How many Finals MVPs for Bill Russell if the Award was around at the time?

[Mr. Friscus]

LOL @ Wilt being athletic.

Dude was a near Olympic athlete… you appear to know nothing

 

[Mr. Friscus]

He was, especially for his era.

You could rip Wilt out of 1957 unfairly and he’s probably hang today

 

[MAGA2024]

I could make a similar argument for MJ if I wanted to be dishonest.

If I pulled MJ from the early/mid 90’s and put him on the court today, he would not be nearly as dominant as he was back then. He wouldn’t have Ehlo, Hornacek, Majarle, Starks, etc to pick on. He’d have far more athletic, longer players to deal with

You "could" make that argument, but you'd be incorrect.

Luka freakin' Doncic doesn't have half the speed, quickness and athleticism as Jordan and he's dropping 30-35 PPG in this Era like nothing. Jordan has/had more athleticism in his left arm than Jokic has in his entire body yet Joker is making today's Defenses look bush-league. Hell LeBron just averaged 25 a game at the age of 40, but somehow Jordan wouldn't be nearly as dominant?

C'mon... Jordan in today's Modern Era would average 40 a game on 60% shooting.

 

[Wamu]

View attachment 398411

 

[Wamu]

LOL @ Wilt being athletic.

You should look up what Wilt did in track & field. He wasn't just a basketball player, he was a freakish athlete. Did you know he was Big 8 conference champ at the high jump three straight years?

 

[Albuquerque Rams]

You "could" make that argument, but you'd be incorrect.

Luka freakin' Doncic doesn't have half the speed, quickness and athleticism as Jordan and he's dropping 30-35 PPG in this Era like nothing. Jordan has/had more athleticism in his left arm than Jokic has in his entire body yet Joker is making today's Defenses look bush-league. Hell LeBron just averaged 25 a game at the age of 40, but somehow Jordan wouldn't be nearly as dominant?

C'mon... Jordan in today's Modern Era would average 40 a game on 60% shooting.

Modern day fanboys love to claim that zone defense has made things more difficult and today's game is too athletic for the likes of Jordan. There is literally no data to suggest zone defense has made scoring harder; a few seasons ago we saw a record number of 30+ and 20+ scorers in the same season. Meanwhile, fat unathletic sloths are tearing up this league of so called super advanced athletes.

Besides they don't even play legitimate zones in the NBA thanks to the defensive three seconds rule.

 

[trojanfan12]

You could rip Wilt out of 1957 unfairly and he’s probably hang today

Yeah, he was the "pre-quel" to Shaq. Biggest guy in the league and almost unfairly athletic...especially when compared to other bigs.

 

[MAGA2024]

Modern day fanboys love to claim that zone defense has made things more difficult and today's game is too athletic for the likes of Jordan. There is literally no data to suggest zone defense has made scoring harder; a few seasons ago we saw a record number of 30+ and 20+ scorers in the same season. Meanwhile, fat unathletic sloths are tearing up this league of so called super advanced athletes.

Besides they don't even play legitimate zones in the NBA thanks to the defensive three seconds rule.

Yeah... plus Jordan faced Zones in college and yes, they even played variations of zones against Jordan in the NBA, along with every other Defensive scheme/style imaginable INCLUDING regularly double/triple-teamming the man (especially during his earlier/pre-Champion years) and Jordan STILL toyed with the competition and scored at-will, anytime and anywhere on the floor he wanted.

But regardles, there is no question the rules in place in today's NBA heavily favor the Offense, and this sentiment was echoed a year or so ago by the NBA's own Commissioner, its VP of Operations, and several "current" players and coaches. Hell, a couple seasons ago LeBron himself noted that the NBA today is like a glorified all-star game, with respect to a lack of Defense played.

No perimeter contact allowed, no Bigs camping out in/around the paint to protect the basket??? Are you kidding me!?! Jordan would eat this Era alive.

 

[trojanfan12]

Yeah, as was noted Wilt was a beast... he excelled in numerous sports (Track, High Jump,

He was also a very good volleyball player and had his own travelling volleyball team that he played with in the off-season. If memory serves, it was actually his favorite sport.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Not even close.

Because it is solely based on being the best player on the best team in a non-competitive era.

Was Bill Russell a better basketball player than big men like:

Karl Malone
David Robinson
Patrick Ewing
Anthony Davis

Once we start comparing skills, stats doing eye test and actually evaluating what players can do, he isn’t on the level of players listed above.

And none of these guys have a legit case for top 10. Some are not even top 20-25.

Trying to rank him ahead of players like:

LeBron, Kareem, Magic, Bird, Hakeem, Shaq, Jokic and even Wilt

Is utter nonsense

Russell being GOAT is the laziest take in sports.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Dude was a near Olympic athlete… you appear to know nothing

Yea, Wilt is a beast no matter the era

 

[Stakesarehigh]

I didn’t start it

I’ll reply again:

You want to rip people out of their era. I take into account the progression of training, nutrition, supplements, play strategy, and technique knowledge. You want to play “eye test”, when any player today would look exactly like players in the 60’s if they had the same dynamics.

What does any of that have to do with putting a ball in a basket?

You either have touch or you don't. Russell didnt.

 

[Wamu]

Russell being GOAT is the laziest take in sports.

Yeah people gotta stop saying that. He's the greatest winner of all time not the greatest player.

 

[tlance]

You could rip Wilt out of 1957 unfairly and he’s probably hang today

He is the one who definitely could.

Only the best of the best would have a chance.

 

[tlance]

You "could" make that argument, but you'd be incorrect.

Luka freakin' Doncic doesn't have half the speed, quickness and athleticism as Jordan and he's dropping 30-35 PPG in this Era like nothing. Jordan has/had more athleticism in his left arm than Jokic has in his entire body yet Joker is making today's Defenses look bush-league. Hell LeBron just averaged 25 a game at the age of 40, but somehow Jordan wouldn't be nearly as dominant?

C'mon... Jordan in today's Modern Era would average 40 a game on 60% shooting.

Well…

That is because current rules reward skill over athleticism.

Less athletic players excelling today like Luka, Curry, Brunson etc are more skilled than anyone from Jordan’s era.

 

[msgkings322]

I could make a similar argument for MJ if I wanted to be dishonest.

If I pulled MJ from the early/mid 90’s and put him on the court today, he would not be nearly as dominant as he was back then. He wouldn’t have Ehlo, Hornacek, Majarle, Starks, etc to pick on. He’d have far more athletic, longer players to deal with

Precisely! Another factor showing how LeBron is very comparable to Jordan. The NBA talent level keeps rising from Russell to KAJ to MJ to LeBron eras

 

[msgkings322]

Not quite these percentages.. did Russell take your lunch money or something? both faced the competition in front for them.

You want to rip people out of their era. I take into account the progression of training, nutrition, supplements, play strategy, and technique knowledge. You want to play “eye test”, when any player today would look exactly like players in the 60’s if they had the same dynamics.

You’re a part of this new movement that want to discredit all players from the 60’s… it never existed when I grew up. It’s weird, it doesn’t make sense, it’s dishonest.. I don’t consider you much of a historian based on this

You are arguing for MJ over LeBron here

 

[Wamu]

Well…

That is because current rules reward skill over athleticism.

Less athletic players excelling today like Luka, Curry, Brunson etc are more skilled than anyone from Jordan’s era.

The one player I always think of first when it come to less athletic players is Jokic.

He looks so lumbering and awkward yet plays 30+ minutes a night and has the court vision of a PG.

 

[Wamu]

You are arguing for MJ over LeBron here

Is he trying to change lanes?

 

[msgkings322]

Is he trying to change lanes?

He has me blocked it’s just funny watching people flip their arguments to support different players. He’s pro Russell and anti MJ and uses the same argument for both takes lol