How many more rings will he need to convince you that he's the greatest player over the course of a career in history?

In my opinion, the top 5 NBA players of all time are:

1. Jordan
2. Russell
3. Bird
4. Magic
5. Lebron

If Lebron wins another championship (whether this year or later on in his career), he surpasses Magic. If he wins two more, he surpasses Bird. I think championships are not the number one factor in a player's ranking, but I do think it matters. To get close to Jordan, he'll need to win another three titles. It would be really cool to see, but I'm not sure if he'll do it.

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In my opinion, the top 5 NBA players of all time are:

1. Jordan
2. Russell
3. Bird
4. Magic
5. Lebron

If Lebron wins another championship (whether this year or later on in his career), he surpasses Magic. If he wins two more, he surpasses Bird. I think championships are not the number one factor in a player's ranking, but I do think it matters. To get close to Jordan, he'll need to win another three titles. It would be really cool to see, but I'm not sure if he'll do it.

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This.

You're right. Bill Simmons has him 5th, behind both of those players. Lebron was 20th, but that book was released in 2009 before he went to the finals for 6 straight years.

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Not even the biggest Bird homer in the world puts Bird 3rd or ahead of Magic and Kareem.

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This x a million. Wow.

Magic went to NINE NBA finals in his 12 pre-HIV years* and won five. Bird went to five and won 3. He also beat Bird head-to-head 2 of 3.

* - Magic missed 45 games to injury during one of those three years they didn't make the Finals.

Hard to believe Lebron has already played more years than Magic did (pre-HIV).

Magic Johnson never won a championship without Kareem on the team. I never liked Kareem because at the end he constantly complained about fouls. If you called him for anything he would ***** all the way to the other end. But it is hard to argue his greatness.

1) The only year he shot below 50% from the field was his last one and even then shot 48%.
2) For a big man he would hit his free throws. You could not just foul him in the low block.
3) He had an unblockable shot that he could consistently hit.
4) He averaged over 11 rebounds per game over his career.
5) He could close down the middle. You could not just drive down the lane with him down there waiting on you.

Remember, freshman did not play college ball on the varsity when Jabbar was Alcindor they played the varsity team that had just won the national championship and would win another one that year and the freshman team beat them. They outlawed dunking in college ball because of Jabbar.

I still can't believe how bad Cleveland was without him. He leaves and they get the #1 pick 3 out of 4 years (one was through a trade I think, but still).

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Magic Johnson never won a championship without Kareem on the team.

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Every Celtics championship team in the 80s had 4-5 Hall of Fame players, plus great role players like Danny Ainge (all-star), Cedric Maxwell (all-defense and Finals MVP). It's not like Bird did it with no help.

I was not propping up Bird with that argument. My point was is I don't think people really understand how good Kareem Abdul Jabbar was as a basketball player. This dialogue about Jordan being the greatest player ever hands down is nuts. Jabbar dominated the game. And when you keyed on him he burned you with his passing. And he completely controlled the paint. Jordan could be neatralized by locking down and making it half court. You could not take Jabbar out of the game.

Kareem was definitely great. He did spend most of his time in the 70s, when I think the NBA was pretty down for the most part. Look at the all-time great centers. It was Russell/Wilt together, then Kareem by himself for 15 years (other than a half season by Walton) and then you 85-00 where you have Hakeem, Robinson, Ewing, Zo, Deke, Shaq, and now an era without great centers again. It's a shame he didn't work hard enough on defense and sometimes didn't even run down the court, except during the playoffs.

If he isn't already a top 5 all timer, he no doubt will be unless an anvil falls on him over the next 8 or so years.

The 6 consecutive finals appearances is incredibly impressive, regardless of the fact that he played in the east.

He has evolved his game over his career and is still the most important person on any team in the league.

The most important player on any team thing is often overlooked and as impressive a run as the finals appearance of not more impressive. He's been the most important player to any team in the NBA for somewhere between 10-12 years in a row now... And that's unreal. You have to go back a long time to find a player who might match that streak of absolute greatness in that many consecutive seasons.

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It's a shame he didn't work hard enough on defense and sometimes didn't even run down the court, except during the playoffs.

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Ive been hearing that same **** since he was at UCLA.

If you include college, Kareem is arguably the greatest player ever.

If LeBron gets #3 this year, will he come back to Cleveland, or look elsewhere?

I'd be shocked if he leaves Cleveland again. He got his rings. No reason to leave now.

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I'd be shocked if he leaves Cleveland again. He got his rings. No reason to leave now.

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Unless it can make him more money get him more public exposure. He cares about that the most.

I'm not a LeBron fan but I disagree. He has more than enough of both and I think he knows it. His only remaining goal should be to bring to his psuedo-hometown something it hasn't had in 50+ years. I don't think he would have ever come back were it not for that.

If Lebron completes the comeback from down 3-1 against the 73 win Warriors what does that do for him?

I think it cements him into Top 5 all-time category. Six-straights finals, seven overall. 3-4 record. Not nearly the supporting cast other greats have had.

Most people have him in the 5-8 range already with Bird/Duncan/Wilt/Kobe.

I think his supporting casts in Miami, as well as this one here, are plenty good. These aren't the same teams he brought to the finals pre-Miami. When you have three all-star caliber players, you SHOULD be in the NBA Finals, especially if you are an all-time great player.

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I think his supporting casts in Miami, as well as this one here, are plenty good. These aren't the same teams he brought to the finals pre-Miami. When you have three all-star caliber players, you SHOULD be in the NBA Finals, especially if you are an all-time great player.

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That same team was just about the worst team in the NBA the year before he arrived. And he gave the Warriors a fight last year without Love or Kyrie. Except in Miami (before Wade broke down), his supporting cast hasn't been as good as Bird's or Duncan's or Kobe/Shaq or Jordan.

The only one that really counts against him is losing his first year in Miami. He tried too hard to make it a team of three equals, which led to the loss to a fairly weak finals opponent. The first stint in Cleveland had atrocious rosters, the Spurs were in god mode in 2014 (and Wade was broken), and in spite of the loss last year was probably one of the top 2-3 individual finals performances ever.

Has to win tomorrow..otherwise people will say he's 2-5 and not worthy of Jordan or Kobe status..not fair..but facts are facts...