When you get older, you'll learn how to form your own opinions and not go by what everyone else says.
the greats were still gonnag get it done. The Celtics and Lakers were still the most loaded teams by far Why can't we discount Magic? he had the best big man of all time on his team
No, Jordan is the most marketed player in NBA history so he'll have that on his side. Every year NBA coaches vote on all-defensive teams and every year Kobe is on them. I know the game very well and I can tell you that Kobe is not even close to one of the top defenders in this league. That is the power of marketing and hype. I don't have a problem with people who pick MJ as the GOAT. I think there are some very compelling arguments for it. I just happen to think Magic and Bird were both better (I'm talking prime vs. prime) based on what I personally witnessed.
Ah, so you're one of those people who say everyone is controlled by the media, and are sheep because they listen to popular bands while you go listen to your indie rock? I guess the majority of the world are sheep and you are free. Because you go against the popular choice.
I know you don't remember this, but NO ROCKETS FANS back in the day were ever fearful of the Bulls. This is from the Chicago Tribute. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=158229 Rockets Burn Bulls - As Usual Jan 29, 1993 http://www.chicagotribune.com/ link The Bulls (28-14) sliced a 15-point lead early in the third quarter to six late in the period and did the same early in the fourth. But the Rockets went on a 12-2 run to build their advantage back to 16 at 78-62 with 7:07 left in the game and then boosted their edge to 19 with five minutes left on a fading, baseline jumper by the villainous Vernon Maxwell-his eighth point in the run. The Rockets (23-18), as erratic as a highly talented team can possibly be, continued their remarkable streak of success against the Bulls. They have won five straight over the Bulls at the Summit and six of the teams' last eight meetings overall. They have the best record of any Bulls opponent over the last three seasons. Thursday night's storyline: - The Bulls went to the foul line just eight times, making six of those-season lows for both the Bulls and a Rockets opponent. - The Bulls shot just 42 percent-33 percent and 39 percent in the the second and third quarters-and had a season-low 14 points in the second quarter. - The Rockets, playing before their first sellout of the season, turned the ball over 22 times but outrebounded the Bulls 46-33 and scored 18 points off 16 turnovers. - Hakeem Olajuwon scored just six points in the second half but finished with 18 points, 17 rebounds and five blocked shots. - Maxwell drove Jordan crazy.
I agree about Kobe getting defensive team awards. But, did you bring that up to say Jordan was an overrated defender as well?
It's not about going against what's popular; it's just about going with what you think is right, based on your own analysis, and if it happens to not be the popular choice, ignoring the critics. Sports is very media driven-- the battle between individual players is what keeps casual fans interested and so that's what the media markets. Just go on ESPN or Yahoo and look at how much is being made of LeBron's "legacy" right now. I go with the popular choice all the time. I've thought LeBron was the best player in the league for many years, just like Hollinger et. al. has been telling me!
If anyone could have damaged Jordan's legacy, it was going to be Olajuwon and the Rockets. Damn his father's murderers and damn the Orlando Magic!
I brought it up to show you that the popular choice, even among allegedly knowledgeble people, isn't always the correct one.
Wait how did we get here again? Weren't most of us posting here agreeing Lebron will never be on Jordan status. I believe i even said he won't be on Magic or Bird level either. The point was that you were telling him to learn how to form his own opinion. Do you not think he has seen videos? They have full games online. Stats? Chances are, he probably did, and what he saw was exactly what majority people see as well. The GOAT. I have no problem with you saying Magic or Bird are GOAT. I agree about Lebron being the best for years now and i don't believe Kobe has ever been the best player in the league once in the 00's.
I don't think you can make any conclusion about LeBron since around this point in his career MJ hadn't won squat either. Let's just judge these guys when all is said and done. I don't think today's ADD-ridled generation has the attention span to watch old NBA games when they can get nice youtube highlights. I posted two full games of Jordan's in another thread to give an idea of how he played and what the defenses were like at the time and no one even commented on them. They had formed their opinions ahead of time.
Lebron ruined it in my eyes by ditching Cleveland to join superfriends. Add to that his already 0-1 record, nearly about to be 0-2 and i'm sorry but he will never be MJ, Magic, Bird level. If he only he stuck it out with the Cavs. Yes, they were going to need rebuilding, but look how fast LA rebuilt once Shaq was gone. Lebron should have stuck out a few lottery years and came back stronger.
Correction, there were at least four great teams in the 80's. The Celtics, 76ers, Lakers, and Pistons.
Using your own logic, Kareem was not the best big man of all-time. Didn't you see his recent piece calling Wilt and Russell the greatest players in the history of the game?
This is one is getting there. It's been one of the best over the last 12 years, the only other one that was this good was 2005 NBA Finals (Detroit/San Antonio) ... I don't care what anyone says that was a great series. 1994 (Rockets/Knicks) was fantastic, 1988 (Pistons/Lakers) might have been the best ever, possibly over 84 and 76 Finals. The 77-78 Finals is probably the most underrated because it was stuck in obscure era of the NBA, sort of like the Spurs and Pistons.
Let's get back on track here. This LeBron vs Jordan or Bird or Magic or whoever is getting tiresome. This definitely is shaping up to be a really really really good Finals series. Dirk having that fever, Wade going out for parts of game 5 only to come back to a losing effort. And let's not forget (this is in no way saying the Heat is a bad team) the injuries to Caron Butler, and also Brendan Haywood. AND the crappy letdown that is Peja. Carlisle had to go to the freakin' Custodian and freakin' Ian Mahnimi (sp?), both of whom had not seem many playoff minutes in the postseason, to sub in for those guys. Very hard to believe that the Mavs are 3-2 right now.
Slightly off topic, but as Game 5 was winding down, Jeff van Gundy commented "This is the best finals game I've ever seen." I was surprised by that because while I really enjoyed it, I didn't even think it was the best game of this series. I thought maybe he loved it because he's a defensive specialist and down the stretch both teams did a tremendous job taking away the first options, forcing the second and third options to beat them.
It's funny how people have short term memories. 4 games in and it's the best series ever? I grew up watching tapes of the Lakers-Celtics 80's Finals series that are way better than this.
