Category Archives: Basketball

H2H 76: Vince Carter vs. Grant Hill – Who was Better?

Ahead of the 2019-2020 season, Vince Carter announced that it would be his record-setting 22nd and final NBA season; over the past two decades, it has been remarkable to watch Carter’s transformation from high-flying superstar with the Toronto Raptors to grizzled old veteran with the Atlanta Hawks.  In many ways, his career evolution parallels that of Grant Hill, who likewise was a superstar in the late 1990s with the Detroit Pistons before injuries took their toll; Hill nevertheless persevered to carve out a valuable new role to match his physical reality and was eventually inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame.  In looking back at the long and remarkable careers of both players, let us ponder the question:

Who was better – Vince Carter or Grant Hill?

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Countdown 45: Top 10 Undrafted Players in NBA History

Who are the top undrafted players in NBA history?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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H2H 73: Dennis Rodman vs. Ben Wallace – Who was Better?

Note: Updated for Ben Wallace’s 2021 Hall of Fame selection.

While the most glamorous part of playing basketball is scoring points, every championship team also needs players who can rebound, play defense, and do the dirty work necessary to win.  In the history of the NBA, perhaps no players better epitomize the role of an offensively-challenged, yet ferocious rebounder and defender better than Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace. Both were relatively undersized, yet more than made up for it with their hustle and determination, transforming from unheralded prospects to All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year anchors for championship teams – as two of the greatest rebounding and defense specialists ever, the natural question is:

Who was better – Dennis Rodman or Ben Wallace?

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Countdown 42: Top 10 International Players in NBA History

Who are the top international players in NBA history?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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H2H 69: Charles Barkley vs. Elgin Baylor – Who was Better?

Basketball has historically been a game dominated by taller players; in particular, when it comes to the paint area near the hoop, towering forwards and centers measuring close to seven feet tall battle each other to score and rebound.  However, despite these archetypes, every so often an undersized player comes around and outplays the competition in spite of his height – during the NBA’s history, two undersized players fitting this description were 6’6” Charles Barkley and 6’5” Elgin Baylor.  Though each player often gave up a few inches to the competition, both were 20-and-10 machines who played well above their height en route to Hall of Fame careers, thus prompting the question:

Who was better – Charles Barkley or Elgin Baylor?

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Countdown 37: Top 10 Shooting Guards in NBA History

Who are the top shooting guards in NBA history?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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H2H 65: Kevin McHale vs. Robert Parish – Who was Better?

During the 1980s, the NBA was dominated by the fierce rivalry between cornerstone franchises the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, who combined for eight titles during the decade.  Each team was loaded with stars and Hall of Famers – on the Lakers side, there was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Michael Cooper, etc. Meanwhile, for the Celtics, Larry Bird was the clear alpha, but also formed one of the original “Big Threes” and a dominant frontcourt alongside Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.  Between the tough-nosed and versatile McHale and the durable and consistent Parish, each player was an All-Star and Hall of Famer in his own right, thus bringing up the question:

Who was better – Kevin McHale or Robert Parish?

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Countdown 34: Top 10 Boston Celtics of All Time

Who are the top Boston Celtics of all time?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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Countdown 31: Top 10 #1 Overall Picks in NBA History

Who are the top #1 overall picks in NBA history?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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H2H 60: Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell – Who was Better?

When you think of great individual rivalries in the NBA, two immediately come to mind – Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson in the 1980s (which was credited with reviving the league’s sagging popularity) and before that, the original great rivalry of Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell in the 1960s.  As towering giants of the NBA’s early days (both literally and figuratively), Chamberlain and Russell dominated the game in extraordinary fashion, an ongoing head-to-head clash between the former’s individual brilliance and the latter’s championship greatness with the Boston Celtics.  More than half a century after each player’s prime, the two legends continue to hold a revered place in the upper echelons of basketball immortality and the comparison remains timeless:

Who was better – Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell?

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