Stribor wrote:Fencer reregistered wrote:Stribor wrote:
I think he does. Even in this 2 year retired time, TODAY if you would build a team in mid 90's I bet you would as a first choice took MJ. I certainly would. It is with a benefit of a hindsight, but that is the point. You have to move away in order to get more objective historic perspective, and in this question I never said what would happen in one day in that period. It is to volatile, from historic perspective I do not think you would take in this periods any of the players that are not those I mentioned.
OK, and similarly you pick Russell first at any point in a 7-9 year stretch, from his first or second season through the time that you judge the younger Wilt finally overtook him. What's the difference, other than the lesser knowledge among present-day fans about the more distant era?
Perhaps. I am not from USA, and I started following NBA mid - late 80's. I know about seventies and sixties mainly from history, so I am clearly happy to acknowledge different rating. So you think Russel would be the clear cut man for early - mid 60's ? Watching at the stats I do not see this to be honest, and I am not sure that people would vote for either with overwhelming majority. Why do you think Bill would be certainly chosen?
-- Bill Russell basically invented rim defense. (Coaches taught players not to leave their feat on defense. He disobeyed. His college and pro roommate K. C. Jones is in the Hall of Fame for little more than helping Russell invented defensive concepts.)
-- In particular, Bill Russell transformed the Celtics' defense, and was universally acknowledged as the greatest defender of his time. And in an era before 3-pointers, taking away opponents' ability to attack the rim was even more important than it is now.
-- Bill Russell was acknowledged as the GOAT rebounder for decades, although Wilt was great at rebounding too, and some people think Dennis Rodman decades later was even better.
-- Similarly, Russell was acknowledged as the GOAT shotblocker for decades, even though blocks weren't an official stat then. Estimates of his block count are otherworldly.
-- Over a 5-year period, Russell won 4 MVP awards, along with winning the championship every year. In the 3 seasons before that, he won either the MVP or the champonship each year. (The one time he didn't win the championship was the year he got injured.)
He went 1-1-2-4 in MVP voting those 4 seasons, and the year he was 4th was the year he won his only championship.