The other ones here are good, but honestly even a high school kid nowadays that doesn't know who Babe Ruth is is almost unheard of. The others, sure I suppose, although I think most people know Joe Montana too, but you're right on Ted Williams, Bart Starr, Jerry West, and Erving.
LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
The other ones here are good, but honestly even a high school kid nowadays that doesn't know who Babe Ruth is is almost unheard of. The others, sure I suppose, although I think most people know Joe Montana too, but you're right on Ted Williams, Bart Starr, Jerry West, and Erving.NFL: Bills
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
Lol LeBron obviously didn't think this through. By changing his number to 6 he's managed to disrespect both Bill Russell and Dr J who were true pioneers for the sport. Jordan himself has said that without Dr J he wouldn't be as popular as he was.
Having the Bulls retire it is great and well deserved but going league wide is rediculous even for someone with such a huge impact on the league. LeBron is just looking to sell more jerseys and make more $$$, there's nothing "classy" about this at all imo.Comment
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
Can I throw Wilt Chamberlain into the mix? He's the guy that once averaged 50 points and 26 rebounds per game for an entire year.For those saying that Mike is the clear number 1, I suggest you poll people and find out for yourself.
Is MJ the greatest of his time? No doubt. Will a great majority of the people choose him as the clear #1? You bet.
But I guarantee that you won't get 100% of the people to agree and I guarantee that a lot of those people aren't Knicks, Pacers, Sonics, Jazz or Pistons fans either.
Without 100%, you don't get clear #1. Like I said before, ask kids 10 years from now and watch the number for Jordan dwindle. 20 years? Even further down. Eras are withheld by the collective living. As we pass, another generation will come to love someone else. Just ask Babe Ruth or Ted Williams. Ask Bart Starr or Joe Montana. Go ahead and ask Jerry West or Julius Erving.
MJ is number one right now and man, I don't disagree with it. I saw the man play. He was amazing. But I never saw Jerry West play, so how can I ever compare? I haven't seen that kid that'll be drafted in 2020. So what do I know but the time I lived and saw?
Also, LeBron was how old when Jordan dominated? The guy is a Yankees fan (a faker fan is harder to find). I can't take his allegiance seriously. He's clearly a wagon rider for the best.
Anyway, my point is: Jordan isn't clearly the best of all-time. It's an opinion. You never honor one player as the game. The game is the game. No player alone defines it.Last edited by VDusen04; 11-13-2009, 11:27 PM.Comment
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
This is an inane point. Very few people assume that Jordan would win unanimously. But he would win overwhelmingly. To say that its not clear cut because you have some kvetchers out there is really not much of an argument at all.For those saying that Mike is the clear number 1, I suggest you poll people and find out for yourself.
Is MJ the greatest of his time? No doubt. Will a great majority of the people choose him as the clear #1? You bet.
But I guarantee that you won't get 100% of the people to agree and I guarantee that a lot of those people aren't Knicks, Pacers, Sonics, Jazz or Pistons fans either.
Without 100%, you don't get clear #1. Like I said before, ask kids 10 years from now and watch the number for Jordan dwindle. 20 years? Even further down. Eras are withheld by the collective living. As we pass, another generation will come to love someone else. Just ask Babe Ruth or Ted Williams. Ask Bart Starr or Joe Montana. Go ahead and ask Jerry West or Julius Erving.
MJ is number one right now and man, I don't disagree with it. I saw the man play. He was amazing. But I never saw Jerry West play, so how can I ever compare? I haven't seen that kid that'll be drafted in 2020. So what do I know but the time I lived and saw?
Also, LeBron was how old when Jordan dominated? The guy is a Yankees fan (a faker fan is harder to find). I can't take his allegiance seriously. He's clearly a wagon rider for the best.
Anyway, my point is: Jordan isn't clearly the best of all-time. It's an opinion. You never honor one player as the game. The game is the game. No player alone defines it.Comment
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
This is absurd.
1.) First off, LeBron James can give up the number. I don't care. But, he is allegedly starting a petition that requires every player in the NBA to sign it and, if successful, #23 is retired league-wide. So it isn't just for jersey sales, or at least not on the surface. He believes in this, and for that, he is very, very wrong.
2.) #23 is a very common number... even before Jordan. Not every player who wears #23 does so as a tribute to Jordan. It's the most common number in basketball leagues all over North America, but a big reason is because of the number sets. In most grade schools, high schools, and some NCAA colleges, the numbers are scaled to represent size, with 20-range being "average." Also, like international basketball only allows #3-15 on a 12-man team, a lot of these schools only allow the first 5 digits of 10-set, 20-set, and 30-set (#10-35), so numbers are scarce and finite.
3.) If LeBron James wanted to honor Michael Jordan, why did he choose #23 in the first place? Like his $90mil Nike contract, he had more attention leading into his first NBA games than he does now. This could have been an issue in 2003-04 because the sports' world was carefully watching James to see what jersey he would choose, and he chose #23. Surely his rationale for honoring Jordan couldn't have changed that much in this short time.
4.) Michael Jordan is not nearly as transcendent to basketball as Jackie Robinson was to baseball, and all sports, for that matter. You can say that without Jordan, there'd be no LeBron James, but how can you prove that? The color barrier was already broken; if you're good at basketball, you could rise to the top. However, without Jackie Robinson, there'd be no LeBron James. Or Michael Jordan. Or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Roberto Clemente, Rickey Henderson, Albert Pujols, Adrian Peterson, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, or Reggie White. Jackie Robinson traveled the country with a target on his back. He wasn't the best player ever, but he did more socially for professional sports by blazing a path that others could follow to just make the pros (unlike the "Michael Jordan" path, which is how to make the pros and make a ton of money with endorsements). He was bombarded by death threats and epithets everywhere, and this was when people dressed up in suits to attend baseball games. He risked his life to lay the groundwork for your non-white players of today. Michael Jordan was just better than his competition at the time, and that's on-the-court solely. If any athlete were to deserve a league-wide retirement, it would have to be someone as transcendent as Jackie Robinson or Jesse Owens, not someone "popular" like Michael Jordan.Last edited by Shinyhubcaps; 11-14-2009, 01:30 AM.Comment
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
Great post hubcaps.SimWorld NBA 2K19 Fictional Draft Classes
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
Man, you hit this nonsense right on the head. Who did more for the NBA than Magic and Bird. Who held the NBA/CBA down more than Dr.J. Who dominated the sport more Russel in the 60's and I am leaving out tons of great players.Retiring Jordan's number league wide would be a slap in the face to West, Magic, Bird, Erving, Kareem, Wilt, Russell, and the list goes on.
MJ is regarded as the greatest because of the time period. Ask people in the 70s and their answer is obviously different. Ask kids in 10 years and their answer will be different.
What brand sneakers LeBron wears and then we can figure all of this madness out.Comment
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
Growing up in the late 70's and early 80's the greatest basketball players in my generation mind was the Doctor. Guys that grew up in the 80's and 90's think Jordan was the greatest basketball player ever but when I talked to the old heads (60 and above) their eyes twinkle when they talk about the Big O.The other ones here are good, but honestly even a high school kid nowadays that doesn't know who Babe Ruth is is almost unheard of. The others, sure I suppose, although I think most people know Joe Montana too, but you're right on Ted Williams, Bart Starr, Jerry West, and Erving.
I can see by 2015 people saying how the next great ball player is the greatest ever. People always choose the greatest ever in basketball was the most current era.Comment
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
He was a better scorer in that he could score on the perimeter and take it down low. Unlike Kareem, he didnt need service to get his shot. He negated advantages of centers and routinely put centers in foul trouble in the event they tried to challenge him. He played great perimeter defense and also rotated down to help down low on defense. He was a better passer. He was more clutch. He was a better shooter. He was a better transition player.Comment
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
Kareem was instant offense. He had the most unstoppable shot in the history of the game. Kareem won as many championships, as many mvps, and lead in most if not all statistical categories.He was a better scorer in that he could score on the perimeter and take it down low. Unlike Kareem, he didnt need service to get his shot. He negated advantages of centers and routinely put centers in foul trouble in the event they tried to challenge him. He played great perimeter defense and also rotated down to help down low on defense. He was a better passer. He was more clutch. He was a better shooter. He was a better transition player.
Have you ever seen Kareem play?Comment
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
IMO, I don't think 23 should be retired, and that is not to disrespect MJ. He is the greatest to ever play IMO. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson got all the hype started from the NCAA championship game and then it followed to the NBA. If you retire 23 then you need to retire 33 and 32. There has been a numerous amount of enfluential players over the years. Some older people would say Oscar Robertson was the greatest. I remember my grandparents talking about how great Jerry West was back in the day. We should honor all geat players for what they have brought to the sport but I am not in favor of a league retirement of a number.Comment
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
I have to agree with you. I think he doesn't really know. When he said if i cant wear number 23 no one can I was like really. The way he siad it its like he been in the leagure for 10-15 years and win like 15 rings. Man im hoping he doesnt become like MJ off the court a freaking ego-maniac douchebag.Comment
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
Yes, I have seen Kareem play and, like I said, Jordan is/was better for a variety of reasons (many of which I mentioned). Kareem was a great player but lets face it, the majority of his Championships were when he was playing batman to Magic's robin. Kareem as good as Jordan? Please, you make me laugh. You cant even say with certainty that Kareem was the best center of all time, let alone better than Jordan.
Get that weak nonsense out of here.
BTW, the MVP thing is a joke. Jordan was the MVP even in years when Barkley and Malone won it. And he proved it in the finals.Comment
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Re: LeBron Planning on Switching Numbers
Perhaps more important was Kareem more important to his team than Jordan? When Kareem was in his prime he was unstoppable. Back then he even played defense. Before the Lakers.
I don't believe Jordan is anything more than the greatest of his generation. Comparing the different eras doesn't work.Comment

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