2022-2023 NBA Season Thread

[tlance]

3rd best Laker, maybe.

Magic, KAJ, Kobe…..yeah?

Actually no….

Sometimes I confuse BEST with most loved.

KAJ, Magic, Kobe.

Kobe would be 2nd most loved…..imo

Lebron is a better player, historically.

But, hasn’t been there long enough, won enough in purp, to pass any of those 3.

Even then…

Shaq, Wilt, LeBron.

I get the time with the Lakers part…

But man. 6th greatest Laker is better than almost everybody else’s number 1.

 

[trojanfan12]

It is a straight emotional vote though.

If it was a favorite player list, then yeah. I would expect Kobe to be higher than LeBron.

Of course it is. But it's their vote and their opinion.

Add in Kobe's untimely death and it's going to effect their vote.

We've seen players vote for All Stars, etc. They don't always vote the way we think they should.

Nothing wrong with it, imo, as it doesn't mean anything.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

It depends who voted him.

The current generation of players, the older ones at least, played with him when he was the best player in the league, or just coming off it. Guys like KD, Kyrie or Lebron

The younger players saw more of him than they did Jordan. They based their game on Kobe (even if Kobe did copy Jordan, lol).

I disagree with them, but I get their point

…and before Jordan there was Dr. J.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Yeah, age definitely plays a role.

It's the same among fans. You ask older fans who the GOAT is, the majority are going to say MJ. Ask younger fans and most will say Lebron.

For players, there is a group that kind of came in between MJ and Lebron who idolized Kobe, plus a few from the end of his career when he was in "Uncle Kobe mode" and mentoring some of them. It would make sense that some of them would vote for Kobe.

You ask younger folks whose the greatest dunker, they will argue Lavine or Gordon.

They have absolutely no idea Dominique Wilkins exists.

* Even though the answer is Vinsanity *

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Even then…

Shaq, Wilt, LeBron.

I get the time with the Lakers part…

But man. 6th greatest Laker is better than almost everybody else’s number 1.

That’s kinda the point.

I never mention Wilt because I never saw him play.

He was actually retired before I was even born….lol

So, it’s impossible for me to put him ahead of Shaq if the careers are similar.

But, agree……

Outside of Kawhi and maaaaaaaaaaaybe CP3, top 50 Laker might be better than top Clipper….lol

 

[tlance]

Of course it is. But it's their vote and their opinion.

Add in Kobe's untimely death and it's going to effect their vote.

We've seen players vote for All Stars, etc. They don't always vote the way we think they should.

Nothing wrong with it, imo, as it doesn't mean anything.

Nothing wrong with it I guess.

But opinions can absolutely be wrong.

And when people post shitty opinions, they pretty much disqualify their own voice in the eyes of knowledgeable viewers.

People who post stupid stuff like that?

I can’t place any value on their opinions regarding basketball. Cause they prove the aren’t objective.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Nothing wrong with it I guess.

But opinions can absolutely be wrong.

And when people post shitty opinions, they pretty much disqualify their own voice in the eyes of knowledgeable viewers.

People who post stupid stuff like that?

I can’t place any value on their opinions regarding basketball. Cause they prove the aren’t objective.

For me, it would be different if the tragedy happened during his career, like say Drazen Petrovic or even Magic Johnson…..

Magic will always have a asterisk for me.

How much more could he have accomplished had he not been diagnosed?

So, I choose to rank him higher if all things are equal or even close.

But, the truth is….he was edging to the other side of his prime and couldn’t be THAT guy for a full Season anymore.

I fully admit that the further away from Jordan’s career we get, the larger his accomplishments become.

Such is the affect of sentimentality.

 

[tlance]

For me, it would be different if the tragedy happened during his career, like say Drazen Petrovic or even Magic Johnson…..

Magic will always have a asterisk for me.

How much more could he have accomplished had he not been diagnosed?

So, I choose to rank him higher if all things are equal or even close.

But, the truth is….he was edging to the other side of his prime and couldn’t be THAT guy for a full Season anymore.

I fully admit that the further away from Jordan’s career we get, the larger his accomplishments become.

Such is the affect of sentimentality.

Yeah.

Difference being though, MJ is in everybody’s top 3 and most people’s top 1.

So even if you are biased in MJ’s favor, your opinion is valid because it is based (mostly) on logic and facts.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

3rd best Laker, maybe.

Magic, KAJ, Kobe…..yeah?

Actually no….

Sometimes I confuse BEST with most loved.

KAJ, Magic, Kobe.

Kobe would be 2nd most loved…..imo

Lebron is a better player, historically.

But, hasn’t been there long enough, won enough in purp, to pass any of those 3.

I'm actually going to go with best Laker of all time. Make no mistake, I didn't say better player, I said best Laker.

Here me out:

20 years with the same team, five championships, and a ridiculously memorable final game.

Consider the fact he was brought in at the 16th pick, and went from Robin to Batman, that's one hell of a story.

The guy earned literally everything that he won. He was the closest thing to Jordan.

Magic was a college star and a number 1 pick. Kareem was a megastar even before he got traded to LA. Kobe had to fight for every single thing and climb up the ranks.

 

[DJ Fieri]

View attachment 326333

The Mad Dog.....the next coach of the California Golden Bears.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

I'm actually going to go with best Laker of all time. Make no mistake, I didn't say better player, I said best Laker.

Here me out:

20 years with the same team, five championships, and a ridiculously memorable final game.

Consider the fact he was brought in at the 16th pick, and went from Robin to Batman, that's one hell of a story.

The guy earned literally everything that he won. He was the closest thing to Jordan.

Magic was a college star and a number 1 pick. Kareem was a megastar even before he got traded to LA. Kobe had to fight for every single thing and climb up the ranks.

You aren’t wrong.

I go Magic because I loved him DESPITE him being a Laker…lol

Growing up in LA, he was larger than life.

Great player…

Great community leader…

Magic.

But, you surely aren’t the only person who believes it’s Kobe.

 

[The Q]

What happened to Kobe was a horrible tragedy.

But 7% voting him as GOAT? 3rd highest total?

Cmon man.

Honor his memory by talking about his greatness. But calling him GOAT is hyperbole in reckless fashion. Nobody should go there. The resume just isn’t there.

Someone voted for mcgrady…

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

You aren’t wrong.

I go Magic because I loved him DESPITE him being a Laker…lol

Growing up in LA, he was larger than life.

Great player…

Great community leader…

Magic.

But, you surely aren’t the only person who believes it’s Kobe.

I mainly base this off of the ranks he had to become in order to be a superstar.

Like I said, Magic, Wilt, Shaq and Kareem were already greats.

Kobe had to fight for everything and stayed loyal to the team for two decades (ignoring the reported trade to Chicago request, lol)

I love a good Cinderella story.

 

[The Q]

I keep forgetting the Lakers have a first rounder.

For some reason I have it in my head that they don't have one for like the next decade.

It was only a pick swap with the Pelicans this year.

Right now I got you guys taking the Murray kid from Iowa

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Someone voted for mcgrady…

Love me some T-Mac. Always had hoped he would have played for the Lakers.

But if Kobe was Jordan 2.0, T-Mac was Kobe 4.0 lol

 

[The Q]

Love me some T-Mac. Always had hoped he would have played for the Lakers.

But if Kobe was Jordan 2.0, T-Mac was Kobe 4.0 lol

Mcgrady had such a seemingly well rounded game when he left for Orlando, and then just seemed to forget it to score more points

Hills injury may have helped in that. But he was a legit 2 way guy

 

[tlance]

Someone voted for mcgrady…

Which is even more wrong

 

[thunderc]

I might be alone on this but in my opinion both Russ and Draymond should be punished in some way for their horrible interactions with fans. The league is going to have to do something and allowing players to have fans kicked out is not the answer. This is an accident waiting to happen.

 

[DJ Fieri]

You aren’t wrong.

I go Magic because I loved him DESPITE him being a Laker…lol

Growing up in LA, he was larger than life.

Great player…

Great community leader…

Magic.

But, you surely aren’t the only person who believes it’s Kobe.

Nah, not at all.

Magic is clearly #1 and I loved Shaq.....he was the closest to Magic as far as player AND personality, Kobe was standoffish and aloof.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Right now I got you guys taking the Murray kid from Iowa

That would be a solid pick.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

I might be alone on this but in my opinion both Russ and Draymond should be punished in some way for their horrible interactions with fans. The league is going to have to do something and allowing players to have fans kicked out is not the answer. This is an accident waiting to happen.

I kinda agree with you in a sense.

Fans need to have respect to the players. Heck, every game i've been to since the 80s has had announcements to not act like dicks.

That being said, players need to chill the fuck out and realize that there are opposing fans out there that hate them with a passion and won't exactly be polite. You're getting paid tens of millions of dollars to play the game - don't be such a fucking snowflake.