Michael Jordan never went to four straight NBA finals

This played out like I expected. Guys I never said I thought Lebron was better, just pointing out something he did and Jordan didnt.

Also, ask any basketball person and they will tell you there is NO way the Bulls would have gone to 8 straight finals with. Jordan. Mental and physical fatigue exists guys. People who aren't in the league don't get that.

Jordan also played with the Wizards.

And he did not take two years off between the two sets of three championships in a row.

He came back and played in the playoffs, and got eliminated by the Knicks.

Remember, he wore #45 and then switched back to #23.

That Knicks loss prevented 4 in a row.

Still 6 championships to 2 against Lebron.

And Wade has 3.

If this Miami team keeps winning, Wade will always have more than Lebron.

162430 wrote:

spatulacity wrote:

Correct, but had he not tried to play baseball for 2 years he would have gone to 8 in a row, and most likely won them all.

There is no "most likely" about it. He most CERTAINLY would've gone to 8 in a row and won them all.

lol.

you guys know that Jordan and the Bulls lost in the '95 playoffs to Shaquille O'Neal and the Magic, right?

Yes we know this. Jordan came back in the 2nd half of the 94-95 season not in the best shape(by his standards anyways). The summer of 95 he trained like a madman and we all know how the 95-96 season turned out.

Raymond Reddington wrote:

Yes we know this. Jordan came back in the 2nd half of the 94-95 season not in the best shape(by his standards anyways). The summer of 95 he trained like a madman and we all know how the 95-96 season turned out.

Oh you mean we know how it turned out after they traded for one of the best defensemen and the best rebounder of all time Dennis Rodman?

Fact of the matter is Jordan played in the 95 playoffs and lost. Saying he certainly would've won 8 in a row is idiotic considering, you know, he lost. His averages in the Magic series were still Jordan-esque, and they still lost.

You should also agree with Stephen A on ESPN that he responds well to a loss in the playoffs similarly to MJ. That game last night was won in the first half by Lebron.

Jordon played for 1 team and is beloved in CHI.

False.

You're right. Jordan also won a championship with UNC. Another thing Lebron will never accomplish.

Star wrote:

Jordan also played with the Wizards.

And he did not take two years off between the two sets of three championships in a row.

He came back and played in the playoffs, and got eliminated by the Knicks.

Remember, he wore #45 and then switched back to #23.

That Knicks loss prevented 4 in a row.

Still 6 championships to 2 against Lebron.

And Wade has 3.

If this Miami team keeps winning, Wade will always have more than Lebron.

Eliminated by the Magic and Shaq.

Bill Russell has 10 rings, does that make him a better player than MJ? No, and it doesn't do the same for Wade vs Lebron

Trying to say having Jordan for the end of the season and playoffs is like having Jordan for the entire season where would have also trained for basketball in the off season (instead of playing baseball) is just plain stupid. There is a component of rhythm, continuity and consistency you seem just plain ignorant of. Even if many of the players had been on the Bulls when Jordan last played there, it was over a year and a half of a team playing and practicing without.

I don't care what you think the stats in the Magic series say, that wasn't Jordan in peak form nor were the running at the same level as team then the first or second 3 peat. Anyone with eyes who watched those playoffs could see that. Had Jordan played two full seasons instead of messing around with baseball, that series would have went to the Bulls in 5 games, maybe six at best.

To the person who said "any basketball person would tell you the Bulls couldn't have won 8 straight title with Jordan"... You are full of crap. Neither the New York or Orlando teams that made it to the finals were as good as any of the 6 Bulls championship teams and neither of them had a player as good as Jordan.

The 76ers team of 82-83 were better than the Bulls of 95-96. That being said I do remember seeing both teams play and both were great teams. The Bulls won 72 games but that 76er team could have won 72 as well if they hadn't shut down with 3 weeks left in the season because they already had locked down the #1 spot already, so I don't put much importance in regular season wins.

The Sixers were almost unbeatable in the playoffs losing only one game to a Bucks team that probably had their best game of the year on a day the Sixers played below their standards. While the Bulls had to play more games they lost 3, and two were in the finals against the Sonics. The Sixers looked much more impressive sweeping the Lakers.

Head to head Jordan would give the Sixer defenders trouble; I guess Bobby Jones would draw that assignment most of the time, despite being a forward. Pippen and Dr.J is most likely a stalemate, but Moses Malone would brutalize Rodman or Luc Longley or John Salley or who ever Chicago put on him, Moses killed Jabber in the finals. An undersized Rodman or a stiff like Longley would have no chance. The Bulls win maybe two games.

You were saying?

Jordan also never lost an NBA Final not once, not twice, but three times...

dude, really? wrote:

Lebron's first final he lost to the Mavs. MJ never lost in the finals.

The next finals was a strike shortened season, we'll give hime an asterisk.

The Heat had a difficult time beating The Spurs last year and LeBron was not consistent.

The only way I will agree he is like MJ is he's black.

Teams LOSE in the final...not individuals.

Loot wrote:

Jordan also never lost an NBA Final not once, not twice, but three times...

Why is there so much importance put on finals performance? What about all those years that Jordan didn't even make it to the finals??? You Jordan fans are delusional.

[quote]Stockton wrote:

then takes a couple years off to play professional baseball for some reason, .[/quote

Because Stern was sick of him gambling and let him save face by trying baseball

The 1995 Magic were a very good team with Shaquille O'Neal at full strength, Horace Grant, whom they had poached from the Bulls, Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott, and Anfernee Hardaway before injuries destroyed one of the best young talents in the 1990s. The Bulls, on the other hand, were missing a power forward and of course they struggled to re-integrate an out of shape Jordan, disgusted with himself, back into the lineup with no training camp and only several months of the season and playoffs. When they added Rodman, they had that power forward, rebounder, and defender, and they became unstoppable. In 1995-96, they went 72-10 and should have been 73-9 but for a ridiculous call at the end of the season. They destroyed teams and during that era, they held the Jazz with Stockton and Malone, a team that shot over 50% from the field!! to 56 pts, a finals record.

The greats have to measured against each other on multiple criteria, esp if they are from different eras. A lot of weight can and should be placed on MVP and winning championships. At the end of the day the top players can will their teams to the finals and come up with a win when it counts. Jordan had a star team just like Lebron in Miami, but when you watch the two play MJ wasn't just hungry, his mouth was watering. Lebron gets out there and play hard but the guy hasn't taken matters into his own hands, or he's not hungry enough to believe he can get the win. Jordan was class in every aspect of the game.

I'm so sorry to break hearts, but at least for now there is simply no comparison... Except in athleticism and talent. Unfortunately those are only two minor things to compare the two. And as far as the guy who had a bigger impact in his era there is zero question MJ gets it. The guy propelled basketball around the globe and Nike into the spotlight. He was a competitive machine, doing everything in his power to be the best player he could be and to destroy the competition. Today there are several players that can do severe damage on a one off basis against Lebron and team. That just wasn't allowed to happen in the MJ era, he controlled the game.

Please stop trying to compare, you are embarrassing yourself and frankly it's disrespectful to the GOAT.

Dynasty wrote:

seriously... wrote:

Jordon never had to switch teams to win a championship.

LeBron did his job. Incompetent Cavaliers management couldn't do their job.

Jordon played for 1 team and is beloved in CHI.

False.

LeBron is on his 2nd team and will play for at least 4 different teams before he retires.

LeBron is staying in Miami. Nothing would attract high caliber free agents more than playing with an all time great in Miami weather.

Care to elaborate?

Jordan played during expansion when the quality was diluted very easy. Jordan played before strength and condtioning, and before real-time super-computer tracking of players. Many of the NBA legends wouldn't even make the 2014 NBA roster.