Jordan Says Only 4 Current Player Could Play in His Era

[SilkkTheShocker]

JORDAN PLAYS his new favorite trivia game, asking which current players could be nearly as successful in his era. "Our era," he says over and over again, calling modern players soft, coddled and ill-prepared for the highest level of the game. This is personal to him, since he'll be compared to this generation, and since he has to build a franchise with this generation's players.

"I'll give you a hint," he says. "I can only come up with four."

He lists them: LeBron, Kobe, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki.

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/page/Michael-Jordan/michael-jordan-not-left-building

No KG, Wade, Durant, etc?

[NA2126]

Dirk is pretty soft, if that's what MJ was basing his statement off of.

[Indian guy]

:facepalm

Typical "back in our day...." garbage that all old people are prone to do. Nothing to be taken seriously here.

Anybody today would be able to to play in ANY era, and be just as successful in it period

[Segatti]

DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRK! Suck it haters :rockon:

PS: Michael's opinion sucks anyway

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

:facepalm

Typical "back in our day...." garbage that all old people are prone to do. Nothing to be taken seriously here.

Anybody today would be able to to play in ANY era, and be just as successful in it period

"MJ fan" :oldlol:

[KyrieTheFuture]

I absolutely agree actually. Wade *****s way way too much to make it in that era, Durant is too weak, KG...idk he could probably do it but who knows how he'd deal with real tough guys.

[nathanjizzle]

basketball, in the present, will always be at a higher level then the past

[ZeN]

Much of Garnett has been false bravado and manic 'look how crazy i am' posturing.. If he were to have played in the 'bad boys' era or in the knicks vs heat brawling type era, where rough play was permitted.. he wouldnt be the menacing KG that we know now. He would be a tough great defensive player but he would be one in a pool of many.

I would have liked to see him go all 'Your wife smells like cheerios' to Charles Oakley :oldlol:

[Haymaker]

MJ be high. :pimp:

[Ancient Legend]

I love MJ but only 4 players is nonsense. KG would definitely be able to handle his own. As a 21 year old he put up 18 pts 10 rebs 4 assts 2 stls 2 blocks in 1997-1998, the last year Jordan played for the Bulls. In his Prime, KG would be more than able to handle the OLD era. Ray Allen was good back then, not to mention Jason Kidd possibly.

[Ancient Legend]

Kevin Durant too skinny and weak? Look at the skeletal Reggie Miller, got most of the shots he wanted and he did play against the Bad Boy pistons, Bulls, Knicks and Heat. None argues Miller was better than Durant.

[SilkkTheShocker]

I have a hard time believing the expansion team Raptors would give Wade many problems

[guy]

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/page/Michael-Jordan/michael-jordan-not-left-building

No KG, Wade, Durant, etc?

He said could be AS successful. He's not saying they couldn't play in that era.

[Ancient Legend]

Come to think about it, MJ once again is going by ring count in mentioning these 4 players, as between them they have won 11 of the last 14 championships (since MJ retired).

[tontoz]

basketball, in the present, will always be at a higher level then the past



Orlando Dwight wouldn't even make 3rd team All-NBA in MJ's era. I would take Shaq, Zo, Hakeem, Drob and Ewing over him easily.

[Nash]

Everyone in the NBA could play during Jordan's era. Especially wings, Jordans era had scrub wings.

[Kovach]

basketball, in the present, will always be at a higher level then the past
Durant would be about as good be as prime Dale Ellis, and that's the 2nd best player in today's league :lol

[Mr Exlax]

Orlando Dwight wouldn't even make 3rd team All-NBA in MJ's era. I would take Shaq, Zo, Hakeem, Drob and Ewing over him easily.

Yeah Dwight would still be one of the top Centers though. Bynum would be good too IMO. All other positions I see them doing better because the players are bigger and faster and stronger now.

[DirkNowitzki41]

Dirk is pretty soft, if that's what MJ was basing his statement off of.


dirk? soft? What is this 2001?

[ZeN]

Yeah Dwight would still be one of the top Centers though. Bynum would be good too IMO. All other positions I see them doing better because the players are bigger and faster and stronger now.

:facepalm

[ZeN]

The quote was:


which current players could be nearly as successful in his era.


People need to actually read what they are commenting on.

[knickscity]

He said "successful", and we all know successful means rings as the man of the team.

[SilkkTheShocker]

Could you imagine Paul Pierce guarded by studs like Gerald Wilkins and Craig Ehlo? Dude would be a scrub. Vincent Askew and Sasha Danilovic in today's NBA would be an all-stars :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

[SilkkTheShocker]

dirk? soft? What is this 2001?


Yea, the Dirk is "soft" myth needs to die already. The guy gets hacked like crazy.

[Whoah10115]

Orlando Dwight wouldn't even make 3rd team All-NBA in MJ's era. I would take Shaq, Zo, Hakeem, Drob and Ewing over him easily.



Not every single season. Hakeem missed the All-NBA Team in 1992. Brad Daugherty made it ahead of him (and Hakeem didn't miss games). Daugherty is flat out not as good as Howard.


Zo missed the All-NBA Team in 1998, with both Hakeem and Ewing missing much of the season. Dikembe made it ahead of him and Dikembe is flat out not as good as Howard. Even in 97, Shaq missed a bunch of time and Robinson missed all but 6 games. Howard in 2011 would have made that team ahead of O'Neal. He would have made the 1st team.

[HardwoodLegend]

I absolutely agree actually. Wade *****s way way too much to make it in that era, Durant is too weak, KG...idk he could probably do it but who knows how he'd deal with real tough guys.

Wade may ***** a lot, but that doesn't mean he still isn't tough and strong enough to play in that era.

He would simply have to adjust his attitude, and I think he could.

[STATUTORY]

:facepalm MJ gone straight senile. he talking about "our era" like he played in some Homeric Herculean age of mythical warriors and legends or some shit. he was still playing 15 years ago, or is that not included in his era? there are players that have bridged MJ's prime and current player's early years without significant difference in their ability to compete.

[bizil]

I think that u should always believe in yourself and your peers in terms of greatness. I do think overall that the Golden Era back in the 80's and early 90's had more depth in terms of great talent. But to say ONLY FOUR! LMBAO. For starters, the 2000's era SG's are the greatest era of SG's of all time. Other than MJ and Drexler, Kobe, Wade, AI, Vince, T Mac, Ray Allen, Ginobli, and Pierce while he was at SG would completely overtake the SG spot. Other than Barkley and Malone, many of the PF's of that era would get overtaken as well. What's keeping MJ's era strong in comparison in terms of position depth is center and small forward. Point guard depth today from top to bottom is as good as ever. The only thing is those guys back in MJ's era were true technicians in the art of being a floor general and their era was damn deep at PG too. Many of today's PG's are more hybrid or combo guards playing PG. So for those reasons I would take the PG depth back then over today. But in my book, the main difference to me is the SF and C depth MJ's era had.

[jstern]

He's referring to the ones who have been successful. So he's basically leaving out KG and Wade. Maybe he sees KG as part of the 90s and Wade being successful because of the rule changes.

[DCL]

he only named guys with rings.

to mj, rings are everything. it's his subtle way of telling everybody he's always above magic and bird, no discussion.

[SilkkTheShocker]

Like Nash said, the wings in Jordan's era were trash. I like Reggie Miller a lot, but he would be no better than Joe Johnson in today's NBA

[R.I.P.]

Come to think about it, MJ once again is going by ring count in mentioning these 4 players, as between them they have won 11 of the last 14 championships (since MJ retired).

He

[Hank]

Like Nash said, the wings in Jordan's era were trash. I like Reggie Miller a lot, but he would be no better than Joe Johnson in today's NBA

Exactly.

We live in an era of wings today, back then in the NBA it was all about front courts.

This makes what Lebron has done look ever better.

[STATUTORY]

It's hilarious just try and think of players that would had to defend Lebron back in "MJ's era"

Ehlo, Dumars, payton LOL

[SilkkTheShocker]

[QUOTE=R.I.P.]He

[SilkkTheShocker]

It's hilarious just try and think of players that would had to defend Lebron back in "MJ's era"

Ehlo, Dumars, payton LOL

Don't forget this guy :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
http://www.hollywoodmemorabilia.com/files/cache/pete-myers-autographed-basketball-card-chicago-bulls-1994-hoops-314_12e1bea32c75d41c716ae4bba660e47d.jpg

[Kovach]

Vincent Askew and Sasha Danilovic in today's NBA would be an all-stars :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
If Kirilenko, Manu or Peja could make it to the all-star, yeah Sasha Danilovic would have very little problem doing so as well. Sasha Danilovic had to dominate Europe to even get an invitation to the league, as opposed to a bunch of unproven or mediocre junk that is constantly being dragged from Europe (or wherever outside of the States) now. Sasha Djordjevic, one of the most dominant European PG's of all time couldn't even do anything, today you have Barea averaging 11, 6 in 25 minutes :lol

[niko]

Jordan acting like a petty child since Lebron started getting tons of attention. WHAT A SHOCK.

[La Frescobaldi]

I absolutely agree actually. Wade *****s way way too much to make it in that era, Durant is too weak, KG...idk he could probably do it but who knows how he'd deal with real tough guys.

So Dwyane Wade wouldn't be able to hold his own against the '90s Grizzlies, Wolves, Raptors or Heat?

I will grant you that Vancouver Grizzlies roster was absolutely killer:
Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Greg Anthony
Pete Chilcutt
Blue Edwards
Eric Leckner
George Lynch
Rich Manning
Lee Mayberry
Eric Mobley
Lawrence Moten
Moochie Norris
Anthony Peeler
Bryant Reeves
Chris Robinson
Roy Rogers
Aaron Williams

with a stellar record of 14-68 I'm sure they would easily stomp on any team of this season? They'd probly go 68-14 this year, right?

Jordan had to play against those guys!!

[Kovach]

Like Nash said, the wings in Jordan's era were trash. I like Reggie Miller a lot, but he would be no better than Joe Johnson in today's NBA
Jordan's era didn't start with the 95 expansion. Late 80's and early 90's in general had much better wings than the league has today.

[TylerOO]

Pretty disrespectful to KG

[DKLaker]

basketball, in the present, will always be at a higher level then the past

Not the Center position......not remotely close, the Centers now suck!!!

[tontoz]

Not every single season. Hakeem missed the All-NBA Team in 1992. Brad Daugherty made it ahead of him (and Hakeem didn't miss games). Daugherty is flat out not as good as Howard.


Zo missed the All-NBA Team in 1998, with both Hakeem and Ewing missing much of the season. Dikembe made it ahead of him and Dikembe is flat out not as good as Howard. Even in 97, Shaq missed a bunch of time and Robinson missed all but 6 games. Howard in 2011 would have made that team ahead of O'Neal. He would have made the 1st team.

Daugherty averaged 21/10 shooting 57% from the field, 78% from the line when he made the 3rd team, with 3.6 assists and 2.5 turnovers. Howard always has more turnovers than assists and can't make foul shots. It is no sure thing he would have made it over Daugherty.

If the best players are hurt then Dwight has a chance but that doesn't make him better than them. Would you seriously take Dwight over any of the 5 i listed?

[lilgodfather1]

This is the nostalgia that many older people feel. Back in my day bread was a nickel. Back in my day LeBron would have been the best player in the league. Same thing really.

LeBron is the best player in the NBA now, and Jordan in his own words said LeBron would be as successful in his era, meaning LeBron would be the best player in the NBA in his era. :applause: Goes to show you how great LeBron truly is. We are witnessing the GOAT, let's enjoy it.

[DKLaker]

Like Nash said, the wings in Jordan's era were trash. I like Reggie Miller a lot, but he would be no better than Joe Johnson in today's NBA

:wtf: :wtf: :wtf: :wtf: :wtf:
:biggums: :coleman: :coleman:

[tontoz]

It's hilarious just try and think of players that would had to defend Lebron back in "MJ's era"

Ehlo, Dumars, payton LOL


What is hilarious is that you don't realize none of those guys would defend Lebron. Payton was a pg for chrissakes.

:facepalm

[STATUTORY]

What is hilarious is that you don't realize none of those guys would defend Lebron. Payton was a pg for chrissakes.

:facepalm
:facepalm he would be the only player quick enough to defend Lebron, he defended MJ for chrissakes

the MJ mythology is just too much, people gonna be telling us he had to dribble uphill both ways back in his era or some shit.

[Hank]

MJ is a very bitter old man. Unfortunately.

[tmacattack33]

Orlando Dwight wouldn't even make 3rd team All-NBA in MJ's era. I would take Shaq, Zo, Hakeem, Drob and Ewing over him easily.

Well yes, the big men back then were better. Nobody is arguing that.

[tontoz]

:facepalm he would be the only player quick enough to defend Lebron, he defended MJ for chrissakes

the MJ mythology is just too much, people gonna be telling us he had to dribble uphill both ways back in his era or some shit.


None of those guys would have defended Lebron idiot. They played different positions.

Feel free to list any current players who could defend Lebron as well as Pippen and Rodman. I won't hold my breath waiting. :rolleyes:

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

I absolutely agree actually. Wade *****s way way too much to make it in that era, Durant is too weak, KG...idk he could probably do it but who knows how he'd deal with real tough guys.
oakley would have ended KG's career a while ago.

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

I would have liked to see him go all 'Your wife smells like cheerios' to Charles Oakley :oldlol:
lol, read your post right after i posted my opinion:cheers: .

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

Everyone in the NBA could play during Jordan's era. Especially wings, Jordans era had scrub wings.
the way wade used to play, that wreckless style, he wouldn't even be walking anymore if he played in the 80's.

[scm5]

I think people are taking this out of context or misinterpretting his comment.

He meant it as in, these are the only players that would have success in obtaining a ring in his era, and I agree.

Kobe, Duncan, and Lebron would all definitely win at least one ring. Dirk is iffy, but he did it with such a sparse team that I would think he would be successful with more help.

KG didn't win a ring without the "Big 3" and Rondo and even then, they still were taken to 7 games by mediocre teams.

Wade would be successful statiscally, it would be hard to imagine him unsuccessful in any era with his playstyle. I don't know if he would win a ring though.

Durant, remains to be seen... that's the one player I might include on his list, but he's not proven in this era quite yet. Hasn't even reached his prime.

[Rysio]

agreed with everyone except for lebrick. it took him 10 years to finally win a ring and it happened in a cheat shortened season and where all the players who came from the 90's were way past their prime.

[Mr. Jabbar]

Jordan is being generous, I only see Kobe being able to dominate in that era, rest of the guys are used to the extreme softness nowadays, some are too comfy being carried by refs every playoff run. Duncan has a case though, fake ass KG would be punked imo, back pedaling trash talking wouldnt be any good back then, dude would get smacked for being a bitch. Dirk is a strange case, although his game is overall feminine and soft, his shot is just to unguardable , he would still be effective.

[Mr. Jabbar]

agreed with everyone except for lebrick. it took him 10 years to finally win a ring and it happened in a cheat shortened season and where all the players who came from the 90's were way past their prime.

You are rapidly becoming one of the best posters on this site :applause: :applause:

[tmacattack33]

Pretty dumb comment by MJ.

Even if the new players are really somehow ten times softer than they were 20 years ago, if they had been in the league in 80's and 90's and it really was so tough back then, many of them would adapt their styles.

There's no way that KG, Pierce, Deron, Chris Paul, Nash, Rondo, Bosh, Wade, Allen, Parker, Ginobli, Marc Gasol, Durant, Westbrook, and Harden all would have been too scared to play back then or whatever it is that MJ is saying. LOL.

[Kovach]

Feel free to list any current players who could defend Lebron as well as Pippen and Rodman. I won't hold my breath waiting. :rolleyes:
Hey now, don't underestimate modern defensive powerhouses like Gay, Butler, Matthews, Jeff Taylor or Chandler Parsons. :no:

[La Frescobaldi]

lol, read your post right after i posted my opinion:cheers: .
Oakley, Big Chief & A train mentality is not in today's league that is a fact.

[clayton]

This is clear example of guys living in the past. If they hate present so much, invest in a time machine already. :lol

[scm5]

Jordan is being generous, I only see Kobe being able to dominate in that era, rest of the guys are used to the extreme softness nowadays, some are too comfy being carried by refs every playoff run. Duncan has a case though, fake ass KG would be punked imo, back pedaling trash talking wouldnt be any good back then, dude would get smacked for being a bitch. Dirk is a strange case, although his game is overall feminine and soft, his shot is just to unguardable , he would still be effective.

No, he's not.

Duncan can win in any era. He's so fundamentally sound and easy to play with. He's a great leader, always calm. Defensive anchor.

Lebron is dominating in a manner only seen in the modern era by MJ and Shaq, statistically. He's been winning a ton of games, and literally outperforms everyone else on a nightly basis.

Dirk has led the Mavs to how many 50+ win seasons?! He had so little help in his title year, it's ridiculous. To not think he would find success is ridiculous considering how little he had to work with and how much success he's had.

I see nothing wrong with his list at all. KG might be a different story if he had more help in his prime, but as it stands, he's only proven himself with the "Big 3" and Rondo. That was also when Superteams were just forming and they had the most stacked team. I would love to argue for KG, he's a great defensive anchor and his intensity rubs off on his teammates, but we don't have that much to base his success off of.

[tontoz]

Jordan's era wasn't that long ago. The main difference is the rules. A flagrant 2 now was just a foul back then.

The other big difference is more international players. Other than that, there isn't much difference.

It isn't like we are talking about 50 years ago.

[Rysio]

You are rapidly becoming one of the best posters on this site :applause: :applause:
only a matter of time before jeff finally sees my talents and signs me to a max contract. :applause:

[jlip]

Pretty dumb comment by MJ.

Even if the new players are really somehow ten times softer than they were 20 years ago, if they had been in the league in 80's and 90's and it really was so tough back then, many of them would adapt their styles.

There's no way that KG, Pierce, Deron, Chris Paul, Nash, Rondo, Bosh, Wade, Allen, Parker, Ginobli, Marc Gasol, Durant, Westbrook, and Harden all would have been too scared to play back then or whatever it is that MJ is saying. LOL.

:applause: @ bolded

This is the point that so many people miss when addressing how people would perform in different eras. A person (especially great players) plays the way the game is played during their time. If rules, styles, etc. change the players have the ability to adjust. We see it all the time. Great players often adapt to the different defenses of the opponents they face during the course of a season.

[Kevin_Garnett_5]

:oldlol: Ridiculous statement, but he'll get away with it because he's Michael Jordan.

[Mr. Jabbar]

only a matter of time before jeff finally sees my talents and signs me to a max contract. :applause:


max contract no trade clause sounds about right :applause:

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

Oakley, Big Chief & A train mentality is not in today's league that is a fact.
and why should it be? these guys would lose half their salary if they played in today's era.

[scm5]

Jordan's era wasn't that long ago. The main difference is the rules. A flagrant 2 now was just a foul back then.

The other big difference is more international players. Other than that, there isn't much difference.

It isn't like we are talking about 50 years ago.

Think about the superstars that won in "MJ's Era"...

Magic, Kareem, Hakeem, Bird....

Those players practically dominated NBA championships for 15 years. The only other team that won a championship during that era ... the Bad Boy Pistons.

15 years... these are the only players that found "success" during that era other than MJ.

[Rysio]

max contract no trade clause sounds about right :applause:
:cheers:

[tontoz]

max contract no trade clause sounds about right :applause:



I think you have brain damage from that "Laker's flight" plane crash.

[Doranku]

MJ is a very bitter old man. Unfortunately.
What on earth does MJ have to be bitter about? :roll: You sound like the bitter one, f@ggot.

You're just mad because Princess Wade wasn't one of the players mentioned. And rightfully so because his flopping, HGH pumping ass would be ringless in the 90's.

[NumberSix]

Uhhh.... Didn't Kenny Smith play in Jordan's era? I'm supposed to believe Kenny Smith is a top 5 player in today's NBA?

[Kingwillball]

Jordan is Obviously getting old and now in that "back in my day things were better talk" He is Delusional if he doesn't realize players are bigger, faster, stronger today just like the NFL from 25 years ago. Yes Rules are different and teams dont play traditional like in the past but Players Adapt to the given situation. He says Lebron would not be as Successful is ridiculous in every facet of the sense.

[SilkkTheShocker]

Uhhh.... Didn't Kenny Smith play in Jordan's era? I'm supposed to believe Kenny Smith is a top 5 player in today's NBA?

In today's NBA Kenny Smith would be backing up Steve on the Lakers.

Steve Blake.

[Kingwillball]

max contract no trade clause sounds about right :applause:


You are the worst or at least most Biased Poster on these Boards so nothing you say can be taken seriously.

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

Uhhh.... Didn't Kenny Smith play in Jordan's era? I'm supposed to believe Kenny Smith is a top 5 player in today's NBA?
huh?

[Kingwillball]

Jordan is being generous, I only see Kobe being able to dominate in that era, rest of the guys are used to the extreme softness nowadays, some are too comfy being carried by refs every playoff run. Duncan has a case though, fake ass KG would be punked imo, back pedaling trash talking wouldnt be any good back then, dude would get smacked for being a bitch. Dirk is a strange case, although his game is overall feminine and soft, his shot is just to unguardable , he would still be effective.


Really you think Kobe would Dominate .. what a Shock.. Seriously you are a hack. It really must Irk you that there is a player WHILE KOBE IS STILL PLAYING that has passed him. Kobe might be most overrated player of all time. He is Very Lucky to have had Shaq win him 3 Ships while being the Complimentary piece and than playing with a Stacked Lakers team being the So called man. Whenever Kobe has not been on a stacked team he never has Carried that team to greater height than they should have achieved like Lebron did with the Cavs.

[tontoz]

Jordan is Obviously getting old and now in that "back in my day things were better talk" He is Delusional if he doesn't realize players are bigger, faster, stronger today just like the NFL from 25 years ago.


25 years ago Jordan had no rings.

Some of you guys are really exaggerating. James Harden is dominating now but he is undersized and not that athletic.

Durant is one of the weakest forwards of any era, and isn't quick either. He doesn't like contact unless it gets him to the foul line. His production would definitely suffer under the old rules.

[ShaqAttack3234]

Really you think Kobe would Dominate .. what a Shock.. Seriously you are a hack. It really must Irk you that there is a player WHILE KOBE IS STILL PLAYING that has passed him. Kobe might be most overrated player of all time. He is Very Lucky to have had Shaq win him 3 Ships while being the Complimentary piece and than playing with a Stacked Lakers team being the So called man. Whenever Kobe has not been on a stacked team he never has Carried that team to greater height than they should have achieved like Lebron did with the Cavs.

If Kobe is so lucky, then why did he have playoff runs like this when he won his titles?

21/5/4
29/7/6
27/6/5
30/5/6
29/6/6

Top 10 player in the league for all 5 titles and top 5 player for 4 of the 5 titles, actually, most would agree he was a top 3 player for 4 of the 5 titles.

There are so many double standards here. If it's a player you don't like, he was "lucky" to have a good cast. Except all players need good casts to win, very few players actually come through multiple times and deliver. Plenty of great players have had the casts to do it, and have fallen short.

I wouldn't call any of Kobe's championship teams stacked either. He played with a superstar for the first 3, and a very good all-star big man for the last 2, but once again, the word stacked is misused and overused on this board.

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

Really you think Kobe would Dominate .. what a Shock.. Seriously you are a hack. It really must Irk you that there is a player WHILE KOBE IS STILL PLAYING that has passed him. Kobe might be most overrated player of all time. He is Very Lucky to have had Shaq win him 3 Ships while being the Complimentary piece and than playing with a Stacked Lakers team being the So called man. Whenever Kobe has not been on a stacked team he never has Carried that team to greater height than they should have achieved like Lebron did with the Cavs.
Go Lakers! All this talk is really crazy coming from some clown who switches teams every couple years.

[Asukal]

Way to take a statement out of context.... :facepalm

You guys re-read what MJ said. Idiots.... :roll:

[Kingwillball]

25 years ago Jordan had no rings.

Some of you guys are really exaggerating. James Harden is dominating now but he is undersized and not that athletic.

Durant is one of the weakest forwards of any era, and isn't quick either. He doesn't like contact unless it gets him to the foul line. His production would definitely suffer under the old rules.

Jordan started playing in the Mid 80's dude that is over 25 years..

[La Frescobaldi]

:oldlol: Ridiculous statement, but he'll get away with it because he's Michael Jordan.
no he won't he's getting flamed by everyone in the world right now for a troll

[tontoz]

Jordan started playing in the Mid 80's dude that is over 25 years..


Like i said 25 years ago Jordan had no rings. He was only in his 3rd year in 1987. He won his last finals in 1998, only 15 years ago.

Your "bigger, stronger, faster" comment was nonsense. do you have any actual documentation to prove this? I didn't think so.

The best pg in todays game is probably CP3 and he isn't bigger,stronger, faster than players in Jordans era. Centers certainly aren't "bigger, stronger, faster" than Drob, Shaq and Hakeem. What power forward is "bigger, stronger, faster" than Karl Malone?

No way Al Horford makes an All-Star game at center in Jordan's era.

[Bandito]

Much of Garnett has been false bravado and manic 'look how crazy i am' posturing.. If he were to have played in the 'bad boys' era or in the knicks vs heat brawling type era, where rough play was permitted.. he wouldnt be the menacing KG that we know now. He would be a tough great defensive player but he would be one in a pool of many.

I would have liked to see him go all 'Your wife smells like cheerios' to Charles Oakley :oldlol:
you do know he played in that era rich? He's been in the league since 96 or something like that. Wasn't Kobe in that era since 97 or something?

[Big#50]

It's hilarious just try and think of players that would had to defend Lebron back in "MJ's era"

Ehlo, Dumars, payton LOL
Why would he be guarded by guards? Mason, McDaniel, Chuck Person, Pippen, Rodman, those are the players that would guard him. Durant guarding LeBron is actually funnier than Ehlo guarding him. Team defense was better back then. Yes, some of it was just hacking, but it was better.

[Money 23]

Why would he be guarded by guards? Mason, McDaniel, Chuck Person, Pippen, Rodman, those are the players that would guard him. Durant guarding LeBron is actually funnier than Ehlo guarding him. Team defense was better back then. Yes, some of it was just hacking, but it was better.
I couldn't agree more.

Plus, LeBron isn't the quickest off the dribble. That hand check would keep defenders LEGALLY even more glued to his hip.

I truly think in a more physical league LeBron would have to switch to PF. And why is STATUTORY laughing at being guarded by Ehlo, Payton, Dumars, Alvin Robertson?

3 of those fellas are some of the best perimeter defenders the game has ever seen. Why do Kobe Kids feel the need to argue length or athleticism = great defense. Because it doesn't. At all.

Those guys would be difficult to beat off the dribble for LeBron. Hell, he had difficulty with old Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion.

:facepalm

[BrickingStar]

LeBron would push off all day and would become one of the better defenders in the league in the 90's

[NumberSix]

LeBron = greatest defender of all time in the 90's.

[Money 23]

LeBron would push off all day and would become one of the better defenders in the league in the 90's
No one is saying it wouldn't allow him to be a better defender, but his perimeter game would be different. That's for sure.

[Kingwillball]

Like i said 25 years ago Jordan had no rings. He was only in his 3rd year in 1987. He won his last finals in 1998, only 15 years ago.

Your "bigger, stronger, faster" comment was nonsense. do you have any actual documentation to prove this? I didn't think so.

The best pg in todays game is probably CP3 and he isn't bigger,stronger, faster than players in Jordans era. Centers certainly aren't "bigger, stronger, faster" than Drob, Shaq and Hakeem. What power forward is "bigger, stronger, faster" than Karl Malone?

No way Al Horford makes an All-Star game at center in Jordan's era.


Shaq played more in Lebrons Era than Jordan. Yes Centers back than were more skilled. I think the Difference is More Guards and Swingmen are long and athletic. I mean back than most PG's were between 6" and 6"2 now PG's are more in the 6"3 and 6"4 range. Now U have 6"8t o even 6"11 SF's back than most were 6"7 to 6"8. This is the reason why todays NBA there are more Small lineups or unorthodox lineups because the lack of True big men and the sIze and athletic ability of guards and Forwards. Also a reason why Fundamentals were lost because too many young players Relied on their athletic ability and looking for Highlight dunk rather than working on their shooting ability. As much as I dont Like KG he was a pioneer as one of the first 7 footers who can handle, run and shoot like a Guard or SF..The NBA starting changing from that point to where it is now.

[tontoz]

Shaq played more in Lebrons Era than Jordan. Yes Centers back than were more skilled. I think the Difference is More Guards and Swingmen are long and athletic.


Curry
Monta
Beal
Waiters
Gordon (Eric and Ben)
Harden
Redick


Is this what you mean by long and athletic? Do you think these guys could guard Jordan?

[Heavincent]

Really you think Kobe would Dominate .. what a Shock.. Seriously you are a hack. It really must Irk you that there is a player WHILE KOBE IS STILL PLAYING that has passed him. Kobe might be most overrated player of all time. He is Very Lucky to have had Shaq win him 3 Ships while being the Complimentary piece and than playing with a Stacked Lakers team being the So called man. Whenever Kobe has not been on a stacked team he never has Carried that team to greater height than they should have achieved like Lebron did with the Cavs.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0f386dOX71rpfiy4o1_500.gif

[NumberSix]

I wouldn't call Kobe the "most overrated player ever". That OBVIOUSLY going way overboard into tard territory.

Is he overrated? Perhaps. Some people rate him exactly where he belongs. Some overrate him, some underrate him. I can certainly think of players who IMO received more undue credit than Kobe has.

[BoutPractice]

Jordan seems to forget he played a lot of his career in the 80s, an era of suspiciously high scores and statistics. Go watch games from the 80s and tell me today's stars wouldn't be able to score as much in that era.
As for the 90s, I understand why he would make that point, but listing only 4 players removes all credibility from his argument...

[bizil]

Jordan's era didn't start with the 95 expansion. Late 80's and early 90's in general had much better wings than the league has today.

I agree. I think people are thinking about SG's. And in my opinion, the depth of talent at SG's in MJ's era wasn't on the level of the 2000s. But wings ALSO include SF's. Hell when I hear wing player I first think of an SF or a SG-SF type. So when u factor in these SF's who played while MJ was in the L u can see that MJ's era had more depth among wings (SG and SF's combined):

Bird
Nique
King
English
Aguirre
Worthy
Mullin
Pippen
Dantley
Kiki
Chambers (played both SF and PF)
X Man

If u look at today's SF's, Bron, Durant, Melo, and Pierce would shoot right toward the top. But the SF's like Gay, Danilo, Granger, etc. can't touch those guys from the 80's. In my list u have seven HOFers. King is a top 5-8 SF ever peak value wise and Aguirre was nasty and has as good of scoring skillset as any SF. The SF's of the 80's simply swing the balance of power of wings to Jordan's era. Even though my peer group the 2000s smoke the SG depth MJ's era had.

[JD_TO]

I have a hard time believing the expansion team Raptors would give Wade many problems
:roll: :roll: :roll: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[NumberSix]

Jordan seems to forget he played a lot of his career in the 80s, an era of suspiciously high scores and statistics. Go watch games from the 80s and tell me today's stars wouldn't be able to score as much in that era.
As for the 90s, I understand why he would make that point, but listing only 4 players removes all credibility from his argument...
Yeah. It's called "nobody played defense in the '80's".


The toughest defensive eras were the 50's-60's and the the 90's. 80's were weak at best.

[bizil]

Jordan seems to forget he played a lot of his career in the 80s, an era of suspiciously high scores and statistics. Go watch games from the 80s and tell me today's stars wouldn't be able to score as much in that era.
As for the 90s, I understand why he would make that point, but listing only 4 players removes all credibility from his argument...

Right on the money! The best of today would wreak havoc on the guys from MJ's era. But I think MJ's era had more depth from top to bottom overall. Mainly due to SF's and C's.

[NumberSix]

Right on the money! The best of today would wreak havoc on the guys from MJ's era. But I think MJ's era had more depth from top to bottom overall. Mainly due to SF's and C's.
More depth or the illusion of more depth. By that, I mean, do you just remember more standout players? More standout players doesn't necessarily mean more league wide depth. Kind of the opposite actually. If you have 20 guys that stand out, that seems like a lot of really good players, but if you have like 60 really good players, it's only the truly elite players that stand out. The 50 or so really good players just kinda blend in.

[Kews1]

What a ludicrous statement

[Burgz V2]

Much of Garnett has been false bravado and manic 'look how crazy i am' posturing.. If he were to have played in the 'bad boys' era or in the knicks vs heat brawling type era, where rough play was permitted.. he wouldnt be the menacing KG that we know now. He would be a tough great defensive player but he would be one in a pool of many.

I would have liked to see him go all 'Your wife smells like cheerios' to Charles Oakley :oldlol:

beyond the "menace" KG was a beast from 1997-2007. He dominated big men for an entire decade using more than "false bravado", last time I checked that didn't make you a double double machine and perennial DPOY candidate.

[NumberSix]

Kevin Garnett might be the single most underrated player in the history of the NBA.

[Bobcats2013]

Kevin Garnett might be the single most underrated player in the history of the NBA.

Manu Ginobili says hi.

[Pointguard]

I couldn't agree more.

Plus, LeBron isn't the quickest off the dribble. That hand check would keep defenders LEGALLY even more glued to his hip.

I truly think in a more physical league LeBron would have to switch to PF. And why is STATUTORY laughing at being guarded by Ehlo, Payton, Dumars, Alvin Robertson?

3 of those fellas are some of the best perimeter defenders the game has ever seen. Why do Kobe Kids feel the need to argue length or athleticism = great defense. Because it doesn't. At all.

Those guys would be difficult to beat off the dribble for LeBron. Hell, he had difficulty with old Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion.

:facepalm
If you've ever handchecked someone 30 or even 20 lbs heavier you know how useless it is. For it to have any affect/leverage you have to plant your feet hard. For a guy that weights 40 lbs and fast its a pure joke. Nobody handchecked Malone or Barkley if they did they just spent off of them, which is easeir than making a move. Lebron is as heavy and way quicker then Malone or Barkley.

[bizil]

More depth or the illusion of more depth. By that, I mean, do you just remember more standout players? More standout players doesn't necessarily mean more league wide depth. Kind of the opposite actually. If you have 20 guys that stand out, that seems like a lot of really good players, but if you have like 60 really good players, it's only the truly elite players that stand out. The 50 or so really good players just kinda blend in.

Im talking more standout HOF caliber players across the board. Guys that jump off the page if you're a true bball fan. U gotta realize the era of Kobe, Duncan, KG. etc. is closing soon. Out of that era and today, how many SF's will make the HOF? U got Pierce and Bron for sure, KD and Melo most certainly. Compare that to the guys in the 80's. U have nearly double the amount of guys on that level at SF. U got guys like Bird, Nique, Pippen, Mullin, Worthy, English, and Dantley all in the HOF. SF doesn't have the same DEPTH in terms of elite level talent. On the other hand, there is more elite level talent at PG than there has ever been currently.

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

Manu Ginobili says hi.
injuries and pop held manu back.

[Pointguard]

Top scoring SFin the 90's.

The top SF scorers in the 90's at SF position are Nique and Hill who are very different from the rest, then there's Chris Mullin, *Glenn Robinson, Glenn Rice, and Antoine Walker - its one of the worse decades for SF's. The 90's favored shooters and guys with moves from this position. The argument for speed and quicness to succeed is that Sprewell, primarily at SG tho, who is only quick, didn't have much moves, comes in like 7th in scoring one year. All of these guys cracked the top 10 in scoring in the decade. I can't think of an argument against speed and quickness from a SF scorer.

Chris Mullin was a very slow shooter with a few moves - Very similar to a healthy Mike Miller.

Glenn Rice another guy for the all slow motion team. Good shooter. Wasn't good with the dribble. A rich mans Martell Webster.

Antoine Walker shot 414% for his career, but 32.5 from 3 point land. Had moves though - best one was the head shimmy after a made basket. Was slow and couldn't defend.

Glenn Robinson - like all listed above he is slow as molasses and sucked at defense. Had good power moves and could make an open three. He was consistent in his output but like Antoine has the lazy label.

Its amazing that Pippen didn't get a reputation as a lock down defender when these guys are among the best out there. Obviously Lebron's speed would be very problematic for the league.

Hill and Dominique are qualified scorers. Top defenders are Rodman, Anthony Mason and Pippen. Pippen had real trouble with Hill and Dominique. Rodman slowed them all down (can't recall him on Hill tho) in several instances but Dominique got him good on a few as well.

At the SG position are Finley, Sprewell, Hardaway and Payton are the other wing players that make the cut as top ten scorers. I think reggie Miller made it one year too.

This is not impressive at all.

[Pointguard]

Sour grapes on KG??? In one of Jordan's later all star games Jordan had to guard KG, KG didn't take it easy on him at all, and won MVP.

Durant who is likely to break a couple of Jordan scoring records, is Dirk on steriods. As to how he can have one on his list and not the other is bizarre. But the GOAT has been on a bitter drink the whole week.

Jordan isn't really good at talent evaluation straight up so transpoing people back into another era, is definitely a bit too taxing on him. Particurally, guys who don't wear his shoes.

[Jacks3]

I'm glad he didn't list D-Whistle. He'd definitely be a scrub in the 90's.

[tontoz]

Top scoring SFin the 90's.

The top SF scorers in the 90's at SF position are Nique and Hill who are very different from the rest, then there's Chris Mullin, *Glenn Robinson, Glenn Rice, and Antoine Walker - its one of the worse decades for SF's. The 90's favored shooters and guys with moves from this position. The argument for speed and quicness to succeed is that Sprewell, primarily at SG tho, who is only quick, didn't have much moves, comes in like 7th in scoring one year. All of these guys cracked the top 10 in scoring in the decade. I can't think of an argument against speed and quickness from a SF scorer.

Chris Mullin was a very slow shooter with a few moves - Very similar to a healthy Mike Miller.

Glenn Rice another guy for the all slow motion team. Good shooter. Wasn't good with the dribble. A rich mans Martell Webster.

Antoine Walker shot 414% for his career, but 32.5 from 3 point land. Had moves though - best one was the head shimmy after a made basket. Was slow and couldn't defend.

Glenn Robinson - like all listed above he is slow as molasses and sucked at defense. Had good power moves and could make an open three. He was consistent in his output but like Antoine has the lazy label.

Its amazing that Pippen didn't get a reputation as a lock down defender when these guys are among the best out there. Obviously Lebron's speed would be very problematic for the league.

Hill and Dominique are qualified scorers. Top defenders are Rodman, Anthony Mason and Pippen. Pippen had real trouble with Hill and Dominique. Rodman slowed them all down (can't recall him on Hill tho) in several instances but Dominique got him good on a few as well.

At the SG position are Finley, Sprewell, Hardaway and Payton are the other wing players that make the cut as top ten scorers. I think reggie Miller made it one year too.

This is not impressive at all.


That is because it is a horrible list. Did you really compare Mullin to Mike Miller? Rice to Webster?

:facepalm

Ever hear of a guy named Mashburn? Gill?

No mention of Drexler and Mitch Richmond among the SGs?

Wow

[97 bulls]

Top scoring SFin the 90's.

The top SF scorers in the 90's at SF position are Nique and Hill who are very different from the rest, then there's Chris Mullin, *Glenn Robinson, Glenn Rice, and Antoine Walker - its one of the worse decades for SF's. The 90's favored shooters and guys with moves from this position. The argument for speed and quicness to succeed is that Sprewell, primarily at SG tho, who is only quick, didn't have much moves, comes in like 7th in scoring one year. All of these guys cracked the top 10 in scoring in the decade. I can't think of an argument against speed and quickness from a SF scorer.

Chris Mullin was a very slow shooter with a few moves - Very similar to a healthy Mike Miller.

Glenn Rice another guy for the all slow motion team. Good shooter. Wasn't good with the dribble. A rich mans Martell Webster.

Antoine Walker shot 414% for his career, but 32.5 from 3 point land. Had moves though - best one was the head shimmy after a made basket. Was slow and couldn't defend.

Glenn Robinson - like all listed above he is slow as molasses and sucked at defense. Had good power moves and could make an open three. He was consistent in his output but like Antoine has the lazy label.

Its amazing that Pippen didn't get a reputation as a lock down defender when these guys are among the best out there. Obviously Lebron's speed would be very problematic for the league.

Hill and Dominique are qualified scorers. Top defenders are Rodman, Anthony Mason and Pippen. Pippen had real trouble with Hill and Dominique. Rodman slowed them all down (can't recall him on Hill tho) in several instances but Dominique got him good on a few as well.

At the SG position are Finley, Sprewell, Hardaway and Payton are the other wing players that make the cut as top ten scorers. I think reggie Miller made it one year too.

This is not impressive at all.
What years are you basing this on? I find it too hard to make any fair assesment because players careers overlap, positions change, injuries. Theres far too many variables to make this determination.


I do feel the Center position has been terrible over the last decade. And you can base that on any particular year.

[JellyBean]

I am sure that there are more than just four players who could play in the rugged '80s and 90s. I actually think D-Wade could thrive in that '80s and '90s basketball era. Kyrie Irving is another that comes to mind. KG could play he just would not be doing any of that silly barking and trying to punk a player. I love KG but Xavier McDaniel or a Charles Oakley would put a stop to that silly stuff.

[longhornfan1234]

Wade couldn't make it in the 90's. It takes a certain toughness and skill. MJ, Drexler, and Miller are clearly superior than Wade.

[NumberSix]

Wade couldn't make it in the 90's. It takes a certain toughness and skill. MJ, Drexler, and Miller are clearly superior than Wade.
Don't forget steve Kerr and Jeff Horacek. You know, the "tough guys".

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

Don't forget steve Kerr and Jeff Horacek. You know, the "tough guys".
i'll tell you what, and you probably don't care because i doubt you were a miami heat fan in 2006. wade would have been a little more cautious recklessly driving to the hoop like he was constantly doing that year.

[NumberSix]

i'll tell you what, and you probably don't care because i doubt you were a miami heat fan in 2006. wade would have been a little more cautious recklessly driving to the hoop like he was constantly doing that year.
Wrong again Bob, but I can see why you would think that with absolutely no evidence to suggest it to be the case.

[kenny817]

Dirk is pretty soft, if that's what MJ was basing his statement off of.


Negged you noob

[GOBB_Junior]

he only named guys with rings.

to mj, rings are everything. it's his subtle way of telling everybody he's always above magic and bird, no discussion.


Thank God David Stern named the Finals MVP Award after Bill " I have 5 more rings than Jordan" Russell.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2009/writers/steve_aschburner/02/26/nba.mortality/bill-russell.p1.jpg

[Pointguard]

That is because it is a horrible list. Did you really compare Mullin to Mike Miller? Rice to Webster?

:facepalm

Ever hear of a guy named Mashburn? Gill?

No mention of Drexler and Mitch Richmond among the SGs?

Wow
I had Richmond on my other list in my post I cut this from (Lebron in the 1990's). Cut and paste missed him. Jordan often said he was the best wing player of that generation.

Monster Mash I just totally missed - he did make the top ten list once in the 90's, got hurt early in his career. Over the decade he scored over 20ppg only three times when he played full time. Averaged 47 games played per season over his 13 years. A slight overlook... Don't try to pretend he was some huge miss.

A healthy Miller wasn't bad, he shot the three ball better than Mullin in general and could have the ocassional explosive game like Mullin. Mullin was really prolific for three years in the 90's in that run TMC format where he took a lot of shots. When they were taking the same amount of shots they were very similar - maybe you can tell me the difference?

But please discuss content. Those guys would get totally demolished by Durant on both sides of the ball. Lebron would have a much easier time back then. Mello would be much better on these guys. Wade would be dunking a heck of a lot more. KG would be one of the quicker SF's. Derrick Rose and Chris Paul. You believe in that nonsense MJ said? Really - I grew up 80's and 90's. He's lost his mind.

[GOBB_Junior]

The top 30 players today could play in the 1980's-1990's.

[kenny817]

LeBron = greatest defender of all time in the 90's.


Jason Terry laughs at you

[Heavincent]

The top 30 players today could play in the 1980's-1990's.

Just post on your Lebron23 account retard.

[eliteballer]

...yet he says Durant is coming up right behind Kobe and LeBron:oldlol:

[NumberSix]

Jason Terry laughs at you
Because LeBron fails while defending Jason Terry in the 90's, right?

[GOBB_Junior]

Just post on your Lebron23 account retard.

Just Shut the F*ck up!!. You are a terrible poster. You have Kobe's nuts inside your mouth.

[Pointguard]

Thank God David Stern named the Finals MVP Award after Bill " I have 5 more rings than Jordan" Russell.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2009/writers/steve_aschburner/02/26/nba.mortality/bill-russell.p1.jpg
Yes, If he's doing a ring count then he's given up on being number one. Russell would have to be almost twice as good as himself.

[kenny817]

Because LeBron fails while defending Jason Terry in the 90's, right?

Lol he couldn't guard him in any era. Scrub now without Dirk tho

[NumberSix]

Just Shut the F*ck up!!. You are a terrible poster. You have Kobe's nuts inside your mouth.
No, but you don't understand. He a Nets fan. He barely ever talks about Kobe. :rolleyes:

[GOBB_Junior]

Yes, If he's doing a ring count then he's given up on being number one. Russell would have to be almost twice as good as himself.


I like Michael Jordan, But I don't see him sincerely congratulating the NBA Finals MVP Recipients.

David Stern picked Russell because he's the ultimate team player, and his ego is not as big as MJ.

11 championships in 13 years. Someone already posted his Finals stats. Russell was a great Finals performer.

[La Frescobaldi]

I like Michael Jordan, But I don't see him sincerely congratulating the NBA Finals MVP Recipients.

David Stern picked Russell because he's the ultimate team player, and his ego is not as big as MJ.

11 championships in 13 years. Someone already posted his Finals stats. Russell was a great Finals performer.

Bill Russell's ego is thousands of miles beyond the stratosphere.

[ralph_i_el]

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/page/Michael-Jordan/michael-jordan-not-left-building

No KG, Wade, Durant, etc?


:applause: renowned talent judge Michael Jordan

[tontoz]

I had Richmond on my other list in my post I cut this from (Lebron in the 1990's). Cut and paste missed him. Jordan often said he was the best wing player of that generation.

Monster Mash I just totally missed - he did make the top ten list once in the 90's, got hurt early in his career. Over the decade he scored over 20ppg only three times when he played full time. Averaged 47 games played per season over his 13 years. A slight overlook... Don't try to pretend he was some huge miss.

A healthy Miller wasn't bad, he shot the three ball better than Mullin in general and could have the ocassional explosive game like Mullin. Mullin was really prolific for three years in the 90's in that run TMC format where he took a lot of shots. When they were taking the same amount of shots they were very similar - maybe you can tell me the difference?

But please discuss content. Those guys would get totally demolished by Durant on both sides of the ball. Lebron would have a much easier time back then. Mello would be much better on these guys. Wade would be dunking a heck of a lot more. KG would be one of the quicker SF's. Derrick Rose and Chris Paul. You believe in that nonsense MJ said? Really - I grew up 80's and 90's. He's lost his mind.


Demolished by Durant, so weak he probably couldnt do 10 pushups? Put the hand check back in play and Durant would be even more turnover prone and wouldn't be getting free passes to the line all game. It would be much tougher for him to get clean looks. I think he would be the guy most aversely affected by the old rules.

Jordan used to get hammered routinely because nobody could stop him which is why he got into weightlifting. No way could Durant take that pounding and maintain his current production.

Lebron would be Lebron in any era, but he would have a tougher time against Pippen/Rodman than he has against anyone he faces now. And don't forget Xman who could also probably defend him better than anyone today.

Wade would be ready to retire by now if he played back then. He has already had a bunch of injury problems from all the times he has hit the floor, which would happen alot more back then. A flagrant 2 now was just a hard foul back then.

I am not talking about what MJ said. He is clearly bitter that Lebron is challenging his legacy. I am talking about the nonsensical posts i am seeing. there are a bunch of undersized 2s starting now that would have no chance against MJ. MJ would win the scoring title every year playing now without the hand check.

[Heavincent]

No, but you don't understand. He a Nets fan. He barely ever talks about Kobe. :rolleyes:

Says the Heat/Lakers fan :roll:

[creepingdeath]

Kobe, Timmy, Dirk, Lebron

Sounds about right. The master has spoken. :pimp:

[tontoz]

And comparing Miller to Mullin is flat out nuts. Mullin wasn't fast running the floor but his release on his shot was much faster than Miller. Miller had to be open with his feet set to make a j. Mullin could get his shot off even when someone was on him because he had a quick release and didn't need to be squared up.

I seriously doubt Mike Miller could drop 38 on the '91 Bulls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHg736-JiWQ


Miller has never even averaged 19 for a season. Mullin had 5 straight seasons averaging 25+.

[The-Legend-24]

Guys like James Harden would be putting up 30+ if they played in the 90's. :oldlol:

[andgar923]

MJ is one of the few that have played in the 80s, 90s, and 00k era. He's also intimately involved in today's era, and has played vs some of the best every era has to offer.

I think it was a throwaway comment and not something he gave much thought. Either way, im sure he has some insight that very few do.

[KG215]

Didn't Jordan say something about Durant "is coming" when Ahmad asked him about KD? I don't know, that makes it sound like Durant would be good enough to play in his era. Granted, there's obviously more than those 4 from this era that could've played and been very good players in the 80's and 90's.

But I don't think he meant for it to be taken that way anyway.

[KG215]

MJ is one of the few that have played in the 80s, 90s, and 00k era.
Interesting trivia question...sorta. Just because this made me start trying to remember players that were around during Magic and Bird's prime, the prime of Jordan and other greats in the 90's, and the earl to mid 00's when Shaq, Kobe, Duncan, and Garnett were in their prime. The first three that came to mind were Jordan, Malone, and Stockton. And A.C. Green, too, just because I knew he was on the Showtime Lakers and on the first Shaq/Kobe Laker championship team.

[tontoz]

Guys like James Harden would be putting up 30+ if they played in the 90's. :oldlol:


Right, because todays defenders at the 2 are so tough.

Curry
Monta
Beal
Waiters
Gordon (Eric and Ben)
Harden
Redick
Terry
Crawford

They didn't have shutdown defenders like that in the 90s.

[NumberSix]

Right, because todays defenders at the 2 are so tough.

Curry
Monta
Beal
Waiters
Gordon (Eric and Ben)
Harden
Redick
Terry
Crawford

They didn't have shutdown defenders like that in the 90s.
Yes, because as EVERYBODY knows, we're now living in the era of man-to-man defense.

[tontoz]

Yes, because as EVERYBODY knows, we're now living in the era of man-to-man defense.


Man to man has been the dominant defense in every era, including this one. Very few teams play much zone. I think Dallas was the only team i saw using it with any regularity.

Guard scoring went up as soon as the new rules went into effect.

[hitmanyr2k]

:applause: @ bolded

This is the point that so many people miss when addressing how people would perform in different eras. A person (especially great players) plays the way the game is played during their time. If rules, styles, etc. change the players have the ability to adjust. We see it all the time. Great players often adapt to the different defenses of the opponents they face during the course of a season.

Yeah, I saw how the players adapted to "tough" defenses in this era. They flopped their asses off :oldlol: It wasn't enough for offensive players that Stern handcuffed defenders in 2005 to inflate their scoring numbers. They started flailing and screaming like bitches to get even more cheap whistles. I'm not surprised Jordan is trolling the league after having to witness the kind of bullshit players have pulled.

[plowking]

I absolutely agree actually. Wade *****s way way too much to make it in that era, Durant is too weak, KG...idk he could probably do it but who knows how he'd deal with real tough guys.

Against the so called physical defenses of todays basketball, Wade has performed better than Kobe or Lebron in that regard. Jordan is an idiot.

[jlip]

Yeah, I saw how the players adapted to "tough" defenses in this era. They flopped their asses off :oldlol: It wasn't enough for offensive players that Stern handcuffed defenders in 2005 to inflate their scoring numbers. They started flailing and screaming like bitches to get even more cheap whistles. I'm not surprised Jordan is trolling the league after having to witness the kind of bullshit players have pulled.

Evidently you confuse me with one of these young fans who just started watching in the Kobe era. I'm actually older than Kobe himself and started watching the game right before MJ entered his prime. I never once made made any declarations about either era being "tough." I spoke of the ability of players (great players especially) to transcend eras by adapting to the rules and styles of whatever era they are in. If flopping is what is "en vogue" during an era, guess what, the players will do that. If it is restricted via rule and referee enforcement then players will limit it just as they are doing this season. In addition to that, flopping became popular during MJ's era. Did you ever see Rodman and Reggie Miller play?

Also, I love how history is being rewritten. I remember the Bad Boy Pistons complaining about MJ crying to the refs. I remember during their championship runs opposing teams and players speaking of how the Bulls were the recipients of favorable treatment from refs benefiting from ticky tack, touch fouls. I remember this Dream Team photo with Magic, Bird, and MJ (http://www.interbasket.net/news/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/dream-team-newsweek-bird-jordan-magic.jpg), with Magic jokingly saying to Bird like, "Don't get too close to Michael, you might get called for a foul."

I'm not here to determine which era was tougher. I really don't care, but as I said in another post I'm a little tired of my generation turning into our parents embracing this "Back in the day, everything was so tough we had to walk 10 miles up a hill, barefoot, in the snow just to go to the bathroom" mentality. The Wilt generation said the same thing about the Magic, Bird, and MJ era, claiming that Wilt would average 70 points in the 80's and 90's. The truth is ultimately we can't definitively conclude which era was tougher. At the end of the day, people are emotionally attached to whatever era they played in or grew up watching. In 2040, 15 year olds today who are watching Lebron, will be telling their children that whoever the superstar is at that time would not be able to play in the "tough Lebron era."

[Lakers_Kobe_Fan]

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/page/Michael-Jordan/michael-jordan-not-left-building

No KG, Wade, Durant, etc?

durant would go cry to her mama every time he is fouled hard.....

[kNicKz]

No KG, Wade, Durant, etc?

Dude is literally the golden boy of a rule changed league

[Lebron23]

Where's Carmelo Anthony?

Melo is better than Glenn Rice, Chris Mullins, Steve Smith, and a better playoffs performer than Pistons Grant Hill.

He's a top 5 player in the NBA this season.

[kNicKz]

Where's Carmelo Anthony?

Melo is better than Glenn Rice, Chris Mullins, Steve Smith, and a better playoffs performer than Pistons Grant Hill.

He's a top 5 player in the NBA this season.

Obviously more than 4 ****ing players could play in the old NBA (even bitchass wade). Jordan is trolling as usual. It's lonely at the top

[Pointguard]

Demolished by Durant, so weak he probably couldnt do 10 pushups? Put the hand check back in play and Durant would be even more turnover prone and wouldn't be getting free passes to the line all game. It would be much tougher for him to get clean looks. I think he would be the guy most aversely affected by the old rules.
Why wouldn't he be getting free looks? Bodybuilder Reggie Miller had a ton of them. Handcheck was primarily for post up players.

Below is a clip of the Championship Bull team guarding Chris Mullin. The Bulls were the best perimeter defending teams and Pippen is considered one of the best perimeter defenders. Please count the times, hand-checking comes into play or when a perimeter player is pushed up on. Notice the space Mullin has to deal with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHg736-JiWQ

And you think Durant would have a hard time?



Jordan used to get hammered routinely because nobody could stop him which is why he got into weightlifting. No way could Durant take that pounding and maintain his current production.

Durant is a perimeter player like Gervin. Mullin and Reggie Miller weren't getting beat up. Durant shot is not only faster, harder to block but he is vastly better off of the dribble.


Lebron would be Lebron in any era, but he would have a tougher time against Pippen/Rodman than he has against anyone he faces now. And don't forget Xman who could also probably defend him better than anyone today.
By the 90's Xman wasn't taking the tougher cover anymore - his injuries had settled in. Anthony Mason was the defensive stopper on the Knicks and he probably was one of the best defenders around for like three years he was really good. Rodman I say would be Lebrons toughest cover. He never faced somebody like Lebron. Rodman's Achilles heel? Guess what? The only time Rodman had to guard a 6-8 quick fast player? I recall him getting lit up with frequency. Worthy when healthy and playing above 25 minutes averaged significantly above his regular season average on Rodman and the same applies in the post season.

Rodman the best man on defender in the 90's. Its only the last play that he's guarding Jordan close. Hand checking begins below the foul line. Notice the distance he gives Jordan at 20-16 feet. Most players now hit the 18 footer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4ZlHwMstDc

Pippen had real problems with Nique and Hill and never dealt with anybody who has the speed, quickness and power of James. Nobody has.

Iggy, Deng, Allen, Battier, Wade, Prince, Lebron and Sefalosha are all exceptional defenders.

K Leonard, Gerald Wallace, Paul George, Matt Barnes are all very good defenders. Definitely would play Mullin better than Pippen does in that video above. Its a bit unfair, as it is one game but thats how I recall defense on the regular back then on the perimeter.

[jstern]

Didn't Jordan say something about Durant "is coming" when Ahmad asked him about KD? I don't know, that makes it sound like Durant would be good enough to play in his era. Granted, there's obviously more than those 4 from this era that could've played and been very good players in the 80's and 90's.

But I don't think he meant for it to be taken that way anyway.
He was clearly talking about players who have won championship, whether they would be as successful, but people are just going by the OP's title. Obviously Durant could play in any era.

[LakersForlife]

if lebron,kobe,durant,wade,shaq,paul,melo played in jordans era.jordan wouldnt win 6 titles.he will get 1 or 2 titles

[NumberSix]

if lebron,kobe,durant,wade,shaq,paul,melo played in jordans era.jordan wouldnt win 6 titles.he will get 1 or 2 titles
:wtf:

[LakersForlife]

:wtf:
rofl maybe not. and in the nba today got better midrange shooters its almost automatic.not in the 80 - mid 90s where defenders will sag off their man

[LakersForlife]

:applause: renowned talent judge Michael Jordan
oh yah its the same dude who drafted kwame ass

[KOBE143]

I disappointed with this MJ statement.. He's obviously lying..

I thought he will only choose Kobe.. I know Jordan was just being generous here but deep inside of him, he believes that only Kobe can play and dominate in his era.. I understand him for lying cos people may think he's just being biased if he only choose Kobe because we know Jordan is one of the biggest if not the biggest Kobe fans in the world..

[Kovach]

I had Richmond on my other list in my post I cut this from (Lebron in the 1990's). Cut and paste missed him. Jordan often said he was the best wing player of that generation.

That probably is not far away from the truth. I remember I've seen the guy post up on Shaq and score over him. He was such a beast, shame he got stuck on crappy teams.

[TOUCH MY BODY]

http://24.media.tumblr.com/aa669b7bda198c407af4adef8d95e94a/tumblr_mg479fAPG41s05q9uo2_400.jpg

[R.I.P.]

They asked him which players would be AS successful in his era and he listed four of the six or seven best players of the last 15 years. It really is a totally uncomplicated and simple statement. It

[Asukal]

[QUOTE=R.I.P.]They asked him which players would be AS successful in his era and he listed four of the six or seven best players of the last 15 years. It really is a totally uncomplicated and simple statement. It

[Doranku]

Guys like James Harden would be putting up 30+ if they played in the 90's. :oldlol:

Is this a joke? James Harden is the definition of manufactured star. Dude scores 33% of his points on FTs. That's right. One of every third points he scores is a free throw.

You think dude is getting those kind of calls in the 80's/90's? :roll:

[tontoz]

Why wouldn't he be getting free looks? Bodybuilder Reggie Miller had a ton of them. Handcheck was primarily for post up players.





You have got to be kidding with this comparison. Miller was a runner. Durant isn't.

When asked about Bruce Bowen's defense and how he handled it Miller said, "he can't hold what he can't catch".

Durant is so tall that he can receive the ball any time even when guarded. He is not running around all the time to get open like Miller or more recently Rip Hamilton.

Straight from the ESPN scouting report on Durant:


Scouting report
+ Tall, long-armed scoring prodigy with unblockable release. Deadly in transition.
+ Great foul shooter. Lacks strength. Struggles to get open against physical D.
+ Good handle and improved passer. Length an asset on defense and boards.


http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/player/hollinger/_/id/3202/kevin-durant

If he struggles to get open now what would happen when more contact is allowed.

[Jasper]

MJ was refering to impact in and onto the league ....

many players could play at a high level , such as Griffin , CP3 , D-Will , and others ,, even Moute'

The bottom line is that any discussions in or affecting Jordan , is based on a guy that thought no one was better than him.

All I can say is that MJ has ton's of money and hope the dude still whip's his a$$ :oldlol:

[tontoz]

rofl maybe not. and in the nba today got better midrange shooters its almost automatic.not in the 80 - mid 90s where defenders will sag off their man


:roll:

Over the last 7 years Kobe hasn't shot better than 42% from 16-23 feet. Is that what you call automatic?

The best midrange shooters now may shoot roughly 50% on their jumpers, hardly automatic.

Dirk makes his living on midrange shots and he shoots 49% from 10-15 feet, 44% from 16-23 feet.

http://www.hoopdata.com/player.aspx?name=Dirk%20Nowitzki

[KingBeasley08]

MJ is high. Durant would be a superstar in the 90s. lol at people stopping his jumpshot. The overrating of the past is going crazy now lmao

[jlip]

This thread and others on MJ's comments of late and the level of attention those comments are getting remind me of something I said some time ago. In this information age, (instant media, Facebook, twitter, YouTube, blogs, and message boards) anything a person says or does can quickly be blown up, (mis)interpreted, overly analyzed, and commented on by millions of people in a matter of minutes. In some way this is an advantage that those who played before the internet became so popular and mainstream had. Every single thing they said or did was not microscopically dissected by the "average joe" on a message board. So players in the past were slightly more shielded from and less "exposed" to the public than the players today.

Today if Lebron, Kobe, or Wade sneezes while a little baby is being pushed in a stroller, a blog about is written. If either of them makes an offhanded comment about a teammate or coach, an opportunistic reporter with a cell phone can capture it and instantly send it to the world where every one can give their opinion. Then we turn around and say, "Could you imagine Magic, Bird, or MJ ever saying or doing that?", when in reality they probably did, but the media technology of their day was not sufficient to capture it.

Let's be real. A lot of things that are easily exposed on a daily basis about players today such as locker room conversations, team meetings, stupid comments, fights in practice, etc. were only revealed in "tell all" books or special reports in regards to players of previous decades.

[Pointguard]

You have got to be kidding with this comparison. Miller was a runner. Durant isn't.

When asked about Bruce Bowen's defense and how he handled it Miller said, "he can't hold what he can't catch".

Durant is so tall that he can receive the ball any time even when guarded. He is not running around all the time to get open like Miller or more recently Rip Hamilton.

Straight from the ESPN scouting report on Durant:

Scouting report
+ Tall, long-armed scoring prodigy with unblockable release. Deadly in transition.
+ Great foul shooter. Lacks strength. Struggles to get open against physical D.
+ Good handle and improved passer. Length an asset on defense and boards.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/player/hollinger/_/id/3202/kevin-durant

If he struggles to get open now what would happen when more contact is allowed.

I showed you a video, actually you posted the video yourself I see, and Mullin one of the best shooters in the game rarely had anybody near him in a 38 point game win against a hungry Bulls striving for their first championship team. The best perimeter defending team and the top 2 perimeter defenders in the 90's in a very close game. Mullin is not pressured once and only is guarded somewhat close twice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHg736-JiWQ

No way possible Durant only gets 50 points on the Bulls in that game. And you posted this video. Even the announcer even says, at 6:30 that Chris Mullin is "deceptively slow!"

Durant is deceptively fast. You overplay him he's going backdoor. He can catch and shoot as good as Ray Allen or Reggie Miller. And he can dribble and shoot as good as anybody who ever played the sport.

[La Frescobaldi]

I showed you a video, actually you posted the video yourself I see, and Mullin one of the best shooters in the game rarely had anybody near him in a 38 point game win against a hungry Bulls striving for their first championship team. The best perimeter defending team and the top 2 perimeter defenders in the 90's in a very close game. Mullin is not pressured once and only is guarded somewhat close twice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHg736-JiWQ

No way possible Durant only gets 50 points on the Bulls in that game. And you posted this video. Even the announcer even says, at 6:30 that Chris Mullin is "deceptively slow!"

Durant is deceptively fast. You overplay him he's going backdoor. He can catch and shoot as good as Ray Allen or Reggie Miller. And he can dribble and shoot as good as anybody who ever played the sport.

He is truly elite, no doubt about it. On offense. His defense needs a lot of work.

[The Choken One]

:facepalm

Typical "back in our day...." garbage that all old people are prone to do. Nothing to be taken seriously here.

Anybody today would be able to to play in ANY era, and be just as successful in it period
Kevin Durant would average about 15 points per game in the 90's. He's incredibly soft and bailed out by the refs more often then not, and not to mention the more physical defenses he would be up against. Durant would struggle bad.

[PJR]

Kevin Durant would average about 15 points per game in the 90's.

With all due respect,


Shut the **** up.

[SilkkTheShocker]

Is Durant all of sudden get shorter in the 90s? He would still be a near 7 footer with unlimited range.

[KG215]

[QUOTE=R.I.P.]They asked him which players would be AS successful in his era and he listed four of the six or seven best players of the last 15 years. It really is a totally uncomplicated and simple statement. It

[Kingwillball]

Melo would be top 5 in scoring in any Era, CP3 would be be top 5 in Assists in any Era ..A healthy D12 Would be a Force in any era with Blocked Shots and Rebounds .. Didnt see any of those guys listed and that is just scratching the surface.

[tontoz]

I showed you a video, actually you posted the video yourself I see, and Mullin one of the best shooters in the game rarely had anybody near him in a 38 point game win against a hungry Bulls striving for their first championship team. The best perimeter defending team and the top 2 perimeter defenders in the 90's in a very close game. Mullin is not pressured once and only is guarded somewhat close twice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHg736-JiWQ

No way possible Durant only gets 50 points on the Bulls in that game. And you posted this video. Even the announcer even says, at 6:30 that Chris Mullin is "deceptively slow!"

Durant is deceptively fast. You overplay him he's going backdoor. He can catch and shoot as good as Ray Allen or Reggie Miller. And he can dribble and shoot as good as anybody who ever played the sport.

That video didn't show the whole game. It did show Mullin driving and scoring in traffic several times.

You ignore the fact that Durant can't run around screens to get open like Allen or Miller. "Deceptively fast" is like saying a girl has a nice personality. Relative to the average 3 he is definitely slow. His combine athletic testing was laughably bad. He excels because of his height and his skills.

[hitmanyr2k]

Evidently you confuse me with one of these young fans who just started watching in the Kobe era. I'm actually older than Kobe himself and started watching the game right before MJ entered his prime. I never once made made any declarations about either era being "tough." I spoke of the ability of players (great players especially) to transcend eras by adapting to the rules and styles of whatever era they are in. If flopping is what is "en vogue" during an era, guess what, the players will do that. If it is restricted via rule and referee enforcement then players will limit it just as they are doing this season. In addition to that, flopping became popular during MJ's era. Did you ever see Rodman and Reggie Miller play?

I'm talking about flopping primarily on offense. That kind of crap was never en vogue in the 80's or 90's. Reggie Miller used to do his little kick the leg out BS when shooting a three pointer and he was vilified for it. It became more common place in this era which is why they had to make a rule to stop it. You didn't see Jordan or any other swingman of the 80's and 90's flailing their arms like they got shot out of a cannon and screaming "HEY" ala Kobe to trick officials into calling a foul. You didn't see swingmen dribbling into a defender and snapping their necks back ala Paul Pierce or doing that lame rip-through move and throwing the ball up to get cheap whistles. You know it's gotten out of hand when the league has to make rules to control flopping.


Also, I love how history is being rewritten. I remember the Bad Boy Pistons complaining about MJ crying to the refs. I remember during their championship runs opposing teams and players speaking of how the Bulls were the recipients of favorable treatment from refs benefiting from ticky tack, touch fouls. I remember this Dream Team photo with Magic, Bird, and MJ (http://www.interbasket.net/news/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/dream-team-newsweek-bird-jordan-magic.jpg), with Magic jokingly saying to Bird like, "Don't get too close to Michael, you might get called for a foul."

Are you kidding me with this shit? If you think Magic was kidding around like that that back then what the hell do you think he would say now? :oldlol: Jordan didn't get anywhere near the free throw treatment these stars got in this era. NOWHERE near. I've made this clear before.

During the 1st 3-peat in his Prime Jordan averaged 7-8 free throws at best (which is pretty much less than most star swingmen today especially with the amount of ball dominance and shots he was taking) and factor in that he barely took any threes as well...

'91 - Jordan averaged 8 free throws on 22 shots a game.
'92 - averaged 7 free throws on 23 shots a game
'93 - averaged a whopping 26 shots a game and his free throw average stayed at roughly 7 a game.

Compare Jordan to someone like Wade (who was basically Jordan-lite) -
2005 - Wade on 17 shots a game averaged 10 free throws
2006 - on 19 shots a game averaged 11 free throws (increased tenfold in the Finals)
2007 - on 19 shots a game averaged 11 free throws
2008+ on 19-20 shots a game his free throw averages have been between 9-10

Guys like Kevin Durant who are primarily jumpshooters and take 5+ threes a game STILL averaged more free throw attempts than Prime Jordan. Is James Harden still gonna get his bullshit calls and average 10 free throws a game on only 17 shots in the 90's? Even overrated bums like Corey Maggette were getting to the line 9-10 times a game in this crap era.

So put it in perspective. You have guys that averaged 2-3 more free throws than Prime Jordan on anywhere from 4-10 less shots a game and Jordan was the one who got star treatment? :oldlol: Obviously Jordan played in an era where the refs didn't blow the whistle as much while this league is in an era that's more than willing to parade their stars to the foul line. This era also have no legit big men/enforcers/shotblockers, and that ridiculous 3 second defensive rule. Yeah, I can see why Jordan would troll the league today.



I'm not here to determine which era was tougher. I really don't care, but as I said in another post I'm a little tired of my generation turning into our parents embracing this "Back in the day, everything was so tough we had to walk 10 miles up a hill, barefoot, in the snow just to go to the bathroom" mentality. The Wilt generation said the same thing about the Magic, Bird, and MJ era, claiming that Wilt would average 70 points in the 80's and 90's. The truth is ultimately we can't definitively conclude which era was tougher. At the end of the day, people are emotionally attached to whatever era they played in or grew up watching. In 2040, 15 year olds today who are watching Lebron, will be telling their children that whoever the superstar is at that time would not be able to play in the "tough Lebron era."

Let's hope not because I can't imagine the league getting any softer than it is right now.

[mentallooser]

Yea cuz Jordan totally had trouble putting points up.

[Kobe 4 The Win]

KG should be on that list. Dirk?

[NumberSix]

I don't know wtf MJ is talking about. There's plenty of dudes who started in the 90's who couldn't make the league at all today.

[Jailblazers7]

Jordan can barely draft players worthy of a roster spot but Im supposed to take this quote seriously?

[tmacattack33]

I'm thinking he might just be a little mad about how terrible of a GM is...so his way to deal with it is to just say that all the players of today (besides 4) suck, instead of dealing with the fact that there are some great players out there today and he has no idea how to scout their talent.

[ThunderKat]

With all due respect,


Shut the **** up.

You said with all due respect.. :applause:

[305Baller]

Rolling my eyes @ Jordan.

[gengiskhan]

Jordan is correct about Kobe, He'll be Drexler-like stat wise & performances wise in '90s.

[NumberSix]

Jordan is correct about Kobe, He'll be Drexler-like stat wise & performances wise in '90s.
Huh? Jordan never said that.

[gengiskhan]

Huh? Jordan never said that.

I'm saying it.

Even though Kobe is clearly more skilled than Drexler OFFENSIVELY, his stamina & endurance is average compared to Drexler

in other words, '90s physical D & severe Handchecking & constant help defense will tire kobe out & him & drexler will have identical stats.

[Round Mound]

If you've ever handchecked someone 30 or even 20 lbs heavier you know how useless it is. For it to have any affect/leverage you have to plant your feet hard. For a guy that weights 40 lbs and fast its a pure joke. Nobody handchecked Malone or Barkley if they did they just spent off of them, which is easeir than making a move. Lebron is as heavy and way quicker then Malone or Barkley.

:no:

Lebron is 250 lbs at Best and His Not a Faster Runner than Karl Malone or Quicker than Barkley in Smaller Spaced Situations. Barkley was 260 lbs On His Best Prime Years But With the Rockets...The Dude Was Around 280 lbs and Karl Malone Bulked up to be Around 280 lbs in the 90s Aswell.

Lebron is a Better Ballhandler than Barkley and Malone Because He is a Point-Forward But He Aint Faster or Close to as Strong as These Guys Where.

[SevereUpInHere]

Pretty funny this dude didn't even mention any players who are signed to his own damn label.