How can we know who’s the best Basketball player? Well, we don’t. That has been asked since basketball was invented in 1891. Since people are biased, there is no real way to tell. However, there are multiple candidates for the number one spot. I am going to help you decide who your number one player is. Considering how the game has evolved, we should also consider the future of basketball.

When basketball was first invented, it was a lot different than it is today. For example, the first basketball had laces. It was more like a football, just more circular. Dribbling was also an illegal move, so the whole game was passing and shooting. James Naismith Junior, The inventor of basketball, Invented the game because his gym class was trapped inside with nothing to do. So he took two peach baskets and nailed them to the wall, 10 feet high. There were originally 9 people on the court at once, and only 13 rules! 

There are tons of candidates for the greatest of all time, but I will talk about five. Firstly, Michael Jordan, Many people believe that Michael Jordan is the best basketball player ever. I don’t think that is a fair argument because there are different positions in basketball. I would say he is the best guard of all time, because he changed the game and created a legacy that extends a lot farther than a sport. Next up is Lebron James. He is definitely one of the best to ever do it, but he is definitely not the best “player” to play. “I may go so far as saying LeBron James may be the greatest player to ever play the game. Because he is so potent offensively that not only can he score at will, but he keeps everybody involved,” - Scottie Pippen. He is, no doubt, the best player of our generation. 

Wilt Chamberlain was definitely the best center ever. He was the only person to ever score 100 points in one game. He was a defensive demi-god and a beast on offense. He could block any shot because he was so athletic. Shaq once said that wilt lifted him up with one hand like he was nothing. He could very possibly be the best player ever.

Basketball has come a long way but one question that always has been there was, Who is the GOAT of basketball? We talked about Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and Wilt Chamberlain. But overall the ranking goes (from highest to lowest): Wilt Chamberlain, Lebron James, Michael Jordan. 

Works Cited

“SLAM 500 Greatest NBA Players of All Time.” Basketball, www.basketball-reference.com/awards/slam_500_greatest.html. 

Unk, Jesse. “Top 10 NBA Players Ever.” HowTheyPlay, HowTheyPlay, 2 Jan. 2020, howtheyplay.com/team-sports/Top-10-NBA-Players-Ever

“Ranking the Top 74 NBA Players of All Time: Nos. 10-1.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 13 May 2020, www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29105801/ranking-top-74-nba-players-all-nos-10-1