Lebron is the most physically gifted player to ever play the game. He is incredible in so many ways. But if the games on the line and my team is down a couple with a minute to go, I want MJ, every time. Last night is a perfect example of why. Lebron needed to take over in the last minute and he just didn't. This has happened more than once. Hard to compare the 2, but I just trust MJ's killer instinct more.
Lebron / MJ
- Thread starter tksirius
- Start date
Playoffs, yes Lebron has hit more game winning shots. But I'm not talking about the last shot of the game. I'm talking about the last couple of minutes. Also, have you noticed that Lebron is not afraid to take the last shot when the game is tied, but when his team is down, he looks to pass? Someone pointed out several examples on another forum I was on. Interesting.
LBJ disappeared in the final minute last night. With the ball down 3 was when he should've taken over. He didn't.
ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
KD is great but what does that have to do with Lebron being passive in the last couple of minutes of the most important game of the year? As an example, late in the game, down 3, he was in the lane with Steph Curry on him and chose to pass. I was yelling, dude just score. It's like he wants it to be someone else's fault when he loses, but if it's tied, no pressure, he can take the shot. If they are down, he's going to "make the right play" when really the right play is to take over. Seriously nobody can stop him but him.
Side note: I would also take MJ because he was willing and able to defend the other team's best player. Not during the first few years, after people told him he didn't play defense he because an elite defender. Lebron....not so much.
ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
I felt like the Cavs were right there and Lebron might have had a chance to do something but before you knew it Curry hit a 3 and then Durant hit the dagger.
I think Lebron passed to JR for a 3 in the possession between the Curry/Durant 3s. I guess perhaps you're right and he shouldn't have passed it up but didn't JR get a pretty good look?
Knight78
Well-Known Member
To be fair, MJ only had three Game 7's in his career and none were in the NBA Finals. LeBron has already had six.
Knight78
Well-Known Member
So who is today's Laimbeer? Or Mahorn? Or Dawkins? Or McHale? Or Eaton? Or Oakley? Or Malone? Or Rodman? You know, guys that would lay you out when you went into the lane for a layup and then laugh at you while you were on the floor.
The pass to JR for a 3 wasn't bad. But the pass to Tristin Thompson when he had Steph on him was not good. I just feel like he can get to the rim whenever he wants and needs to play with more of a sense of urgency in those situations. Don't get me wrong. He is incredible. Easily one of the best players ever to play the game.
99topdawg
Well-Known Member
MJ: 1-9 in the playoffs without Pippen, 5 losing seasons without Pippen.
Bulls: 2 fewer wins in 1st year w/o Jordan.
Cavs: 42 fewer wins in 1st year w/o LeBron
Heat: 17 fewer wins in 1st season w/o LeBron
Bulls: 49 fewer wins in 1st season w/o Pippen
Maybe this should be a LeBron/Scottie thread.
Bulls: 2 fewer wins in 1st year w/o Jordan.
Cavs: 42 fewer wins in 1st year w/o LeBron
Heat: 17 fewer wins in 1st season w/o LeBron
Bulls: 49 fewer wins in 1st season w/o Pippen
Maybe this should be a LeBron/Scottie thread.
Stanzi
Well-Known Member
I love the whole LeBron has no help line Bronsexuals use. He only had two future hall of famers in their primes with Wade and Bosh in Miami. He also had Kyrie and Love in Cleveland who could both easily end up as hall of famers as well. Finally, the Eastern conference was objectively the much more difficult conference when Jordan played with the Celtics, Pistons, Knicks, and Pacers all legitimate title contenders. The East has been laughably bad since LeBron entered the league.
tksirius
HN's Love Doctor
Charles Barkley isn't someone I would ever think about using to bolster my argument. The guy literally counts sheep to fall asleep.
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
I'm with Kobe on this. In this new "everything must be black or white" world, I know it goes against how everyone else does it....but they can both be considered the greatest in their respective eras without having a pissing match on the overall greatest.
One is a freaking force of nature that defies the entire history of physicality in the sport (with maybe the notable exception of Wilt).
The other was the silkiest, smoothest, most competitive athlete in the history of the sport.
Both are far and away the best in the eras they played in.....but the game was so much different between the eras that I don't think a fair comparison can really be made.
One is a freaking force of nature that defies the entire history of physicality in the sport (with maybe the notable exception of Wilt).
The other was the silkiest, smoothest, most competitive athlete in the history of the sport.
Both are far and away the best in the eras they played in.....but the game was so much different between the eras that I don't think a fair comparison can really be made.
Knight78
Well-Known Member
I'd go with either Wilt or MJ. Both of them forced rule changes. Wilt forced the NBA to change the lane width; he (and Bill Russell) forced the NBA to change their goal tending rules; he also forced changes to the free throw rules. MJ forced the NBA to change their offensive set rules. LeBron has forced them...... to change..... ??
I think both Wilt and MJ would dominate in the current NBA. tksirius points out LeBron's career playoff records. I scoff at those. Perhaps if Wilt had played now where teams have to win 16 games to win an NBA championship instead of a time when at most the team who won the championship would win 9 games (and usually just 7) he would have made more playoff games in the first place (Of course, Russell would have a ton of records as well in that scenario). Same goes for MJ as they expanded to full 7 game series for all rounds in 2004.
One more fun fact: Wilt was in the playoffs in 13 seasons; he played in 160 playoff games averaging 22.5 points, 24.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists. MJ was in the playoffs in 13 seasons; he played in 179 games averaging 33.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists. LeBron has just completed his 13th season of playoffs; he has played in 239 games averaging 28.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 7.1assists. Using blocks and steals, there is no comparison as they didn't even keep those stats during the bulk (only 112 of 1205 career games) of Wilt's career.