Some people would actually take Michael Jordan over Lebron James?

For those of you actually watching the game, abc just said this is the most watched NBA finals EVER. Did you hear that Jordan fans? The world has come out to watch LeBron. To see if he can take and lead a bunch of scrubs to a championship. Has that ever been done before? With 4 scrubs? Not 2 hall of famers for teammates like Jordan had.

And the last two Superbowls each had the highest ratings ever at their respective times but people hate Seattle-- same reason I'm watching this series: Anyone but Lebron. Doesn't explain anything.

Good article.

- LeBron's performance this series makes Jordan's look like a role-player.

- What stands out is how James’s play to this point TOWERS over the league’s historical giants.

- But in a series where his team is short-handed, he is playing exactly the way he should be—and, so far, done more than anyone in the modern history of the Finals.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/theres-lebron-and-then-theres-everyone-else-michael-jordan-included-1433974357?mod=e2fb

Did Michael Jordan ever expose his dick in front of nearly 20 million tv viewers? Well, LeBron did!

http://perezhilton.com/2015-06-12-lebron-james-penis-flash-nba-finals

Because the Wall Street Journal is the place for educated sports opinions?

Oh yeah and Cavs are done. Beat by 20. They look exhausted. Bit players getting major minutes now. 2 of the next 3 games are away from Cleveland.

Alan

runningart2004 wrote:

Because the Wall Street Journal is the place for educated sports opinions?

Oh yeah and Cavs are done. Beat by 20. They look exhausted. Bit players getting major minutes now. 2 of the next 3 games are away from Cleveland.

Alan

Regarding the Wall Street Journal, sure why not. In that article they apply statistics to their reasoning, which makes them more sound than most sports articles.

I'm not sure Cavs are done. I'll have to wait & see how they respond to the small lineup that the Warriors surprised Blatt with last night.

Back to LeBron, this series has been incredible for him so far. Warriors can go 10 deep. Cavs have LeBron & a bunch of Knicks rejects. Yeah, the Knick's who finished 17-65. It's basically LeBron vs the NBA. And yet, Cavs are tied 2-2.

runningart2004 wrote:

Oh yeah and Cavs are done. Beat by 20. They look exhausted. Bit players getting major minutes now. 2 of the next 3 games are away from Cleveland.

Alan

Be careful not to be like the sports pundits or the global warming deniers, whose have an ideas with an amazingly short half-life.

The sports pundits saw the Cavs lose the first game and Irving go down and they all had the Cavs dead and buried. After game three they all had the Warriors dead and buried. After last night they come back and claim now the Cavs are dead and buried.....just typical.

(The deniers see a cold spell and suddenly that's all they remember and they can't believe people think global warming is real )

3-2 GS now. Not over until it's over but it's lame some of you are resorting to excuses for James such as he's playing vs the whole NBA. To be the true GOAT he's going to have to find a way to win more rings. All comparisons and arguments you people are making unless using important stats are worthless. The idea that his team is worthless without him is also rubbish. Teams are called teams for a reason. No single person no matter how good can simply score their way to a ring. The Cavs are structured to bet all the chips on James while his team mates don't participate as much.

Now look at what the MVP is doing to elevate the game of his team. He's got the vision and leadership to understand when he is hot and when others are or aren't. He's created a confidence in the team which allows others to take a lead role also. I'm not saying the Cavs lack this because of James, but I am saying he's going to be defined by the number of rings he can get. If he wants to be the GOAT he's gonna have to do what he's gotta do to at least match MJ in that department. When that happens we can revive this discussion. I'm sorry I know James is a monster and unreal but he's not getting it done out there when it counts. Remember, I didn't bring this up, the OP did. Nighty night suckers.. keep praying for your king, he needs it.

BenSi wrote:

Good article.

- LeBron's performance this series makes Jordan's look like a role-player.

- What stands out is how James’s play to this point TOWERS over the league’s historical giants.

- But in a series where his team is short-handed, he is playing exactly the way he should be—and, so far, done more than anyone in the modern history of the Finals.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/theres-lebron-and-then-theres-everyone-else-michael-jordan-included-1433974357?mod=e2fb

Are you really that ignorant or is that some kind of act?

Lebron is shooting 40% in this, his FINEST hour.

Jordan shot 41% in his WORST finals series ever.

Anyway, thanks for the laughs.

Exactly, and it shows

R U R U Really? wrote:

BenSi wrote:

Good article.

- LeBron's performance this series makes Jordan's look like a role-player.

- What stands out is how James’s play to this point TOWERS over the league’s historical giants.

- But in a series where his team is short-handed, he is playing exactly the way he should be—and, so far, done more than anyone in the modern history of the Finals.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/theres-lebron-and-then-theres-everyone-else-michael-jordan-included-1433974357?mod=e2fb

Are you really that ignorant or is that some kind of act?

Lebron is shooting 40% in this, his FINEST hour.

Jordan shot 41% in his WORST finals series ever.

Anyway, thanks for the laughs.

MJ ZERO PLAYOFF ADVANCES IN 3 TRIES W/O PIPPEN.

NEVER OUT OF 1ST ROUND. 3 TRIES.

Who honestly wouldn't take Jordan over James (in their primes, of course)?

Not only was he an extraordinary talent, Jordan was a winner. His teams won more often than James did when James had the Miami team at his side. And even if you want to pretend like those Heat teams (Chalmers, Wade/Allen, Bosh, Anthony, Battier/Lewis) wasn't more talented than the Bulls (Armstrong/Paxson, Pippen, Grant/King, Cartwright), you can't explain away the extra losses the Heat had.

The Heat went 59-28 in 2011-2014, winning 14 series and losing 2, in the playoffs.

The Bulls went 55-19 in 1990-1993, winning 14 series and losing 1, in the playoffs.

Jordan retired after that stretch, which James hasn't yet surpassed. Then he came back for 3 more years and won every series:

The Bulls went 45-13 in 1996-1998, winning all 12 series in the playoffs. This was the Rodman/Kerr/Kukoc/Pippen teams that some might better remember.

All of Jordan's years had a Best of 5 opening round vs. the current Best of 7 series that James has played in, which is the difference in total wins. James' teams have won about 2 out of every 3 games in the playoffs, Jordan pre-retirement won about 3 out of every 4 games in the playoffs, and with the more talented 1996-1998 Bulls teams they won almost 4 out of every 5 games in the playoffs.

Jordan made the Bulls win, and did so more than James and the Heat. If the Cavs had gone something like 16-2 or 16-3 this postseason, then you might have a case for James, though even then it would be questionable and he'd have to continue doing it for multiple seasons.

MJ ZERO PLAYOFF ADVANCES IN 3 TRIES W/O PIPPEN.

NEVER OUT OF 1ST ROUND. 3 TRIES.

MJ HAD A 55 WIN TEAM AROUND HIM.

HEAT LOTTERY W/O LEBRON. SUB-.500 BEFORE BOSH WAS OUT. CAVS A JOKE W/O LEBRON.

LeBron wins

2010 Cavaliers with Lebron 61-21 (.744)

2011 Cavaliers without Lebron 19-63 (.232)

2014 Heat with Lebron 54-28 (.659)

2015 Heat without Lebron 37-45 (.451)

1993 Bulls with Jordan 57-25 (.695)

1994 Bulls without Jordan ***55-27 (.671)***

MJ NEVER WON A PLAYOFF SERIES W/O PIPPEN- 3 tries.

2-9 playoffs w/o Pippen.

LeBronOverMJ wrote:

LeBron wins

2010 Cavaliers with Lebron 61-21 (.744)

2011 Cavaliers without Lebron 19-63 (.232)

2014 Heat with Lebron 54-28 (.659)

2015 Heat without Lebron 37-45 (.451)

1993 Bulls with Jordan 57-25 (.695)

1994 Bulls without Jordan ***55-27 (.671)***

MJ NEVER WON A PLAYOFF SERIES W/O PIPPEN- 3 tries.

2-9 playoffs w/o Pippen.

The Bulls only lost one player besides Jordan in 1994: Trent Tucker (Jordan's backup). Furthermore, Pippen was 28, Grant was 28, Armstrong was 26, and they brought in Bill Wennington to provide a boost at Center (Carwright was 36 and hit his prime in 1989-1991) as well as Toni Kukoc.

The Heat, aside from James, lost a few guys: Allen, Battier, and Lewis.

The Cavs also lost a few guys: Ilgauskas, Shaq, and West.

Given those losses, of course the Bulls would survive post-Jordan better than those other teams survived post-James. They didn't get their team gutted.

As for the whole MJ never won a playoffs series without Pippen: you're right. You're also neglecting to talk about how that was Jordan's first three years in the league, and the Bulls made the playoffs every single year Jordan played. The Cavs, on the other hand, didn't make the playoffs in James first two years, though they did sneak past the Wizards to go 7-6 in the playoffs his third year.

Jordan's teams went 114-55 (67.5%) in the playoffs, winning 29 of the 35 series (82.9%), in his 12 year career.

James' teams have gone 115-62 (65.0%) in the playoffs, winning 25 of the 33 series (75.8%) in his 12 year career. If the Cavs come back to win the next two games and win this series, he'll STILL be behind Jordan.

And this is in a weaker era for the NBA, and with his spending 4 years with the "Super-Heat" powerhouse team of '11-14, while Jordan only played 3 years with the "Super-Bulls" powerhouse team of '96-98.

No matter what he does now, he cannot surpass what Jordan accomplished in his first 12 seasons. It's already over. The only apples to apples comparisons you can make from now on is comparing how they were in their primes, and Jordan is still going to come out ahead unless James hasn't hit his prime yet.

Also...

Jordan's teams went 24-11 in the NBA Finals to win all 6 series in his career.

James' teams have gone 13-19 and only won 2 of the 6 his teams have played in.

That is the biggest difference between Jordan and James. Jordan MADE his teams win. James' teams... usually don't.

The Heat brought in Hassan Whiteside, a top C much of the season.

2010 Cavaliers with Lebron 61-21 (.744)

2011 Cavaliers without Lebron 19-63 (.232)

2014 Heat with Lebron 54-28 (.659)

2015 Heat without Lebron 37-45 (.451)

1993 Bulls with Jordan 57-25 (.695)

1994 Bulls without Jordan ***55-27 (.671)***

MJ NEVER WON A PLAYOFF SERIES W/O PIPPEN- 3 tries.

2-9 playoffs w/o Pippen.

Bob Cousy about Hassan Whiteside:

"I don't get excited too often about these guys," Cousy said, "but this kid looks to me like a turn-around guy.

"This kid moves to every rebound, he just reacts to everything on the defensive boards and he reacts the way Russell did. The league hasn't caught up with him yet."

LeBronOverMJ wrote:

The Heat brought in Hassan Whiteside, a top C much of the season.

2010 Cavaliers with Lebron 61-21 (.744)

2011 Cavaliers without Lebron 19-63 (.232)

2014 Heat with Lebron 54-28 (.659)

2015 Heat without Lebron 37-45 (.451)

1993 Bulls with Jordan 57-25 (.695)

1994 Bulls without Jordan ***55-27 (.671)***

MJ NEVER WON A PLAYOFF SERIES W/O PIPPEN- 3 tries.

2-9 playoffs w/o Pippen.

And Whiteside missed half the season (played in 48/82 games, started only 32). Meanwhile, the most of the core of the Heat from the previous season left the team and the remaining key players were in their 30's, versus the Bulls who retained almost all of their key players AND added in two new key players, and all the starters were still in their 20's, and you find it telling that the Heat lost more than the Bulls?

Both teams lost something when Jordan and James left. But it's extremely clear which ended up in the better situation in the aftermath, and that's exactly what those records are describing.

All that said, you really think all that means more than James teams usually choking in the Finals, whereas Jordan's teams were at their best in the Finals? And that James' 2 rings is better than Jordan's 6? And that all of those extra losses James teams have racked up are due to the players around him?

This is a no-contest. Maybe James can try make the claim in another few years if he really steps up his game, but he has a lot of damage to make up for already.