When I say players ahead of your time. I meant you are not born yet. Or not a knowledgeable nba fan yet when that player was in his prime.

Mine is kinda a boring answer. But It is Michael Jordan for me.

I am in Mid 20s. So I did not live thru MJ’s 90’s dominance. Since I was born in late 90s.

But watching some videos, both highlights and full game. I can say, he is really a transcendent talent.

The way he was so much better than the other guards and perimeter players in the 90s was amazing. The gap between MJ and Clyde was really big when I watch them both. Eye test wise. Most top players in 90s are big men. Except him!!!

Another player in second place for me is Shaq.

I watch some videos in 2000-2002 Lakers 3 peat. He is really dominant. I feel bad for the opposing Centers.

So, yeah I have MJ and Shaq.

Magic and Larry amazed me too.

But in terms of eye test dominance. MJ and Shaq are the players ahead of my time that I can confidently say will still be dominant today.

What about yours?

If you are a little bit older than me. You can pock players in 60s or 70s like Kareem, Wilt, or Russell.

  • rdrg66BEnglish
    1·
    6 days ago

    MJ is one of a kind. He was just phenomenal in the 90’s. I don’t think we will see another player like him. I envy fans who were able to watch him since the 80’s and see him play every game.

    So my answer will be early years of MJ and prime Larry Bird.

  • shelvinoBEnglish
    1·
    6 days ago

    I got into basketball around 06/07, when I had my phase of reading through ESPN Stats/Team Clubhouses and Wikipedias to learn the league and history… the guys that stood out to me when I went back to watch their film the most were:

    Jordan, Hakeem, and Barkley

    Hakeem footwork and skillset blew me away. It stood out to me way more than guys like Ewing/Malone or the other bigs of that era. David Robinson looked super cool too because he was built like a bodybuilder and moved so well but Hakeem looked like he was floating. Like he was doing an interpretative dance out there lol, just so smooth and he won 2 rings during that.

    Barkley was insane because of how dominant his stats were despite being a 6’6 PF. It just didn’t make sense to me and it was cool that he never gassed up his playing days on TV because he was the funniest guy on the air but he won an MVP and got to the finals as the guy. I also really liked watching Chris Webber because he had a similar playstyle.

    Jordan self-explanatory lol.

  • zackhattBEnglish
    1·
    6 days ago

    Hakeem, his footwork is some of the most gorgeous stuff to watch

  • 703ownBEnglish
    1·
    6 days ago

    Bob McAdoo might be my favorite player from the 70s, he was way ahead of his time

  • AppearanceKey8663BEnglish
    1·
    6 days ago

    Gotta be Pistol Pete. Always knew the name but seeing the footage was pretty eye opening. Dude was shooting 25 footers without a 3 point line and doing and-1 moves in the 70s.

  • ChewiyMCBEnglish
    1·
    6 days ago

    Hakeem.

    I wasn’t impressed by many NBA players back in the 80s / 90s and especially before due to the rule changes since then and overall talent the league has now with the expansion of the game on a global scale; however… Hakeem is impressive.

    Hakeem was a great defender and overall dominant player… hard to beat him imo. Only more dominant center is probably Shaq who I still think as an overall player isn’t better than Hakeem.

  • RATMpattaBEnglish
    1·
    6 days ago

    Bill Russell. I’m 100% positive people who downplay him because of relatively low scoring output have never watched a single highlight of Russell in their life.

    He was one of the most athletic players we’ve ever seen, pretty much laying the blueprint for what a top tier defender is. Even on offense his game sense was incredibly notable, one of the first real pivots.

    • whyennBEnglish
      1·
      6 days ago

      I have no idea how this got downvoted.

  • Wonderful-Photo-9938OPBEnglish
    1·
    6 days ago

    Wow.

    Larry and Wilt are getting a lot of votes from people slightly older than me

    And it is expected. They were excellent players.

    Btw, now I am seeing how old some of r/nba people are. Hehe.

  • DogslothbeaverBEnglish
    1·
    6 days ago

    Wilt Chamberlain is No. 1 for me. Jerry West also has really impressive video, especially compared to his peers. I could see him being a star in today’s game, too.

  • ParadiseDominionBEnglish
    1·
    6 days ago

    Allen iverson. I was like 4 when the sixers went to the finals but he was the only nba player I knew for years before I got into it. Now as an adult the thought of a guy who is like an inch shorter than me killing guys like that is mind blowing