Michael Jordan

Best basketball player forever

He's god

Over-rated by young fans that never watched anyone play before him. The NBA helped by marketing Jordan and showing his dunks on ESPN on a daily basis. And all those Jordan sneakers. Oh my. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were past their primes, and Jordan was clearly the best during a weak decade of NBA players. One of the best ever. I put him in the top 10.

he could be the best ever

As much as I didn't care for Jordan (and 'Space Jam'), it's pretty hard to dispute he was one of the greatest scorers ever.  I would've like to have seen him pass more but when you shoot like that who needs to.  Anyway, where is Mark Eaton on this list?

Just the greatest performer ever.

This is obviuos. The best player ever, for now, and no doubt five star. The only problems Michael caused for his team was being to good and getting all of the media. He was the best player on the best team and obviuosly won.

I would have given Michael top rating except for one thing. The Washington Wizards.

He is best ever no doubt! The one man show!

He is Mister Basketball!

OMG did I just hear this correct too, samjung23 is dumb as hell. The type of players he names as a great shooters, which indeed they are, did not CREATE their own shots. REggie is NOTORIOUS for having to need picks to get free. Most great shooters need that, because you need picks when your dribble isn't good. MJ had a dribble, and moves, and CREATED his own shot. He played against some of the greatest guards ever. He made their stats and achievements diminish. Isaiah (tough and talented as they come), Mitch Richmond (prolific scorer), Gary Payton (greatest on ball defender), Joe D, etc. and furthermore. PHil came at a time when MJ was already scoring 30 a game, so individually he was already great. THE ONLY man i'll entertain coming near him is Hakeem. He is in the top ten in blocks and steals, to me that's ENOUGH said about his impact on the position and the defensive end. BILL RUSSLE can't hold his jock.

Let's look at the players Michael Jordan beat during his career in the NBA that are on the 50 Greatest list:  Bird, Magic, Malone, Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Kevin McHale, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem, Barkley, and Shaq.  That's 20% of the entire list.  The rest of the list played before MJ.  If you include all the hall of famers or future hall of famers Jordan has beat, the list grows tremendously.  Nobody is denying Pippen.  He is also on the 50 Greatest list.  But who made Pippen?  Michael.  All of Jordan's weaknesses from the first half of his career were gone for the second half.  He became a great passer, defender, and an NBA Champion.  Six (6) times.  MVP 5 times.  2 Gold Medals.  Phil Jackson is a great coach.  But it is easy to win 9 titles when you have Michael and Scottie for your first 6 and Shaq and Kobe for your other 3.  Michael left Chicago, no championships for Phil.  Shaq left LA, no championships for Phil.  The fact that there is even a debate and that Michael only has a 4.25 ... Read more

Quite possibly the most overrated player of all times! A player that only was really noticeable after Bird, Magic, Kareem, and the rest of the giants had retired. Success came to Jordan in a diluted NBA.

Not much can be added to the comments below. Easily the greatest player of all time.

Scored, played defense, rebounded, and made all those around him better. The ultimate individual talent and the greatest team player.

6 rings or 6 out of 6.....no losses in NBA Finals. The idiots who rate Wilt and Bill Russell on this site above his Airness drank too much Kool-Aid like the Democrats and the left wing nut jobs. All I can say is watch Jordan's cross dribble against Brian Russell of Utah in 1998 NBA Finals and delivers "The Shot" announced by Bob Costas...What an athlete !!! Larry Bird quipped that he was playing against God (Michael Jordan). Last of the greatest group of old school players from 80's with Magic and Bird until NBA turned into tatoo ridden, gangsta spoiled, no-talent players. Jordan and the Bulls could have won 8 straight titles if he didn't retire 94-95 from playing baseball and giving the 2 titles to Houston Rockets. Think about that you idiots who don't think he is number one on this fraudlent list. 72-10 record in 95-96- his first full season back from baseball..... "It's not how you push along the way....it's having something in you to finish...." ....Michael Jordan..... It ... Read more

One of the greatest to ever play the game! No one made it look easier, or more exciting when he left the floor and glided through the air for what looked like forever. Not only a great basketball player, but a great role model for his younger fans. No one has even come close since.

Jordan is the greatest player who ever lived. That's a cliche statement, but the truth is always cliche. I could go on and on about this guy, but I'm not in the mood to write an epic. Opinions may differ on whether or not he's the best player ever, but no one can deny he was incredibly gifted and entertaining.

Michael Jordan is a great basketball player which is why i gave him a 4, but he IS NOT the GREATEST basketball player ever. Without, Phil Jackson there wouldnt be Air Jordan as we know it today. Case in point: In 1994 when Jordan retired, the Bulls made it to the second round of the Playoffs and lost to the Knicks due to a stupid call from the ref. Their regular season record was (i think) 55-17, just two point less of their mark in 1993 when Jordan was playing with the team. The Bulls is STILL A WINNING TEAM with or without Jordan. This goes on to show that Jordan is not the BIGGEST factor in the Bull's championship run. In contrast, the Lakers after Magic, IIRC, was eliminated in the first round of the Playoffs even though they still have James Worthy to carry the team. They also LOST 12-15 games more in the regular season. Something similar also happened when Bird quit the Celtics and also when Bill Russell retired. In fact his old Celtic team, after winning 11 rings, didnt ev... Read more

Complete package offensively AND defensively. No one did it better on both ends than MJ.

He was a great player, but why is this guy untouchable? Does anyone remember when he yelled at Scottie Pippen when Scottie made the game winning shot instead of passing it to Michael? Or the time when he slapped Steve Kerr during a practice. When the Bulls played the Jazz in the finals, Jordan clearly shoved Brain Russell and made the game winning shot. The ref was right there, but Jordan got the "superstar rule." Do you know why Michael Jordan recently wrote a book and went on the show 60 Minutes, it's because for the first time, Jordan wasn't in the spotlight. He missed the attention, and I'm sick of people acting like he's a god and I'm sick of people acting like he's a choir boy. I know I might get flamed for this, but I think the best NBA player ever was Bill Russell. He was on the greatest dynasty b-ball team ever, he was even a coach, and he dominated the sports world at a time when blacks weren't welcomed.

he is gud

Michael air jordan is the greatest player of all times , in the past , now and in the future !

Note to all the players trying to be the next Jordan: give up. Be your own best player, and lose the 'tude. There can be only one Jordan. UPDATE: While samjung23's assertion that Lebron will fail is true, I disagree with his assertion that Jordan could not create his own shots. If you can cut and drive like Jordan did on many occasions, then change your shot in midair, that is on the player, not the coach. A good coach will turn a bunch of guys into a team, true enough, but innate talent like Jordan's cannot be made by the coach. Shaped a little maybe. Anyways, I believe the best of all worlds would encorporate Jordan's ability to drive the lane and get that first step, Dan Majerle's perimeter shooting and hustle up and down the court, Charles Barkley's ability to back down on people in the post and get that rebound, Danny Ainge's fearless diving after the loose ball, and consistent high percentage free throw shooting.

Easily the most dominant player of the nineties. Had incredible natural ability, and a drive to win that is very, very rare. A total package as a player, and the guy I would want taking a shot that my life depended on.

To say Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time is an understatement. He was undoubtly the greatest sportsperson of all time. His statistics may be great however the fact that he pulled so many admirers to his games both home and away is possibly the greatest statistic that proves my opinion. For many seasons (nearly all) the games he played in were sold out. The fact that demonstrating sensational skills and entertainment, is what made about his fame. Saying that many might disagree, however his success really attests to the fact the he must have trained very hard. In Australia the only time we ever got to see the NBA on free TV is when Jordan was playing, alot has changed. I could crap on forever but this will do.

Jordan was the greatest basketball player to ever grace the face of the earth. And contrary to what some people on this site say, he could pass the ball and his ability to make other players better, on top of his obvious scoring abilities, is what makes him the greatest player ever. Also did I mention his Defensive Player of the Year Award. I believe there are players nowadays that have many of the physical abilities that jordan did, such as kobe bryant, but kobe can't lead a team like jordan could. Jordan made Scotty Pippen an amazing player, without jordan he was good at best. No one is currently better then jordan, and no one has ever been as good as jordan. He is the greatest.

i dont want to explain but shooting the ball the most doesnt make you the best basketball player ever, only means you shoot the most. (ball hog)

Jordan is one heck of a player. 30.1 points per game in his carrer (33.4 in the play-offs). NBA MVP in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998. He could also play defensive. Defensive Player of the Year 1988 and 9-time All Defensive First Team 1988-93 and 1996-98.

micheal jordan is the greatest player of alltime(vince carter doesnt even come close)6 championships in 8 years

The best. Someone once said: "Tonight I've seen God playing basketball"

Naming the heirarchy of Basketball's greats is a fine art. And let's face it, most fan-addicts don't know the art. They are ruled by blind impulse, pure sentiment, or dumb computer logic. Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson unquestionably are numbered among the NBA Elite. But Michael Jordan is the Elite of the Elite. He stands above the rest not only for leading the Bulls to six championships, but for the way he led them. He is, by far, the greatest clutch player and competitor in NBA history, if not in all of professional sports. No other player has inspired and instilled a greater passion for the game of basketball, and certainly no player embodies the game better than Michael Jordan. A star of greater stature may yet emerge, but he is presently nowhere to be found.

After Jordan retired, who cares about the NBA?

Great player, BUT NOT THE BEST. Michael Jordan has 6 Championship Rings because Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. Reggie Miller is the best player ever.

Egotistical gunner.

This is the first name anybody will give you if you ask who you want to have the ball with ten seconds left.

I'm not a huge Bulls fan, but he is the best ever when the game is on the line. He thrived under pressure and has the rings to prove it.

If you needed a big shot,M.J. was your guy and if he was feeling sick,you were in big trouble, ask the Knicks.

In ALL OF RECORDED HISTORY, in the history of mankind, NOTHING is more obvious than Jordan being the best clutch player of all time. I'll never forget the time I was watching a Bulls - Magic game on tv, and the Magic had a one point lead with 14 seconds left and the Bulls had the ball. They did a wide shot of the arena in Orlando during the timeout, and Magic fans were leaving in disgust and the ball had not even been inbounded! THEY KNEW what was going to happen! They were so dejected by Jordan's greatness, they couldn't even watch. Too bad for them and their quitter spirits, Jordan missed. They were so POSITIVE Jordan was going to score, they were not even around to see their team win. When you get that reaction from an opposing crowd, you are beyond CLUTCH. You're in another universe. )))))))))))))))))))))))))) ))))))))))))))))))))UPDATE: I like you 'Planetary'. You're getting what so many hoops fans on this site don't. Wish I could private message you. Anyway, everybody check my ne... Read more

Being a Bulls fan in the 90s, it was amazing to see those sloppy defensive battles (especially in the playoffs) come down to the wire, and of course Jordan would always come up with the big shot. Game 1 97 Finals, Game 5 97 Finals (Flu game), 93 Finals (the whole series), 92 Finals (three-point shooting display), Game 5 1988 First Round, 1982 National Title Game, 98 Finals Game 6...

Even when the so called Jordan Rules were executed properly, the bastard still scored 20-25 points. And you don't win 6 rings, or achieve Greatest player of all time status, without being just a little bit clutch. UPDATE: Not sure blutar, I think the assumption is that Saunders will bring in his own people. I hope he has a Tarheel or two on his staff, ya know, for Sheeds sake.

I don't really think of MJ as a clutch shooter - mainly because he did it ALL the time. It didn't matter if it was early in the game, or late the game - if Jordan felt like scoring, he was gonna score. That being said, of course he was phenomenal down the stretch of big games. he somehow managed to turn his other worldly game up another level. It almost wasn't fair.

Jordan was great for his ability in the clutch, not for his skills in general. The problem with Iverson, Francis and a whole bunch of other young talent is that they take over FOR THE ENTIRE GAME. Jordan only did it at the end of close games. Even then, he let other players take the final shot to mix things up. It was the help of players like Rodman, Kukoc, Pippen and others that helped Jordan as a team, but moreover, his burning desire to win made him a demon who could not miss at the end of games.

The Greatest NBA Player of All-Time, and will always be.

Wow, come on people. Looking at these ratings anyone giving Jordan (the best player to ever wear sneakers) less than five stars needs to be examined. Like him or not, like the Bulls or not, this basketball player was nothing short of incredable.

To give the most famous athlete of all-time lower than a 5 is just ______.

A great player but he couldn't pass the ball

Mike will always be my goat.

Without question, he is the best ever. Nobody could will a team to victory the way Michael did.

did he no wat a pass was