Jordan is recognized as the first person in the NBA, and his throne is the first person, and it is difficult for anyone to surpass him in the future. Whether it is honor, dominance, data, or influence, he has achieved the extreme, and his first identity is well-deserved. So if Jordan doesn't appear in the NBA, who will be the first person in history, I think there are 4 people who are qualified to run for the first person, and we can know today.
Russell has left us, but his influence is still far-reaching, and he is the first superstar in the NBA. Helped the Celtics build a dynasty, won 11 titles, including 8 consecutive championships, and 5 MVPs of his own. He really ruled the NBA for 10 years, and he really had no opponents during the same period, and later even the FMVP trophy was named after Russell, which is enough to see his influence. Without Jordan, he is the most undisputed number one.
Magic was the first person in the NBA in the 80s, and Bird was good enough in the same period, but compared to Magic, it was still a little worse. He changed the way the league played, and in that era of one-board, one-eye-play style, Magic took the league by storm with "show time" play, and he took basketball to a new level of spectacle. Although his career is only 13 years, he has won 5 championships and 3 FMVPs, and he is also the only one among point guards. Jordan was next to the magicians in his heyday, and the light dimmed a lot. If he hadn't been self-disciplined, he would have been the first person to compete.
Abdul-Jabbar must be on the list, with many honors, long peaks, enough qualifications, and huge influence. He was the all-time leading scorer, winning six championships, six MVPs, and in the '80s, he was the No. 1 center. He has comprehensive skills, integrated offense and defense, and the "Sky Hook" stunt is even more incomprehensible. It was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who pioneered the flow of play at the center and contributed greatly to the innovation of the NBA. At any time, he is one of the top 3 in history, and he is naturally qualified to compete for the first place.
Finally, there's James, whose greatness needs no words. Originally, he was second only to Jordan in many professional media, with 4 crowns, 4 FMVP, 4 MVP, 13 times, the all-time scoring champion, and the only "411". Data, honor, and influence are absolutely at hand, and if there is no Jordan, he has the greatest possibility of being the first person.