You're saying that great players find a way based on one single example of a player who won a title without an all-star caliber teammate?
I think it's ridiculous to make this comparison. Jordan had a coach he loved in Chicago and knew his team was making progress and he was already in a big market town. Cleveland is anything but a destination city, and Lebron would be on his third coach if he went back. Not only that, but the team was in salary cap hell if he went back with a lot of marginal talent filling out the roster. They hadn't done a very good job drafting OR maneuvering the cap. I think if Jordan was in that situation and was being asked to go join his best friends somewhere else he would have done it as well.
Best article I've read about this -- agree 100% with everything in there. You can't call yourself "The Chosen One" if you have to pair up with 2 of the top 5-10 players in the league just to win a ring. LBJ needs a new nickname.
This is every word I want to say. The king lost his chance to be the goat even though he will get some rings.
MJ was respected because he was viewed as the ultimate competitor. He pulled a crappy ass franchise out of obscurity and made them the gold standard of the league. That BECAME his brand after all the "do you know..do you know..do you know" ads with Spike Lee. He ultimately defined a franchise and the entire league. And he didn't jump ship and join his buddies to do it. Instead he demanded his team put talent around him. He was put on a team with nobodies and made them better instantly. He played alongside the likes of Dave Corzine in his early years...taking that team to the playoffs and threatening Boston...eventually they put more pieces around him...and he was finally able to overcome Boston....but then it was Detroit in his way. Finally that team was able to overcome Detroit. And then he cried crocodile tears at the conclusion of his 8th season in the NBA when he FINALLY validated hype and won a first title. As you know, he went on to win many more. Very rarely do you see guys as competitive as Jordan...as killer instinct as Jordan. If LeBron doesn't want that....fine. I just don't want to hear anyone compare him to Jordan ever again. I don't want to hear any "King" nonsense...or "Chosen One" stuff. Because we didn't "WITNESS" that.
All by himself huh? First of all, when was Jordan a free agent and available to leave and still get paid the same? And what is the difference between demanding your team give you talent and choosing your talent when you are a free agent? Why do you have a problem with players not relying on management and doing things on their own, especially when your favorite team wasted the majority of Hakeem's prime years? Lebron didn't instantly make folks better? Is it no coincidence that MJ finally won when his top 50 player side-kick matured into the best SF in basketball? Do you see the Cavs winning 55 games without Lebron next year, like Chicago did when MJ retired? I see it all the time. Magic, Bird, Kareem, Kobe, Hakeem, Isiah, Duncan, etc. I witnessed Jordan win 3 titles with the best SF in basketball, one of the games best PF's and a buttload of centers and shooters. I watched him win another 3 titles with the best SF in basketball (who finished 3rd in MVP voting), the best rebounding and defensive PF in basketball, the best European player and a buttload of centers and shooters. Most importantly, I watched his team win 55 games without him and come a BS call away from being in the ECF. So if I get to witness LeBron win a title with two guys who I wouldn't pick over Pippen and Rodman and a bunch of minimum salaried role players, then I won't complain.
he will be remembered....for being an a$$ and for basically shooting the rod at the very franchise that helped him build his "legacy"
I've responded and written already on every part you mentioned but this one.... on no planet was Scottie Pippen as impactful as Dwayne Wade. no way...no how. Pippen was a supplementary player and was proved to be so. Dwayne was THE MAN on a championship team.
Jordan won his first of three straight titles in the third year of his 8-year contract. What reason would he have to leave to another team like Lebron? He was already winning championships.
awesome read, but i think the writer saying "there will be a lockout next year" was an overstatement. there might be a lockout, but it's not set in stone.
mere facts the whole contract structure is so different from then, its silly to keep saying WWJD or WWMD or WWBD
Who the hell cares about MJ at this point. I am sure Lebron doesnt. Come next June ....this will all be forgotten!!
The franchise did not help him build anything. HE BUILT THAT FRANCHISE with a crappy team. The basement they shall return.
All of Hakeems teammates are better than any of the garbage that surrounded LeBron. The second best player on that team was VERNON MAXWELL The second best player on the Cavs is MO WILLIAMS Please, no comparison.
The man finally speaks. (1:49 and beyond) <object width="420" height="245" id="msnbc5fa4f7" classid="clsid27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0"><param name="movie" value="http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/33399756" /><param name="FlashVars" value="launch=38301946&width=420&height=245"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><embed name="msnbc5fa4f7" src="http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/33399756" width="420" height="245" FlashVars="launch=38301946&width=420&height=245" allowscriptaccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="opaque" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><p style="font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 420px;"><a href="http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24471749" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">Breaking sports news video</a>. <a href="http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/3032825" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">MLB</a>, <a href="http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/3032875" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">NFL</a>, <a href="http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/3032847" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">NBA</a>, <a href="http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/3032803" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">NHL highlights</a> and <a href="http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24471749" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">more</a>.</p>
Don't waste your time. Look for an Icehouse post in a couple of days asking how no one has answered the question of why Jordan wasn't ridiculed for playing with Pippen, who was a much better player than Wade (in his eyes only of course).
I read this and many other articles bashing lebron's decision the day after, and through all of them, the last sentence of this article is the one that sticks with me. Great write up.
pippen wasn't the only difference maker on MJ's team. Rodman>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Sideshow Bob Steve Kerr>Boobie Gibson Toni Kukoc>Mo Williams to name a few. The fact is MJ had a stacked team his entire career, so he has no right to judge Lebron. Ask KG how he felt playing in Minny. Ask CP3 how he feels in NO. Ask Bosh how he felt in Raptorland. Ask Gasol how he felt in Memphis. These are the only guys who have the right to judge Lebron, as they have lousy teams, lousy coaches and lousy GMs. Almost all of them bailed or will bail on their team as well. Are they all quitters too?
