Lebron James Opts Out...and comedy ensues

[Rockport]

Come on, this is getting ridiculous. James got the handle, "King James" in High School and it was given to him by a local Media Person because he won 3 Mr. Basketball Awards in the State of Ohio.

I don't care if he got it from the Press, from Nike, the NBA, from his Mom, woke up one day and named himself or if Santa Claus brought it to him for his 14th Birthday. The fact of the matter is that like it or not, he is the King at this point in the NBA and pretty much in sports period. You can complain till the cows come home but that's how it is.

Does it really matter?

Duncan and Kobe are currently the Kings. They have 5 rings each.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Duncan and Kobe are currently the Kings. They have 5 rings each.

Sure they are.

Duncan and Kobe are great players and they are in the discussion among the greatest players of all time but James is king now and nothing anybody says can change that and I'm a Laker Fan.

 

[Rockport]

Sure they are.

Duncan and Kobe are great players and they are in the discussion among the greatest players of all time but James is king now and nothing anybody says can change that and I'm a Laker Fan.

He's the self-described King is all he is. I'll grant you that. Duncan would never call himself the King and I shouldn't have either.

 

[bounce]

He's the self-described King is all he is. I'll grant you that. Duncan would never call himself the King and I shouldn't have either.

Opinion of him as a person aside, where would you rank James as a player currently, and all-time? Just on the court.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Opinion of him as a person aside, where would you rank James as a player currently, and all-time? Just on the court.

He's not finished yet but he's top 10.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

This is the stupidest post I've read in a long time. Go troll somewhere else.

Only one I see trolling in this thread is YOU. So maybe you need to go somewhere else.

 

[Rockport]

Opinion of him as a person aside, where would you rank James as a player currently, and all-time? Just on the court.

He's the best active player by a significant margin. All time, Jordan is #1 and not just because he has more rings but Jordan was the most fiercest competitors of all time. I don't see that with LeMe. Not even close. Kobe's in Jordan's league as far as being competitive. Ginobilli as well.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I think it will be interesting to see where James ends up. He's a great player and certainly the best player in the NBA as of now but I wonder if his image will fade after retirement if he is unable to win more championships? This, IMO, is why it's so important for him to put himself in a situation where he can win more. He can either be amoung the top 4 or 5 players all time or he might be borderline top 10.

Right now, my top 10 would probably look like this. I am not certain of order but these would probably be my top 10.

Kareem
Olajuwon
Magic
Michael
Russell
Wilt
Moses Malone
The Big O
Jerry West
Bird

I do not include Kobe, Duncan, James or any other current players because they are not finished.

 

[bounce]

I think it will be interesting to see where James ends up. He's a great player and certainly the best player in the NBA as of now but I wonder if his image will fade after retirement if he is unable to win more championships? This, IMO, is why it's so important for him to put himself in a situation where he can win more. He can either be amoung the top 4 or 5 players all time or he might be borderline top 10.

Right now, my top 10 would probably look like this. I am not certain of order but these would probably be my top 10.

Kareem
Olajuwon
Magic
Michael
Russell
Wilt
Moses Malone
The Big O
Jerry West
Bird

I do not include Kobe, Duncan, James or any other current players because they are not finished.

I don't disagree with anyone on that list, but it's so hard to compare across generations. This game has changed far more than NFL or MLB have changed from generation to generation. I never know how to qualify players like Bill Russell and Wilt. They were dominant at their time and had great careers, but it was against a much smaller league (team wise and size wise). So, are we comparing career accomplishments? Overall talent? Talent relative to the opposition? I feel like you almost have to make different lists to cover generations.

Because essentially, nobody will ever come close to what Russell accomplished, so no matter what happens in the next 150 years of basketball, Russell will still be considered one of the best ever by some.

Not that it matters, because all these lists are subjective, anyway.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I don't disagree with anyone on that list, but it's so hard to compare across generations. This game has changed far more than NFL or MLB have changed from generation to generation. I never know how to qualify players like Bill Russell and Wilt. They were dominant at their time and had great careers, but it was against a much smaller league (team wise and size wise). So, are we comparing career accomplishments? Overall talent? Talent relative to the opposition? I feel like you almost have to make different lists to cover generations.

Because essentially, nobody will ever come close to what Russell accomplished, so no matter what happens in the next 150 years of basketball, Russell will still be considered one of the best ever by some.

Not that it matters, because all these lists are subjective, anyway.

I'd actually say that I am comparing even more then just playing careers. For example, Jerry West, while a great player in his own right, may have had an even better career after he retired and that's saying quit a lot considering he is one of the best Guards to ever play in the NBA IMO.

I do agree with you though, I think that it's very difficult to compare players over time and if I had my rathers, I would compare them in their own eras of play. However, I look at the list of players and I just think that they could play in any Era of Basketball, to this point. I think that any of these guys could play at an extremely high level, even today. That's kind of the Watermark of NBA greatness to me.

 

[Rockport]

I think it will be interesting to see where James ends up. He's a great player and certainly the best player in the NBA as of now but I wonder if his image will fade after retirement if he is unable to win more championships? This, IMO, is why it's so important for him to put himself in a situation where he can win more. He can either be amoung the top 4 or 5 players all time or he might be borderline top 10.

Right now, my top 10 would probably look like this. I am not certain of order but these would probably be my top 10.

Kareem
Olajuwon
Magic
Michael
Russell
Wilt
Moses Malone
The Big O
Jerry West
Bird

I do not include Kobe, Duncan, James or any other current players because they are not finished.

Former and current basketball players would almost unanimously say Jordan was the best all time.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Former and current basketball players would almost unanimously say Jordan was the best all time.

I don't know of anything that would prove this statement one way or the other.

 

[Future]

Opinion of him as a person aside, where would you rank James as a player currently, and all-time? Just on the court.

Not that you're asking me...but as a pure athlete, I don't think there has been anyone better than LBJ. The guy is huge, can run, and can jump out of the roof. Shaq is maybe the only other player as physically dominating.

But from a purely basketball standpoint, there are a number of guys who have been, and who are, vastly superior. His size and athleticism allow him to get away with some of the parts of his game that aren't as refined as others.

 

[Rockport]

I don't know of anything that would prove this statement one way or the other.

I don't either. If you look at various polls out there, the vast majority of them have Jordan as the best of all time. 9 out of 10 of them. So I don't think there's any doubt that he's the best. He's certainly the best I've ever watched play.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I don't either. If you look at various polls out there, the vast majority of them have Jordan as the best of all time. 9 out of 10 of them. So I don't think there's any doubt that he's the best. He's certainly the best I've ever watched play.

What Polls? If they are player polls of all players, then I would say that this would be proof that Michael would be. However, if they are fan polls, then that's really not telling as a hugh percentage might have never seen a lot of these players.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Not that you're asking me...but as a pure athlete, I don't think there has been anyone better than LBJ. The guy is huge, can run, and can jump out of the roof. Shaq is maybe the only other player as physically dominating.

But from a purely basketball standpoint, there are a number of guys who have been, and who are, vastly superior. His size and athleticism allow him to get away with some of the parts of his game that aren't as refined as others.

Carl Malone was that way.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

I know the video you're speaking of. Immature? Sure. Does that stuff happen frequently? On the court, yes. Off the court, probably.

Is it worth being (still) pissed over? In my opinion, no, but apparently yours differs. I'd say Dirk had the last laugh.

im not arguing there.

there is classy and humble...hakeem, dirk, duncan, shaq, david robinson, kevin durant.

then there is pompous and a jerk...lebron goes in this category.

and yes that makes me not like him just like i dont like a bunch of players that pull the same junk.

 

[joseephuss]

Shaq humble?

 

[bounce]

Carl Malone was that way.

David Robinson was another. Could run with any guard in the league.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Shaq humble?

LOL........ The Big Aristotle? I was thinking the same thing when I read that.