NBA Top 100: #1-25

By: Murphy Wheeler

Image Credit: Brian Drake/ Getty Images

It’s the final countdown…da da nuh nuh…da da nuh nuh nuhhh

The Beatles once sang it’s a long and winding road (let’s see how many music references I can get in during this first paragraph) and I feel the same about this countdown. It’s been a tough task and I felt bad for ranking certain players so low but ultimately, I was pretty satisfied with this final ranking. So, here we are, the Top 25. These are truly the best of the best to ever play the game of the basketball. You’re now in the presence of greatness.

Enjoy and debate.

25. John Stockton

13.1 PPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG

10X All-Star

Awards: 11X All-NBA, 5X All-Defensive

Stockton set the tone for great distributing point guards. There were few better true point guards to ever play the game. Where Stockton lacked as a scorer, he made up for it with his unbelievable court vision, ball handling and defense. He was a silent assassin that didn’t need the hype or popularity to be great. Stockton teamed up with Karl Malone in Utah during the 90s to form one of the most formidable duos in NBA history. Without Stockton, there was no Malone and vice versa. Though the two could never lead the Jazz to a title during the Jordan era, Stockton was the rare non-scoring point guard that did his damage in the less exciting ways. He easily holds the NBA’s all-time assists and steals records. Those accomplishments alone merit mentioning in the Top 25 for Stockton.

24. Isiah Thomas

19.2 PPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG

12X All-Star, 2 titles

5X All-NBA, Finals MVP (1990)

Continuing with great point guards, Thomas was one of the fiercest competitors in league history. His rivalry with Michael Jordan and the Bulls during the late 80s and early 90s resulted in some of the NBA’s glory years. Thomas deserves credit for leading one of the best teams in NBA history for a couple years in the “Bad Boys” Pistons. Thomas gets the nod over Stockton because he was the most valuable player on two championship teams and he was a much better all-around offensive player. Thomas was mouthy and hated by many other stars of his era but his competitiveness trumped all but Michael Jordan’s. Although he wasn’t an extremely high-scoring guard, Thomas still managed to average above 20 PPG from 1983 to 1987 along with a career best 13.9 APG in 1985. Even though his stats don’t jump out like other superstars of the time, Thomas could do things with a basketball that few men could ever imagine.

23. Elvin Hayes

21.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 2.0 BPG

12X All-Star, 1 title

Awards: 6X All-NBA, 2X All-Defensive

When I look at other Top 100 lists, Elvin Hayes is constantly underrated. During the 70s, there may have not have been a more dominant big man than Hayes other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar himself. When compared to other great power forwards, Hayes’ stats hold up with the best of them. Hayes was great on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball and even led the Washington Bullets to a title in 1978. Hayes sometimes gets overlooked compared to more famous stars from more attractive time era but he shouldn’t. He could score, rebound and defend with the best ever and should be in the discussion when talking about the greatest power forwards of all-time.

22. Charles Barkley

22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG

11X All-Star

Awards: 11X All-NBA, MVP (1993)

Sometimes I feel Barkley gets overrated on other lists. Barkley had no better stats than somebody such as Elvin Hayes and he never was able to lead a team to a title despite having some great supporting casts while with the Phoenix Suns during the 90s. There’s no denying Barkley was an exceptional talent and was always playing against bigger, taller players as a 6-6 power forward but that shouldn’t really matter. What matters is what Barkley did as a superstar and he was one of many great players during the 80s and 90s who couldn’t get that elusive title. Barkley’s supporters will claim that he didn’t win because he played in the Jordan era and many other players suffered in the same way but again, I don’t think that should factor in that much either. Barkley was a great offensive presence but there are just too many stigmas keeping him out of the Top 20.

21. John Havlicek

20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG

13X All-Star, 8 titles

Awards: 11X All-NBA, Finals MVP (1974)

Havlicek was a unique player. He wasn’t your traditional star but one thing he could do among the best ever was win. Havlicek was on eight of those great Celtics teams during the 60s and 70s and was the subject of one of the most memorable calls in sports history when he stole the ball during the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals. What made Havlicek so unique was the fact that he was able to play at such a high level for such a long time. After being a part of some of the Bill Russell-led Celtics teams of the 60s, Havlicek was able to lead his own teams in Boston to two titles in 1974 and 1976. He seemed to better with age when he led the Celtics to the 1974 title as an eleven-year veteran and averaging over 27 PPG in that year’s playoffs. Havlicek’s longevity and consistency separated him from others as he averaged over 20 PPG from 1964 to 1974. Not many can say they accomplished that along with being such a prolific winner.

20. Bob Pettit

26.4 PPG, 16.2 RPG, 3.0 APG

11X All-Star, 1 title

Awards: 11X All-NBA, 2X MVP, ROY (1955)

Pettit is an enigma among players during his playing days. Despite playing in the 50s, which has hurt many players’ ranking before him, Pettit’s resume actually holds up enough to keep him in the Top 20. First of all, his numbers are outrageous. Over 26 PPG and 16 RPG are hard to do no matter when you played. Second, Pettit managed to lead the St. Louis Hawks to a title in 1958 in a time when the Celtics’ dominance was looming and also managed to be a two-time MVP. He was one of the league’s first true superstars and paved the way for many great players to come. He didn’t need unseen physical attributes like George Mikan to dominate in the early years. He was just that good. In his best season in 1961, he averaged 27.9 PPG and 20.3 RPG. The next season, he averaged 31.1 PPG. Nobody other than Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell could match that production during that time but somehow, Pettit usually gets overlooked.

19. Elgin Baylor

27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG

11X All-Star

Awards: 10X All-NBA, ROY (1959)

I’ll start evaluating Baylor by saying this: there has hardly been anybody in NBA history that was a better scorer than him. What keeps Baylor from possibly being a top ten player is the fact that he could never beat the Celtics for a title despite being on some great Lakers teams alongside Jerry West. Baylor was possibly the first amazing athlete that the league had seen and he was virtually unstoppable on the offensive end. It’s pretty simple, if Baylor could have found a way to win a title, he would be much higher on this list. However, the Lakers didn’t win one until he retired in 1972 but don’t let that cloud the fact of how great of a scorer Baylor really was in his prime. In his highest scoring season in 1962, he averaged 38.3 PPG…along with 18.6 RPG. When I was researching him and saw that, I was blown away. Even during a time when Wilt Chamberlain was able to average 50 PPG in a season, those stats are amazing. Baylor was such a great athlete that he could probably do that in multiple eras. He was before his time.

18. Dirk Nowitzki

21.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.5 APG

13X All-Star, 1 title

Awards: 12X All-NBA, MVP (2007), Finals MVP (2011)

This is where we get a bit controversial. Some might be surprised to find Nowitzki ranked this high but how can one ignore what he has done in his lengthy career? Nowitzki recently reached the 30,000-point mark, joining Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Wilt Chamberlain. It’s all about the company you keep and it doesn’t get much better than that. Nowitzki might not be the most popular player of his era but he could make a case for being the best. Along with being one of the greatest scorers of his time for a significant amount of years, Nowitzki was also able to win a title, win an MVP and make the Dallas Mavericks a perennial powerhouse during the 2000s. Dirk’s fade away jump shot is also probably the most dominant signature shot since Kareem’s skyhook. Honestly, Nowitzki’s resume speaks for itself. He’s done it all, quietly and stealthily.

17. Kevin Garnett

17.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.4 BPG

15X All-Star, 1 title

Awards: 9X All-NBA, 12X All-Defensive, MVP (2004), DPOY (2008)

If you know me personally, you know I wanted to put Garnett even higher than this but I realize I can’t, considering who is just above him. However, much like Nowitzki, Garnett’s resume speaks for itself. He was a part of the great trio of power forwards during the 2000s, along with Nowitzki and Tim Duncan and although he was nearly as good as them offensively, what sets him apart was his defense. Garnett was possibly the most intense defensive player the NBA has ever seen, especially in the post, which resulted in twelve All-Defensive team selections and a defensive player of the year award in 2008. He also was a part of the “Big Three” Celtics team that ushered in the “super team” era of the NBA today and won that precious title in his first year of teaming up with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. However, Garnett’s glory years were with the Minnesota Timberwolves where he won an MVP in 2004. A lack of a quality supporting cast kept him from competing with Duncan’s Spurs and Shaq’s Lakers in the Western Conference but he was able to accomplish that elusive success with Boston. A title, MVP, DPOY, 15 All-Star appearances, nine All-NBA selections and twelve All-Defensive selections: you can’t ask for much more than that. Not many, especially at the power forward position, can claim that kind of success. (I’m not biased, I swear. I may be KG’s biggest fan but look at the facts!)

16. Karl Malone

25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG

14X All-Star

Awards: 14X All-NBA, 4X All-Defensive, 2X MVP

It’s pretty simple; Malone was one of the greatest scorers to ever play the game. He is second on the all-time points list behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and he and John Stockton formed one of the most formidable duos not only in NBA history but in the history of sports as a whole. Although Malone could never lead the Jazz to a title in the 90s despite meeting Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the Finals multiple times, he could make a case for the best player of the era next to Jordan himself. Malone was a two-time MVP in the Jordan-dominated era along with being a 14-time All-NBA selection and a four-time All-Defensive selection. Malone was just a solid superstar all around. He almost never averaged less than 25 PPG in his prime and was a double-double machine like so many other big men of the time. Malone and Stockton’s Jazz teams were probably some of the best teams to never win a championship in NBA history and that ultimately keeps “The Mailman” (great nickname alert!) from being ranked as the greatest power forward of all-time.

15. Moses Malone

20.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 1.3 BPG

12X All-Star, 1 title

Awards: 8X All-NBA, 2X All-Defensive, 3X MVP, Finals MVP (1983)

Sticking with the Malone name, Moses gets the nod over Karl. Malone was one of the most dynamic players of his era and was probably the only big man at the time that could truly compete at the level of Kareem. Alongside Julius Erving, Malone also led the only team that could truly compete with the Celtics and Lakers at the time. Malone led one of the greatest teams in NBA history to a title in 1983 when he made his famous Fo, Fo, Fo speech with the Philadelphia 76ers. Although they didn’t quite sweep the playoffs like Malone claimed they would, they were close and Malone was the main reason on a team full of great players. In that year’s playoffs, Malone averaged 26 PPG and nearly 16 RPG after averaging nearly the same numbers during the regular season. He was a beast on both ends of the floor and one of the greatest offensive big men to ever play the game.

14. Julius Erving

22.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.9 APG

11X All-Star, 1 title

Awards: 7X All-NBA, MVP (1981)

Although Malone was the centerpiece on Erving’s lone championship team with the 76ers, Erving might have been the better basketball player in general. It’s hard to separate Erving and Malone even though they are much different players but they had an equal amount of value to the great teams that they were on during the 80s. Erving was an amazing athlete and could do things on the basketball court that people are still trying to emulate today. He was an athletic specimen that the NBA has maybe not seen the likes of since. Dr. J had so many moves in his repertoire that he was nearly impossible to stop if he got going. He could literally soar over opponents and few had answers to stop him. Erving’s time as a superstar in the NBA may have not have been as long-lived as others in the Top 25, mainly due to Erving spending some time in the ABA but in his prime, Erving was on the same level of play as Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. If there were a “Big 3” of the 80s Erving would join those two in the group.

13. Jerry West

27.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.7 APG

14X All-Star, 1 title

Awards: 12X All-NBA, 5X All-Defensive, Finals MVP (1969)

I actually never knew how truly great of a scorer West was until researching his stats a little more. The man averaged 27 PPG for a career for God’s sake! Very few can say they accomplished that. West was the face of the NBA during the 60s and 70s and he was a scorer that the league had never seen the likes of before. He was the first great scoring guard. In a time in the league when big men such as Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell dominated, West brought in a new era of great scorers. In his fourteen-year career, West only averaged less than 20 PPG once…and that was his rookie season. Although he averaged over 30 PPG in four different seasons in his career, West also proved to be a great passer as well. In 1971 and 1972, he averaged over 9 APG while still averaging over 25 PPG. If only he could find a way to beat Russell and the Celtics more often.

12. Hakeem Olajuwon

21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 3.1 BPG

12X All-Star, 2 titles

Awards: 12X All-NBA, 9X All-Defensive, MVP (1994), 2X DPOY, 2X Finals MVP

I don’t think Olajuwon gets quite the credit he deserves. You would be hard-pressed to find a better all-around big man than Hakeem. Olajuwon proved that he was possibly the second best player of the 90s while Michael Jordan was retired for two years as he and the Houston Rockets won both championships during Jordan’s absence in 1994 and 1995. Olajuwon had some of the best post moves that the league had ever seen while still managing to be one of the best defensive players in NBA history. In an era of great big men during the 90s, he stood out from the rest. Nobody from Robinson, Ewing, Malone or Barkley could match what Olajuwon did during his prime. Two Defensive Player of the Year awards and two Finals MVPs are something that none of them could do. Olajuwon was such a raw talent when he came into the league that it took him a few more years to truly hit his prime but when he did, he was nearly impossible to stop.

11. Tim Duncan

19.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.2 BPG

15X All-Star, 5 titles

Awards: 15X All-NBA, 15X All-Defensive, 2X MVP, 3X Finals MVP, ROY (1998)

Two words can describe the highest-rated power forward on my list: consistency and winner. Night in and night out for eighteen years, Duncan was the most valuable player on the court for his San Antonio Spurs. Duncan perfected Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s system and was able to lead their team to five titles. They were the ultimate winners of the 2000s. Duncan was never the most exciting player on the court but he was always the most efficient. Duncan didn’t care about popularity, he just wanted to win and he did that very well. Without Duncan, the Spurs would never have been the dominant force that they were. Popovich’s system needed a cornerstone big man and Duncan was the perfect one. For fifteen straight seasons, there was not a more consistent player in the league than Duncan. Fifteen All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defensive selections are unheard of in today’s game.

10. Oscar Robertson

25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG

12X All-Star, 1 title

Awards: 11X All-NBA, MVP (1964), ROY (1961)

Robertson was the original Russell Westbrook. He was a guard that could do everything from be a high-volume scorer to an athletic rebounder to an outstanding distributing point guard. That seems pretty obvious considering Robertson is currently the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season. There have simply just not been very many better all-around players than Robertson ever in the league. Robertson’s numbers with the Cincinnati Royals from that triple-double season in 1962 are simply amazing. He averaged 30.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG and 11.8 APG. No matter what era a player played in, numbers like that are those of a Top 10 player. Although Robertson’s teams in Cincinnati could never find their way to a title, Robertson had a rebirth with the Milwaukee Bucks later in his career and won a title alongside a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) in 1971. Robertson’s stats speak for themselves and he sets the tone for the greatness to come in the Top 10.

9. Shaquille O’Neal

23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.3 BPG

15X All-Star, 4 titles

Awards: 14X All-NBA, 3X All-Defensive, MVP (2000), 3X Finals MVP, ROY (1993)

Sometimes I feel like O’Neal gets overrated. I think Shaq is a Top 10 player of all-time for sure but when others start putting him in the Top 5, I really start to question them. There’s no doubt that O’Neal was a dominant force in his prime and he is another once in a lifetime talent that the NBA may not see the likes of for a long time but O’Neal still had his limitations. Shaq was simply a post player and his range did not extend beyond the paint. However, he could be unstoppable inside just because of his brute strength and size. O’Neal might have been the last true great traditional post player and he was able to win at a high level while with the Lakers in the early 2000s. During that period, there was no team that could stop the Los Angeles teams led by O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Although they didn’t always get along, both were superb enough players that it didn’t matter. They were still better than everybody else without good chemistry. Although I don’t rank O’Neal as high as some do, I realize there was no more dominant player in the league than him during his best seasons.

8. Kobe Bryant

25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG

18X All-Star, 5 titles

Awards: 15X All-NBA, 12X All-Defensive, MVP (2008), 2X Finals MVP

Moving on to O’Neal’s Los Angeles counterpart, Bryant was the closest thing to Michael Jordan that the league has ever seen. Bryant was among the best athletes of his time but his competitiveness set him apart from the rest. That’s why he won titles and other great scorers of his time such as Tracy McGrady or Vince Carter did not. There really may not have been a more competitive superstar in NBA history other than Jordan himself and the moves in Bryant’s repertoire were eerily similar to Jordan’s as well. Bryant just had no will to lose and along with his otherworldly athleticism, that’s what made him such a great scorer and defender as well. People often forget Bryant’s prowess on the defensive end as his offensive success as he would be a perfect example of the “two-way player” that has become a common phrase coined into today’s game. Either way, despite Bryant’s attitude questions, there may be no closer example of a player like Michael Jordan in a long time.

7. Larry Bird

24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG

12X All-Star, 3 titles

Awards: 10X All-NBA, 3X All-Defensive, 3X MVP, 2X Finals MVP, ROY (1980)

I’m from the same county as Bird’s Indiana hometown in French Lick so Bird is the kind of player that everybody tries to live up to when they’re growing up. Needless to say, nobody has ever quite matched him. Bird was the kind of all-around player that comes once in a decade and he was that player of the 80s. Bird could do everything with a basketball. He could score both inside and out, he may be the best pound for pound rebounder in NBA history and he made passes that only the likes of Magic Johnson and Pete Maravich could match. Bird and Magic of course had one of the greatest rivalries in sports while playing for the Celtics and Lakers respectively and both deserve credit for saving the NBA after some dark years in the 70s. Bird is an icon not only in his home state of Indiana but in the city of Boston as well. He reinvented the Celtics franchise after their years of dominance led by Bill Russell. When he got going, there was literally no stopping Bird. He could make shots that nobody could guard, he grabbed rebounds that no man with his athleticism should get and he made passes that somehow always seemed to make it to the hands of his teammates. Along with Magic, Bird was the best bet in years to be able to reach Oscar Robertson’s triple-double mark set in 1962. He could just do everything on the court and he was a constant champion because Boston believed in him.

6. Magic Johnson

19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG

12X All-Star, 5 titles

Awards: 10X All-NBA, 3X MVP, 3X Finals MVP

There’s no separating Magic and Bird. They both equally saved the league during the 80s and both led two of the greatest teams the league has ever seen. While Bird was leading the Celtics, who possibly put the greatest team ever on an NBA court during the 1986 season, Magic was matching him with the “Showtime Lakers.” Without Magic, there was no Showtime. He was the point guard that was essential to those teams and much like his rival in Boston, Johnson could do everything on a basketball court. Although he wasn’t really the scorer that Bird was, Johnson had more of a presence on the floor. He carried his teams by having the court vision and distributing ability that the league has never seen in another player. The fact that Johnson and Bird could not crack the Top 5 shows the greatness of the next five players.

5. Bill Russell

15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG

12X All-Star, 11 titles

Awards: 11X All-NBA, 1X All-Defensive, 5X MVP

Russell was the greatest winner not only in NBA history but in the history of sports. Leading the Celtics to titles in eleven different seasons is success that no other athlete has ever experienced. Boston couldn’t have done it without a transcendent player such as Russell. One could look back at point to Russell’s physical dominance over other big men of the era but Russell won against possibly the most dominant physical specimen during any era in Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain was bigger and stronger than any player that the league had ever seen and Russell still found a way to beat him year after year. Russell did his damage mostly on the defensive end and despite the statistic of blocks not being recorded during his playing days, Russell is widely regarded as the greatest shot-blocker in NBA history. He wasn’t the offensive threat that Chamberlain was but he was equally if not even better in the rebounding department and defensively. I know Russell was on a different level physically than everybody but Chamberlain in the 60s but a career average of 22.5 RPG is just mind-boggling. When it all comes down to it, eleven titles will get a player of Russell’s caliber in the Top 5.

4. Wilt Chamberlain

30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG

13X All-Star, 2 titles

Awards: 10X All-NBA, 2X All-Defensive, 4X MVP, Finals MVP (1972), ROY (1960)

Moving on to Russell’s biggest rival, Wilt Chamberlain might have been the most dominant player during their playing days in NBA history. Chamberlain was a freak of nature at the time during his days in the league and he proved it on the basketball court. Chamberlain gets the nod over Russell because he did things on the court that has never been done by any player ever even though he didn’t nearly have the success that Russell’s teams had during that time. First of all, Chamberlain’s career per game averages are seen as impossible in today’s game. 30 PPG and nearly 23 RPG for career could prove Chamberlain’s dominance before even considering some of Wilt’s other amazing feats. Add on the fact that he was the only player to score 100 points in a single game in 1962 and that Chamberlain averaged 50.4 PPG in the same year (50.4!!!) goes to show just how great he really was in his prime. Many could point to Chamberlain’s physical dominance as the reason for all the amazing stats but I think if you put one of today’s seven-footers in Wilt’s shoes and you wouldn’t get nearly the same results.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 2.6 BPG

19X All-Star, 6 titles

Awards: 15X All-NBA, 11X All-Defensive, 6X MVP, 2X Finals MVP, ROY (1970)

Kareem just edges out Wilt and Russell for the greatest center of all-time. Kareem played at such a high level for such a long time that it’s hard to believe if any other player could physically do it. Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and third-leading rebounder behind only Wilt and Russell. Kareem helped transform two franchises in his time by leading both the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers to championships. One knock on Kareem is that he always had great teammates around him. He had Oscar Robertson in Milwaukee and Magic Johnson in Los Angeles. However, Abdul-Jabbar made them just as good as they made him. He was the kind of player that could be unstoppable on both offense and defense and had possibly the most unstoppable signature shot in the “skyhook.” Yes, Russell and Chamberlain were similar in the same ways but what sets Kareem apart from almost every player is his longevity. Kareem did all this for so long and never really slowed down that much over nearly twenty years. That has led to him being at the top of many statistical categories in NBA history.

2. LeBron James

27.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 7.0 APG

13X All-Star, 3 titles

Awards: 12X All-NBA, 6X All-Defensive, 4X MVP, 3X Finals MVP, ROY (2004)

Now we get into the ultimate argument. It has become a constant debate on whether or not LeBron James is better than Michael Jordan. If my ranking doesn’t already reflect my opinion on this, let me dive in a little deeper. Although I do believe LeBron has worked his way up to the number two slot on this list, I don’t believe he is better than Jordan and it’s not even close. Don’t get me wrong; LeBron is a talent that the league has never seen before. The athleticism he has for his size is unmatched by anybody to ever play the game and he has skills that nobody his size has seen since Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. He’s great at everything: scoring, rebounding, passing, defense. It doesn’t matter. If you know me at all, you know I’m not LeBron’s biggest fan but I have accepted the fact that he is the second best player to ever play the game. However, I’m still aware he has much more to do if he ever wants to catch Jordan’s legacy and he’s running out of time.

1. Michael Jordan

30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG

14X All-Star, 6 titles

Awards: 11X All-NBA, 9X All-Defensive, 5X MVP, DPOY (1988), 6X Finals MVP, ROY (1985)

I honestly don’t believe I need to explain this. That’s how easy this ranking is for me. There’s never been a better all-around basketball player than Michael Jordan. There has never been a player that wins more prolifically, was a better scorer, made his teammates better, was more athletic, was more competitive or was a better defender than Jordan. Whether or not a better player will ever come along has yet to be seen. However, don’t get your hopes up.

It’s that easy. All this counting down for such an anti-climactic ending? You should’ve expected it.