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New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Basketball 100 podcast's ranking of the NBA's 100 greatest players
You followed along for three-and-a-half months as we revealed our top 75 players in NBA history. Led by veteran columnists David Aldridge and John Hollinger, and with a foreword from Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, we expanded that into a book where we wrote about those 75, and 25 more, to explore the careers of the NBA's greatest 100 players. We also took a different look at the greatest players as well with our G.O.A.T. points metric. Now, you can listen to the six-part podcast featuring The Athletic's NBA staff engage in lively discussions about the top 100 players in NBA history. Hosted by Jared Weiss and featuring Tony Jones and Mike Vorkunov, this episode focuses on Nos. 100-80 in our book. The trio talks about which players have brought the most joy, recounts the players that people may not know well, and discusses which players are too high and too low. The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process. The story of the greatest players in NBA history. From a young age, Jayson Tatum planned not just to reach the NBA, but also to become an All-Star. He mapped out everything he would need, both on and off the court, to reach that level. He trusted his chances until he actually reached the NBA. Then he realized one variable he had overlooked throughout all of his preparation for the rigors of professional basketball. 'Everybody's so much better than you think,' Tatum said. Advertisement Read the story The boy who changed basketball preferred the solitude of an empty gym: the syncopated rhythm of squeaking shoes, the swish of the net, the echo of dribbles against a hardwood floor, plenty of open court to try things — to build the perfect jumper, to invent a novel spin move, to run and dribble and sweat and, in his words, fool around and throw up a hook shot from 35 feet. For Pete Maravich, an empty gymnasium meant freedom. If you gave him a basketball, he could see the future. Read the story At 8 years old, Luka Dončić was already transcendent. His father, Saša, is a local basketball legend, twice winning the Slovenian League championship, once for Ljubljana's most prestigious club, Olimpija. In 2007, that's where Saša brought Luka for his first professional practice with the club's under-9 team. It didn't last even a half hour. That under-9 team's coach was Grega Brezovec, who laughed when he retold the story to The Athletic in 2019. 'If I'm honest, I was his coach for only 16 minutes,' he said. Read the story Allen Iverson, in the most private of areas in the Spectrum Center, couldn't help but get sentimental. A Charlotte resident, he went to check out a Hornets game against his former 76ers and ended up chilling with his GOAT. Iverson and Michael Jordan. Having a drink or two. Reminiscing about their glory days. Iverson is an icon. Still, it means something for him to be a peer of Jordan. So he was all in his feelings. 'Man, I love you, man,' he told Jordan. Read the story Walt Frazier's reverence for Willis Reed ran so deep that he copied his handwriting. Penmanship, Frazier believes, reveals much about a person: their intelligence, their mood, even their ego. When Reed wrote, Frazier mostly saw consistency — the same trait he remembers defining the player affectionately nicknamed 'The Captain.' 'If you saw a thousand signatures by Willis, they're all the same: neat,' he said. Advertisement Read the story One day in the spring of 2018, a Philadelphia 76ers assistant named Billy Lange looked at his phone and saw a text message from Joel Embiid: 'I want to pray.' It was a Sunday in April. The NBA playoffs were a week old. It was not the usual afternoon greeting from an NBA star, but then again, there was nothing usual about Joel Embiid. At that point, he was just 24 years old, a 7-foot behemoth who had feet like a ballet dancer and the droll wit of a stand-up comic. He had grown up an ocean away in Cameroon, the well-to-do son of a military colonel, and he had not played the sport of basketball until he was a teenager. When he considered his life story, he sometimes believed it to be something out of a movie, a surreal Hollywood dream. But here he was, in the middle of the NBA playoffs, wearing a clunky mask to protect a broken orbital bone near his left eye. Lange sensed he was nervous. Maybe even scared. The day before, the No. 3–seeded Sixers had defeated the Heat in Miami to take a 3–1 series lead. But Embiid had scored just 14 points. Something seemed off. Lange tapped out a reply. Did he want to pray together? Read the story Rick Weitzman, stuck in the worst type of traffic, heard a knock on his windshield. John Havlicek wanted to grab his attention. Even Boston, usually prepared for a winter storm, was caught off guard by substantial snow in the middle of November. Cars were in gridlock. The two Celtics players, stuck on the Tobin Bridge, needed to make it to Boston Garden in time for a game. The way the roads were configured in 1967, Weitzman said, the drive would have taken about five minutes under normal traffic conditions. 'The clock (to game time) was moving,' Weitzman said. 'And I wasn't.' Havlicek had an idea. He couldn't risk missing the start of a contest with the San Francisco Warriors. His wife, Beth, was in their car a handful of paces behind Weitzman, but Havlicek knew he couldn't afford to stay with her. He would find his way to the arena, which was about two miles away. 'I can't wait,' Havlicek told Weitzman. 'I'm going to run in.' Advertisement Read the story Most of history's great players have come to us with significant early hype and quick, confirmatory coronation events. A few greats have taken a more circuitous path. Perhaps none has snuck up on us quite the way Nikola Jokić did. Forget about his origins as a pudgy second-round pick whose selection was made during a Taco Bell commercial. Even after he'd won two MVPs, much of the world wasn't all that convinced he was a pantheon-level player. It wasn't until after he'd led the Nuggets to a romp to the 2023 NBA title that his overdue recognition as an all-time great began. Read the story Khris Middleton heard Giannis Antetokounmpo's screams. Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA regular-season MVP — the Milwaukee Bucks' best player and greatest hope to win their first NBA title in half a century — was writhing in pain with 7 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the third quarter of Game 4 of the 2021 Eastern Conference finals in Atlanta. 'I heard him yell,' Middleton said after the Game 4 loss to the Hawks. 'I was looking up, so I couldn't really see exactly what happened.' What happened could have changed the course of NBA history. But, because of who Antetokounmpo is, he wouldn't let it. Read the story It was one of those perfect summer evenings during a family trip from Minnesota to the northeast in 1995, 65 degrees and sunny as 6-year-old me walked into Fenway Park for the first time. The Red Sox were hosting the Toronto Blue Jays and we settled into our seats near the top of a section above the third-base dugout, ready for a momentous occasion for a sports-crazy kid who begged his parents to sprinkle some games into the history and sightseeing. As I sat down and marveled at the Green Monster in front of me, I couldn't help but pull out a Sony Walkman, put the headphones over my ears, and start listening as intently as I was watching. It wasn't the radio broadcast of the game but coverage of the 1995 NBA Draft. My hometown Minnesota Timberwolves had the fifth pick, and there were so many intriguing possibilities in a class filled with household names. Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace from North Carolina. Damon Stoudamire from Arizona. Michigan State's Shawn Respert and UCLA's Ed O'Bannon. All were players I watched on television at storied college programs who became well-known stars with tantalizing potential. There was another name out there I had never seen take one dribble, but he grabbed my attention as much as any other. In the week leading up to the draft, I pulled Sports Illustrated out of the mailbox to see a skinny high school kid on the cover with the tagline 'Ready or Not … ' Advertisement Read the story You can't blame Michael Cooper for making one of the first recorded business decisions. On January 5, 1983, Cooper — who would go on to become an eight-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection and the 1986-87 NBA Defensive Player of the Year — and his Los Angeles Lakers were in Philadelphia to meet the 76ers, whom they'd vanquished in the previous season's NBA Finals. Big game, big implications. The game, as befitting two of the league's titans, went to overtime. In the extra session, James Worthy attempted a pass to Jamaal Wilkes, the Lakers' silky small forward. But Philly's Maurice Cheeks deflected the pass, and the ball bounced away from Wilkes and to Cooper near midcourt. Except Julius Erving got to the ball first, cutting in front of Cooper. Two dribbles later, Erving was just inside the free-throw line extended. Cooper, though, was timing his steps to be able to contest a drive-by Erving. Michael Cooper, being Michael Cooper — the man Larry Bird would later say was the best defender he'd ever faced—could still get to this shot. Maybe block it. At the least, he could challenge it. Read the story It was a contradiction of the image he so meticulously cultivated. Yet it was an authentic glimpse of the driving force inside him. Psycho Steph Curry. The alter ego that has elevated him to unimaginable heights, landing him a seat at the table of basketball's all-time best. And on the hallowed parquet of Boston, under the Celtics' 17 banners, it emerged in Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals to punctuate his legend. With the Warriors up 19, Draymond Green sped up the court on a fast break. Curry was trailing the play before veering left into Green's periphery. Green bounced a pass to his left, angling it so Curry could catch it in stride. But Curry didn't scoop up the pass and keep going toward the rim. Nor did he pass the ball to an open teammate while the Celtics' defense was scattered. Curry was in psycho mode. So he pulled up right where he caught it. The official NBA box score says it was 29 feet. Inside TD Garden, it felt like 50. It was so sudden. So far. So unnecessary. Curry's momentum caused him to lean forward on the pull-up 3, giving it a shotput feel. It sliced through the anxious gasp of Celtics fans before thumping the back of the rim as it went through, putting the Warriors up 22. The net barely moved. Advertisement Read the story He's lovable. The 7-foot-1 teddy bear with the animated general selling auto insurance. He's on the cover of Frosted Flakes and is a pizza pitchman with an executive role at Papa John's. You might be able to relate to him if you treat your back pain with Icy Hot. He has gold (Gold Bond and an Olympic medal), and don't forget about the weekly back-and-forths with Charles Barkley on TNT's Inside the NBA. Shaquille O'Neal may be retired from the NBA, but he is everywhere. For a certain generation, it's hard to imagine O'Neal as one of the greatest basketball players ever. But the playful big man was a punishing athlete who didn't just dunk. 'The Diesel' dunked through opponents, leaving bodies and broken backboards in his wake. And not just backboards, as Darryl Dawkins did, but whole stanchions. He did it while having fun and while intimidating opposing big men. Read the story Four thousand, one hundred twenty-four. Of all the numbers associated with Wilt Chamberlain's eventful, incredible 63 years, that number — 4,124 — is among the most significant. That's the number of people who were, allegedly, at what was then the Hershey Sports Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on March 2, 1962, to witness the NBA game that night between Chamberlain's Philadelphia Warriors and the New York Knicks. It's more likely there were far fewer people there, given the, let's say, creative ways in which attendance for games in the still-fledgling-at-the-time NBA was often tabulated. The game was not televised. Only a grainy recording of the fourth quarter of the radio broadcast, by WCAU's Bill Campbell, was preserved. None of the Knicks beat writers made the trip; only a couple came from Philly, about 95 miles southeast of town, so meaningless an assignment it was believed to be. But Hershey was a regular stop on the NBA circuit in those days, as teams barnstormed nearby towns to drum up regional support. Two hours later, Chamberlain had set the mark that best defined his lifetime of association with prodigiousness. He became the first and only player in NBA history to score 100 points in a contest. Advertisement Read the story The morning after one of the most miserable nights of his career, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the first to arrive at the film session. He sat in the front row, center chair, right in front of the television. It was an odd seat selection, and not just because this 7-foot-2 giant was now blocking the view. It was an area usually left vacant during these tape studies, but Abdul-Jabbar was about to be a witness to his execution. Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley began scribbling points of emphasis on the board. Rebound. Stop Bird. Don't double too early. Then Riley locked eyes with Kareem. 'I'll never forget this. He didn't say it to me, but I know what he was thinking: Don't hold back on me today,' Riley said. Read the story (Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nets' historic 2025 draft class panned for Summer League showing
The post Nets' historic 2025 draft class panned for Summer League showing appeared first on ClutchPoints. NBA analyst John Hollinger did not hold back on the Brooklyn Nets' draft class' performance in the NBA Summer League. Brooklyn was active in this year's draft, selecting five players in the first round. Four of them took part in the summer games, but Hollinger said their displays left a lot of room for improvement. 'Four of the Nets' five first-round picks played in Vegas (we never saw Drake Powell), and wow, this was not good. Two of the three worst-performing first-rounders by PER were Nets imports Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf, while fellow first-rounders Danny Wolf and Egor Demin weren't much better. Given that many league observers already had questions about Brooklyn's choices and strategy on draft night, this was not a great kickoff,' Hollinger said. 'While some of these struggles can be written off as shooting variance, Traoré, in particular, looked overmatched. The guard prospect didn't have a single steal or block in his 67 minutes and only shot 7 of 23 from the field in his three games. Saraf had identical shooting numbers but at least spiked his box score with some promising defense and playmaking.' Hollinger even pointed out one aspect of the team's draft class, which was the poor fit. 'One other thing that became obvious while watching these guys try to play together was how poorly they fit with one another. All four of the first-rounders who played are guys who need the ball in their hands to be effective but aren't particularly threatening from the perimeter. That often resulted in situations where somebody like Saraf or Wolf was in the corner as an alleged floor-spacer,' he said. What lies ahead for Nets this offseason If John Hollinger can notice the flaws from the players in the Summer League, the Nets can certainly see it too. They progress through the offseason with plenty of questions to answer as they navigate through their rebuild. They haven't returned to the playoffs since 2023, still figuring out the core of players to build around. While they have Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr. as their key talents, Brooklyn is still in the early stages of building a solid squad as next season will be tough for them. A lot of challenges will come their way, and it will be up to them on how they approach it. Related: Cam Johnson hilariously reveals how he learned about Nets trade Related: Nets coach reveals team's feelings on Cam Thomas amid slow contract negotiation
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lakers could move on from LeBron James, Luka Dončić pairing with slow start
The Los Angeles Lakers shocked the basketball world ahead of the trade deadline as they acquired Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. The move immediately changed the franchise's timeline as the young star turned 26 just a few weeks later. While building around LeBron James has been the focus of his franchise's decision making process for each of his first 22 seasons, that will not be the case in 2025-26. Instead, the Lakers will prioritize building a long-term contender around Dončić. That has been evident in their first offseason with the five-time first-team All-NBA guard on the roster. Los Angeles has only given out two-year deals in an effort to maintain cap flexibility and keep their books open for the stacked 2027 class -- where they are hoping to find a long-term co-star for Dončić. Although James picked up his $52.6 million player option to return to the Lakers, John Hollinger of The Athletic suggested that the four-time MVP could be moved if the team struggles to start the season. "This situation bears watching from both sides, particularly if L.A. starts the regular season slowly," The Athletic's John Hollinger wrote Monday. "The Lakers set themselves up to have max cap room next summer once James' salary comes off their books, taking advantage of an artificially low cap hold for Austin Reaves. If that's their angle, wouldn't it make sense to cash in their James stock if they aren't challenging at the top of the West?" Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp "Meanwhile, James has some power to choose his next destination via a no-trade clause, but free agency isn't what it used to be," Hollinger continued. "The best realistic way for him to get paid next summer by his team of choice is to land at his preferred destination via trade, and then have intact Bird rights in the summer of 2026." If the Lakers are indeed set on maintaining cap flexibility for 2027, it will be difficult to find a trade partner that could match James' salary with contracts that will expire within the next two years -- all while keeping Los Angeles competitive around Dončić and providing James with an opportunity to contend for his fifth title. Furthermore, the luxury tax apron will add another challenge to a potential deal. In all likelihood, James will play out his contract with the Lakers due to the complications of a trade. In fact, there have been some reports that he could re-sign and return to the franchise when his contract expires following the 2025-26 season. The situation remains one to monitor, however, Los Angeles is hoping that their offseason moves will be enough to contend in a stacked Western Conference while keeping an eye towards the future. The Lakers have added Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart on two-year deals and appear to be active in looking for more upgrades via the trade market. More NBA:
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NBA Insider Explains Luka Doncic's Roadmap To $406 Million Contract Extension In His Lakers Future
NBA Insider Explains Luka Doncic's Roadmap To $406 Million Contract Extension In His Lakers Future originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Luka Doncic's contract extension is now widely considered the biggest decision due for the Lakers this summer. On August 2nd, Doncic will become eligible to sign a five-year $228 million extension with the Lakers. There have been several questions around how the Lakers plan to let this play out, considering they need the financial flexibility. Advertisement NBA Insider John Hollinger believes that if the Lakers' star takes a short-term extension at first and waives the player option he has on his contract next season, then in 2028, he will become eligible for a $406 million extension. "Contractually, Doncic is a rarity: a superstar who was traded before his second contract ended. That makes him ineligible for the supermax deal that most players of his ilk can sign at the end of their second contract. Thus, the massive deals for Jayson Tatum and Gilgeous-Alexander the last two summers aren't there for Dončić … yet." "However, if he were to void his player option in 2026 and sign a three-year, $161 million extension with the Lakers with a 2028-29 player option, he would be a 10-year vet in the summer of 2028. At that point, he could sign a monstrous five-year deal worth up to approximately $406 million to remain in L.A.," explains Hollinger. Hollinger is not the first to suggest that Doncic take a pay cut in terms of taking a short-term contract instead of a long-term commitment that is worth a lot more than these short-term contracts. Right after the Playoffs ended, ESPN's Bobby Marks also anticipated that Doncic could take a short-term $165 million contract instead of the $228 million completely. Advertisement Doncic played only 28 games for the Lakers this season, where he averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists; he is almost certainly becoming the franchise cornerstone for the Lakers' future. While it will be favorable for the Lakers to agree on a long-term contract to make Doncic the cornerstone of the team, Doncic may not agree to a long-term deal for mainly two reasons. He already took a significant hit on his potential earnings, and if he figures out that this way, a much larger contract comes his way sooner, it is unlikely that he will agree to a long-term contract. Luka Doncic nearly lost $100 million in potential earnings after the Mavericks traded him to the Lakers. Will he now take a financially friendly deal for the Lakers to help them build a contending roster around him? Or will he adamantly ask for the money he almost certainly deserves? Too many unanswered questions lie in Luka Doncic's future. Related: "I Play Fortnite 24/7, Bro. I Don't Sleep At Night": Deandre Ayton's Conversation With Luka Doncic From 2018 Goes Viral This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA expert casts doubt on Bronny James' future with Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James has spent the past seven seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, but after he opted into his $52.6 million player option for 2025-26, there are questions about whether he's eyeing another locale in the near future. The same goes for Bronny James, whose future is inevitably tied to his father's ties with the Lakers too. While Bronny's contract is much different from his dad's in that he's entering season two of a four-year, fully guaranteed contract, the full deal is only worth $7.9 million, a fraction of LeBron's salary. This essentially makes it easy for the Lakers to wipe their hands clean of Bronny if LeBron decides he'd rather play elsewhere. Advertisement According to The Athletic's John Hollinger, 'it's hard to see' the Lakers keeping Bronny on the roster once/if LeBron does eventually move on, whether it's retirement or to a new team. Bronny posted respectable numbers while representing the Lakers' G-League team, the South Bay Lakers, averaging 21.9 points, 5.4 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game last season. However, he only played in 11 games, so he'll need to continue proving he not only belongs, but is capable of elevating his play to the highest form of competition, where his father has starred for the past 22 years. For now, Bronny is on a good track. He's still just 20 years old, and he has a key spot on the Lakers, where he has access to world-class trainers, coaches, and facilities that help him maximize his skillset. Related: Report suggests LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers may be on bad terms Related Headlines
