Who is the biggest UNDERACHIEVER: Shaq or LBJ?

[Giuseppe]

^ well if they had the officiating help Shaq and Kobe had they could definitely three-peat. Perhaps even do better.

Only pussies & assholes blame the officiating.

[LnGrrrR]

Shaq would hover around 7-8, most likely.

Shaq WAS mentally ready, though. Until his first chip, he had work ethic and was hovering around the best shape in his life. Lebron is always in his best shape, since 2008 he has had pretty good work ethic and he is doing everything right he has control over.....except accepting his role on a team.

Difference is this: Shaq got lazy and never reached his ceiling. Lebron is banging on his ceiling, trying to move it up. Shaq underachieved without question, while LBJ is achieving what he can in the role he is trying to play.

Who's to say Lebron won't get lazy once he gets a ring? We have the benefit of hindsight on Shaq's career. I doubt anyone thought he was "underachieving" as he was racking up rings.

[Nathan89]

Only pussies & assholes blame the officiating.

only pussies and asshole are repe ive.

[pass1st]

^ well if they had the officiating help Shaq and Kobe had they could definitely three-peat. Perhaps even do better.

As for Kobe work ethic I don't know because I don't watch him practice. I mean I could trust espn but if I did I would be believing he's also clutch. I'll google a work ethic percentile chart of all the players.

I'm including officiating help, and I don't see T-Mac going past 2 chips with Shaq(a generous assumption). That is also assuming T-Mac played as a teammate, not an individual, for '97-04

In order to recover from injury, you have to work hard at rehabilitating your body and making adjustments for what you're stuck with. Kobe has made adjustments throughout his career and constantly bounced back from injuries. You must have forgotten Kobe made the adjustment from physical play to mid-range during the time he was without Shaq or Gasol. That's a lot of work, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to see that. What seperated Kobe from AI or T-Mac was that Kobe always worked to stay in the game.

It's called logic, maybe you can use it sometime.

[pass1st]

Who's to say Lebron won't get lazy once he gets a ring? We have the benefit of hindsight on Shaq's career. I doubt anyone thought he was "underachieving" as he was racking up rings.

Now you're assuming the future, which I already said the tables might turn later.

[Giuseppe]

^Locked at 4--with Kobe at 5 is what Daddy deserves.

That usually doesn't happen in this sort of cir stance, at least in my sphere of the world. That last one Vs. the Celtics was a watershed. It cured many ills for Kobe.

[Nathan89]

I'm including officiating help, and I don't see T-Mac going past 2 chips with Shaq(a generous assumption). That is also assuming T-Mac played as a teammate, not an individual, for '97-04

In order to recover from injury, you have to work hard at rehabilitating your body and making adjustments for what you're stuck with. Kobe has made adjustments throughout his career and constantly bounced back from injuries. You must have forgotten Kobe made the adjustment from physical play to mid-range during the time he was without Shaq or Gasol. That's a lot of work, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to see that. What seperated Kobe from AI or T-Mac was that Kobe always worked to stay in the game.

It's called logic, maybe you can use it sometime.

Or some people heal quicker than others...or the injury was exaggerated in the first place... It hard to know the real truth about "made in espn".

The true answer to this is talented teammatesPeriod

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

Inb4 Lakerfan brings up Kobe's injured pinkie

[baseline bum]

Replace Kobe with T-Mac and you replace a hard working player with a lazy talented player. I don't think T-Mac had what it took to make deep playoff runs.

I'd take Kobe for games 1-6, no question.

[LnGrrrR]

Now you're assuming the future, which I already said the tables might turn later.

But they haven't yet. Which is why LBJ is far more of an underachiever. Two time MVP, no ring.

[Giuseppe]

Inb4 Lakerfan brings up Kobe's injured pinkie

Only pussies & assholes use the injury excuse.

[pass1st]

Or some people heal quicker than others...or the injury was exaggerated in the first place... It hard to know the real truth about "made in espn".

The true answer to this is talented teammatesPeriod

I don't think Kobe has supernatural healing powers or his teammates helped him heal.

He has had some exaggerated injuries, but most of them have taken their toll on Kobe. He quit dunking for a while simply because his knees couldn't take it.

He worked through injuries and conditioned his body to avoid severe injuries. Iverson is a prime example of what happens when you don't condition your body in the pre-season and don't work to rehabilitate after injury.

[pass1st]

But they haven't yet. Which is why LBJ is far more of an underachiever. Two time MVP, no ring.

When LBJ wastes his prime, he will be the underachiever. I would say his prime will end at 30.

[DMC]

LBJ is currently one of the greatest underachievers of all time, if we consider underachieving to be not meeting expectations.

Then again, he's done some good stuff and he's considered to be the best in the game, but he's not achieved on a team level.

[NRHector]

Only pussies & assholes use the injury excuse.

here you go again with your repe ive , act you age granpa

[DMC]

here you go again with your repe ive , act you age granpa

He's acting his age. He's got Alzheimer's disease and doesn't recall ever saying those things.

[Giuseppe]

here you go again with your repe ive , act you age granpa

& I will continue in that manner when you guys prompt me such.

It's my religion.

[Venti Quattro]

This thread screams of Captain Obvious. But what can we do, the thread starter is stupid as .

[lefty]

Shaq would hover around 7-8, most likely.

Shaq WAS mentally ready, though. Until his first chip, he had work ethic and was hovering around the best shape in his life. Lebron is always in his best shape, since 2008 he has had pretty good work ethic and he is doing everything right he has control over.....except accepting his role on a team.

Difference is this: Shaq got lazy and never reached his ceiling. Lebron is banging on his ceiling, trying to move it up. Shaq underachieved without question, while LBJ is achieving what he can in the role he is trying to play.

Actually, he gained weight in L.A because Phil Jackson asked him to do so.

Phil wanted Shaq to be as strong as possible in order to pound it inside and draw as many fouls as possible ( to put the opposite big men in foul trouble, not because of his FT percentage obviously)

That was a stupid thing to do, since a lean Shaq was already much stronger that the opposition anyway

[pass1st]

Actually, he gained weight in L.A because Phil Jackson asked him to do so.

Phil wanted Shaq to be as strong as possible in order to pound it inside and draw as many fouls as possible ( to put the opposite big men in foul trouble, not because of his FT percentage obviously)

That was a stupid thing to do, since a lean Shaq was already much stronger that the opposition anyway

Did he tell Shaq to eat a dozen cheese burgers during half time? If Phil wanted Shaq to gain weight, I think he meant muscle......fat doesn't make you much stronger....just harder to push around.

[Jacob1983]

Will people stop calling Lecrab "LBJ"? I mean seriously, he wasn't president. And it's confusing sometimes.

[LkrFan]

Notice how he pussyfoots around with the question. Noncommittal - like his 4th qtrs!

What an asshat!

[Nathan89]

^I believe he was also saying that the Lakers were going to comeback against Dallas.

[Red Hawk #21]

Kobe really would beat Lebron 1 on 1 imho, how can Lebron stop Kobe without any help defense? Kobe would dismantle him.

[Giuseppe]

^I believe he was also saying that the Lakers were going to comeback against Dallas.

After The Skunker & 8 you've nary room.