Kobe wanted to surpass Jordan's legacy from day one. In the end, he won't even come close. Like a lot of you, I was old enough to watch both of their careers unfold and as good as Kobe is, he can't touch Jordan. I think Jordan and Hakeem were the two best players over the last 30 or so years, ahead of Shaq, Duncan, Bird, Magic, etc... even if there are numbers out there that might say otherwise.
I have absolutely no reason to be biased in favor of either player. I didn't even move to Houston and start following the Rockets until 2002. Those are just the two most amazing players to me over the last 30 years or so which is when I've been old enough to watch basketball.
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Yeah, because MJ never received the benefits of any marketing campaigns. Seriously though, has anyone seen the new Hanes undershirt commercial? Who does this guy think he is trying to redeem the Adolf Hitler moustache. His ego truly knows no bounds.
What I took from that video is seeing just how much body control he had. It's really unparalleled to anyone (past or present) I've ever seen.
Gotta agree with this. Jordan did have big hands that allowed him to finish in ways most of us only dream of (including those in the NBA). But it was also his ability to understand where his opponents were and where they were going to be. If you watch closely, you'll see his small body movements in the air that allow him just enough space to get a shot off - it's quite amazing and I have yet to see a current player do the same.
hey yeah, same for me, basically, my default jumpshot involves palming the ball and when the ball is too smooth i just can't palm it and can't hit **** so i'm one of those guys that constantly blames the ball for misses =P
I think that compilation might be the best montage of Jordan's dunks / aerial pursuits I've ever seen.
Thanks guy! Just goes to show how that score-first, volume shooting, flashy wing-players that rely on athleticism don't win championships. Every time I see the highlight of MJ making complete buffoons of John Starks and Charles Oakley I want to stand up. It was at 4:45 on this video.
This for me too... well not actually because of MJ per se... all the kids on the playground during recess were trying to emulate him and that's how I got introduced to the game of basketball... and eventually started watching the game on tv and loving the Rockets.. I hated MJ growing up because I thought he was a ball-hog.. but as time went by and I got more familiar with the game I started to appreciate his game and unbelievable talent... I'm glad I got a chance to see him play MJ going through the air = poetry in motion GOAT!!
Although I'll agree that virtually every component of Jordans game was better than Kobe's- better handles, quickness, more hops, better jump shot, more rings (for the moment), etc., you cant deny that Kobe has faced stiffer competition at the 2 spot than MJ did in the 90's. The Shooting Gaurd position had only a few real talents during that era- clyde and reggie being the two best that come to mind; the majority were players who were either too slow to keep up with MJ (Hornacek, Hersey Hawkins, Nick Anderson, Mich Richmond), too small (John Starks, Dumars), or simply overmatched (Sprewell, Calbert Cheaney). Kobe has had to go up against a league that became gaurd focused with superior aggregate talent. MJ's era was an era of centers- Robinson, Ewing and Mutombo were all in their prime, which makes Hakeem's numbers and accomplishments even more impressive.
To think the Rockets could have picked him instead of Hakeem. Nothing against hakeem, hes my hero, but damn. What if......what if.....
Wow. No mention of Clyde or Reggie Miller? Also, there is a reason other players were too slow to keep up with him. It's because the guy is probably probably had the quickest first step of any SG to play the game. Who has Kobe had to face at SG besides Wade that is so great?
What I wanted the Rockets to do (before MJ blew up off the scale and Sampson got injured) was to trade Ralph Sampson for MJ. I'm not joking. In retrospect, I think most of us Rockets fans are fine with drafting Hakeem since he won two championships here. I love MJ as much as anyone but have no regrets about the Rockets drafting Hakeem.
Hakeem is one of the best players to ever play the game. He dominated on both ends of the floor (something that not even all the greats can say they did). If Hakeem played a different time than Jordan, he could possibly had just as many championships as mike. But then again, Jordan playing in a time with hall of famers showed how good Jordan really is. I had an argument with a knowledgeable friend that argued Hakeem was the best, in his opinion, to play the game. He did have some good points, which goes to show how good Hakeem was also.
