Your NBA "Mt. Rushmore"

[jlip]

If you had to construct a Mt. Rushmore of only 4 NBA players (Like the real Mt. Rushmore), who would they be? I think that it's important to understand that a "Mt. Rushmore" is not simply your top 4 GOAT players, but the historical significance and impact of those players on the league have to be factors that are also considered when choosing them.

Mine

Definite 3
Mikan- The reason for so many of the rules we have today and also the reason "big men" are even in the game
Russell- The embodiment of team play, basically the "Jackie Robinson" of the NBA (in terms of his social impact) , the personification of every player's ultimate goal...winning
Jordan- All time greatness along with being arguably the most important reason for the modern popularity of the league globally.

4th- I'm torn between Wilt, Magic/Bird, and Dr. J

[LosBulls]

Jordan Bird Magic Shaq

It will change in the future though to include LeBron.

[KG215]

Players only?

I think Mikan has to be on there. I just do. I guess some other game changing big man would've come along at some point, but they didn't.

After that, it's hard to leave Jordan, Bird, and Magic off because they raised the popularity of the league to new heights coming out of the NBA/ABA merger, especially Bird and Magic. But it's hard to leave Russell and Wilt off, too. Russell because he's the greatest winner of all-time and Wilt because he set some insane scoring and rebounding records that won't ever be touched.

Guess my final answer would be:

Mikan
Jordan
Russell
Bird/Magic combo face

Bird and Magic just can't be separated and deserve to be on there for "saving the NBA."

[IGotACoolStory]

Jordan
Dr. J
Russell
And some combination of Bird and Magic's face, since it's impossible to separate the two in the history of the NBA.

[L.Kizzle]

Mikan - Russell - Erving - Jordan

[SourPatchKids]

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0630/pg2_mount_rushmore_576.jpg

[magictricked]

James Naismith (you got to have him up there)
Kareem with goggles
Russell
Jordan

[MisterAmazing]

Jordan Bird Magic Shaq

this

Mikan and KAJ for honorable mention

[KG215]

James Naismith (you got to have him up there)
Kareem with goggles
Russell
Jordan

That's another way to go. What about a non-player Mt. Rushmore? Obviously Naismith has to be on there, but who else? Auerbach, Phil, Stern...who else for consideration?

[jlip]

James Naismith (you got to have him up there)
Kareem with goggles
Russell
Jordan

While Naismith is obviously the single most important person in the history of basketball period, I wanted to limit this to simply the NBA.

[magictricked]

That's another way to go. What about a non-player Mt. Rushmore? Obviously Naismith has to be on there, but who else? Auerbach, Phil, Stern...who else for consideration? that's a pretty solid one right there

inventor
coach
coach/owner
and the best commish the sport has seen

[magictricked]

While Naismith is obviously the single most important person in the history of basketball period, I wanted to limit this to simply the NBA. ahh let your hair down go comando tonight.

Understood though.

Magic
Bird
Kareem
Jordan

[scandisk_]

MJ-Russ-Bird-Magic

[HardwoodLegend]

Kareem with goggles

So essential.

As is T-Mac with lazy eye.

[Ne 1]

they would have to be Lakers, of course, so...

Magic, Kobe, West, Kareem

[IGotACoolStory]

Red, Riley, Phil, and Pop for coaches.

Irish, Brown, Buss, and Davidson for owners.

I don't know for "other". Stern and Naismith are obvious.

[HardwoodLegend]

I don't know for "other". Stern and Naismith are obvious.

Stern, Naismith, Marv Albert and Dick Vitale.

[fpliii]

Naismith, Mikan, Russell, Jordan

possibly replace Russell with Wilt, but I'd go Russ

[magictricked]

I think we're gonna need a bigger mountain

[AK47DR91]

Mikan - represents the Baby stages of the NBA
Russell - represents the Development stages
Magic - represents the rise in Popularity and mainstream
Jordan - represents the Modern-era and global expansion of the league

[fpliii]

Mikan - represents the Baby stages of the NBA
Russell - represents the Development stages
Magic - represents the rise in Popularity and mainstream
Jordan - represents the Modern-era and global expansion of the league

oops, just saw that it's NBA Mt. Rushmore and not Basketball Mt. Rushmore

in that case, I agree with you 100%

[ImmortalD24]

Kobe
Jordan
Kareem
Russell

[funnystuff]

How would Kobe be up there? :lol

[Asukal]

Jordan, Russell, Magic, Bird :cheers:

[kennethgriffin]

jordan, kobe, magic, bird are the 4 most recognizable names in nba history


theyre the most polarizing, worshiped, watched players ever

theyre my rushmore...

[kennethgriffin]

How would Kobe be up there? :lol

in terms of icons

who other than jordan is bigger than kobe all time

in china hes a god. in europe hes their idol

in america hes been the biggest most popular athlete other than tiger woods over the past decade

[avonbarksdale]

kobe jordan magic bird

[ImmortalD24]

http://i49.tinypic.com/1ph21j.jpg

[funnystuff]

in terms of icons

who other than jordan is bigger than kobe all time

in china hes a god. in europe hes their idol

in america hes been the biggest most popular athlete other than tiger woods over the past decade
Umm, China and Europe are completely irrelevant to this topic.

Remove the rape allegation and Kobe is no where near as popular as you think he is.

[magictricked]

http://i49.tinypic.com/1ph21j.jpgI still think Kareem needs his goggles

[funnystuff]

Also none of the 4 presidents on Mt. Rushmore is a rapist.

[Mr. Jabbar]

Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird.


Thats all you need to know.

[kennethgriffin]

Also none of the 4 presidents on Mt. Rushmore is a rapist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHwegwXwwHs

[kennethgriffin]

Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird.


Thats all you need to know.


kareem is an afterthought in the publics eye

dude had to beg the lakers just to give him a statue

not a goat icon


goat player candidate. but not even close to being as insanely worshipped as kobe bryant has been over the past 15 years

[Horatio33]

Players: Mikan, Russell, Kareem, Jordan.

Others: Naismith, Danny Biasonne (inventor of 24 second clock. Mainstream ball wouldn't exist without him) Auerbach, Stern.

[funnystuff]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHwegwXwwHs
:cheers:

[DixieNourmous]

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0630/pg2_mount_rushmore_576.jpg

Nice~ :applause:

[KG215]

Yay...another thread where we get to read kennethgriffin tell others why it's a sham and travesty that they don't include Kobe.

[kennethgriffin]

Yay...another thread where we get to read kennethgriffin tell others why it's a sham and travesty that they don't include Kobe.

then include him and we won't have this problem

:lol


if all i did all day was create threads saying

"top 5 most all around players, no lebron! hah"
"top dunkers in the league, no lebron! hah"
"best passers in the league, no lebron! hah"
"top 5 head bands! guess what..... no lebron! DERP"


then sooner or later a guy would come along and say "wtf are people just going out of their way to troll lebron fans by making it so glaringly obvious theyre boycotting him with every chance they can get?"


i mean seriously... after jordan. whos got the biggest cult fallowing in the world of basketball all time

kobe bryant

hes the second most popular player ever

#1 in world wide jersey sales for like the past decade

bigger than Buddha in china

and some of you say he isnt one of the top 4 names of all time lol.. get outa here

this to me is as bad as saying "biggest steroid jaw in basketball..?" and someone leaving off d-wade

[Raz]

You're all wrong.

http://i.imgur.com/zUdKF.png

[KG215]

I mean seriously... after jordan. whos got the biggest cult fallowing in the world of basketball all time

kobe bryant

hes the second most popular player ever

#1 in world wide jersey sales for like the past decade

bigger than Buddha in china

and some of you say he isnt one of the top 4 names of all time lol.. get outa here

this to me is as bad as saying "biggest steroid jaw in basketball..?" and someone leaving off d-wade
Well, not everyone is heavily weighing how big of a global icon was at their time. There's other factors involved like impact on the game (like Bird and Magic coming along at the perfect time and George Mikan for obvious reasons).

[kennethgriffin]

Well, not everyone is heavily weighing how big of a global icon was at their time. There's other factors involved like impact on the game (like Bird and Magic coming along at the perfect time and George Mikan for obvious reasons).


allot of who the people on mount rushmore are has to do with how popular they are. how worshipped they are etc..





IMO its the top icons of the all decade players


#1 Jordan - 90's
#2 Kobe - 00's
#3 Magic - 80's
#4 Russell - 60's


kareem 70's and mikan 50's werent that big in the publics eye.

bird is bigger than russell in the publics eye. but magic represents the 80's. so i guess i would throw russell on there instead

[Raz]

allot of who the people on mount rushmore are has to do with how popular they are. how worshipped they are etc..





IMO its the top icons of the all decade players


#1 Jordan - 90's
#2 Kobe - 00's
#3 Magic - 80's
#4 Russell - 60's


kareem 70's and mikan 50's werent that big in the publics eye.

bird is bigger than russell in the publics eye. but magic represents the 80's. so i guess i would throw russell on there instead

Gotta take Bird over Magic for diversity reasons

[Horatio33]

If you have Magic or Bird on the mountain you have to have the other. They ate linked.

[BEAST Griffin]

kareem is an afterthought in the publics eye

dude had to beg the lakers just to give him a statue

not a goat icon


goat player candidate. but not even close to being as insanely worshipped as kobe bryant has been over the past 15 years

:applause:

What do they say about acceptance?

[WillC]

My Mount Rushmore article that was published in MVP Magazine: http://basketballjournalist.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/mount-rushmore-most-significant-players.html

http://www.wearehq.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/mvp-01.jpeg

[swi7ch]

magic
bird
jordan

[Phenith]

Naismith and Jordan are the locks, arguments can be made for the other 2 spots.