Honorable Mentions:
Jerry West - about 75% of people who write an article like this would include him in their top 10, but since I like to be professional, I can't put a guy who lost all 8 championships he was in into the top 10.
Elgin Baylor - very gifted NBA Player, but just like West, made it to 8 championships and won none.
Scottie Pippen - if Jordan was nicknamed Batman, no doubt would Pippen be nicknamed Robin.
LeBron James - hate his guts, but can't refuse the fact that he's good. Maybe when he wins a few titles, I can sneak him in. Until then, he can't be in a top 10 conversation.
Hakeem Olajuwon - he was the reason Houston won 2 titles, while Jordan was busy playing some White Sox Baseball.

OSCAR ROBERTSON

Even though this guy wouldn't be near as good as he was in today's ball game, he was Mr. Triple Double. 3 years straight, he average around 25-11-10 in points, rebounds, and assists. He was a great player. He waved Milwaukee to their first title.
Still, you need to remember that when this guy played, it was a lot different. Stick him into today's ball, any team, he would probably average around 12-5-3 if you think about it.
He and Bob Cousy will both me amazing guards in the game, 2 of the best (though, Bob Cousy probably isn't even in MY top 20.). And also, even though there were other team mates, Robertson's help from his teammates was about as good as LeBron James had from Cleveland. And still won a championship.
That's number 10, Oscar Robertson.

KOBE BRYANT

This is a guy that's easily the closest to Michael Jordan of anyone. A 6"9' shooting guard, with the number 24, 5 titles, and 15 year experience is close to the 6"10' shooting guard, with the number 23, 6 titles, and 16 year experience, which is Jordan.
Kobe Bryant is currently the leader of the Lakers. The only time he wasn't was when Shaq was on the team, who got the Title MVP when the Lakers won their first 3 2000 decade titles. Jordan got MVP for all 6.
Kobe Bryant is a 1 time KIA MVP Winner and a 3 time Finals MVP Winner. Kobe Bryant has been playing for 15 years and is almost unstoppable. He can shoot Inside Shots, Dunks, Mid Range, Free Throws, 3-Point, and even Full-Court Buzzer-Beaters. His only flaw is he is a lot slower than a lot of other great players of today, although the Lakers' main Point Guard, Derrick Fisher, is slightly slower than Kobe Bryant, and Kobe isn't the Point Guard, hes the Shooting Guard! Isn't that weird?
That's number 9, Kobe Bryant.

LARRY BIRD

Larry reinvigorated the Celtics franchise and led them to three championships during the 80s. He averaged a cool 24 points and 10 rebounds in 13 seasons, and helped put the NBA on the national television map with his rivalry against Magic Johnson.
Bird was also one of the most entertaining and confident players to suit up in the 80s, with his three-point contest guarantee (which he upheld by winning), along with his multiple acrobatic game-winning shots. Larry Legend will forever live on as a legend in the Boston area, which is no easy task.
That's number 8, Larry Bird.

TIM DUNCAN

I'll be honest, Duncan is the most under appreciated player basketball has ever seen. His fundamental offensive moves were supposed to work in the 1960s, not the 2000s, yet he’s been a career 20 points per game player. In an era that should’ve been completely dominated by Shaq, Kobe, and LeBron, Duncan won four championships, one of which even against LeBron and his team, with his best teammates being Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
Duncan was and still is, a once-in-a-lifetime defender and leader. His statline in a game against the Nets during the Finals (21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, 8 blocks) remains the epitome of a fantasy basketball owner’s dream, and he achieved that on the highest stage in the world, not a meaningless regular season game against the Clippers.
That's number 7, Tim Duncan.

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL

During Shaq’s prime, there wasn’t anything on earth that could slow him down—except that darn free throw line. O’Neal is a four-time champion, and could likely add ring No. 5 by season’s end in Cleveland.
There was literally no answer for him in the paint in the early 2000s, and his defensive ability made him just as lethal on both sides of the ball.
Some point to Kobe Bryant as the reason O’Neal won three championships in Los Angeles, but virtually no champion lacked at least two superstars on the same team (except for Duncan and Olajuwon). Shaq was a guy you could build a team around and win 60 games. Today, even though he's retired, he’s still a worthy competitor on any finals contender.
That's number 6, Shaquille O'Neal.

BILL RUSSELL

Russell is the greatest winner ever. You can’t argue with 11 championships in 13 seasons—that’s a mark that will never, ever be broken.
Russell isn’t just the greatest winner, he’s also on the shortlist of best defenders to play the game. He would more than likely own the record for blocks (not a category during his career), and was rewarded for his efforts with five MVP awards. So why isn’t he higher on this list?
It’s simple: the era he played in. Just like the “Big O,” we don’t know how Russell would have done in a 30-team, much more competitive league. He also averaged less than 16 points per game for his career, so at the end of games, Bill wasn’t a guy you could turn to for big shots.
That's number 5, Bill Russell.

KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR

Kareem played for a ridiculous 20 years, which is no easy task for a big man (just ask Yao Ming, who is struggling to make it through one full season). His name is synonymous with the sky hook, a shot attempted by youngsters across the globe along with NBA centers today, and his six MVPs only bolster an already impressive resume.
Abdul-Jabbar is also the league’s all-time leading scorer, ahead of Wilt and Michael Jordan. He won six NBA championships, serving as Magic Johnson’s go-to man in the 80s. Out of every center the NBA has ever seen, he’s the second best. Not too shabby.
That's number 4, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

MAGIC JOHNSON

Magic was the only player who one-upped Larry Bird during the 80s. He’s LeBron James plus four inches and a whole bunch of championships, which is why James has lots of work to do if he wants to be included in a top 10 conversation (as I said before.).
Johnson’s passing ability was simply surreal. No 6'10" player should be able to play point guard with such grace and skill, yet Magic broke that unwritten rule. When his team needed a center during the Finals, Magic filled in and delivered a championship. Only the third greatest player of all time could do something so monumental.
That's number 3, Magic Johnson.

WILT CHAMBERLAIN

Wilt is the most dominant basketball player to ever play the game. At some point, you have to throw out the “he played in a much worse era” argument, because Wilt was so far above everyone else he played against. He scored 100 points in a game, averaged 50 for a season, and even led the league in assists when he decided to pass more.
Russell was a better winner, but Wilt has achieved a legendary status that no other player besides Michael Jordan could brag about. The picture of Chamberlain with a piece of paper that simply read “100” has become one of the enduring images of basketball. It is the insurmountable peak of the tallest mountaintop that only Kobe Bryant has gotten close to touching.
Stick Wilt into today’s NBA and I still think he’s one of the best players around. He was that good, that unstoppable, and the best big man of all time.
That's number 2, Wilt Chamberlain.

MICHAEL JORDAN

Duh.
MJ is the greatest basketball player this world has ever seen. He refused to lose, a trait possessed by few in the era of high-paid NBA players afraid to get dunked on today. He won six championships against John Stockton, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, and other Hall-of-Famers.
While most players suffer from the effects of achy bones and bruises as the years go on, Jordan simply adjusted his game and got better. He was the ultimate leader, the ultimate scorer, and the ultimate defender.
If Larry Bird and Magic Johnson brought the NBA out of the doldrums of sports irrelevance, Michael Jordan took it straight to the forefront of American culture. Every aspiring basketball player of the 90s donned his signature jersey and shoes, and the Chicago Bulls became the iconic team of basketball.
From now until the end of time, Jordan’s impact will be felt throughout the basketball world. Perhaps someday there will be a player considered better, but there will never be another Jordan. His hunger and love for the game make him a one-of-a-kind sensation, a step above the “superstar” title given to the others on this list.
That's number 1, Michael Jordan.