Steelernation wrote:
Russell 11 rings
I never saw Russell play, so I can't argue too vehemently for or against---except to say you can't just discount him.
He is the greatest winner in North American team team sports. He was the most dominant player on those championship teams. I don't think the Celtics won an NBA title before he got there. Then they went to 12 Finals and won 11 of them in his 13 years. The 1 year they didn't make the Finals, they were stopped by Philadelphia with Chamberlain (a historically celebrated team). The 1 year they lost in the Finals, it was to a team with another historically great player, Bob Petit.
I was reading an article that was saying that Jordan valued Kobe over LeBron because Kobe had more rings. Wouldn't Jordan, himself, value Russell over everyone, then?
I was reading somewhere the query: "Can LeBron match Michael's 6 championships"? As if they're the only 2 in the discussion. As if basketball before Jordan started winning rings doesn't count.
I wonder what Jordan would say about him VS LeBron if LeBron eventually becomes part of more than 6 championship teams. Jordan has already hinted at how he would feel------Jordan has said that "LeBron wouldn't be as successful in the 90s" as he is in today's NBA (supposedly because of rule changes that help LeBron).
Jordan could be right about that. I can't dismiss it out of hand. But in the same light, does Jordan actually think HE didn't benefit from officiating? Relative to his predecessors? Relative to his CONTEMPORARIES? Does Jordan 'penalize himself' when he compares HIS era to previous eras? Does he think the 90s were the pinnacle of NBA history? That would be a tough sell, IMO. I'd say the 80s were tougher. You had the mid-late 80s Pistons, who the Bulls couldn't beat when Detroit was in their prime----and Detroit couldn't beat a prime early-mid/late 80s Celtic team----who had to slug it out with the early-mid 80s Sixers and the 80s Lakers, then the Pistons... health went along way in determining the eventual victor among the giants of that era. It was a decade that Jordan participated in half the seasons----yet made no Finals. He and Pippen were 13-14 in Playoff games in the 80s. Jordan was 14-23 in Playoff games overall in the 80s.
I wonder what Jordan would say about the 80s VS the 90s. I think I know what he SHOULD say, particularly based on his value system.
Of course, previous decades/eras could point out things about their time relative to the 80s and make their case.
Russell's time cannot be discounted. His candidacy for GOAT cannot be dismissed. IMO.