LeBron James will probably be the NBA all-time leading scorer in playoff history by the end of these playoffs, if he is healthy.....What is more impressive is that he has an outside shot by the end of his career at being the all time career leader in 3 pointers made, even though he was never known as a 3 point shooter. The obvious comparison is LeBron vs Michael Jordan.....Jordan is still the most remarkable player that I have seen in basketball but LeBron is the most freak athlete I have ever seen in the league.
It is hard to impossible to compare them, in my mind.... Really, different eras of basketball...How would Michael Jordan do in today's game?? Maybe would dominate all the more. Who knows?? How would LeBron do playing in the 1980's and 90's where I thought was the greatest intersection of basketball intelligence and athletic ability along with the most physicality, especially at playoff time.
LeBron is a freak athlete at 260+ lbs and 6-8.. It is amazing how fast he can run and high he can jump at that size as well as his vast skill levels in other areas. . I was privileged to have seen him play from his freshman year of HS to the present. MY QUESTION ABOUT LEBRON WOULD BE COULD HE HANDLE THE PHYSICALITY OF THE 80's/90's BASKETBALL??? He certainly has the size and body to absorb the punishment. But I just wonder if the mental 'wear and tear' of being in a playoff series against the Knicks with Anthony Mason, Charles Oakley, and Patrick Ewing then having to face the Pistons with Laimbeer, Mahorn, Edwards, and Rodman in a series.. I would guarantee, REGARDLESS HOW BIG AND ATHLETIC LEBRON IS, THAT LEBRON WOULD HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME GETTING KNOCKED DOWN ON THE FLOOR IN THOSE SERIES BY THOSE PLAYERS AND TEAMS.. NOT THAT I AM ENDORSING THAT STYLE OF BASKETBALL AT THE TIME... It takes a lot of mental fortitude to work through all that.... Part of what impressed me about Michael Jordan was that he suffered a season ending injury his 2nd or 3rd season in the NBA yet played the rest of his career with reckless abandon against some of the most physical teams ever to play the NBA game that were all Eastern Conference foes.
Would the mental 'wear and tear' of playing with overpaid, young crybabies of today's game be too much for Michael Jordan to play with effectiveness??? I think he would score at will with his work ethic in today's game. But playing with kids that have so many other interests could have really messed with his head.. I dont know...
Magic and Bird brought a style to the game to make the game great after Dr J's transfer from the ABA to the NBA made the pro game interesting again. Oscar Robertson probably did not face the athletes they have today or in Jordan's day but he had fewer teams to compete against that saw him more times each year... They got familiar in how to handle him the best they could.....
IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPARE PLAYERS OF EACH GENERATION AS TIMES CHANGE..... For the very few reasons above plus many more important ones, I guess its just important to appreciate the guys for what they have brought the game.... That is why LeBron gives the 'pat answers' to the questions he is given because I think he understands the history and implications of players from all generations.
It is hard to impossible to compare them, in my mind.... Really, different eras of basketball...How would Michael Jordan do in today's game?? Maybe would dominate all the more. Who knows?? How would LeBron do playing in the 1980's and 90's where I thought was the greatest intersection of basketball intelligence and athletic ability along with the most physicality, especially at playoff time.
LeBron is a freak athlete at 260+ lbs and 6-8.. It is amazing how fast he can run and high he can jump at that size as well as his vast skill levels in other areas. . I was privileged to have seen him play from his freshman year of HS to the present. MY QUESTION ABOUT LEBRON WOULD BE COULD HE HANDLE THE PHYSICALITY OF THE 80's/90's BASKETBALL??? He certainly has the size and body to absorb the punishment. But I just wonder if the mental 'wear and tear' of being in a playoff series against the Knicks with Anthony Mason, Charles Oakley, and Patrick Ewing then having to face the Pistons with Laimbeer, Mahorn, Edwards, and Rodman in a series.. I would guarantee, REGARDLESS HOW BIG AND ATHLETIC LEBRON IS, THAT LEBRON WOULD HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME GETTING KNOCKED DOWN ON THE FLOOR IN THOSE SERIES BY THOSE PLAYERS AND TEAMS.. NOT THAT I AM ENDORSING THAT STYLE OF BASKETBALL AT THE TIME... It takes a lot of mental fortitude to work through all that.... Part of what impressed me about Michael Jordan was that he suffered a season ending injury his 2nd or 3rd season in the NBA yet played the rest of his career with reckless abandon against some of the most physical teams ever to play the NBA game that were all Eastern Conference foes.
Would the mental 'wear and tear' of playing with overpaid, young crybabies of today's game be too much for Michael Jordan to play with effectiveness??? I think he would score at will with his work ethic in today's game. But playing with kids that have so many other interests could have really messed with his head.. I dont know...
Magic and Bird brought a style to the game to make the game great after Dr J's transfer from the ABA to the NBA made the pro game interesting again. Oscar Robertson probably did not face the athletes they have today or in Jordan's day but he had fewer teams to compete against that saw him more times each year... They got familiar in how to handle him the best they could.....
IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPARE PLAYERS OF EACH GENERATION AS TIMES CHANGE..... For the very few reasons above plus many more important ones, I guess its just important to appreciate the guys for what they have brought the game.... That is why LeBron gives the 'pat answers' to the questions he is given because I think he understands the history and implications of players from all generations.
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