To the now-generation basketball fans, excuse me for being more than 30 years old. When I played hoops, or anything else for that matter, I wore Converse “Chuck Taylor” canvas sneakers. The first time I bought “basketball shoes” was circa 1969. They were Adidas. And while I thought they were cool, they were also too damn heavy. So when ranking my greatest NBA players of all-time, I actually took into consideration players pre-1980. Hell, pre-1960. After all, the list is “all-time.”

As I read today’s columns and blogs about the game’s greatest players, I’ve concluded that writers are either aiming at the younger-than-30 crowd or have little knowledge of the truly great players from yesteryear. Many in the now-generation actually include Kobe and LeBron in their top 5 list of best ever. Of course, that’s nonsense. Maybe LeBron will soon be included (once he wins a championship or two), but he’s not there yet. As for Kobe, he’s certainly a great player and could be in the top 10 by the time he retires, but forget the top 5.

I realize athleticism plays a role in comparing NBA players of today to those who wore Converse canvas sneakers but, rest assured, Russell, Wilt and The Big “O” take a back seat to no one in today’s game. Maybe the game has changed, but great basketball players endure. Larry Bird was a good athlete, but he was a great basketball player.

So, if you’re younger than 30 or living in Chicago, you might want to click off now, as I give you my top 5 greatest NBA players of all-time.

5. Larry Bird
4. Wilt Chamberlain
3. Oscar Robertson
2. Michael Jordan
1. Bill Russell

Tough to keep off the list: Kareem, Magic, Dr. J. and Jerry West.

Were has the time gone?

If you were watching NBA basketball during the JFK, LBJ, and Nixon presidential era, you must have fallen off your chair when ABC/ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy recently proclaimed Kobe Bryant the greatest Lakers’ player of all-time. Hell, he doesn’t even make my top four (yet).

What makes Van Gundy’s comment even more surprising is that he was born in 1962 and comes from a basketball family. His father, Bill, was head coach at Brockport State University, so I know he recalls the names West and Baylor – not to mention Magic and Kareem.

Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of Kobe. However, there’s no doubt he’s a great player – and, arguably, the best player in the NBA today. However, the greatest player in Lakers’ history? C’mon Jeff.

Being a Celtics’ fan since the Russell era, I’ve seen or listened to all the great Celtics-Lakers match-ups. Young NBA fans believe it was the Bird-Magic confrontations that made this rivalry what it is today, but it started long before that duo were even out of diapers. From the 1961-62 to 1968-69 seasons, they played each other in six of the eight NBA Finals. They also matched-up in 1959, when the Lakers played in Minneapolis. The Bird-Magic era was indeed exciting and helped save the NBA, but it was just a continuation of the game’s greatest rivalry.

So, after 50 years of NBA history behind me, I offer my Top 10 Lakers of all-time. However, two things to note about my list: Wilt Chamberlain only played four full seasons for the Lakers (he was hurt during the 1969-70 season. Plus, I consider Wilt more a Warrior/76er). And, I never saw George Mikan play.
1.    Jerry West
2.    Earvin “Magic” Johnson
3.    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4.    Elgin Baylor
5.    Kobe Bryant
6.    Shaquille O’Neil
7.    Gail Goodrich
8.    James Worthy
9.    Wilt Chamberlain
10.    George Mikan

There have been great rivals in pro sports, but none compares to the championship confrontations between the Celtics and Lakers.

Since the first finals in 1947, when the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Chicago Stags, there have been 61 NBA champions. The Celtics and Lakers have combined to win 30 of those titles – with the Celtics owning 16 and the Lakers 14, including 5 as the Minneapolis Lakers. It will soon be 31 championships.

As a reminder, the Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1960. Prior to their move, the Minneapolis Lakers won 5 championships in 6-years from 1949-1954. They were led by the great George Mikan. The 6′10″ Mikan was voted one of the 50-greatest NBA players of all-time in 1996. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959.

Since 1959, the Celtics-Lakers have played against each other in the finals 10-times, with the Celtics winning 8. The dominance of the Celtics began during the Russell-era when, from 1957-1969, Boston won 11 Championships in 13-years. Seven of those titles were versus the Lakers.

In the 70’s, the Celtics and Lakers played in the Finals 5-times (none versus each other). The Lakers played in 3 – winning once (’72), while the Celtics won both of their appearances (’74 and ‘76).

However, it was their dominance of the 1980’s that is best remembered by most. Those Bird-Magic years were unforgettable. During that decade, the Lakers appeared in 8 Finals – winning 4. The Celtics played 5 – winning 3. They each played in 4 finals in-a-row; the Lakers’82 –’85, and the Celtics ‘84 – ‘87. Their head-to-head battles were legendary. The Celtics won in ‘84, and the Lakers in ‘85 and ‘87. And, if not for the crazy shot LA fans will never forget – by Houston’s Ralph Sampson, they would have also played in 1986, which was won by the Celtics over the Rockets.

So here we are … Celtics versus Lakers one more time. It may not be Bird, McHale and Parish versus Magic, Kareem and Worthy… but there are plenty of stars to satisfy the NBA marketing team.

I can already hear the Celtics’ fans chanting … “BEAT LA”.

Posted by Don Gilbert

Who will win the NBA title? Vote now at www.HOFN.com.

It’s March Madness - so what better time to talk about college basketball’s greatest players? A poll by www.HOFmagazine.com provides a consensus list of the Top 10 college players of all-time from which to choose. The list consists of (alphabetically):

• Lew Alcindor, UCLA
• Larry Bird, Indiana State
• Bill Bradley, Princeton
• Wilt Chamberlain, Kansas
• Pete Maravich, LSU
• Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati
• Bill Russell, San Francisco
• David Thompson, NC State
• Bill Walton, UCLA
• Jerry West, West Virginia

Again, the poll question asks who is the greatest - not who’s your favorite. That’s an important distinction. For me, my favorite college basketball player was Bill Bradley. But my greatest Top-5 is as follows:

• 5. Oscar Robertson
• 4. Pete Maravich
• 3. Bill Russell
• 2. Lew Alcindor ( Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
• 1. Bill Walton

Choosing between Walton and Alcindor was difficult. I give the slight edge to Walton for his rebounding and more aggressive style of play. However, being a three-time Player of the Year with two National Titles, plus leading his UCLA team to an 88-game winning-streak certainly helped!

The word greatness is often used callously in the world of sports. To me, individual greatness means Ali, Robinson, Ruth, King, Owens, and a few others. The top 10 most influential people in sports history are analyzed in an excellent piece published in HOFmagazine.com. http://www.hofmag.com/content/view/642/60/1/0/

Regarding great team dynasties, the consensus top three are the 1957-1969 Celtics, 1964-1975 UCLA Bruins, and the 1947-1962 Yankees. The order is debatable.

The Boston Celtics won 11 championships and were in 12 NBA finals in 13-years. The UCLA Bruins won 10 NCAA championships and were in 11 finals in 12-years. The New York Yankees won 10 championships and were in 13 World Series in 16-years.

After those top three, a plethora of teams are considered dynasties, including other Yankee and Celtic teams, plus the Steelers, Canadians, Edmonton Oilers, Packers, Lakers, Bulls, et al.

As the NFL moves into week 15, the 13-0 Patriots already fit into that second-tier of dynasty teams with 3 Championships – and with 30-year-old Tom Brady leading the way, who knows how long this run will last. A perfect 19-0 season this year would mean championship number four and would put them atop of the NFL greatness list.

Love them or hate them, this Patriots team appears unbeatable. From this seat, only the Colts might be able to derail them and enable the Dolphins old-guard to drink from their crusty cups. To the Patriots and the football world, a 16-0 regular season followed by a loss in the playoffs would mean failure. Like the Yankees and Celtics before them, only championships are acceptable.

If the Pats do run the table, then re-sign Moss, their road to greatness will continue. And don’t forget, even though they lost their number one draft pick to Spygate, they do have the 49ers number one pick which, at the time of this writing, is the number two overall pick in the draft. The rich get richer.

Naysayers beware…with a healthy Brady at the helm another decade, the Patriots could join the elite list of Celtics, UCLA Bruins, and Yankees by the time he hangs up his cleats.

As I watched the first game of the NBA finals, it was apparent James enthusiasts were too quick to anoint him “King” and the new Jordan. He may indeed become the NBA’s greatest player, but let’s wait until he wins something. Hell, he’s only 22 years old (we think).

All this talk about being the “greatest” got me thinking about whom I would select for my all-time NBA team. As a long-time pro basketball fan who has been lucky to see most NBA greats play, this wasn’t an easy task. It was difficult leaving off some of my favorite players.

Three of my favorites who didn’t make my team were John Havlicek, Pete Maravich and Bill Bradley.

After Bill Russell’s retirement and until the arrival of Bird, Havlicek was “Mr. Celtics.” Even after becoming a starter, he’s considered by many to be the greatest 6th man in NBA history.

As a college student and basketball nut of the late ’60s, how couldn’t I be a fan of “Pistol” Pete? His entertaining performances and high-scoring acts at LSU made him one of all-time great collegiate players and later an NBA All-Star.

Then there was Bill Bradley - my favorite college player. As a Celtics fan, it was still easy to like the Knickerbockers’ star. When I was a kid and Bradley was at Princeton, instead of saying let’s go play hoops, I’d say, let’s go play some Bradley-ball. Democrats now chant, “Where have you gone, Bill Bradley?”

Despite my admiration for those great players, they still fell short of making my NBA team. Here’s my starting team and 12-man roster:

Center: Bill Russell
3-Forward: Larry Bird
4-Forward: Karl Malone
2-Guard: Michael Jordon
1-Guard: Ervin Johnson

Here’s my bench: Center: Wilt Chamberlain. Forwards: Julius Erving, Elgin Baylor and Kevin McHale. Guards: Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Bob Cousy.

King James will have to wait for now.