LeBron James vs Michael Jordan

[ABQCOWBOY]

To me, this is the same situation as when you talk about about passing statistics today. The game was different so it's very difficult to compare. Defenses were able to do a lot more things then they are now. It was harder then. Much more physical, you could actually play physically in the post, you actually could hand check and walking was actually a call that was made. Today, physical play is a suspension and everybody walks. You can't bump anybody off the block so people just set up and score on you.

The three point shot was not nearly as big of a factor when Jordan came into the league, as it is now. Players have been shooting the three and running offense with the three since they started playing Basketball in todays game. Not so when Jordan came into the league. Teams no longer pack it in. Now, everybody scrambles to run out to the three and they will just give up easy 2 pt buckets. This makes it much, much easier for players like LBJ to score inside, to pass, to just play offense. Not so in Jordan's day. It was much, much harder to score IMO.

I hear a lot of people say that the athletes today are so much better. I don't know about that. I've never seen anybody in todays game that could stop Kareem. I've never seen a better athlete then Hakeem Olajuwan as a big man. I think the players were different because the game was different. The kind of Athlete you needed to be succesful in the style of game that was played then was different. Today it's much more up and down so players who can run and jump are at much more of a premium. Then, teams who did that only would get ground into powder because they would get pounded on the boards and hammered going to the hoop. You couldn't live by the three because defenses could hand check, they could do a lot of things to disrupt shots that you can't do today.

I don't believe that LBJ dominates the league more then Jordan did because he is just better, assuming he is which I do not believe. I think the game allows for players to be more offensively dominating today.

Thats just my opinion.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

Awesome post ABQ.

 

[TheBigEasy]

Bird was a great player but he was never the greatest of all time, IMO.

Oh I agree even though he's my all time favorite player. Now, if you said that he's not in the top 10 of all time greats...we'd have to agree to disagree.

Yeah Ok you actually could guard guys 1 on 1 back then with hand checking and other means. I will take the guy that actually made his team mates better instead of jumping ship to go to an all-star team in Miami. You think Karl or Dennis or Charles could not guard LeBron.

He also forgot to include illegal drugs in with his illegal defenses comment. LeBaby is as natural as Hulk Hogan.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Oh I agree even though he's my all time favorite player. Now, if you said that he's not in the top 10 of all time greats...we'd have to agree to disagree.



He also forgot to include illegal drugs in with his illegal defenses comment. LeBaby is as natural as Hulk Hogan.

Oh, he certainly one of the greatest players of all time. I would never argue that.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

To me, this is the same situation as when you talk about about passing statistics today. The game was different so it's very difficult to compare. Defenses were able to do a lot more things then they are now. It was harder then. Much more physical, you could actually play physically in the post, you actually could hand check and walking was actually a call that was made. Today, physical play is a suspension and everybody walks. You can't bump anybody off the block so people just set up and score on you.

The three point shot was not nearly as big of a factor when Jordan came into the league, as it is now. Players have been shooting the three and running offense with the three since they started playing Basketball in todays game. Not so when Jordan came into the league. Teams no longer pack it in. Now, everybody scrambles to run out to the three and they will just give up easy 2 pt buckets. This makes it much, much easier for players like LBJ to score inside, to pass, to just play offense. Not so in Jordan's day. It was much, much harder to score IMO.

I hear a lot of people say that the athletes today are so much better. I don't know about that. I've never seen anybody in todays game that could stop Kareem. I've never seen a better athlete then Hakeem Olajuwan as a big man. I think the players were different because the game was different. The kind of Athlete you needed to be succesful in the style of game that was played then was different. Today it's much more up and down so players who can run and jump are at much more of a premium. Then, teams who did that only would get ground into powder because they would get pounded on the boards and hammered going to the hoop. You couldn't live by the three because defenses could hand check, they could do a lot of things to disrupt shots that you can't do today.

I don't believe that LBJ dominates the league more then Jordan did because he is just better, assuming he is which I do not believe. I think the game allows for players to be more offensively dominating today.

Thats just my opinion.

Being able to run and jump is part and parcel with a "better athlete."

Today's modernized training techniques, the continued development and inclusion of science and nutrition makes for better athletes today. No question.

Guys were still smoking cigarettes in the 80s, lol.

It doesn't speak to whether he is better than Jordan, but LeBron is physically a dominant force in today's game. To think he would do the same or more to guys in 80s and 90s is crazy.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Being able to run and jump is part and parcel with a "better athlete."

Today's modernized training techniques, the continued development and inclusion of science and nutrition makes for better athletes today. No question.

Guys were still smoking cigarettes in the 80s, lol.

It doesn't speak to whether he is better than Jordan, but LeBron is physically a dominant force in today's game. To think he would do the same or more to guys in 80s and 90s is crazy.

No. You miss the point. Lebron isn't the first person who has played in the NBA who is 6-8 250 who could run and jump. The point is that in the game that was 30 years ago, you had to be able to play an 82 game schedule and take the pounding. The Athletes of todays game are not all that superior to the ones in the 90s or early 2000s. They just train differently and they gear their conditioning more towards the style of game that is played today. The large majority would not have lasted in that more physical game. Would they have been considered superior or better athletes on the DL? I doubt it very much. The term "better" applies to the game style being played.

As I said before, for all the talk of better athletes, I've still never seen anybody who could stop Kareem. I've still never seen a better Big Man, athletically, the Hakeem Olajuwon. I've never seen a better shooter, even in todays game then Larry Bird and I've never seen a better passing PG then Magic with all of these modern Athletes.

BTW, athletes still smoke.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Oh I agree even though he's my all time favorite player. Now, if you said that he's not in the top 10 of all time greats...we'd have to agree to disagree.

For the record, I'd still take Larry Bird over anybody I've ever seen play for a game winning shot at distance. Best I've ever seen in that regard.

 

[jrumann59]

For the record, I'd still take Larry Bird over anybody I've ever seen play for a game winning shot at distance. Best I've ever seen in that regard.

Not huge Reggie Miller Fan but he was pretty good at that dagger from a distance shot.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

No. You miss the point. Lebron isn't the first person who has played in the NBA who is 6-8 250 who could run and jump. The point is that in the game that was 30 years ago, you had to be able to play an 82 game schedule and take the pounding. The Athletes of todays game are not all that superior to the ones in the 90s or early 2000s. They just train differently and they gear their conditioning more towards the style of game that is played today. The large majority would not have lasted in that more physical game. Would they have been considered superior or better athletes on the DL? I doubt it very much. The term "better" applies to the game style being played.

As I said before, for all the talk of better athletes, I've still never seen anybody who could stop Kareem. I've still never seen a better Big Man, athletically, the Hakeem Olajuwon. I've never seen a better shooter, even in todays game then Larry Bird and I've never seen a better passing PG then Magic with all of these modern Athletes.

BTW, athletes still smoke.

Name the players that were LeBron's equal from those eras.

Karl Malone is probably the closest thing to LeBron physically. That's not even considering actual skills handling the ball, passing and shooting.

 

[Nav22]

Yeah Ok you actually could guard guys 1 on 1 back then with hand checking and other means. I will take the guy that actually made his team mates better instead of jumping ship to go to an all-star team in Miami. You think Karl or Dennis or Charles could not guard LeBron.

LOL uh, no dude. They'd have no SHOT at guarding LeBron, because LeBron's the best player to ever play the sport.

Charles LOL he even admits that he was a mediocre defender in his prime. But he's shutting down a guy Malone's size with a filthy jumper, incredible scoring ability in the paint AND elite passing ability?????

Oh, and hand-checking was instituted in 1994. So MJ benefited from that rule as well (but again, defenses were NOT allowed to zone up or shade Michael the way they can to LeBron).

 

[Nav22]

Yeah Ok you actually could guard guys 1 on 1 back then with hand checking and other means. I will take the guy that actually made his team mates better instead of jumping ship to go to an all-star team in Miami. You think Karl or Dennis or Charles could not guard LeBron.

The Bulls won 55 games without MJ in 93-94. 1 win away from the Conference Finals.

The Cavs, a team LeBron took to the Finals and the NBA's best record twice in a row, sunk to the very worst record in the league the year LeBron left.

The Heat missed the playoffs the year LeBron left.

Pretty obvious which of the 2 players was better at "making teammates better".

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

The Bulls won 55 games without MJ in 93-94. 1 win away from the Conference Finals.

The Cavs, a team LeBron took to the Finals and the NBA's best record twice in a row, sunk to the very worst record in the league the year LeBron left.

The Heat missed the playoffs the year LeBron left.

Pretty obvious which of the 2 players was better at "making teammates better".

Did the Cavs have someone comparable to Scottie Pippen (3rd in MVP voting that year)? Or Phil Jackson as a head coach? The Bulls w/out Jordan their championship team still assembled and brought Tony Kukoc on the roster.

Feel free to give a rundown of the Cavs roster after LeBron left.

 

[Nav22]

Did the Cavs have someone comparable to Scottie Pippen (3rd in MVP voting that year)? Or Phil Jackson as a head coach? The Bulls w/out Jordan their championship team still assembled and brought Tony Kukoc on the roster.

Feel free to give a rundown of the Cavs roster after LeBron left.

That's the point.

LeBron carried trash to the Finals and to 60+ win seasons.

Was MJ ever able to do that before Pippen developed into a superstar and Phil took over as coach??? Nope. Lost in the 1st Round 3 times, and that's before Detroit started beating him.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

That's the point.

LeBron carried trash to the Finals and to 60+ win seasons.

Was MJ ever able to do that before Pippen developed into a superstar and Phil took over as coach??? Nope. Lost in the 1st Round 3 times, and that's before Detroit started beating him.

No, your point was after each star left their team, their respective teams had different levels of success. You were implying the Jordan wasn't that great because his team was successful after he left.

Does Tom Brady actually suck because he had Bill Belichek as head coach? BTW, I see what you did there, you counted Jordan's second season (played only 18 games) as one of those playoff years. Was Lebron able to lead his team to the playoffs his first couple of seasons like Jordan did?

 

[Nav22]

No, your point was after each star left their team, their respective teams had different levels of success. You were implying the Jordan wasn't that great because his team was successful after he left.

Does Tom Brady actually suck because he had Bill Belichek as head coach? BTW, I see what you did there, you counted Jordan's second season (played only 18 games) as one of those playoff years. Was Lebron able to lead his team to the playoffs his first couple of seasons like Jordan did?

LOL at you telling me what my point was.

LeBron carried trash to 60+ wins and the Finals. Multiple times.

MJ did it zero times. Because he wasn't good enough to pull that off.

 

[Elusive6thRing]

Lebron carried trash and faced trash in the East to get to those Finals. It's hard to even name the best player he beat in the playoffs before the Finals. Derrick Rose?

I really don't even agree that Lebron carried trash actually except this year and 2007, he does deserve credit for those two years. Dwayne Wade Chris Bosh Kyrie Irving aren't trash, neither is Kevin Love who's still on the team. But Lebron + Kyrie + Love was superior to any East team they faced, they were the favorites, and everyone recognized the Miami Heat as a super team.

If you're going to say Lebron's teammates were trash there's really no argument that would justify his competition being great. The East has been the Least for a decade+ now.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

LOL at you telling me what my point was.

LeBron carried trash to 60+ wins and the Finals. Multiple times.

MJ did it zero times. Because he wasn't good enough to pull that off.

Looooool, hot take Michael Jordan sucks apparently.

This level of stupidity doesn't warrant a legitimate response.

 

[Trouty]

I have MJ. But if LBJ wins this series, the nod goes to him, imo. He would single handedly have beaten probably 4 hall of famers (3 most certainly). I didn't watch Jordan live till the end with the Bulls, and only on ESPN, but I've seen enough over the years being a sports nut. Also, the default 6-6 with 6 Finals MVPs, 37pt season, all the 1st team defenses, Pippen zero all star nods w/o MJ. LBJ may have him on longer peak, we shall see. Bron is still a damned freak of nature at 34 years old.

Gretzky was better at his sport than either of these guys. Go ahead and @ me

 

[Nav22]

Looooool, hot take Michael Jordan sucks apparently.

This level of stupidity doesn't warrant a legitimate response.

LOL personal attacks now???

I'm so sorry that I made you feel so very inferior, you little runt. Must be some truth to those feelings.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

LOL personal attacks now???

I'm so sorry that I made you feel so very inferior, you little runt. Must be some truth to those feelings.

Listen, you thought you made a point, got your card pulled and then got into your feelings "wuh, wuh, when has Jordan done that!?!! Cuz he caaaant!!"

Pfffff, smh

Take the 'L'