Generational players - who are they?

[90sgoat]

Note: I didn't say general "talents", cause that specifies skill more than overall impact.

Lets talk since the beginning of the league in chronological order.

My best suggestions:

George Mikan
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Larry Bird
Magic Johnson
Michael Jordan
Charles Barkley
Shaquille O'Neal
Kobe Bryant
Lebron James
Kevin Durant
Steph Curry
Luka Doncic

That's it right?

[Mr. Jabbar]

legoat

[elementally morale]

What is the question exactly? I don't think I quite get it. Generational player to me is a player a generation is defined by. Then comes another question: how do you define generations? 10 years? 20?

So what is your question?

[Carbine]

Current Under 30 Generational Players:

Giannis
Doncic
Embiid
AD
Kawhi

That's it, I think.

[chains5000]

AI should be there

[Celtics 1825]

How does Barkley belong with all those guys? Lmao

Anyway generational players are:
Wilt
Russell
Kareem
Bird
Magic
Jordan
Shaq
Duncan
Kobe
LeBron
Durant
Curry
And probably Luka but it's still too early to know for sure (also possibly Giannis)

[90sgoat]

How does Barkley belong with all those guys? Lmao

Anyway generational players are:
Wilt
Russell
Kareem
Bird
Magic
Jordan
Shaq
Duncan
Kobe
LeBron
Durant
Curry
And probably Luka but it's still too early to know for sure (also possibly Giannis)

If you're gonna put Durant in there, you got to put Barkley in there.

I don't put Duncan in, like I don't put Hakeem in, because they don't really make the same waves as others.

Actually, I think I have been too lenient.

I'm going to pull some players OUT:

Wilt
Russel
Kareem
Bird
Magic
MJ
Shaq
Lebron
Curry
Doncic

It's not the same that I think Lebron is better than Kobe, but Kobe is just not as unique a basketball player, doesn't separate enough. For better or worse, we've never seen a small forward like Lebron. Doesn't mean he is close to top 5 though, neither is Curry, but they're unique in that they're something new and unique. Durant doesn't quite cut it either. Great shooter, tall, lanky, but nothing compared to Bird who played the same position with same skills just better at everything.

[90sgoat]

AI should be there

You can make an argument, but his career was too short, and he really only had like 5 years of dominance. He did have a big impact, but mostly off court stuff.

[90sgoat]

Current Under 30 Generational Players:

Giannis
Doncic
Embiid
AD
Kawhi

That's it, I think.

Only Doncic is generational among these players.

Giannis is a poor man's Lebron.

Embiid is not half the player of Hakeem.

AD is not half a Karl Malone.

Kawhi is not half a Jordan.

Doncic is his own thing.

[90sgoat]

What is the question exactly? I don't think I quite get it. Generational player to me is a player a generation is defined by. Then comes another question: how do you define generations? 10 years? 20?

So what is your question?

A generational player is a player that "only comes along once in a generation" and sort of defines that generation.

Bird/Magic = Boomers

MJ = Gen X

Lebron = Millenials

Curry = Gen Z

Doncic = Kids of Millenials, don't know what they're called

[chains5000]

You can make an argument, but his career was too short, and he really only had like 5 years of dominance. He did have a big impact, but mostly off court stuff.
It's no about his on court impact, I believe he belongs there due to being a player who defined a generation.

[Ghost1]

A generational player is a player that "only comes along once in a generation" and sort of defines that generation.

Bird/Magic = Boomers

MJ = Gen X

Lebron = Millenials

Curry = Gen Z

Doncic = Kids of Millenials, don't know what they're called


gay

[egokiller]

There was nothing Prime Tmac couldn't do.

[Carbine]

AD was basically 25/10 with borderline All-NBA defense from his 2nd year until his prime is over. That's generational.

Kawhi is as close to being regarded as the best perimeter defender as I can remember in my time watching the league paired with his ability to be a 30PPG playoff scorer and #1 option while winning a title..... that's unique and definitely deserving of a generational label.

Not being as good as MJ doesn't mean you're not a generational player.

[sdot_thadon]

I'd say Op is missing Oscar Robertson, and maybe slow down on Luka until he gets a bit more time under his belt.....

[FreezingTsmoove]

Generational Players imo have to be able to draw people to games and have high TV ratings, so Luka DonBoring is not a generational player.

[John8204]

Someone actually brought this up...imho we've had 5 NBA generations

1.
Chamberlain, Russell, Mikan, West, Robertson, Pettit, Havliek, Baylor, Cousey, Schayes
2.
Kareem, Moses, Erving, Maravich, Gervin, Archibald, Frazier, Hayes, Barry, Thurmond
3.
Jordan, Bird, Magic, Olajuwon, Stockton, Malone, Barkley, Thomas, Robinson, Ewing
4.
Lebron, Bryant, Duncan, Dirk, Shaq, KG, Paul, Iverson, Kidd, Wade
5.
Curry, Durant, Leonard, Giannis, Harden, Joker, Luca, Embiid, Klay, Lillard

Obviously half the current gen players aren't going to be in the top ten

[3ba11]

Someone actually brought this up...imho we've had 5 NBA generations

1.
Chamberlain, Russell, Mikan, West, Robertson, Pettit, Havliek, Baylor, Cousey, Schayes
2.
Kareem, Moses, Erving, Maravich, Gervin, Archibald, Frazier, Hayes, Barry, Thurmond
3.
Jordan, Bird, Magic, Olajuwon, Stockton, Malone, Barkley, Thomas, Robinson, Ewing
4.
Lebron, Bryant, Duncan, Dirk, Shaq, KG, Paul, Iverson, Kidd, Wade
5.
Curry, Durant, Leonard, Giannis, Harden, Joker, Luca, Embiid, Klay, Lillard

Obviously half the current gen players aren't going to be in the top ten


The best players knew how to win (organic chemistry) and could defeat maximum defensive attention on the highest level (carry the scoring load in playoffs and Finals)

If you can't do that, then you're just an empty stat-padding talent - a talented guy that can do certain things but never learned how to win and never had the right skills to overcome maximum defensive attention/pressure

[Mask the Embiid]

Note: I didn't say general "talents", cause that specifies skill more than overall impact.

Lets talk since the beginning of the league in chronological order.

My best suggestions:

George Mikan
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Larry Bird
Magic Johnson
Michael Jordan
Charles Barkley
Shaquille O'Neal
Kobe Bryant
Lebron James
Kevin Durant
Steph Curry
Luka Doncic

That's it right?

No Elgin Baylor but you put the right handed white James harden on the list…yet you didn’t put the original James harden :facepalm. if you were gonna be a jackass at least make it make sense!…

[insight]

Luka is a media creation and over hyped time will tell what he really is vs media hyped predictions. The media had to move coverage over to Ja Morant because Luka was playing poorly, and Zion was injured.
OP needs to define what he means by generational, because the term is thrown around loosely.