Lebron

[ShortCreek]

He may go off for 50 each game the rest of the series, but he is absolutely horrible going left! Years ago basketball players were no where near as good with either hand as they are today, but this guy is considered by some to be better than MJ? I think not, not even close IMO!

 

[rentalman]

If I had to pick between the 2 in their prime I too would go with MJ. But I think its a tougher choice than you do. People dog LJ because he has lost in the tile series more than MJ which is true. But I think MJ was surrounded by more talent and definitely better coaching. They both are great defensive players. Watching the playoffs it appears to me LJ has crossed over the peak of his career and his skills are starting to erode just a little bit. Still a great player who is only around 30 years old. But that body has played an awful lot of basketball the last dozen years or so. Does not look quite as explosive as he used to.

 

[Cue Card]

James is a beast with pure physical strength. He can just overpower most players. Jordan was much more agile and athletic. Jordan could also go to his left as well as he could to his right, and I'll give the defensive nod to Jordan as well.

James is a great player. Jordan was a great player. IMO James is just a shade behind Jordan mainly because he hasn't been able to deliver as consistently as Jordan did. Many variables go along with that, to include supporting cast and coaching. It's a team sport. Jordan IMO always seemed to make others around him better. I don't really see the same thing when watching James.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

Hard to compare eras the mentality of the players from then and now is entirely different.

 

[shadow force]

James is a great player. He was blessed with some of the best physical attributes you could ask for in a basketball player. He's like a create-a-player from some of those video games. However he will never be considered the best for various reasons- which right now is him losing so many Finals.

James definitely has never had the great coaching of someone like Phil Jackson or Popovich, and lacked the great supporting casts of some of the past NBA legends. However where James seems to lack the most consistently, to me, is mentally. He just doesn't seem to possess that killer instinct that say Jordan had. Nor does he seem to have the same will to win either.

He'll never be considered the GOAT but when all is said and done he'll still be up there with most of the NBA greats of the past.

 

[Cue Card]

James is a great player. He was blessed with some of the best physical attributes you could ask for in a basketball player. He's like a create-a-player from some of those video games. However he will never be considered the best for various reasons- which right now is him losing so many Finals.

James definitely has never had the great coaching of someone like Phil Jackson or Popovich, and lacked the great supporting casts of some of the past NBA legends. However where James seems to lack the most consistently, to me, is mentally. He just doesn't seem to possess that killer instinct that say Jordan had. Nor does he seem to have the same will to win either.

He'll never be considered the GOAT but when all is said and done he'll still be up there with most of the NBA greats of the past.

One of my coworkers said James looks like Shaq and Jordan got together and made a love child! I laughed out loud.

 

[OneEarWonder]

MJ is a once-in-a-lifetime player. So is LBJ. He's no MJ, but he never was. From day one, it was a bad comparison... very different mentalities and styles of play. I always thought LBJ was much more Magic than Michael.

As far as rings go, he's lead his teams to 6 straight championships... going 2-and-4... look at his teams before/after Lebron, that will highlight his greatness. Not the number of trophies but the full body of work.

 

[shadow force]

One of my coworkers said James looks like Shaq and Jordan got together and made a love child! I laughed out loud.

Lol Pretty funny. I like James but if he had the mentality of both or one of those guys he would be even more special.

 

[CATFANFOLIFE87]

Kobe is the closest we've seen to Jordan. Kobe had the killer instinct and ice water in his veins when the game was on the line and the clock was counting down. My biggest issue with with Lebron is that he's rarely been the player on his team that you want with the ball in their hands down 2 with the shot clock turned off. He chokes in that situation far too much for him to be compared to Jordan. Everyone watching knew Jordan was getting the ball with the game on the line and he was still going to score

Lebron fills the stat sheet because he is bigger, stronger, and faster than most of the guys he checks. His game has not evolved much since being drafted. He is still a horrible shooter after all this time. The guy is huge and he flops and begs for fouls more than Paul Pierce ever thought about doing. I agree that Lebron is more similar to Magic than he is Jordan

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

James is just not programmed with the same competitive drive as previous greats that played the game.

Taking the easy path to titles was disappointing and sealed his legacy, and told us a lot about him.

I just can't put him in the same class as other greats that had a much stronger mental game.

 

[gocards1987]

James is just not programmed with the same competitive drive as previous greats that played the game.

Taking the easy path to titles was disappointing and sealed his legacy, and told us a lot about him.

I just can't put him in the same class as other greats that had a much stronger mental game.

Its really easy to take the hard path when you are drafted by the Lakers or the Celts who had stacked rosters. Some of those players forced their way to those teams though particularly in the Lakers' case. I can't blame Lebron for leaving Cleveland when it was very obvious that they were not going to get him enough help to win a title. The Bulls drafted pretty well and they got Jordan another HOF player in Pippen. The best Cleveland could do was Anderson Verajao and past their prime players. Its amazing how crappy that franchise was at roster management. It took them getting #1 pick after #1 pick to actually build a decent team. If Lebron had never left that franchise would always be close because of Lebron but never good enough because they wouldn't have gotten first picks time and time again. James owes them nothing more than giving them his best while there. If he got hurt and came back half the player they'd cut him in a heartbeat.

 

[Cue Card]

I'll give Lebron high marks for how he has played in the finals, especially the last 2 games. He's proving why he is still one of the best players playing today.

 

[Steelers2012]

Heard on the radio this morning Lebron is leading the series in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and blocks. THAT is impressive. The dude is ballin'.

 

[shadow force]

Lebron definitely should be the MVP of the Finals regardless of what happens. His performance- espcially in the last two games- has been spectacular. He deserves props for being a huge reason why this series is going to a Game 7.

 

[shadow force]

LeBron deservedly got the Finals MVP. Good for him and the city of Cleveland. I know it means so very much to them. James ended up cementing his legacy with this Finals performance instead of tarnishing it as many had suggested would happen if he lost in the Finals again. I'm not the biggest fan of James but this should do a little to curb some of the jokes about him being a choker. It was a tense game to the very end.

 

[zipp]

I catch a glimpse of the NBA every couple of years watching the Finals more or less by accident. Tonite, I was captive in front of a TV as the 3rd quarter of Game 7 was ending. And seeing the close score I watched the rest.

Every time I waste 30 minutes of my life watching the NBA, I'm reminded to never do it again. Tonite was no different. The best players in the world playing on the best teams on the biggest stage were throwing up air balls, milking the clock backing in and playing one-on-one basketball, and of course missing two-thirds of their shots. The reason the game stayed close was because one team was executing as poorly as the other.

But after wasting a chunk of my life I can't get back, I'm always thankful that I don't have this crap in my backyard. That I don't have it run up my a$$ by local news and fans who would have to support a local team. Thank God that's not the case even if we have an NBA arena that will always be financially pressured to host an NBA franchise.

And thank God the NBA is over for another 4-5 months...

 

[Cue Card]

I just watched the post game interview with JR Smith. I think we all tend to forget these players are real people with real life struggles mainly because of the lives they live. JR broke down crying during the interview explaining that the cars, houses, and the money mean nothing without his family, and he was blessed to have great parents who stuck by him even when he screwed up. He showed real emotion with real hard core feelings exposed for everyone to see. I have more respect for him today than I ever had before. He isn't perfect, but who is? He's a man who faced his demons head on and he won. We should all be that fortunate.

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

Lol Pretty funny. I like James but if he had the mentality of both or one of those guys he would be even more special.

Good call dude! Lol! Your take was ridiculous then and even moreso now. Again, L O L!

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

I'll give Lebron high marks for how he has played in the finals, especially the last 2 games. He's proving why he is still one of the best players playing today.

"One of"? Good grief! So many awful takes in this thread

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

James is just not programmed with the same competitive drive as previous greats that played the game.

Taking the easy path to titles was disappointing and sealed his legacy, and told us a lot about him.

I just can't put him in the same class as other greats that had a much stronger mental game.

Excellent take man!

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

Kobe is the closest we've seen to Jordan. Kobe had the killer instinct and ice water in his veins when the game was on the line and the clock was counting down. My biggest issue with with Lebron is that he's rarely been the player on his team that you want with the ball in their hands down 2 with the shot clock turned off. He chokes in that situation far too much for him to be compared to Jordan. Everyone watching knew Jordan was getting the ball with the game on the line and he was still going to score

Lebron fills the stat sheet because he is bigger, stronger, and faster than most of the guys he checks. His game has not evolved much since being drafted. He is still a horrible shooter after all this time. The guy is huge and he flops and begs for fouls more than Paul Pierce ever thought about doing. I agree that Lebron is more similar to Magic than he is Jordan

Yep huge choker! One of the worst of all time!

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

LeBron deservedly got the Finals MVP.

I don't know man....close call. Thought maybe Iman Shumpert might take it.

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

This thread should be pinned for posterity FOREVER for its ridiculousness.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

This thread should be pinned for posterity FOREVER for its ridiculousness.

Dude working some strange petulance. Some people don't like Lebron.

OMFG I am throwing down some CAPS and an exclamation point on you! BURN!!!!

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

Nope just pointing out how ridiculously dumb your take was and still is. Don't fret though, you certainly weren't alone. Liking or not liking him isn't the point here. The dumb takes are. Just own your stupidity on this one. You're usually solid

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

And I'm just pointing out how ridiculously awful you are. In that regard, you are all alone.

 

[Steelers2012]

C'mon Jay, your "take" proved to be accurate. Congrats. There is no need to rub people's face in it and question their intelligence. Take it down a notch, please.

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

Ohhhh burn! "I know you are but what am I?" Well done. Not only the king of (awful) sports takes but a maestro of equally weak insults

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

C'mon Jay, your "take" proved to be accurate. Congrats. There is no need to rub people's face in it and question their intelligence. Take it down a notch, please.

You mean the "take" he shared after the series was over. Yes, he nailed it.

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

Steelers you gotta admit the hilarity of how totally awful the analysis was

 

[Jay Reimenschneider]

Or your take before the series was over. Well played

 

[Steelers2012]

Insert "Well, THAT escalated quickly" meme.