John Salley: MJ not top five all-time

looks like he's just trying to stay relevant. hyping up himself and his team.

that's about all i took away from that article.

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Kevin McHale? Fantastic player, but I don't think he's top 5 of all time. You can definitely make a case for the other four players though.

By the way who is John Salley?

By the way who is John Salley?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Salley

I remember him from his time with Chicago, but I'll respect his opinion, although I wouldn't agree with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv28P9D18Jk

there's a video of the interview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2g6hu8lB-w

here's an interesting video where salley says some similar rubbish, but changes his story a bit. lists a bunch of players that he didn't mention in the latest interview, but also claims that Jordan is in the "five". I guess he fell out of the list...

Salley's a clown.

Skip, Salley, Stephen, they make a fine trio themselves like the on in New York.

Former Detroit Pistons star John Salley was talking about the best players of all time and somehow managed to rank Michael Jordan outside of his top five (via ESPN Radio’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd).

While the players he ranked ahead of MJ aren’t exactly slouches, you won’t find many basketball fans agreeing with "The Spider’s" list.

Salley—in order—put Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin McHale ahead of the former Chicago Bulls great.

He even went so far as to call Isiah Thomas the best player he had ever played with, even though Salley was a member of the 1996 Bulls (the team that won an NBA-record 72 games with Jordan leading them).

To put it in one word: idiot!

Thanks to airBerlin for the link of the interview.

I don't know what's the big deal. If you watch/listen to the interview it's easy to put into context what Salley was talking about.
People overreacting to what Salley said in that interview can be compared to people overreacting to Jordan's HOF speech.

Salley didn't even say/imply that Jordan's defense was overrated. He simply stated the difference on part of how defense was played then and today.
He even called the refs of today 'terrible' if I heard that right.

I was amused though at his comment where today's ref will tech you if you look at them the wrong way. Kobe and LeBron have no problem with that and I'm sure Jordan wouldn't either. Unless it's Tim Duncan and the ref is Joey Crawford.


Another fine journalistic piece from Bleacher Report I see.

Watched the interview and while the context changes his comments a little, I'd say he's still wide of the mark. Once again though, he's entitled his take on the matter.

I was amused though at his comment where today's ref will tech you if you look at them the wrong way. Kobe and LeBron have no problem with that and I'm sure Jordan wouldn't either. Unless it's Tim Duncan and the ref is Joey Crawford.

Agreed, though I guess he is half right. So long as you're not one of the league's marquee players, there is a decent chance you'll get T'd up for showing any kind of frustration or disagreeing with a call, or for that matter shaking your head, scratching your ear or adjusting an arm band. Or as you noted with Tim Duncan and Joey Crawford, laughing.

Wide off the mark with what?

Watched the interview and while the context changes his comments a little, I'd say he's still wide of the mark. Once again though, he's entitled his take on the matter.

I was amused though at his comment where today's ref will tech you if you look at them the wrong way. Kobe and LeBron have no problem with that and I'm sure Jordan wouldn't either. Unless it's Tim Duncan and the ref is Joey Crawford.

Agreed, though I guess he is half right. So long as you're not one of the league's marquee players, there is a decent chance you'll get T'd up for showing any kind of frustration or disagreeing with a call, or for that matter shaking your head, scratching your ear or adjusting an arm band. Or as you noted with Tim Duncan and Joey Crawford, laughing.

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Like this huh.

Somewhat true though. They seem to be rather more afraid to call stupid tech fouls on superstars as there're a lot of eyes and attention and probably they're smart enough to know it won't please basketball fans.

It's his opinion, but damn, how can he leave out Wilt, Russell or the Big O?

I'm a big fan of John Salley; he was great in Bad Boys 1 and 2. I don't entirely agree with his basketball opinions though.

It's his opinion, but damn, how can he leave out Wilt, Russell or the Big O?

He mentioned Russell and Robertson in choosing the 'greatest' in that other interview link.

As for the main interview discussed in this thread, he only picked Magic and Bird as the players they (the team) had trouble guarding, while he picked Jabbar, Olajuwon, and McHale as the players he personally had trouble guarding during his career. Picking Isiah is understandable why.

He wasn't even making a top all time crap as suggested by that Bleacher Report writer. He was only giving away names that was trouble for him defensively .

You'd think in this day and age people would actually partake in the interview rather than hoping they don't look stupid when someone else actually does.

Wide off the mark with what?

In his assessment of Michael Jordan.

John Salley was on a more recent First Take show and he boldly said that Magic and Larry topped MJ on his list. While Magic would be in my top 5, Larry wouldn't.

MJ is #2 on my list. Kobe tops MJ, imho. He doesn't need 6 rings to prove it. And lastly, when LeBron does decide to hang it up, he'll be overtake the #1 spot.

MJ is #2 on my list. Kobe tops MJ, imho. He doesn't need 6 rings to prove it.

MJ is #2 on my list. Kobe tops MJ, imho. He doesn't need 6 rings to prove it. And lastly, when LeBron does decide to hang it up, he'll be overtake the #1 spot.

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I'm serious. When Kobe gets that 6th, it's all over. Kobe goat ever.

MJ is #2 on my list. Kobe tops MJ, imho. He doesn't need 6 rings to prove it. And lastly, when LeBron does decide to hang it up, he'll be overtake the #1 spot.

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You can post up any Youtube videos you want, bro. I've had this exact discussion many times. Unless you watched MJ (as well as Kobe) in his prime, you should probably just continue to watch MJ highlights.

I'm serious. When Kobe gets that 6th, it's all over. Kobe goat ever.

He don't need 6 (which he probably will anyway)... he has already surpassed MJ.

Kobe is a fabricated Jordan that the league gave to the fans since everyone wanted MJ. But his performance is nowhere near MJ's. Forget MJ, he's not even Lebron Good. I'd probably put him on the level with Wade, but with a slight nod to Wade.

Unless you watched MJ (as well as Kobe) in his prime, you should probably just continue to watch MJ highlights.

That's...not how it works.

Do you have an argument based on anything substantial, or merely your say-so? Because I find the latter woefully insufficient.

Kobe is a fabricated Jordan that the league gave to the fans since everyone wanted MJ. But his performance is nowhere near MJ's. Forget MJ, he's not even Lebron Good. I'd probably put him on the level with Wade, but with a slight nod to Wade.

Try not to forget which era MJ played in. Who did he HAVE to guard every night? No one. Who guarded MJ? No one. In an era where you have John Starks and Bryon Russell, whom were the only players that had an inkling of a chance in guarding MJ made it quite apparent. Even then he couldn't put 81 on the board.

Unless you watched MJ (as well as Kobe) in his prime, you should probably just continue to watch MJ highlights.

That's...not how it works.

Do you have an argument based on anything substantial, or merely your say-so? Because I find the latter woefully insufficient.

Sure, I've had this conversation in the past... I don't mind another one.

We can start off by removing all the All-Star awards, all the scoring titles, all the stats, all of the MVPs, and of course all the rings. And let's forget who drafted Kwame Brown... for now. In pure basketball terms, tell precisely which area MJ is clearly more skillful than Kobe that dubbed him "the greatest of all time"....