1998 Jordan gets underrated by most here.

[Smoke117]

pippen's defense won matches in the 1998 playoffs.

You are confused...don't you know defense means nothing?! This is Michael Jordan were talking about! Forget that Scottie Pippen was the favorite for the FMVP through the first four games of the 98 finals when the Bulls were 3-1 until he hurt is back in game 5 and the Jazz won.

[Magic 32]

That's not true, remove LeCock from your mouth.

You're warping the context to prop LeBron up. LeBron headed to Miami and picked Wade and Bosh specifically to play with for a reason. LeBron doesn't have to do all that ... but his game is kind of selfish in a different way, that in order for him to be engaged he has to do all of that or else he stands around and becomes apathetic or un-engaged.

If he could do everything you say, and all he needed was interior defense and rebounding ... he would've stayed in Cleveland, or went to Chicago. He picked Miami because of Wade.

LeBron's off the ball game is atrocious. Let's not act like even hobbled D-Wade wasn't creating plays when given opportunities. And he'd be in even more rhythm to do it if LeBron didn't have to dominate the ball as much. His game demands he do everything. LeBron is so versatile and talented, that he's a jack of all trades, but can't master any thing in particular in order to play a role when needed to allow teammates game's to flourish.

Wade and Bosh aren't Wade and Bosh anymore. By '91, MJ pulled his game back, became a utility man in order to let Pippen grow. And it worked. it seems like for Miami to win, Wade and Bosh had to make a conscious effort to play second fiddle. That's why it's amazing they keep winning, their games (specifically LeBron and Wade) become redundant. They both can't be on the top of their games producing max effort at the same time. They keep winning because they are just so much more talented than the rest of the league.

Stop pretending like Bron is dragging scrubs. Otherwise he wouldn't have shot his legend in the foot by looking like a coward heading to Miami in the first place.

Brilliant post

TonyMontana and madmax just got annihilated.

Lebron is the Tom Cruise of basketball stars. He has to dominate the action in order to be great. He can't scale back his play or operate like a surgeon like Jordan and Kobe did in the triangle.

Look at his best games. They were never turn on/turn off games. He has to dominate everything. Great when it works, but it often collapses.

[andgar923]

I made a thread comparing Kobe to Mj. And I chose the 98 season for a reason.

It is the ONLY season that any player today comes close, and that's mostly due to Mj's athletic deterioration.

But MJ was miles ahead of anybody today mentally.

Whatever he lacked in athleticism he more than made up with his mind. In the vid the OP posted he split many possible double and triple teams and he avoided some that could've turned into them if he held the ball a second longer. But like he mentioned, 'mentally' he can kick their asses.

Kobe is the closest as far as actual skills: Technique

His technique is where Kobe is eerily reminiscent of MJ at times. The difference? Mj is more consistent and smarter. Not only is he slightly better technically speaking, he's clearly better at applying said technique. Paul Pierce comes in 2nd behind Kobe imo. Pierce like Kobe, has great balance, footowork and knows how to set up his shot and create for himself.

And even tho his athleticism faded in 98, it was by no means completely gone. We still saw some explosiveness on a consistent basis. We saw the first step he was feared for, the explosive quick jumping that caught big men off guard. It wasn't that big men weren't in the paint or didn't want to challenge MJ. He was simply too fast for them to attempt. He got them out of position many times, and when they did challenge, he just swiveled his way in mid air like he did vs Duncan in the video.

MJ in unparalleled

I wouldn't take any version of Kobe or Bron.

Although Kobe is the closest skills wise, he's simply too dumb, I don't trust him. Would you trust him with your life? honest question

[AintNoSunshine]

Call me insane, but I would not trade (for just that season) MJ for current Lebron or prime Kobe. Lebron and prime Kobe might have been better players than a 35 year old Jordan, but I don't think they would have the mental strengh and the aura of invincibilityto lead those Bulls to a title.

EDIT: Instead of most, read "by some".

Lets just say MJ and Lebron is better for their own respective teams because their teams needs were different. 98 MJ wouldnt work as well in Lebrons place.

Kobe tho I agree youre better off with MJ because their game is similar but MJ was just better

[TheMan]

What does Jordan do to stop guys like Hibbert/Duncan/Robinson/big men?

Nothing. His team just had better rebounders and interior defenders. See 1995 without Horace Grant/Rodman and look at how Shaq/Horace destroyed them. Bulls didn't win shit when in the same boat as LeBrons Heat.

I don't think anyone has ever argued that these Heat teams are better than the 90s Bulls. These Heat teams are one of the most FLAWED champions of all-time. No other champion has ever had as glaring a weakness in the interior as the Heat.

LeBron has to be his teams best scorer, rebounder, perimeter defender, post defender, facilitator, ball handler EVERYTHING for his Heat to have a chance at winning against quality teams in the playoffs. He has performed beautifully when facing adversity these past two years. The best among any perimeter player ever.

Anyone that doesn't see LeBron is more valuable to his team is just a victim of Jordan propaganda or a Jordan dicksucker. Take your pick.

You a salty fa.ggot

[Nevaeh]

It was probably my favorite season from MJ.

Same for me. The 97-98 season was the first season where it didn't feel like he had a "cheat code" turned on, and basically had to rely on all of his basketball savvy accumulated over the years, now that Father Time was knocking on the door, and younger players were gunning for him.

This was also the season where he played the most like a "TEAM PLAYER" (yes, even more than his Wizards years), and finally had to trust guys more out of necessity, not so much because he liked it. But in the end it worked out for everybody, with Jordan still proving, even if you're old and slow (which this team was by the end of the season), you can still win on heart if you want it (Championship) bad enough.

[Soundwave]

You are confused...don't you know defense means nothing?! This is Michael Jordan were talking about! Forget that Scottie Pippen was the favorite for the FMVP through the first four games of the 98 finals when the Bulls were 3-1 until he hurt is back in game 5 and the Jazz won.

Good thing for the Bulls they had the best closer in the biz. They don't give out championships for 3 wins in a Finals series last time I checked.

I think his game 6 performance in '98 is possibly the greatest close out performance by any player in NBA history. You can't even write it any better than that if it was a movie.

[RRR3]

Brilliant post

TonyMontana and madmax just got annihilated.

Lebron is the Tom Cruise of basketball stars. He has to dominate the action in order to be great. He can't scale back his play or operate like a surgeon like Jordan and Kobe did in the triangle.

Look at his best games. They were never turn on/turn off games. He has to dominate everything. Great when it works, but it often collapses.

Kobe turned Nash into a spot up shooter you tard.

[Magic 32]

Kobe turned Nash into a spot up shooter you tard.

Is that the Nash with 1 or 1,5 legs?

Anyway, you know we are speaking the truth.

[TheMan]

jordan is overrated as fk on here

Another kid who never saw prime Jordan or else you wouldn't say retarded shit.

[D-Wade316]

I said it on another thread, 98 Jordan is better than peak or prime Kobe. 86, 95, and Wizards are the only years of Jordan I wouldn't take over peak or prime Kobe.

[OldSchoolBBall]

Not sure about '98 Jordan being better than peak Kobe, but he's definitely underrated, mostly because at first glance his stats (particularly efficiency) don't look too impressive. But you need to keep in mind that he cracked a knuckle and tore a ligament on the index finger of his shooting hand in preseason, and needed some time to adjust his form and his game to accommodate the injury. Look at the noticeable difference once he acclimated himself to the injury (the FT% for a career 84% FT shooter is clearly telling):

First 15 games: 27.5 pts/42.5% FG/71% FT/48% TS

Last 67 games: 29.0 ppg/48% FG/80% FT/55% TS

It's pretty clear that he would have posted close to the latter numbers for the entire season had he not injured his hand, which also would have brought his PER up from 25.2 (still great) to the 27-28 range. Especially when you consider that he then went on to average 32/6/4/48% FG/56% TS in the playoffs up until the Finals. At age 35. He also had tremendous defensive impact (see: the 1998 ECF vs. Indiana). And he did this with Pippen missing half the season and being the sole focus of the defense again for the first time since 1990. 1998 Jordan was still a beast.

[Carbine]

Anyone with a brain and no bias understands how inaccurate it is to say '98 MJ is better than Peak Kobe, or peak LeBron.

By the way most of the posters in here talk, he was god.

-Shot 24 percent on 3's
-3.5 assists per game
-.533 TS%

MJ is my favorite player of all time, but there's no freaking way he's just better than peak Kobe, and especially LeBron. You have to be a serious MJ slurper or just dumb to really believe that.

[andgar923]

Anyone with a brain and no bias understands how inaccurate it is to say '98 MJ is better than Peak Kobe, or peak LeBron.

By the way most of the posters in here talk, he was god.

-Shot 24 percent on 3's
-3.5 assists per game
-.533 TS%

MJ is my favorite player of all time, but there's no freaking way he's just better than peak Kobe, and especially LeBron. You have to be a serious MJ slurper or just dumb to really believe that.

So if your life is on the line who are you betting on?

A streaky ill advised stubborn inconsistent Kobe?

Bron who is constantly searching for an identity and will probably show up from time to time?

or MJ?

Don't concentrate too much on the numbers.

[Magic 32]

Anyone with a brain and no bias understands how inaccurate it is to say '98 MJ is better than Peak Kobe, or peak LeBron.

Well, we will never know, because 06 Kobe was forced to play video game basketball on a crappy team.

Imagine if the energy he used for 35 5 5 could have been spread to other areas of his game (better fg, lockdown defence, playoff scoring).

Look at Lebron. He used his superior team to inflate and protect his FG% all year. What could peak Kobe have done with a team like that.