[gwh21Participant]

Reading the recent topic on nbadraft.net, I got to thinking, which player of “Star” status of NBA players can make the jump to “Legend” status? It can be anybody regardless of age as long as you think they have the capability to make that kind of jump. (For example Steve Nash, you may not like it but he is one of only a handful of people to win 2 MVP’s this in my mind makes him a legend of some kind). One of the rules is that they have to be in the NBA already. No John Wall’s or Brandon Jenning’s.

I’m just going to take one of the easy ones and say Kevin Durant. He is 20, 6’10, and is a top 5 scorer in the league already using a style that has never really been seen before. Once he reaches his NATURAL physical maturity (24-25 years old) I think he will be unstoppable.

My list of “Legends” in the NBA is Shaq, Kobe, TD, KG, Jason KIdd, Lebron, Wade, Ray Allen, Nash (I know, I hate myself too), MAYBE CP3…hes a close call. He definatly has the potential.

Give some reasoning also…

[QHaynes123]

I think by 3 years we will see. I mean we gotta see where they go 1st.

[WälseParticipant]

i disagree with your interpretation of the word legend…i don’t think Hall of Famer and Legend is synonomous. i think your list is filled with Hall of Famers, but the only legends for me are Shaq & potentially Lebron. When i think legend i think Jordan, Bird, Wilt, Magic, etc…i’m talking transcendent talents. change the way we see the game talents…guys who make us change the rules…Babe Ruth, Ali, Tiger Woods types. guys about which movies are made and books are written…thats just my take…

[llperez]

When I think legends, it is not just all-stars and hall of famers. It is the very best. The guys that people will be talkng about for the next 50 years and still remember and share stories of. To me, the current hands down legends are Shaq, Kobe, Lebron, Duncan, and Garnett. I do believe Wade will join this list, but if he retired tommorow, I would not include him quite yet.

[WälseParticipant]

to put this into context, you guys are saying we have 5-10 legends playing right now?!!! either you fellas are being ridiculous or we’re extremely lucky! lol

[billykParticipant]

Shaq (redefined his position) and Lebron in 10 years (will redefine his position)….

[HaleParticipant]

Shaq, Kobe, LeBron and maybe J-Kidd.

[llperez]

you make it sound like having having 5 legends at once is unheard of? In the 80’s you had Magic,Bird, Jordan, Isiah, Kareem, Dr J. And in the 90’s you had Jordan, Barkley, Malone, Shaq, Olajuwon. So if you think having 5 legends at once is absurd, then we have a different criteria of what makes a guy a legend.

Looking at my list of guys(Shaq,Kobe,Lebron,KG,Duncan and possibly wade, which ones would say are clearly not legends? I already know you are gonna say Kobe’s not because you think he sucks, but that still leaves 5 other guys.

[michaelds911Participant]

I really don’t see Ray Allen or Nash anywhere near legend status. 20 years from now people really won’t be talking about those two that much. In my opinion their are only 2-3 and sometimes 4 guys who reach that legendary status each decade.

example-

80’s – Bird, Magic, Kareem

90’s – Jordan, Olajuwon, & Shaq

2000’s – Kobe, Tim Duncan, & LeBron….He is already a legend in my mind

Everyone else was really good, like the Ewings, Drexlers, Robinson’s, Webber’s etc. but they are not going to be the first people you think of when you think of the game of basketball, and that’s what I think the true mark of a legend is.

[jdubsram-13Participant]

You forgot possibly one of the top PGs in Jason Kidd.

[llperez]

I have always loved Kidd’s game. When he broke into the game he was one of my favorite players. However, I don’t think he has ever been able to put a team on his back and carry it. When he was in New Jersey, the east was pretty weak and he did’nt really take over in the Finals. I think if we are gonna include him, then there are a lot more guys that would have to be included in this disscusion. I love Kidd, I just don’t know if he is at the same level as some of the other guys I mentioned.

[AllenParticipant]

As the point guard. Kidd definitely put the entire team on his back and carried it. He made the team go

[sheltwon3Participant]

You can’t forget Shaq and I say Kidd deserves Honorable mention because he is a truly special point guard that go NJ in the finals 3 times but they just couldn’t win. The Bulls did that to a lot of greats teams and would Houston have their rings without Jordan’s time out. The Nets ran into the Lakers and Spurs mini dynasties.

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Shaq for sure, Tim Duncan. They had to start monitoring the crossover because Iverson made Jordan stumble. They changed the way they called carrying. Don’t like how AI left Detroit hanging this year that hurts him. I think KG is the best defensive player in history not named Bill Russell, because he can guard all four positions. Who else did that ever?

[WälseParticipant]

for me, to be truly legendary, you have to go beyond your sport. i think you have to have the accomplishments, along with a certain charisma, as well as having non-sports fans knowing who you are and what you’ve done. the word legend is a very serious word….. While Duncan is truly great, his boring style of play and his quiet demeanor prevent him from being truly legendary….. i dont think Kobe sucks, but i think he has to really win independent of Shaq to really prove his worth. i’ve always seen him as a wannabe Jordan who can’t quite measure up, as well as not being able to win without Shaq, so i’m reluctant to call him a legend, altough i wouldnt argue with someone who believes he is…… KG is tremendous. one of my all-time faves, but he’s not legendary. are our great-grandchildren going to be talking about KG and Tim Duncan?…. i dont consider Isiah, Barkley, Malone as legends either. heck, Hakeem Olajuwon is my all-time fave player, but he’s not legendary.

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

I don’t care if his style is boring he was the best to play that position ever that = Legend

My kids will talk about KG when I show them footage of him ball pressuring a speedy point guard. My great- grandchildren won’t talk about Lebron either because they would have never seen him play outside of highlights, which is all thats left when all these guys go.

[kotyParticipant]

if he wins this championship, he will get to that legendary status. if he doesnt, i think he will be in the tier right below them. As for legends that are playing right now, i consider Shaq and LeBron legends, with Dwayne Wade and potentially Dwight Howard of reaching “legendary status”

[KantParticipant]

I would say a legend is someone known widely even for those who dislike sports. Jordan, Shaq, recently Kobe, Lebron…

The very best, regardedly known as “The best”. Maybe one on a decade or two. No KG, no TD, no Karl Malone…they are very very good, but if I had to pick a legend, my small list would only include the likes of Bird, Magic, Kareem, Jordan, Shaq, Kobe, Lebron. I have never seen “past legends” such as Jerry West or Mr. O. Robertson, but anyway, very few players can be legends.

A legend must be respected, so we can forget about all the Iversons and Isiahs of the league, and even we can laugh with Barkley, he is not a legend.

For example, in tennis, current legends would be Nadal and Federer, past legends are Sampras, Becker, Agassi, Laver and Borg.

[kotyParticipant]

i left out Duncan, like scout4real sed, he is the greatest power forward ever to play. He scores, rebounds, defends, and is a good teammate (not to mention the fact he is a 4 time NBA champion)

[WälseParticipant]

we all know he’s a center. lol…once Lebron leaves his mark on the game he wont need highlights. you talk about legends with or without highlights. i’ve never seen highlights of “The Goat” but folks still talk about him. thats why he’s a legend.

[WälseParticipant]

if this is directed at me, in my initial post i said “potentially Lebron”. he’s not there yet.

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

He is the best player to me and will be a legend, but how is he certified over Duncan and KG with no rings. He still needs to do more. Media hype don’t make u a legend they like who they like. The media might say the goats a legend, but not to me who is he, never heard of him. Did he play in the league or on the playground. I give no props to the playground.

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

I thought you backed it up with they will talk about Lebron not those other guys.

[gwh21Participant]

i love how NOBODY even followed the topic of this post…regardless of my “Legend” list…nobody even mentioned any POSSIBLE legends based upon the young players of today…

[WälseParticipant]

it doesn’t matter if you or I give props to the playground. the guy is a legend regardless. know what i mean? everyone on this site surely knows about him and i doubt any of us has ever even seen him play. thats what i think a legend is…

[WälseParticipant]

sorry brother. lol….but i dont think there are any. Durant surely has the best chance. Yao will be a legend for slightly different reasons.

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

LEBRON WILL BE A LEGEND I AGREE WITH THOSE.

[QHaynes123]

I think we should look at it as a hall of fame look. I think these are hall of famers as of 2010.

Kidd
Kobe
Nash
T-mac
Allen
A.I
Shaq
Duncan
Garnett
James
Wade- Yes, based on that finals performance
Pierce-same here as well. Also, by the times he retires, he will by in the top 3 scoring leaders Boston History

[NYKnicksuperFanParticipant]

but back to the original topic the only legends playing now in my opinion are Kobe, Lebron, and Shaq. As much as I love Tim Duncan every Jordan and Bird era needs players like Malone or Isiah- outstanding players yes hall of famers yes but legends…no

[billykParticipant]

TMAC great scorer, but he is no hall of famer…. A legend is a player who changes the rules of the game.

[TONYDABOSS77Participant]

a.i.’s a legend && a hall of famer

[eprizzle14Participant]

alpha said it

[rhbispParticipant]

Look, I personally believe Timmy’s accomplishments thus far are more impressive than Kobe’s, but Kobe is definitely a legend and I’d consider Yao and Rodman(seriously, the guy’s in Taboo) a legend before I’d throw Duncan in there. For me, a legendary player is one that your average girlfriend is familiar with. Therefore, since like 1980, the only legendary players are Magic, Bird, MJ, Shaq, Kobe, and Bron. Even if James never wins a title, he’ll become legendary for being the greatest athlete to never win a title. It’s tough for real basketball fans to make a list like this so short because we can pretty much name the starting five for every team and we understand how special hall-of-fame players like Duncan, KG, Hakeem, and Mailman really are. Ray Allen is arguably the greatest shooter ever and you could probably name 20 contemporaries of his that are closer to being a legend than he is.

[bigboom1Participant]

Duncan should be a legend because he transcended the stereotypical imagine of a “superstar.” By his demanor, you’d guess he was just a guy lucky to make the nba and be on the court. However, we all know that he is not just an average player but he’s all business and simply just seemingly never gets rattled. When you look at his accomplishment at the end of the day, I dare you to find a better power foward. I’m not a tim duncan fan by any means and I dont think many people really idolize him due to his style (or lack thereof). But he has the utmost respect of every player. I dont think KG is really a legend in his accomplishments, although his stats are sick and we can go into the whole kg debate about his team etc. But he was never a player to will his team, that’s okay but simply put the way he has transcended the power foward position is legendary. Every young post player aspires to have the versatility of him and models their game after him.

[johnecoParticipant]

Jason Kidd might be my favorite current NBA player, but he is NOT a legend, what are you smoking?
The arguments for Duncan are more convincing, but I wouldn’t even include him.
IMO it’s not about championships – it’s about public fascination, the awed telling and retelling of the story – that’s what defines a legend. I would say Dr. J is a way bigger legend than Tim Duncan, even though he never led a team to a championship (he got one but was not that team’s best player), and never won MVP, and is basically not as great a player as Duncan. But a whole generation talked about his dunks, and “the move”, etc, everyone wanted to be him. 30 years from now no young NBA fan will know who Duncan was.

[Iceman913Participant]

Are you serious noone will know who Duncan is? Really nobody will remember a team that one 4 championships in less then a decade? Is Kareem not a legend one of the top 3 players ever to play just because he wasnt a media favorite?

[JNixonParticipant]

Dwyane Wade is definitely on the way 2 becoming a legend. He is a once in a lifetime physical specimen (height weight speed strength natural ability)

[johnecoParticipant]

Kareem is the top scorer in NBA history. You can’t compare him to Duncan.

[billykParticipant]

Shaq taking down the whole backboard = Legendary
Kobe 82 vs the Raptors = Legendary
The evolution of Lebron = Legendary

To be a legend you have to do something that is talked about years from now as if it was a fable…..

[nthegoodlifeParticipant]

Shaq- most dominant big EVER
TD- redefined skillset of a big
Kobe- to easy

Guys on their way or talent to get there

LeBron- only thing stopping him, could be possible injuries
Wade- a few more seasons of current play (maybe another title run)
CP3- still needs atleast 5 more years of current productivity
DWil- I believe he is every bit the player CP is, just different system
KD- no telling with this kid, he’s so skilled to only be 20, btw he’s 6’10

[WälseParticipant]

is he still growing?

[nthegoodlifeParticipant]

I keep hearing people say he is, unfortunately I don’t get to see him play often. I got to see a lot of KD at Texas and it was an amazing thing.

[dwad123Participant]

lebron will be one he will have 3 mvps 4 rings. kobe 2 mvps 5 rings , wade 2 mvps 2 rings, kd 4 mvps 3 rings , rose 2 mvps 2 rings , mayo 1 mvp 2 rings , kg will finsh with 1 ring , billups 2 rings, kevin love 1 mvp 2 rings.

[dwad123Participant]

lebron will be one he will have 3 mvps 4 rings. kobe 2 mvps 5 rings , wade 2 mvps 2 rings, kd 4 mvps 3 rings , rose 2 mvps 2 rings , mayo 1 mvp 2 rings , kg will finsh with 1 ring , billups 2 rings, kevin love 1 mvp 2 rings.

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