Best Ever NBA Players

Youngsters these days talk about the greatest ever NBA players, and list far more current players - hardly any back before Kareem and Wit. No Jerry West, John Havlicek, Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson. 

Not sure if the Basketball Reference Value over Replacement Player measurement can be trusted. Luka is already rated above Moses Malone, Chris Mullin, and Robert Parish. Lebron has 50% more value than MJ. I don't understand - is it simply a longevity thing?

I will admit that Lebron is an all time top ten player, and there are other current players who may also belong in the top 20. But just scanning the list of hall of farmers, here's my top 20 all time.

Michael Jordan

Bill Russell

Kobe Bryant

Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Larry Bird

Magic Johnson

Wilt Chamberlain

Lebron James

Tim Duncan

Oscar Robertson

Shaquille O'Neal

Jerry West

Julius Erving

Charles Barkley

John Havlicek

Hakeem Olajuwon

Steph Curry

Elgin Baylor

Rick Barry 

Karl Malone

Honorable mention: George Mikan, Bob Cousy, Bill Bradley, Kevin Garnett, Pete Maravich, Dirk Nowitzki

For all the youngsters saying Steph Curry and Barkley are on the same level as Larry Bird, it simply ain't so. That MJ went through so many years of losing - he never went out and recruited himself a team of all stars so he could win a title. Did Steph really change the game any more so than Maravich?

For those listing current players in their top 10 all time / best ever, ahead of those hall of famers that I've listed - the HOF is full of other players just as good, if not better. How soon they forget Moses, Willis Reed, Carmelo, Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Dwyane Wade, Manu Ginobili, Lou Hudson, Walt Bellamy, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Dominique.

Best ever - by sneaker sales...

850M Jordan

400M Shaq

130M Kobe

120M Lebron

080M Durant