The GOAT: "I would not have called Larry and Magic and say let’s play together"

[iwearjordan4life]

Lets just say scottie might not turn out to be the player he was if isnt for MJ. Maybe MJ make him better or to become what he is. Jason Caffey was a pretty good in chicago after he got traded he's sucked. same with pippen after jordan 2nd retirement. Also Cavs is so wrong for hating on James. So what if Ohio is his hometown and all that. James can sign with any teams he want too. But I understand how OHIO people feels.

 

[Maximus Meridius]

^ From what they say they've been talking about this for years. Yeah Wade got his ring and finals MVP but he still wanted to play with Lebron. So I don't see how people can hate on Lebrons choice when all three basically made the same move.

 

[Maximus Meridius]

^ From what they say they've been talking about this for years. Yeah Wade got his ring and finals MVP but he still wanted to play with Lebron. So I don't see how people can hate on Lebrons choice when all three basically made the same move.

 

[vanillafreak13]

^
I'll assume by your sig that you missed the year that Scottie was an MVP candidate and was a blown hue hollins call from possibly making it to the finals against the rockets.

However, I will admit that Lebron is better than Scottie.

 

[vanillafreak13]

^
I'll assume by your sig that you missed the year that Scottie was an MVP candidate and was a blown hue hollins call from possibly making it to the finals against the rockets.

However, I will admit that Lebron is better than Scottie.

 

[360wavesandxbox]

Larry and Magic were finished when Jordan started winning his championships, they ran the 80s... Jordan will always be my main man, but i think he was a little off key with his comments.. And I do think that Lebron took the easy way out..He spent close to a third of his life carrying the cavs on his back.. As they were supposedly improving their roster, and Lebron improved his numbers year by year, the overall results were worse and worse. NBA Finals>Eastern Conference Finals>Eastern Conference Finals>Second round... Jordan sat back and watched Chicago improve year by year until they were ready, and they weren't scared to take risks, ie moving up to the top of the draft to get Pippen, Bringing in Dennis Rodman for the second run, etc.. ... Cleveland chose not to pursue taking Amare so that they could KEEP HICKSON... If anything is evident, Cleveland was just using Lebron as a prop and cash cow, and winning was a bonus..u already KNOW pat riley wants ships..it was a no brainer really

 

[360wavesandxbox]

Larry and Magic were finished when Jordan started winning his championships, they ran the 80s... Jordan will always be my main man, but i think he was a little off key with his comments.. And I do think that Lebron took the easy way out..He spent close to a third of his life carrying the cavs on his back.. As they were supposedly improving their roster, and Lebron improved his numbers year by year, the overall results were worse and worse. NBA Finals>Eastern Conference Finals>Eastern Conference Finals>Second round... Jordan sat back and watched Chicago improve year by year until they were ready, and they weren't scared to take risks, ie moving up to the top of the draft to get Pippen, Bringing in Dennis Rodman for the second run, etc.. ... Cleveland chose not to pursue taking Amare so that they could KEEP HICKSON... If anything is evident, Cleveland was just using Lebron as a prop and cash cow, and winning was a bonus..u already KNOW pat riley wants ships..it was a no brainer really

 

[bijald0331]

Dwyane Wade isn't LeBron James. Let's get that straight. Dwyane is a notch below LeBron, as a player and sports personality. Yall know he was with Converse right? Converse! Yall act like he is as big as LeBron... Dwyane is the man on Miami only as a formality.

It kills me as an NBA fan that this happened. Dude just lowered his career arc...

 

[bijald0331]

Dwyane Wade isn't LeBron James. Let's get that straight. Dwyane is a notch below LeBron, as a player and sports personality. Yall know he was with Converse right? Converse! Yall act like he is as big as LeBron... Dwyane is the man on Miami only as a formality.

It kills me as an NBA fan that this happened. Dude just lowered his career arc...

 

[superswag]

i used to be a big lebron fan but i think he is a false prophet. i thought and wished he'll be the next nba great (not next michael jordan) and establish a career that will somehow be as epic as that of mike jordan's. but this move just showed that he cant carry his team to a championship. i used to look up to him and mention him in the same sentence as magic and michael jordan in terms of having a fairy tale like career in the nba. now his career parallel's that of robert horry.

yes lebron is a triple double machine and could put up 50 points any given night. but we all know that when they are down with a few seconds left, wade will take the last shot since he is more capable of closing a game than lebron.

 

[superswag]

i used to be a big lebron fan but i think he is a false prophet. i thought and wished he'll be the next nba great (not next michael jordan) and establish a career that will somehow be as epic as that of mike jordan's. but this move just showed that he cant carry his team to a championship. i used to look up to him and mention him in the same sentence as magic and michael jordan in terms of having a fairy tale like career in the nba. now his career parallel's that of robert horry.

yes lebron is a triple double machine and could put up 50 points any given night. but we all know that when they are down with a few seconds left, wade will take the last shot since he is more capable of closing a game than lebron.

 

[bijald0331]

robert horry? I did not just read that. QUE?

 

[bijald0331]

robert horry? I did not just read that. QUE?

 

[hella handsome]

Originally Posted by DubA169

Originally Posted by Maximus Meridius

I agree with MJ saying he should want to beat them but I don't get why all the hate is going Lebron's way when Wade did the same thing.

wade won a ring as "the man". wade didn't go around claiming himself to be the "king" or the "chosen one". wade and bosh already had a team in place, lebron was the one who decided to hop on to the all star team. bron walked into wade's house.

you making it sound like they're deciding who's providing the well being of a family. its a damn sport. they'll figure out who has what roles. 
everyone is makign too much of a deal out of this. its not like you're putting two all star quarterbacks on the same football team. these guys can play a lot of the same roles... 

 

[hella handsome]

Originally Posted by DubA169

Originally Posted by Maximus Meridius

I agree with MJ saying he should want to beat them but I don't get why all the hate is going Lebron's way when Wade did the same thing.

wade won a ring as "the man". wade didn't go around claiming himself to be the "king" or the "chosen one". wade and bosh already had a team in place, lebron was the one who decided to hop on to the all star team. bron walked into wade's house.

you making it sound like they're deciding who's providing the well being of a family. its a damn sport. they'll figure out who has what roles. 
everyone is makign too much of a deal out of this. its not like you're putting two all star quarterbacks on the same football team. these guys can play a lot of the same roles... 

 

[noblekane]

Originally Posted by hella handsome

Originally Posted by DubA169

Originally Posted by Maximus Meridius

I agree with MJ saying he should want to beat them but I don't get why all the hate is going Lebron's way when Wade did the same thing.

wade won a ring as "the man". wade didn't go around claiming himself to be the "king" or the "chosen one". wade and bosh already had a team in place, lebron was the one who decided to hop on to the all star team. bron walked into wade's house.

 
its not like you're putting two all star quarterbacks on the same football team. these guys can play a lot of the same roles... 

in a sense you are. and i think you just contradicted yourself...



  

 

[noblekane]

Originally Posted by hella handsome

Originally Posted by DubA169

Originally Posted by Maximus Meridius

I agree with MJ saying he should want to beat them but I don't get why all the hate is going Lebron's way when Wade did the same thing.

wade won a ring as "the man". wade didn't go around claiming himself to be the "king" or the "chosen one". wade and bosh already had a team in place, lebron was the one who decided to hop on to the all star team. bron walked into wade's house.

 
its not like you're putting two all star quarterbacks on the same football team. these guys can play a lot of the same roles... 

in a sense you are. and i think you just contradicted yourself...



  

 

[shuges]

Originally Posted by 360wavesandxbox

Larry and Magic were finished when Jordan started winning his championships, they ran the 80s... Jordan will always be my main man, but i think he was a little off key with his comments.. And I do think that Lebron took the easy way out..He spent close to a third of his life carrying the cavs on his back.. As they were supposedly improving their roster, and Lebron improved his numbers year by year, the overall results were worse and worse. NBA Finals>Eastern Conference Finals>Eastern Conference Finals>Second round... Jordan sat back and watched Chicago improve year by year until they were ready, and they weren't scared to take risks, ie moving up to the top of the draft to get Pippen, Bringing in Dennis Rodman for the second run, etc.. ... Cleveland chose not to pursue taking Amare so that they could KEEP HICKSON... If anything is evident, Cleveland was just using Lebron as a prop and cash cow, and winning was a bonus..u already KNOW pat riley wants ships..it was a no brainer really

Exactly. Y'all dudes are straight FRONTIN' if you say you'd stay on a team that is steadily REGRESSING instead of taking the opportunity to do something that has never been done before in the L. A new GM, a new coach, no salary cap space, the next best player is Mo Williams, your most promising player is JJ HICKSON... A lot of you would have REALLY remained in Cleveland? Cleveland???

Bron said "Power moves? I'ma show you a power MOVE".

Originally Posted by NobleKane

so 4 of the greatest players to ever play the game agree with the majority of us that what lebron did was a $#%+* move...

jordan, bird, magic, barkley....

i dont think any stat or anyone will change your guys mind...

And likewise. No one will change your minds either.

But @#$% those old salty bastards. Especially Chuck. Bunch of contradicting %%+ dudes.

Chuck was the ultimate ring-chaser cuz he wanted to "be like Mike". So his opinions are null and void to me. Son was the first one to try the 3 superstar move by teaming with Drex and Dream. So he should fall back. The other 3 (MJ, Bird, Magic) - being as fiercely competitive as they were - are straight up and down LYING if they say they would have remained with their respective teams if they were the best player on the team and had ZERO help. The fact that Bird and Magic had GREAT teams almost from the start of their careers means that they couldn't even comprehend what it's like to be in a losing situation. So how can they say for sure "I would have done this & I would have done that" if they never experienced the frustration of not getting over the hump?

You can't claim to be "an ultimate competitor" and then at the same time say you would have accepted losing (or never winning a title) for x amount of years.

You just can't say that. It doesn't work both ways.

Originally Posted by superswag

iused to look up to him and mention him in the same sentence as magicand michael jordan in terms of having a fairy tale like career in thenba. now his career parallel's that of robert horry.

 

[shuges]

Originally Posted by 360wavesandxbox

Larry and Magic were finished when Jordan started winning his championships, they ran the 80s... Jordan will always be my main man, but i think he was a little off key with his comments.. And I do think that Lebron took the easy way out..He spent close to a third of his life carrying the cavs on his back.. As they were supposedly improving their roster, and Lebron improved his numbers year by year, the overall results were worse and worse. NBA Finals>Eastern Conference Finals>Eastern Conference Finals>Second round... Jordan sat back and watched Chicago improve year by year until they were ready, and they weren't scared to take risks, ie moving up to the top of the draft to get Pippen, Bringing in Dennis Rodman for the second run, etc.. ... Cleveland chose not to pursue taking Amare so that they could KEEP HICKSON... If anything is evident, Cleveland was just using Lebron as a prop and cash cow, and winning was a bonus..u already KNOW pat riley wants ships..it was a no brainer really

Exactly. Y'all dudes are straight FRONTIN' if you say you'd stay on a team that is steadily REGRESSING instead of taking the opportunity to do something that has never been done before in the L. A new GM, a new coach, no salary cap space, the next best player is Mo Williams, your most promising player is JJ HICKSON... A lot of you would have REALLY remained in Cleveland? Cleveland???

Bron said "Power moves? I'ma show you a power MOVE".

Originally Posted by NobleKane

so 4 of the greatest players to ever play the game agree with the majority of us that what lebron did was a $#%+* move...

jordan, bird, magic, barkley....

i dont think any stat or anyone will change your guys mind...

And likewise. No one will change your minds either.

But @#$% those old salty bastards. Especially Chuck. Bunch of contradicting %%+ dudes.

Chuck was the ultimate ring-chaser cuz he wanted to "be like Mike". So his opinions are null and void to me. Son was the first one to try the 3 superstar move by teaming with Drex and Dream. So he should fall back. The other 3 (MJ, Bird, Magic) - being as fiercely competitive as they were - are straight up and down LYING if they say they would have remained with their respective teams if they were the best player on the team and had ZERO help. The fact that Bird and Magic had GREAT teams almost from the start of their careers means that they couldn't even comprehend what it's like to be in a losing situation. So how can they say for sure "I would have done this & I would have done that" if they never experienced the frustration of not getting over the hump?

You can't claim to be "an ultimate competitor" and then at the same time say you would have accepted losing (or never winning a title) for x amount of years.

You just can't say that. It doesn't work both ways.

Originally Posted by superswag

iused to look up to him and mention him in the same sentence as magicand michael jordan in terms of having a fairy tale like career in thenba. now his career parallel's that of robert horry.

 

[xtapolapacetl]

Here is the list of elite players who switched teams in their relative primes in the 80s in alphabetical order:

Malone, Moses

That is all. I guess you can add Bernard King otherwise you have to go down to players like Adrian Dantley and Mark Aguirre to find some more and wait until the 92 Barkley trade where things really started to roll and Barkley, Drexler and Nique switching teams. And switching teams has only had a negative impact for one of these three's legacies (Nique) where he became a journeyman for the rest of his career, whereas for Barkley and Drexler it flat out had a positive effect on their legacies with Barkley winning the MVP and making the finals in 93 and Drexler winning a ring in 95. And unlike LeBron who is coming to a team that has 2 first round exits and the worst record in the NBA in the last 3 seasons, Drexler came to a team that won a championship just a year earlier. And have you ever heard someone say that this was a bad thing for Drexler's legacy? Before Moses Malone, I think Wilt, Oscar and Kareem are the only juggernauts who switched teams in their primes and man did that ruin their legacies. Bottom line: Dr. J (other than the fact he HAD to switch teams because of ABA's end), Kareem, Magic, Bird, Jordan, Isiah, Drexler, Nique, Olajuwon, Barkley, McHale, Worthy, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Ewing, Robinson: 16 out of 20 best players in the league between 1976 and 1992 and they never switched teams a single time in this period. Now try making a list of 15 best players in recent times and see how many of them switched teams, in fact here's a list of elite players in their primes who for whatever reason (in many cases because they wanted to) switched teams since 1996:

Shaq (multiple times)
Charles Barkley
Shawn Kemp
Chris Webber
Scottie Pippen
Grant Hill
Jason Kidd
Gary Payton
Tracy McGrady
Vince Carter
Kevin Garnett
Kobe wanted to but apparently he gets a pass so free that it started asking for 40 acres and a mule
Amare Stoudemire
Chris Bosh
LeBron James

Every player is judged by the time he played in, and unlike Magic, Bird, Isiah and Jordan's early days, LeBron James is a player of a time where elite players in their primes switching teams is nothing uncommon and is much closer to being a rule than being an exception, which it very much was in the Magic-Bird days. So in the end it won't "ruin his legacy" whatsoever no matter how desperate your hating %@$ wants to make it look. Suck it haters. If you want to be fair (which obviously you don't), then you shouldn't be salty about this particular LeBron/Bosh transfer, but be complaining about the entire notion of elite players switching teams in their primes which happens so often in modern basketball. But you won't do that? Why? Because U just MAAaaad about LeBron and are probably getting sleepless nights over him.

 

[xtapolapacetl]

Here is the list of elite players who switched teams in their relative primes in the 80s in alphabetical order:

Malone, Moses

That is all. I guess you can add Bernard King otherwise you have to go down to players like Adrian Dantley and Mark Aguirre to find some more and wait until the 92 Barkley trade where things really started to roll and Barkley, Drexler and Nique switching teams. And switching teams has only had a negative impact for one of these three's legacies (Nique) where he became a journeyman for the rest of his career, whereas for Barkley and Drexler it flat out had a positive effect on their legacies with Barkley winning the MVP and making the finals in 93 and Drexler winning a ring in 95. And unlike LeBron who is coming to a team that has 2 first round exits and the worst record in the NBA in the last 3 seasons, Drexler came to a team that won a championship just a year earlier. And have you ever heard someone say that this was a bad thing for Drexler's legacy? Before Moses Malone, I think Wilt, Oscar and Kareem are the only juggernauts who switched teams in their primes and man did that ruin their legacies. Bottom line: Dr. J (other than the fact he HAD to switch teams because of ABA's end), Kareem, Magic, Bird, Jordan, Isiah, Drexler, Nique, Olajuwon, Barkley, McHale, Worthy, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Ewing, Robinson: 16 out of 20 best players in the league between 1976 and 1992 and they never switched teams a single time in this period. Now try making a list of 15 best players in recent times and see how many of them switched teams, in fact here's a list of elite players in their primes who for whatever reason (in many cases because they wanted to) switched teams since 1996:

Shaq (multiple times)
Charles Barkley
Shawn Kemp
Chris Webber
Scottie Pippen
Grant Hill
Jason Kidd
Gary Payton
Tracy McGrady
Vince Carter
Kevin Garnett
Kobe wanted to but apparently he gets a pass so free that it started asking for 40 acres and a mule
Amare Stoudemire
Chris Bosh
LeBron James

Every player is judged by the time he played in, and unlike Magic, Bird, Isiah and Jordan's early days, LeBron James is a player of a time where elite players in their primes switching teams is nothing uncommon and is much closer to being a rule than being an exception, which it very much was in the Magic-Bird days. So in the end it won't "ruin his legacy" whatsoever no matter how desperate your hating %@$ wants to make it look. Suck it haters. If you want to be fair (which obviously you don't), then you shouldn't be salty about this particular LeBron/Bosh transfer, but be complaining about the entire notion of elite players switching teams in their primes which happens so often in modern basketball. But you won't do that? Why? Because U just MAAaaad about LeBron and are probably getting sleepless nights over him.

 

[ledafuture36]

Its as simple as this. LeBron couldn't handle the pressure being the "man" so he jumped on someone else's boat. Do I fault him for that? No. He is who he is,
it shouldn't come as no surprise. He grew up in Ohio his whole life (45 minutes from Cleveland) but yet he's a Yankee and Cowboys fan. That means he's a front

runner. So he thinks its cool to be on the bandwagon team. I think less people would have such an issue with it if he handled it like a professional. The fact is, he

was the GM of the Cavs. He decided who they traded for and signed, what offense they ran, and where his homies worked in the organization. Its his fault that nobody

would sign with Cleveland cause he decided to sign a 3 year contract and nobody knew if he was gonna stay after that. Who's gonna sign a long deal only to be left

with a crap team in a small market city? Dude basically crashed the Titanic and as it was sinking grabbed the only life boat left and bailed. Will his image recover?

Who knows? Only time will tell, it was only 5 years ago that Kobe was one of the most hated athletes and now he's the most popular one by some new poll out.

Now, I get where Jordan and Magic are coming from. They wanted to be the best and relished in the competition against the best. But the fact is that with twitter,

cell phones, texting and facebook. A lot of these athletes nowadays stay in contact and actually become close friends, do to the fact of similar back rounds and the

money they make. So to them the competition and rivalry isn't there like the fans wish it was. The only thing I don't think these players realized when they decided to

do this, is the fact that if or when they do win a chip, outside of Miami, no one will care or give them much credit cause they are expected to win it all. And

you can't compare Jordan's Bulls to this Heat team, if you don't know why then you really don't know or didn't follow basketball back in those days....

 

[ledafuture36]

Its as simple as this. LeBron couldn't handle the pressure being the "man" so he jumped on someone else's boat. Do I fault him for that? No. He is who he is,
it shouldn't come as no surprise. He grew up in Ohio his whole life (45 minutes from Cleveland) but yet he's a Yankee and Cowboys fan. That means he's a front

runner. So he thinks its cool to be on the bandwagon team. I think less people would have such an issue with it if he handled it like a professional. The fact is, he

was the GM of the Cavs. He decided who they traded for and signed, what offense they ran, and where his homies worked in the organization. Its his fault that nobody

would sign with Cleveland cause he decided to sign a 3 year contract and nobody knew if he was gonna stay after that. Who's gonna sign a long deal only to be left

with a crap team in a small market city? Dude basically crashed the Titanic and as it was sinking grabbed the only life boat left and bailed. Will his image recover?

Who knows? Only time will tell, it was only 5 years ago that Kobe was one of the most hated athletes and now he's the most popular one by some new poll out.

Now, I get where Jordan and Magic are coming from. They wanted to be the best and relished in the competition against the best. But the fact is that with twitter,

cell phones, texting and facebook. A lot of these athletes nowadays stay in contact and actually become close friends, do to the fact of similar back rounds and the

money they make. So to them the competition and rivalry isn't there like the fans wish it was. The only thing I don't think these players realized when they decided to

do this, is the fact that if or when they do win a chip, outside of Miami, no one will care or give them much credit cause they are expected to win it all. And

you can't compare Jordan's Bulls to this Heat team, if you don't know why then you really don't know or didn't follow basketball back in those days....

 

[shuges]

Good post X.

Jordan really is sounding like a salty !#++#. Here is a quote from TIME magazine in '89:

Throughout his athletic career, Jordan has rarely failed to overcomeobstacles and reach his potential, but there is one major gap in hisresume: he has not been part of an NBA championship team. Jordan ispainfully aware that the Los Angeles Lakers' Magic Johnson and theBoston Celtics' Larry Bird have eight crowns between them. He hasbecome increasingly outspoken on the Bulls' need to attract acompetitive core of players. For the first time in his basketballcareer, frustration has led him this season to criticize his teammates'play publicly. Ironically, the premium that the Bulls pay for Jordan'sservices inhibits the club from acquiring other high-quality, andhigh-priced, talent. Jordan recently signed an eight-year contract withthe Bulls worth some $25 million, making him the NBA's fourthhighest-paid player.

Hmmmmmm.... does that sound a bit familiar?

Son was locked into an 8 year deal. Even if he wanted to leave, do you guys think the Bulls REALLY would have traded him? MJ talking all that %#+$ about he wouldn't have done this or wouldn't have done that. No, he COULDN'T have done it even if he WANTED to do it.

 

[shuges]

Good post X.

Jordan really is sounding like a salty !#++#. Here is a quote from TIME magazine in '89:

Throughout his athletic career, Jordan has rarely failed to overcomeobstacles and reach his potential, but there is one major gap in hisresume: he has not been part of an NBA championship team. Jordan ispainfully aware that the Los Angeles Lakers' Magic Johnson and theBoston Celtics' Larry Bird have eight crowns between them. He hasbecome increasingly outspoken on the Bulls' need to attract acompetitive core of players. For the first time in his basketballcareer, frustration has led him this season to criticize his teammates'play publicly. Ironically, the premium that the Bulls pay for Jordan'sservices inhibits the club from acquiring other high-quality, andhigh-priced, talent. Jordan recently signed an eight-year contract withthe Bulls worth some $25 million, making him the NBA's fourthhighest-paid player.

Hmmmmmm.... does that sound a bit familiar?

Son was locked into an 8 year deal. Even if he wanted to leave, do you guys think the Bulls REALLY would have traded him? MJ talking all that %#+$ about he wouldn't have done this or wouldn't have done that. No, he COULDN'T have done it even if he WANTED to do it.