Top 10 Running Backs of All-Time

1. Walter Payton- 13 NFL Seasons
3,838 Carries (2nd)
16,726 Rushing Yards (2nd)
125 Touchdowns (110 Rushing-4th, 15 Receiving)
1977 NFL AP MVP
1977 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
1985 Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year)
Super Bowl Champion (XX)
Member of Pro-Football Hall of Fame (1993)
Pro Bowl Selections: 9
Pro Bowl MVP (1978)
All-Pro Selections: 9 (6x 1st Team, 3x 2nd Team)
10 seasons with 1,000 yards rushing (1st)
Most seasons with 1,300 or more rushing yards (9-1st)
6 Consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards rushing
Led the league in Rushing Attempts 4 times
NFL Rushing Champion (1,852-1977)
League leader in Rushing Touchdowns (14-1977)
League leader in Yards from Scrimmage (1977, 1978)
Career-high 275 rushing yards in one game (Nov. 20, 1977, vs Minnesota Vikings)
Games with 100 or more yards rushing, career: 77
Consecutive Games with 100 or more yards rushing: 9 (10/13/85-12/8/85)
Yards from Scrimmage, Career: 21,264 (3rd)
All-Purpose Yards, Career: 21,803 (3rd)
Average Yards Per Game, Career: 88 ypg (7th)
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team

2. Jim Brown- 9 NFL Seasons
2,359 Carries (25th)
12,312 Rushing Yards (9th)
126 Touchdowns (106 Rushing-5th, 20 Receiving)
3x NFL MVP (1957, '58, '65)
Pro Bowl Selections: 9
9x All-Pro Selection (8x 1st Team, 1x 2nd Team)
8x Rushing Champion ('57-'61, '63-'65)
Average Yards Per Game, Career: 104.3 ypg (1st)
Average Yards Per Carry, Career: 5.2 ypc (1st)
Yards from Scrimmage, Career: 14,811 (21)
All-Purpose Yards, Career: 15,459 (24th)
NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
Member of Pro-Football Hall of Fame (1971)

3. Barry Sanders- 10 NFL Seasons
3,062 Carries (6th)
15,269 Rushing Yards (3rd)
109 Touchdowns (99 Rushing-9th, 10 Receiving)
1989 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
1991 Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year)
1994 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
1997 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
1997 NFL AP MVP
Pro Bowl Selections: 10
10x 1st Team All-Pro Selection
4x Rushing Champion (1990, '94, '96, '97)
NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
10 Consecutive 1,000 yard seasons (Tied-1st)
Most Consecutive 1,000 yard seasons (10-1st)
Most Seasons w/ 1,300 or more rushing yards (9)-Tied w/Walter Payton
Most Seasons w/ 1,400 or more rushing yards (7)
Most Consecutive seasons w/ 1,400 or more rushing yards (5)-Tied w/ Emmitt Smith
Most Seasons w/ 1,500 or more rushing yards (5)
Yards from Scrimmage, Career: 18,456 (5th)
All-Purpose Yards, Career: 18,308 (8th)
Pro-Football Hall of Fame (2004)

4. Emmitt Smith- 15 NFL Seasons
4,409 Carries (1st)
18,355 Rushing Yards (1st)
175 Touchdowns (165 Rushing-1st, 10 Receiving)
1990 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
1993 NFL AP MVP
1993 Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year)
Super Bowl Champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX)
Super Bowl XXVIII MVP
Pro Bowl Selections: 8
All-Pro Selections: 6
4x Rushing Champion (1991, '92, '93, '95)
NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
Most 100-yard Rushing Games, Career: 78 (1st)
Yards from Scrimmage, Career: 21,579 (2nd)
All-Purpose Yards, Career: 21,579 (4th)
Pro-Football Hall of Fame (2010)

5. LaDanian Tomlinson- 11 NFL Seasons
3,174 Carries
13,684 Rushing Yards (5th All-Time)
162 Touchdowns (145 Rushing-2nd, 17 Receiving)
2006 NFL AP MVP
2006 NFL Offensive Player of the Year
2006 Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year)
Pro Bowl Selections: 5
All-Pro Selections: 6 (4x 1st Team, 2x 2nd Team)
2x Rushing Champion (2006, 2007)
Most Total Touchdowns in Single Season (31-2006)
Most Rushing Touchdowns in Single Season (28-2006)
Most games with 2+ rushing TDs (38)
Most games with 3+ rushing TDs (12)
Most games with 200+ yards from scrimmage in a season (5-2003)
Most games with 2 or more TDs in a season (10-2006)
Most games with 3 or more TDs in a season (6-2006)
Most consecutive games with a rushing TD (18/2004-2005)
Most consecutive games with 2 or more rushing TDs (8-2006)
Most consecutive games with 3 or more rushing TDs (3-2006)
Yards from Scrimmage, Career: 18,456 (5th)
All-Purpose Yards, Career: 18,456 (7th)
NFL 2000s All-Decade Team




















6. Marshall Faulk- 12 NFL Seasons
2,836 Carries (15th)
12,279 Rushing Yards (10th)
136 Touchdowns (100 Rushing- 7th, 36 Receiving)
1994 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
1999 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
2000 NFL AP MVP
2000 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
2001 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
2001 Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year)
Super Bowl Champion (XXXIV)
Pro Bowl Selections: 7
All-Pro Selections: 3
Leader in Rushing Touchdowns: (18-2000)
Leader in Yards Per Carry: 3 (1999, 2000, 2001)
2x Leader in Total Touchdowns: (2000, 2001)
Yards from Scrimmage, Career: 19,154 (4th)
All-Purpose Yards, Career: 19,172 (6th)
Pro-Football Hall-of Fame (2011)

7. Eric Dickerson- 11 NFL Seasons
2,996 Carries (9th)
13,259 Rushing Yards (7th)
96 Touchdowns (90 Rushing- 12th, 6 Receiving)
1983 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
1986 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
Pro Bowl Selections: 6
All-Pro Selections: 5
4x Rushing Champion (1983, 1984, 1986, 1988)
Leader in Rushing Touchdowns (14-1984)
NFL Single-Season Record for Rushing Yards (2,105-1984)
Average Yards Per Game, Career: 90.8 (5th)
Yards from Scrimmage, Career: 15,396 (14th)
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
Pro-Football Hall-of-Fame (1999)




















8. Marcus Allen- 16 NFL Seasons
3,022 Carries (8th)
12,243 Rushing Yards (12th)
144 Touchdowns (123 Rushing- 3rd, 21 Receiving)
1982 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
Super Bowl Champion (XVIII)
Super Bowl XVIII MVP
1985 NFL AP MVP
1985 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
1993 NFL AP Comeback Player of the Year
Pro Bowl Selections: 6
All-Pro Selections: 3 (2x 1st Team, 1x 2nd Team)
NFL Rushing Champion (1,759- 1985)
2x Leader in Rushing Touchdowns (1982, 1993)
2x Leader in Total Touchdowns (1982, 1984)
Consecutive Seasons with multiple touchdowns: 16
Consecutive Seasons with a rushing touchdown: 16
Consecutive Seasons with multiple rushing touchdowns: 16
Oldest player to score 10+ TDs in a season: 37 (1997)
Leader in Rushing Yards Per Game: (1985)
Yards from Scrimmage, Career: 17,654 (7th)
All-Purpose Yards, Career: 17,654 (10th)
Pro-Football Hall-of-Fame (2003)

9. Earl Campbell- 8 NFL Seasons
2,187 Carries
9,407 Rushing Yards
74 Touchdowns
1978 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
1978 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
1979 NFL AP MVP
1979 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
1979 Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year)
1980 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
Pro Bowl Selections: 5
All-Pro Selections: 3
3x NFL Rushing Champion (1978, 1979, 1980)
3x Leader in Rushing Yards Per Game: ('78, '79, '80)
2x Leader in Rushing Touchdowns: ('79, '80)
Leader in Total Touchdowns: (19- 1979)
Leader in Rushing Yards Per Carry: (5.2- 1980)
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
Pro-Football Hall-of-Fame (1991)

10. Tony Dorsett- 12 NFL Seasons
2,936 Carries (11th)
12,739 Rushing Yards (8th)
90 Touchdowns (77 Rushing- 20th, 13 Receiving)
1977 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
Super Bowl Champion (XII)
Pro Bowl Selections: 4
All-Pro Selections: 1
Leader in Carries: (177-1982)
Yards from Scrimmage, Career: 16,293 (10th)
All-Purpose Yards, Career: 16,293 (16th)
Pro-Football Hall-of-Fame (1994)

Top 5 Wide Receivers of All-Time

1. Jerry Rice- 20 NFL Seasons
1,549 Receptions (1st),
22,895 Receiving Yards (1st),
207 Touchdowns (1st- 197 receiving, 10 rushing)
Pro Bowls- 13
All-Pro Selections-12 (11x 1st Team All-Pro)
Member of Pro Football Hall of Fame (2010)
3x Super Bowl Champion (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX)
Super Bowl XXIII MVP
2x NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1987, 1993)
Holds numerous NFL records
49ers All-Time Leader in Career Receptions (1,281)
49ers All-Time Leader in Career Receiving Yards (19,247)
49ers All-Time Leader in Career TDs (187)
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
Most 1,000 yard receiving seasons (14)
Most consecutive games with with a pass reception (274)
Most consecutive games with a touchdown reception- (13-1986-1987)
Most seasons with 50 or more receptions (17)
4 seasons with 100+ receptions
6 seasons leading the league in receiving yards
Led the league in touchdown receptions 6 times.
Postseason Records:
Most postseason games (29)
Most postseason touchdowns (22)
Most postseason receiving yards (2,245)
Most postseason receptions (151)
Most consecutive games, 100 or more receiving yards-3 (1988-1989)
Super Bowl Records:
Career points-48 (1st)
Receptions-33 (1st)
Receiving yards- 589 (1st)
Touchdowns- 8 (1st)
Receptions in a game- 11 (1st)
Receiving yards in a game- 215 (1st)



















2. Randy Moss- 14 NFL Seasons
982 Receptions (10th)
15,292 Receiving Yards (4th)
156 Touchdowns (2nd)
73.6 receiving yards per game (7th)
Pro Bowls: 7
All-Pro Selections: 5
10 seasons with 1,000 receiving yards (2nd)
NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
Most touchdown receptions in a season- 23 (2007)
Highest career yards per catch average with 900+ career receptions- 15.6
Fastest player to reach 5,000 career receiving yards
Most seasons with 17+ TD receptions- 3 (1st-'98, '03, '07)
Most 1,200 yard receiving seasons to start a career- 6 ('98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03)
Vikings 2nd All-Time Leader in career TDs (92)
Most 100 yard receiving games in Vikings history (41)
Most Playoff TDs in Vikings history (8)

3. Terrell Owens- 15 NFL Seasons
1,078 Receptions (6th)
15,934 Receiving Yards (2nd)
153 Touchdowns (3rd)
Pro Bowls: 6
All-Pro Selections: 5 (1st Team)
3x NFL Receiving Touchdowns Leader (2001, 2002, 2006)
2nd All-Time in Seasons with 13+ Touchdown Receptions with 7 (J. Rice- 8)
Nine Seasons with 1,000+ yards w/five consecutive (2000-2004)
Third Player to reach 150+ Touchdowns
6th Player to reach 1,000+ Receptions
Consecutive Seasons with at least 5 or more Touchdown Receptions (11, 2000-2010)
49ers All-Time Leader in Single Game Receptions: 20 (12/17/00)
Eagles All-Time Leader in Single Season Touchdowns: 14 (2004)
Eagles All-Time Leader in Single Season Receiving YPG: 109.0 (2005)
Cowboys Leader in Most Consecutive Games with at least 1 Touchdown: 7 (2007)
Cowboys All-Time Leader in Single Game Touchdown Receptions: 4 (11/18/07)
15k Receiving Yards Club
NFL 2000s All-Decade Team




















4. Cris Carter- 16 NFL Seasons
1,101 Receptions (4th)
13,899 Receiving Yards (9th)
131 Touchdowns (4th)
Pro Bowls: 8
All-Pro Selections: 3 (2- 1st Team, 1- 2nd Team)
Vikings All-Time Leader in Career Receptions (1,004)
Vikings All-Time Leader in Career Receiving Yards (12,383)
Vikings All-Time Leader in Career TDs (110)
1st player with 120+ receptions in back to back seasons. (122-1994 & 1995)
Most 12+ reception games in a single season in 1995 (4)
Most consecutive seasons with 5 or more TDs (11)
Most consecutive games with 2 TD receptions (4)
Finished the '90s decade with 835 receptions, only second to Jerry Rice (860)
1 of 2 receivers to have 150 yard receiving games in 3 different decades (Jerry Rice)
Member of Pro-Football Hall of Fame (2013)



















5. Marvin Harrison- 13 NFL Seasons
1,102 Receptions (3rd- 2nd among WRs)
14,580 Receiving yards (6th)
128 Receiving Touchdowns (5th)
Pro Bowls: 8
All-Pro Selections: 8
Super Bowl XLI Champion
Colts All-Time Leader in Receptions (1,102)
Colts All-Time Leader in Receiving Yards (14,580)
Colts All-Time Leader in Career TDs (128)
Most Receptions in a single season- 143 (2002)
4th Most TD Receptions in a decade- 95 (2000-2009)
Consecutive Seasons with 100+ receptions- 4 (1999-2002)
Consecutive Seasons with 1,400+ receiving yards- 4 (1999-2002)
Most average receptions per game in a career- 5.8 (1996-2008)

2012: The Year of LeBron

Congratulations to LeBron James for winning his first title, while leading the Miami Heat to victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals. Therefore, LeBron James' victory as the Leader of a championship team, further solidifies and cements his legacy among the all-time greats, adding a Finals MVP trophy along with his 3 MVP Awards. Now, LeBron has proven that he is indeed an Alpha Dog level player, both in the regular season and in the postseason with an incredible playoff run to add to that. LeBron's versatility is on another level apart from the rest of the league. As for those critics that say that LeBron is not "clutch" or a "killer", as The Rock says, they can know their role and shut their mouth!! LeBron has given the ultimate validation and confirmation, that he can in fact, close the deal. In fact, he has often "closed" the game more than his star sidekick Dwyane Wade. Excluding last year's Finals vs. the Mavs, James was the more consistent player for that team. LeBron is 45% in Game-winning situations, while Wade is 33%. During the series against the Celtics, LeBron was the driving force. In the Eastern Conference Finals vs Chicago, LeBron was the ultimate weapon to destroy League MVP Derrick Rose. During the offseason, LeBron went on a mission, with full focus. He goes to Houston to train with Hall of Famer, and NBA Legend Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon to improve his low post game. The training brought great results, as LeBron cut out his jump shooting, and took more control down low in the paint. As a result, he recorded a career high field goal percentage of 53%. During a compacted, sloppy lockout-shortened 66 game season, LeBron James was the most consistent player throughout the league, especially for his team. By the way, did I mention before that this year's average FG % was 45 percent? Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade, the man that many called the main leader on the team, played anything like it, as he missed nearly half of the season with injuries, along with inconsistent play, bringing in only 22 ppg. Along with a great shooting percentage, LeBron's numbers were his typical well-rounded stats across the board, as he averaged merely 27.1 ppg, 7.9 RPGs, and 6.2 apg. LeBron turned up the Heat (no pun intended) in the playoffs, with a phenomenal 30.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg, and 5.6 apg, off of 50% shooting, with a playoff run that we have not seen for quite some time, since Prime Shaq, & Tim Duncan. During this time, he guarded everyone from Carmelo Anthony, Danny Grainger, Rondo, Paul Pierce, to Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook. The highlights of this run included a (40/18/9) in Game 4 of the East Semis ,vs the Pacers, (45/15/5) in Game 6 of the ECF vs. the Celtics, and a triple double (26/11/13) in Game 5 of the Finals vs. The Thunder. In the first round, he burned the Knicks with (27.2/6.2/5.6). In the Conference Semis vs. Indiana, he obliterated the Pacers for (30.0/10.8/6.2). In the Conference Finals, he went on a rampage (33.6/11.0/3.9). In the Finals, he cleaned Kevin Durant & the Thunder's clock (28.6/10.2/7.4). When someone is hungry for a title, they have a breakout season that I call their "statement" season. In this case for Michael, it was 1991 vs. the Lakers, when he vanquished them for 31/6/11 55% FG, in his quest for his very first title, and First Finals MVP. (He would soon make many more statements). That season, he went on to win League MVP (31.5/6.0/5.5/2.7), and led the Bulls through a season in which they could not be stopped. For Magic Johnson, it was 1987, when he had his greatest individual season (24/6.3/12.2) en route to his first MVP (his best MVP season). Johnson was bashed for the way he & the Lakers underperformed the previous year vs. The Houston Rockets in the WCF. This season, Magic went on to lead the Lakers to a 65-17 record on the way to putting away arch-rival Larry Bird's Celtics once and for all. For the Finals, Johnson averaged (26.2/8.0/13.0). These are just the few of many great examples, where a player is on a seek & destroy mission, where they blow the competition, and leave a trail of bodies behind. These are the kind of seasons, where a player has that standout, defining season, where they make their mark as the undisputed "Best Player in the NBA" by winning League MVP, while leading his team to a title, then earning "Finals MVP", to stand as the best in both regular & postseason. This season, LeBron James definitively, and undeniably made that claim, as he put his ultimate stamp on the league as the best in the world. This year, along with the rest of his consistency during his career, has launched LeBron higher into the upper echelon of NBA Greatness. LeBron's legend will only continue to grow.

Heat vs. Thunder (Game 1 Recap)

As we head into Game 2, the first game of this year's NBA Finals has been a great sign of things to come later in this series. In Game 1, Miami took the stronghold in the first half behind LeBron's great performance, while the Thunder were very shaky shooters. As the first half came to a close, Miami led OKC, 54-47. James was the Heat's leading point man, with 14 points, while Durant led the Thunder with 13 points. Westbrook struggled with 3-10 shooting, while Dwyane Wade shot 3-8. Clearly, the series started with the Alpha Dogs carrying the load for both of their respective teams. Both teams were going back in forth in great fashion. From James Harden's tremendous shot, Kevin Durant's block on Wade to his layup on the other end, and LeBron's on-ball steal from Durant for the finish. In the second half, the tide truly changed. Oklahoma City came from being down by as many as 8,9, and 10 to being up by 9 during stretches of the half. The Thunder did a great job throwing off the Heat with multiple rotations on defense to keep them off balance. OKC went from having Durant on LeBron to moving Sefalosha on him. Kevin Durant unloaded a barrage on Miami's defense, by exploiting each mismatch with his multiple ways of scoring. Miami went from having Bosh, Battier and even Wade guard Durant, but he still dominated because of his incredible wingspan. Kevin Durant continued to display how much of a multi-dimensional player that he has grown into since the middle of the season, to the start of the playoffs. Oklahoma City's ball movement was very crucial in their run, which included utilizing Nick Collison, and veteran Derek Fisher. Russell Westbrook also turned up his level of play at this point, while Wade continued to remain a non-factor. Meanwhile, LeBron continued to lead the way, with 23 points at the end of the 3rd quarter. Chris Bosh started shooting more threes during the game. The Thunder went on to fend off Miami, 105-94. Durant finished the game with 36, and Westbrook with 27. On the other side, LeBron had 30, while Wade had 19, and Bosh only had 12. Both of LeBron's superstar teammates disappeared like David Copperfield during this game. James took a trip back to the twilight zone in Cleveland, because he was playing like he was still with the Cavs. LeBron certainly needs more help from Wade, Bosh and others. The reason why he left Cleveland for Miami WAS for more help. Unfortunately, Wade is looking more like Daniel Gibson, and Bosh is looking more like the washed up Antwaan Jamison and Anderson Varejao. For OKC, Russell Westbrook fit perfectly into his point guard/sidekick role, as he not only dropped 27 points, but more importantly, 11 assists. The keys for Oklahoma City's success include, Westbrook feeding KD more while setting up others, and for James Harden to score more than 5 points while staying out of foul trouble as well. Serge Ibaka needs to turn up the volume as well, by grabbing more than 6 rebounds and be the shot blocking machine that he can always be. Even Westbrook beat him out in rebounds! Not cool at all! Pat Riley and Alonzo Mourning were clearly pissed about the Heat's performance. If Miami doesn't clean up, I guarantee that heads will be rolling when it is all said and done in South Beach. As a fan, and an objective analyst, I am excited about the great storylines that this series brings. For the first time in a very long time, you have a series where you have a head to head matchup between the top two players that has the atmohere of a heavyweight fight. The comparisons have come very strong. Russell vs. Chamberlain, Magic vs. Bird. Like these great rivalries of the past, we have two very transcendent players squaring off against each other. In the red corner, you have the all-world playmaking, ability of LeBron James. In the blue corner, you have the multi-dimensional scoring, shooting ability, energy, quickness and unbelievable reach of Kevin Durant. This story has so many plots. On one hand, you have a very hungry star player, who is villainized all over, and a title will be the only thing to satisfy his hunger and solidify his legacy among the greats. On the other hand, you have a player who is the cornerstone for the next youth movement in the NBA, beloved by the league and poised to lead his team to the launch of multiple titles over time. For one star, a door is closing. For another, the door is opening. If you want to say Magic vs. Bird, LeBron would play the role of Magic, because of his tremendous playmaking style, to create shots for both others and himself. Kevin Durant's deadly, precise shooting fits him well for the role of Larry. I am only talking in the context of how intense this feud could really be, and this has been the closest thing that we have of this specific era. As a fan, I will enjoy every moment of it.

The Big Man: Missing Centerpiece

When you look back at NBA history, a Championship team or a Dynasty is built around a Center, aka "The Big Man". Your obvious exceptions are: Michael Jordan's Bulls of the '90s, and the Bad Boy Pistons of the late '80s-early '90s. Generally, the Center has a very successful track record of winning titles: The Celtics of the '60s (Bill Russell), the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers (Wilt Chamberlain), the '71 Bucks (Kareem) the '72 Lakers (Wilt, again), the Showtime Lakers (Kareem), the '83 Sixers (Moses), the Houston Rockets back-to-back titles in '94 & '95 (Hakeem), the 3-peat Lakers of the early 2000s (Shaq), and the San Antonio Spurs (Duncan & Robinson). You could even trace back even further to the NBA's first Dynasty, the Minneapolis Lakers (George Mikan). For years, the Center has been the most valuable position, because of the commanding presence in the middle, higher percentage shots, rebounding, shot blocking, and less prone to injuries. The Big Man is the make or break for any team who wants to win titles. The NBA's First Rivalry was between the Giants of the Game (Russell vs. Chamberlain), during the 1960s. Both men shared All-NBA 1st Team honors and MVPs during the decade (Russell-5, Wilt-4) for a combine total of 9. The Celtics reign of terror during the '60s was a result of Bill Russell's defensive dominance, Basketball Genius, hustle, determination, quickness and ability to make his teammates better. Jerry West & Elgin Baylor could not get the Lakers to the top of the mountain, because Bill Russell sat at the top of the throne, guarding the NBA Trophy like a force field. Wilt Chamberlain got his one and only time at the top, when he and the Sixers knocked Russell off the mountain in 1967, while winning League MVP honors. Wilt's impact for the Lakers was tremendous, as he joined forces with West to lead the Lakers to a 69-13 record (including a 33-game winning streak), en route to a 4-1 beatdown of the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. Wilt was Finals MVP. The year prior, fellow Hall of Fame guard Oscar Robertson put the icing on his cake, by joining forces with rising NBA Phenom, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor at the time). Jabbar led the way as the League MVP/Scoring Champ with 31.7 ppg, while leading Milwaukee to a 66-16 record, en route to obliterating the Baltimore Bullets in the Finals (4-0). Kareem was named Finals MVP. Julius Erving, another Hall of Fame perimeter player, had struggled to lead his team to an NBA title. In his first 6 NBA seasons, Doc carried the Sixers on his back for 3 Finals Appearances. In '77, they blew a 2-0 series lead to the Portland Trailblazers, because no one could stop Bill Walton. In '80 and '82, Philly was destroyed by Kareem. Doc knew that an NBA Crown would be the largest stamp on his legacy, to solidify and validate his status, along with his ABA awards. Philadelphia knew this as well, which led them to bring in Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets, while shipping out Darryl Dawkins and Caldwell Jones. Malone was not only the most dominant big man in the league at the time. Kareem was getting older. Time was running out for Doc. Magic & Bird had another year to turn things up to the max. MJ & Dream were still in college. Therefore, Moses was the NBA's True Alpha Dog. Malone was a 2-time MVP with the Rockets ('79, '82). Moses was the largest & final piece to the championship puzzle. His impact was immediate, leading the team in scoring (24.5 ppg, 5th in NBA) and rebounding (15.1 rpg, 1st in NBA), along with an All-NBA 1st Team Selection. Moses carried an already stacked team on his back (Dr. J, Maurice Cheeks, Bobby Jones, etc.) as he ran through the league like a locomotive. With Malone, the Sixers had a 65-17 record (1st in NBA), while annihilating their opponents in the Playoffs. Moses used the ball as his rod, as he lead the 76ers out of Egypt, through the Red Sea to conquer and vanquish the Pharoah-esque Lakers in a sweep. Moses dominated Kareem that series as well, while posting 26.0 ppg, 15.8 rpg in 13 postseason games, en route to the Finals MVP award. The Sixers went 12-1, making them "Fo, Five, Fo". The Showtime Lakers themselves, have used this ingredient of success, much to their advantage by winning 5 titles in the '80s. Although Magic Johnson caught lightning in a bottle in the Legendary Game 6 of the 1980 Finals (Game where Kareem is hurt), and becomes a hero as a rookie, Kareem was the REAL Finals MVP. That series, he averaged 33.4 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 4.6 bpg, 3.2 apg, 55% FG, 80% FT. Kareem was the best player in the world at the time, whereas Magic was a rookie. Therefore, since Kareem was the Captain, he was the largest reason why L.A. reached the heights that they had reached at the time. That season, Kareem won his record 6th MVP award. Magic would later take the load off of Kareem as the decade progressed, but for the time being, Jabbar was the man! In 1994, when Michael Jordan left for baseball, the league's best Center Hakeem Olajuwon took the torch and held it high in Michael's absence. Coming off of a stellar 1992-93 campaign in which he averaged 26.1 ppg, 13.0 rpg, along with a league leading 4.2 bpg to win Defensive Player of the Year (2nd in MVP voting), Hakeem was at the top of his game. He would build upon that success in the '93-'94 season. Olajuwon would have the signature season of his career, averaging 27.3 ppg, 11.9 rpg, and 3.7 bpg, en route to his first MVP award and his second DPOY award. That season was a Dream year for Hakeem, as he became the only player in history to win League MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP in one season. The Dream filled the gap very well in MJ's absence, with a spectacular Finals performance vs. the Knicks. Hakeem terrorized Patrick Ewing in that series (Olajuwon- 26.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 3.9 bpg, 50% FG, PER: 27.1, Ewing- 18 ppg, 36% FG, PER: 15.5). This was certainly a performance worthy of a Finals MVP. The following year, Olajuwon would further build upon his legacy and solidify himself even more as an all-time great, with a Legendary Playoff run. That year, he averaged 33.0 ppg, 10.3 rpg, and 4.5 bpg in 22 playoff games en route to winning his 2nd straight Finals MVP (32.8 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 5.5 apg, in a sweep of Orlando). Clyde Drexler even knew Hakeem's value, which is why he demanded a trade from Portland to Houston to reunite with his old college teammate during that '95 campaign. At that point, Drexler was never the same player after becoming Michael Jordan's whipping boy in the '92 Finals, which made him another notch on MJ's belt. Therefore, he saw the small window of opportunity while His Airness was away, and he jumped on the Dream Express to win his only NBA title. Look at the San Antonio Spurs. If David Robinson was not there, I firmly believe that Tim Duncan's development would not have been the same. As a result of Robinson's presence, the Twin Tower duo of he and Duncan went on to win the first 2 out of 4 Spurs championships.

As you can see, this has been a very strong pattern throughout NBA history. A valuable Big Man is like water: you cannot live very long without it. Unfortunately, the Great NBA Center has become extinct and obsolete. This has come as a result of the league's rule changes, which opens up the floor for perimeter players. This also includes the defensive 3-second violation, where big men cannot stay in the paint for more than 3 seconds. You also have players who are not as well conditioned as they were in the Golden Years of Centers (Wilt, Hakeem, Kareem, Robinson, etc.) There was certainly as much processed food during the '90s, but the Big Men of that time were in better shape, and were more athletic, in spite of not having as much equipment, advanced weight training and vitamins that players have today. Yet, these players STILL put up OUTSTANDING numbers. Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing and a young Shaq were the best Centers of the '90s and their production proves it. There is no way that you can seriously tell me that Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler or Andrew Bynum would hold a candle to what these players did during their respective primes. Those guys look like scrubs compared to these four Hall of Fame Titans. Dwight Howard is a diva whose offensive game still has a way to go (He trains with Hakeem, what more do I need to say?), Andrew Bynum is inconsistent, and uncoordinated with a lack of footwork, and Tyson Chandler could not stand a chance against a threatening big man, with a horrific 1.1 blocks per game. 1.1 BLOCKS PER GAME?! Yeah, Chandler would really suffocate Hakeem and give him a headache! Dwight Howard could really shut down Shaq and Bynum could really slow down the Admiral! This is foolish! Players from the '90s like Olajuwon & Robinson averaged roughly 13 Rebounds, and 3-4 Blocks Per Game, IN THEIR PRIME!! Today's Big Men have become lazy, out of shape Cream Puffs, with no formidable game that strikes fear in the hearts of the opponents. Big Men like Shaq, Wilt, Russell, etc. were Gladiators that fought the good fight with dignity, pride and self-respect, not for greed! Their game spoke for them and brought the fame to them. Too many players want the fame, but their game does not support the image that they portray. Dwight Howard dominates guys who are SCRUBS!! He would not last that long in the Eras before him! Big Men, please come back! The hardcore hoops fans, like myself, need you!

Trouble in Paradise

This past Thursday, the Miami Heat hit a wall in the form of the Indiana Pacers. Dwyane Wade, the very player that the media calls "clutch" and "Jordan-esque" was anything but those things in the Game 3 loss in which he had the WORST game of his CAREER!! 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 turnovers. Forget Dominoes, this was the real 5-5-5 deal! The Heat imploded, as Wade exploded in Coach Erik Spoelstra's face with a barrage of F-Bombs and other colorful language on the bench. Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers exploded with a high energy, uptempo game that left the Heat clueless. The Pacers looked like a real army, assembled by Commander in Chief Larry Bird. Danny Granger frustrated LeBron, while David West and Roy Hibbert ran circles around Joel Anthony and "Dexter Pittman" of all people. Miami, as a whole looked lethargic. Even LeBron James, 3-time MVP packed it in with 22 points with an often joked about 4th quarter. Chris Bosh's stock has certainly risen since his injury, because they are missing his length and presence for the rebounds. However, D-Wade will receive the lionshare of the blame from me, because this is who Skip Bayless calls "Batman" and "The Closer" by both Skip and Stephen A. Smith. Well, Wade did not close, but he folded like an accordian that night. The following day on Sportscenter, there were talks of splitting up the big 3 through way of a trade. The scenarios were to trade Wade, Bosh or both. However, LeBron's name was never mentioned, because he has proven to be the most consistent factor in an inconsistent experiment. Therefore, it would be insane to get rid of the most vital and constant asset to this team, while Wade has become notorious for his injuries and Bosh's downfall has been the largest achilles heel. Thursday night's debacle in Indiana proved that players like Wade and James do not fit, because they are two halves of the same player on the same team. LeBron has extra to offer in his arsenal because of his size, and playmaking ability as a passer. Both men are dynamic on the fast break, but in the half court set and low post, they have nothing else to offer. This team is only top heavy with 3 franchise players clustered together, and a suspect bench. The Heat looked more like the Miami Cavaliers. The Heat shot 37.2% from the floor, with LeBron looking LePassive with 3-9 shooting in the 2nd half, with Wade's 2-8 in that same time. LeBron only made a total of 10 out of 22 shots, 7 boards and an abysmal 3 assists to go with a less than stellar 22 points. Dwyane Wade was a complete no show, making only 2 out of 13 shots with his pitiful 5 points. Mario Chalmers was the only one who displayed heart and effort with 25 points, while going down swinging. The Pacers outrebounded the Heat 52-36, while the Pacers grabbed 27 boards in the second half, while the Heat only had 14. LeBron's passive and complacent mindset reared its ugly head again that night, but I will not bring the hammer down on him as much as I am on Dwyane Wade's behalf. This was immature and uncharacteristic, and shows the lack of true chemistry and leadership this team really has. For someone who is painted as the go-to guy and the Captain by fans and media, Wade played like total garbage. Now, it seems as though people can no longer use the "2006 Finals" as a mask to hide Wade's deficiencies. I believe that the time has finally come to stop. You cannot coast off of a performance from 6 years ago and continue to label him as "clutch". It is about "What have you done for me lately?" not "What did you do for me 6 years ago?". Last year's Finals vs. the Mavericks was perfect proof that a 3-headed monster cannot defeat an army that blends together with a great general leading the way (Nowitzki). Wade's performance was WORST than LeBron's Finals blunder. Both men cancel each other out, because it takes the ENTIRE game for each man (LeBron & Wade) to get their 30 points, while Bosh gets his 18. Initially, even I said that it would not work when the season started last year vs. Boston. However, when they hammered the Celtics and shut down D-Rose & the Bulls, I had strong confidence that LeBron could finally reach the mountain top. Then, my initial thought was proven right, as they folded against a more complete team like Dallas. The Mavericks had a franchise player (Dirk Nowitzki), along with a past his prime Jason Kidd, another complimentary sidekick (Jason Terry) and a strong supporting cast. Now, a deeper, emerging Oklahoma City Thunder team, a gritty veteran Boston Celtics squad, and a methodical San Antonio Spurs squad, all are more complete teams that have a strong idea of who they are and what they can do. This Heat squad has absolute no clue of their identity, because the issue always rises about who should be the closer and who should have the ball in their hands more (LeBron or D-Wade). Effective and Successful teams do not have those kind of problems, because once again, they already KNOW WHO THEY ARE!! Garnett, Pierce and Allen put their egos aside for the sake of the team, and they already knew their window was closing. This is the only exception. However, San Antonio throughout the years have built their teams from the ground up through the draft and picking up smaller name role players from free agency. This is why they have become a dynasty (4 titles), with the greatest Power Forward of all-time (Tim Duncan) along with great sidekicks (Parker & Ginobili) along with a string of other pieces that fit the puzzle. Meanwhile, the Thunder are following that same blueprint of builting from square one through the draft. First, they draft a transcendent player (Kevin Durant) like the Spurs with Duncan, and add a great sidekick point guard (Russell Westbrook), a strong sixth man (James Harden), a monster defender (Serge Ibaka), along with a solid big man (Kendrick Perkins) and other key pieces. Therefore, they have a much higher ceiling in the long-term than Miami, because they have the right pieces to win them a number of titles (3 or 4). Neither of these teams are packing big name meals on one plate and throwing it in a microwave. Building a solid nucleus is a process that takes time, because the players have to become familiar with each other and the system. Sadly, the Heat are learning this the hard way. The Heat are the perfect example of a very "flawed" attempt to be a "Superteam". A TRUE Superteam consists of a transcendent franchise player, a great sidekick (another star is a bonus), along with a deep supporting cast that can work within the proper system to help that team succeed. (More on real Superteams later). If things don't work out this year or next, the Big 3 band could be disbanded and the Miami Heat Welcome Party could be over very soon. This leaves Pat Riley starting over from the drawing board and rebuilding sooner than later.

LeBron James- MV6

It is official. LeBron James has been crowned the MVP for the 3rd time in his career, and has solidified his place as the best all-around player for both his team and the regular season. The award goes to who has added the most value for his team and the most dominating player throughout the league and he certainly has fit both forms of criteria for the past 4 years. In spite of a truncated 66 game regular season, LeBron has played out of his mind. He has not only enhanced his game in the low post from his training with Hakeem Olajuwon, but he has also peaked statistically, with an insane career high field goal percentage of .531. Only 3 other players have had reached a stronger stat level in the regular season:

1. Michael Jordan ('88, '89, '90, '91)
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ('71, '72)
3. Wilt Chamberlain ('62, '63)

Appropriately, these players are my Top 3 Players of all-time. Now, I am not going off the deep end to compare LeBron to any of these guys on a larger scale like others do, but when you look at regular season, he is in very good company (when you look at NBA Metrics). Out of this list, only MJ and Kareem won the MVP during those great seasons. LeBron averaged 27.1 ppg (Career average), while shooting 53% while the league average field goal % was 45. The incedible versatility of LeBron James is what puts him above the rest, because of how efficient he is as a scorer, his terrific playmaking ability as a passer, his great rebounding to open up for his transition game, unbelievable athleticism, and improved defense. If you are looking for those ingredients all in one superstar, LeBron James is the answer. LeBron has been a master at opening the floor for his teammates and he has been able to guard every position from the 1-5 effectively. James has been the most consistent member of the Miami Heat, when their co-Alpha Dog (Dwyane Wade) has missed at least 40% of the season due to injury, relegating him to the No. 2 man on the team. This award is very valuable to a player's legacy and this raises LeBron's stock even further at this point. This dynamic reminds me of the Moses Malone/Dr. J tag team in 1983. At the time, Moses Malone was the most dominant player in the league as the reigning MVP with the Houston Rockets. Malone won his 2nd MVP award in his last season with the Rockets the previous year, with a phenomenal campaign while posting a career high 31.1 ppg, and 14.7 rpg. His first season with the Sixers, nothing changed for him from a performance standpoint. He was the best player on an already stacked team, leading the way with 24.5 ppg (5th in the league), while still leading the league in rebounding (15.3 rpg). Moses was the largest piece of the 76ers puzzle to overpower their opponents with a 65-17 record, a 13-1 playoff record (including a Finals sweep of the Lakers) and a Finals MVP for Malone. That story sounds awfully familiar doesn't it? Yes, the same story is being re-written nearly 30 years later. This time, LeBron James plays Moses Malone, and Dwyane Wade plays Dr. J. James was a force in Cleveland like Moses was in Houston. Now, he is on a more stacked team like his predecessor was. LeBron is now in elite company as one of four players in history to win multiple MVPs on multiple teams (Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone). These are the same men that I have alluded to previously in this article, and like LeBron, each player has won another MVP as a member of a new team.
1. Chamberlain was the first, as he won his 1st with the Warriors in his rookie year (1960). Six years later, as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, he wins his 2nd of an eventual 4 for his career ('60, '66, '67, '68).
2. Kareem was a record 6-time MVP, as he won his first 3 with the Milwaukee Bucks (1971, 1972, 1974) with two scoring titles as a bonus. Jabbar went on to win another 3 with the Los Angeles Lakers (1976, 1977, 1980).
3.Finally, last but not least, Moses Malone. To add further detail, Malone won his first 2 MVPs with the Rockets (1979, 1982) and his last with the Sixers (1983). The most important element for each of these players is this: They all closed out one of those campaigns with a championship. Wilt won his first title in his 3rd MVP year (1967). Kareem won two of his six rings during his first MVP season ('71) and his last MVP campaign ('80). As you already know, Moses won his only ring in his one MVP year with Philly ('83).

Now, it is time for LeBron to settle the biggest piece of unfinished business: Winning a championship. I don't want to sound like someone who overemphasizes rings, but for a player of his caliber & expectations it will further complete the painting of his body of work. This will certainly be a great form of redemption for a future Hall of Famer, Top 50 player, and one of the top 5 Small Forwards of All-Time. For those of you who say that LeBron is not clutch, let me remind you that he has orchestrated numerous great fourth quarter performances from his days with the Cavs, even several with the Heat. While LeBron layed a colossal egg in last year's Finals vs. the Mavs, he has had his share of classic playoff greatness (His destruction of the Wizards in '06, his 48-point Massacre of the Pistons in '07, his Game 7 duel with Paul Pierce in '08, and last year's domination against the Celtics & Bulls). The ultimate icing on LeBron's cake is the ring, like Nowitzki last year and many others before. I am not a LeBron-tard bandwagon fan that equates LeBron to Michael and co. but I am a fan of great players striving for greatness. I have let go of my frustration from "The Decision" in 2010 and want to see him put the ultimate exclamation point on his legacy so that everyone can finally SHUT UP!!