Nick Wright's Top 50 NBA Players of the Last 50 Years # 12-10: Moses, Dr. J, & Steph Curry

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And all three of these guys have a claim that they were on the single greatest team in NBA history. In fact, I think the two greatest teams in NBA history were comprised of these three players plus you know, obviously some others one notable player who we just had in the rankings. But we will that will make sense when we are done, You're gonna be like, really, the two greatest teams ever. We can discuss that maybe at the very end. But Number twelve the inspiration for this project.

You could argue the most underrated player in the history of professional basketball.

and he's top ten all time in points. He's not remembered as fondly for reasons I can't quite figure out. And we'll talk about his amazing playoff success and some really good playoff success against one Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who might show up number one on this list when we finally get there. He was a trendsetter, never played college ball right from high school to the ABA. But the reason I think he doesn't get the long term respect is because at the end of his career he bounced

around the league so much. In fact, and before we get to the playoff stuff, true story about Moses Malone in relation to me, I was about eight years old, so this is early nineties. Moses is still playing, and I'm in the back of my dad's car looking through my basketball cards because I used to have a giant collection of basketball cards, and I come across a Moses Malone. I think it was at Lanah Hawk's card. And the way my dad tells the story is I just start

crying and he's like, what is wrong? And I said, I'm just worried, Like what are you worried about? I was like, I'm worried that when I make the NBA, I'm gonna get traded all the time, like this Moses Malone guy. That's true story. Little did I know that while Moses Malone was traded quite a bit, uh, he was one of the greatest players in league history from the late seventies to the mid eighties. So let's go through the playoffs stuff. And yes, at eight years old,

I did think I was gonna make the NBA. I didn't really give up the ghost on that till about eleven years old. Okay, postseason accomplishments one time champ, two time finalists, and a Finals MVP, and that one time champ, I think it's it's not I think I know it's one of the two best teams ever. The eighty three Sixers and the twenty seventeen Warriors are the two greatest teams ever. He was the Finals MVP for that team.

But let's start with nineteen seventy five. He's nineteen years old and averages twenty three to eighteen in the first playoff series of his life. He's nineteen, including a thirty and thirty game, a thirty point thirty rebound game. Nineteen seventy seven, he's to the NBA thirty. He has a thirty one and twenty six in his first series ever against Elvin Hayes and West un celt He averages twenty

and seventeen for the series. In round two against Doctor J who would eventually team up with more on him in a moment. He has a thirty and twenty five game from nineteen seventy nine until nineteen eighty five, so that's a six season stretch. He averages twenty six and fifteen in the playoffs nineteen seventy nine, first round exit, nineteen eighty Let's go thirty seven and twenty to close

out the Spurs in round one. He's swept by Boston in round two, a Celtics team that was an excellent obviously excellent Celtics team didn't win the title, but a great Celtics team averages twenty five and eleven against those Celtics in that series nineteen eighty one, and this is where he'd get his respect. They beat the defending champion Lakers. He averages thirty one to eighteen against Kareem. This is Kareem. You could argue, is he's still at his peak? I

don't know. He had just won League MVP a year prior. He averages thirty one and eighteen, including a thirty eight point twenty three rebound game in game one. The next round, he beats the Spurs in seven games. George Gervin go home, averaging twenty eight to twelve, including a forty one and fifteen in game three, and then beats the Kansas City Kings in the Western Conference Finals. How does he beat him? It's two two? What happens in games five and six?

He is a forty two and twenty three followed by a thirty six and eleven to get to the finals. He was the best player in those finals against Boston, but they lose to Boston in six. He averages twenty two and sixteen, leads the series, leads Bird leads the series in points per game and rebounds per game. That's nineteen eighty one nineteen eighty two. He loses in round one to Seattle despite averaging twenty four and seventeen, and goes to Philly. So what happens in Philly. That's the

faux faux fou year. Moses Malone predicted they would not lose a playoff game, they'd go faux fau fo. Instead, they went faux five to fou for the playoffs. Nineteen eighty three, first playoff game with Philadelphia thirty eight points, seventeen, rebounds, four assists, averages thirty one and sixteen for a sweep against the Knicks. Then next round against Milwaukee averages twenty two to fourteen and to make the finals, head a

twenty eight and seventeen to close them out. And then in the finals again out playing Kareem Abdul Jabbar with a championship on the line, outplays Kareem averaging twenty six to eighteen, leading the series in points and rebounds. Again the next year, he's out in round one, but averages twenty one and fourteen. Nineteen eighty five, back in the conference finals, loses to Boston. A great Celtics team, average twenty eleven for the playoff for the that entire playoff run.

Nineteen eighty seven, he's with Washington. Now you're playing the great Detroit Pistons. Isaiah Thomas had thirty one and sixteen, and the only game that was close they got swept. Nineteen eighty eight. Again, Now you're old. Moses came into the league nineteen seventy five. It's now nineteen eighty eight, playing Detroit again, averages eighteen eleven for the series. Nineteen eighty nine, it's playing for the Hawks, averages twenty one

and twelve for the playoffs. So Moses Malone top ten all time, in points, top three all time and rebounds. The only guys with more MVPs are Lebron, Michael Kareem, Wilt and Russell. Arguably the best player is certainly the finals MVP on arguably the best team ever. The twelfth greatest player of the last fifty years won Moses Malone. Now I'm excited for a caller who undoubtedly never watched a single Moses Malone game to tell me why I'm wrong. Let's see who it.

I feel like you're trying to, you know, make a statement to the young people, and I feel like you missed Moses Malone way too high on this ranking.

Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, going back and forth. Then it was Kareem for a decade who took it from Kareem, Bill Russell, who took it from Bill Russell. I'm sorry, jeez, I said that wrong. Who took it from Kareem, Moses Malone who took it from Moses, Larry Bird, then Magic, then Michael, then a Keen, then Michael again, then Shack, then Duncan. Then there's some argument some would say after

Duncan was Kobe. I would say, after Duncan and Lebron, but let's give it to Kobe, then Kobe, then Lebron, then Yannis. Though that's the full list of people to be the best player a lot Moses is on that list. He's the twelve best player of the last fifty years. We'll be right back with ten and eleven. Ooh boy, these are fluid rankings as we sit here today. We'll do that next.

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means for Doctor J when we're discussing it. He had a decade where no matter what league he was in, he was either the best guy or a top five guy. His MVP award like voting goes as follows from ABA to the NBA second first, first, first, then comes to the NBA fifth tenth, second, first, third, fifth, sixth. So from nineteen seventy two to nineteen eighty four, with one exception his second year in the NBA, he's top six in MVP voting. Every single year. He wins four of them,

he finishes second two other times. Like That's who he was. And it wasn't just that he was this great regular season player where he's a three time ABA scoring champion. In the playoffs, he's unbelievable. So he's a two time ABA champion, two time ABA playoff off MVP and then when he came to the NBA. Yes, he was a champion on the team we talked about arguably the greatest team ever, the eighty three sixers, but he also made

three other finals. So after dominating the ABA for his half decade playing there, he comes to the NBA and his first seven years in the NBA, he makes the finals four times, wins the title. Is the best player on three finalists. So let's go through it. Nineteen seventy two and Demonse sits here during these Rancor shows but doesn't chime in the doctor J stuff. Demonse is going to blow your mind because I know you've seen some of the highlights. Nineteen seventy two. He's twenty two years old.

His first playoff series ever. He averages thirty eight and nineteen A twenty two year old in his first playoff series, how would I average? Thirty eight points nineteen rebounds, including a fifty three point fourteen rebound game Round two, he's playing Rick Berry in the ABA. Averages thirty one and twenty one in a seven game series, but they lose in seven. Nineteen seventy three, he's twenty three years old. He averages thirty and nine, but he loses in round one.

He does have a forty and ten game nineteen seventy four, he's twenty four years old. He goes twelve to two in the playoffs and route to his first championship. To get to the finals, averages thirty and nine in the finals. First finals game everages twenty four years old, so the same age Jason Tatum is right now. He has a forty seven to ten in his first finals game ever. For the Finals, he averages twenty eight points, eleven rebounds,

five assists, two blocks, one steal per game. That's doctor J in the ABA at twenty four nineteen seventy five. They lose in round one, despite the fact that he scores thirty four separate times nineteen seventy six to get back to the finals in a seven game series, averages thirty two points, eleven rebounds, five assists. Game one of the final Finals throws up a forty five to twelve, and four Game two of the Finals throws up a forty eight fourteen to eight. Four of the Finals averages

thirty eight points, fourteen rebounds, five assists. He's now won two championships, so now in the ABA, he's won three MVPs, two titles. Two. They don't have finals MVPs in the ABA, they have just playoff MVPs. Won that twice. So he's like, Okay, maybe I should go over to the NBA. Try my

luck there. First playoff game ever in the NBA, thirty six points, ten rebounds, five assists against the defending champion Celtics, who they the Philadelphia seventy six ers went and beat thirty four to nine, and six against Moses who we just talked about to get to the finals. First in the NBA. In the finals in the finals, tied two to two against Bill Walton and that Blazers team. In Game five, thirty seven points, nine rebounds, seven assists. They

lose by like five. Game six, facing elimination, forty points, six rebounds, eight assists, they lose by two. But he gets he gets dinged because they were up two. Oh they lost four straight. He averaged thirty points, seven rebounds, five assists for those finals nineteen seventy eight nineteen seventy nine, back to back first round or where you can't get out of the East. He averages in those two years.

Averages in the playoffs twenty four points nine, rebounds, five assists, including in that probably the best moment of George Gervin's career, a Game seven where Gervin beat Doctor J. He scores at Doctor J had thirty four, five and eight in the Game seven loss to Gervin. Nineteen eighty, He's back in the finals. Outplays Larry Bird, whose name we haven't heard yet on this list in the Eastern Conference Finals,

averaging twenty five, eight and four, tied to two. In the finals against the nineteen eighty Lakers, Kareem Magic that team Norm Nixon if you want him, Doctor J thirty six points nine and rebounds six assists, but they lose. Kareem is too much in that game with forty to fifteen, and then Game six is the famous game Kareem's out with an injury, Magic jump center. Magic has one of

the greatest games ever and the Lakers win. So now he's been to the finals twice in the NBA, lost in both nineteen eighty one, playing that great Milwaukee team that we talked about earlier. Game seven against Milwaukee, second round of the playoffs twenty or I guess the back then this was the first round. But to get to the conference finals twenty eight points, seven rebounds, three is says, six blocks in a game seven to get to the conference finals. Go up three to one on the Celtics.

They blow the three to one league. They lost games five, six, and seven by two points two points, one point. That Celtic team would go on to win the title. He'd have won that title. You cannot convince me otherwise he wouldn't won that title. They're up three to one, they lose those three games by combined five points. Instead, Bird goes on to win the title. Nineteen eighty two, Okay, let's just go back to the finals again, where Doctor j W should be. In the finals, he outplays Bird.

I'm sorry. In nineteen eighty two, gets back to the finals against defending champion Boston. I believe he outplays Bird to get to the finals. Twenty nine points in a game seven, twenty nine points, four rebounds, five assists, three steals, three blocks to beat the Celtics, the defending champs, to get back to the finals. In the finals, you're playing

the Lakers again and again. Kareem's too much. Magic's too much, but he averages twenty five point eight rebounds and in Game six, the final game of that series, thirty points, eight rebounds, three assists, five blocks, but they lose nineteen eighty three. They add Moses, Moses, who's had success against Kareem. They finally have some help. As we talked about earlier. They lose one game. The entire playoffs. They sweep the

Lakers who have been beating them. He averages for the playoff or for the finals nineteen points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal, three blocks. That's Doctor J. So the idea that Doctor J is, you know, one of the greats, but not one of the greatest. I rejected out of hand. You can't dismiss what he did in the ABA, and let's get to a Doctor J. Caller. I specifically requested we get Chris Brussard for Doctor J because he can

discuss why the ABA stuff is really impressive. Let's listen to Bruce Sard.

the ABA won more than the NBA. They won seventy nine to seventy six in total games. But then during the last three years of the league they actually won about sixty six percent of the games against the NBA. So if we value the NBA titles of that era, and we do, the Knicks won their two titles during that era. Jerry West won his one title during that era, Wilts title. One of his second title, came during that era. We should value the ABA rings just as much as

we do in the NBA rings. So it's good to see the doctor getting so much love.

years is Wardell Stephan Curry. What you are about to see I recorded right before these finals started, the finals, that Steph just won his fourth ring, so all of this information still applies. I'm gonna let you guys see what we were saying about Steph right before these finals. Then I'm gonna be back in this exact outfit talking momentarily about the finals that just happened, which cemented him ahead of Julius Irving and as the tenth best player

of the last fifth years. But I mean, he was top twelve even without this ring, as you're gonna see from what he had already accomplished that we talked about last week. But you guys are seeing right now.

first ever unanimous MVP in twenty sixteen. Even though Lebron Trduani Aos in twenty thirteen he got nine nine of one hundred votes, I'm not still better. He has two other MVP top fives. He's a two time scoring champion, He's a one time steals champion. He was the best player on the greatest regular season team ever. He is a fifty to forty ninety guy, and damn near a fifty to forty ninety career guy forty seven, forty three

to ninety one for his career. So, then with Steph, the question is playoffs, and the answer is he has been really good in the playoffs, but as of now, he's a six time finalist and as of recording, he's a three time champion. He was the best player on four finals teams. He was well, yeah, he was the best player on four finals teams. You could argue three finals teams. What are you gonna do with twenty nineteen,

who's gonna say's the best player? Durant was probably the best player during the season, but then he got hurt in the playoffs. He was the best player on one champion and the second best player on two other champions. Now you might say, hold on, Nick, you have Steph ranked the head of Durant. How are you saying that Durant was the best player, because when they played together in those finals, Durant was the best. However, Steph, his totality of his body of work means he has had

the better career. Let's talk about Steph's playoffs stuff, because I think it's misrepresented on both sides. I think folks that act like ste has not been great in the playoffs are lying, and folks that act like, actually, STEP's been a better in the finals than in the regular season. That's obviously a lot. Okay, twenty thirteen first playoff series ever, he has a thirty and thirteen, and he has a forty four and eleven in double overtime against the Spurs

to start round two. I believe that was his greatest playoff game. That it's unfair, it wasn't his greatest playoff game ever, but that was the welcome to the to super stardom Steph Curry moment when everyone had to take notice. Twenty fourteen, they lose in seven against the Clippers in round one. He averages twenty three to eight for the series, including a thirty three point five rebound, nine er sisters three

steal game in Game seven. So that's a game seven against Chris Paul, Steph's second year in the playoffs, and he has a thirty three to five, nine to three in game seven. Twenty fifteen sweep of Anthony Davis in New Orleans averages thirty four, five and seven and had his second career forty point playoff game. In round two, he has a thirty two and ten to close out Memphis. You remember that series, that series Memphis was up to one. That was actually a little bit of, you know, a

tumult for the Warriors. They figured it out in games four, to five and six, Steph closed them out with thirty two and ten in the conference finals against Houston, averages thirty one points, five rebounds, six assists. And then in those finals, what everybody remembers is Deli giving him trouble Lebron's masterpieces in games one, two, and three. What should not be forgotten is this Game four of those finals.

I believe to be Steph Curry's finest playoff moment. He had thirty or game five, pardon me not game four. He had thirty seven, seven and four in the key game Game five of those finals to go up three to two on Cleveland. Deli had since been to the hospital getting ibs. He was so tired from running around Steph. That was that was a great team. But because Clay doesn't dribble and Draymond was a better offensive player then than he is now. But everybody knew you had to

stop Steph. He still dropped thirty seven to go up three to two on the Cabs in those finals. He did average in those finals twenty six points per game. Now, I believe Lebron was MVP of those finals, but it is criminal that in the official NBA record books, Steph Curry got zero Finals MVP votes. It was seven for Andre Guadala, four for Lebron, zero for Steph. If you weren't going to vote for Lebron, not voting for Steph there as crazy, especially how he finished it. Okay, so

now they're the champions. Then in twenty sixteen, he is as good of a regular season as any players ever had. His team wins seventy three games, he wins the scoring title, he wins anamnes MVP. He then gets hurt right before the playoffs, comes or right at the beginning of playoffs, comes back and has forty points, nine rebounds, eight assists, including a record that I don't know if will ever

be broken seventeen points in overtime. He had a seventeen point overtime period in his first game back against Dame and CJ and Portland. That was the famous I'm back game. Who was kind of a little weird because then after that Warriors fans were like, oh, STEP's hurt when he didn't play great in the finals, but he had seventeen in overtime after then. This is key one of the

reasons he's ahead of Durant in these rankings. They're down three to one to OKC Games five, six, and seven, he averages thirty three, seven and eight, including in game seven, another huge Game seven thirty six points, five rebounds, eight assists. Then the first four against Cleveland he plays well. He plays unbelievably in Game four thirty eight points, five rebounds, six assists to go up three to one on the Cabs. But then we know what happened. Lebron and Kyrie had

dual masterpieces in game five. Lebron had a singular masterpiece in Game six, and then Steph had the worst playoff game of his life in game seven. Listen, that's got to be part of the story. He was I think six for nineteen. I can pull it up real quick. I think it was six for nineteen. We all remember the behind the back pass out of bounds earlier in the series. His you know, his wife accuses the league of being rigged for ratings or money. He throws his

mouthpiece at a fan. The whole thing's ugly, so that was tough for him. But then to his credit, he recognizes the Warriors can't beat Lebron as presently constituted not a healthy Cavs team. He gets Kevin Durant to come join him, and then they have. You could argue I said it earlier. The two greatest teams ever, the eighty three Sixers and the twenty seventeen Warriors. Why they were both championship caliber teams that had been multiple finals and

then added and in their prime league MVP. The Sixers added Moses, the Warriors added Durant. If people are like, oh, how you know who was? How good were the ninety six Bulls, well what if the ninety seven Bulls added to kim olaj one, then they'd be the greatest team ever. That's essentially what the Warriors did. They only did that because Steph allowed them to do it. Twenty seventeen, they're just sweeping their way through the playoffs. That looks like

and to close out Portland. Steph has thirty seven to seven and eight, averages thirty five and seven for the series. Game one of the Western Afference Finals has another forty piece averages thirty two, six and five for the series, as they swept the entire West averages twenty seven, eight and nine in the finals, so that's important. Those were probably STEP's best finals. He averaged twenty seven to eight and nine. The problem is Durant averaged like thirty five.

Soever it was clear Durant was Finals MVP for the playoff run. He averaged twenty eight six and seven twenty eighteen Western Conference Finals. This is key. These are again clutch moments facing adversity. They're down three to two to Houston. He has twenty nine to five and six, and then in game seven twenty seven points, nine rebound centesus four

steals to get to his fourth straight Finals. Could have been the finals MVP at thirty seven in the final game of those finals and average twenty eight six and seven for the finals, but Katie got it, mostly because he hit that big shot over Lebron For the second straight year twenty nineteen, he has a thirty eight to fifteen and seven fifteen rebound Steph underrated rebounder firs size thirty eight to fifteen and seven to start the playoffs

and then an iconic game against Houston. Durant's already gone down. If you just look at the box score, you say, oh, game six against Houston, Steph at thirty three points. He had zero in the first half and he had thirty three in the second half to beat James Harden Send them home, beat them in Houston, swept Portland without Durant in the conference finals, averaging thirty seven, eight and seven. Game three of the twenty nineteen finals tied one game apiece.

Durant's not back yet. Steph had forty seven, eight and seven, but the Warriors lost by double digits in that game. Averaged thirty one five and six, not on great efficiency, but still thirty one five and six. For the finals, they obviously, you know, losing six. Durant comes back. The one What also hurts Steph there is they had two wins there. One of the two was when Durant came back, had eleven points in a quarter and then popped his achilles. But at that point he has five finals, he has

three rings. Then he misses the playoffs back to back years, and now this year is back in the finals. So that's why he is where he is, without question. One of the twelve girls players the last fifty years won Stephan Curry. Let's get to a Steph Curry caller or callers if we can, please.

Did you consider putting him higher on your list just for the mere fact that Steph Curry changed NBA basketball as we know it, and.

Larry Bird? Do you have him? Kobe Bryant, Akim Olajuan, the guys who are gonna be coming up in future episodes like is that do you? I don't think you do. And as far as do I give Steph extra legacy credit for how he changed the game, I do not. I If we're ranking the greatest baseball players ever, how do you fit? Do you have Jackie Robinson number one? Maybe the most important athlete ever, but it's not better

than Babe Ruth. Those are separate discussions in a similar way. Yes, Steph Curry changed the game, but that to me, if I'm talking about how impactful you were, how great you were, I can't give you legacy points on that. I think I have him ranked quite fairly. I reject nearly everything Pablo said, except for the long list of jobs he currently has that he does, you know, at a halfway

decent level. We'll be right back, all right, and now I'm back to the day after Steph Curry won his fourth title to talk about these finals, because we weren't able to talk about it during the bulk of that Steph Curry segment because we recorded it right when the finals started. So Steph going into these finals was right the neck and neck with Doctor J for eleven or ten. And what pushed him over the top was the two

kind of odd omissions from his resume. He got them both accomplished one obviously a clear, con conclusive, no doubt about it finals MVP. I know some people argue, and I'm one of them, he deserved it over Iguidala in fifteen. But some of us who argue that think that was really a fight for second place, because Lebron should have won it. There hadn't yet been a Finals in his career where he was unquestionably the best guy on either

team this Finals, there is no doubt about it. Additionally, he also hadn't yet had the transcendent, all time memorable finals game. He had some very good finals games, but the most points he ever had scored in the finals game came in a loss. As we discussed, the thirty seven against Cleveland in Game five in twenty fifteen is a great game, but I don't know how many people really remember it. People are going to remember Game four, down to one against Boston, who had seemingly taken control

of the series. He has forty three points, ten rebounds, and out of this world shooting experience to quiet TD Garden to get the Warriors back in control of the series. And then while he wasn't great in Game five, Game six, he was sensational again thirty four to seven and seven rebounding from the first playoff game of his life where he didn't hit a three by making five of his first six threes, hitting six overall, winning a unanimous Finals MVP.

So four rings and the architect in the heartbeat of the best dynasty since Jordan's Bulls. This rings cements the Warriors in my opinion. Six trips to the finals in eight years, four rings in eight years better than the Spurs dynasty. The Spurs won five rings, went to six finals, but they did it from ninety nine to fourteen, so over fifteen years. Better than the Lakers with Shaq and Kobe, who went to four finals won three rings in a five year stretch. This is better than that. So he's

the architect of the best dynasty of his era. He has four rings, he has two league MVPs. As we discussed, he's the greatest shooter ever, he's one of the greatest teammates ever. And now finally, his resume has no blank marks. He's checked off every box you would want to check as a player. It's why he is in the top ten of the fifty best players of the last fifty years. Next week we will get to players eight and nine, a couple of big men, and the order and who

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