Does Michael Jordan's name have the same impact as before?

[atlwarya]

I really hate ESPN right now because they are screwing with these kids heads. Even the 90s kids from my generation seem to have forgotten the impact Michael Jordan had on the NBA and basketball. I talk to people from my era and younger daily and they seem to think a lot of these teams from this generation can beat Michael Jordan's championship Bulls teams including the 96 Bulls.

You even have people my age and younger saying LeBron is better. I do like LeBron and do respect what he has done for the league but let's be real 8 seasons scoring 30 ppg or more, 5 MVPs & a few years he got snubbed, man averaged over 30 ppg just about every year in the playoffs and he's 6-0 in the finals. His resume is too good and that's not even all of it. LeBron's does not even come close. A kid told me the 2001 Lakers will beat the 96 Bulls in a series and I was like c'mon Bruh! That Lakers team was historically good in the playoffs and will probably take the Bulls to 6 games but they are not better.

They always disrespect the OG's of the game saying things like "Oh players in the 80s & 90s weren't as quick and athletic as they are today." And in my mind I always tell myself that didn't stop Larry Bird from dominating Dominique Wilkins and Jordan in the 80s. Yeah Bird did play on better teams but if it weren't for his IQ of the game. They wouldn't have beat a lot of the teams they beat.

I hate to say but if we keep going at this rate, basketball will be dead in a few years and the younger generation will not even remember the great Michael Jordan.

[jeremym480]

Quote: Originally Posted by atlwarya

I talk to people from my era and younger daily and they seem to think a lot of these teams from this generation can beat Michael Jordan's championship Bulls teams including the 96 Bulls.

[SPTO]

You make a great point about Larry Bird. The man was not the most athletic guy in the world but his basketball IQ and ability to find the open space on the court helped him TREMENDOUSLY. I think the younger generation gets fooled consistently on the fact that today's players are bigger, faster and quicker and that would indeed give them a leg up but generally speaking, the OGs of the '80s and '90s were craftier, smarter and were far more subtler about getting calls. Yes, some would really work the officials but it wasn't like Lebron James outwardly almost crying on the court to get his way.

A lot of players today would crumble under the crafty and intelligent play of guys like Pippen, Dumars, Stockton and Malone, Hakeem the Dream etc etc. Let's also not forget that back in the day coaches were able to COACH. You saw some master strategists sitting on the bench and manipulating their rosters to get the most out of their team to the point that role players were just as effective in some instances as the big stars. That's one reason why I love Popovich so much. That man knows how to get EVERYONE involved on his squad and it's why generally anyone that comes out of San Antonio has a better fundamental understanding of the game.

The young kids of today would be wise to watch tape of the giants that made the game what it is today.

[ehh]

Of course his name won't have the same impact because as time goes by the number of NBA fans who never saw him play increases.

I laugh off the "modern players are so much more athletic" nonsense - we're in an era where we've had the least-athletic MVP's ever (Nash, Curry). If those guys can win MVPs then why would any star from the 80s or 90s struggle?

Also amusing that in 20 years these same folks will be defending LeBron against kids being born right now, kids who'll say LeBron was only as good as he was because the level of athleticism in the league was so low when we played.

This is also the first stretch where a ton of former players are knocking current players and teams and that's 100% because of the over-the-top rule changes. Hell, Magic & Bird were calling MJ the greatest ever before they even retired. You aren't seeing older guys saying stuff like that now and it's not because they're jealous or they're haters - it's because the game is far more geared towards offense now than when they played. It's more of an entertainment product than when they played. They are justified in questioning some of the legitimacy of it.

[AlexBrady]

Today's players are indeed quicker and more athletic overall than ever before. But the old players had an even bigger edge in fundamentals over today's crop.

The old guys like Chamberlain, Russell, Havlicek, West, Bird, Magic, and MJ would be highly effective today. Actually, MJ would be even more effective.

[atlwarya]

Yeah it's sad to see. The only thing people seem to look at is stats when it comes to Jordan and say LeBron is better at passing and rebounding. Thats not necessarily true if you look at advanced stats instead of basic ones. Jordan was actually a good all-around player himself. He was just so efficient at scoring the ball that he just didn't have to look to passing to his teammates as much but he was a good passer. His decision making was on another level. He almost had the perfect balance to his game. He knew exactly when to get his team involved and knew when to take the game over. Getting your team involved is not only about racking up a certain amount of assists. MJ was hardly ever careless with the ball. He also was better at moving without the ball without than most players today as well. That is something I almost hardly see LeBron doing if he doesn't have the ball in his hands during a half court set.

[DamnYanks2]

Does anybody just get tired of the constant comparing of era's? Who really knows how Jordan's team would have done against Golden State?

I don't know how players in the 50's would do today, I have a pretty good idea, but I have no evidence to support my claim.

Michael Jordan is an all time great, no doubt about it. But it is impossible to compare him to LeBron or vice versa.








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[cima]

...am I the only one who settles these kinds of arguments in NBA 2K16? Lol.