concordtom said:
01Bear said:
Beardog26 said:
I don't wish to read an article that is long (as you note yourself) about a guy that I watched a lot for a good many years, in college, the NBA and the Olympics. Though Jordan was likely somewhat of a jerk personally, he dominated the game during most of the 1990s and was the single greatest player in a team sport (Gretzky and Montana were close) that I personally observed.
I'll leave it at that and just stop posting now in this thread.
Two things can be true at the same time. MJ could've been one* of the greatest to play basketball but he also could've benefited from homecourt bias i his 1988 DPOY season.
*My GOAT is still Magic Johnson. The guy played all the positions and made passing cool (and made playing basketball fun). Not to mention he co-led his team to a NBA Finals championship in his rookie season. Also, there's the little fact that he (along with Larry Bird) made basketball must see TV for the rest of the country. (Prior to Magic and Larry's matriculation to the NBA, the Finals were shown on tape delay.) It's not a stretch to suggest that Magic and Larry saved the NBA.
Saved? Or vastly improved?
I don't think teams were going bankrupt, were they?
Magic Johnson did not have a great outside shot. And I'm not even talking about today's long ball. So, he could not play SG. Also, he wasn't the greatest defender, either.
I do enjoy the debates on hoops goats.
Since we've now gone there… how would my favorite, KAJ, fit in today's league? Cause I don't see him defending outside the paint, or setting up anywhere not called low block or high post, either.
For today's NBA, I lean toward Olajuwon.
Magic and Larry saved the NBA. Before the joined, the NBA was sliding into irrelevance. Heck, Jack Kent Cooke lost the Lakers and the LA Kings to Dr. Jerry Buss in a card game. The teams had that little value back then. Keep in mind, just two years before they joined the NBA, Rudy Tomjanovich got knocked out by Kermit Washington in a game and there were minimal repercussions. In fact, the NBA was so irrelevant that few people even knew about the event!
The 1979 NCAA Tournament Championship game drew the highest ratings in Tournament history (though, I don't know if that's been surpassed). Its ratings dwarfed those of the NBA Championship. When Magic and Larry joined the Lakers and Boston, respectively, it helped the NBA to tap into a storyline with which college fans were already familiar. The two teams played differently and appealed to different fanbases (and here, racism did play a role, as even black Bostonians rooted for the Lakers because of the racism still rampant in Boston*).
Having the two brightest college stars play for two of the most storied NBA franchises on opposite coasts really allowed the rivalry storyline to play out. This rivalry made the NBA relevant and grew the financial strength of the league. In the 90s, Michael Jordan then took the "NBA superstar" to new heights. But even in the 80s, Magic and Larry were international icons. Their popularity turned the NBA from an "also ran" sports league on its last legs into a worldwide entertainment vehicle.
As for Kareem, he'd easily dominate in this era. His jump hook would still be unblockable. A prime Kareem was a phenomenal athlete; he'd have no problem stepping in front of smaller wing players on the pick and roll. The only question I'd have about Kareem's game would be whether he would shoot threes. If he grew up with today's training and emphasis on threes, I have no doubt he'd be proficient from behind the arc. Regardless, anyone who was essentially a guaranteed bucket in the paint would always be able to play in the NBA.
As for Magic, I agree his defense wasn't the greatest. But his defense would be comparable to how most of today's superstars play defense. Because today's defense allows for zone defenses, his defensive lapses would be less apparent and could be covered up by a good defensive scheme (especially if he had another DPOY, like Michael Cooper, in the backcourt with him).
On offense, Magic would embarrass today's defenders on a regular basis with his no-look passes, bounce passes between legs, behind-the-back passes, misdirection passes, and full court outlet passes for an easy layup. He may not be a great three point shooter, but he'd still be able to back down smaller defenders in the paint and score over them. If a bigger defender is on him, he'd either spin around the defender and dish it to a cutting teammate or throw in some shoulder fakes before going up a with hook shot for an easy two. That was his bread and butter back in the 80s.
Larry Bird would feast on today's players with the pro-offense rules. He would destroy defenders and leave them out to dry or get fouled and sink his free throws. A prine Larry average about 35 points (or more) in today's league.
While Larry wasn't that quick, he was always one of the smartest guys on the court. He knew where his open man (or men) were and he knew how to get his shot off, even in the face of tight defense. He would give master classes on clutch shots to today's players.
Because of his smarts, he's also be able to jump today's plays just as easily as (if not easier than) he did in the 80s. He would also play a more ball denial defense than wait to set up once the offensive player has the ball. Mainly, he'd get in the passing lanes and prevent his guy from getting the ball easily.
*Jackie MacMullan's When the Game Was Ours discusses this briefly.
