Jordan: I could have taken LeBron | Page 3 | Syracusefan.com
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Jordan: I could have taken LeBron

Knicks411 said:
Yeah I'm glad someone else asked this question. I was thinking the same thing (or the 2 years at Carolina where they didn't win)

This was a little before my time, but wasn't one of the storylines in the late 80's that MJ was too much of a ballhog and didn't play winning basketball like the Lakers and Celtics did?
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MJ is clearly the greatest basketball player of all-time, and quite possibly the most iconic American athlete of all-time along with Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali, but I just feel like people who grew up with him have this over-the-top hyper-nostgalia where any criticism of MJ is akin to an insult on their own mother.

For example, I think a lot of MJ fans would gasp when I say this... I don't think he wins a single title without Scottie Pippen, who I consider arguably the most under-appreciated NBA player ever.
 
eao1115 said:
MJ is clearly the greatest basketball player of all-time, and quite possibly the most iconic American athlete of all-time along with Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali, but I just feel like people who grew up with him have this over-the-top hyper-nostgalia where any criticism of MJ is akin to an insult on their own mother.

For example, I think a lot of MJ fans would gasp when I say this... I don't think he wins a single title without Scottie Pippen, who I consider arguably the most under-appreciated NBA player ever.
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Depends who Pippen is being replaced with, but sure. Pippen was a great great player. The season he had in 94 when Jordan left was pretty damn incredible.

Jordan also has pretty much the perfect narrative, he lost when he was younger, he "learned how to win" and then basically he won relentlessly, assuming he gets a pass for the season he came back in 95 in the middle of the year, which most people give him.
 
eao1115 said:
MJ is clearly the greatest basketball player of all-time, and quite possibly the most iconic American athlete of all-time along with Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali, but I just feel like people who grew up with him have this over-the-top hyper-nostgalia where any criticism of MJ is akin to an insult on their own mother.

For example, I think a lot of MJ fans would gasp when I say this... I don't think he wins a single title without Scottie Pippen, who I consider arguably the most under-appreciated NBA player ever.
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He needed Pippen to win the titles no doubt!! But look who Lebron had to gather to get his 2. Everyone needs someone and I agree Pippen is in general under rated .
 
Lawrinson14 said:
I just don't get it. Can someone please explain to me how Lebron is even compared to MJ? Maybe at the end of Lebron's career, but now? Seriously?

MJ:
2x Collegiate All-American
NCAA Champion
ACC player of the year
Rookie of the year
6x NBA champion (6-0 in the finals)
6x NBA finals MVP
5x MVP
14x all-star
10x NBA scoring champ
9x all-defensive team
3x steal champion
Actually took part in the slam dunk contest (won 2)
Career avg of 30+ pts per game
BEAT THE DAMN MONSTARS

And culturally, MJ crushes Lebron. MJ is partially responsible for the success of 3 Billion dollar brands: Nike, Gatorade, and Haynes.
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I was personally outraged when Lebron was snubbed in the voting for ACC player of the year.
 
At the time of this post, anybody who picks thinks LeBron is better than Jordan is up past there bed time. School day for you young kids.
 
MCC said:
I'd like to see if anyone could beat Kareem 1-on-1. No one is stopping him from scoring. I think he'd kill Shaq with skyhooks and his quickness / agility (in his prime of course). Shaq's not getting dunks all game; I could see Kareem blocking enough of everything else Shaq puts up to win via incessant hooks and other moves. If he played any of Jordan, Kobe, etc. and they had an off day and missed several jumpers in a row against him (and assuming Kareem gets the boards) I don't see how anyone beats him.

I suspect this won't be a popular opinion but in 1-on-1... who can beat the agile 7'1 3/8" guy with the most unstoppable move ever and who's also one of the best shotblockers of all time?
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Wilt would've crushed Kareem. As would bill Russell
 
eao1115 said:
Is he underrated? I've never seen a list of greatest players ever or spoken to anyone that didn't have him in their Top 5.
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He's not in mine.
 
Jeremy L. said:
At the time of this post, anybody who picks thinks LeBron is better than Jordan is up past there bed time. School day for you young kids.
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It's embarrassing really. Even Lebron wouldn't pick himself.
 
MCC said:
LOL, yes I didn't even think of the 2-on-2 dynamics. I don't think any 2 players beat Kareem and Jordan.
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big guys don't do well in this setting
 
Jordan's ego is a bit much. melo would beat them both in the same day. his shot is supreme
 
Bunch of guys here using hyperbole instead of actual analysis of the matchup. Jordan had better post moves... when he was posting up other guards. I think Lebron would be more than a match for Jordan in the post defensively, so the real question is wether Lebron could stay in front of Jordan on drives and force him to shoot jump shots. Jordan was a good defender, but not many people can guard Lebron when he's hitting his jump shot. I think Jordan would win because his jumper is more consistent, but I think some of you are selling Lebron short (and this coming from a lebron hater).
 
I wish more former players could be like Sandy Koufax-retire at the top of their game and step away gracefully.
 
AZOrange said:
Wilt would've crushed Kareem. As would bill Russell
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I'll give you Wilt because he was so much stronger, but Russell? Bill was 3-4 inches shorter than Kareem, and almost certainly the least talented offensive player of the top 25-30 all-time greats. I think Russell would struggle mightily in a one-on-one format, similar to Magic. They are basketball legends, but they aren't one-on-one players.
 
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AZOrange said:
Wilt would've crushed Kareem. As would bill Russell
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Crushed? I don't see it. Kareem's not getting crushed by anyone, especially Russell. Russell was a terrific defender - likely the greatest post defender of all time - but how is he scoring? Frankly, I think your assertion is ridiculous... again, these guys are the greatest centers ever, and I don't see any of them getting "crushed".

The Wilt / Kareem games would be epic, but Wilt never stopped the skyhook and Kareem probably isn't stopping wilt from scoring... so it boils down to who's having a better day.
 
Everyone gets that just cause you pick a guy to win a one on one game doesn't make him a better player overall, right?
 
Knicks411 said:
Everyone gets that just cause you pick a guy to win a one on one game doesn't make him a better player overall, right?
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Not sure everyone is separating those two concepts. For example, John Stockton is one of the greatest point guards ever to walk the face of the Earth, but the list of all-time guards that would beat him in a game of one-on-one is probably a mile long.
 
MCC said:
Crushed? I don't see it. Kareem's not getting crushed by anyone, especially Russell. Russell was a terrific defender - likely the greatest post defender of all time - but how is he scoring? Frankly, I think your assertion is ridiculous... again, these guys are the greatest centers ever, and I don't see any of them getting "crushed".

The Wilt / Kareem games would be epic, but Wilt never stopped the skyhook and Kareem probably isn't stopping wilt from scoring... so it boils down to who's having a better day.
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Russell and wilt ate rattlesnakes for breakfast. Soft as charmin Kareem would be crying in 2 minutes of action.


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docsu said:
I was personally outraged when Lebron was snubbed in the voting for ACC player of the year.
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And I'm sure had Lebron known that his legacy would be tainted and never be up to the caliber of Jordan because he didn't compete in a Slam Dunk contest he would have joined them. :/
 
As a Knicks fan, I hated MJ. But, you still have to respect the fact that he is the greatest of all-time.

Lebron surrounded himself with 2 other all-stars to win and still needs a few more rings to even enter that same circle as MJ IMO.

MJ > Lebron
 
Rocco said:
As a Knicks fan, I hated MJ. But, you still have to respect the fact that he is the greatest of all-time.

Lebron surrounded himself with 2 other all-stars to win and still needs a few more rings to even enter that same circle as MJ IMO.

MJ > Lebron
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MJ was also surrounded by some amazing talent, Scottie Pippen is a Hall of Famer, Horace Grant was no slouch, Tony Kukoc is one of the most underrated players of all time, Dennis Rodman, etc etc.

MJ NEVER took a team that was as awful as Lebron's 09-10 Cavs to the NBA finals.
 
two3zone said:
MJ was also surrounded by some amazing talent, Scottie Pippen is a Hall of Famer, Horace Grant was no slouch, Tony Kukoc is one of the most underrated players of all time, Dennis Rodman, etc etc.

MJ NEVER took a team that was as awful as Lebron's 09-10 Cavs to the NBA finals.
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Umm the whole eastern conference sucked ass for the forst 6 ir so years Lebron was in the association.
 
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