OT - Team LeBron or Team MJ?
Reading up this morning on the GOAT debate over at ESPN, and was just curious to which camp you are all in? It maybe a generation thing, but I think MJ's path to success was more....."un-artficial"
MJ didn't have "decisions" and hop around to teams to chase championships. He made his teamates better, not his situation better. What do you all think?
Go Blue!
LeBron is an OSU fan. MJ all the way.
I've just arranged a 1 on 1 between M Jordan and L James. Here goes:
LJ outmuscles MJ.
MJ outclasses LJ.
MJ wins 22-20.
Who wins the rematch?
I'm not a big basketball fan, but I'm old enough to have watched both of them play. I can't logically give a good opinion on this because I'm not knowledgeable enough about the sport to really know. Then again logic doesn't seem to be a big contributor here. There is a pretty sharp age divide I would bet and it's all Get Off My Lawn vs LBJ is athletic and physical enough that he would have dominated back in the day. Let's be honest and say that no one will really ever know and this debate will go on forever.
There are a few things in particular that bother me about this. For one, it is not Lebron's fault that he got drafted by Cleveland and his GM was terrible at bringing in anything resembling help for him, causing him to go to Miami to play with Wade and Bosh (who are not remotely on the same level as some 90s examples people have thrown out). Whole lot of "Jordan made his teammates better he didn't go join other good players." That's a bad take and you should feel bad. Whether he is the best player or not, I don't think I have ever seen someone raise their teammates up like Lebron does. He just sees the court differently than most other players. The championship count thing is also stupid, unless someone wants to argue that Dilfer is better than Marino. Or what about all the guys that have won more titles than Jordan in basketball? It's a team sport. MJ played on better teams.
Personally, I don't want to pick a favorite. Enjoy great players while they are around for what they are and do the debating once they retire if you need to. I'm becoming convinced that if our heroes from the 90s played during the internet era they wouldn't be nearly the heroes they are today.
Better look again bud.
It’s not close you can throw all the stats you want out there. Jordan always figured out a way to beat you. He made everyone around him on his TEAM better was a relentless defender. Jordan would never have teamed up with other guys and made super teams he would have figured how to beat you, and he sure as hell would have never lost a championship playing alongside Bosch and wade. It’s not close at all.
I could have sworn LeBron has taken multiple teams to the finals that literally did not have a 2nd option.
Guys like Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman didn't just get better because they had Jordan. That entire narrative is so exhausting. Those guys are incredible basketball players, and would have been with or without MJ. You think Jordan is winning as much as he did with Kevin Love and JR bleeping Smith?
“They were dominant in my formative years/when I had way more time to observe sports”
in 9 of his 13 seasons with the Bulls (9 of 15 if you include the second comeback with Washington) Lebron has been all NBA first team defense in 5 of his 15 seasons.
Bill and I will be over here waiting until you guys figure out who we're woodshedding.
Just gonna launch a grenade into this thread and leave...
MJ, and it's not even close (yet).
End thread.
I hate to compare players, because it lessens others. I think Harbaugh said something to that effect. They are both great players, but I really think that Kareem gets overlooked as a great player of his era. LeBron is the best currently. MJ was the best in his time. They are both different, and both great.
Kinda like the Tom Brady vs. Joe Montana arguement.
LBJ. That is all.