- 1 year ago
Coach Larrañaga joins the show's discussion about the All-Time NBA player rankings. His take on LeBron vs Jordan as the GOAT and multiple instances of Coach L playing legends of the game.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Now he's a friend of the program, and so we wanted to bring him in for our discussion on Bleacher Report's top 100 all-time greatest NBA players ever.
00:14And, Coach, I'll just read to you.
00:15I had said this to Crowder and Solana at the beginning of the show, but what Bleacher Report writes towards the beginning of the list,
00:24we asked our legion of Bleacher Report NBA experts, writers, and editors to take a list of the best 500 current and former NBA stars and whittle it down to their top 100.
00:39It's an impossible task, they write, especially when confronted with the reality of comparing players from different eras.
00:47Stats help, but calculators won't figure all this out.
00:49But, here it is, their top 100 NBA players ever, and they take into account, while making the list,
00:56the totality of each player's NBA career, cumulative and average stats, awards, playoffs, championships, cultural impact, and overall greatness.
01:08So, we're going to get into this.
01:09Hello, Coach, by the way.
01:10Thank you for joining us on a special, what's today, Tuesday?
01:14Normally it was Thursday during basketball season, but we had to call you into duty today, Coach.
01:18Well, I'm happy to talk to you guys about the NBA greats, because I played against a lot of them.
01:24I had a feeling.
01:26I had a feeling.
01:28So, here's the top three.
01:29We'll get into it more granularly here, but the top three are MJ, LeBron, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
01:38So, do you have any issues with the top three and the seedings?
01:43No, they're all the greatest of all time at their positions.
01:48I mean, Michael Jordan, to me, is the GOAT, because of not only what he accomplished, but he did it at both ends of the court.
01:58I mean, he was a nine-time defensive, all-defensive player.
02:03Now, LeBron, as great as he was, was six times all defense.
02:08So, in certain categories, guys move ahead of one another.
02:12But, you know, Kareem is the greatest scorer until LeBron passed him.
02:17So, it's very, very hard for me to choose one of those.
02:20But, in my mind, Michael Jordan's one.
02:24LeBron is two.
02:25Kareem is three.
02:26So, I'm happy with the way they picked him.
02:30And, Coach, when you take it, like you said, you said something about category.
02:33I think everybody has their own thought that they put guys over other guys.
02:38Like, Jordan's marketing and the way he changed basketball off the court as well goes in my mind.
02:45Is it all stats to you?
02:46Because a lot of people are ring counters.
02:47And they say, Jordan has six, LeBron has four.
02:50Jordan wins.
02:50Okay, so, if I'm voting for the best player of all time, I start with, well, who's the best winner of all time?
03:01Because you basically, when I vote for the ACC player of the year, invariably, I vote for the guy that led his team to the championship.
03:09Because, eventually, it's all about winning.
03:12So, then Bill Russell's the greatest of all time.
03:14That's right.
03:15Because he's the greatest winner.
03:17Eleven championships.
03:19Yeah.
03:19So, there's different categories.
03:22But, in Jordan's case, yes, he's a cultural phenomena.
03:27And he changed uniforms from the baggies.
03:32Now, we have the short shorts again.
03:34I mean, yeah.
03:36But, those guys were all phenoms.
03:39Bring back those.
03:40I had 17 against Kareem in Madison Square Garden in 1979.
03:45So, he didn't block any of my shots.
03:48He didn't force any turnovers.
03:49But, he led UCLA to the win.
03:51So, I gave him MVP of the game.
03:54You had 17 against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
03:5817.
03:59You act surprised.
04:00You didn't know I could score?
04:01I actually am surprised on the downside.
04:04I can't believe you only had 17 against him.
04:06My teammate had 36.
04:07I was giving the ball up a lot that night.
04:09How were you scoring, though?
04:11What?
04:12How were you scoring?
04:13Like, were you hitting jump shots on him?
04:15Yeah.
04:15Well, I was the point guard.
04:17I ran the show.
04:18I had the ball in my hands the whole time.
04:20I decided who shot and who didn't.
04:22A lot of times, I decided, yeah, I think I'll shoot.
04:27Well, you were a tall point guard for that era.
04:29It's fine.
04:30My role model was Jerry West.
04:33Where does he rank?
04:34He's the logo.
04:35You talk about an icon.
04:37There's a guy who's been the logo since he retired in 1972 or three.
04:43So, you know, those guys were special.
04:47What's your favorite era?
04:49I played with Austin Robertson one time.
04:51How'd you do against him?
04:53He acted like I wasn't there.
04:55He just went exactly where he wanted to go.
05:01I think he said to me, hey, Jimmy, I'm going to take you to the baseline and shoot it right
05:04in your face.
05:05And then he went to the baseline and shot it in my face and made the shot.
05:08And I said, my shot, Oscar.
05:11Was Oscar Robertson a trash talker?
05:13He didn't say a word the whole time.
05:17He was at the end of his career.
05:19It was 1971.
05:20Like an assassin.
05:21And he was unstoppable.
05:24The difference between, you know, like, I don't know how he and Jerry West would have
05:29played in this era because of the three-point shot.
05:32You got to look at the game so differently.
05:34The three-point shot.
05:35You guys were making fun of Artis Gilmore.
05:37He was my generation.
05:40And he made it to the Final Four.
05:43And, Hawk, you said it very, very well.
05:45He couldn't shoot from two feet out.
05:48He had to dump the ball.
05:49It had to just go in the basket from the paint.
05:53But he was 7'2", 270 pounds.
05:56He was the biggest human being out there at the time.
06:00So, but who else?
06:02We got to talk about other players because there's so many great ones in the history of
06:06the game.
06:07Well, what's your favorite era, Coach?
06:09You mentioned you play against all these guys.
06:11Do you think that is the best era of basketball ever?
06:17Yeah.
06:17Well, my favorite era was the 70s because that's when I fell in love with the game.
06:25No, I shouldn't say that.
06:27I fell in love with the game in the 60s.
06:29But then when the 80s came along with Larry Bird, they're all great.
06:34Come on.
06:35Hey, how do you choose greatness?
06:37Okay.
06:38Here's where Crowder had an issue yesterday.
06:41So, and Shaq had this same issue.
06:44Kobe is number 11.
06:46Here are the players ahead of Kobe.
06:49MJ, LeBron, Kareem.
06:51All right.
06:52Then Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain,
07:01and Steph Curry.
07:03That's your top 10.
07:04Then Kobe is number 11.
07:06And Shaq said that's criminal.
07:08And Crowder agrees.
07:10Crowder thinks Kobe should be much higher on that list.
07:12Well, I put Kobe ahead of Steph.
07:15I think Steph still is behind Kobe.
07:19And I put Kobe ahead of Shaq.
07:22I think Shaq, as dominant a player as he was, I don't think they win those championships in L.A.
07:29without Kobe leading the way.
07:32And, Coach, I don't want to age shame, but this Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain,
07:38they were playing against McDonald's workers, Coach.
07:42Like, I've watched the grainy film, reel-to-reel.
07:44Like, they're not playing Shaqs and Kobe's and LeBron's.
07:48They're not playing guys built like that.
07:49Yeah, first of all, you're comparing them to guards.
07:53But if you had to play against Willis Reed and Walt Bellamy and Nate Thurman every night,
08:00because you've got to remember, back then there were only eight teams in the NBA.
08:05So you're not talking about him having to go against some scrub.
08:10You're talking about him going against one of the eight best centers in the country,
08:15and there's only eight teams.
08:17So, you know, here are the best players.
08:20You've got Bill Russell with the Boston Celtics.
08:24You've got Willis Reed with the New York Knicks.
08:27You've got Nate Thurman with the San Francisco Warriors.
08:33You've got Will Chamberlain with the Philadelphia Warriors back then.
08:40You have big guys.
08:42Walt Bellamy was with the Pistons, and they didn't just beat up on these schmucks.
08:53These guys were very talented big guys.
08:57They weren't like today's players.
08:59They weren't like Dirk Nowitzki who could shoot the three or Giannis who could play the point.
09:04No, but of that generation, you didn't have off nights.
09:09Those only eight teams.
09:11Think about it, Crowder.
09:13You only faced the same eight guys every other night, and they weren't flying around in private jets.
09:19They were taking buses and commercial airlines and flying coach at seven foot and being squeezed into their coach seats.
09:28Come on.
09:29That's not exactly like an easy night to recover from.
09:34You've got to give those guys credit they do.
09:38I've told that story on the air before.
09:40When I was a kid, we were traveling.
09:42We used to go to Tucson, Arizona, and Phoenix for vacations.
09:48We were on an airplane.
09:50Coach, flying coach.
09:52On our airplane was the Kansas City Kings.
09:56I remember sitting just across the aisle from Otis Birdsong.
10:01I remember Otis Birdsong.
10:03I got a Polaroid picture with Otis Birdsong and Tom Burleson.
10:07Then they were at the baggage claim like everyone else, getting their bags like everyone else.
10:12Nobody was collecting their bags for them.
10:15I think they stayed at the hotel we were at.
10:18Their Lamborghinis and their Maserati sitting outside waiting for them.
10:23None of that.
10:24I don't think they even had cold tubs back then.
10:28I mean, these guys are treated like royalty, which they are.
10:33I mean, the owners are paying these guys, what, $50 million a year?
10:38So you've got to take care of them.
10:40You're flying in private planes and lots of legroom and stretching out.
10:46And then you still have guys complaining they're playing too much.
10:49I'm like, no, you've got to be kidding.
10:51John Stockton, who, again, one of the greatest point guards of all time, he played, I think, 16 of his 19 years, he played all 82 games in the regular season.
11:05He didn't take games off.
11:08He didn't take games off.
11:09There was no such thing as load management back then.
11:12I think Otis Birdsong wanted to cut in front of my dad at the Hertz counter.
11:17And I wasn't having it.
11:19It was a whole different era, coach.
11:21Do you think there is, though?
11:22Do you think there's a chance?
11:23Because, again, I'm MJ number one for all time.
11:27I think Crowder is as well.
11:28So do you think there's a chance still that LeBron could become the greatest NBA player of all time?
11:37I think Solana has made some great points about what he has accomplished.
11:44So I think when you're voting, you're entitled to your own opinion.
11:48But I'm going to tell you, I'm not going to get him in trouble.
11:50I hope I don't get him in trouble because he said it right out loud.
11:52I invited Doc Rivers to our team meal the night before we played a game.
11:59I can't remember who we were playing.
12:01So we played on a Wednesday night, and Doc Rivers was in town.
12:05Tuesday night, he comes and has dinner.
12:07He gets up from dinner and says goodnight to the guys.
12:10And one of them says, hey, Doc, I have one question for you.
12:13And he says, Doc Rivers responded, Michael Jordan.
12:19He didn't even wait for the question.
12:21He knew they were going to ask him who's the best of all time.
12:26And if Doc Rivers says it, I got to believe it.
12:29I don't think that's changing maybe for a very, very long time.
12:34Is it possible, though, Doc Rivers a little salty that he literally could never get past LeBron James?
12:42You know, I watched Doc Rivers play.
12:46Of course, I watched all these guys play, saw them play in person and everything.
12:50Doc Rivers was a tremendous competitor.
12:52He was a great defender, and he couldn't stop either one of those guys.
12:57Those guys, again, are really special.
13:01They are the greatest.
13:03Whether you go, you know, Michael Jordan or LeBron or LeBron Michael Jordan, I'm a big fan of both.
13:10I've got to know both of them a little bit.
13:13Michael, I worked for his fantasy camp, and he was phenomenal with all the campers.
13:18Guys were 35 and over.
13:21And LeBron, I was here to watch the big three win championships.
13:26And I was with LeBron.
13:28He brought the Cleveland Cavaliers back to our practice facility.
13:32He called and said, hey, can we use your practice facility for a week to prepare for camp?
13:37And we said, of course.
13:39He came, and that was the year they won the championship.
13:43And that may be the greatest comeback of all time.
13:46They were down 3-1.
13:47And, Coach, down by one, prime LeBron, prime Jordan.
13:53Down by one, 15 seconds left.
13:55You're coaching that team.
13:56Who's getting the ball?
13:59MJ, you want to take the last shot?
14:02It's a question.
14:04It's not a decision.
14:08You call MJ over and say, hey, what do you want to run?
14:13And he says, four on the baseline.
14:15Just give me the ball at the top of the key.
14:18And we've won this game already.
14:23What's your greatest highlight?
14:24Is your greatest, I'm talking on-court highlight, putting up 17 against Kareem?
14:30No, I think my greatest is when I scored 47 against Dr. J.
14:35You scored 47 against Dr. J.
14:37Dr. J, by the way, is number 20 on this list.
14:4020th greatest NBA player of all time.
14:42You put up how many?
14:4447.
14:45How many did he put up?
14:48He had 36.
14:50Wow.
14:51Okay.
14:51That difference is it wasn't in college.
14:54That was in a pro-am tournament.
14:56And my team and his team made it to the championship.
14:59I played with a bunch of local guys from the bar in my neighborhood.
15:04He played with a bunch of NBA guys.
15:07We played pretty well.
15:08But my friends just kept giving me the ball, giving me the ball, giving me the ball.
15:12And they had a little guy named Georgie Bruns guarding me.
15:15And I knew George, again, from the neighborhood.
15:18But he was playing with Dr. J and Jojo White.
15:21You guys remember Jojo White?
15:22I remember Jojo White from the Celtics, no?
15:24He played with Kansas, first-round pick of the Celtics.
15:26So it was Georgie Bruns, Jojo White, and Dr. J.
15:29I had 47 that night, and all my teammates had to do was get me the ball
15:34and give me a lot of screens.
15:35And I just jacked every shot I ever dreamed about getting.
15:41Could you dunk at 6'5"?
15:42Oh, yeah.
15:43Yeah?
15:45What?
15:45I was fast, I was athletic, and I was skilled.
15:48I wasn't strong, though.
15:50I only weighed 180 pounds at 6'5".
15:53Is Coach Al the only guy on this show who can dunk?
15:55Can you dunk, Crowder?
15:57Yeah.
15:58At 42, no chance.
16:00No, no, no.
16:00Back in the day, you can't even walk, barely.
16:02I started.
16:03Back in the day, could you dunk?
16:04Yeah, I started dunking at like 16.
16:07Wow.
16:08Yeah.
16:09Solana, I'm sure, is about to tell us how he's very close to being able to dunk.
16:13Have you ever touched the net, Solana?
16:16Coach, I can do a layup where my hand touches the bottom of the rim.
16:20I don't know.
16:21That's actually harder than dunking.
16:22I don't know if you've ever done that.
16:24All right.
16:24We'll give you $1,000 if we can see you.
16:26Jim Laranega, thank you for joining us.
16:30We missed talking to you.
16:31It's not basketball season, but we'll start it up again.
16:33I got to call you into duty next week because you're going to see Superman this week?
16:40I'm going to try, yeah.
16:41Okay.
16:41All right.
16:42Because we like talking movies with you, and we're out of time here.
16:45I've seen Superman.
16:46There's a lot of talk about it with Mike Princesa.
16:49He had his review of it on the air yesterday.
16:52Kirk Herbstreet agrees vehemently with him.
16:55Lee Sterling was on with us, told me it was the top five worst movie he's ever seen.
17:00I thought it was one of the best superhero movies I've ever seen.
17:03So we got to talk to you.
17:04You see, that'll be your assignment.
17:05You see Superman.
17:06Then we'll have you back on next week.
17:08Hey, just text me.
17:09I love being on as your guest.
17:11All right.
17:12Fair enough.
17:12There you go.
17:13Jim Laranaga.
17:15Drop 47.
17:15That's Dr. J.
17:17Crazy, man.
17:19I think it's more impressive, though.
17:2017 against Kareem?
17:2317?
17:24Nah, Kareem didn't play defense, right?
17:26Coach, tell him.
17:27He didn't play defense.
17:28Just running up the floor to go dunk.
17:30Well, Kareem guarded our big man, and our big man had like two points.
17:36My teammate had 36.
17:38His name is Vic Colucci.
17:40He lived in Florida for a while, but he's back in Rhode Island in Providence.
17:45But he was a great shooter, and he was red hot, so I just kept getting him the ball.
17:51Yeah.
17:51I know how to play point.
17:53Jim Laranaga.
17:54Coach Laranaga.
17:55Thank you, Coach.
17:56See you, guys.
17:57Coach Laranaga.
17:58That was delightful.
18:00I think we've got to put Coach L on that list.
18:02I think Bleacher Report whiffed on having Coach L there.
18:04Man, Coach L tells us a gym every single time he's on.
18:09Yeah, love talking to him.
18:11All right.
18:11That was fun.
Comments