The top 10 basketball players of the century as selected by a panel of experts for the Associated Press (listed in order of voting).
No. 1 -- Michael Jordan: Six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls who holds the NBA career record with 10 scoring titles. Named NBA MVP five times and won 1985 Rookie of the Year Award.
Remaining top 10: Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Julius Erving.
Voting panel: Lenny Wilkens, winningest coach in NBA history, nine-time All-Star; Bill Russell, Hall of Fame center, 11-time champion with the Boston Celtics; Chick Hearn, longtime play-by-play broadcaster for the Lakers; Fuzzy Levane, veteran scout for the Knicks; Harvey Pollack, longtime statistician for the 76ers; Marv Albert, in 32nd season calling NBA games.
Football's greatest
The top 10 football players of the century as selected by a panel of experts for the Associated Press (listed in order of voting).
No. 1 -- Jim Brown: Rushed for 12,312 yards in just nine 12-game seasons with the Cleveland Browns, a record that stood for nearly two decades. Led the league in rushing in eight of his nine seasons and ran for more than 1,000 yards in seven.
Remaining top 10: Don Hutson, Sammy Baugh, Red Grange, Dick Butkus, Lawrence Taylor, John Unitas, Joe Montana, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice.
Voting panel: Marv Levy, former Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs coach; Pete Elliott, retired director of Pro Football Hall of Fame; Tex Schramm, president and general manager, Dallas Cowboys, 1960-1989; George Young, NFL vice president for football operations, general manager of New York Giants, 1979-97; executive and coach for Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Colts; Lee Remmel, public relations director for Green Bay Packers and former reporter; Don Weiss, former NFL executive director.
