Lakers: Beating the 73-9 Warriors made me the GOAT

[lefty]

Lebron, Bird, Isiah, Magic, Kareem, Hakeem all on Jordan tbh

DK was nothing without mega Stern protection, expansion teams and MVPippen, Rodman etc

[FrostKing]

Jordan lol

Is James even better than Duncan, Kobe or Shaq? Mentally he is clearly the weakest of the 4. Least clutch. Least liking to single handily carry his team

[MultiTroll]

73-9 Warriors vastly overrated. Certainly does not make one GOAT.

Still a great takedown by LeBron.

I still have Duncan, others above LeBron but he is closing the gap.

[lefty]

Dis nicca Bird not even as great as Timmy, let alone Magic.

Bird was better than Magic

Magic had a deeper roster and a western conference

[DMC]

Someone saying they are the GOAT while still playing is hubris. It's one of the things I don't like about Lebron - he's always been quick to pat himself on the back. He is great, no doubt, possible the GOAT. It's something others decide though, at least that's how the GOATs have done it.

[Killakobe81]

Bird was better than Magic

Magic had a deeper roster and a western conference

We know where you stand you have said it plenty ...just say Bird is greater and move on.
You wont chnge my mind with those weak arguments.

[lefty]

We know where you stand you have said it plenty ...just say Bird is greater and move on.
You wont chnge my mind with those weak arguments.

Of course you won’t change your mind you are a Lakers fan

Passing : wash
Shooting: Bird
Defense : neither was great but Bird was better
Coach killer : Magic

[Killakobe81]

Of course you won’t change your mind you are a Lakers fan

Passing : wash
Shooting: Bird
Defense : neither was great but Bird was better
Coach killer : Magic

Bird was a sublime passer but you lost me with passing a wash only a bised person would say that ...
Bird was 9 out of 10 as a passer but Magic is a 9.9 Bron for me is actually to me a better passer than Bird.
I won't waste my time arguing why but bron can make passes neither guy could make ...but I think magic is slightly better passer overall.

As passers:

Bird 9.0
LeBron 9.5
Magic 9.9

Talking pace, variety, creativity, accuracy etc. Bird was amazing Bron and Magic are both better.

Of course bird was a better shooter/scorer.
And even though i give edge to magic based on creativity/variety ... if I needed a cross-court or skip pass with player on the move and a pass with accuracy and pace was needed ...not sure I would take even Magic over Bron.

[phxspurfan]

I have no issue with what he said tbh... He basically said that it was the best moment of his career and in that occasion he feels he was the goat.. it's obviously arguable but no better person can be biased in his favor than himself

I was not a big fan of him in the beginning but you have to recognize that he is a great guy for the community, one of the best if not the best to ever play bb, he shut the mouth of this warrior squad, broke Spurs heart before Tim broke his and he is a Trum hater (a huge + for me)... so yeah I changed my mind about him.

He didn’t break the Spurs heart, Ray Allen did. He clanged one off the rim actually per usual.

And Kyrie gifted him the Cleveland ring by hitting that shot

[lefty]

Bird was a sublime passer but you lost me with passing a wash only a bised person would say that ...
Bird was 9 out of 10 as a passer but Magic is a 9.9 Bron for me is actually to me a better passer than Bird.
I won't waste my time arguing why but bron can make passes neither guy could make ...but I think magic is slightly better passer overall.

As passers:

Bird 9.0
LeBron 9.5
Magic 9.9

Talking pace, variety, creativity, accuracy etc. Bird was amazing Bron and Magic are both better.

Of course bird was a better shooter/scorer.
And even though i give edge to magic based on creativity/variety ... if I needed a cross-court or skip pass with player on the move and a pass with accuracy and pace was needed ...not sure I would take even Magic over Bron.

Magic was a flashier passer, not better

Bird didn’t need 3 on 1 fastbreaks to stat pad his assists, he could thread the needle and make plays out of nothing.

Also a lot of Magic assists were gifted : entry pass to Kareem (how hard can that be), dribble dribble left and right, sky hook, assist : Magic

[Killakobe81]

Magic was a flashier passer, not better

Bird didn’t need 3 on 1 fastbreaks to stat pad his assists, he could thread the needle and make plays out of nothing.

Also a lot of Magic assists were gifted : entry pass to Kareem (how hard can that be), dribble dribble left and right, sky hook, assist : Magic

Bull but your ty analysis is here for posterity... Thanks for sharing.

[R. DeMurre]

It's still mystifying to me that people criticize LeBron for leaving Cleveland the first time. He was there for 7 seasons & they never got him another real star to team up with... meanwhile Boston had KG, Pierce, Ray Allen, James Posey, Rondo, Tony Allen, Leon Powe (before the injuries ruined his career), etc..
Kobe had prime Pau Gasol, Odom, and Artest. Tim had Parker and Ginobili. LeBron had a barely ambulatory Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Daniel Gibson, Delonte West, Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao... guys that wouldn't even start on most finals teams... Why on earth would he stay?

[lefty]

Bull but your ty analysis is here for posterity... Thanks for sharing.

Give me facts

[ambchang]

Social impact? Kareem is debateable as the best of the three when you consider Kareem's social impact was in the wake of Ali being stripped of his le.
LeBrons social/political stances has cost him next to nada.
Mj refused to use his influence.
Cultural impact? LeBron is maybe the goat when you factor the growth of the NBA (spearheaded by MJ but started with Bird/Magic) and Lebron's platform and social media imprint.
But Jordan man was sooo huge in his time. tough to say I wonder what Q rating and other metrics say about Jordan vs Lebron?

But not that Im judge/jury but LeBron seems like the most decent human being of the three probably only one it be fun to grab a beer with.

Kareem sacrificed quite a bit but his impact just isn't that big. James made a huge impact, and yes, most of that is due to the age in which he lived in, and I would doubt he'd be as outspoken if he lived in the 70s.

Jordan, there's no point to even talk about his social influence, that man was a disgrace of a human being.

As for hoops, a case can be made for all three ...
But for me its MJ

As for hoops, I have always thought Jordan as well, but I am re-evaluating. he had a lot of lucky breaks, and there is no doubt the entire league changed for his benefit.

Speaking of reevaluating, I have been thinking about where Isiah Thomas stands lately, and it just seems like he is massively overrated. The Pistons was a great team due to its defense, and while Zeke put in the offensive touches, Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer was a big part of the offense as well, especially Laimbeer, where he would use his shooting to declutter the paint, allowing Zeke to drive. There are many quick PGs who can take that role and the Pistons would have back-to-backed. The downfall of the Pistons was expansion depleting its depth, and that alone tells me that Zeke wasn't this driving force behind the b2b.

[ambchang]

Bird was a sublime passer but you lost me with passing a wash only a bised person would say that ...
Bird was 9 out of 10 as a passer but Magic is a 9.9 Bron for me is actually to me a better passer than Bird.
I won't waste my time arguing why but bron can make passes neither guy could make ...but I think magic is slightly better passer overall.

As passers:

Bird 9.0
LeBron 9.5
Magic 9.9

Talking pace, variety, creativity, accuracy etc. Bird was amazing Bron and Magic are both better.

Of course bird was a better shooter/scorer.
And even though i give edge to magic based on creativity/variety ... if I needed a cross-court or skip pass with player on the move and a pass with accuracy and pace was needed ...not sure I would take even Magic over Bron.

I wouldn't put Lebron that high, tbh. He is a phenomenal passer, but I'd say Bird and Magic were both better than him.

Bird was one of the best passers of all time, he may not get the assist, but his passing was so spot on every time. he just use the pass to lead his teammates to the right places.

I know we are talking about GOATs, but where do you think Manu rank amongst passers? I personally thought that is the most underrated part of his game.

[lefty]

I wouldn't put Lebron that high, tbh. He is a phenomenal passer, but I'd say Bird and Magic were both better than him.

Bird was one of the best passers of all time, he may not get the assist, but his passing was so spot on every time. he just use the pass to lead his teammates to the right places.

I know we are talking about GOATs, but where do you think Manu rank amongst passers? I personally thought that is the most underrated part of his game.

Manu has some Bird attributes, great playmaker, compe ive, sacrifices his body, crafty, old school, not afraid of the big moment

Bird wouldn’t have fouled Dirk though

[lefty]

Kareem sacrificed quite a bit but his impact just isn't that big. James made a huge impact, and yes, most of that is due to the age in which he lived in, and I would doubt he'd be as outspoken if he lived in the 70s.

Jordan, there's no point to even talk about his social influence, that man was a disgrace of a human being.



As for hoops, I have always thought Jordan as well, but I am re-evaluating. he had a lot of lucky breaks, and there is no doubt the entire league changed for his benefit.

Speaking of reevaluating, I have been thinking about where Isiah Thomas stands lately, and it just seems like he is massively overrated. The Pistons was a great team due to its defense, and while Zeke put in the offensive touches, Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer was a big part of the offense as well, especially Laimbeer, where he would use his shooting to declutter the paint, allowing Zeke to drive. There are many quick PGs who can take that role and the Pistons would have back-to-backed. The downfall of the Pistons was expansion depleting its depth, and that alone tells me that Zeke wasn't this driving force behind the b2b.

Those Pistons le teams were seriously deep.

But it doesn’t take anything away from Zeke, he was amazing

[Killakobe81]

I wouldn't put Lebron that high, tbh. He is a phenomenal passer, but I'd say Bird and Magic were both better than him.

Bird was one of the best passers of all time, he may not get the assist, but his passing was so spot on every time. he just use the pass to lead his teammates to the right places.

I know we are talking about GOATs, but where do you think Manu rank amongst passers? I personally thought that is the most underrated part of his game.

I think Bird and if course Magic had better vision but the fact remains LeBron can make passes Magic and especially Bird can not physically make tat LeBron makes look easy I'm talking about passes across his body falling to his left cross court dead in the shooting pocket of a team-mate I really did not notice how good he was at those passes until the Heat... Not that he never did those before but because his scoring burden was lessoned and his physical attributes were at his peak LeBron made passes that you needed to actually... Have played or coached at a high level to understand how difficult it it would be to deliver.
The no look or throwing te man open pass magic and Bird did better... But the passing I am describing no human ever did THAT better that I have seen... Period.

[Killakobe81]

Give me facts

I could post assist numbers even after Kareem was washed but what would that prove?!

[lefty]

And I don’t think « any little quick PG » could have done what he did.

16 pts in 90 seconds in the playoffs vs NY, that famous 3rd quarter vs the Lakers in the Finals when he twisted his ankle and he did it against taller defenders.

Zeke was a big time player and a leader.

Losing Mahorn wasn’t the only reason, they were older and injured, Stern handed the league to MJ, and Rodman wasn’t always there mentally

[lefty]

I could post assist numbers even after Kareem was washed but what would that prove?!

That he had a lot of assists but didn’t win a le without Kareem?

[Killakobe81]

I wouldn't put Lebron that high, tbh. He is a phenomenal passer, but I'd say Bird and Magic were both better than him.

Bird was one of the best passers of all time, he may not get the assist, but his passing was so spot on every time. he just use the pass to lead his teammates to the right places.

I know we are talking about GOATs, but where do you think Manu rank amongst passers? I personally thought that is the most underrated part of his game.

Out of SG's hard to think of a better passer tbh
Kobe could when he wasn't chasing shots...
But off the top of my head can't think of to many even close Drexler and Steve Smith were good passer for SG's...McGrady too..
But Manu had better vision than all of those guys...
Harden before he became shot crazy was trending to be Manu 2.0 but he has fallen in love with his handles he still racks up assists but he doesn't see the game like Manu...

[Killakobe81]

And I don’t think « any little quick PG » could have done what he did.

16 pts in 90 seconds in the playoffs vs NY, that famous 3rd quarter vs the Lakers in the Finals when he twisted his ankle and he did it against taller defenders.

Zeke was a big time player and a leader.

Losing Mahorn wasn’t the only reason, they were older and injured, Stern handed the league to MJ, and Rodman wasn’t always there mentally

His passing is underrated and overshadowed by his scoring and dribble game...

I agree with you here no you couldn't just plug Kevin Johnson or Mark Price in that system and Pistons win, Isiah was the driving force. Sure Laimbeer stretched the floor and Dumars took on the best guard on defense but Zeke was a beast... Hated that er... Every one calls out Laimbeer, Mahorn Rodman on their squad and Stockton for dirty play but that little er was dirty too

[lefty]

His passing is underrated and overshadowed by his scoring and dribble game...

Yup he wasn’t always the best decision maker tbh

[lefty]

Out of SG's hard to think of a better passer tbh
Kobe could when he wasn't chasing shots...
But off the top of my head can't think of to many even close Drexler and Steve Smith were good passer for SG's...McGrady too..
But Manu had better vision than all of those guys...
Harden before he became shot crazy was trending to be Manu 2.0 but he has fallen in love with his handles he still racks up assists but he doesn't see the game like Manu...

Kobe had great passing skills, better than Jordan in that area imo