When it comes to naming the best players of all time, National Basketball Association fans won鈥檛 come close to arriving at a consensus. In fact, it鈥檚 fair to expect the opposite: given the depth of talent in the league since its inception in 1946, quite a number of factors can be used to justify personal choices. In this regard, context is crucial, even necessary. And the same holds true for the lists of those closest to the ground.
Take, for example, Jeanie Buss鈥 choice of the five 鈥渕ost important鈥 Lakers in franchise annals. In the latest episode of the All The Smoke podcast, the controlling owner noted that 鈥淵ou have to start with Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], Kobe [Bryant], and LeBron [James].鈥 Following some prompting, she said, 鈥淢agic. Yes, of course. Magic might be Number One.鈥 She then closed out her tally with Phil Jackson, her former partner and head coach responsible for five titles. Controversial? Certainly. And she actually went to the trouble of having podcast hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson explain what 鈥渋mportant鈥 meant.
Needless to say, Buss鈥 candor drew sharp criticism from longtime habitu茅s of the pro scene. To argue that she walked into a no-win situation would be an understatement. There are just too many opinions from too many quarters to consider that unanimity cannot but be a pipe dream. And so the barrage of queries came, and fast. Where are Jerry West, Shaquille O鈥橬eal, Elgin Baylor, and even James Worthy? Why is James 鈥 whom she described as 鈥渢he closest thing to a superhero I鈥檝e ever met鈥 鈥 on the list?
In another podcast, Yahoo! Sports鈥 Chris Haynes got living legend Julius Erving to expound on his own choices of all-time greats. His first team: Oscar Robertson, West, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Baylor. And his second team: Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He, too, got flak, of course 鈥 this time for omitting James. If nothing else, the contrast underscored the damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don鈥檛 nature of such rolls.
Again, context matters, and for as long as the owners give their own preferences some thought, there should be no second-guessing at all. Not even with bias a given, and not when assessments can be made from countless perspectives.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since 大象传媒 introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
