Best NBA Player in Each Decade: A Breakdown

BY RICHARD QIU

LAYOUT BY AIDAN KWONG and MICHELE LIU PHOTOS FROM UNSPLASH

The GOAT of the NBA has long been a heated discussion. Whether that be in terms of game statistics, player competitiveness, fitness––you name it, it’s probably been debated. Brilliant players have been no strangers when it comes to the NBA’s near 80-year history. In fact, with the sheer volume of players the NBA has held, it’s difficult to compare them to determine the greatest or the most impactful. So instead of determining the single best player of all NBA history, a more effective approach is to determine a GOAT of a decade.

50’s George Mikan

The player who brought the Minneapolis Lakers to five NBA champion titles, with a career average of 23 pts, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists, is non-other than George Mikan. He was the first dominant NBA legend– the first NBA player inducted into the NBA hall of fame, the first standard for all future basketball centers.

Standing at almost seven feet tall, Mikan was big, strong, and a force to be reckoned with. He was so dominant that even the NBA had to change their rules. Most notably, they widened the standard free-throw lane from 6 to 12 feet, a rule later dubbed “The Mikan Rule”.

60’s Bill Russell:

The Boston Celtics carry a league record of 17 championships. Of those 17 rings, 11 were won by the almighty Bill Russell.

In his NBA career of 13 years, Russell possessed 5 MVP and 12 All-Star selections, and averaged 15 pts, 22.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. Russell, along with his teammate Bob Cousy created a record of 8 straight championships from 1959 to 1966.

Though some may argue that the game statistics of other players, such as Wilt Chamberlain who had a season reaching up to 50 pts and 30 rebounds, are the greatest of this decade, Bill Russell ultimately set a record amount of championship rings, a record that has yet to be broken.

Beyond the court, Russell was an activist fighting against racial inequality both in and out of professional sports. In February 2011, Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom to affirm his efforts as a civil rights activist. Today, Russell’s legacy has not, and never will be forgotten– not only was he a trailblazer for the sport, but he was also a trailblazer for the civil rights movement.

70’s Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Lew Alchindor)

In his 20-year career, Kareem Abdul Jabbar (also known as Lew Alchindor,) averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists, with a total sum of 38387 points, the highest ever in NBA history.

The 7ft 1 giant first pushed the Milwaukee Bucks to numerous victories, then went on to the Lakers with teammates Magic Earvin Johnson and James Worthy to create one of the greatest and most iconic dynasties of all time, winning 5 Nba titles and 1 Finals MVP.

After retiring from basketball, Jabbar has become a beacon for social justice activists globally, with the Kareem Abdul Jabbar Social Justice Award being established for those who thrive in the fight for social justice, just like him.

80’s Larry Bird

Basketball in the 80s was mainly a fight between 3 teams: The Pistons, Lakers, and the Celtics. These teams were fiercely competitive rivals, with all three having turns winning championships. But in the end, the Boston Celtics proved to be the victors, perhaps because of one of the best small forwards in NBA history: Larry Bird.

Bird averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, and was a player that could play every position on the court.

He won 3 championships in the 80s , was a 3-time MVP, 12-time all-star, and was also the best 3-point shooter of the time, a time when long-ranged shots were rarely seen.

Larry Bird was not only known for his on-court performances, but also for his trash-talking. He exuded intimidation and strength with his unflappable confidence in his ability. In an All-Star shootout content, Bird famously challenged his competitors, saying “who’s playing for second?” The result of this was a crushing win from Bird, where his competitors couldn’t even come close.

90’s Michael Jordan

The 90s were dominated by the red and black Bulls because of one factor. The man, the myth, the legend: Michael Jordan.

In his career, Jordan stopped numerous players, many of which were basketball legends, from earning championship rings, with some notable names including Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, and Charles Barkley. Jordan’s years of playing earned him many achievements, to mention a few, this included six championship rings, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, and the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Aside from basketball achievements alone, Jordan is also known to be a wildly successful entrepreneur, being the CEO and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets, a major spokesperson for brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, and McDonald's, and the creator of the iconic shoe brand “Air Jordan”. Jordan’s legacy proves that an NBA player's career does not end on the court, in fact, it can grow and be successful in the years following retirement.

2000s Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant’s influencial “Mamba Mentality” has shaped the current generation of basketball players, emphasising the importance of grit and hard work.

Kobe averaged 25 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game, won 5 Championships, 1 MVP, 2 scoring titles and 2 Finals MVPs. He had won all 5 of the championships in the 2000’s, but many speculate that number could have been way bigger if him Shaquille O’ Neal had played together for longer. Although he may have had the most missed shots in NBA history at 14,481,

Throughout the NBA’s 70-year history we have experienced many eras, from the purity of the 50s, the domination of the Celtics in the 60s, the powerful Giants in the 70s, the Magic Bird era in the 80s, the Black and Red dominance in the 90s, the outstanding shooting guards in the 2000’s, and the 3 point era from the 2010s to 2020s.

Although the GOAT debate is well and good, it is undoubted that the GOATs of each era have all influenced one another, shaping the future of basketball and inspiring the generations of players to come.

Kobe himself has said, “you miss 100 percent of the shots that you don't take”, a testament to his dedication and unshakeable resolve.

2010s To Present

Lebron James

Lebron “The Chosen One” James, is one of the most talented players of all time. Dominating the game since entering the league in 2003, he has played the NBA finals for 8 years straight. Of that he has won 4 NBA finals, all of which he was crowned MVP.

James posts an average of 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. Even at the age of 37, James has continued to average 30 points and 8 rebounds, showing how in the modern day NBA league, age is not seen as a barrier.

By 熊杭之| Layout: Aidan Kwong and Michele Liu| Photography:

們的一天已經開始了。有些人一日復一日的

工作，坐在辦公室裡趴在桌子上熬夜寫文件 的人們，對於他們而言，是在和時間賽跑， 因為時間永遠都不夠。當然，許多學生這時 候也起床，塞一口麵包往家門外跑，趕上那 第一班巴士。

我又何嘗不是呢？早上第一束光亮起，便起 床，急忙的吃早飯，刷牙，洗臉，扎頭髮， 有時匆忙的忘記帶外套，飯盒。。。然後就 是一個小時的路程去學校。就算在空隙之 間，我們也永遠不會停止思考--“我今天考

試還需要複習什麼？”“昨天我這一題答錯了 大家今天肯定會笑話我。。。”“今天還會有 多少人得新冠，來不了學校？”我們無時無刻 的思考，腦子在火速趕往，前進。因為我們 知道，如果不前進，就會落後。 但是真的是 這樣麼？我們总是求快，也許冷却的就是人 与人之间的热情。和珅人人皆知。他的一生 总在“忙碌”着，不停地追逐名利、金钱，快 速前进的步伐未曾停过，然而，他却是孤独 空虚的--没有推心置腹的朋友，没有真情至 善的亲情，沒有嚮往的事情……都是因为他 过于匆忙和快速，无视身旁的一切，一生辛 苦追逐，却换来后人的唾弃，千古的罪名。

但是，在這個同時，如果我們不不停忙碌 著，我們不就是失去了人身的目標了麼？就 拿我前幾天來說吧。放期中假，功課不是那 麼打緊了，於是就晚睡晚起，每天抱著電

腦，雖然有很多要做的作業，但是卻“明日 復明日”的推遲著。漸漸的，我覺得生活失去 了一些期待，每天循環著同一些事情，沒有 任何目標，反而“放慢”速度讓我失去了生活 的精神和成功的快樂。取而代之的反而是一 些短暫的快樂，比如說看小說，雖然消遣了 時間，但是一讀完便沒有了以往的期待，便

沒有的每天嚮往短暫的快樂。那麼從骨子裏 散發出的快樂又怎麼得到呢？匆匆的每一天 讓我們沒有時間呼吸，去重新認識自己，但 是“放慢節奏”又讓我們失去了自覺性，目標 性，又回到了最初的迷茫，不知所措。

在反省的過程中，我發現，最重要的是適 當，在追求人生各種目標的同時，還要懂的 做自己喜歡的事情，注意自己的身體狀況。 乔布斯，这个世人皆知的“苹果”首创人，他 凭着敏锐的触觉和过人的智慧，凭着执着和 坚强，凭着一股“拼命三郎”的精神，始终引 领着电子产品的世界潮流，给我们带来了一 个又一个惊喜。然而，他的生命却意外定格 在了2017年，定格在了他56岁这一年。如果 这个被人称为神经高度紧张的工作狂，这个 凡事必躬亲的管理者，平时能放慢脚步，注 意工作节奏，讲究松弛有度，劳逸结合，不 过度透支自己的身体，那么他这个“苹果”又 怎会这么早就坏掉?

人生是一个奋进的过程，我们始终在路上， 从来都没有一个明确的终点。但这并不意味 着我们每天都在匆忙中度过，也不意味著“ 放慢”速度就會有所失去。生活在喧嚷的城市 间，同样也能享受到安宁。也許是在在冬日 温暖的午后，睡个美美的午觉，或是读一本 好书，品一杯香茗。這種小事情能讓像陀螺 一样的生活更加自由。所以，我们不妨经常 慢下脚步，不一定要長時間的流蕩，但是多 看看身边的风景、多品味人世的滋味、多保 护自己的身体就夠了。所以，请慢些，再慢 些吧!