Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin:
Don’t believe I made any sort of comment about that defense being good for anyone. Just pointing out that type of play (along with his obvious talent) helped make Jordan into the ultimate competitor that he was. Those Pistons (after the 80’s Celtics) were the final box he had to check off to become the elite player he was and for the Bulls to become the dominant team in the East, and ultimately, the league.
Without them, I don’t think Jordan goes 6 for 6 on titles from 91-98. Especially when you take into account some of their epic series’ with the New York Knicks on their way to the Finals.
Jordan and the Bulls had to learn the ‘hard’ way. Lebron never had to deal with any of that on his way to becoming NBA Elite. Lebron ‘grew up’ in a relatively weak East while Jordan was growing up playing the 80’s Celtics and the Bad Boys. Much different mountains to climb to reach the Finals. And when he finally got there, he NEVER lost! Lebron has had it easy, by comparison. It wasn’t till just a few years ago that he had to face his first real challenge in an All Time GSW team that he has since lost to 2 out of 3 series in the Finals.
Lebron is a beast of a player and an all-time great, but he’s no Jordan.
So the 5 time champion spurs weren't a "real" challenge? [Reply]
Originally Posted by Best22:
So the 5 time champion spurs weren't a "real" challenge?
They were the 3 time champions at the time Lebron first faced them in 2007, with their first title being way back in 99.
And if you had read my previous posts in this thread you would note that I gave Lebron a 'pass' on his first NBA Finals, as I recognize he was only 21, it was just his 3rd year in the league, and his team was mostly garbage. So I'm giving him a mulligan there. [Reply]
Originally Posted by SAUTO:
laimbeer weighed the same as lebron, oakley was smaller, larry johnson was much shorter and the same weight, mourning was 2 inches taller and the same weight, ewing was 7 foot but 250 lbs also.
whats your point again?
Legit 7 fters were all over back then..Smits, Eaton, and Osterfag were bulls. [Reply]
Originally Posted by vailpass:
You are saying the nba in the 90s was “nearly unwatchable”? Is that your position?
Once Jordan left, outside of a few players/teams, it was a lot of low-scoring brutality. A lineup of Starks, Mason, Oakley, and smith just didn’t do much for me (seemingly every single Sunday) [Reply]
Originally Posted by SAUTO:
True. But most weighed just about the same as LeBron.
thats not WAY bigger.
Its just not
Meh.. there were some bif dudes for sure. I would say most guys were more physical than Lebron..Rougher tougher whatever you want to call it. That was before.this Euroball shit started. [Reply]
Originally Posted by New World Order:
Imagine Jordan’s scoring average if there was no handchecking back then :-)
Several seasons in the 40s for sure with todays rules and style. Likely 86-88 before he started to learn to get his team mates going with their games. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy:
Meh.. there were some bif dudes for sure. I would say most guys were more physical than Lebron..Rougher tougher whatever you want to call it. That was before.this Euroball shit started.
So are you saying that if LeBron had played back then his game would be the exact same as now?
Not imo. He would have played the way they played back then and at 6 8 and 250 lbs [same weight as most of those huge physical guys of yesteryear that were WAY bigger than him] he could have fit in pretty well.
And those guys would have played like they do today if they had came up like that... [Reply]
