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A poll about the Greatest Basketballer of All Time was conducted on the ESPN Sport Science website in 2012. The voting was based on the best athlete (not player) who has a combination of strength, speed, endurance, quickness, durability and the other attributes that make an athlete elite. See more about the ESPN Sport Science poll to determine the Greatest Athlete of All Time. See also our discussion of the greatest ever basketball player.

Nominees

Who is the greatest basketball athlete of all time?

1. Michael Jordan
2. LeBron James
3. Wilt Chamberlain
4. Kobe Bryant
5. Magic Johnson

And the winner was ...

Michael Jordan, a clear leader with 57 percent of the vote.

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Related Pages

• Our poll about Who is the greatest male basketball player of all time?
• Court vs. Court: Comparing the fitness of basketball and tennis players
• What makes a Great Basketball Player?
• Basketball player LeBron James was named the world's fittest male athlete in 2014
• The ESPN Sport Science poll to determine the Greatest Athlete of All Time.
• Our discussion of the greatest ever basketball player.

Old Comments

Commenting is closed on this page, though you can read some previous comments below which may answer some of your questions.

• Wilt smoked magic in 1981 after retirement at 43 yrs old and blocked all of his shots. MJ never blocked all his shots in his prime. Wilt could consistently hookshot from three point range. So who's the greatest basketball player ever wilt Chamberlain w/o a doubt. Wilt could bench 550 pounds. He could high jump 6"11" or higher. He was undefeated in the shot put. He had tracks far speed. Wilt is the best athlete ever other than the greatest gymnasts. Dustin Cobb (2016)
• Wilt Chamberlain defintely should have been no.1. Swaggerboy (2013)
• The question is who is the best ATHLETE of all time. Not best basketball player. Of the basketball players mentioned Wilt is the best athlete on this list. Lebron on pure athletic ability is the only one who might come remotely close. Wilt was a world class sprinter and long jumper and could high jump 6'6'' using the scissor kick which in today's style of jumping techniques would equal about 7'2''-7'5''. unheard of in college and even beat jim brown in a foot race before. Wilt could box and was even close to competing against muhammad ali in a boxing match. Wilt was arguably the best beach volleyball player of his time. he could also bench press 550 pounds and touch the top of the backboard without a running start in his prime. oh yeah, we are picking between basketball players being athletes, so obviously he could play basketball pretty well, nearly writing the record book. nuff' said! (from mark, Mark 2013)