Basketball MICHAEL JORDAN is now a HALL OF FAMER.... BUT.....is he THE BEST EVER?

[RaptorzRule]

Here is what people say. Some people say kobe is better because he faces tougher opponents and tougher defense which is clearly not true because back then in MJ times you could be more rough with your opponents and Jordan had tough opponents like Johnson, Bird, Russell, Garnett, Olajuwon, Drexler, Duncan, Kobe, Shaq, Abdul Jabbar, and Robinson. Also some people say Wilt was better because he had better stats, but of course he had better stats BECAUSE NO ONE COULD PLAY, and there was no three point line so there was no point of the guards shooting from far so they just always passed it inside to Wilt. So obviously MJ is the best! EVER!

 

[GotGibson?]

doesnt MJ have the same if not more in ALL of those catagories?

Championships? No.

 

[Hands]

Championships? No.

A quick search shows that Wilt has only two championships?
Maybe you are thinking of Bill Russell?

 

[ac-n-mike]

Championships? No.

lol I saw MJ win 6.... I know Wilt didnt have that many....

 

[reggiebush25]

woops thinkin of russell :/

 

[GotGibson?]

A quick search shows that Wilt has only two championships?
Maybe you are thinking of Bill Russell?

That's it. My bad. :bag:

 

[ac-n-mike]

I think the ONLY argument is Russell... but there were what...8 teams back then? 10-12 at the end of his career?

I just think there is MORE talent now...

 

[LVNMAORIBOY05]

Should be no argument MJ won everything MVPs, Defensive player of the year, NBA Championships, Olympic Gold, Finals MVPs etc... list is endless, only player i would compare him with would be Magic as both made their teammates better nd both carried their teams to championships
MJ still the man though Kobe, LBJ, D Wade all pretenders to the real King

 

[orangejello727]

You cant technically determine who was the best player in the NBA uness you are able to take way the game has changed and developed. You also cant determine who the best is without setting the criterias properly. Thats why there will never be a true best. Because based on criterias, different players can be nominated as the best.

I think Jordan was a great player. I cant sit here and say he was the best. Best based on what? Selling shoes? Marketing. Most of you are the bi product of genius marketing. Marketing done by Nike and the NBA to capture your imagination is believing who was the best. Nothing more.

I dont know how anyone can sit there and compare Jordan to Wilt or Kobe to Jordan? They all played in different eras. The game was different in each era. Tougher or easier, each era was distinct. Russell has more rings than anyone. Jabbar won more MVPs than anyone, Wilt had more 50+ pt games than anyone and lead the lead in assists for a big man one year.

Each player has his own character and accolade. To sum up and say one player is the best and yet never had the Most, led the league or wasnt voted enough times cannot be the reason as to why a player was the best or wasnt the best.

I dont there this is a Best player in history. If there was, Id have to pick Oscar Robertson based on him averaging a triple double over an entire season, let alone almost averaging a triple double over his career.

 

[orangejello727]

Just an exert from someones opinion as to why Jordan wasnt the best.

This reason is pure bull, plain and simple. It is a desperate plea from a Jordan worshipper who realizes his goose is cooked. Here is why.

Let's compare Wilt Chamberlain to Jordan, for instance. Wilt has 56 NBA single-season records to Jordan's 4. Wilt nearly QUADRUPLED the number of 50 point games Jordan had in his career. Wilt led the league in assists, fg%, minutes and rebounds 29 times to Jordan's Zero. He owns 6 of the 9 70+ point games in history - Jordan has zero. He topped Jordan's best scoring season three times and Wilt's best scoring season is 13 ppg higher than Jordan's. Imagine Jordan leading the league in scoring at 33 ppg and the runner up having 20 ppg. Simply put, Wilt was in a class ahead of Jordan.

A Jordan fan will respond with, "Yeah, but Wilt only has 2 rings to Jordan's 6". Fine. That means stats mean very little and the much stronger emphasis is on championships. When one man so strongly overwhelms another in the area of statistical accomplishments, to say he is not better means stats are irrelevant. We are not talking about Kobe Bryant vs. Tracy McGrady or Charles Barkley vs. Karl Malone - guys with similar numbers. We are talking about a mismatch that rivals Shaq versus Greg Kite.

Therefore, to say Jordan is better is Wilt means stats and scoring are irrelevant. Since championships are the overwhelming factor, then we have to look at the man who prevented Wilt from winning more championships - Bill Russell. He has 11 championships to Jordan's 6. He has nearly TWICE the number of championships. Therefore, Bill Russell simply has to be better than Jordan. Let me repeat that - as impressive as Jordan's six titles are, it simply pales in comparison to Russell. To win 6 championships, it took Michael Jordan 14 years and Bill Russell only 7 years. Jordan played 15 seasons to Russell's 13, yet Russell has FIVE more championships than Jordan. Jordan and Magic Johnson COMBINED have as many rings as Bill Russell. Jordan and Magic defined "winning" for an entire generation! Yet, it takes both of them together to match the dominance of Bill Russell!

A Jordan fan cannot say that Jordan was a better individual player than Russell. After all, Russell AVERAGED over 22 rebounds per game. He is acknowledged by most to be the greatest defensive player in the history of the game, and to go along with that, he finished in the top 10 in the league in assists FOUR times (Jordan only did this once). He added 15 ppg to go along with this superior passing, rebounding, and defense.

The only recourse for a Jordan worshipper is to discount Russell's superior defense, rebounding, passing, and his overwhelming dominance in championships -- discount all of it -- and say "Jordan scored more points". However, as I showed above, points are irrelevant. Wilt Chamberlain dominated Jordan in points, and most other categories, but this was all discounted because of championships. You simply cannot say that Jordan's extra scoring somehow makes up for a 5 ring deficit after you just discounted Wilt's OVERWHELMING dominance of Jordan in scoring on account of a 4 ring deficit. And face it: it has to come down to points and rings because Jordan's passing and rebounding are simply unimpressive and his defense - while exceptional - is not on a plane higher than Chamberlain and Russell.

Therefore, there is no way that Michael Jordan can be the greatest player in history.

 

[Hands]

Mate I think that guy might be missing one VITAL point.

Wilt might have been the better offense player than Jordan BUT Jordan had a phenomenal defence highlighted by his DOP award.

The same argument can be applied to Russell's defensive dominance. Jordan was the better offense player.

Basically Jordan got the job done at BOTH ends of the basketball court...

I agree with you though that it is so darn TOUGH to compare different eras.

 

[LVNMAORIBOY05]

There could be a easier way, does anyone think MJ would dominate in any era, i for 1 think he would, do u think Wilt, Russell would dominate in the 1990s or the 2000s, not a chance they would be bench warmers Shaq, Ewing, Dream, Robinson, Duncan, Howard, Bosh nd co... would give them nightmares
Still there is no way to know, maybe if he hadn't given the Rockets those 2 championships it wouldn't be a question of whos the Greatest.......

 

[orangejello727]

There could be a easier way, does anyone think MJ would dominate in any era, i for 1 think he would, do u think Wilt, Russell would dominate in the 1990s or the 2000s, not a chance they would be bench warmers Shaq, Ewing, Dream, Robinson, Duncan, Howard, Bosh nd co... would give them nightmares
Still there is no way to know, maybe if he hadn't given the Rockets those 2 championships it wouldn't be a question of whos the Greatest.......

Are you kidding me? Wilt and Russell would be bench players in the 90s and 00s??

I wont even attempt to correct that one. :mad4:

Jordan never gave the rockets 2 rings. They rockets won them. Jordan was only as good as his team, so it wasnt all him during those 6 wins. Infact Jordan was never able to win a championship without Pippen. In your last sentence you state: Still there is no way to know, Yet in your first paragraph you state that you know for a fact that Jordan would dominate in any era while putting down Wilt and Russell for their time.

Can you provide the "Facts" behind how you know for certain Jordan would fair in the 60s as a player and in the 21 century as a player? Where can you provide evidence that Jordan would dominate? Im just wondering because Jordan never played in the 60, 70s and past 2003.

 

[LVNMAORIBOY05]

My opinion bro, not trying to upset anyone, that's what i think would happen what having ur teammates help out not allowed, its a team game they all played in different eras, different positions, different games
maybe should change thread title to Greatest player last 20-30 years
do u really think Russell & Wilt would survive in the 90s or 2K?
please they were great for their era but wouldnt get pt now or back when MJ ruled

 

[iLikePie]

can you name who you think is #1? or just who is "better" than MJ?

I mean there are arguments for a few guys...but in my opinion NO ONE that currently plays... NO ONE

only guys that I can even remotely include from the past are Kareem, Russell, Chamberlain, Robertson.... not really sure who else is even close from the past

I like Magic Johnson, he could play EVERY position on the court and was amazing at each one, I don't think anyone is the BEST EVER because you would have to match them up from the past, my other choice, Wilt. Magic and MJ are even imo, because I love Magic!

yea yea go ahead and argue all you want