Your a "kid" born in '91. You're going by what you've seen on ESPN Classic and stats. That you've spent so much time pretending you know everything about an era that existed when you were a toddler (and before you were born) is, pardon me, hilarious. I wish I'd read that earlier. It would have saved the time wasted reading the rest of your stuff in this thread. With all due respect.
Also the lane was widened from 12 to 16 feet, a huge rule change. Unfortunately Wilt lacked the killer instinct to finish in the playoffs, which is his only weakness but a legitimate detriment to his legacy. But I like the Ruth comparison. It's curious how baseball loves their legends and howl when changes to the game affect legends' legacy (Maris's asterisk for 162 games vs. 154 games, steroids, etc), yet basketball likes to discredit their legends as dominating short white people or whatever. Even football respects its old legends, and between the 1960's and now there are huge stylistic differences of play and the same boost to sports medicine in a sport that could use it more than baseball or basketball, which could call the legends' legacy in question, but it doesn't.
Basketball had not been a popular sport like baseball and football before the '80s. It was Magic and Bird, together with David Stern's coming to power that made the NBA a household past time. Stern, as much as his effort in pushing star power, has never used past legends as his marketing ploys. That's why young fans only know the likes of Jordan and Shaq, and are pretty much ignorant and disrespectful of the older generations.
Jordan played during the 95 season. In fact, his playoff numbers were better than they were during the following 3 titles that he won. His Chicago Bulls were defeated by the Orlando Magic, who WE SWEPT. Not saying Jordan isn't the GOAT (i think he is), but your argument about us winning when he was retired is total horse feces. "But Jordan wasn't the same Jordan that year..." yes he was. please look at basketaball-reference.com and check out his 1995 playoff stats and compare them to 1996, 1997 and 1998. Then you can go ahead and hang your head in shame.
Then why in the hell is he running his mouth about that era of hoops? I should have known that when he said that Mourning (one kidney version), Wallace and Duncan were the same level of competition as Mourning (two kidney version), Deke (in his prime), Robinson and Ewing. hell, even Smits was better than most centers of this era Someone send this kid a video of Hak dismantling Robinson in the 95 playoffs...that should shut him up
I could draw straws between Dream, Wilt, and Kareem. Beyond that, who knows. Russell might make my top five.
Got it from Clutch"s "Historical Rockets Players" thingy. Otherwise, I'm sure I would have spelled it wrong.
