<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">SAN ANTONIO ? Just what is it we were supposed to be witnessing, again? As anyone who has seen those Nike-themed banners (RISE UP, WE ARE ALL WITNESSES) or the most recent of his seven Sports Illustrated covers knows, this is the Age of LeBron, in which he finally succeeds Michael Jordan. There's just one problem: We knew Michael Jordan and this isn't him. Little as it's understood, it's possible for LeBron James to be a dazzling young player without ever becoming as good as Jordan. It's also possible for James to go belly-up in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs and still be a dazzling young player, burdened by a mediocre Cleveland Cavaliers team that's overmatched at this level. James' 48-point breakout in the Eastern Conference finals was deemed "Jordan-esque," the way to compare players to Jordan, without saying they're actually as good as Jordan. (Everyone figured out long ago that direct comparison was impossible. Jordan won six titles and five MVPs; who on the horizon has a chance of matching that?) Wrote Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News: "James is the one player on the planet who can make the NBA as big as [David] Stern says it is and wants it to be again." In that case, the NBA will just have to stay the size it is. James was merely LeBron-esque in the Game 6 clincher against Detroit, scoring 20 points but making three of 11 shots. He was clown-esque in his Finals debut, when he wasn't even in double figures midway through the fourth quarter with the Spurs leading by 18. Actually, the most Jordan-esque thing about James isn't James but his supporting cast. Jordan joined a ragtag team (Orlando Woolridge, Quintin Dailey, Wes Matthews, Ennis Whatley, Dave Corzine), although by his fourth year the Bulls had Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, the nucleus that would win their first three titles. James joined a ragtag Cavaliers team that has been only modestly upgraded four years later. Of course, they are here, but that's easy to explain. They're in the East. It was dismayingly clear all season that one of those schleps had to be here. Even before Game 1, writers were asking if the Cavaliers were the worst team ever to make the Finals. (Other nominees included the 2002 New Jersey Nets, who were swept by the Lakers, and the 1999 New York Knicks, who finished 25-25 in the lockout-shortened season but actually won a game against the Spurs.) Putting an exclamation point on this calamity, TV ratings, which were expected to hold up for one game, anyway, in the Finals to see what James could do, cratered ahead of schedule, drawing the lowest number ever for an opener in prime time.</div> LA Times
LeBron doesn't have the same scoring mentality that Jordan had, he is afraid to take the last shot, and most of all he gets frustrated. LeBron had people on his tail about being the next Micheal Jordan before he came into the league. So far he's been a great player and it's looking as though he will become a future hall of famer but we can only compare him to Jordan when LeBron (if he) gets his Scottie Pippen. Before Pippen came into the league, Jordan had never been out of the first round. So for now we can only compare Jordan and LeBron's first couple of years. Looking at these first few years of LeBron and the first few years of Jordan one will notice that there are huge differences. LeBron lead his team to success by being a 'point forward' while Jordan's team who had a weaker supporting cast, led the Bulls by scoring. At this point I see no comparison between LeBron and Jordan.
Yea, the Jordan comparision to any current player is truely unfair, a lack of respect to MJ, and a lack of respect to the history of basketball. Of all the current players, Wade and Kobe remind me of Jordan. Kobe reminds me of Jordan mostly in mannerism and for his tremendous talent and flashes of brillance, but Wade reminds me of an early MJ - reliant on great drives to the hoop and a midrange game. Wade has also shown the intangibles that helped make Jordan the greatest ever - the ability to raise your game to a new level when the most is at stake (NBA Finals 2006). Wade put the team on his back and simply refused to lose - something MJ did time and time again. So Wade has show flashes of MJ, but can you compare the 2? Not yet, and probably never. Wade needs 5 more championships, 5 more NBA Finals MVPs, and 5 regualar season MVPs before we can begin the discussion. Then he will need numerous All NBA 1st teams and Defensive First teams. And for those of you who think the MVP is much harder to get in todays game, take a look at Steve Nash- Stockton was never a consideration for MVP in his era.
I would actually say the opposite. It seems as though Kobe, right now, is the closest comparison to Jordan in his early years while Wade is Jordan during his "ring years". Jordan and Kobe both had/have very weak supporting casts and both took it upon themselves to score tremendous amounts of points to win games but it kept them from the next level. Meanwhile, Wade has a great supporting cast, and although he is a scorer he allows the squad to feed off of him and himself to feed off of the squad. This is similar to the Jordan when he had the great suppoting cast.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LeBron doesn't have the same scoring mentality that Jordan had, he is afraid to take the last shot, and most of all he gets frustrated. LeBron had people on his tail about being the next Micheal Jordan before he came into the league. </div> I agree that Lebron isn't and will never be the scorer that michael is, but I've seen make too many clutch plays throughout his career that makes me think he's afraid to take the last shot......that's some BS that was made up by the media.
<div class="quote_poster">THE DREAM Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I agree that Lebron isn't and will never be the scorer that michael is, but I've seen make too many clutch plays throughout his career that makes me think he's afraid to take the last shot......that's some BS that was made up by the media.</div> Although at time he's forced to take it, I believe people who are friends with LeBron and his teammates have reportedely said that he doesn't like that last shot. At this point however, he seems to be beggining to embrace it more and more.
You can't be in the same sentence with Jordan or Kobe if you don't want the last shot. If Mr. Witness is afraid to take it, then he is no star at all. He is another option on a team who doesn't embrace the challenge. I don't believe any of it, he doesn't want it. I'm sure he does, but just doesn't have the chance because getting owned doesn't entitle you to a last shot.
Maybe the one not deserving to be in the same sentence is the one sitting home every year after round 1!
Let make it clear, there is nobody like MJ especially when comparing to the type of career that he had. The only thing you can compare player to MJ is the skillset. This is why I always think Kobe is the closest to MJ. I'm not saying Kobe going to surpass MJ, this is bullshiest. But when comaring to MJ, I hope everyone realize that it is just about skill and talent. To have that may accomplishments like MJ, you have to be lucky, something you won't see in a long time.
<div class="quote_poster">mmonte4 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Maybe the one not deserving to be in the same sentence is the one sitting home every year after round 1!</div> Maybe the one not deserving to be in the same sentence is the one without 3 rings and 4 Final appearances. The one that shoots 2-13 from 3 point range, 0-13 midrange, 2-26 outside the paint, and 22-60 overall in the NBA Finals
Kobe's career actually resembles Jordan's backwards. He started out with the rings but has been declining in terms of playoff significance since. Each year, Kobe's playoff exits seem to be quicker (counting only the last 2 years). As Russ from SLAM once stated, at this rate we could see Kobe shooting the game winning shot in the NCAA Finals
^lol I want the east to be stronger next year so the games are more competitive. This finals would be much better with Suns/Chicago, or Jazz/Detroit.
The Spurs aren't close to being done yet IMO. Duncan is only 31, he still has 3 or so good years left in him (although I believe his health will start declining in a year or two), and the Spurs can win atleast 2 more titles. As long as Duncan is healthy (he wasn't healthy at all during the 2005-2006 season), the Spurs will still reign atop the Western Conference.
<div class="quote_poster">Karma Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">The Spurs aren't close to being done yet IMO. Duncan is only 31, he still has 3 or so good years left in him (although I believe his health will start declining in a year or two), and the Spurs can win atleast 2 more titles. As long as Duncan is healthy (he wasn't healthy at all during the 2005-2006 season), the Spurs will still reign atop the Western Conference.</div> The Spurs did not reign on top of the Western Conference this season. It took a late season move to the bench for Manu Ginobili to bring the entire team alive. They will return and contend for a championship but it won't be a clear path to the finals by any means. I definetely expect Pheonix and Dallas to be back next year with a vengeance.
