why is michael jordan the greatest basketball player of all-time?

What the hell do you mean where did I get those stats? It means when you add up all the scoring records, defensive player of the year awards, rings, mvp's, etc. for each player, Jordan by far has the highest cumulative amount of all those things.

Actually, I disagree with all those who say the proof that he's the best isn't in the stats. Sure you can say things like "his determination, his edge, blah blah blah," but those are intangibles that usually won't work as convincing arguments to nonbelievers as to why he's the greatest ever. Those are intangible qualities, that he did indeed possess, but it's tough to convince people he's the greatest just on stuff like that alone. They'll just come back with things like "well that's just his reputation, I don't want to hear about his killer instinct, I want to know why he's actually the best, objectively." While the stats don't tell the whole story, they sure as HELL give him an overwhelming advantage over any player in NBA history just because they are so vastly superior in every way. Why would you ignore the stats when they're the most compelling evidence of his greatness?

First off, we already know he took the league to another level with his grace, athleticism, and creativity on the court. No one past or present even comes close in terms of artistry and creativity. In addition to this, he was a statistical machine, not only in scoring, but in offensive efficiency, and defense as well. He was not only the greatest regular season performer of all time (his stats in the 1987-1988 and 1988-1989 were the greatest individual stats by any player in history). His PER during those years were the highest in NBA history, higher than Wilt, Kobe, Lebron, etc. But in addition to his regular season brilliance, he was the greatest playoff performer ever (just look at his playoff stats and MVP's, titles, ppg, fg%, that sort of thing). Here are some things to look at that make it hard to choose against MJ as the greatest of all time:

NBA ALL-TIME LEADERS (UPDATED 6/20/10):

(All statistical records + playoff records + career averages + playoff averages + MVPs + Finals MVPs + Rings + All-1st teams + All-1st Defensive Teams + All-star games + All-star MVPS)

1st Place: MJ, 149 total points

2nd Place: Wilt, 124 total points

3rd Place: Bill, 118 total points

4th Place: Jabbar, 114 total points

5th Place: Magic, 102 total points

(Active Players):

1st Place: Shaq, 87 total points

2nd Place: Kobe, 77 total points

3rd Place: Tim D, 75 total points

ALL-TIME SCORING RECORDS:

1st Place: MJ, 24 scoring records

2nd Place: Wilt, 18 scoring records

3rd Place: Irrelevant because it's so much lower than the top 2

- Highest career scoring average: MJ 30.12

- Highest career playoff scoring average: MJ 33.4

- Highest career Finals scoring average: MJ 33.6 (min. 15 games)

- Highest single season scoring average: Wilt 50.4

- Highest single season playoff average: MJ 43.7

- Highest single series playoff average: West 46.3

- Highest single Finals series average: MJ 41.0

- Most Total Points Career: Kareem 38387

- Most Total Points Season: Wilt 4029

- Most Total Points Playoffs: MJ 5987

- Most Total Points Finals: West 1679

- Most seasons leading league in scoring: MJ 10

- Most seasons leading league in total points: MJ 11

- Most consecutive seasons leading in scoring: MJ, Wilt tied at 7

- Most 60 point games: Wilt 32

- Most 50 point games: Wilt 118

- Most 50 point games playoffs: MJ 8

- Most 40 point games: Wilt 271

- Most 40 point games playoffs: MJ 38

- Most 30 point games: MJ 563

- Most 30 point games playoffs: MJ 109

- Most consecutive 60 point games: Wilt 4

- Most consecutive 50 point games: Wilt 7

- Most consecutive 50 point games playoffs: MJ 2

- Most consecutive 45 point games: Wilt 7

- Most consecutive 45 point games playoffs: MJ 3

- Most consecutive 40 point games: Wilt 14

- Most consecutive 40 point games rookie: AI 5

- Most consecutive 40 point games playoffs: West 6

- Most consecutive 40 point games finals: MJ 4

- Most consecutive 35 point games: Wilt 33

- Most consecutive 30 point games: Wilt 65

- Most consecutive 30 point games playoffs: Elgin 11

- Most consecutive 30 point games finals: MJ 9

- Most consecutive 20 point games: Wilt 126

- Most consecutive 20 point games playoffs: MJ 60

- Most consecutive 20 point games finals: MJ 35

- Most consecutive double figures scoring: MJ 866

- Most consecutive points in one game: Manu 24

- Most consecutive points in one game playoffs: LBJ 25

- Highest scoring game: Wilt 100

- Highest scoring game playoffs: MJ 63

- Highest scoring game finals: Elgin 61

- Highest scoring game rookie: Wilt 58

- Highest scoring all-star game: Wilt 42

- Highest scoring all-rookie game: KB 31

- Most points in 3 quarters: Wilt 69

- Most points in one half: Wilt 59

- Most points one half playoffs: Sleepy Floyd 39

- Most points in one half finals: MJ 35

- Most points one half all-star game: Rice 24

- Most points in one quarter: Carmelo/Gervin 33

- Most points in one quarter playoffs: Sleepy Floyd 29

- Most points in one quarter finals: Isiah 25

- Most points in one quarter all-star game: Rice 20

- Most points in OT: Arenas 16

- Most points in OT playoffs: Drexler 13

- Most points in OT in finals: Havlicek, Laimbeer,

Ainge tied at 9

- Oldest to score 50: MJ 51 at age 38

- Oldest to score 40: MJ 43 at age 40

I don't know if you can really define a great player by the stats. I know I wouldn't ever mentioned Kareem Abdul Jabaar as one of the greatest ever although he was by stats. So I would just let you consider this, and I may be out on the ledge on this one, but really Michael Jordan is the best because of what you felt inside when you saw him play. I remember thinking, man, if there was one person born to play basketball, that was Michael. See, I got to see Michael a lot and actually I am not a bulls fan. I am a Jazz fan. I loved Malone and Stockton, but man, there was something about the effortless magic that Michael had that impacted me. I also saw him at one of the NBA's All-Star games and the dunks, and man, there was no one like him. I hated that he killed my team in two finals and that all my family made fun of me, for being a Utah Jazz fan but he was and is, the best to have ever played the game

Most people think he is because of the things he has done for the game. Sure Larry and Magic made it popular, but Jordan took it to a whole nother level in terms of popularity. You don't necessarily have to have the most rings or whatnot to be considered the best, how he played the game, how he always willed himself to victory every game.

He won 6 rings, 6 Finals MVPS, 5 MVPS, 1 DPOY, countless other awards and records. Just about everyone who works in the NBA, old or young considers him to be the greatest. Now they can not all be wrong, and you be right.

He was Player of the Year as a junior, but no one could have predicted the success he had as a pro. He was taken with the third pick of the draft and there was no controversy at all. He was not a star with the team that won the national title. He was a freshman starter, but Sam Perkins and James Worthy were the stars.

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You wont find the answer to this question in his stats.

The answer lies in his ability to play the game and how he brought that "edge" that so many NBA players don't bring today.It was that killer instinct of going in for the kill and walking away with the championship by all means necessary.

I guess you had to have actually seen him play to know I don't know if you did but anybody who's seen the guy play and knows what basketball was like in the Jordan era just knows he was the best.

Michael L gave all to you .. But I will say Michael Jordan is just the BEST.

He is the greatest because he brought change to basketball and he also did great things many times.

I would put Bill Russell ahead of him. I would argue that bill russell would probably have more finals mvp's than jordan if they gave them out during the early part of his career. All this proves is that your boy kobe is even farther down the list.