|
Post by darbus alan on Feb 10, 2013 22:03:54 GMT -5
I've been arguing with my brother over this question for a bit now. Who would win? James in his prime or Jordan in his prime? I don't say this lightly, but I think Lebron James has the most raw talent of any NBA player since Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson. I don't think he's even reached his prime yet. I'd say Jordan in his prime was better than Lebron is now because he had a near obsession with competition and a killer instinct. But once Lebron actually gets into his prime, I think he has a really good chance of surpassing Jordan. I also think Lebron's done more with less. Jordan wasn't able to put scrubs on his back the same way Lebron did with some of those mediocre Cleveland teams.
|
|
|
Post by Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! on Feb 10, 2013 22:17:02 GMT -5
the Decision was a total dick move on his part but he's far from the worst guy in the NBA.
|
|
BRV
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Wants him some Taco Flavored Kisses.
Posts: 17,384
|
Post by BRV on Feb 10, 2013 22:28:00 GMT -5
1. The Decision - It's been said time and time again and it's been regurgitated and repeated over and over, but it has to be said: it was the single most narcissistic moment in sports in recent memory. LeBron James can hide behind the Boys and Girls club, but at the end of the day, that program was LeBron James telling the world that he was the cosmos, that he was the center of the universe, that nothing mattered but LeBron James.
2. Everything he says or does is phony - There's nothing he does that doesn't feel staged, scripted or rehearsed. He's surrounded by dozens of cronies, sycophants and yes men, all of whom are the same people who were pampering him and told him that the Decision was the best idea in the world. Those same people are the ones who are telling him what to say, when to say it, who to say it to and how to say it. Even that whole "joshing around with a fan, throwing the basketball" thing from Friday night felt like LeBron saying to himself, "Hey, here's one way I can endear myself with John Q. Public!"
3. He is not Michael Jordan - We as a society need to stop this crap and stop it immediately. Since we live in the age of hyperbole, everything that happens has to be immediately ranked against history's greatest, so as soon as a wildly talented basketball player finally wins a championship, he's automatically vaulted into the discussion of the greatest basketball players ever. After he won his first ring last June, I said that LeBron was not Magic, he was not Michael, he was not Larry, nor Wilt nor Kareem nor Russell. He was the modern Rick Barry. That's not a dig, Rick Barry was one of the best forwards of his era, but nobody is entertaining a conversation if someone walks in with "Rick Barry was the greatest basketball player ever," just like nobody should be entertaining a conversation in which LeBron James is in the same discussion as Magic, MJ, Bird, etc.
Also, if LeBron and MJ went one-on-one, LeBron would start out red-hot, because he is an overwhelming physical force, but Michael Jordan would suffocate him by the end of their duel. People forget how stifling a defensive player he was.
|
|
|
Post by Romeo Hotel on Feb 10, 2013 22:28:56 GMT -5
Also LeBron quit teasing the Dunk contest. You aren't going to be in it so stop getting people's hopes up Hasn't he stated on multiple occasions that he wasn't going to participate in the dunk contest ever?
|
|
stealthamo
King Koopa
Something stupid
#AJAll
Posts: 11,247
|
Post by stealthamo on Feb 10, 2013 22:36:32 GMT -5
Personally, I always found his attitude to be very off-putting, even going back to his days in Cleveland. It doesn't help that he's been in the national spotlight since he was a senior in high school, and ESPN's non-stop fellatio of him is just ridiculous. And I don't even have to say anything about The Decision. It speaks for itself. Apparently people are starting to like him now that he won a ring, but I still don't.
|
|
King Ghidorah
El Dandy
On Probation for Charges of two counts of Saxual Music.
How Absurd
Posts: 8,330
|
Post by King Ghidorah on Feb 10, 2013 22:38:43 GMT -5
Only thing I'm hearing is "He was a Dick before. He must stay a Dick forever" that never forgive and forget mentality.
|
|
BRV
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Wants him some Taco Flavored Kisses.
Posts: 17,384
|
Post by BRV on Feb 10, 2013 22:38:50 GMT -5
I think another reason for my distaste for LeBron James is that he's a basketball player who wears a jersey that says something other than "CELTICS" across the chest. Sure there's plenty of other reasons, I feel like that's enough of a cause to simply not like him.
|
|
Sektor
Unicron
The OTHER Big Red Machine.
Posts: 2,808
|
Post by Sektor on Feb 10, 2013 22:38:52 GMT -5
1. The Decision - It's been said time and time again and it's been regurgitated and repeated over and over, but it has to be said: it was the single most narcissistic moment in sports in recent memory. LeBron James can hide behind the Boys and Girls club, but at the end of the day, that program was LeBron James telling the world that he was the cosmos, that he was the center of the universe, that nothing mattered but LeBron James. 2. Everything he says or does is phony - There's nothing he does that doesn't feel staged, scripted or rehearsed. He's surrounded by dozens of cronies, sycophants and yes men, all of whom are the same people who were pampering him and told him that the Decision was the best idea in the world. Those same people are the ones who are telling him what to say, when to say it, who to say it to and how to say it. Even that whole "joshing around with a fan, throwing the basketball" thing from Friday night felt like LeBron saying to himself, "Hey, here's one way I can endear myself with John Q. Public!" 3. He is not Michael Jordan - We as a society need to stop this crap and stop it immediately. Since we live in the age of hyperbole, everything that happens has to be immediately ranked against history's greatest, so as soon as a wildly talented basketball player finally wins a championship, he's automatically vaulted into the discussion of the greatest basketball players ever. After he won his first ring last June, I said that LeBron was not Magic, he was not Michael, he was not Larry, nor Wilt nor Kareem nor Russell. He was the modern Rick Barry. That's not a dig, Rick Barry was one of the best forwards of his era, but nobody is entertaining a conversation if someone walks in with "Rick Barry was the greatest basketball player ever," just like nobody should be entertaining a conversation in which LeBron James is in the same discussion as Magic, MJ, Bird, etc. Also, if LeBron and MJ went one-on-one, LeBron would start out red-hot, because he is an overwhelming physical force, but Michael Jordan would suffocate him by the end of their duel. People forget how stifling a defensive player he was. LeBron James is the best basketball player on the planet. KD is number 2, but it isn't close. That's not hyperbole, there isn't another basketball player playing right now who can do the things that LeBron James does every night. On his career, he's averaging a 27-7-7. I watched him last year play 40 minutes a game, run the offense, generate offense, and guard the other teams best player. This isn't a knock on Rick Barry, but he's not in LeBron's league. And whether you want to admit it or not, LeBron is very close to being in Jordan's. For everything else, #1 is something most people agree on, #2 is a huge stretch.
|
|
|
Post by Citizen Snips on Feb 10, 2013 22:45:28 GMT -5
3. He is not Michael Jordan - We as a society need to stop this crap and stop it immediately. Since we live in the age of hyperbole, everything that happens has to be immediately ranked against history's greatest, so as soon as a wildly talented basketball player finally wins a championship, he's automatically vaulted into the discussion of the greatest basketball players ever. After he won his first ring last June, I said that LeBron was not Magic, he was not Michael, he was not Larry, nor Wilt nor Kareem nor Russell. He was the modern Rick Barry. That's not a dig, Rick Barry was one of the best forwards of his era, but nobody is entertaining a conversation if someone walks in with "Rick Barry was the greatest basketball player ever," just like nobody should be entertaining a conversation in which LeBron James is in the same discussion as Magic, MJ, Bird, etc. I agree with the general sentiment behind this and that it's nearly impossible to compare athletes from totally different eras since the game evolves over time, but this seems a bit dismissive of LeBron. He's clearly one of the most talented/dominant players of the last 10-15 years. He's no Bill Russell, but he's still leagues above "Eh, he's pretty good"
|
|
|
Post by Vice honcho room temperature on Feb 10, 2013 22:53:57 GMT -5
Also LeBron quit teasing the Dunk contest. You aren't going to be in it so stop getting people's hopes up Hasn't he stated on multiple occasions that he wasn't going to participate in the dunk contest ever? Yet he tweets "Dunk Contest?"
|
|
Rican
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
July 17, 2011 - HHHe called it
Posts: 16,732
|
Post by Rican on Feb 11, 2013 0:53:09 GMT -5
Eh. I feel like it's not as prevalent anymore. He turned heel at The Decision and was a heel that whole year, then he lost in the finals and it humbled him IMO. He calmed down, stopped being a villain and got back to basketball. He's played his ass off ever since and now has a ring to show for it and most likely another one on the way. Like Ghidora said people have a refusal to let go something that happened three years ago.
Here's two things from this season alone that make him less hateable for me:
I don't disagree that The Decision was a terrible move and extremely douchey. I was right there on that hate Lebron bandwagon that whole season. But I think he's just misguided. Not a bad person.
|
|
Rican
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
July 17, 2011 - HHHe called it
Posts: 16,732
|
Post by Rican on Feb 11, 2013 0:54:14 GMT -5
1. The Decision - It's been said time and time again and it's been regurgitated and repeated over and over, but it has to be said: it was the single most narcissistic moment in sports in recent memory. LeBron James can hide behind the Boys and Girls club, but at the end of the day, that program was LeBron James telling the world that he was the cosmos, that he was the center of the universe, that nothing mattered but LeBron James. 2. Everything he says or does is phony - There's nothing he does that doesn't feel staged, scripted or rehearsed. He's surrounded by dozens of cronies, sycophants and yes men, all of whom are the same people who were pampering him and told him that the Decision was the best idea in the world. Those same people are the ones who are telling him what to say, when to say it, who to say it to and how to say it. Even that whole "joshing around with a fan, throwing the basketball" thing from Friday night felt like LeBron saying to himself, "Hey, here's one way I can endear myself with John Q. Public!" 3. He is not Michael Jordan - We as a society need to stop this crap and stop it immediately. Since we live in the age of hyperbole, everything that happens has to be immediately ranked against history's greatest, so as soon as a wildly talented basketball player finally wins a championship, he's automatically vaulted into the discussion of the greatest basketball players ever. After he won his first ring last June, I said that LeBron was not Magic, he was not Michael, he was not Larry, nor Wilt nor Kareem nor Russell. He was the modern Rick Barry. That's not a dig, Rick Barry was one of the best forwards of his era, but nobody is entertaining a conversation if someone walks in with "Rick Barry was the greatest basketball player ever," just like nobody should be entertaining a conversation in which LeBron James is in the same discussion as Magic, MJ, Bird, etc. Also, if LeBron and MJ went one-on-one, LeBron would start out red-hot, because he is an overwhelming physical force, but Michael Jordan would suffocate him by the end of their duel. People forget how stifling a defensive player he was. LeBron James is the best basketball player on the planet. KD is number 2, but it isn't close. That's not hyperbole, there isn't another basketball player playing right now who can do the things that LeBron James does every night. On his career, he's averaging a 27-7-7. I watched him last year play 40 minutes a game, run the offense, generate offense, and guard the other teams best player. This isn't a knock on Rick Barry, but he's not in LeBron's league. And whether you want to admit it or not, LeBron is very close to being in Jordan's. For everything else, #1 is something most people agree on, #2 is a huge stretch. Also, all of this. Lebron is the best in the world and it's not close.
|
|
|
Post by Beets by Schrute on Feb 11, 2013 2:10:51 GMT -5
So an athlete is hated for pretty much being all about himself? In other news, the sky is blue.
|
|
|
Post by thelonewolf527 on Feb 11, 2013 2:22:23 GMT -5
Lebrawn, I know you wanna be a good teammate. But in the FOURTH QUARTER of a MIAMI HEAT BASKETBALL CONTEST only ONE MAN should BE HOLDING THE BASKETBALL!
|
|
Buddy Peacock
AC Slater
In death, a member of developmental has a name. His name is Dean Ambrose.
Posts: 242
|
Post by Buddy Peacock on Feb 11, 2013 4:11:37 GMT -5
He needs to ditch the headband and shave his head already.
|
|
King Ghidorah
El Dandy
On Probation for Charges of two counts of Saxual Music.
How Absurd
Posts: 8,330
|
Post by King Ghidorah on Feb 11, 2013 5:09:15 GMT -5
Hasn't he stated on multiple occasions that he wasn't going to participate in the dunk contest ever? Yet he tweets "Dunk Contest?" If thats all he is doing, people must HATE Chris Jericho.
|
|
|
Post by Father Dougal McGuire on Feb 11, 2013 5:38:44 GMT -5
I had no problem with "the decision", it raised money for the boys and girls club, an organization that helped me out back in the day. My problem with LeBron James, and it really isn't that big of a deal, is that before he even played his first professional game, he seemed to be anointed the all time greatest player of basketball that has ever existed.
|
|
|
Post by ThereIsNoAbsurdistOnlyZuul on Feb 11, 2013 5:40:13 GMT -5
I don't dislike Lebron. But I don't like him, and I don't think he is the greatest evar!!!!!!!1111!!! He exists as a player. I think the biggest knock against him is not entirely his fault, and that is the ESPN slurpfest. He really has no control, apart from how he acts towards the press, but he has to contend with them at some point. The Decision was an objectively bad PR move. His statement about how many rings he'd win were a bad PR move. These are fact. Wars have been fought over pettier reasons to hate someone else. And unfortunately for Lebron, every misstep he might make is amplified due to the coverage he gets. I am surprised people haven't commented with breaking ESPN news that Lebron James stepped on a crack, clearly he hates his mother. I say all this, and then I add: We can hate whoever we want for whatever we want. Hater, as a pejorative or a concept, is an argument whose prima fasci case has no basis. Especially since the dubbing of someone else a hater makes that person themself a hater. Wait... This ties into my earlier points about the media factory... it is one big circle. Lebron is big news and does stuff which becomes big new because it was done by Lebron, who is big news... So... Lebron and his relationship to the media is like the relationship between people who label others haters and those getting labeled...
|
|