Example: [Hakeem] Olajuwon is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

2) If the answer to the previous question is yes, what standard should be used? Note: this question is optional

2a) Every NBA 75 player is listed as one of the greatest.

2b) The following list of basketball players:

Bill Russell

Wilt Chamberlain

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Larry Bird

Magic Johnson

Hakeem Olajuwon

Michael Jordan

Shaquille O'Neal

Kobe Bryant

Tim Duncan

LeBron James

2c) The statement is only included if sources discussing the player's legacy commonly state that that player is one of the greatest in the history of basketball, or use equivalent superlative language.

Example of sourcing for the claim of Bill Russell being one of the greatest of all time: NBA legend, the greatest winner in basketball history, is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, basketball great, NBA great, one of the greatest players of all-time, the ultimate winner.

2d) Any other criteria; if this option is selected, please do not simply give a different list of basketball players, but rather a different standard from which the inclusion or exclusion of a given player can be assessed through application of some common criteria.

Context: Various historical NBA players have been called "one of the greatest", "the greatest of all-time", or "the greatest at a position" by the press, magazines, books, former players, experts, etc. These terms are very subjective in nature and cover a 75+ year history, but can be sourced none-the-less. Discussions have ranged from the terms being vital to non-encyclopedic, from leaving the term in a player legacy section to prominently being displayed in the lead to not using the term at all. Please help us out with a yes or no on the term "greatest" in the lead section and the reasoning behind it. Thanks.

Pinging previous discussion contributors: @Fyunck(click), Left guide, Wamalotpark, Bagumba, Johnnynumerofive, Somarain, Zagalejo, Eg224, Jessintime, Orlando Davis, Assadzadeh, GOAT Bones231012, Anonymous7432, and Boles P94:

Ladtrack (talk) 17:08, 4 April 2025 (UTC)