MJ's former teammate: Lebron "absolutely" comparable to Michael at this stage

[pauk]

Ofcourse they are... looking at their impact, domination... simply them as talents, individual players...

[LeBird]

There's a Le in your name and it's obvious to anyone with eyes that you're a bigger Lebron homer than anything. So that little qualifying statement at the end doesn't make you more objective

The 'Le' part is a take on the fact that people didn't think Bird was the best physical specimen and it's quite clear that Lebron's the best there has been in the league. So in essence, a player that is essentially Bird but with Lebron's physical attributes i.e. the perfect player.

Not that I don't like Lebron - I like him a lot, he is a likeable guy and a great talent - I just don't like him anywhere near Bird and it's tough to admit that Lebron might indeed be the greatest SF ever. Which means I gotta put Bird at PF in my all-time team

[bond10]

They do this every year with Kobe, Wade, Lebron etc...remember when Pippen said Lebron > MJ?

[oh the horror]

Sure they're comparable



Kobe was "comparable" as well. Doesn't mean they had the same career.



Dudes keep reaching with this but sorry kids. He ain't living up to Mike either.

[Da_Realist]

I always thought(and continue to think) he might catch MJ in accolades if he kept up his level of play but never catch him as a player.

I agree with this...

With Lebron though we seem to be stuck in a cyclical pattern and a prisoner of the moment mentality. When he's playing well and leading his team to the Finals, people start favorably comparing him to MJ and hinting that he's better or could become better. However, in the past if/when Lebron has failed - and let's be honest he's failed miserably at times on the big stage - people point out that he yet again cannot measure up to MJ's skill, willpower, heart/determination, etc. etc. So then he gets castigated for "choking," "giving up" or having holes in his game. Both the Lebron worship and mockery are often overblown.

We are stuck in yet another prisoner of the moment mentality. Win or lose this year, Lebron will either be hoisted well above what he deserves for a 3/6 champion, albeit one who has played extremely well under trying circumstances this year. Or, with a 2/6 Finals record, we will once again hear how he can never be as good as Jordan and/or other GOAT candidate, even if he plays extremely well in the Finals and still loses.

...and this.

I don't think 80's MJ would have many issues in a weakened eastern conference with rules that would play into his hands along with the extinction of the big man. Don't think Atlanta would have knocked him off.

On the other hand, I also don't think we would have seen the best of MJ either. MJ was quick enough to blow by his man and take advantage of the open lanes even when he was older. He would have been 89 Jordan for his whole career. MJ evolved as a player because the league forced him to. Today's league would have rewarded 89 MJ. No post game or polished footwork needed. Just aggression, quickness, leaping ability, a jumpshot and a willingness to pass when double-teamed.

[guy]

Prisoner of the moment. Has happened every time Lebron gets to the finals, which he's lost most of the time and then no one says anything like this. Plus, for every former player/coach that says this, there's at least 2-3 of them that would say otherwise, but there's not much reason for that to grab headlines. Also, even though the definition means equal, most people dont look at it that way.

By the way, it's interesting how the people saying this only refer to talent and physical capabilities, which is very understandable to compare. But none of these guys talk about the huge difference between these guys in the high leverage moments, mentally specifically. That's really the main reason why the argument for Lebron is weak.

And you can see in those quotes that both are salty, especially Laimbeer who basically just downplayed Jordan as not much more then a highlight reel player. And Cartwright didnt get along with Jordan.

[Rooster]

Ofcourse they are... looking at their impact, domination... simply them as talents, individual players...

What's his record against 50 wins team.

[Kblaze8855]

Prisoner of the moment. Has happened every time Lebron gets to the finals, which he's lost most of the time and then no one says anything like this.

Nah. Guys like bird, Jerry West, and Oscar have said it after he loses. The Bird quote I posted above was from like a week after the 11 finals. West was saying it on his first Cavs run. Most of these guys are evaluating the basketball player not talking career. Its media types more likely to get exciting about some looming career accolade. Bill, Bird, and Laimbeer are just talking basketball.

[JerrySeinfeld]

lol wasn't bill cartwright one of the guys that Jordan would basically bully in practice and during games tell teammates not to give him the ball because he couldn't catch

[Rolando]

You've got to try and withhold this discussion until after the finals. If Lebron wins this year, I think he's at least at the Magic/Bird level. If he can do it again, then and only then, can you start putting him near the Kareem/MJ stratospheric level.

Too soon.

[SexSymbol]

I think a lot of these players didn't get along with Jordan, because mostly they're ******* and they don't like to work hard, same as people who don't get along with Kobe.
It's easy, if you support mj/kobe, you're a hard working alpha who will succeed in life most of the time, if you support wilt/lebron, you're a beta, who will have to settle with a wife that looks like human garbage and fail more times than not

[Nash]

I'd like to know what's comparable between them.
MJ shits on him based on accolades, individual play, peak and longevity. There's barely anything that LeBron can do better than MJ.
You'd have a better argument against Kobe, and even then, you'd still lose. LeBron just isn't that impactful

I absolutely agree about Jordan, but pls. Lebron beats Kobe at every one of those things you just mentioned, except longevity for obvious reasons.

[Beastmode88]

Lol this is a joke right? How the hell are you going to compare basketball from 2 different eras. You cant even touch anyone nowadays and you would get fouled. Half of these flagrant fouls were touch fouls back in the day. The competition is not even comparable as well if you want to take a look at that. Jordon prevented people like barkley, stockton, malone, payton and many more from willing rings in their prime. Who the hell did lebron stop? A 22 year old kevin durant? 37 year old duncan? We seriously going to compare shit like that? Let's compare them when lebron's career is done. Note: Lebron will be in my top 10 if he wins this year.

[jimmy77x]

Sure they're comparable



Kobe was "comparable" as well. Doesn't mean they had the same career.



Dudes keep reaching with this but sorry kids. He ain't living up to Mike either.

Bran Stans want their hero to be on the same level as the goat so bad it just pains them that he will NEVER get there. Bran will be completely irrelevant 20 years from now while the goat will still be goating, selling out shoes from the 80's and 90's in 2035

[guy]

Nah. Guys like bird, Jerry West, and Oscar have said it after he loses. The Bird quote I posted above was from like a week after the 11 finals. West was saying it on his first Cavs run. Most of these guys are evaluating the basketball player not talking career. Its media types more likely to get exciting about some looming career accolade. Bill, Bird, and Laimbeer are just talking basketball.

Right. The talent and physical capabilities. That's comparable. They usually don't talk about the other intangible stuff which is the main reason why Lebron lost in 11 in the first place and why Jordan's career has been better.

Were the others right after? Wheres the West quote from? I remember him saying something along the same lines in 09, and then a week later saying Kobe was better. I really doubt these guys really care and think a whole about these arguments yet people use it as there gospel concrete opinion.