Recognizing Greatness

[The15thunter]

i think, with how critical we are and how we micro-analyze things, we often forget how fortunate we are to be witnessing so many great athletes. for all the talk we give about guys and how they're this or that, we have simply forgotten some of the things that make this such a great sport.

for instance, i know i personally have always been hard on shaq, as i feel he never lived up to his potential. i was just curious and looked up his stats and found two gems.

on his 28th birthday (03/06/00) shaq threw up 61 points and 23 rebounds in 45 minutes against the clippers. i don't think a game like that will ever be replicated.

at 22 years of age in '94, against the warriors, he threw up 53 points and 18 boards, with 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in only 36 minutes.

what other great, but overlooked or forgotten, performances, games, moments or stat lines do you wish to recognize in this thread? i think we need to give guys their just due.

[Starlin4Prez]

Re: recognizing greatness.

I totally agree BUT...

As consumers we have the right to complain if we feel that the product (Player/team) we are endorsing isn't up to our standard etc...

With that said...the performance that I think goes un-noticed, was Duncan in game 3 of the 2003 Finals against the Nets. That Finals kind of was under the radar a little.

32 PTS/20 REB/7 BLK/6 AST/3 STL on 11-17 shooting and 10-14 from the FT line. This was also against one of the best defensive team in the league in the Nets that year.

[Jasong7777]

Re: recognizing greatness.

The Jordan flu game.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: recognizing greatness.

The Jordan flu game.

The Flu Game isn't "overlooked or forgotten".

[Jasong7777]

Re: recognizing greatness.

The Jordan flu game.
Kobe's 81.
Lebron destroying Detroit in the ECF. All great feats.

[Jasong7777]

Re: recognizing greatness.

My fault. I didn't read the OP all the way. I was just listing great performances. Carry on

[Muzyk23]

Re: recognizing greatness.

Iverson's 15 assists in decisive game 7 against Raptors in 2001 after realizing Raptors throwing double and triple teams at him

[pietasterp]

Re: recognizing greatness.

The Jordan flu game.

Probably the most OVER-rated hoops moment in recent memory...

[The15thunter]

Re: recognizing greatness.

michael jordan's first home game against the magic after hearing how shaq was the future of the nba...

64 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 steals.

i think he had a bad wrist but still only shot jumpers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mjwyLp6OiM

to be fair, shaq threw up 29 points, 24 boards and 5 blocks.

[slimm44]

Re: recognizing greatness.

Probably the most OVER-rated hoops moment in recent memory...Actually, I re-thought what I posted and realized I was wrong. Please forgive me, I had a brainfart.

I'm not sure who, but somebody fixed that for you.

[pietasterp]

Re: recognizing greatness.

I'm not sure who, but somebody fixed that for you.

Good one...I stand by my original statement.

[slimm44]

Re: recognizing greatness.

Good one...I stand by my original statement.

Without the trickery and sarcasm on my end, what part of that performance do you think was overrated?

[J_Posse]

Re: recognizing greatness.

2003 Western Conference Semi-Finals:

Tim Duncan - 37 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks in 42 minutes

[pietasterp]

Re: recognizing greatness.

Without the trickery and sarcasm on my end, what part of that performance do you think was overrated?

Okay, I admit it - you got me, so I have to come clean: I just hate Jordan. I always have, and always will - I'm from the Detroit area and a die-hard Pistons fan, and I thoroughly enjoyed holding him down (for as long as anyone could) before he finally ended our dynasty...and I have never been able to forgive him for that. Most of the time, I come around after the fact on guys I previously hated after time/age mellow them (and me) out...but not in MJ's case. So my hate of the flu game hype comes from me being a cynic and a Jordan-*****. My take was always that he was playing up the drama, and NBC (who was trying to single-handedly make MJ the center of everything basketball in the 90's) would not shut up about his "flu" during the entire telecast...talking about it like he was Willis Reed in game 7 of 1970 finals or something. Actually, it was beyond that: they exalted the game to Moses parting the Red Sea-level accomplishment. I just remember at the time the over-long camera takes of him on the sidelines, the dissecting of each facial expression, and just the general verbal fellatio that occurred for the entire game (and beyond)...and I revolted. I have no idea how sick he was at the time - back then I would have said he probably had a mild bug and was hamming it up for drama. In retrospect, no one but MJ knows, and to be fair I guess we have to take it at face value. But his playing-up of minor contact and general history just made me doubt everything I was seeing....

I guess in the end, it's the TV and media coverage of the game that turned me off to it all, and not so much the game itself. That's not MJ's fault, but in someone looking for an excuse to hate (and given the mythic status that event took on in the ensuing years....as if no one else had ever played in a game with a serious impediment), it was enough for me to consider the whole thing over-rated, on the grand scale of sports accomplishments.

[The15thunter]

Re: recognizing greatness.

in 1993 (vs. seattle and gary payton), tim hardaway:
41 points (5 three pointers), 7 rebounds, 18 assists, 2 steals and 1 block

in the '93 playoffs against the clippers
hakeem - 31 points, 21 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 7 blocks

in the '95 playoffs against the spurs (and david robinson)
hakeem - 39 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 5 blocks

in 1990 vs. the bad boys pistons
hakeem - 37 points, 25 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 blocks

to be honest, this whole thread could just be filled with exploits by hakeem, it's kinda ridiculous to look back on just how underrated he is, despite being considered a top 5 or 6 all time center.