Twenty years goes by in a blink.
All five will be heavily debated against each other for years to come with Gretzky perched on top.
Kareem, Wilt, and Russell still frequently make the top 5 in the NBA, and the latter two were born just 6-8 years after Gordie Howe. Babe Ruth retains his stature and he played his final game when Howe was 7 years old. Ty Cobb is frequently listed as top 5 and he hasn’t played in nearly a hundred years.
Besides, Lemieux is the most vulnerable one inside the top 4. Gretzky, Lemieux, and McDavid may be our three favorites, but Orr and Howe are inside the top 5 and will be debated in any position without a new threat for at least another forty years.