NBA On Hold Until 2010

He's not a winner? The Cavs improved from 17 wins to 35 in his rookie season (a bigger improvement than the Bulls made when Jordan arrived, btw.) He took a bunch of second-tier players to the Finals at the age of 22, in his 4th year in the league. His team has steadily improved to the point where they are now among the top 2 or 3 teams in the NBA. You can go back and forth forever comparing LeBron to Jordan at similar stages, but LeBron's not a winner? Come on.

 

Funny, I remember a lot of people talking about Jordan in the same way.

Jordan's Bulls did not beat the Bird-McHale-Parrish Celtics in their prime. Same goes with the Showtime Lakers.

Jordan won his first NBA title in 1991, his seventh season.

 

It's just a lazy argument when people just throw out championships without looking deeper into what the player has around them.

 

And it took LeBron his third season to get to the playoffs? So that was his third year out of high school. At the same age Jordan was being stopped by Dan Dakich and being eliminated by Indiana in the Sweet 16. At the age of 24 Jordan was averaging 37 but his team was still anything but a winner. Even up until the 1991 Finals, people were saying how Magic was a true winner and Jordan hadn't done anything yet. And who knows, if Worthy doesn't have a sprained ankle in the series and the Lakers don't blow a 15-point lead in Game 3, maybe Magic would have had a sixth title and Jordan still zero (regrets and rationalizations of a Lakers fan).

I usually am talking people down who insist LeBron's already one of the best players ever, but it's also ludicrous to downplay what he has already accomplished.

As far as 2010, it seems like that talk has died down a bit as the season's taken shape. I read much more about Cavs-Celtics battling for homecourt, Wade's season, whether anyone can challenge the Lakers in the West, the Spurs continuing to be a factor, etc.

 

In New York it has not died down. Last week in fact it was ramped up with trade deadline looming.

Big question was whether the Knicks would trade David Lee to set up future cap room for James.

What does that say to Knick fans - taking the best and most favorite player and trading him away to get ready for 2 seasons from now.

 

Well, now that the trading deadline has passed, I don't think it's an issue any more.

But you keep beating that dead horse.

 

when you say "dead horse" I assume you mean the NBA.

You are a student of the NBA. You really can't think that this has been a good few years for the league.

 

Why? Look at the young talent that is in the league now. What about the last few years has been so bad?

 

The Bulls.

 

Anyone who can't understand why the league would be lining up for LeBron James, championships or no ... wow ... I can't help you.

That said, there's no way LeBron goes to New York now. None. Cleveland has done the work and assembled a championship-capable team around him. That's all he wanted. He ain't leaving.

 

Some people have decided that the "NBA sucks" and won't be dissuaded, no matter what.

You don't watch the NBA much, do you?

 

There are times when I can't stand to watch an NBA game.

And then there are times, like last night, when watching games are great.

I used to be one that said the NBA sucked, at least until the playoffs. But now, with rivalries like Boston-Cleveland, I love it.