Kobe confirms he is not at Jordans level with a tweet.

[shitsho]

Although I have never had a close person in my life murdered I have had several close friends die prematurely. Each one has been a life changing event in some way. Every one will react differently to a situation but...


This has a lot more detailed information of the events.

Wanna Be Like Mike? - The Fix Is In

I’m saying right now I don’t have the mental drive to come out and push myself to play with a certain focus. Five years down the line, if the urge comes back, if the Bulls will have me, if David Stern lets me back in the league, I may come back

I was about to suggest you take off the tinfoil hat until I saw that quote. Freudian slip? Who knows for sure. Maybe there is something to the rumors. I think the author goes a little overboard with the suggestion that the league fixed games for Jordan but I can see why he would think that.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

They did not fix games but it was well known MJ got more calls than anyone. Barkley talks about it quite freely.

I was thinking I should adjust my tinfoil hat too but after my first post I reread that stuff (hadn't looked it up for a while) and feel like I am the only sane one

A huge issue I have is nobody answers why Sr had so much memorabilia on him at the time of his death. Sr was quite shady himself though so it could easily be some kind of pay off gone wrong that MJ was completely not involved in. But Sr often traveled with MJ so I think it would be hard for MJ to be squeaky clean in all of that.

 

[shitsho]

Although I have never had a close person in my life murdered I have had several close friends die prematurely. Each one has been a life changing event in some way. Every one will react differently to a situation but...


This has a lot more detailed information of the events.

Wanna Be Like Mike? - The Fix Is In

Do you have a link to the video where he mentions Stern? I just watched a video of his first retirement and MJ didn't mention Stern in this one.

1993: Michael Jordan's first retirement -- chicagotribune.com

Also in the video MJ doesn't appear contrite nor bitter which would support the rumor he was forced out. Instead he actually appears quite confident and at ease with the decision at one point even letting the media know he wasn't leaving because of them with a authoritative smile. In the moments he mentions his father you can see brief flashes of sadness and you can also see him visually recalling the moment he and his father talked about him retiring.. Either Jordan is an exceptional actor (Space Jam proves he is not) or this whole thing is just a rumor.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Skipp's Scoop: Michael Jordan Conspiracy Theory : Did He Really Retire?

 

[Peter Gozintite]

Obviously that is all speculation but for a player supposedly so determined and driven to win, it does not make much sense for him to walk away from the only thing he was great at. The game that he worked his entire life at.

He was so determined cause he always bet on himself.

 

[Peter Gozintite]

The story i always heard was Jordan's dad always wanted him to play baseball. So when he died, MJ wanted to do what his dad wanted for some type of closure i guess.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

You would not be bitter if you were Pete Rosing and they let you be suspended for 18 months secretly for an offence that normally would get you banned from the sport.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

for the record I could see how those 2 things he said could have meant something wholesome.

Him "not playing in the NBA anymore" could mean he will play in the back yard with his sons.

"If David Stern lets me back in the league, I may come back." could mean that there was a glitch in his retirement papers...?

ok so really I can only see the 1st one meaning something wholesome.

 

[shitsho]

Skipp's Scoop: Michael Jordan Conspiracy Theory : Did He Really Retire?

Wow. Thats pretty weak sauce as a supporting clue. He may of had a conversation with Stern and came away a little guilty for retiring at that point. He mentions the Bulls in the same sentence. I think MJ felt like he was letting down Stern and the Bulls by retiring.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

If it was the only evidence I could agree but the list of activities and people he was involved with would be enough to get any non superstar suspended or worse.

 

[shitsho]

If it was the only evidence I could agree but the list of activities and people he was involved with would be enough to get any non superstar suspended or worse.

I agree he was above the law due to his marketing power. That makes this forced retirement thing even more doubtful IMO.

 

[trojanfan12]

Actually the quotes I am talking about are in regard to Kobe not Shaq. You're trying to make this about Shaq. Kobe is his own man. So no this not more about Shaq.

No, it was about you saying that Shaq wouldn't listen to Kobe because Kobe wasn't at his level. You also claim that Shaq would have listened to MJ or be inspired by MJ where he wasn't by Kobe.

I pointed out that Shaq wasn't listening to anyone, which means he wasn't any more likely to listen to MJ than he was Kobe.

Additionally, some of the aloofness that has been suggested re: Kobe, had more to do with his age than his not wanting anything to do with his teammates. Kobe was 17 when he signed with the Lakers. His parents actually had to sign the contract as well because Kobe was underage.

During his 1st few years with the Lakers, he wasn't old enough to go to many of the places and do the things that his teammates were, so he spent most of his time in his hotel room (when on the road) and at home when the Lakers had home games.

 

[rmilia1]

Kobe isnt even the best LAKER of all time, hell he may not even be the 2nd best Laker of all time ( or 3rd). Is he an all time top 10-15 type player??? Yeah Id say so but comparing him to MJ is stupid ( and Im one of the rare guys who considers MJ overrated)

 

[trojanfan12]

I agree he was above the law due to his marketing power. That makes this forced retirement thing even more doubtful IMO.

I don't particularly buy into the forced retirement, but I disagree that his marketing power made it less likely that he would have a forced retirement. At least not one where he can come back.

If MJ was, in fact, Pete Rosing, that could very well have brought down the NBA. Remember, in the 80's the NBA had an enormous surge in popularity led by Magic and Bird, but there were other stars as well. MJ was bridging the gap from that era to the current era where we again have had more star players.

MJ caught in a gambling scandal would have been terrible for the league. So, rather than a lifetime ban (which any other player would have gotten), it would make sense to have him "retire" to let everything "die down" and then let him return. The fact that he returned and added the more championships, builds the legend even more.

 

[trojanfan12]

Kobe isnt even the best LAKER of all time, hell he may not even be the 2nd best Laker of all time ( or 3rd). Is he an all time top 10-15 type player??? Yeah Id say so but comparing him to MJ is stupid ( and Im one of the rare guys who considers MJ overrated)

Agree!! I'm not even convinced that he is a top 5 Laker!!

 

[geneh_33]

Jordan, Gretzky and Ali are the cream of the crop. Nobody else in their sports even comes close.

 

[trojanfan12]

Jordan, Gretzky and Ali are the cream of the crop. Nobody else in their sports even comes close.

Can't really argue that!!

 

[rmilia1]

Jordan, Gretzky and Ali are the cream of the crop. Nobody else in their sports even comes close.

There you go.... While most consider Jordan and Ali the greatest in their sports there are people who disagree even if its a small %. Nobody disagrees about Gretzky. He may actually be the ONLY player in a big 4 sport that can say that.

 

[rmilia1]

Wayne Gretzky has more ASSISTS than any other player in NHL history has total points..... Thats like a guy in the NBA having more points in his career than anyone else has assists and points combined. Unreal.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

I don't particularly buy into the forced retirement, but I disagree that his marketing power made it less likely that he would have a forced retirement. At least not one where he can come back.

If MJ was, in fact, Pete Rosing, that could very well have brought down the NBA. Remember, in the 80's the NBA had an enormous surge in popularity led by Magic and Bird, but there were other stars as well. MJ was bridging the gap from that era to the current era where we again have had more star players.

MJ caught in a gambling scandal would have been terrible for the league. So, rather than a lifetime ban (which any other player would have gotten), it would make sense to have him "retire" to let everything "die down" and then let him return. The fact that he returned and added the more championships, builds the legend even more.

Yes, Yes, and Yes

Can't really argue that!!

We can and do, quite regularly

Agree!! I'm not even convinced that he is a top 5 Laker!!

Probably not