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Michael Jordan is hands down the greatest NBA player of all time. This we all know. Right?
Okay, maybe it isn’t that cut and dried, but His Airness is certainly in the conversation along with players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
What you can’t argue is that those same players are certainly among the top ten NBA players of all time. Right?
Uh oh.
According to Hall of Famer Julius Erving, you actually can.
“I got five guys who are untouchable,” Dr. J recently told Joy DeAngela. “They are Bill Russell, Will Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Elgin [Baylor].
“That’s my all-time best team.
“Everybody else got to be on the second team or the third team.”
She then asked Erving to fill out his top 10 greatest NBA players of all time list.
“The next group of guys would be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, probably Karl Malone, and my last guy…
“I always argue with my other son about where Tim Duncan belongs and he’s like he belongs ahead of Karl Malone, but I’m taking Karl Malone. I’m taking Karl Malone and uh, that last position I like, even a ‘Tiny’ Archibald.”
Wait… what?
Nate “Tiny” Archibald was, no doubt, a great player. He averaged 18.8 points per game over 13 seasons with a career high 34.0 ppg in 1972-73 – a year he also averaged 11.4 assists per game. But c’mon, Doc.
“So no Steph?” DeAngela asked.
“Oh no,” Erving replied. “He hadn’t even played long enough. Gotta finish his career. Everybody I named in there, their career is finished.”
Interesting that neither Dr. J, nor DeAngela, mentioned LeBron James (who already has 20 seasons under his belt), a 4-Time NBA MVP, 4-time NBA champion, 4-time NBA Finals MVP, and 19-time All-Star.
Maybe when he retires, huh?
Also of note, back in 2021, Julius Erving had Larry Bird on his all-time top 10 NBA players, but left him off this time and replaced him with Archibald.