60. Kevin McHale (1981-1993) – PF – 1 time 1st team All-NBA, 3 time champion
I have had a bit of an irrational dislike for Kevin McHale ever since I saw the clip of him clotheslining Kurt Rambis in the ’85 finals (Celtics = Bag Guys; Lakers = Good Guys; just so we are clear). That, plus the fact that he only made one All-NBA team, has created a thought in my head that I can’t shake; that he is a bit overrated. On the other hand, all of his opponents from that era seem to agree that he was one of the best low post scorers they have ever seen or played against, and he was Bird’s main sidekick on those great 80’s Celtics teams, so I figure giving him the sixty spot is a reasonable compromise.
59. Hal Greer (1959-1973) – SG – 7 time 2nd team All-NBA, 1 time champion
58. Reggie Miller (1988-2005) – SG – 3 time 3rd team All-NBA
If you haven’t seen the Thirty for Thirty ESPN film Winning Time, you should check it out. I can’t get over the cajones on Reggie as he stared down Spike Lee and the entire Garden as he eviscerated the Knicks in those classic playoff battles. That alone jolts him into the top sixty.
57. Elvin Hayes (1969-1984) – PF – 3 time 1st team All-NBA, 3 time 2nd team All-NBA, 1 time champion, 1 time scoring leader, 2 time rebounding leader
56. Billy Cunningham (1966-1976) – SF – 4 time 1st team All-NBA, 1 time 2nd team All-NBA, 1 time champion
55. Ray Allen (1997-2014) – SG – 1 time 2nd team All-NBA, 3 time champion
Congrats Ray on your induction into the Hall of Fame this year? Much deserved. To the extent that I was known for anything in my high school basketball career, it was that I was a knock down three-point shooter. Because of this, I have always gravitated towards other shooters, and to me, Ray Allen had the most beautiful jump shot I have ever seen. He also starred in one of my favorite basketball movies, He Got Game, alongside one of my favorite actors, Denzel Washington. So yeah, Ray has a lot going for him. P.S. Garnett, Pierce, and Rondo need to get over the fact that Ray went onto win two titles with the Heat. Those Heat years helped cement his legacy, and the Celtics never would have won the title they got without him. So let the man live, move on, celebrate what he helped you accomplish in Boston, and invite him to the next reunion for goodness sake.
54. Clyde Drexler (1984-1998) – SG – 1 MVP Runner Up, 1 time 1st team All-NBA, 2 time 2nd team All-NBA, 1 time champion
53. Wes Unseld (1969-1981) – C – 1 MVP, 1 time 1st team All-NBA, 1 time champion, 1 finals MVP, 1 time rebounding leader
52. Paul Arizin (1951-1962) – SF – 1 MVP Runner Up, 3 time 1st team All-NBA, 1 time 2nd team All-NBA, 1 time champion (finals MVP was not awarded during his playing days), 2 time scoring leader
51. Jason Kidd (1995-2013) – PG – 5 time 1st team All-NBA, 1 time 2nd team All-NBA, 1 time champion, 5 time assist leader
50. Gary Payton (1991-2007) – PG – 2 time 1st team All-NBA, 5 time 2nd team All-NBA, 1 time champion, 1 time DPOY
49. Patrick Ewing (1986-2002) – C – 1 time 1st team All-NBA, 6 time 2nd team All-NBA
48. Nate Archibald (1971-1984) – PG – 3 time 1st team All-NBA, 2 time 2nd team All-NBA, 1 time champion
Nate “Tiny” Archibald is another one of those guys who I fell in love with from watching my old NBA VHS collection (namely NBA Showmen – The Spectacular Guards). By my estimation, he was the second-best point guard of the 70’s behind Walt Frazier. He is probably best known for being the only player to ever lead the league in both scoring and assists in the same season (1972-73), which in my opinion is just as impressive as averaging a triple double for a season. I also appreciate the fact that he was able to have a second act of his career where he went from being the go to guy for the Kings to being the floor general on the ‘81 title winning Celtics. Plus, Tiny is an indisputably great nickname, which I obviously value more than I probably should.
47. James Harden (2010-Current) – SG – 1 MVP, 2 MVP Runner Ups, 4 time 1st team All-NBA, 1 time scoring leader, 1 time assist leader
46. Russell Westbrook (2009-Current) – PG – 1 MVP, 2 time 1st team All-NBA, 5 time 2nd team All-NBA, 2 time scoring leader, 1 time assist leader
James Harden winning the MVP last season allowed him to move up quite a bit on this list, but it did not allow him to move past Russell Westbrook. Westbrook might be a gunner, and might not always trust his teammates when it matters most, but I will still take his heart and intensity over Harden’s advanced metrics and propensity to shrink when the lights are brightest any day.
45. Sam Jones (1958-1969) – SG – 3 time 2nd team All-NBA, 10 time champion
I’ll be honest, I’m probably not qualified to speak on how Sam Jones compared to other shooting guards of his day or whether he would have been a Hall of Famer without the luxury of playing alongside Bill Russell for his entire career. But the man won ten championships! Ten! That’s only one less than Russell. People always legitimize Pippen’s greatness (which I agree with by the way) by saying that Jordan never won a title without him. Well the same (except for Russell’s first title) can be said for Bill Russell never winning without Jones by his side. He also came up big in the game’s biggest moments, including hitting the game winner in game 4 of the ’69 finals to even that series, which the Celtics eventually won. As anybody who has read my past articles knows, coming through in the finals is a sure fire way of moving up on any list I create.
44. Bill Sharman (1951-1961) – SG – 4 time 1st team All-NBA, 3 time 2nd team All-NBA, 4 time champion
43. Paul Pierce (1999-2017) – SF – 1 time 2nd team All-NBA, 1 time champion, 1 finals MVP
42. Kawhi Leonard (2012-Current) – SF – 1 MVP Runner Up, 2 time 1st team All-NBA, 1 time champion, 1 finals MVP, 2 time DPOY
Kawhi Leonard is a major topic of conversation in NBA corners these days, and for good reason. His last year with the Spurs was bizarre to say the least. But he is getting a fresh start in Toronto, where if he regains his form from before his recent injury struggles, he may well be the best player in the Eastern Conference now that Lebron has moved out west. More than any other player on this list, his ranking is very much tenuous and may look quite different depending on how this next chapter plays out. I, for one, am rooting for a happy ending to this saga.
41. John Stockton (1985-2003) – PG – 2 time 1st team All-NBA, 6 time 2nd team All-NBA, 9 time assist leader, NBA all-time assist leader
Basketball and what not.
The Jello's Jiggling 