Amani Hansberry - 2023 Hoops Recruit to visit Visit w/ UT

That’s fine. Lots of guys are really good at basketball. Luka is putting up numbers that rival the best players to ever play the game, and he’s only 22 years old. And he’s already doing it in the postseason against really good competition. Petrovic wasn’t the generational talent that Luka is.

 

What was the stat last year? More 40 point playoff performances than Kyrie, Giannis, Klay, AD, and CP3. Tied for the same number with Duncan, Magic, Kawhi, Dame, and Malone.

And that’s with all of his playoff games played against Kawhi and Paul George, widely considered the best wing defenders in the game. Oh, and he’s 22 years old and has played 3 full seasons.

 

Look what you’ve done.

 

I know… I know. I jut hope Amani doesn’t read this thread and run away from Knoxville as fast as he can…

 

End of discussion.

 

Tenny authoring all these posts under others’ names (except SO’s and groves’s) is kind of funny to imagine.

 

No, it isn't.

 

The difference is you found one. I can post dozens about that Charmin soft, flopper Lebron.

 

Yes, the quality and availability of media is much better during the times of James career than Jordan's.

 

Was there supposed to be some kind of similarity between the two videos?

I mean, I don't take it as proof of anything, but the difference in the two videos is pretty easy to see.

 

Or, Jordan didn't play soft. Just compare those 2 gifs. One guy falls and slides back trying to draw a foul, the other guy looks like he has been shot. And this is a consistent thing with Lebron. Generally, I think it is a waste of time to debate where these multi-million dollar athletes rank, but I somehow allowed myself to get pulled into this. I will gladly acknowledge that Lebron, when you consider everything (size, athleticism, etc.), is arguably the most physically gifted athlete to ever play the game. Best competitor, no. Best player, absolutely not.

 

Jordan's was just a smoothe ass slide after getting knocked off balance. Knowing how to fall is a skill

 

Didn’t use the word “only.” You’re making that up.

He averaged less than 2 points more per game. Since when does pushing a team in the WCF compare to winning a title and a finals MVP? Pierce is probably top 50 all time. English might be top 75. They aren’t worlds apart, but Pierce is the better player.

What was his record against Bird in the playoffs? LeBron had a similar “zero help” situation, but he managed to get to the finals with it. I just don’t see how losing to Bird 6 times can work in MJ’s favor, but whatever.

None of the guys you mentioned that I highlighted (Drexler, Payton, Miller) are top 40 all time players. All three of the guys (CP3, Harden, Kawhi) I mentioned that you scoffed at (other than Luka) are already top 40 players and still playing. So your scoffing made no sense.

Again, the dude was 28 when he died. I’m not saying he wasn’t good. Doncic is just better, and he’s still just a baby. He’s already got all time playoff performances on his resume.

I just can’t understand why you’re talking about Reggie Miller and Steph Curry in the same sentences. Reggie was super clutch and an excellent three point shooter. Steph is the best shooter of all time, a 2x MVP, and a 3 time champion. They’re not even in the same universe. Like, I’m from Indiana. I was a Reggie Miller fan. He’s a very solid, fringe top 50 player. Steph may be top 10 when it’s all said and done and is responsible for an entire shift in how the game is played. They don’t belong in the same conversation.

Funny, I wasn’t aware that Malone only played 8 seasons. Oh, wait, he didn’t? He played 19? So what happened during the other 11? No titles then either? Crazy. Wonder what happened.

Stockton couldn’t score with Isiah or CP3. Isiah also has 2 titles from the Magic/Bird era, which is impressive as [uck fay], and CP3 has 9 all defense teams. Nash is in the conversation with all of them because he has 2 MVPs. I 100% take Isiah over Stockton, and likely CP3 over him as well. Probably not Nash, though it’s close. They all hover in the 25-35 all time spots. But again, Isiah was only prevalent during a short period of MJ’s career, and mostly beat him.

My point is clear. Just because they both shoot 3’s doesn’t mean Reggie Miller is anywhere near the same class as Steph from a career perspective.

I added some context to your list. I included where I think those players rank all time, the number seasons they played at the same time as Jordan, and the number of seasons they played during the Bulls' run (91-98). Here's my additional commentary:

• The 4 best from your list are obviously Larry, Magic, Hakeem, and Shaq. As I've mentioned, the problem with that is:
  • Larry and Magic were from their own era. Both them and their teams were older and edging towards retirement when MJ hit his prime. MJ never beat Bird in the playoffs.
  • Hakeem is a solid addition, but, as mentioned, they never met in the playoffs. He definitely fits on the list and is probably the best player listed from the actual Jordan era. But the fact that Jordan never faced him in the playoffs doesn't help your case, similarly to how Kobe doesn't really help mine.
  • Shaq did play during 5 seasons of the Bulls' run, though right at the beginning of his career. He didn't hit his peak until after Jordan
• Including Larry and Magic is bad enough. Now you want Kareem too? Jesus.
• Did you omit Scottie because you don’t think he belongs on the list (lol), or because he was Jordan’s teammate?
• Shaq makes both lists, so we'd probably be better off replacing him on both. Pulling him probably hurts your list worse than it hurts mine.
• I think the pre-injury stuff is stupid. It's imaginary.
• No David Robinson? Dominique Wilkins?

In no particular order:

1. Duncan (Top 10) (13 seasons together)
2. Kobe (Top 10) (13 seasons together)
3. Durant (Top 15) (14 seasons together and counting)
4. Steph (Top 15) (13 seasons together and counting)
5. Shaq (Top 10) (8 seasons together)
6. Dirk (Top 20) (16 seasons together)
7. Garnett (Top 20) (13 seasons together)
8. Dwyane Wade (Top 25) (16 seasons together, 4 as teammates)
9. Giannis (Top 25) (9 seasons together and counting)
10. Take your pick of Kawhi (Top 35, 10 seasons)/Nash (Top 35, 11 seasons)/CP3 (Top 35, 17 seasons)

Honorable Mentions:

• AI (Top 35) - Could probably make the top 10, but Kawhi, Nash, and CP3 are all similarly ranked, imo, and have played more seasons with LeBron
• Jason Kidd (Top 40)
• James Harden (Top 40) - still playing
• AD (Top 50) - still playing, but multiple years as teammates
• Westbrook (Top 50) - still playing, but at least one year as teammates
• If you want an imaginary pick, Dwight Howard pre-back injury. You can laugh all you want as he edges closer and closer to top 10 in both rebounds and blocks

Note the number of seasons LeBron has played with each of these guys. The only ones below 10 are Shaq, who I've agreed we can drop, and Giannis, who will hit the 10 mark next season. Durant and Steph both have legitimate shots at being Top 10 all time, and Giannis likely does as well, even though he's further off from it currently.

Also, 11-20 is better for LeBron too, as outlined above. You're throwing Clyde Drexler in your top 10. I'd argue AI, Kidd, Harden, AD, and Westbrook are ALL better than him. And that doesn't even touch on guys like Vince Carter, Pierce, T-Mac, Ginobili, etc.

 

One of my favorites is the "X guy from today's game wouldn't make it in the 80's/90's," remark.

Imagine Jordan's approach and drama in the modern age of Twitter. Dude probably would have retired 4 or 5 times.

 

More efficient scorer. Far better passer. More reliable. More clutch. Etc.

 

How much time did you waste coming up with all that bullshit, those numbers, and stats to fit your predetermined argument? I'm not sure if your autistic-level response is impressive or absurd, though I'm leaning heavily to the latter.

Let me break this down plainly about your whole post. It's, essentially, you working backwards from these premises:

1. LeBron is the greatest.
2. This generation is far and away the greatest (because it supports LeBron being the greatest by being so)
3. Other generations are lacking in some manner in some way in which can be manipulated in some fashion to prop up the current generation (because, again, it then supports LeBron being the greatest)

All stats, details, arguments, etc. thenceforth go into figuring out how to make these things true (Or, really, to make sure #1 is always true). If you are so fanatical in your blind adherence to these ideas, then I'm not particularly interested in wasting my time countering your vendetta. I've wasted enough energy yelling at the brick wall of your LeBron Love as it is.

I'll just look forward to your random LeBron fanzine posts you write regularly to marvel at the possible level of affection one can have for a guy on the (perhaps) platonic tip.

 

I mean, I didn’t really post many stats. My main point was that the most important players to your argument didn’t play as long during Jordan’s era, and the two most important ones didn’t play for the majority of his title run.

In other words, imagine if Magic and Bird had played and been in their prime through the entirety of Jordan’s prime, similar to how Steph, Kobe, and Durant have been around through the entirety of LeBron’s.

If that was the case, I’d probably agree with you. But MJ probably wouldn’t have as many titles, either.

 

I realize that I initiated the hijack of this thread but can we split it out into its own or at least rename it?

 

Just sayin.

 

Some of you have not taken the time to compare Space Jam 1 against Space Jam 2 and it shows.