MJ vs. Lebron/Kobe

[MediaArtist]

Originally Posted by Litos

I did - I watched Malone/Stockton kill the Rockets in 3 different decades.

the Jazz are the most hated NBA Team by Rockets fans, by far....

fuck Hornacek and Russell too....

they beat the Rockets in the playoffs in 95, 97 and 98....

only teams that the Rockets had that could beat the Jazz was when Dream proved he was the craftiest and sickest post move center to ever play the game when they went back to back in 1993 and 1994....

Malone couldn't move dude - he had a beautiful shot, but his feet were made out of cinder blocks....

I'm so glad that Malone and Stockton retired some ringless shitbirds....

Dude, Cheetos, you're out of your mind if you think he was comparable to Kendrick Perkins in athletic ability.

Malone and Duncan are either #1 or #2 at the power forward position for the modern era (possibly all-time). He was a career 25ppg/10trb type of guy. Kendrick Perkins is a defensive liability, and offensive amateur. He has never had the type of effect on the game that the Mailman had and I question the mental capacity of anyone who would seriously compare them as players.

Offensively, Malone was the prototype for guys like KG, and Duncan who came after him. A silky shooter from 10 to 20 feet. An excellent post scorer. He could back you up, and fade away, or he could come up and under and finish. More than likely, he would just crash on you with a dunk. Let me know when Kendrick Perkins could ever in his entire career be as lethal a scorer as the Mailman.

Defensively, Malone wasn't a rim protector, but he was a great on ball/post defender and he was very good within the team concept as well. To ignore his defensive ability because he wasn't a shot blocker/rim protector is foolish. I am old enough to have watched Malone play in his PRIME and I remember all too well how many times he stripped players, pulled the chair, pushed them off of the block, made his rotations and took charges. He was a great defender, just not a shot blocker/rim protector.

Anyone who saw him play knows he is 10x the player Kendrick Perkins is, and ever will be. That comparison is asinine.

Here's a glimpse of a 33 year old Karl Malone giving Jordan and his Bulls all they could handle in the 1997 Finals (the same year Karl Malone won the league MVP):

"as athletic as Kendrick Perkins"

LOL

[TrevorM3]

61 points.

[Litos]

Bron gets nose broken - scores 61 2 games from returning to the lineup.....

Yes, even the Bobcats were marveling at James. He was hitting from everywhere, even a pull-up 3-pointer from about 30 feet -- Spoelstra joked it was from 40 -- late in the third quarter, as the crowd roared and the Heat bench jumped with joy.

"Yeah, that was a designed play," Spoelstra deadpanned. "We've been working on that one for a while."

That was the moment, James said, when he knew he was in the midst of a special night.

"Every night I go on the floor I want to be the MVP, of this league, MVP of this team, MVP for me, myself and my family," James said. "I've set a high standard and I have to live by that."

[Litos]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ba...053019252.html

In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, LeBron James scored 32 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out five assists in the Miami's Heat victory over the Indiana Pacers. While that line would rank among the career-best games of many players, it's long been standard for the 10-time All-Star and four-time MVP. These performances, and the highlights that go along with them, are his normal.

This particular game, however, marked a new milestone for the superstar. It was LeBron's 74th game with at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists, breaking a tie with Michael Jordan for the most such games in NBA postseason history.

of course he did.........because ball don't lie.....

[Iverson]

I just think its too hard to compare the Jordan era was a totally different ball game this era is too soft and guys playing for money rather than chips its still a great league to watch especially playoffs but the Jordan times were spectacular even the regular season games had beef

[ny325]

The league is soft, no true dominant centers, and the reffs are whistle happy. There is no hand checking, and the physicality of the game is gone. The Eastern conference is pretty much irrelevant. If Jordon, and Kobe started there career in the present NBA, Jordon would average 40 plus a night. Kobe would be right behind him. Why? No centers, no defense, reffs love the whistle, the East is horrible, and the fundamentals of the game doesn't exist. Except for the Spurs. Not taking away from Lebron. However, since he's been in the league, the Eastern conference has been bad.

[ny325]

Getting to the Eastern conference playoffs is not difficult. So yes, LJ has all those impressive numbers in the playoffs. However, to me, it's smoking mirrors. I mean .500 teams, and under being the 7th and 8th seed. Come on really! The Spurs had 55 wins and were the 5th seed. The Cavs had 53 wins and won their division. Wish the NBA would change the format. I would much rather see the top 16 teams with the best record make the playoffs. It would be more exciting to watch, then under .500 teams.

[BIMMERGUY91]

Let me start by saying this. I don't believe this as strongly as I once did but I still believe it. Jordan is the greatest ever at this point due to his awards and his absolute killers mentality.

BUT...

Lebron is the most impressive physical specimen to ever play the game of basketball. He is a 6'8" 260lb NFL linebacker but with the speed and hands of an elite wide receiver and an off the charts basketball IQ.

Jordan might have averaged more points over his career BUT that is simply because Lebron does not have a score first mentality. He elevates the play of those around him. He distributes the ball like Magic Johnson, rebounds like Rodman and when he decides to (as evidenced by his NBA Finals stats) can score like MJ. He has around 30% more triple doubles than MJ in less time.

No he does not have 6 rings but that is due to the level of talent surrounding him rather than his own downfalls. The 2007 Cavs had no business any where near the Finals. The 2015 Cavs were so thin by the time they reached the Finals that they were basically playing with a bunch of has beens and scrubs. The only Finals loss I would directly attribute to LBJ is the 2011 NBA Finals where he completely disappeared.

I believe if Lebron could have willed his team to a Finals victory this year with Love and Irving injured he would probably have surpassed Jordan as the GOAT.

[BIMMERGUY91]

Originally Posted by ny325

Getting to the Eastern conference playoffs is not difficult. So yes, LJ has all those impressive numbers in the playoffs. However, to me, it's smoking mirrors. I mean .500 teams, and under being the 7th and 8th seed. Come on really! The Spurs had 55 wins and were the 5th seed. The Cavs had 53 wins and won their division. Wish the NBA would change the format. I would much rather see the top 16 teams with the best record make the playoffs. It would be more exciting to watch, then under .500 teams.

The Cavs were 13-1 after the all star break against Western Conference teams...

[pikkagtr]

Originally Posted by BIMMERGUY91

Let me start by saying this. I don't believe this as strongly as I once did but I still believe it. Jordan is the greatest ever at this point due to his awards and his absolute killers mentality.

BUT...

Lebron is the most impressive physical specimen to ever play the game of basketball. He is a 6'8" 260lb NFL linebacker but with the speed and hands of an elite wide receiver and an off the charts basketball IQ.

Jordan might have averaged more points over his career BUT that is simply because Lebron does not have a score first mentality. He elevates the play of those around him. He distributes the ball like Magic Johnson, rebounds like Rodman and when he decides to (as evidenced by his NBA Finals stats) can score like MJ. He has around 30% more triple doubles than MJ in less time.

No he does not have 6 rings but that is due to the level of talent surrounding him rather than his own downfalls. The 2007 Cavs had no business any where near the Finals. The 2015 Cavs were so thin by the time they reached the Finals that they were basically playing with a bunch of has beens and scrubs. The only Finals loss I would directly attribute to LBJ is the 2011 NBA Finals where he completely disappeared.

I believe if Lebron could have willed his team to a Finals victory this year with Love and Irving injured he would probably have surpassed Jordan as the GOAT.

No he would not
Lebron plays mediocre defense , mj is #3 on the all time steals list
If he could have made his teammates better they would not have lost to the spurs and he got outplayed by kawhi Leonard in the final 3 games
He isn't even better than Kobe career wise in accolades and I'm the biggest Kobe hater
Lebron needs to win 10+ scoring titles
A dpoy
Go undefeated in the finals
6 finals mvps
JUST to be on the same level as mj
As far as I'm concerned Tim Duncan has had a better career than lebron so far
2003 spurs championship roster
Duncan
90yrold David Robinson
Effectively non offensive threat other than corner 3 that must be spoon fed Bruce Bowen
Parkers 2nd yr in the league
Rooky manu
Steve Kerr
Kevin Willis
Malik rose
Danny ferry
Speedy claxton
Stephen Jackson


That look like a talented all star roster to you?
Yet they beat a young and talented athletic nets team featuring
J Kidd
Prime Vince Carter, Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson
Mutombo and Kittles were still young and spry


TD carried that team on his back
21pts/20rbnds/10asts &8 blocks