I did a search for t-mac and came across this. Her arguments in this article is so flawed I don't even know where to start. But the digs at Clyde and T_mac are angerring. LINK (2) That being said, there are teams in the league right now that were better than at least three of the teams Jordan beat in the Finals. The Mavericks, Suns and Spurs are better than Clyde Drexler's Trail Blazers, Gary Payton's Sonics and Charles Barkley's Suns. The coaches: Avery Johnson, Mike D'Antoni and Gregg Popovich versus Rick Adelman, George Karl and Paul Westphal. Not even a debate there. Drexler was horribly overrated -- a slasher, terrific shot-blocker and rebounder for a 6-foot-7 guy, but he was a subpar shooter and mediocre ballhandler. You play the who-would-you-rather-have game with the rosters and you would favor most of the 2007 players. Nash or KJ? Duncan or Kemp? Stoudemire or Kemp? Shawn Marion or Buck Williams? The only untouchables are Payton and Barkley. And by the way, I'm not entirely convinced Jordan's Bulls could have beaten the Rockets in '94 or '95 when Hakeem Olajuwon was at the height of his filthiness (I mean that in a good way). I don't even know what to say about her comments on Drexler. That just proves she knows nothing about basketball. (3) I'm not totally certifiable. I know T-Mac or Vince Carter couldn't stop an 8-year-old on a PAL team. Dwyane Wade's defense also is suspect. -------------------------------------------------- I agree on VC and to a certain extent Wade, but Mac is a very very good defender when he sets his mind to it. Just ask Dirk. ESPN only hires these brain dead idiots to spew garbage to draw attention. Discuss!
Just don't read it. I mean, I don't read Ann Coulter's article's either. Honestly, who gives a **** what this douchebag writes?
She conceded a lot more than she defended her argument in that follow up column. She's still conveniently ignoring Jordan's 1988 MVP season, which blows a hole the size of 747 through her case. Evan
I'm disappointed she didn't use my email in her follow up piece I guess it was a too sound and too logical argument......
After reading that, the thing I find offensive about Jemele Hill is <a href="http://deadspin.com/sports/espn/is-the-jemele-hill-salary-figure-wrong-215606.php">her salary</a> ... if it's to be believed.
A modern revisionist look at how the NBA was. Portland Trailblazers overrated? They beat the Lakers (twice I believe?) before losing in the Finals to the Pistons and the Bulls. I remember when I watched basketball way back when remember thinking to myself "Wow, the only player they have shorter than 6'7" on the court is their point guard (Porter)!" Drexler, Kersey, Williams...it was a big, big lineup. Funny how she scoffs at Adelman when it is he who coached the Sacramento team that should have beaten the Lakers...which is pretty much the first team that pushed the high octane offense that these so-called great Mavs and Suns team run. Sonics overrated? They were the most devastating team in the West for a period of time. Kemp, Shrempf, Payton, McMillan, Dale Ellis...there's a reason why the Rockets had to retool and trade for Barkley. Suns overrated? They won like what, 62 games that year? I honestly think that the year that Phoenix faced Chicago and loss was purely because of matchups. KJ went ballistic and Barkley did his job, but on the other side, they couldn't stop Jordan and Pippen. Majerle was big enough but not fast enough for Jordan. KJ was fast enough but not tall or strong enough for Jordan. I also think it's a hoot that she conveniently left off the Lakers and both of the Jazz teams. I think it's ridiculous to undermine an NBA Finals team. There's a reason why they got to the Finals..it's because they were that good. The only exception to this rule is the New Jersey Nets teams.
All that comment about how kobe is better than MJ is crap. What shes's saying is that kobe is better than mj because mj cannot dominate the game in today's game. so what i say? can wilt dominate today's game? i highly doubt it. in fact he would've gotten owned by shaq in their respective prime. But does that make shaq better than wilt? of course not. We have to look at all other perspective of one's game that lead to dominance in their era to make a claim on who's better. If kobe cannot dominate today's game in terms of leding a team to victory, then how can he be better in the historical aspect of the game? It's all bull**** what shes trying to say, because if you agree with that b****, then you can be arguing for ben wallace being better than bill russell. now think about that!!!
Her hypocriticism is pretty amazing - notice how she has no issue knocking Barkley's Suns and Drexler's Blazers but doesn't mention AI's Sixers or Reggie's Pacers that Kobe faced. The Lakers faced the saddest, most pathetic Finals competition in the modern history of the League. But The Sonics were overrated..... Evan
Lol. She uses a email from Sharone Wright to back up her article. Great journalism from a lady making $200,000 a yr.
I've sent her four emails, asking her to point out games in this year (or the last, or the year before) where she saw Kobe playing better (or equal) defense than MJ. She responded to the third one: "It's not purposeful. The flood of emails happens quickly. On 3/30/07, Kelly Dwyer <americansquirm@yahoo.com> wrote: Why post your email address if you don't have the nerve to respond to a fellow writer? " That's barely English. I asked her if she wouldn't mind stopping herself from writing NBA columns until she watches 1/100th the games I do. I don't see her responding anytime soon. (again, why can't Kobe be just an awesome frickin' player? Why does he have to be compared to anyone? Can't he just be this brilliant offensive force who had a legendary month?)
Does she watch ANY basketball? Kobe tries more on defense than anyone in the league? Kobe is like McGrady - he has the physical tools to be killer on D but he doesn't have the desire to do so all the time because it would diminish his offense. I have seen him slack plenty of times...something Jordan didn't do as much and even then he still played solid D overall. Further, it is absurd to say he is more interested in D than Bowen or Battier or Artest (although I have not really seen him lately) or even guys like Bell or Deng.
Maybe she should watch that Rockets Lakers game where Tmac more then contained Kobe while he was on him defensivley before she makes statements based on the public's perception of McGrady (lazy, selfish, etc) instead of reality.
The Phil Jackson era Bulls routinely made their mark by stepping on opponents throats defensively at the end of the second and third quarters. Their defense became their offense. You've NEVER seen that from the Jackson era Lakers. Kobe had a brief phase where he dedicated himself to being the best defender in the league during their title runs (2001? 2002?). He took it as a personal challenge to dog Iverson or anyone else, and did a hell of a job. Than he quit and went back to channeling 70% of his energy on offense. He's no turnstile, but his defense pales badly next to MJ. Evan
Use that email address. Demand that these sportswriters SHOW you instead of TELLing you. They routinely crap out stuff that they believe you are supposed to take at face value, because they somehow earned the sportswriting gig. Demand they at least tell you, with anecdotal and/or statistical evidence. Don't stand for this crap. Sportswriting is heading into a very dangerous place. Writers want to stick out, so they stick with absolutes: "the Suns WILL win the Finals" (why? How can anyone say that now?), "the Mavs are a LOCK to return to the Finals" (they are? two months from now?), "Kobe was the BEST player in the NBA this year" (even when he was hobbling on that knee in November and December?). There's a writer on our site right now who is telling you that the Suns WILL win the title this year, because he has a "feeling" about it. No ****. This is what passes for analysis now, and it stinks. Use those email addresses. If I'm wrong, and I'm wrong a lot, it isn't because of a lack of trying to better myself. There are new things to learn about this game, and the lessons are on TV every night. I'm watching, and re-watching, and looking stuff up, every night. The great bulk of national sportswriters are still trying to get away with watching the Sunday games of the week and telling you stuff that "sounds about right." Don't let them get away with it. Start blogs. Cloud message boards. Write emails. Get rid of these guys (and Jemele).
And it's not really his fault. He has to conserve. It sucks that we have to degrade these brilliant players just to chase away writers and their hyperbole.
Funny thing is how Kobe fans used to slam Tmac because he had to do the same in ORL saying he doesn't play defense. Now they understand, but this woman here is clueless. She kills her own baseless opinion by saying "yesterdays players are better basketball players". Wonder how long it took her to figure that out.
She's on a sportswriter website making a fool of herself. One post quotes her as saying (she's posting under her own name), "the typical shooting guard during MJ's day was 6-0 to 6-3." Seriously. A sportswriter thinks this.
