Who would be equal to LeBron if they swapped longevity and health?

[onedayattatime]

As in, LeBron gets that player's longevity, and they get his. So for example, you would probably much rather have Wade with LeBron's longevity than LeBron with Wade's. Are there any players that you think make the result roughly equal?

[Colbinii]

Michael Jordan

edit: I misread the thread

David Robinson. 13 seasons of LeBron vs 20 seasons of Drob

[SHAQ32]

Kobe, I guess

[Texas Chuck]

As in, LeBron gets that player's longevity, and they get his. So for example, you would probably much rather have Wade with LeBron's longevity than LeBron with Wade's. Are there any players that you think make the result roughly equal?

The gap between Lebron and Wade as players is enormous mate. Unless you are going to for some reason made Wade's new extended prime equal to his peak for some reason. Even then, peak Lebron is just way better than Wade.

Larry Bird to me feels like an interesting place to start.

[tsherkin]

Larry Bird to me feels like an interesting place to start.

Hmm. Not a bad place to start at all. 20 years of Bird instead of like 9 before he started to go?

Bird and Magic would both make for very interesting cases.

[eminence]

Hmm, would I rather have 20 seasons of Brandon Roy or 4.5 seasons of LeBron (1 being his rookie season).

Are there any random starter level players who played like 1-2 seasons total?

[prolific passer]

I mean Magic is a big what if for retiring in his prime.

[Colbinii]

Hmm, would I rather have 20 seasons of Brandon Roy or 4.5 seasons of LeBron (1 being his rookie season).

Are there any random starter level players who played like 1-2 seasons total?

Drazen Petrovic played 4 seasons [though he is more all-star level]

[eminence]

Hmm, would I rather have 20 seasons of Brandon Roy or 4.5 seasons of LeBron (1 being his rookie season).

Are there any random starter level players who played like 1-2 seasons total?

Drazen Petrovic played 4 seasons [though he is more all-star level]

Not a bad one, Jack Molinas as the most extreme example on that front. 1 season, 32 games, 1 time Allstar, then banned for life.

[AEnigma]

Kareem or Duncan. This is a weird question.

[lessthanjake]

Penny Hardaway, maybe?

[rk2023]

Maybe West or Oscar? Questions’ definitely a harder one for me to answer.

[TheLand13]

Grant Hill.

[Heej]

Think LeBron is basically worth 2 lower end all stars. So basically 20 years of one of those guys probably worth 10 years of LeBron. So for that I'd probably propose something like Kyle Lowry. Or maybe Demar Derozan

[rrravenred]

Edit: Misread.

Maybe Ron Artest. A useful offensive player and highly portable elite defender. Stretch that out to a full 20 years of quality rather than the long tail of role-playerdom and you're close, I think.

[MyUniBroDavis]

As in, LeBron gets that player's longevity, and they get his. So for example, you would probably much rather have Wade with LeBron's longevity than LeBron with Wade's. Are there any players that you think make the result roughly equal?

The gap between Lebron and Wade as players is enormous mate. Unless you are going to for some reason made Wade's new extended prime equal to his peak for some reason. Even then, peak Lebron is just way better than Wade.

Larry Bird to me feels like an interesting place to start.

If bron basically stopped being a top level guy in 2013, and had injury issues in those playoffs, in 07, and 08, and Wade basically doesn’t get hurt throughout his career and plays at a prime level until now, you gotta take Wade I think, injuries derailed his career in the first place, and ur kind of taking that out of the equation too.

[Texas Chuck]

As in, LeBron gets that player's longevity, and they get his. So for example, you would probably much rather have Wade with LeBron's longevity than LeBron with Wade's. Are there any players that you think make the result roughly equal?

The gap between Lebron and Wade as players is enormous mate. Unless you are going to for some reason made Wade's new extended prime equal to his peak for some reason. Even then, peak Lebron is just way better than Wade.

Larry Bird to me feels like an interesting place to start.

If bron basically stopped being a top level guy in 2013, and had injury issues in those playoffs, in 07, and 08, and Wade basically doesn’t get hurt throughout his career and plays at a prime level until now, you gotta take Wade I think, injuries derailed his career in the first place, and ur kind of taking that out of the equation too.

I can't give Wade credit for a level of play I never saw though, right? I understand how this helps him and hurts Lebron obviously.

But the best of Lebron is just levels above the best of Wade. I'm not sure I wouldn't take 6 or 7 Lebron years over 15 Wade ones.

[penbeast0]

Looking at players that probably don't make the top 100 GOAT list:

Bill Walton


If you are including health with the longevity, I'd go with Connie Hawkins as well (only 1.5 year at full health, 1 more after 1st knee surgery, then second knee surgery left him appreciably slower). Then it gets harder. Arvidas Sabonis (was well post prime joining the NBA). Sidney Moncrief (injured coming into the league but 4 years of All-NBA level play). For a real stretch, Greg Oden?

Molinas is an interesting mention, not sure how good he really was though. Alex Groza might be a better choice as a presumably significantly better player though you compare to 2 seasons of LeBron rather than just one.

[lessthanjake]

The gap between Lebron and Wade as players is enormous mate. Unless you are going to for some reason made Wade's new extended prime equal to his peak for some reason. Even then, peak Lebron is just way better than Wade.

Larry Bird to me feels like an interesting place to start.

If bron basically stopped being a top level guy in 2013, and had injury issues in those playoffs, in 07, and 08, and Wade basically doesn’t get hurt throughout his career and plays at a prime level until now, you gotta take Wade I think, injuries derailed his career in the first place, and ur kind of taking that out of the equation too.

I can't give Wade credit for a level of play I never saw though, right? I understand how this helps him and hurts Lebron obviously.

But the best of Lebron is just levels above the best of Wade. I'm not sure I wouldn't take 6 or 7 Lebron years over 15 Wade ones.

I’m not sure we can really say “the best of Lebron is just levels above the best of Wade.” The best of Wade was the clear #1 option on a championship team that wasn’t even taken to a game 7, putting in a pretty legendary finals performance in the process. And, for what it’s worth, he was also one of the few players in history to notch a 30+ PER for a season. I don’t really think anyone can be said to be “levels above the best of Wade.”

[Texas Chuck]

If bron basically stopped being a top level guy in 2013, and had injury issues in those playoffs, in 07, and 08, and Wade basically doesn’t get hurt throughout his career and plays at a prime level until now, you gotta take Wade I think, injuries derailed his career in the first place, and ur kind of taking that out of the equation too.

I can't give Wade credit for a level of play I never saw though, right? I understand how this helps him and hurts Lebron obviously.

But the best of Lebron is just levels above the best of Wade. I'm not sure I wouldn't take 6 or 7 Lebron years over 15 Wade ones.

I’m not sure we can really say “the best of Lebron is just levels above the best of Wade.” The best of Wade was the clear #1 option on a championship team that wasn’t even taken to a game 7, putting in a pretty legendary finals performance in the process. And, for what it’s worth, he was also one of the few players in history to notch a 30+ PER for a season. I don’t really think anyone can be said to be “levels above the best of Wade.”

Huh? I understand all too well how great Wade was in 06 thank you very much.

I can still think Lebron at his best was levels above that, no? Because in addition to Lebron I also have multiple other players I believe peaked higher than Wade. That's not to take anything away from how great Wade was. Just other players have been better.