they mention jordan being a complete player. it took ppl dogging jordan in weak areas of his game for him to have improved upon them by following season. he was not complete until deficiencies in his game were pointed out. he was then able to try and improve in those areas. mcgrady is doing the same thing. he is now improving to be a dog on defense and still maintain a superb offensive game.
Yeah, I thought that was funny too. But it was Shaq, not Payton, who said he liked Iverson. Another funny thing is, Jordan used to be considered the poster boy of selfish scorer by the contemporaries of Bird and Magic. Oh, and I wouldn't let my boys learn basketball from watching Shaq either, especially on how to shoot (you know, that little skill you need in playing basketball).
I guess they are all entitled to their opinions. Kind of funny that Zo speaks of scoring as if anyone can do it...riiiiight. Go out and score then Zo, if you are so unimpressed with it. Oh and after you carry the scoring load, go defend the opponents best scorer too. Honestly, my memory of the "greats" defensive game is fuzzy. My only recollections are weakside helping, hardly face up and defend someone. Gp, Gp, Gp...you should have retired with dignity. A once respected PG, has become what many mention here...a puppy chasing a treat. But are you really surprised to hear crap coming from his mouth? Talking *is* what GP is all about. Shaq speaking on And1...next he will say Yao was And1ing it up when he went behind the back. He's just mad he can't do that. He's just jealous that Yao can shoot from outside the paint. He's mad b/c if you took Yao's size away, he's still a basketball player. If you took Shaq's size away...you get the point.
I agree`that the "modern" genre of players are lacking in basketball fundamentals and are obsessed with "dunking," but TMac is hardly the posterboy for the new era of "highlight reel," streetball basketball. And the players doing the interview, Payton, Mourning, and Shaq are hardly the ones to bring this up. And bringing Wade into to it is a joke, especially when he is on your own team, and he is the best all-around player on that team. Magic and Bird discussing this issue would have been more credible.
Ummm...know your basketball dude...Zo is one of the best defensive centers of all time...the guy had a freaking kidney transplant is still doing his thing. If he got 30 minutes a game he would easily average 14-15 PPG and 8-10 RBG and 2-3 BlKG, all without being the focal point of the offense. I watched the Bucks game, and dude looked like ZO of old. He had like 7 monster blocks, ones where they were trying to dunk on him and he threw it out. I can't even count the number of shots he changed. When he left the game TJ Ford and the Bucks inside players had a field day against Toine Walker (the worse signing of the offseason). I disagree with what the three of them said about Lebron, T-mac and others but it's all good. These guys went up against Jordan, Olajuwon, Reggie Miller in his prime, Ewing, D. Robinson, Karla Malona and others. These were all guys who won on a consistent basis and were always deep into the post season, year in year out. In comparisson, these young, high schoolers and 1 to 2 year collegiate players have not had any post season glory and are getting all the acknowledgements. They are probably just letting the media know that you need to do it for a long period of time and in the playoffs for them to be truly great. I know T-Mac is our guy and we love him and we want to defend him but T-Mac will always be looked at as a scorer (even though we all know that's not true) until he gets deep into the post season and achieves team success. Aren't you all the same guys that HATED on Steve and Cat because of the lack of team success? The lack of playoff appearances? T-Mac has been to the playoffs but has not gotten out the first round YET. That's how the others look at T-Mac. The same thing went for KG, he was dogged until he finally got out of the first round and into the Western Conf Finals and has shed that label. I think this season, once the Rox get to the West Conf Finals, he and Yao will finally get the respect they deserve. Peace.
i agree w/ what he is saying, but he's the last guy in the league that we need to heard this from. pepsi radio shaq reebok taco bell burger king nestle's crunch starter
This is probably a blatant attack on youngsters that by reputation don't play defense. T-Mac has had moments in his career when he's played All-NBA Defensive Team calibur defense and some moments when he admittedly hasn't (Orlando). GP probably decided he needed a target to support his flawed argument. Nevermind the fact that T-Mac is easily more talented than GP ever was. Nevermind the fact that the Lakers could have won a championship if not for GP's inability to run the triangle offense or defend a mailbox in the playoffs (defense, ironic). I can't wait to hear what he has to say this year when Miami underachieves.
I would love to play for a championship contender like the Rockets. Players like T-Mac is up there with the greats: Magic, Bird, MJ. He's not just a scorer, he's the complete package. Signed: Desperately seeking a ring, GP
Can Payton get any more ridiculous? The guy couldn't get it done during his day, and now he's trying to ride Shaq's coat-tail once again to get a ring...he's setting himself up for embarrassment from these young guys now. Tracy, Kobe, Lebron or any of these young guys could wipe him off the court. I hate to talk bad about 'Zo because of what he's accomplished just making it back, but they do sound like old farts that are bitter.
The silly thing about this article is that they mention maybe four players that can do it all, then argue that todays stars aren't that good, except for a few of them. Guess what, Gary! It was no different in your day! There were a few players with complete games, but then there were also guys like Alex English, Glen Rice, and Charles Barkley. Oh, and Dominique didn't play all that well on the defensive end of the court either and had limited team success. So, in that regard, nothing has changed. As for longevity, there were guys like Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Shawn Kemp and Larry Johnson. All of those guys did their thing for a little while, but in the end they won't be remembered as greats because they lacked longevity. In that regard, nothing has changed. Also, I don't really mind him using Tracy McGrady as an example of somebody who is nothing but a scorer. We all know McGrady did more than that last season, but we're talking about a guy who has been in the league 8 years and has only one season under his belt where it could be argued he gave it all on both ends of the court. That's simply not enough to put him in the league with the kind of guys they've mentioned. (Though I don't remember Magic Johnson being much of a defensive player either) For McGrady to join that league, he'll at least have to win a couple rings and an MVP trophy or two. Also, while I do agree Dominque Wilkens was a great player and I thought he was worthy of being one of the 50 greatest of all times, I think for their arguments sake, they'd have been better off mentioning guys like Hakeem, Clyde Drexler, Isiah Thomas and as much as I hate to say it, Karla and Stockton.
Looks like the chemistry problems starting for Miami.. and guess who's in the middle of it? "Payton dissents - respectfully" Source
I could understand if Mourning was a "has-been" talking trash, but Zo is more like a "never-was". And where does Shaq come off talking about the "era" he comes from? WE'RE STILL IN THE FREAKING ERA HE CAME FROM. Did he forgot his commercials, rap album, and movie? Did he forgot about the critics wishing he would show the focus and dedication of his predecessors? GP is just a punk. You expect that kind of garbage to come out of his mouth.
Yep. Stan won't let him do the 18 second dribble back down post up move he has done his whole career. Shamie Shamie.
hahah, yeah...now, as someone posted in response to me, yeah, Zo was pretty darn good in his time. I'll admit to that, and I probably played it down how good he was, but let's not get all Bill Walton with one of the best defensive centers of all time...that's awful good company. Now, crap hit him...you can't help that. Tell that to Penny, Grant Hill, etc. They were great, and could have become so much more...but Zo, let's not talk out of place as if you are one of the greats. Hardly.
Ghee, who knew GP and Zo were suddenly coaching/scouting gurus? Stan Van Gundy is going to have to play this situation extremely smooth for it to work down there. Too many prima-donnas on that team.
Heh. Yeah, once he said that Dominique was one of those players that wasn't just a scorer, all the comments lost credibility. I liked Dominique and he did put on a show, but he is the epitome of one-dimensional. McGrady's scoring is so spectacular that maybe it overshadows everything else, but the guy avergaes a good amount of assists and rebounds. Stuart
GP doesn't even know what he's talking about.. back then he was all about numbers and commercials.. remember that GP?
Prior to Kidney ailment YEAR TEAM G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG 92-93 CHA 78 78 33.9 .511 .000 .781 3.4 6.9 10.3 1.0 .35 3.47 3.03 3.70 21.0 93-94 CHA 60 59 33.6 .505 .000 .762 3.0 7.2 10.2 1.4 .45 3.13 3.32 3.50 21.5 94-95 CHA 77 77 38.2 .519 .324 .761 2.6 7.3 9.9 1.4 .64 2.92 3.13 3.60 21.3 95-96 MIA 70 70 38.2 .523 .300 .685 3.1 7.3 10.4 2.3 1.00 2.70 3.74 3.50 23.2 96-97 MIA 66 65 35.2 .534 .111 .642 2.9 7.1 9.9 1.6 .85 2.86 3.42 4.10 19.8 97-98 MIA 58 56 33.4 .551 .000 .665 3.3 6.3 9.6 .9 .69 2.24 3.09 3.60 19.2 98-99 MIA 46 46 38.1 .511 .000 .652 3.6 7.4 11.0 1.6 .74 3.91 3.02 3.50 20.1 99-00 MIA 79 78 34.8 .551 .000 .711 2.7 6.8 9.5 1.6 .51 3.72 2.75 3.90 21.7 1,971 career blocks To say ZO is a “never was” is purely ignorant. Have you just started following the NBA? 1. NBA All-Rookie First Team, runner-up to O'Neal for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award (put up similar numbers to him) and led them to the second round of the playoffs his rookie season, hitting the game winner to beat Boston (21.0 points and 10.3 boards 3.47 Blocks as a rookie). 2. 98-99 and 99-00 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards 3. 7 time all star 4. Immediately turned the heat into championship contender but someone by the name of MJ got in the way as he did for most in the East during the 90’s 5. MVP candidate in 97-00 Riley and he turned the hapless Heat from perennial loser to a championship contender from ’95-00 until his kidney ailment came along. He was reaching his prime when it struck, coming off back to back Defensive player of the year awards and All NBA first team honors and winning the gold medal. They finally made trades to put solid players around him in Eddie Jones and Brian Grant but he got ill. I am not saying he is in Olajuwon’s league but not many are (maybe Wilt, Jabbar and Russell). I feel He is up there in the second tier of NBA centers with Robinson, Ewing, and the likes. I know others like Penny, Hill and such were hampered by injuries as well but Zo’s body of work (8 seasons) is enough to say he was great and not a “never was.” Zo never got the respect he deserved while he played but players like Ben Wallace who have had 2 decent seasons are touted as great! Give me a break!
