THEE OFFICIAL 2019-2020 NBA OFFSEASON THREAD: VICTORY LAP

[buc em]

Just finished watching the entire season of Inside Stuff from 1991. What Ahmad Rashad was doing in those interview segments has yet to be matched to this day.

I wonder if Ahmad smashed

 

[lawdog1]

Every time there is a LeBron or Steph debate in here the thread turns into a Royal Rumble. By the end folks are arguing about something way different than what started it

Man, I don’t even like GOAT discussion and normally try to stay out of them. But I also don’t like intellectual dishonesty.

There’s a GOAT case for LeBron, but making arguments to try and level-up his overall playoff/Finals resume with MJ’s shouldn’t be part of it.

 

[MVP]

If you just take MJ's 1st 9 years in the league (before 1st retirement) he'd still likely be considered the GOAT (at worst #2) and better than Bron with 17 seasons of work.

9x all Star
8x all NBA 1st team
7x scoring title
6x all NBA defensive 1st team
3x league MVP
3x Finals MVP
3x steal champ
3 straight chips

That's how not close it is.

The 96-98 run just put him completely out of reach of everybody.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Cats got a lot of emotion tied up in the MJ goat thing.

mad at me for saying it's close but ill lean mj.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

I think by the time Bron retires it'll be a real coin flip between him and MJ. Bron might even have the edge in stats, longevity and novelty (8 straight finals, x finals appearances, 3-1 comeback, 3 chips with 3 teams). Jordan just doesn't have the failures you can point to and diminish him like LeBron does. As of right now I'm taking MJ easily tho.

 

[QU!K]

glad that you agree with everything I originally said then.

also lol at u for catching feelings off an internet debate & resorted to name calling.

Everything I was trying to say can be summarized in this photo

Last 2 lines says it all.

Jordan never dominated in a series like Lebron dominated In this series against better competition than Jordan has ever faced.

 

[storm2006]

Cats got a lot of emotion tied up in the MJ goat thing.

mad at me for saying it's close but ill lean mj.

A lot of people feel the same when someone says “LeBron is Top 3-5 all-time” as if it’s disrespect. Jalen Rose even talked about this (I think wavycrocket has the link)

 

[wavycrocket]

yeah i don't agree,

I don't think he forgot how to play basketball, I think in an adverse situation he was too passive

and deferred to Wade in a situation where he shouldn't have.

Nah....I’m not rollin

He underperformed man. Had he played in the 2011 finals, at least 70% As well of the way he did in the 2011 ECF...Miami Heat would have been champs.

Instead....he had a bad series.

 

[dacomeup]

Evergreen post

Like clockwork.

jsindaa been missing for a while.

 

[lawdog1]

Cats got a lot of emotion tied up in the MJ goat thing.

mad at me for saying it's close but ill lean mj.

And there’s not a lot of emotion tied up in the LeBron GOAT thing? Are you familiar with leavemeglazzies and some of the other LeBron Stans on here? Both sides of the argument have people who are probably too invested in it. Giant Spider Man meme, honestly.

 

[Clyde Frog]

We all know Bron ain't touching MJ in the winning category but just who he had to go up against at one point or another in route to getting there and then finally breaking through and almost never looking back.

Bird/McHale
Zeke
Magic
Barkley
Drexler
Ewing
Shaq
Payton
Miller
Stockton/Malone

Bron has
Duncan
KG
Pierce
Ray
Dirk
KD
Steph

Like even the journey to get to dominance and then do it, the road was a lot tougher for MJ.

the lens in which you watch basketball through is brutal. There’s such a lack of understanding the sport behind this post.
Easily one of the worst supporting arguments on this topic I’ve ever seen. Entertaining though.

“Duncan”

This one especially kills me. no one else. Just Duncan. I’m dying. I’d delete it.

There's CLEARLY a standard and precedent that's been set. Everybody trying to move whatever goalposts are necessary to try and make it look like Lebby has a case is just ridiculous.

There’s CLEARLY hypocrisy. Delete this too.

 

[JD617]

If you just take MJ's 1st 9 years in the league (before 1st retirement) he'd still likely be considered the GOAT

The guy who has been relying on the ringz argument for years, now thinks MJ was the GOAT when he had only 3, which is half as many as Kareem and 2 fewer than Magic. So that's amusing.

 

[MVP]

Really wish Steph could've come through for once in the Finals, this conversation would have been dead and buried. The Bron/Klutch propaganda went into full clown mode after that.

 

[dacomeup]

The absurdity is in people acting like it’s not close. Think I’m fine with saying that LeBron is the most talented player I’ve ever seen and MJ had the better career.

 

[wavycrocket]

The guy who has been relying on the ringz argument for years, now thinks MJ was the GOAT when he had only 3, which is half as many as Kareem and 2 fewer than Magic. So that's amusing.

That’s not what MVP said . He basically said....what MJ did in his first 9 seasons...is equivalent to what Bron has done so far in his career. Which means...be great enough to be in that convo.

Mike then doubled back...and did it....AGAIN . That’s why the 2nd 3peat is really what solidified it....and put the “gap” between the others not named Kareem.

 

[P C H]

KD

 

[lawdog1]

The absurdity is in people acting like it’s not close. Think I’m fine with saying that LeBron is the most talented player I’ve ever seen and MJ had the better career.

Very fair. For me it also comes down to simply having enjoyed watching Jordan play the game more than I do LeBron. I can’t even really explain why - just kind instinctive/emotional thing like taste in music. Not a right or wrong, just a matter of preference.

 

[Zo gif]

Mike beat the crap out of plumbers that's for sure.

 

[wavycrocket]

The absurdity is in people acting like it’s not close. Think I’m fine with saying that LeBron is the most talented player I’ve ever seen and MJ had the better career.

It’s not close tho . Kareem and Mike...those you argue.

It’s not a toss up if Mike or LeBron is better. It’s pretty clearly Mike. That doesn’t mean LeBron isn’t a top 5 player or something.

It’s like if I said Shaq, was a toss up with Michael Jordan.

 

[darthska]

So much irrefutable evidence that gets people in their feels when it is refuted.

 

[P C H]

It’s not close tho . Kareem and Mike...those you argue.

It’s not a toss up if Mike or LeBron is better. It’s pretty clearly Mike. That doesn’t mean LeBron isn’t a top 5 player or something.

It’s like if I said Shaq, was a toss up with Michael Jordan.

I THINK what dacomeup is referring to is who's better as a pure basketball player and that THAT's close not necessarily who's greater or has had a greater career

 

[wavycrocket]

*****s have ZERO problem with saying LeBron is “clearly” better than Shaq/Kobe/Tim Duncan

But when we say that MJ is clearly better than LeBron...it’s an issue

Cmon mane!

 

[lawdog1]

Mike beat the crap out of plumbers that's for sure.

Super hot take. Did you come up with that yourself?

 

[wavycrocket]

I THINK what dacomeup is referring to is who's better as a pure basketball player and that THAT's close not necessarily who's greater or has had a greater career

Every single “pure basketball” versatility skill that LeBron has...Jordan has too. And you can even say KD...if these were your standards.

Now of course...when y’all speak in these terms...you guys value perimeter versatility and have a perimeter bias for these “skills”.

 

[storm2006]

The absurdity is in people acting like it’s not close. Think I’m fine with saying that LeBron is the most talented player I’ve ever seen and MJ had the better career.

This is how I feel. It’s important and would be helpful to clarify which one your debating beforehand but people just go at it. I think that is part of the reason why the back and forth go on for so long and the topic/parameters change.