NBA finals game 7

[Nuvendil]

Soundwave said:

Nuvendil said:

Well I don't think the 2000s are unanimously better.  Nor the 80s myself.  But I do feel that nearly every era has it's area where it is stronger than most others when you look at it's elites list.  90s certainly has better centers than the 2000s and onwards.  But better than the 80s, 70s, or even the late 60s?  I should think not.  Kareem, Wilt, Russell are the big three of those eras and all make it on to top 10 lists regularly with ease.  Kareem and Wilt are the most common proposed alternatives to Jordan as the GOAT. 

I'll say the current era has the better sharpshooters, that's pretty much undeniable.  90s is actually a big jack of all trades era.  There's Shaq that came in to rep the centers, Jordan for the shooting guards.  But other than them not many primarily 90s players have a snowballs chance for a top 10 spot on most lists that I can think of.  But a lot of them make top 50s or 100s.  Every era is different, with officiating and chance changing the make up of the league.  Unanimously declaring one era better in every single way than all others and then using that to venerate one set of players and then downplay all others is a narrowminded and simplistic way of approaching a highly complex discussion.

I'd put a prime Hakeem or a late 90s/early 2000s Shaq against any center in any era. They'd more than hold their own IMO. 

Hakeem is the most skilled center ever with great size and agility to go with it, Shaq is the most relenetlessly powerful center ever even Wilt said he would not attack the rim the way Shaq does. 

Wilt wasn't as bulky as Shaq, no, so he couldn't muscle in on the rim as easily.  He was a better passer, shooter (he had a midrange game and could even drain fade aways from almost where the 3 point line would have been), at least as good a defender (he could shut down strong centers entirely like Kareem and Walt Bellamy), and on top of all that he was stronger (benched over 500 lbs), faster (he could outrun many if not most guards being a track and field star before coming to basketball), jumped higher (vertical was in the area of 48 inches at his prime (that is, right around Jordan)), had far FAR greater endurance (Shaq averaged less than 35 minutes in his career and 40 minutes a game at his peak; Wilt averaged 45 for his career and 48.5 (that's more minutes than a game) at his peak and Wilt played in a high-pace league and was a primary factor on both ends while being pulverized in ways that would get you ejected in Shaq's day), and was overall more agile. 

You give me a choice of any center from any era to start a dynasty, my choices will be between Wilt, Kareem, and Russel.  Russel cause he got 11 rings so he clearly knows something about winning; Kareem because of the consistency and longevity of his greatness and his unstoppable hook; and Wilt cause he was just a freak of nature with astonishing skill and ridiculous endurance. 

Shaq is a close fourth, but the more you learn about Wilt Chamberlain, the more you realize how ridiculously good he was.  Same with Russel, but no one denies him credit since he has more rings than fingers :P.