The Top 10 LOYAL Players in NBA History
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 19 окт 2024
- My list of the Top 10 Loyal players of all time, based on their talent, accolades, longevity and commitment to the organization.
-----
Make sure to subscribe for more NBA History!
Follow Me on Instagram!
Instagram: / jonnyarnett. .
______
The game of Basketball has been my passion since I was 5 years old. I grew up as a kid watching my dad's recorded VHS tapes of playoff games through the 70s and 80s, and collected all the Basketball cards. Something about the game and what it represents just hooked me from a very young age.
My love for the game only continues to grow as time goes on. I love studying and analyzing the game, with an unbiased perspective. Feel free to subscribe, follow me on social media, and celebrate this amazing game and it's rich history with me!
I post videos every week on NBA history, predictions, hypothetical scenarios and current NBA topics.
______
Intro Music: Turn On - RW Smith • Turn On - RW Smith (No...
-----
#nba #basketball #hoops
![OhGeesy x Lefty Gunplay - What It Iz [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/L0yzW9t2ixk/mqdefault.jpg)
Who takes your top spot as the most loyal player in NBA History?
Tim Duncan
If Jordan never returned for the Wizards stint, where would he ranked on this list?
@jdyico Probably the 4th spot. Yes, he's Michael Jordan, so he's got top spot potential in terms of talent and accolades... but 13 seasons is lacking when you're comparing that to guys around 20 seasons like Dirk, Kobe and Duncan.
@@jonnyarnett Makes sense. Thanks. Keep up the amazing work, man!
@@jonnyarnettKobe shouldn't be on this your not loyal when you demand a trade when losing but get denied
I am saying this as a loyal Spurs fan and Mavericks hater: you got the top 3 wrong. It should be
1) Dirk
2) Tim
3) Kobe
As you pointed out Dirk did more with less. There was that point where Kobe was trying to force his way out, but famously Duncan almost left San Antonio after the 03 championship. As far as im aware there was never a single doubt as to Dirk wanting to stay in Dallas, and i gotta five him his props for that.
And the only real difference between Duncan and Kobe interms of loyalty is Duncan took paycuts at the end and Kobe didnt. But you pointed that out 😅
If anyone didn't want to watch the whole video:
1:Cp3
2: Harden
3: Westbrook
4: KD
5: Moses Malone
6:Wilt
7:Shaq
8: Howard
9: Lebron
10: PG13
Absolute S tier list
Big Shot Bob in Honorable mentions
LeBron should be top 1 on every list (especially this one)
Man that sucks. When I think loyalty I immediately think KD 🤣
KD
not a star player but Udonis Haslem on the heat is loyal af. he grew up in miami, came up from being undrafted and spent his whole career there just to be a throughline for the culture and now that he’s retired he STILL plays in the practices and training camp trying to teach the new guys
good call
Yes
I kinda agree. But then again, I think the Heat were more loyal to Udonis than he was loyal to them.
Haslem was just a role player. Which means he could've easily been replaced by any other decent role player from any other team. It wasn't like he was highly sought after by other teams. I doubt that when he became a free agent at one point, he turned down other teams' max deal offer, just so he can stay with Miami out of loyalty. I strongly believed that he stayed with Miami simply because other teams didn't want him like that, or they just didn't offer a deal good enough for him. I think Haslem was just fortunate to have a contract in the NBA no matter who he was with and it just happened to be Miami all those years.
@@tommyt264 For real. Who else was pursuing Haslem? He played 477 minutes in 65 games in his last seven seasons. Wilt would surpass 477 minutes in three weeks.
@@tommyt264 I think that is somewhat incorrect. I recall him saying he was reached out to to join some other squads back when he was still a starter.
But you're right in that, generally he wasn't super sought after. And that being the case his loyalty isn't the same as say, a steph curry for example.
But that just goes to show what is important to the organization. He had the title of team captain up until his retirement, where he gave the title to Bam. It didn't "just happen to be" Miami. He wanted it to be Miami, and they saw value in keeping him in the locker room.
I think the most loyal stars are the ones who were once in position to leave but never did.
By definition Kobe isn’t loyal, since he requested a trade, only thing it didn’t fall through
@@aestheticphilosopher So did Timmy
@@aestheticphilosopher Dirk almost went to a different team too
You guys are confusing requesting a trade and almost getting traded lol
@@aestheticphilosopher Timmy wasn't close to being traded or requested a trade. He did considered playing for Orlando in his free agency.
dirk might not have the accolades as kobe and duncan but he and duncan both took massive paycuts so that their respective organizations could sign other players. it's just it didn't work out for the mavs, as i remember they signed chandler parsons to a max contract. and you have to remember, duncan almost got traded to the Magic and even gave them a handshake agreement. I don't think dirk ever thought about going to another team.
kobe also requested a trade and wanted to go to the bulls
I'm almost positive he almost left in free agency
Yup. Tim Duncan was about to sign with Orlando Magic (until Doc Rivers told Duncan that his wife couldn't be on the team airplane sometimes).
Tim was close to going to Orlando in 2000 but never promised them anything. Though he did tell Pop he was going to Orlando and then after seeing Pop's face go white he told him sike he was staying, to which Pop said he needed a drink after.
@@homerthompson416 that's the biggest revisionist, lie history i've ever seen. Duncan was literally traveling and looking at houses in Orlando... The only reason he didn't is because of Doc rivers not allowing his wife to. Stop coping with misinformation.
Imo opinion, Dirk should be number 1
Not only he played for the most time, but he also never had a reason to stay.
Kobe at least had Shaq in the begging, and Tim had Tony, Manu and Kawhi.
That's why what Dirk did is imo more impressive
Kobe also demanded a trade before the late 2000s run and was denied
@@simoncohen9323 True
Duncan was also going to the Magic with TMac until Doc fucked up
Duncan wasn't going anywhere
@@melvynsngltn27nope. He said the only reason he didn't go was his wife wasn't allowed on the plane
I'm going to give my top spot to Dirk. I'm not aware of him ever even considering asking for a trade
You have to do Top 10 disloyal players too😂
Obviously Bron #1
LeBron 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
HARDEN and DWIGHT
@@Yinon776Yep, because LeBron is definitely more “disloyal” than players like CP3, KD, Harden, Shaq, etc…smh
@@ruddiato😂😂
Excellent video, Jonny! Duncan is one of my favorite athletes, and the reason why is because of the reasons you mentioned - his quiet and humble leadership style and loyalty. At first, I was surprised to see him above Kobe, but what you said makes sense, especially w/the pay cuts that he took for the sake of the Spurs.
Great video again. Have a nice Thursday, Jonny! 😊
I would like to see this Top Ten list divided in half: before free agency became a factor and after. Before 1988, trades were less common, and it was rare for a superstar in his prime to switch teams. So carieer in one team was a standard, not loyality. Duncan, Novitzki, Stockton - they are golden standard of loyality.
Duncan was close to leaving. Thank Doc Rivers for that since family members couldn't be on the plane with the team.
@@aznpikachu215one doc rivers yes aaay from leaving cause he disliked pop and san antonio
@@aznpikachu215 Yes, but it was calm FA negotiation w/a controversy , IT was nothing to "I would rather play on Pluto". Perhaps there is no real Loyality Pattern, only business. And as a statistic anomaly we have 19+ years carieer in one team.
As a spurs fan, I'm also happy Ginobili made the Honorable Mentions list. For a long time Manu was an all-star level player put into the 6th man role. How many other guys would have embraced the role like he did? He helped us win 4 championships.
Imo, Manu should be top 5. He literally couldnt have left the Spurs and signed a MAX contract with almost any organization and be a top 5 SG in that era... Instead he played off the bench, and was such a loyal player. He left minutes, money, and legacy all on the table for the Spurs team.
Dirk, Timmy and Kobe. Was so blessed to witnessed these 3 playing in the same frame.
I like the list but don’t forget that TD almost left for Orlando but didn’t because his wife couldn’t fly on their team plane.
I believe Duncan almost left for the Magics once before. Good video, Jonny.
Yup. Tim Duncan was about to sign with Orlando Magic (until Doc Rivers told Duncan that his wife couldn't be on the team airplane sometimes).
And Kobe went on tv crying because things was hard and he wasn’t even winning but yea they are loyal
@@redbogaming6009 please provide the interview. oterhwise youre just mkaing this up.
@@mart1n10601 my dude you could just go on RUclips and type in Kobe Bryant on ESPN wanting to leave the Lakers, casual fans don’t know anything bunch of youngsters thinking you know everything
@@mart1n10601 He meant when Kobe went on ESPN demanding a trade or the one where he says to trade Bynum.
I thought that David Robinson should have been on the list. He played almost all of his 14 seasons in San Antonio.
Why almost?
@@damonsonnier34 what do you mean almost 14 seasons? He played all 14 seasons there
He did play his entire career with the Spurs.
In my opinion Dirk should be number 1, because he is as far as I know the only player on the list who never asked for a trade while having good reasons to ask. Of course players like Larry or Magic are individualy better, but they had for there whole prime a contender team around them. I admit that I'm perhaps biased because I'm a fan of Dirk, but I'm a bigger fan of Kobe and wouldn't put him on number 1.
Duncan and Kobe being over Dirk when Dirk never wanted or even tried to go out of Dallas is absurd. Esoecially when you factor lack of rings.
Timmy was a better Player though. I take that into account.
@@ktapreswreckd921v9 Yeah, but Timmy had no reason to leave other than been nearer at the beach.
Dirk was just thankful, that Dallas believed in him after his first bad year.
You mustn’t have listened to the criteria very well … Timmy, all the way. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅+++
@@kierenmoore3236 Agreed.
Wasnt Duncan a wife-on-a-plane away from moving to Orlando?
Hakeem Olajuwon should have been on the list. He was still loyal in the sense that he gave the Rockets an opportunity to have a first round draft pick to get Yao Ming in 2002.
I think he ended up playing New York Knicks later in his career
He did go to the Raptors, if I recall for a season.
Olajuwon asked for trades several times
@@melvynsngltn27 So did Kobe, yet he is here on this list. In 2004, he wanted to be traded to Chicago because of Shaq. In 2007, he wanted to be traded to Dallas because the Lakers were terrible.
Hakeem CANT be on this list. He played for the Raptors in 2001-2002, his final year. He was old, his numbers were declining for several seasons. The Rockets did offer him a decent amount of money, but he thought he was worth more. So he got traded to Toronto, where he was a non-factor. He retired after that.
No Lebron?
He's loyal to himself.
He's the king. He goes to places and depletes their resources for his own tales.
He’s the King. He goes to places and gets rings whenever he goes just to add to his legacy smh
😂😂😂 hilarious!
Jokic is gonna end up on this list for sure
daily reminder that Bob Lanier is the most underrated player ever.
moses malone, sydney moncrief, ...
who?
@@laz0rama Moses and Sidney literally get talked about all the time. hell Jonny even made videos on them. no one talks about Bob Lanier.
Honestly Manu should be there, for a guy of his talent being asked "hey why don't you come of the bench" and he basically saying "alright I'll do it" without making a scene.
I think he should be right behind Tim and Dirk.
Good point. Sacrifices for the team should definitely be considered.
As soon as I clicked on the video I knew the Kobe haters would be out in full force in the comment section because of a phone call to SAS on a radio show who cares about 20 loyal seasons through the lowest of lows but “durr a phone call”
Kobe shouldnt be higher then dirk he requested a trade twice
Have a great afternoon!!😊😊😊
Udonis Haslem is my choice.
Was undrafted and his gratefulness was on display throughout his paycuts, his willingness to do whatever is needed, defending Miami’s players and the team in general (even in his retirement). Was a great leader and vet, and made sure the non superstar guys like him were perfect by having his own practice, to help the superstars and overall team success.
Easy to be loyal when u are winning. That’s all.
That is true. That's why Dirk should be #1
Kobe was close to not being on this list.
He shouldn't be he demanded a trade and the Lakers said no
Duncan as well, even if he's my goat (almost) he was going to orlando until he learned his wife couldn't be on the team plane.
Duncan had no intention on leaving the Spurs
No I’m the season t Mac went there Timmy almost went there but he found out he couldn’t bring his wife on the plane so he didn’t go
He shouldn’t be
The #1 loyal player for me is Dirk. Talent is important but for me, loyalty, putting the team before your own benefit and what you mean to the team is most important. Dirk could've signed elsewhere or aaked for a trade, and rightfully so, but he chose the Mavs. He brought them their only ring in a top 3 championship run of all time. Dirk is the Mavs. If you tried to leave, didn't have a choice or it was just the best option, you can't be the #1 loyal player to me
#1 is Jonny’s loyalty to his viewers
Still asking for Top 10 Most Competitive, Johnny 🙏🏻 Need some psycho stories about MJ, West, KG, and Kobe
Bird better be on this list
why wouldn’t Bird be on the list?
@@markjackson6431 longevity, in terms of how many years he impacted the team's fortunes, mainly.
Kobe!? He ran Shaq out of town, never took pay cuts for helping the team and demanded trades.
Come on man, how is that loyal!?
Cause he stayed on the same team through highs and lows and never bailed on them even thought the Lakers dysfunctional front office gave him several reasons to leave
@@davis2k1234 I guess I have a different definition of loyal and Kobe ain’t it.
@@davis2k1234 but he TRIED to bail on them, just got denied. that's not loyal.
Not to mention, he asked to be traded to Chicago in 2004, and he asked to be traded to Dallas in 2007.
If you are playing in one franchise 20 years. The you are in my books loyal even if you have requested a trade before. That doesn't change the fact that you still played 20 years in that team and never played in any other team.
Timmy: almost went to the magic
Bean: wanted to go to chicago
Durk is the clear number 1
Awesome List:💯
Duncan was gonna go the magic tho
How are you going to put Kobe on a list of most loyal when he 1) ran Shaq out of town due to his own huge ego 2) Lost them the 2004 NBA Finals because he was trying so hard to get his own FMVP 3) treated his teammates like garbage and even shit-talked them in the media 4) demanded a trade at least once, maybe twice 5) made the team pay him a huge max contract at the end of his career when he was completely inefficient and ineffective, and prevented the team from improving itself for years?
So in the same logic, Duncan shouldn't be in the list either, right? Tim Duncan was about to sign with Orlando Magic (until Doc Rivers told Duncan that his wife couldn't be on the team airplane sometimes). Duncan also lost 2013 finals with missing a WIDE open lay up against a miss match (Shane Battier) to tie the game in the last minute of the game.... He literally Lost finals, choked, and almost left the spurs.
Kobe the only person who requested a trade on that list but he’s somehow no.2😭 He shouldn’t even been on the list
@@mart1n10601it was Kobe selfishness that lost them the finals, i think that’s different from missing a layup
@@theylovemikell501 What kind of flawed logic is that.... Duncan was closer to signing with the Magic than kobe ever was to getting any trade done.. So duncan shouldn't be top 5 either then, right?
@@theylovemikell501 What kind of flawed logic is that. Duncan unperformed in 2005 finals, and 2013 finals by a large margin. he was lucky enough to get bailed out in 2005 after he shot 35%. IN 2013, he literally choked the entire series, but that missed lay up aginst a small forward summarizes how he choked for the spurs.
Havlicek should be in the top ten. He has it all. Rings, stats, longevity. Maybe the most underrated player of all time
Hey Jonny, I love the channel and the content. I heard some talk about the nba changing their logo after Kobe died. Can you please do a video about who has the best case for who should be the NBA logo? Hypothetically, who would be the most deserving player?
I think loyal players, especially star players, were one of the reasons why the NBA was so interesting back in the day. You had Magic, Bird, MJ, Hakeem, Robinson, Duncan, Ewing, Miller, Stockton, Malone, etc. all playing for basically only one team, all standing for something and wanting to achieve the maximum with their team.
That is something that is very rare today and that's also why it's difficult to identify with anyone today - except maybe Curry, Jokic, and Doncic.
1 Kobe
2 Steph
3 Duncan
4 Bill Russell
5 Nowitzky.
1 Michael
2 Kobe
3 Steph.
ALL TIME, ALL TIME though.
2:00 nice pass
Of the players I watched, retired and in order: Dirk, Duncan, Reggie, Stockton, Kobe. And of course, Magic and Bird too.
The reason why I have Dirk, Duncan, and Reggie Miller as top three is that they gave their hearts out to their own cities, left as the best and the greatest in their own franchises.
Jonny, I can’t argue your list, but did you factor in Tim Duncan was all but signed with Orlando until Doc wouldn’t let his wife on the team plane.
Jonny you should make a video of every nba player current and retired who should have they’re jerseys retired. That could be a good one
The Bill Russell take does not make sense to me. Free agency literally did not exist in the 60s, so it’s not like he could walk in the first place. The only thing he could do would be to demand a trade. But why would he even want to leave in the first place? He had so many HoF players on his team.
Dirk Kobe and Tim
The trinity of loyalty
10 players who shouldn’t have left their team at all.
Not in any particular order
1. Dwayne Wade
2. Tony Parker
3. Allen Iverson
4. Carmelo Anthony
5. Klay Thompson
6. Paul Pierce
7. Lebron James
8. Michael Jordan(not counting him retiring)
9. Vince Carter
10. James Harden
Honorable Mention
-Shaq(When he was on the Lakers but since he was on the Magic first he doesn’t make the list)
-Damien Lillard( Let’s see if he wins a championship on the Bucks first)
-Jimmy Butler
- Kevin Durant ( I actually didn’t mind him going to the Warriors, but it did and still does get him a lot of hate
- Russell Westbrook
- Horace Grant
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- Pau Gasol( The Lakers)
- Steve Nash(The Mavericks)
- Karl Malone
David Robinson should be on this list. He was apart of 2 of the biggest turnaround seasons in NBA history. His rookie year and the year he came back from injury.
Let's see if I can name them before I watch the video, no order
Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk, Curry, Joker, Giannis, Manu
Edit: Thought of John Stockton & Isaiah Thomas 2 mins into the video
Cant believe i forgot West & Reggie
Kobe wasn't the most loyal he had many years he wanted out before the 2008 run but was denied
Kobe requesting a trade twice shows he was not loyal at all 😊
1999, 2001 etc
Dirk Should be #2 and Kobe #3. but overall a good list
For me it was Dirk. He never demanded a trade. He never considered playing for any team in his free agency. He was constantly getting persuaded by Kobe but he rejected it may times. Dirk is the real definition of loyalty.
Hilarious that Kobe is on here when the only reason he stayed in LA was he thought he was too good for Detroit. He tried his hardest to get traded but was so egotistical going to a great team that he would have guaranteed him multiple finals appearances in a weak ass East was beneath him.
Perfect list. Never thought about this until you were going through your criteria and I am Mill knew who was going to be number one, but to be fair as a number one overall pick Tim Duncan got paid more on the front end compared to Kobe so I don’t dog him for taking less on the back not to mention it’s very different with the achilles injury compared to Tim
Larry will always resonate with the Boston/Massachusetts/New England locals.
Around here there is never a higher priority than helping out the family. Larry could have added more chips and stats to his resume if he didn't care about shoveling out his family; but that's how we do it around here. Bird embodied the best of our culture in Boston.
Just missing The Admiral. I think that he played 14 seasons with the Spurs?
Okay list but I would swap Curry and Magic because of Magics impact on and off the court for the franchise not to mention he was a better player who has more rings along with mvps.
Dirk better be #1
Duncan is the most loyal of all time. You got it right!!!!!!
Both Kobe and Duncan almost left their respective franchises. I think that should counts to puttng them at least lower than Dirk
Dirk also took paycuts and did not cripple his franchise like Kobe did in the end. So easy Number 2 over Kobe!
I think an interesting conversation similar to this is "who are the top 10 players of all time if you only consider their career within one organisation?"
My top 11 would probably be something like:
1. Bulls Michael Jordan 6x Ring 6x Finals Mvps 5x MVPs
2. Celtics Bill Russell 11x Rings 5x Mvps
3. Lakers Magic Johnson 5x Rings 3x Mvps 3x FMVPs
4. Celtics Larry Bird 3x Rings 3x Mvps 2x FMVPs
5. Lakers Kobe Bryant 5x Rings 2x FMVPs 1x MVPs
6. Spurs Tim Duncan 5x Rings 3x FMVPs 2x MVPs
7. Lakers Kareem 5x Rings 1x FMVP 3x MVP
8. Rockets Hakeem 2x Rinfs 2x FMVPs 1x MVPs
9. Warriors Steph Curry 4x Rings 1x FMVPs 2x MVPs
10. Lakers Shaq 3x Rings 3x FMVPs 1x MVPs
11. Cavs Lebron 1x Ring 1x FMVP 2x MVP
Duncan almost left the Spurs to go to the Magic. The only reason why he didn't was because the Magic's head coach (who I believe was Doc Rivers at that time) told him he couldn't bring his family with him on the plane when they traveled.
There's ABSOLUTELY nothing commendable about being loyal to these backstabbing franchises that trade players to random teams without telling them anything prior, y'all keep rewarding these teams for their unfair behavior
No surprise that so many of the most loyal are also among the greatest players as well.
Tim almost left for the Magic but doc said no family on the plane 😅😂
Tim Duncan takes my spot as the most loyal player because he never once wanted to leave San Antonio 🏀
Great list, love your work, but… Didn’t Dunkin almost agreed to go to Orlando in the early 2000s?
I cant put kobe ahead of dirk or curry. Kobe asked for trades multiple times so i wouldnt call that loyalty bc he was willing to leave if the lakers didnt put a contender around him.
Kobe over Dirk is wild. Unlike Kobe, Dirk Never requested a Trade, and won a notoriously unsuccesful Franchise their First and only Championship with an absolute insane Performance.
While I don’t think that demanding a trade in your prime should disqualify anyone from making this list, I do think top-5 should be off limits.
I personally think if a player comes back to the organization as a coach or GM then it should also be factored into their loyalty.
Although he eventually left Portland, I think Damian Lillard at least deserves an honorable mention for staying with them for 11 years. How many superstars in the modern NBA would have stayed that long with those Blazers rosters?
To me, a player's accomplishments with an organization have nothing to do with loyalty except insofar as they illustrate how badly other teams might have wanted them. When other teams want you and are willing to pay big bucks to get you, but you stay put, you're loyal to your team. John Stockton, when his contract was up, just walked into the Jazz offices, no agent or anything, and said it was time for him to sign another contract. THAT's loyalty.
Magic should be nowhere near this list. He demanded to be traded in his second season lol.
Same for Kobe and Duncan.
Kobe demanded to be traded 3 separate times, and was literally in the process of buying a house in Chicago in 2004 because he thought it was a lock he was going there until they traded away shaq to the heat.
Duncan literally agreed to sign with the magic and would’ve done it had doc Rivers not said he couldn’t bring his wife on the team plane.
The fact that Dirk never requested a trade, he rejected Cuban's big offers cause he wanted less money and that he wasn't on a big organisation like the Lakers or the 5 time champions Spurs, he should be number 1.
I would put Isiah or Havlicek over West
It’s easy to be loyal when you win, or are drafted into a favorable position, like magic, Kobe, Bird, even Duncan. Without a shadow of a doubt Reggie and Stockton are infinitely more loyal than the others on the list
Kobe never requested a trade. He requested not having the literal worst team in the entire league. Worst starting center in the league. Worst starting pg in NBA history. If the Lakers weren't capable of doing that he wanted a trade. Fortunately the Lakers had no plans to stay that way. They were constantly trying to make a move.
According to the criteria you laid out at the beginning, shouldn’t Dirk be higher than Kobe since he took pay cuts to stay with the mavs? Anyways great list man and great production as always 👍
Kobe wanted to leave the Lakers and publicly requested a trade to the Bulls in 2007. Tim Duncan was a private jet away from signing for the Magic. I wouldn’t classify either of them as particularly loyal, especially since they always had a good reason to stay. They were always either title contenders like San Antonio or had the power to sign big names like the Lakers. Dirk was there through and through no matter what. He should be #1 undoubtedly.
Kobe to the bulls, Duncan to the magic
Udonis Haslem definitely should be on the honorable mention
I believe Tim Duncan almost go to the Magic teaming up with T-Mac and Grant Hill, but Doc Rivers said family and acquaintances cannot join the team flights.
Dirk is definitely higher on my list when it comes to loyality. Timmy is perfectly fine as a pick for the top spot, though. Both are two of my favourite players as well.
I don't know if the "One-Team-only" rule is nessecary, because sometimes its not the fault of the player.
Blake Griffin wanted to retire as a clipper, and take a paycut, a few month later he gor traded.
I don't know why don't you have KG here. He refused to be traded to the Celtics. He'd rather play with the garbage Twolves but the Twolves fans want him to win and he eventually get traded. Meanwhile Kobe was demanding to get traded even though the Lakers have a net rating of a 35 win team when Kobe is on the bench. KG on the other hand never asked for a trade even though the Wolves are on pace to win 7-75 when he was off the court in 2007 lol,
Manu deserves to be on this list imo.
Duncan and Kobe being there makes little sense.
Duncan was a Doc Rivers "yes" away from being in Orlando and even disliked Pop as a coach.
In Kobe's case he feuded with Shaq and ran him out. Beefed with D12 and ran him out. Completely ignored half his teamates. Wanted out of LA in 2007 after only 4 bad seasons. And theres also the elephant in the roon from 04-05
I'll give it to guys like Reggie or Stock and even Haslem who were never interested in playing elsewhere and there was never any doubt that they would only suit up for one franchise.
Dirk should’ve been no.1 and Kobe shouldn’t be that high in the list. How is a guy that requested a trade and forced shaq out of LA the no.2 of most loyal players? I don’t think anyone on that list requested a trade besides Kobe but he’s somehow no.2. With Duncan there was a time he almost signed with the magic but doc ruined that. With dirk he never requested a trade and took pay cuts as well. Spent the most time on one team than anyone else🤷🏾♂️ dirk should’ve been no.1 and Kobe shouldn’t have been on the list if we’re being realistic. Him requested a trade automatically took he out of that convo that’s literally the opposite of loyalty 😭
If we’re talking about the most impactful player too a organization dirk is the top of the list too. He was the organization first true superstar, and gave them their one and only championship and easily had the most difficult run too that championship defeating all the odds. This is a subjective topic but dirk being no.1 is just objective tho😭9-10 is subjective
1) Most of these were situations easy to be loyal to due to all the winning
2) wasn't Kobe and Duncan gone until Jerry West stopped the trade and Doc Rivers fumbled Duncan family arrangement big time
3) the Dirk/Jerry West/Wes Unseld types are number 1 to me because they gutted it out for years where it was plausible to leave
As long as I know Dirk never demanded a trade and Timmy almost went to Orlando by his own choice
Kobe being higher than dirk makes zero sense by other than that great vid!
My top 10 loyal players in NBA history:
1. D Wade
2. Duncan"
3. Dirk
4. Jerry West
5. Magic
6. Reggie
7. Bird
8. Kobe
9. Stockton
10. Malone
Kobe demanded a trade, Tim Duncan almost go to the Magic. Dirk is the ultimate loyal.
Loyalty in basketball is stupid. If your first job is McDonalds, and you later leave for someone who pays better, are you disloyal to McDonalds? Sports stars are like the only place we look at someone looking for a better opportunity in their profession and think: "F that guy!"
I like your list. I think your top 3 is indisputable as the top 3, but I would have Dirk #1, then probably Duncan and Kobe. Also, I've never heard anyone say Kobe is the most skilled basketball player in history. The most important aspect of basketball is making shots, and Kobe needed a better FG% to be consider the most skilled. I think there is an argument for Bird being the most skilled.
Just to remind you all: MOST players in NBA history did not have the privilage to be loyal. It's a luxury for average guys to choose their own path.
There’s something to be said about loyally not being a choice, guys like Dame and Lebron had to put up with truly shitty teams before leaving, and no one can blame you for wanting to compete as a pro athlete