, it was ahead of his time--he'd at the very least be a durable version of Joel Embiid today.

Abdul-Jabbar and Robertson (to take the best two of the 1970s) were likewise ahead of their time, which is why they put up unearthly numbers in their own time. I have no trouble at all imagining them as great players in any era.

The players who don't pass the test of time to me are the guys like Havlicek, Sharman, Cousy--they were very much of their time and I don't think players like that (as they existed back then, making no allowances for growing up today with current training and nutrition) could survive today's league.