The Athletic NBA Daily – Episode 4 Basketball 100: "Does Scottie Pippen Belong In The Top 40?"

Date: August 21, 2025
Hosts: Eric Naim, Hunter Patterson, Law Murray
Main Theme:
A detailed discussion and debate regarding the placement of players ranked #20–39 on The Athletic's "Basketball 100" list, with a focus on Scottie Pippen’s standing and how modern and historical players from this range should be evaluated.

Episode Overview

This episode continues The Athletic’s countdown of the NBA’s all-time top 100 players, focusing on ranks 20 through 39. The hosts share personal memories, historical context, and modern analysis about the players in this segment, then engage in spirited debate about who is ranked too high or too low—most notably Scottie Pippen. The episode dives into the difficulties of comparing eras, longevity, and the evolving impact of analytics and modern medicine on NBA careers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Favorites from the List

• Hosts recall which players on this segment brought them the most joy:
  • Hunter: "D. Wade is my guy. ... Met him after a Warriors game at Oracle, got a jersey signed. That kind of just sealed it for me." [04:55]
  • Law: Shares a humorous Kawhi Leonard story. "He comes out with this coffee cup and this saucer ... it's not coffee, my guy. It's alkaline. Alkaline water." [05:38]
  • Eric: "Steve Nash ... that was my guy at that time. Watching him win MVPs. ... I was slicking it back during games ... trying to emulate Steve Nash." [07:59]

2. Book Report: Teaching NBA History

• Goal: Bridge generational gaps by spotlighting older players and their legacies.

Bob Pettit (Presented by Law)

• "He literally won the first MVP award ever." [11:31]
• "He understood that great scores get to the line. ... averaged 20/20 for a year. ... His last year, he averaged 22 and 12." [11:41]

Rick Barry (Presented by Hunter)

• "He wasn't really super ball dominant. ... Coming off pin downs and off ball action ... pretty well rounded, averaged seven rebounds, five assists. ... Like a Devin Booker minus the three-point shot." [14:13]

George Mikan (Presented by Eric)

• "Goaltending exists because George Mikan used to be up there just taking shots off the rim. ... They widened the lane because of George Mikan. The shot clock, another creation because George Mikan was so dominant." [16:34]
• Modern comp: "Like Shaq, just so dominant you hadn't seen it before."

Isaiah Thomas (Presented by Hunter)

• "An All-Star every year but his last. ... Ultimate competitor. ... Only 6'1'' ... Like a Chris Paul in tenacity and midrange game." [19:20]
• Eric: "Who's the dude keeping Jordan from winning at first? Isaiah Thomas." [21:51]

Elgin Baylor (Presented by Law)

• "Way before his time. ... First guy, especially a non-center, to showcase high-level athleticism, dunking, Euro-stepping ... Played in league that didn't have black stars ... On stacked teams with Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain ... injuries dimmed the latter half of his career." [22:42]
• No modern comp: "Dude was a tank at the wing position. ... I was going to say Jaylen Brown, but that just feels too blasphemous ... he's really a one-of-one." [25:05]

John Havlicek (Presented by Eric)

• "Leads the Boston Celtics in all-time scoring ... popularized the sixth man concept, award named after him ... Insane stamina, played 58 of 63 mins in triple OT finals ... ‘Havlicek stole the ball’—clutch play defined his legacy. ... A 6'5” tank that ran all day." [27:52]
• Modern comp: Possibly Jason Tatum, but "just did some of everything."
  • Law: "A spicy comp: Hondo and Manu Ginobili ... not the same game, but similar franchise roles and energy." [32:31]
  • Eric: "Popovich only ever kept a photo of one NBA player in his office: Havlicek." [33:54]

3. Modern vs. Historical Evaluation Dilemma

• Eric: "Modern science has allowed guys to stick in the league so much longer ... Have to extrapolate for guys in the '50s who only had seven-year careers." [49:19]
• Longevity and evolving medical technology complicate cross-era comparisons.

4. Debate Segment: Who Is Too High, Who Is Too Low?

• Hunter: "Isaiah Thomas at #25, could maybe see an argument for him being a little bit higher, especially if you value rings and winning." [44:22]
• James Harden’s Playoff Struggles: Both Hunter and Law note recency bias about playoff failures versus regular-season dominance.
• Kawhi (35): “If he’s healthy, he could go higher.” [45:43]

Scottie Pippen: Too High at #30?

• Law: "Scottie Pippen is way too high … generational defender, but only one season as a solo star, ... Mike came back. He gets a ton of benefit from the team and from being with Michael Jordan." [46:31]
• Eric: "If Kawhi got to play next to Michael Jordan, do they win six championships? Probably." [49:34]

5. Nikola Jokic’s Ranking and Trajectory

• Placed at #28 prior to 3rd MVP & Finals MVP
• Hunter: "At this point, I’d put Jokic above everyone on this list." [36:18]
• Law: "Safely top 20 … already achieved what most never will by age 30 … stacking longevity now. He’s Andre the Giant out there." [37:57]
• Eric: "His style of play means he could do it until he's 50 … where he ends up all depends on when he wants to stop playing." [40:51]

6. Modern Guards’ Legacies: Harden and Chris Paul

James Harden (#34)

• Law: "He's going to be remembered better after he retires—his peak changed the NBA ... but playoff disappointments are what people harp on now." [52:58]
• Eric: "He could finish top 10 all-time in both points and assists … Compiling stats versus lack of a title—big legacy debate." [56:46]

Chris Paul (#31)

• Hunter: "His only way up is to win a ring, but impact on every team has been massive. ... Could see him drop if others accomplish more." [59:15]

7. View on Recent Players and the Evolving List

• Ageing stars (Kawhi, Harden, CP3) are near career-end, while Giannis and Jokic continue stacking accolades and climbing the list. Younger stars (SGA, Anthony Edwards) could emerge in the future.
  • Eric: "Whole era of players is aging out—who’s next?" [61:09]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Law on Bob Pettit:
  "He literally won the first MVP award ever." [11:31]

• Hunter on seeing Dwyane Wade:
  "He was my favorite player prior to that, but that kind of just sealed it for me." [04:55]

• Law’s Kawhi Leonard encounter:
  "He comes out ... it's not coffee, my guy. It's alkaline water. … The coffee cup might as well have been a little teacup.” [05:38]

• Eric on John Havlicek:
  "If you had to guess who leads the Celtics in all-time scoring … John Havlicek would not be one of them. But he is." [27:52]

• Law on Scottie Pippen:
  "Scottie Pippen gets a ton of benefit from the team that he was on and the player that he was with." [46:31]

• Hunter on modern guards vs. Isaiah:
  "I've always appreciated smaller guards … Chris Paul comp mainly based on the height ... defense, tenacity, midrange, not reliant on the three." [19:20]

• Law on Jokic:
  "This dude is Andre the Giant … already has the kind of resume at 30 that most never see." [37:57]

• Eric on cross-era comparisons:
  "I gotta sit here and extrapolate: this dude in the '50s played seven years—if he played in the 2000s, maybe he plays 15 years?" [49:19]

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Notes | |-----------|---------|-------| | 04:55 | Personal favorites | Hunter’s D-Wade memory | | 05:38 | Law’s Kawhi story | Humorous encounter | | 11:31 | Bob Pettit profile | MVP origins | | 14:13 | Rick Barry profile | Modern comp: Booker | | 16:34 | George Mikan profile | Impact on rules | | 19:20 | Isaiah Thomas profile | Compared to Chris Paul | | 22:42 | Elgin Baylor profile | Pre-modern star | | 27:52 | John Havlicek profile | Six man legacy, stamina | | 32:31 | Manu Ginobili/Havlicek comp | Popovich connection | | 36:18 | Jokic debate | Should already be higher | | 44:22 | Too high/low discussion | Isaiah/Scottie/Kawhi mentioned | | 46:31 | Law: Pippen too high | Argument breakdown | | 52:58 | James Harden legacy | Playoff disappointments, stat compiling | | 59:15 | Chris Paul’s future | Ring or downward movement | | 61:09 | Next faces of NBA | Transition era talk |

Conclusion

This episode of The Athletic NBA Daily blends personal fandom, historical investigation, and modern analysis to illuminate the stories, careers, and legacies of the NBA's all-time greats ranked 20–39. The crew wrestles with the challenges of cross-era comparison, gives overdue praise to under-appreciated legends, and questions the validity of certain rankings—none more than Scottie Pippen’s. They highlight Jokic’s meteoric rise, the nuanced legacy of James Harden, and the enduring impact of Chris Paul, all while keeping an eye on how the next generation will influence future versions of these rankings.

Eric closes:
“Appreciate y'all for listening ... keep the debate going, let's hear what you guys think.” [61:09]