Results 51 to 60 of 131
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07-03-2018, 02:00 PM #51
Today's game is just different in so many ways, much of which are societal. Players today are connected to each other differently than they were before.
There is NO WAY Jordan, or Bird, or Magic would have won a title by teaming up. It's the easy way out, and these players had a pride that so many guys today just don't possess. But, with social media, and AAU, the atmosphere as the players grow up is just different.
It's my one gripe with LeBron. There is no scenario where Jordan would have left Chicago to go win a title. Not when he was the alpha dog. I never understood why LeBron, as the supposed alpha dog in the league, followed Wade to Miami rather than forcing the issue for them to team up on his turf. I get that Miami, as a market, is better than Cleveland (this is coming from a Grizz fan). But - that, to me, screams submissive player, and the easy way out.
It's just a sad state when, as a season ticket holder for the Grizzlies, I no longer feel my team has a chance at anything. Just making the playoffs is no longer a good consolation prize, and as long as players just wuss out and join forces, it sucks the life out of the games.
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07-03-2018, 02:16 PM #52
Yep, I made a point in another forum awhile back how the Millennial generation is different, and it's affected the game in the same ways it's affected culture as a whole. (As for LeBron, his makeup was never like Jordan's -- I think he's much more similar to Magic with the smiles, high need for sociability, outgoing personality etc. -- but even Magic had the honor to take on Bird's Celtics throughout the entirety of the 1980s and stay with his original team the whole time, even as Jordan eventually ascended beyond him in the 1990s.)
To summarize, there is less resiliency and toughness (Durant being the most infamous example of such), a high need for change/novelty/speed when any sort of hardship hits instead of getting through it, and everything is interconnected through social media and its soundbites and feedback, so people are confused and can't seem to stick with something. Generation X, by contrast, was highly individualistic, valued autonomy, and didn't care about feedback from others -- they largely stuck with their interests and didn't flit from thing to thing. There were fewer distractions in those days.
I'm actually an older Millennial (a month and a half older than LeBron), grew up in the 1990s, and I often reminisce and spend time philosophizing just how radically different everything is now. I feel some of the negative effect from the pampering and special snowflake mentality of my generation, but I also identify and wish this generation could take some of the better things from X and stop being so flimsy. We've got to get stronger and stop running away from problems, or else whining and resorting to useless rhetoric, when conflict or difficulty hits.Last edited by WilyWestbrook0; 07-03-2018 at 02:23 PM. Reason: typo
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07-03-2018, 02:49 PM #53
Very interesting points @WilyWestbrook0 and @jmintz.
I completely agree that when your the Alpha dog on a team or 1 of the Alpha dogs in the league you bring people to you not go elsewhere looking for greener pastures. I would never take away from Lebron or Durrant as players but personally there is something unsatisfying about seeing players of that caliber move on to other teams. Looks like Westbrook and Curry might be the only current superstars that will stick it out with their teams. Hopefully some of the young guys Giannis, AD, Embid and Simmons will stick it out but too early to tell with them.
Jordan, Magic, Bird were all examples of guys that stayed that it worked out for with Rings and individual success. I have alot of respect for some of the others as well like Reggie, Ewing, Malone, Stockton who gave everything for their cities. Even KG gave his prime years to the Twolves 12 years. I feel like 10 years to a team doing everything you can takes you to legendary status for that city.
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07-03-2018, 06:45 PM #54
KG definitely gave his all to Minny before going to Boston. He took that underachieving team to the WCF in 2003-04 in that extraordinary MVP season. I remember seeing him live in person in 2004-05 for the first time, and my parents and I were in awe of his ability to literally do everything well on the court, impacting the game in all fashions. We were happy when he finally got his ring in Boston as well. Happy to have his Finest RC and a game used patch in my card PC. KG is still the best Timberwolf of all-time, easy, and a first ballot HOFer.
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07-03-2018, 07:05 PM #55
Rondo signs with the Lakers and rumors are floating around that Chris Bosh may come out of retirement and sign with the Lakers
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07-03-2018, 07:17 PM #56
Jordan HAD a "superteam" in his era. The GOAT coach, a top 50 All-Time wingman and either Rodman or Grant, along with a nice bench. The Bulls were a superteam in their era.
Magic's Lakers were absolutely a superteam
Bird's Celtics were absolutely a superteam.
Also, in regards to changing locations ... in previous eras there wasn't much player movement, but had their been an all-star team created in, say, Houston, in Jordan's day ... if Jordan was smart he would have moved to New York or convinced Ewing or someone to move to Chicago to play with him, as had he not done that, he would have been ringless.
If the NBA simply had one superstar on each team, say the 30 best players, one per team for the 30 teams ... LeBron would have 10+ rings by now ... however that isn't the NBA we find ourselves in, we find ourselves in a super team era, where if a single star tries to go it alone, they will never win a ring, maybe never even get out of the 2nd round of the playoffs.
Had MJ not had Pip he'd be ringless.
Had Magic not had Kareem, he'd be ringless.
Had Bird not had McHale, he'd be ringless.
Multiple star teams winning rings is the rule … it always has been.
The current Warriors team, had it existed in Jordan's era would have looked something like the Bad Boy Pistons signing a prime Larry Bird and Patrick Ewing … Jordan would have never won a series against a team like that.
In Bird's era, it would have been like the Lakers signing a prime Clyde Drexler to replace Byron Scott … Bird would never have won a series against a team like that.
The Warriors OWN the NBA and the only way to combat that is to build other SUPERTEAMS, period.
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07-03-2018, 07:26 PM #57
Honestly, I think it's silly to pretend Jordan and especially Magic took a tougher road to glory than LeBron.
Had LeBron been gifed with the greatest coach who ever lived, the best 2-way wing in the game (Kawhi) a tough rebounding, all-star level type PF like Drayomd Green and a great bench, in Cleveland, like Jordan had in Chicago, he never would have left the first time or this last time … if he was gifted the most dominant center in the game, the best coach in the game, a HOF level SF and a great bench like Magic was, he never would have left either imho.
I think it's just silly the way people look at things … the best player in the world is the best player in the world and would always win the ring year in and year out if all teams were equal … Jordan would have 10+ rings, LeBron would have 10+ rings, Shaq, Kareem and Chamberlain would each have 10+ rings … the only thing that changes their ring count is their supporting cast and whether not other teams have better supporting casts.
To me, Chamberlain, Shaq, Kareem and LeBron are the most dominant superstars ever … Jordan wasn't on their level as a dominant force, but was still "the best player in the world" for a very long time … but Durant, Bill Russell and many other multiple-ring winning players aren't on the same level, they just had better supporting casts.
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07-03-2018, 09:40 PM #58
Heard that about Bosh, but I'd thought his health condition prevented him from being able to safely play again.
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07-04-2018, 10:29 AM #59
Can not see the team really going anywhere. More hype. Expectations will be high, with no cohesiveness. Lebron, Rondo, and Ball ??? Who would want to play or at least try with egos they have. They, the lakers signing Randle may help. Bosh is to old and weak against the young, may get a few rebounds but shot more than likely gone.
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07-04-2018, 08:53 PM #60
https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2018/07/...ht-howard.html
Dwight Howard Finalizes Buyout Agreement, Will Sign With Wizards
Howard has finalized his buyout with the Nets and will sign a one-year deal with the Wizards for the MLE after he clears waivers, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
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Originally Posted by rjabreu88 
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