NBA 2012-13 Season Thread - Crown The Heat!

Gaige

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Jordan is loved now because he went 6-0 in the Finals and never played a game 7 in the Finals. He was a scoring machine. He was also marketed amazingly in a time when shit like that didn't happen. I personally love Jordan. However he, by all accounts, is a terrible human being and an even worse teammate lol.

However Jordan was not loved prior to his titles. He was called a ball hog in as many ways as possible. It was said he would never get on the level of Magic/Bird/Isiah. It was said a scoring champion who played his style couldn't win titles. It was said he cared more about his stats than the team. People hated him when he showed up wearing gold chains at All-Star weekend for the slam dunk contest.

I love LeBron because he faced NATIONAL scrutiny from the time he was 15 years old. He played his high school games in college stadiums so celebrities and the media could watch. He was absolutely set up to fail but succeeded anyway.

The expectations on LeBron are ridiculous and yet 90% of the time he still delivers. That is incredible to do in this day and age and I appreciate LeBron for the talent he has and the way he uses it.

LeBron can't be appreciated fully until his career is over. Unless he wins like 4 or 5 titles then maybe, but I doubt even then. He is so good people's expectations of him are near perfect and he is widely scrutinized making pleasing the media/fans almost impossible.

At least LeBron never got suspended for a year for gambling though, right?
 

Loser Araysar

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Kobe & Jordan can't touch LeBron's all around game. His passing, his rebounding, his blocks, his steals. Not to mention his ability to guard the best player on the floor whoever it is.
First of all, no one will ever argue that lebron's offense is better than Jordan's. Jordan is unquestionably better than Lebron in that regard.

So i guess that only leaves defense and then of course leadership.

Defense:

Jordan:
3x NBA steals leader
9x NBA All-Defensive First team
NBA defensive player of the yyar

Lebron:
5? NBA All-Defensive First Team


Jordan has always been a better defensive player than LBJ and widely considered one of the ebst in the league

And as far as leadership goes that's a no contest either, Lebron couldnt even lead a bunch of starving people to an IHOP 2 blocks down the street
 

jeydax

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People hate LeBron because he is too good. They're spoiled by what they think he should be doing. Nothing he does is good enough, every mistake he makes is the worst mistake ever made, proves he is overrated and tarnishes his legacy.
They don't hate him because he is too good but I agree they are spoiled by what he should be doing.

If you like basketball and at this point of LeBron's career you still hate LeBron you just hate him because he is LeBron. He has proven over and over and over that he is the best all-around player to play this game, maybe ever.
False. Here is why people hate Lebron.

1) The majority of the hate surrounding Lebron started with "The Decision" and the horrible PR mistakes the "Big 3" in Miami made in their introduction (ie: "Not 1, not 2, not 3..." deal).
2) The other people who hate him are Jordan purists who will never ever give up, no matter how good a player is, that Jordan is the best player ever.
3) Most fans of the Cavs who will hate him simply because he left his home town team.
4) Though this could be said for many others players, people hate him for how fucking whiny he can be on the floor. Perfect example being last night.

I would GUESS that less than 1% of people who hate Lebron hate him because he is so good.
 

Alex

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Ugh. This Gaige and Araysar tirade could get ugly. It won't even be an entertaining special olympics event. It's just going to suck.
 

Loser Araysar

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Jordan is loved because he went 6-0 in the Finals and never played a game 7 in the Finals. He was a scoring machine. He was also marketed amazingly in a time when shit like that didn't happen. I personally love Jordan. However he, by all accounts, is a terrible human being and an even worse teammate lol.

I love LeBron because he faced NATIONAL scrutiny from the time he was 15 years old. He played his high school games in college stadiums so celebrities and the media could watch. He was absolutely set up to fail but succeeded anyway.

The expectations on LeBron are ridiculous and yet 90% of the time he still delivers. That is incredible to do in this day and age and I appreciate LeBron for the talent he has and the way he uses it.

Besides, LeBron never got suspended for a year for gambling, did he?
So letting someone play high school games in college arenas is seting someone up to fail? Sounds like Lebron was handed his NBA career on a silver platter even before he graduated from High School.


Jordan? Oh he was turned down for high school varsity team and then had to fight for a spot.
 

Gaige

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I think it's entirely possible to say LeBron's offense is on par with Jordan's. He shoots a better % from outside. He assists more and is a lot better at passing. He rebounds better. He has that same ability to take over a game and dominate it.

As for defense, I don't think his defense is appreciated enough, as I said, because people take what he does for granted. He should've been defensive player of the year this year.

The good thing is that he is 28 years old and Jordan's evolution into a consistent outside shooter with the unguardable fadeway happened in his 30s.

Oh, and LeBron shoots way less than Jordan did.

I'd say the leadership skills are probably equal they just do it in different ways. Jordan was a dick who punched his teammates in the face. LeBron is their friend and they want to follow him.

I like them both, and by virtue of rings Jordan > LeBron. LeBron is still young though. Oh and by virtue of rings, Horry > Jordan. So there is that. Russell > Jordan too. Don't wanna forget about him.
 

Alex

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So letting someone play high school games in college arenas is seting someone up to fail? Sounds like Lebron was handed his NBA career on a silver platter even before he graduated from High School.
There are FAR more players in sports history who were in that situation and it did indeed set them up to fail. Think of all the highly touted first round NFL draft picks and the media circus surrounding them. Only to be average or terrible.
 

Ambiturner

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Jesus Gaige, not that shit again. When Lebron left Cleveland, so did 6 other players. They were a completely different team. Not like the Bulls which stayed mostly intact. Compare that Cavs team to Jordan's second retirement Bulls for a more accurate comparison.

With the statline BS Jordan is also a 2 and played with actual 4s and 5s including god like rebounder Dennis Rodman. James has Haslem and Bosh. Who do you think is going to get more rebounds?

Jordan is also a better defender, no idea wtf you're doing if you don't believe that.

Lebron is an amazing player, but not the GOAT by any means. He generally looks disinterested at times. It happened with the Cavs against the Celtics, happened against the Mavs, and has been happening again against the Spurs.
 

Loser Araysar

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I think it's entirely possible to say LeBron's offense is on par with Jordan's. He shoots a better % from outside. He assists more and is a lot better at passing. He rebounds better. He has that same ability to take over a game and dominate it.

As for defense, I don't think his defense is appreciated enough, as I said, because people take what he does for granted. He should've been defensive player of the year this year.

The good thing is that he is 28 years old and Jordan's evolution into a consistent outside shooter with the unguardable fadeway happened in his 30s.

Oh, and LeBron shoots way less than Jordan did.

I'd say the leadership skills are probably equal they just do it in different ways. Jordan was a dick who punched his teammates in the face. LeBron is their friend and they want to follow him.

I like them both, and by virtue of rings Jordan > LeBron. LeBron is still young though. Oh and by virtue of rings, Horry > Jordan. So there is that. Russell > Jordan too. Don't wanna forget about him.

LOL, how can anyone even assert shit like "LeBron is their friend and they want to follow him"?

I guess, when you're a lifelong pedophile - that kind of mutual trait is what attracts you to him
 

Gaige

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Sports Illustrated called him the Chosen One as a 17 year old high school junior. Put him on the cover. They were making a movie about his high school team. He was a celebrity in tiny ass Ohio as a freshman in high school. He came from a poor black single mother household. 5 years later he played for a NBA title. 11 years later he won a NBA title.

I'd say that is definitely beating the odds. LeBron is a basketball phenom who despite enormous pressure is doing what is expected of him by all but the harshest of critics. He is 48 minutes away from being a back to back champion prior to his 30th birthday.

LOL, how can anyone even assert shit like "LeBron is their friend and they want to follow him"?
You're questioning this? Him and Dwade are best friends. DWade took a back seat so LeBron could lead the team. In last night's post game presser Ray Allen talked about how LeBron leads the team with his energy and his attitude and the guys follow what he is doing. Etc Etc. They're saying it not me. If you're too fucking retarded and pig headed to know that, that's on you.

Jesus Gaige, not that shit again. When Lebron left Cleveland, so did 6 other players.
Danny Green, Ilgauskas, Shaq, Delonte West and Telfair left when LeBron left. They added a couple guys like Baron Davis and some other scrubs. You're telling me those guys there matter to the tune of 50 wins? How about no.

Danny Green got kicked completely out of the NBA. Ilgauskas retired a year later without doing much of anything. Shaq retired a year later without doing much of anything. Delonte West is a scrub and always will be. Telfair? He played 4 games as a Cav. He has never averaged more than 7 points a game nor played more than 60 games since being a Cav.

Compare that Cavs team to Jordan's second retirement Bulls for a more accurate comparison.
Fuck you. Pippen left in 98. The entire 2009 Cavs roster combined outside of LeBron isn't as good as Pippen was in 1997.

With the statline BS Jordan is also a 2 and played with actual 4s and 5s including god like rebounder Dennis Rodman. James has Haslem and Bosh. Who do you think is going to get more rebounds?
LeBron is a 3. Jordan played with Rodman for 3 years. What about the other 10 years of his career. Longley, Cartwright and the other 7ft white dudes better at rebounding than Jordan to?

It happened with the Cavs against the Celtics, happened against the Mavs, and has been happening again against the Spurs.
The Mavs, yes. The first year of the big 3. I'll give you that. He dominated the Celtics the game before elimination that year and is dominating against the Spurs. At least you're 1 for 3.
 

Loser Araysar

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There are FAR more players in sports history who were in that situation and it did indeed set them up to fail. Think of all the highly touted first round NFL draft picks and the media circus surrounding them. Only to be average or terrible.
They might not have played up to the expectations that were heaped on them, but to say that it set them up to fail is wrong. Would they rather have been drafted in bottom of 2nd round instead of top of the 1st and then played at same level and then faded into obscurity?

For every crappy NBA player who came out of college - you have Garnett, Dwight Howard, Bynum, Kobe, Jermaine O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, Tyson Chandler, Amare Stoudemire
 

Loser Araysar

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You're questioning this? Him and Dwade are best friends. DWade took a back seat so LeBron could lead the team. In last night's post game presser Ray Allen talked about how LeBron leads the team with his energy and his attitude and the guys follow what he is doing. Etc Etc. They're saying it not me. If you're too fucking retarded and pig headed to know that, that's on you.
What attitude does he lead the team with? Standing around looking disinterested for 3 quarters? Checking out mentally from whole games at a time? Showing his high performance flops to lead the league in flopping advancements?

Inspiring stuff.
 

Loser Araysar

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Would you follow anyone to Cleveland?
Jordan built the Bulls into a 6x champion and never had to ditch out on his team

Mind you when he was drafted, Bulls had the 2nd worst record in the elague