Is It A Fact That MJ Is The Greatest NBA Player Ever?

I have ONE thing to say:

The greatest NBA Player in da world...or basketball player...is different to everyone, it is ur opinion- in mine I think it is the player who can basically...even though it is a team sport...single-handedly elevate their team/teammates to different (higher) levels of play...

and that player is................................?

Think phal, he just said is different to everyone so u just pick ur favourite, if u say jordan its jordan, u say kareem its kareem, its just everybody's own opinion, dont expect an anwser

what is this 'phal'?.....what i'm asking is who does he think fits that description best

i do believe that michael jordan is the greatest player of all time(my personal opinion). i do have reasons to back it up. he won rookie of the year, mvp, defensive player, he has won scoring titles and has been named to all defence and all nba teams. and he has been named to those teams more than once i can tell you that. each time he has been to an all star game, he has been a starter. he was able to come out of retirement the first time and still play at a really high level. he was able to come out of retirement again to join the wizards and average stats better than a lot of younger players. michael jordan was able to have his own shoe line. michael jordan was also able to hit so many buzzer beaters. he has been able to make so many amazing shots. he also won the dunk contest contest twice. many other players hit buzzer beaters to win important games but michael was so good, he was almost automatic when they needed him to hit an important shot. he was a hero and many people looked up to him especially all the young basketball players.

ow sorry man my bad , and phal, i think it has to be pal (damn keyboard ), or in the aussiez way "mate" or in russian "comrade" get the picture?

yes lebron is next mj,or carter will be next mj?

Lebron hasn't even played his first game, you can't prove that...

yes lebron is next mj,or carter will be next mj?

Can you please quit the spamming. I mean you joined five days ago and you already have 85 fricken posts - it quality not quantity that is important dude. If you have nothing solid to contribute (see above quote) please don't.

Also, Jordan played in an era with a lot more better players, in my opinion.
Drexler, Magic, Isaiah Thomas, Bird, Ewing, and others. And he was able to win every one of them

i thought he won the title when they retired or they all were washed out.

He won Karl Malone and Stockton

yes, but they both were in the latter part of their years, but thenagain Malone did fantastic so.... out the window with that one.
So: Jordan had Pippen and Rodman and Kukoc and Harper and the REFS!!!

I think MJ is one of the greatest players, but not best player, because for ONE simple reason.
If he had to play C I think Kareem would do better.

i thought he won the title when they retired or they all were washed out

do you have any recollection of the nba prior to 1998?

I think MJ is one of the greatest players, but not best player, because for ONE simple reason. If he had to play C I think Kareem would do better

this statement makes jason kidd's posts look good

Don't you guys have a link to the old forum where we have discussed this over and over and over again? I'm sure there are plenty of flame wars that we can look back and get a good laugh at.

I thing M.J. is the greatest in most peoples eyes because of his history:

Getting cut from his H.S. team

Championship game winning shot at North Carolina

The biggest issue that most old school fans and coaches love about the guy is the way he improved his game every year. He started out as a selfish dunker (i.e Vince Carter) and every year he added something new to his game. The fade away jumper, the trey, leadership, defense.

He took pro hoops to another level with endorsements and good guy attitude. I read an article in Fortune after his second retirement and they claimed M.J. (with all of his endorsements) contributed over 10 billion to the economy.

I think M.J. has had one of the greatest NBA careers ever.

Oscar Robertson had the greatest NBA season ever by averaging a triple double for a full season.

Oscar Robertson had the greatest NBA season ever by averaging a triple double for a full season

i'd say Wilt's 50 point 20 (25?) rebound season was more impressive

Quote:
Also, Jordan played in an era with a lot more better players, in my opinion.
Drexler, Magic, Isaiah Thomas, Bird, Ewing, and others. And he was able to win every one of them

i thought he won the title when they retired or they all were washed out.

Drexler was in his prime in 1992, after making the 1990 finals and losing to the Pistons. There was even speculation that MJ would have trouble with Drexler prior to the 92 finals. Ha!

Magic, yeah he was on his way out, but by all means not washed up. He retired too early remember because of Aids. He played the 1992 or 93 preseason but pulled out. Aren't you a laker fan poolit?

Isiah Thomas... the Pistons broke up pretty much after the Bulls finally took them out. I dunno if Isiah Thomas was washed up. I am reading the Jordan rules for the second time now, and I'm up to the part where the Bulls beat the Pistons in Detroit in their last regular season meeting between the two. Isiah was injured, and I dunno what happened in the playoffs yet. Can't remember from reading it the first time...

Bird never factored in any Bulls championships, I don't think they met in the playoffs during those championship runs. They met early in MJ's career when Bird's celtics were the team to beat and the Bulls lacking support for MJ.

Pat Ewing was primetime, and didn't go through to the finals until MJ retired.

without reading all the posts completely....

I add this:

Wilt Chamberlain put up huge numbers throughtout his career, IN THE REGULAR SEASON. But look all the playoff records, the ones involving most points in a playoff game, most rebounds in an NBA FINALS series. No matter how many points and rebounds Wilt got, he lost, lost and lost. So you might say he didn't have any help, well tell about how Billy Cunningham, Luc Jackson, Hal Greer and the Sixers sucked too much. Better yet tell me about the 68 and 69 Lakers with Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Mr. Chamberlain, I will tell you that the Celtics kicked Wilt's ass out over and over.

When Wilt learned to share the ball (look up his scoring in 1967 and 1972) he won his only two titles. So when you talk about how much he scored and how often, remember that Jordan won six titles in eight years, that Bill Russel put together 8 in a row and 11 in 13 years.

In my opinion the greatest statistical player of all-time is Oscar Robertson, who I do not consider the greatest all-around player, to be all around you must also lead your team to victory, inspire them, this is what Michael Jordan did, his teammates believed him when he told them, we must win tonight. I know Russell told his teammates in 1969 (the Celtics won every series on the road, including defeating the Baylor, West and Chamberlain Lakers) "we cannot and will not lose to the Lakers, we just can't". Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon and someone today is Tim Duncan or Kobe or Shaq are different than McGrady or Pierce, they finish the game, they lead to make everyone better, I don't blame Orlando for losing the way they did, I blame McGrady for allowing Orlando to lose the way they did.

spam traps have been set in this site, or am I the only one?

ISP

win games

. No matter how many points and rebounds Wilt got, he lost, lost and lost.

No, his team lost, lost, lost and won.

So you might say he didn't have any help, well tell about how Billy Cunningham, Luc Jackson, Hal Greer and the Sixers sucked too much.

Um...no? They posted winning seasons every year Wilt was there, and took the Celtics and their 8+ hall of famers to seven games in '68, beat them and won the title in '67, and took them to seven in '65 after Wilt came over and turned that team around halfway through the season. Plus Chet Walker > Luc Jackson.

Better yet tell me about the 68 and 69 Lakers with Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Mr. Chamberlain

Wilt didn't arrive until 69 (he was brought in to fill the defensive hole at the center position...plus that's the year he shattered his knee three games into the season, pretty much the same injury that ended Barkley's career, then didn't come back until nine games in the season, was gimpy but still took them to the Finals) and the Lackers dominated the West, took the Knicks and Celtics to Seven in the Finals? What about '72 when they won 69, including 33 straight and won the ring the year after Elgin Baylor moved on?

I will tell you that the Celtics kicked Wilt's ass out over and over.

If you're talking about Wilt on the Lackers, you'd be wrong. They only played once and it went to seven. If you're talking about Wilt on the Warriors, well, eight hall of famers > one. Basketball is a team sport.

When Wilt learned to share the ball (look up his scoring in 1967 and 1972) he won his only two titles.

What? Wilt's coaches with the Warriors told him to go for 40+ because that was the only way they could pretend to contend. When he went back to Philly for the Sixers where he didn't need to score in bunches to win and he had teammates to pass to, all he did was lead the league in assists, and set records centers have never come close to breaking. By the time he got to Los Angeles he was pretty much beat up after a decade of other teams being allowed to beat and hang on him so he was injured and since his teammates were so good he could take it easy, get boards, dish the ball and block monster numbers of shots.

So when you talk about how much he scored and how often, remember that Jordan won six titles in eight years, that Bill Russel put together 8 in a row and 11 in 13 years.

Wrong. The Bulls won six titles in eight years. The Celtics won 8 in a row, and 11 in 13 years. The Celtics teams were stocked with talent. I don't think anyone in the history of the league could've stopped their run.

in 1963... Frank Ramsey, Tom Heinsohn, Clyde Lovellette, the John Havlicek, KC Jones, Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and Sam Jones on the same team, 'longside some damn fine contributors in Tom Sanders, Jim Loscutoff and Dan Swartz... i don't think that team had a weakness...

Last edited by benji on Sat Jun 28, 2003 9:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

The greatest player ever is T-Mac, and following LeBron James,

... and ressurection is good, isn't it?

"I don't think anyone in the history of the league could've stopped their run. "

I will stop their run in NBA live 2004 using the 96-98 Bulls.
Seriously though guys, it's taken me awhile but I've subsribed to the theory that sports medicine plays a big factor when comparing teams from different decades. You never know how those celtic teams would have looked if they pumped some iron. However, if there is anything that transcends time when speaking about who the greatest player of all time is a players approach to the game. We always hear about MJ's competiveness and will to win. That quality is what I think put MJ above all others regardless of what time they played in.

... and ressurection is good, isn't it?

, Well, I was on vacation when this thread was created. But I consider most of you guys are right, MJ is the best of old-time .

Of course, there's Jabbar, West, Dr. J., Chamberlain, Unseld, etc. But MJ kicked their asses coming to the league, nobody had ever seen anyone flying like MJ before.... Well of course, besides Dr. J., Dominique Wilkins, Spudd Webb, Larry Nance. However, nobody has ever been injured like MJ was and coming back to score more than 20 ppg, well besides Dominique... But I bet all of you agree nobody has ever had more games in a season scoring 40 + points MJ did, well of course, besides Wilt's 63 games scoring more than 40.

That's what makes MJ so great that he's everywhere as a contributor to the league, he does help organizations like Nike to help others to wear shoes, those people just have to pay over $100 and they get new shoes, can you believe it?, while other players give charities to people who needs those in real organizations, for free?

I agree with most of you guys, this is a personal opinion thing and I do recognize what other players have done for this game to be my actual favorite, knowing I'm not a fan of dunks and LeBron, I have reasons to believe there are other things in the game you can do to help your team win without having to score 63 and losing the game, the greatest of old-time is MJ even like that, he is old and alive, he still can play. Then we have Karl Malone who is still doing his stuff, but MJ has won some rings and Malone hasn't.

After reading your post a couple of times scub all i can say is ...... .

I counted at least four contradictions and am still unclear as to whether or not you think Jordan is the greatest player we have ever seen.

Sorry if my feeble brain caused my lack of understanding (or i missed the sarcasm) but as a hated Australian politician once said "please explain!".

okay:

But MJ kicked their asses coming to the league, nobody had ever seen anyone flying like MJ before....

before, so...your point is? Now everyone seems to be flying How does him being the first make him better than now? maybe kid now are betetr than MJ just they have to play against stronger more athletic people so they can't stand out like he did.

That's what makes MJ so great that he's everywhere as a contributor to the league, he does help organizations like Nike to help others to wear shoes, those people just have to pay over $100 and they get new shoes, can you believe it?, while other players give charities to people who needs those in real organizations, for free?

and how does that make him a better BASKETBALL player?

I have reasons to believe there are other things in the game you can do to help your team

then why doesn't anyone consider Oscar Robertson to be the greatest? I mean he did average a triple double.

However, if there is anything that transcends time when speaking about who the greatest player of all time is a players approach to the game. We always hear about MJ's competiveness and will to win. That quality is what I think put MJ above all others regardless of what time they played in.

VERY good I really like that one!
So I guess Kobe could be put up there eh?

then why doesn't anyone consider Oscar Robertson to be the greatest? I mean he did average a triple double.

Who is "anyone" cause I do consider him the Greatest, Jabbar consider him the Greatest, Magic consider him the Greatest, you are the "only" one who doesn't consider other than MJ.

Go ask MJ to average a triple double in a season and you'll see his answer would be "Go to h***"

ok, i see how you guys think oscar robertson the best because he averaged a triple double in a season and was a rebound or a assist short of it a few other years too, but i think stats arn't everything, things like what they did for the game and how they revoluationzied the game with there game, and i think MJ did that to best, this quote is from SLAM mag of top 75 GOAT. here is what they have to say on mike(ranked 1)

The easiest way to deal with Michael Jordan is to say, "Forget the numbers- think about what he means to the game." Talk about how he's influenced everyone from AI to Kobe, drop in quote abut his athleticism from legend like Magic-"Once Michael gets up there, he says, 'Well maybe I'll just hang up here in the air for a while, just sit back.' Than all of the sudden he says, 'Well maybe I'll 360. No, I changed my mind. I'll go up on the other side.' He's incredible."- and nobodies like Felton Spencer-"You don't hesitate with Michael, or you'll end up on some poster in a gift shop someplace." Talk about how he's made No. 23 forever his, how hearing the Alam Parsons Project will always give people chills. How he's still doing it at 40 after two retirements. But how about flipping it and forgetting all that? What about the numbers?
Ten All-NBA first team honors. Nine All-Defensive first team selections. Seven straight seasons leading the league in scoring(and another three straight after returning from the first retirement). Six NBA championships and six Finals MVPs. Five League MVPs. Three All-Star Game MVPS. Two Olympic gold medals. One Defensive Player of the Year award. Entering the '02-03 season with the highest career scoring average for the playoffs(33.4), a single Finals series(41.0, in 1993), the regular season(31.5) and All-Star Game(21.3). The only guard to accumulate 200 steals and 100 blocks in a season(he did it twice). Twenty-nine triple-doubles. The 69 points and 18 rebound he hung on the Cavs in '91. The NBA-record 23 consecutive points he scored against the Hawks in '87. The 43.7 ppg(inculding a playyoff record 63) he averaged in the first round against the Celtics in '86, when boston was the best team in basketball. The record 842 times he scored in double digits that's ten-plus seasons. Becoming only the second player in NBA history (Willis Reed was first and Shaq has done it since) to win regular season, All Star Game and Finals MVP in the same year.
Add that up. The only number you get is 1.

well, thats only one guys opinion, but i agree with it too.