Where does Kobe Bryant belong in the list of all-time greats? By Keith Allison from Kinston, USA, via Wikimedia Commons

It has been a week since LeBron James and the Heat took home their third title and second with ‘Bron Bron leading the charge. For those of us at Fansmanship, it put another spark on the gasoline marinated tinder that is our ongoing conversation about James‘ place in history.

To review — Luke has been quick to crown LeBron as an all-time great, even before he had won a title last year. Andy and I are hesitant to project. Several players in our generation in different sports have been projected to be great, or even the greatest of all-time, but have fallen short.

While Luke sat this pod out (I think he was worried about being proven wrong on his LeBron placement), Andy, Dianne, and I talked about what criteria we should use for GOAT status, who are the top-20 greatest ever, and how current players fall into the mix.

Because we are all under 35 years old, I think our lists are probably biased toward players from the 80’s and 90’s, but you can be the judge. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Below are our top-20 lists and then the podcast below that. Hope you enjoy.

Andy’s Top-20

1. Michael Jordan

2. Bill Russell

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

4. Magic Johnson

5. Wilt Chamberlain

6. Kobe Bryant

7. Shaquille O’Neal

8. Larry Bird

9. Tim Duncan

10. Hakeem Olajuwon

11. LeBron James

12. Oscar Robertson

13. Jerry West

14. Moses Malone

15. Julius Erving

16. Elgin Baylor

17. John Havlicek

18. George Mikan

19. Bob Cousy

20. Isiah Thomas

Dianne’s Top-20

1. Michael Jordan

2. Bill Russell

3. Magic Johnson

4. Larry Bird

5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

6. Tim Duncan

7. Oscar Robertson

8. Jerry West

9. Wilt Chamberlain

10. Shaquille O’Neal

11. Hakeem Olajuwon

12. John Havlicek

13. Kobe Bryant

14. Lebron James

15. Julius Erving

16. Moses Malone

17. Elgin Baylor

18. Dirk Nowitzki

20. Bob Cousy

Luke’s Top-20

1. Michael Jordan

2. LeBron James

3. Ervin “Magic” Johnson

4. Wilt Chamberlain

5. Bill Russell

6. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

7. Oscar Robertson

8. Larry Bird

9. Shaquille O’Neal

10. Tim Duncan

11. Hakeem Olajuwon

12. Julius Erving

13. Kobe Bryant

14. Dirk Nowtizki

15. Jerry West

16. John Stockton

17. Elgin Baylor

18. Karl Malone

19. Rick Barry

20. Moses Malone

Luke’s Second Top-20, post-podcast revised edition… if that’s allowed….

1. Michael Jordan

2. Magic Johnson

3. Bill Russell

4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

5. LeBron James

6. Wilt Chamberlain

7. Larry Bird

8. Oscar Robertson

9. Tim Duncan

10. Shaquille O’Neal

11. Kobe Bryant

12. Hakeem Olajuwon

13. Julius Erving

14. Jerry West

15. Dirk Nowitzki

16. Elgin Baylor

17a. John Stockton

17b. Karl Malone

19. Moses Malone

20. Bob Cousy

Owen’s Top-20

1. Michael Jordan

2. Bill Russell

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

4. Magic Johnson

5. Larry Bird

6. Wilt Chamberlain

7. Kobe Bryant

8. Oscar Robertson

9. Shaquille O’Neal

10. Elgin Baylor

11. Hakeem Olajuwon

12. LeBron James

13. Jerry West

14. Moses Malone

15. Tim Duncan

16. Karl Malone

17 John Havlicek

18. Julius Erving

19. Charles Barkely

20. Rick Barry

Another great talent with poise and NBA-ready footwork around the rim has been haunted with the angry ghost of Greg Oden. The former number one draft pick in 2007 out of Ohio state, yet to find his footing in an NBA uniform.

Oden was the heir apparent to Bill Russell and a pick above the formidably freakish, Kevin Durant. But knee issues have belittled the one-and-done seven-foot college star to bench-warming and wishing, while Durant, carries the NBA as a whole on his sharp, bone-thin shoulders.

And now, just a month out of this year’s NBA draft, another soft tempered, smooth as silk big man and Buckeye, Jared Sullinger, has been red flagged with health concerns. According to Slam Magazine, doctors have found a lingering back issue to be more than just growing pains. And while the twenty year old 6’8″ 270-pound big man’s father swears the back issues aren’t serious, the rest of the league is left to wonder whether or not Sullinger will be more bust than bang in an NBA uniform.

Sullinger was projected early-on as a lottery pick. The two-time All American, averaged 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds on 53.0% shooting during his two-year collegiate career. Sullinger improved his defensive foot-work after his freshman season, fouling less and increasing minutes on the floor. A bit undersized with average explosiveness around the rim, the big man also improved his step-out game, hitting on 40.0% of his three point attempts during his sophomore season.

It was fair to say Sullinger wasn’t an NBA superstar in the making. But what he was/is a talent with the right team-oriented temperament to make a splash right away in the NBA. His comparisons include current Hawk, Al Horford, or a more explosive version of Emeka Okafor. And that might be the very thing that saves him.

The only difference between Oden and Sullinger is found in their pre-NBA comparisons. Oden was supposed to be the man who took the mantel from Dwight Howard and brought to memory former legend, Bill Russell. He was picked by a Trail Blazer team that already sported Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge as the faces of the franchise.

Sullinger on the other hand, had recently slipped to the latter half of the lottery because of his average athleticism. Doctors have advised teams not to pick him in the first round, but a team with the guts to grab him in the late teens or somewhere in the early to mid twenties, could have themselves a game changing diamond in the rough, a’ la Dejuan Blair or Paul Millsap.

Is this Buckeye curse found in the Columbus drinking water? Is Thad Matta a Hudu Shaman spelling big men with poor knees and back issues? Or is simply the summation powers of poor music taste?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=h27NIkjnMRY

Whatever the reason, Buckeye fans are left to wonder yet again, whether or not one of their talented bigs can translate his superior skill set beyond the college game.