Jordan vs. LeBron, who you got?

[Brian]

I love watching Lebron go to hole hard, but he will never be the shooter Jordan was.

[nitetrain8601]

Jordan all day everyday. I'd probably take Kobe over LeBron too. But this is about Jordan. His will to win was incomparable. Jordan made you play better or he would kick your [beep]. Jordan wouldn't put up with LeBron's antics at the beginning of games with all that posing. Jordan would've made LeBron cry in his sleep with nightmares of Jordan who consistently burning his team.

[nitetrain8601]

BTW, if there ever was a candidate for PED's in the NBA, it would be LeBron. 4% body fat and the guy looks like he's 260. That's a whole nother discussion as well.

[lostfan]

I love watching Lebron go to hole hard, but he will never be the shooter Jordan was.

Well, in fairness, he's a forward.

[Balta1701]

BTW, if there ever was a candidate for PED's in the NBA, it would be LeBron. 4% body fat and the guy looks like he's 260. That's a whole nother discussion as well.

I didn't want to be the first to say it...but I'll go with it now...how many "absolute athletic freaks" have there been in the last 10 years who have so far turned out to actually be clean? I can think of Pujols...and we all know what road that goes down.

 

The NBA's steroid testing program is no where near as intense as MLB's. The NBA is still in that boat of thinking "Oh it won't help, our guys need quickness and steroids won't help with that" like where MLB was when they were making excuses in 95-2000. And even then, Manny was able to get through a full cycle without ever testing positive, he was only caught because some documents proved he had the stuff to take when you're coming down off a cycle shipped to him.

 

Everyone knows the NFL has an enormous number of juicers, everyone knows MLB has a problem but they're at least making an effort at it, the NBA is still off in the wilderness for now.

[NorthSideSox72]

I think it's kind of silly to use the term "Michael paved the way for lebron" that's not what was meant by keeping the context of the era in mind. There would've been a lebron regardless of a MJ, other players played the same way they just weren't as good.

 

There is an intangible viewing quality to watching Michael Jordan play. It's not just, he was so much better. It's that he was so creative and you watched him and it was something you'd never seen before. He was doing things on the fly no one else could've thought up with 15 minutes and knowing what the defense was going to do. It was otherworldly.

Good post, and thanks on the assist on my point.

 

When I think of MJ, trying to compare him to someone else, the only one who comes to mind is... Mikail Baryshnikov. What Michael could do athletically, on the fly, was nothing short of art. I have seen no other athlete in any sport that I'd compare him to in terms of athleticism, other than that one.

 

[nitetrain8601]

I didn't want to be the first to say it...but I'll go with it now...how many "absolute athletic freaks" have there been in the last 10 years who have so far turned out to actually be clean? I can think of Pujols...and we all know what road that goes down.

 

The NBA's steroid testing program is no where near as intense as MLB's. The NBA is still in that boat of thinking "Oh it won't help, our guys need quickness and steroids won't help with that" like where MLB was when they were making excuses in 95-2000. And even then, Manny was able to get through a full cycle without ever testing positive, he was only caught because some documents proved he had the stuff to take when you're coming down off a cycle shipped to him.

 

Everyone knows the NFL has an enormous number of juicers, everyone knows MLB has a problem but they're at least making an effort at it, the NBA is still off in the wilderness for now.

 

And the NBA testing is a joke. All it requires from what I heard is you peeing in a cup. I'd like for every sport to adopt the USOC way of testing. Keep the blood samples and look for abnormalities from one test to the next. I also wouldn't be surprised if a guy like Ben Wallace was on the 'roids either. That's just my honest opinion.

 

[rangercal]

So after the game Lebron gave Urlacher his sneakers. pretty cool. Urlacher must be a big basketball fan, I read he was at the 3OT bulls game too.

[Paint it Black]

Oh please,how old are you guys?I bet you never saw MJ's games in the 80's,you've only seen the highlights or you wouldn't be talking this ridiculous junk.

One more thing,if you are going to point out positive accomplishments that LeBron has done at his young age,you also got to point out that in his first Finals he was basically worthless,and pointing out how young he was is a cop out,can't have it both ways.

 

Nevermind how he was that whole damn team, going up against basically the NBA dynasty of the 2000 in the Spurs. And wasn't it LeBron who by himself beat the Pistons in the 4th quarter that year? People really need to remember Jordan lost a few series before winning anything. And oh yeah, he had one of the 50 greatest players ever on his team. When LeBron has someone halfway decent playing along side him, let me know.

[Texsox]

I have seen a lot more of Jordan, so I'm biased I am certain. But the only defensive player that I ever saw play, who I felt could shut down Jordan on a somewhat consistent basis, was Jordan. His D amazed me more, night after night, than his offense.

[ZoomSlowik]

Nevermind how he was that whole damn team, going up against basically the NBA dynasty of the 2000 in the Spurs. And wasn't it LeBron who by himself beat the Pistons in the 4th quarter that year? People really need to remember Jordan lost a few series before winning anything. And oh yeah, he had one of the 50 greatest players ever on his team. When LeBron has someone halfway decent playing along side him, let me know.

 

Good god, do some research on 1980's basketball. Before Pippen developed around 89-90, Jordan would have had to single-handedly beat the Bad Boys, the Bird-led Celtics AND the Showtime Lakers to win a title. Those are only three of the best teams EVER. Their second best player through that stretch was Charles Oakley, who may have averaged a double-double but also averaged about 14 points on a mid-40's shooting percentage and turned it over at a similar rate to Jordan.

Edited May 8, 2009 by ZoomSlowik

[RockRaines]

Nevermind how he was that whole damn team, going up against basically the NBA dynasty of the 2000 in the Spurs. And wasn't it LeBron who by himself beat the Pistons in the 4th quarter that year? People really need to remember Jordan lost a few series before winning anything. And oh yeah, he had one of the 50 greatest players ever on his team. When LeBron has someone halfway decent playing along side him, let me know.

I dont think Scotty would have been considered a top 50 guy if he never played with Jordan.

[Balta1701]

I dont think Scotty would have been considered a top 50 guy if he never played with Jordan.

How many of the top 50 guys can you say that about though? What if Stockton and Malone had never been put on the same team? What if one of those #1 draft pick busts hadn't gone to the Clippers?

[RockRaines]

How many of the top 50 guys can you say that about though? What if Stockton and Malone had never been put on the same team? What if one of those #1 draft pick busts hadn't gone to the Clippers?

I'm just saying, having Scottie next to him shouldnt diminish the player he was.

[rangercal]

I'm just saying, having Scottie next to him shouldnt diminish the player he was.

 

But you want to diminish the player Scottie was by playing next to MJ?

[Texsox]

I believe the greatest gift Jordan gave Pippen, and what placed Pippen into to top echelon of players, was the desire to play both ends of the court. It is very rare that one player would be the top player offensively and defensively, but those two were #1 and #2 on both ends. My guess is on a different team, Poppen becomes a far better offensive player and never comes close to his defensive potential and retires a very good, but not top 100, player.

[RockRaines]

I believe the greatest gift Jordan gave Pippen, and what placed Pippen into to top echelon of players, was the desire to play both ends of the court. It is very rare that one player would be the top player offensively and defensively, but those two were #1 and #2 on both ends. My guess is on a different team, Poppen becomes a far better offensive player and never comes close to his defensive potential and retires a very good, but not top 100, player.

Scottie was notorious for being extremely cautious and paranoid when it came to his talent. I honestly dont know if he would have developed as the player he ended up being, especially since his stock and development at the time of his draft was uncertain. His pure hatred of Jordan was really what led him to grow into the player he became, which actually brought those two close together.

[bogie]

JORDAN DOMINATED WHEN YOU COULD HAND CHECK!!!!!

LEBRON DOMINATES WHEN A DEFENDER CANT HAND CHECK!!!!!

[RockRaines]

 

 

 

 

Edited May 8, 2009 by RockRaines

[danman31]

I dont think Scotty would have been considered a top 50 guy if he never played with Jordan.

I'll buy Jordan pushed Scottie to be better, but the Bulls went to a conference final without Jordan and we all know how that went down. Scottie was at least a Hall of Famer on his own team.

[RockRaines]

I'll buy Jordan pushed Scottie to be better, but the Bulls went to a conference final without Jordan and we all know how that went down. Scottie was at least a Hall of Famer on his own team.

Yes, but does he get to be that player without Jordan pushing him? The only example anyone ever uses is the years Jordan was gone, long after Scottie had become the player he was. I think he may have still been a top 100 guy, but few remember how raw Scottie was as a player when he was drafted.

[rangercal]

I'll buy Jordan pushed Scottie to be better, but the Bulls went to a conference final without Jordan and we all know how that went down. Scottie was at least a Hall of Famer on his own team.

 

no

[Steve9347]

I love watching Lebron go to hole hard

TWSS

[WilliamTell]

I don't like Jordan one bit, but even I'd take him over LeBron. Jordan had a killer instinct, not saying LeBron doesn't, but there are few athletes ever that probably had it as good or better than Jordan.

 

This question can be taken many ways. Are we going with Jordan's accomplishments and LeBron's upside? I would take accomplishments over upside for my player any day. Although I highly doubt that Jordan would win 6 championships in his career if he was drafted next season. I'm not saying he wouldn't win any, but 6 would be hard to accomplish. As far LeBron, we don't know if his body will break down by the time he's 30 or whatever age. It probably won't happen, but it's hard to say because he could suffer an injury or something.

[SoxFan1]

I don't like Jordan one bit, but even I'd take him over LeBron. Jordan had a killer instinct, not saying LeBron doesn't, but there are few athletes ever that probably had it as good or better than Jordan.

 

This question can be taken many ways. Are we going with Jordan's accomplishments and LeBron's upside? I would take accomplishments over upside for my player any day. Although I highly doubt that Jordan would win 6 championships in his career if he was drafted next season. I'm not saying he wouldn't win any, but 6 would be hard to accomplish. As far LeBron, we don't know if his body will break down by the time he's 30 or whatever age. It probably won't happen, but it's hard to say because he could suffer an injury or something.

How do you not like Michael Jordan?