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Location: San Diego CA>Tijuana, BC>San Antonio, TX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BajanYankee
But Jordan didn't play against Duncan, Dirk and Garnett for most of his prime. Lebron would dominate Stockton, Hornacek, Payton, Mugsy Bogues, Dumars, etc. He would be way too big, strong and fast for anyone of that era.
You said he would NOT retire early like Jordan, so if he were to play 21 years like he is now, he would be playing until 2005ish which means he would go against Duncan, Dirk and KG in their prime.
I don't see him dominating against Stockton, Hornacek, Payton, Mugsy Bogues, Dumars because BIG MEN BRINGING IT UP THE COURT wasn't the style of basketball at the time. He'd be having to get physical with the rest of the PF's and Centers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Davy-040
How many Small Forwards did the 90's have that could slow down LeBron?
Last edited by malcorub16; 04-22-2024 at 02:30 PM..
You said he would NOT retire early like Jordan, so if he were to play 21 years like he is now, he would be playing until 2005ish which means he would go against Duncan, Dirk and KG in their prime.
I don't see him dominating against Stockton, Hornacek, Payton, Mugsy Bogues, Dumars because BIG MEN BRINGING IT UP THE COURT wasn't the style of basketball at the time.
I guess that's my question too. Magic was allowed to do it, but even Larry operated in the 1/2 court as a PF or SF depending on line-up, he got assists on fast breaks and double teams, guards still ran offenses.
Put prime LeBron in Jordan's era, and the guy who guards him is..........Jordan. I don't like that match-up for Lebron over a 7 game series. LeBron would want to be friends, like he is with his rivals today. Jordan would have no interest in treating him like a peer, he would be a rival to be beaten at any cost.
Location: San Diego CA>Tijuana, BC>San Antonio, TX
6,507 posts, read 7,543,265 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by westsideboy
I guess that's my question too. Magic was allowed to do it, but even Larry operated in the 1/2 court as a PF or SF depending on line-up, he got assists on fast breaks and double teams, guards still ran offenses.
Good point, I always forget that Magic was 6′ 9″ like Lebron....
You said he would NOT retire early like Jordan, so if he were to play 21 years like he is now, he would be playing until 2005ish which means he would go against Duncan, Dirk and KG in their prime.
By that time, Lebron would have feasted on the weak 80s and 90s competition and secured 7-9 rings. His legacy would be set.
Most of that is cherry-picked information. Lebron has been his own worst enemy for most of his career…always claiming he doesn’t have enough help, despite jumping ship three different times to a new super team made in his image. KD does the same thing but takes ownership for his decisions and doesn’t continually throw his teammates and coaches under the bus. It is true he was given nothing in his first stint with the Cavs, but everything after 2010 was entirely of his own making, beginning with the decision to go on national TV and humiliate his hometown fans.
I lived to see it, dude is the all time PPG leader despite playing many of his prime years as offensive numbers started to drop off in the 1990s. Best defender out there most nights too, save when it was his own teammates taking that job.
Even Jordan put up stinkers, LeBron has his low-light reels too. One of them would be nearly the entirety of the Finals series against the Spurs the first and second time (save game 7, for which he can thank Ray Allen for a shot at redemption) and the entire Mavericks series..........and none of that was luck. You say 1980s players couldn't guard him, but DeShawn Stevenson and Boris Diaw sure did great jobs in those series....neither was exactly a stopper.
Jordan ripped people's throats out with intensity every play and enjoyed being an ***hole to other players. What experience does LeBron have with that at all? The best players in the world today are his best friends, how in the world does he beat a guy with equal, if not superior skills, that had a chip the size of Mt. Rushmore on his shoulder every time he stepped on the court and would absolutely ID James as the rival to take out.
Late career LeBron is a mature guy with a seasoned outlook on the game, young LeBron was entitled, mentally soft, and failed more often on the biggest stage than succeeded, even 1/2 of the years with his super team. Much of what you call "bad luck" is LeBron falling short as a player, as a recruiter, as a wannabe GM. Still an absolute all-time great, but not Jordan in the opinion of this fan.
1984: Born after Michael Jordan. Had Lebron been born first, he'd have the Jumpman logo, the shoes, the movies and all the adulation Jordan currently receives. He also would have played against easier competition. He would not retire and would likely win 7-9 titles. He also didn't have the benefit of having Phil Jackson as a coach.
Baseless conjecture and speculation. Nike was NOT a top basketball brand at the time and Jordan was NOT the #1 overall pick. Each party took a HUGE chance on each other and it worked out fine.
A 6'7" billionaire with 4 rings is not unlucky, that's a genetic lottery winner.
The only luck Jordan had was being 6'6" despite having both parents less than 6 feet.
The only truly unlucky season imo for Lebron was 2014/15, his first season back in Cleveland...Cavs Lost Kevin Love in one of the early series, and then in Game 1 against the Warriors, lost Kyrie Irving. in 15/16, that team proved they were better than the Warriors when they were all healthy. They would have beaten the Warriors that first year too if Kyrie and Kevin were able to play.
That said, Jordan clearly played against better players than Lebron has...he also played in a league that prioritized defense over the current league.
Also, if Lebron could have shot better from outside in his early years, he could have carried the CAvs to a a title...the series they lost to Orlando after going 63-19 during the regular season, they lost because Lebron couldn't hit a 3 and he couldn't dominate inside against an in his prime Dwight Howard.
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I lived to see it, dude is the all time PPG leader despite playing many of his prime years as offensive numbers started to drop off in the 1990s. Best defender out there most nights too, save when it was his own teammates taking that job.