Not only was Rodman a 2-time all-star, but he was also a 2-time DPOY and is a hall-of-famer. And D-Wade has never been MVP (except of the '06 finals). Rodman was never an all-star while with the Bulls--only with the Pistons.
Oops, Rodman wasn't an allstar on the Bulls. Neither was Grant. My mistake! Wow I'm gonna leave. I'm not doing so well today! LOL
Pippin now works for the NBA in management (Bulls management). I'd take what he says with a grain of salt - intended to sell more Bulls and Heat tickets next season. MJ didn't have lebron's physical size but was a far better player. Hands down.
Magic and Bryant have never won a DPOY award between them. Should we take them off of the list and add Bill Russell? Or, leave them on the list and add Larry Bird, Shaq, and Tim Duncan?
I will never view this Heat team as anything more than 3 great players that couldn't get it done on their own! It saddens me that these three clowns have created a norm that will produce three or four more super teams to be assembled and the rest of the NBA will never be able to FAIRLY compete! New York- Melo, Amare, Paul... Miami- Wade, Bosh, Lebron ... Lakers- Kobe, Howard and Gasol.... Geez!!! D Rose and the Bulls should pick up KD and Blake and the rest of the NBA need not show up. This is exactly what's going to happen! How much of a chance do you really think Portland will ever have of beating these Heat in a NBA finals no matter how good we get for the next five years? I guess my question is would you rather have a sport or buy a Jersey? Clearly a NBA run by Stern is one where the sport comes second and that's why the heat are unbeatable, they have Stern and his refs in their back pocket. Last nights game showed the writing on the wall for the next five years! The NBA needs to be renamed the NBE cause folks you're now watching entertainment, the sport has left the arena!
It depends. If the Heat at some point have eclipse the 72 win season record, I think it's entirely possible that the stigma you describe (particularly for LeBron) goes away. And I still think that kind of scoring record is possible. The Heat scrapped together the best odds and ends they could find to put around the Big Three this year, and it didn't really go that great. Their bench right now is basically Haslem and Miller and that's about it. What is that team going to look like in a year or two when they have time to cobble together better spare parts?
Lebron had to go to a superstar that had a ring to win one. Jordan did not! Same is true for Bosh! I could see players they have around them on the bench retiring and they'll be another whole wave of players who will always want to ride on Wade and Lebrons coatails. I worry Oden ends up in Miami and than his potential becomes reality and then OH MAN!!!!
Wilt played in a very different era. His athleticism and size, while amazing in any era, would have been less of an advantage today. I think Chamberlain has a legit claim to best player ever status, but I don't think he's anything like the slam dunk choice. Personally, I think Jordan, Chamberlain and Robertson are all on the same tier and then, in no particular order, I'd put Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Shaquille O'Neal, Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the next tier.
I think Wilt is the best player ever, no question. And by "best" I mean "most dominant when he played" rather than "the best player if every player were on the same court together". I don't think that the second question is a fair one. In any case, I think Jordan's defense and his end-of-game offensive skills make him a superior player to James. James is still young and he could surpass Jordan, but I find it unlikely. Ed O.
Wilt and Jordan changed the game in similar ways. Wilt ushered in the era of the big man. Jordan ushered in the era where it was gifted wing players who drove championship teams. It's gotten to the point where there aren't many dominant centers anymore.
George Mikan ushered in the era of the big man. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were the first perimeter players who had dynasties built around them. In any case, I don't think "ushering in an era" is much of a metric for judging a player's greatness. It's mostly a question of timing. I think Olajuwon or Shaq were much better than Mikan but there's no way they could have "ushered in the era of big men" since they were born too late.
How about this: Wilt also once led the league in assists. I think he was the only center to ever do that.
