The most talked about subject in all sports is who is the BEST. If you want to create interest OR create animosity just offer up your opinion about the best shooter of all-time or the best scorer of all time OR the best player of all-time. All of us like lists. Obviously, there is no 100% correct answer. There are A LOT of opinions, a few are fact based, but most are based on personal choices. Sports fans have an opinion about everything. Some fans (short for fanatics) have a difficult time dealing with anyone who does not agree with their opinion. I have written over 50 posts for my website (thebasketballgoat.com) and for several different basketball websites. Most of the responses have been complementary and cordial, but some of the responses are personal and judgmental. I received several criticisms for not having Pete Maravich in my top 10 playmakers. I get it, and understand everyone is entitled to their opinion. But just because YOUR player is not on a list that does not mean the person is a moron, or doesn’t know anything about the game. Maybe he deserved to be in the top 10. BUT based on the CRITERIA I used to pick the top 10, “maybe” there were 10 other players that “graded out” better I received the same kind of hostile responses when I listed my greatest scorers. I received over 500 responses, and as I expected a lot of the criticism was about not picking Jordan, Kareem, or Wilt as the greatest scorer of all time. To be honest, any one of the three would be a good choice. BUT based on the criteria I used Kevin Durant had the highest marks. (To review, my criteria; ability to create your own shot, 3-point shooting, FG%, ability to handle the ball and get to the basket, match-up problems for the defense, and free throw shooting.) I also considered the era in which they played. But to say that KD is not even one of the best scorers of his generation lessens the credibility of the argument. I know how many points they each scored and how many points a game they averaged, that is easy. That only requires a quick log into basketball-reference.com. One of the most difficult things for me to do when I write a post or when I was writing my book was to FOLLOW the criteria. It is easy and natural to want to inject personal biases into the article, but I try to keep it fact based and let the research dictate the conclusion(s).  

I have been asked many times who the G.O.A.T. is in my book. I refuse to answer that, not because I want to sell my book, which I do, but because I want the reader to read the first 24 pages of the first chapter that explains my criteria and how I picked my Top 75. You may not agree with my criteria or my conclusions, and that’s okay, but you will understand how I arrive at my conclusions. The second most asked question about my book is “what is your criteria”? That is the reason for this post. 

I spent over 10 months doing research and writing my book. I was a high school and college basketball coach for 22 years. I have been involved with basketball for over 70 years. During these years I have developed a philosophy and some principles that have become the basis for my thoughts and ideas about the game I love. My criteria are based on my experiences as a player, coach, and fan. I used these 10 criteria to define greatness on the basketball court.  

#1)  Dominance-The best player on the floor. Every athlete rises to a level that is their maximum level of success. At every level of competition, even in the NBA, there is one player that rises above the rest.

#2) Physicality- As it is defined by Webster “intensely physical orientation”. Size, quickness, speed, jumping ability are all components but equally as important is the development of those God given attributes. *In my book I have this third but since I wrote my book in 2022, I have moved it up to number two. 

#3)  Longevity- Simply stated, for how long a period of time was the player elite? I reward consistency whether that is for a game, season, or career. I believe it takes perseverance, discipline, hard work, and often just good fortune to stay healthy and compete at the highest level year after year. I believe it is harder to stay on top than to get there. 

#4)  Offense vs. Defense- Offense requires more skill to master than defense. Defense may travel or be more consistent or whatever other cliché you want to use but it takes more athletic ability to score than to keep someone from scoring. 

#5)  Statistics- There is a reason why I list stats fifth and not first or second. They can be misleading and influenced by circumstances. There are no other criteria that has been influenced more by the rules, court, and era than statistics. Numbers can deceive. 

#6)  Awards and Honors- This criteria is very relevant to the era. There were several awards that were not even given until 1956-57 such as the MVP. Other awards like All-Defensive was first given in 1968-69. I give more “weight” to modern day recipients because of the number of teams and players. (It is harder to win an award with 450 players in the league than 90 and it is harder to win a title with 30 teams rather than 8 or 9.) 

#7)  Winning- This may be the most controversial criteria, not because it is a criteria but because I have it #7. I understand the object of the game is to win AND the most important thing is to win. BUT basketball is a TEAM sport, and ONE player does not win a championship. I go into detail explaining my philosophy about roles, contributions, chemistry, etc. in my book. 

#8)  Yardstick- I recently did a post about the “yardstick”. The yardstick is the measuring device (player) that is the best in a particular fundamental or aspect of the game by which all other players are measured. i.e. shooting Curry or Bird, rebounding Wilt or Russell 

#9)  Clutch- The player who performs at the highest level in the greatest of pressure situations. Who thrives in the playoffs and when the lights are brightest? 

#10)Plays Both Ends of the Court- I have offense as my fourth most important criteria but I do not believe that a player can be considered great without being a good defensive player. There are no players in my Top 75 just because they scored a lot of points.

*I go into much more detail defining and explaining my criteria in my book.   

These are the 10 criteria that I believe are the best indicators of greatness. I think it is easy to recognize greatness but difficult to define it. These criteria helps me to not only recognize it but to use it to differentiate levels of greatness.