The LeBron James Thread

[Sportsforever]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

I didn't bring up flaws Jordan had as a rookie lol???

I said from his rookie season through his first two rings (where LeBron is now) not everyone liked him being compared to Magic just yet.. Again, where LeBron is now with the Jordan comparisons.

I took the stats and everything else out just because you can make it one-sided for either player using all that.. I just wanted it simple

I liked the eye-test and just comparing them as basketball players, because its impossible to compare them other wise.. They played in a different era, different position, in different systems, and have a completely different style.. Comparing them in a sense of just how good they are at all basketball is the only way that seemed reasonable to me..

Your "eye-test" says they are way off, mines says they aren't, it's fine we don't have the same opinion.. You take Jordan 8/7 days a week, I'll take him 4/7 days a week.

This is a serious question because I don't know, but were you around/watching the NBA in the late 1980's? Not trying to disrespect, but I was watching hoops in the 1980's and I don't recall anyone thinking Magic was better than MJ in the late 1980's.

[Kashanova]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Pat Riley on LeBron James:

"If the league will allow the NBA to stop tackling him at halfcourt he'll get an extra 6 FT attempts per game.''

"Our goal is to get him over 90 percent from the free-throw line.''

This is one of the next steps for him. If he can accomplish that he should average 30 ppg again easily

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

The problem with using just the eye test in this case is that it's going to be hard to keep biases out of it especially when it comes to your favorite player because you're going to be naturally inclined to point out all the positives than you are the negatives.

Good convo nonetheless from everyone though.

[24]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

There has been some great discussion the past couple of pages of posts. 13 has brought up some excellent points about the whole Jordan/Lebron debate. For anyone who thinks Lebron has an all around better game then Jordan did you are wrong. I'm not bashing or anything of the sort but Michael Jordan literally did everything well. His game didn't have a weakness on either end.

Jordan put up 10 Triple doubles in 11 games during the 88-89 season. He finished the year with 15 total. Not to mention how many times he finished either 1 rebound or 1 assist short of one during the season. He could Run the point as good as anyone, defend the best player on the opposing team, and put up 30+ on a consistent night in night out basis.

My point being that As amazing as an all around player that Lebron Is, Jordan was better.

[SteelersFreak]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Can we just let LBJ finish his career before we compare him to Michael? Who ****ing cares if at age 28 LeBron is more accomplished? He also entered the league at a younger age than MJ did. The league is a different place than it was when MJ was in it. Just let the man finish his career without comparing him to everyone all the damn time.

These comparisons are such a uniquely NBA phenomenon. We don't see these kind of constant comparisons to the past in any other major sport.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

We used to, especially in the NFL.

[Vni]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

These comparisons are such a uniquely NBA phenomenon. We don't see these kind of constant comparisons to the past in any other major sport.

Yes they do happen but way less frequently but I have a theory about this. Well I don't know if that would apply to baseball or football but it does apply for soccer, tennis, boxing etc.

It is that it is admitted by everyone that theses sports have greatly envolve and that today's athletes are superior in almost every ways to the athletes of the same sport 20, 30, 40 years ago no matter how great they or their carrer where. Everyone knows that Federer would eat Borg alive or that Lionel Messi is a better soccer player than Pele ever was...

Where as in basketball, for some reason it's not the case. People doesn't think that today's athletes display a better version of basketball. They even say it was more physical, more skilled back then wich is very unique.

[ojandpizza]

The problem with using just the eye test in this case is that it's going to be hard to keep biases out of it especially when it comes to your favorite player because you're going to be naturally inclined to point out all the positives than you are the negatives.

Good convo nonetheless from everyone though.

But Jordan is my favorite player

[The 24th Letter]

I think it's a lot more simple than that..

There's not another team sport where individuals have as big of impact as basketball, so there is a lot more focus on those individuals...

[ojandpizza]

This is a serious question because I don't know, but were you around/watching the NBA in the late 1980's? Not trying to disrespect, but I was watching hoops in the 1980's and I don't recall anyone thinking Magic was better than MJ in the late 1980's.

I was very young, my first real memory as a basketball fan was watching Jordan win his first ring..

But I wasn't saying that people were calling Magic better than Jordan in the 80s.. I was saying that people still called Magic the GOAT rather than Jordan.. I knew people personally who would say "Jordan still isn't Bird", "Jordan still isn't Magic", "Jordan still isn't Dr.J" because that's the players they grew up watching.. Same thing that's happening now with Kobe and LeBron in the Jordan comparisons..

Jordan went on to pass those guys when it was all said and done, LeBron is likely to not pass Jordan..

But I still feel that LeBron as a player is very very very close to Jordan as a player. Whether or not he accomplishes everything he needs to accomplish by the time he retires to be on that level or not we are still waiting to see. But as a PLAYER I never saw anything from Jordan that makes me thing back "man he was just so much better than LeBron" like others here are claiming.. And I was the biggest Jordan fan I knew when I was younger.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

But Jordan is my favorite player

Was speaking in general really.

But in relation to your post, Lebron is your favorite player right now is he not? Are you more likely to point out the positives about him, point out the negatives or be split down the middle with him? More likely the positives and there's nothing wrong with that. It's just human nature that's all.

If you take out "stats and everything else" then there's really no need to make a comparison between the two at all then. Especially if we're taking away "everything else" because at that point, what is there to compare?

[JODYE]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

Was speaking in general really.

But in relation to your post, Lebron is your favorite player right now is he not? Are you more likely to point out the positives about him, point out the negatives or be split down the middle with him? More likely the positives and there's nothing wrong with that. It's just human nature that's all.

If you take out "stats and everything else" then there's really no need to make a comparison between the two at all then. Especially if we're taking away "everything else" because at that point, what is there to compare?

Pretty much all of this.

Also, denouncing the comparison, at least for me, has had nothing to do with accomplishments when I say that they are no where close in relation. LeBron as is, could win 6 more ships for all I care, as an all around basketball player, he still isn't sniffing the class that Jordan sits in terms of on court abilities. Just the reality of it.

[ojandpizza]

See when I see people say "nowhere close" I think it's a huge overrate to Jordan and a huge underrate to LeBron. But that's just me.

13- aren't you from Chicago? lol

[ojandpizza]

Was speaking in general really.

But in relation to your post, Lebron is your favorite player right now is he not? Are you more likely to point out the positives about him, point out the negatives or be split down the middle with him? More likely the positives and there's nothing wrong with that. It's just human nature that's all.

If you take out "stats and everything else" then there's really no need to make a comparison between the two at all then. Especially if we're taking away "everything else" because at that point, what is there to compare?

Idk I was just trying to make the comparison more about basketball rather than numbers and what not..

Jordan was a childhood hero to me not just a basketball player, what I've said in this thread about LeBron even being in that discussion is something I thought I would never say about another basketball player in my life..

[OSUFan_88]

Re: The LeBron James Thread

When LBJ left Cle, they went from like 55+ wins to last in the NBA.

Or to put it another way...

When LeBron, Z, Shaq, Delonte West, Mo Williams, and Andy *injured* left, the Cavs went from 55+ wins to 2nd to 19 wins, 2nd to last in the NBA.

The Cavaliers basically lost their entire starting lineup, except for bum *** Jamison and bum *** Anthony Parker.