Maybe we should sign a petition begging for these players to retire this year and end this pity nostalgia so we can start the real nostalgia in five years: Hakeem (Unless you're going for 4K blocks or breaking Jabbar's all time playoff block record, it's time to wake up!) P. Ewing (In one game against the Hornets, he started having flashbacks against Magloire and quietly realized his role in three seconds after Magloire blocked the crap out of him) Stockton (The ring isn't coming John. Welcome to Barkley's world.) D. Robinson (I know he's going to retire. Just wanted to make sure he won't pull a Dream on us. Just in case anyway, retire!) Pippen ("Damnit I'm not old. It's the people around me that are young. Damnit, it's not my fault that I'm not surrounded by superstars that can win the ring without Michael. Michael! Michael! Stop messing with my mind! I'm not longer you're...") M. Jordan (Supposedly, he's going to retire after this year. Then, he'll freeze himself and thaw out in 2018 when he and Kobe will be at the same age to prove he's better than all of them) K. Cato (Gee Cato...that Shawn Kemp sure is something, huh? You know...taking that buyout and all... You know... maybe you should....ummm....you know....) ----------------------------------------------------
Everyone's talking all this BS about Jordan. The guy averaged 23 points per game last season for god sakes.
But how many games did he "average" last season? The problem with these dino players is not just skill deterioration, but also health deterioration. If you divide his total points (and other production numbers) by 82 games, rather than the actually games he played, MJ's numbers would be quite pitiful.
I'm not saying Jordan isn't effective. I would just like him to say, "I'm 99.9% sure I'm not coming back to the game." Then that would bring smiles and smirks all over the basketball world. As for the Jabbar record, I said playoffs not regular season. I think he's only 1 to 3 blocks away from breaking his playoffs block record. The real intention here is to have all these players inducted to the Hall of Fame together. It would be nice.
I can't agree on John Stockton... he actually had better numbers last season that the previous couple of seasons, and you'll remember that Bibby didn't start having those great playoff games until the Kings got past Utah.
IMHO, Jordan's value to the Wiz can't be measured by statistics. Granted it's the EC, but he took a very mediocre 2001 Lottery team and almost edged them into the 2002 playoffs. (Thanks again, Toronto). Jordan has superimposed his mental toughness on the whole team...especially Rip Hamilton. (Still too early to tell if it has backfired on Kwame). Olajuwon...should have retired 2 seasons ago. That way he would have gone out a winner instead of a whiner.
