Dennis Rodman: LeBron James would be ‘average player’ in late ’80s or early ’90s

He's right about this one.

Pippen vs Wade?

We saw Pippen ($75 million dollar -Rockets ) play a young kid named Kobe in the playoffs.

That didn't go as advertised.

 

Another retired HOF player trying to build relevance? Please, it's starting to get annoying. He could have ended it at "This era is easier than that era". No need to go on and create pointless boast.

But really, I guess I agree with him. Lebron's TEAM wouldn't compare with the Bulls back then, but hell, I don't see anyone having an easy time guarding Lebron when he's in man-mode.

 

Does anyone take that dumbass cokehead seriously anymore?
LeBron average player? OK.

 

Yeah average LeBron can take out prime Jordan according to Pippen.

Both these idiots should just stay under the rock they crawled out of.

 

Kiki Vandeweghe, World B. Free and Mark Aguirre averaged over 29 points in 80's. Teams averaged more points on higher efficiency.

I don't think Jordan is even better scorer than Durant, he might average about 35, but he'd have to take about 27 shots per game which is almost 10 more than Durant. The only advantage Jordan has over Durant is if you put the ball in his hands he'll create better shot on average than Durant.

It's also worth mentioning how Jordan struggled against zones on international level even in his prime('92 dream team).

 

still a good coke quote.

Even today's cokehead Birdman Andersen can't match the old era's cokeness

 

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I would have agreed with him if he was talking about Dwight Howard. If Dwight played in that era he would be in that second tier of big men with Mourning, Deke and Rik Smits. Dream, Robinson, Ewing, Young Shaq, Karl Malone and Shawn Kemp would've clowned him.

I agree with what he's saying about the Bulls matching up against that Heat team. They would've gotten manhandled. But if Magic Johnson can be a top tier player in that era then so would LeBron. They have pretty similar games, with LeBron maybe being a better shooter at this point.

 

he'd fit in nicely with the jazz, were that tomfoolery of falling down without contact was praised.

 

It was way more physical back then. Lebron was crying with Hinrich wrapping him up? Imagine the punishment he would have gone through 20 yrs ago.

He is correct if Jordan played now he would be scoring 40+ points a game and constantly on the free throw line.

 

He's right about Chris Bosh. But LeBron average player?
Also any player from now transported back to the past would not be a whining flopping b****. If you grew up with the NBA when it was physical then you're going to be a physical player. LeBron isn't a whiner because he's a whiner in person. He's a whiner because the current culture of the NBA is to whine for calls. Everyone does it. Stop acting like LeBron is the biggest b**** in the NBA because he does it too. KD does it. Kobe does it. EVERYONE DOES IT.

 

thats dumb, Lebron's is just an athletic monster he would be a HOF player regardless but wouldn't be dominating the league like he is.

 

League average FT/FGA(free throws per field attempt) in late 80's and early 90's was about .250.
League average FT/FGA in past few years is about .200.

We see much less freethrows than we used to. Golden State led the league with attempted 2858 freethrows in 89-90 season.
OKC led the league with 1819 freethrows attempted in 12-13 season - every team in 89-90 season attempted more freethrows than OKC.

 

Kevin Durant himself would have to take more shots too to average 35 points. I know what you're getting at, that for Jordan to get his today he'd have to hoist way more shots compared to today's league leaders. But its a bit misleading comparison.

Kevin Durant in 2010 averaged 30.1 PTS at 20.3 shots

Michael Jordan in '92 averaged 30.1 PTS at 22.7 shots

On the same scale to get to 35 it'd be around 3 shots more. Still a good case for Durant, but not like Jordan has to go that much chuck mode

And like you said, lots of the great scorers have good efficiency, even better than Jordan. But its the all around game. What you said about Jordan actually is what makes him great. Because Durant IS an all-time phenomenal scorer. Creating better shots than Durant means you're Lebron James and better.

 

(I didnt mean to add the "Lebron" part in that quote.) Was just making fun of cokers.

And no I don't agree with Rodman at all about "average player"

I watched all the great scoring swingmen of the era like Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler. I HIGHLY doubt Lebron would be BELOW those guys and just be a Glen Rice/Mitch Richmond.

(And Bill Worrell would tell you that Rockets team with Drexler, Hakeem and Barkley were ALWAYS YAPPING at officials. Sometimes at shameful lengths, like some crotchety old men out there. Flopping might be a newer thing, but WHINING has always been there. If you wonder by people don't like Danny Ainge, its cuz of him being cheap and WHINEY)

 

Rodman is WRONG

 

He is obviously wrong about lebron being average, but he is telling the truth about how the bulls would completely obliterate this heat team.

 

All of those stats are irrelevant in the light of a different era of rule changes.

Basketball used to be a big mans game played inside out, not so much anymore..hence the emergence of scoring point guards

 

Rodman is exaggerating to make his point, but since I saw his era and today's era myself, I can see some of his general points. I'd take that Bulls team over today's Heat also.

But then again this is the same guy who said Larry Bird would be an average player if he was black.