Deadspin and the Drexler/Magic controversy

I never once said it wasn't the right choice. Give the spot to the most accomplished player in the country. But if we played it out on court, Shaq was better than Laettner at that point and probably has been better than Laettner their entire lives.

 

In a one-on-one game, Laettner would never win, no. In a team game, under college rules and where they were then, yeah.

I'm obviously not the only one who holds this opinion since Laettner swept the Naismith, Wooden and AP awards that year.

 

The awards are given for accomplishment, not ability. I like Laettner. He was an underrated NBA player and one of the most accomplished college players of all time. But he was not ever better than Shaq, in one-on-one or two-on-two or five-on-five or eight-on-eight.

 

OK. And I'm sure Chris Jackson was better than Hurley too.

 

Wrong. I know that's the story perpetuated over the years--that Isiah was more deserving based on play, but got snubbed for the personal conflicts--but the truth is something different:

Isiah was better than Stockton from 84 until maybe around 90, but by 92 Stockton had clearly passed him and become the best overall point guard in the game. Isiah did not make 1st, 2d or 3rd team All NBA in 92 (Stockton, Tim Hardaway and Mark Price were the three point guards selected ahead of him) and his game was in decline. Stockton beat him that year in everything: more individual honors, better overall statistics, led his team to a better record and more successful season.

If people think Isiah should've gotten Laettner's spot--I completely agree, there was no need for a token collegian. If they think he should've gotten in on a lifetime achievement basis like Magic or Bird--I can go along with that, his resume warranted it. But if they think he deserved Stockton's spot because he was simply the better player at the time--bullshit, I very much disagree.

 

Shit, they should have thrown Laettner off and put Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on as a lifetime achievement award. Or Dr. J.

 

Some of you guys are truly underrating how great Stockton was. He understood the flow of the game and what his role was supposed to be better than all but a handful of players I'm history. He was a superior "point guard" to Isiah in almost every way.

 

Anyone else notice that in this argument about who deserved what the players being called the least deserving were three of the four white ones?

Just interesting.

 

And the funny thing is the only one of the four not getting the scrutiny was clearly the worst at that point--Bird was a broken backed shell of his former self at that point, his selection was purely a lifetime achievement thing.

Nobody should be questioning Mullin's selection--he was a legitimate First Team All NBA superstar averaging 26 ppg (third behind only Jordan and Malone) in 92. And Stockton's really shouldn't be questioned either. Bird and Laettner were the two token selections amongst that foursome.

 

Neither Kareem or Doc were interested. No doubt Laettner didn't belong. But it's all over and done with. They won it all and were the best. End of story.

 

Was George Mikan not available? Both Kareem and Doc had been retired and out of basketball for several years at that point, so I kinda doubt that was ever an actual consideration. Sheesh.

 

George Mikan should have gone in front of Laettner.