My current framing of the MJ vs LeBron debate

[tlance]

No they didn’t do that, that’s exactly my point. That’s what players do now. They wanna say who they get to play with. Jordan wanted to beat the best and we do know that.

They didn’t do that because it literally wasn’t an option for them to do that.

It was not because they were more noble than today’s players.

They didn’t have the freedom to choose where they played back then like today’s players do when they reach free agency.

 

[eaglesnut]

Current framing of the jordan vs lebron debate...

Jordan or Kobe?

 

[tlance]

Current framing of the jordan vs lebron debate...

Jordan or Kobe?

Anyone who has Kobe over LeBron is just flat wrong.

No logical debate there.

 

[eaglesnut]

Anyone who has Kobe over LeBron is just flat wrong.

No logical debate there.

Kobe could D him up. What a great matchup that would have been.

 

[broncosmitty]

So because Wade hadn’t won you bring up birds previous titles? Ok? Was Wade a top player during that time, yes. Was Bird a top player during MJs time, yes. Do you understand? Who gives a fuck if Bird won or not, point is Jordan wasn’t going to go join the Celtics or any top player to win a title like Lebron did more than once.

Wade had a title before LeBron brought his talents.

I didn’t mention Wade though.

Bird was a top player before the Bulls ever made it to the ECF. But he wasn’t by the time MJ was winning titles.

He’d played his last NBA game before Jordan won his second title.

There wasn’t really anywhere for him to go to up his championship odds. Unless you think the option of him joining the Bad Boys was on the table.

 

[broncosmitty]

Kobe could D him up. What a great matchup that would have been.

Would have been!?!

 

[Stakesarehigh]

and blame pippen for the team falling apart because pippen didnt want to take a salary cut....


But that is another point... the bulls were able to be so dominant for so long because of the salaries being so low....

When a team is that great players come willing for a paycut... they got some great players that way.... difference between now and then, is that those players are less willing to take less money...

salary cut?

pippen only made 2 million lol

 

[broncosmitty]

salary cut?

pippen only made 2 million lol

That’s why he couldnt afford to tip.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

salary cut?

pippen only made 2 million lol

bad words used by the milkman... but that was my point...

 

[tlance]

Kobe could D him up. What a great matchup that would have been.

You do realize they played at the same time right?

And LeBron was hands down the best player in the league during the tail end of Kobe’s prime.

It isn’t close.

 

[broncosmitty]

You do realize they played at the same time right?

And LeBron was hands down the best player in the league during the tail end of Kobe’s prime.

It isn’t close.

Kobe was only like 5-6 years older.

After Kobe won his MVP, LeBron won 4 of the next 5.

 

[DrewScott]

Is Magic Johnson anywhere in this debate?

 

[broncosmitty]

Is Magic Johnson anywhere in this debate?

I have him 4th.

Way ahead of Bird and Kobe who have been mentioned as better than LeBron, for some reason.

 

[Jordan23]

Your point should have been that they COULDN’T. They would have lost millions of dollars because of the Bird Rule.

That’s what players do now. They wanna say who they get to play with. Jordan wanted to beat the best and we do know that.

Nope. You’re romanticizing the guy.

Facts

 

[Jordan23]

Wade had a title before LeBron brought his talents.

I didn’t mention Wade though.

Bird was a top player before the Bulls ever made it to the ECF. But he wasn’t by the time MJ was winning titles.

He’d played his last NBA game before Jordan won his second title.

There wasn’t really anywhere for him to go to up his championship odds. Unless you think the option of him joining the Bad Boys was on the table.

So Jordan couldn’t join bird in the 80’s if he wanted to win? Pretty sure he could have done that no differently than Lebron joining Wade. Bird won a title, but are won a title and both would have been joining them after they had already won

 

[msgkings322]

So Jordan couldn’t join bird in the 80’s if he wanted to win? Pretty sure he could have done that no differently than Lebron joining Wade. Bird won a title, but are won a title and both would have been joining them after they had already won

You’re wrong even though you’re “pretty sure”. Completely different rules for player movement and contracts

 

[broncosmitty]

So Jordan couldn’t join bird in the 80’s if he wanted to win? Pretty sure he could have done that no differently than Lebron joining Wade. Bird won a title, but are won a title and both would have been joining them after they had already won

When in the 80’s?

Jordan would’ve have to leave as a FA before his third or fourth season to have got some advantage by leaving. The Bulls were better than Boston by 89.

 

[trojanfan12]

No they didn’t do that, that’s exactly my point. That’s what players do now. They wanna say who they get to play with. Jordan wanted to beat the best and we do know that.

They couldn't. Free agency was very different in those days. They didn't have the freedom of movement that todays players have. We don't know what they would have done.

Additionally, Magic, Bird and MJ were on "superteams" with ownership that was committed to winning titles.

We don't know what they would have done if they, for example, went to a team like the Clippers when Donald Sterling owned them.

Not sure why you can't seem to grasp that.

 

[trojanfan12]

Pretty sure he could have done that no differently than Lebron joining Wade.

I'm extremely sure that you are extremely wrong.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Jordan 100 percent would not have won a title with the 07 Cavs roster. Just as Lebron didn't.

To be fair to Jordan I don't know that I would call the first 3 titles a "superteam"

But it was most definitely better than what Lebron had.