I started by putting rookies Bird and Jordan on the 2022 Chicago Bulls in place of DeRozan and LaVine, who disappeared from the league. Then I put rookies Curry and James on the 2022 Charlotte Hornets in place of a couple of scrubs, but I traded LaMelo to Portland and Bridges to Houston for scrubs. Here's the tale of the tape for the four rookies:
Spoiler:
Bird: 22 yrs old; Overall: 87; Loyalty: 100; Durability: 84; Prime ages: 24-31
Jordan: 21 yrs old; Overall: 90; Loyalty: 99; Durability: 90; Prime ages: 23-34
vs.
Curry: 21 yrs old: Overall: 76; Loyalty: 100; Durability: 87; Prime ages: 26-33
James: 18 yrs old: Overall: 77; Loyalty: 90 (the game had him at 0); Durability: 99; Prime ages: 21-35
All four players have Potential ratings of 99. All four players are on six-year deals at the same salaries.
Jordan: 21 yrs old; Overall: 90; Loyalty: 99; Durability: 90; Prime ages: 23-34
vs.
Curry: 21 yrs old: Overall: 76; Loyalty: 100; Durability: 87; Prime ages: 26-33
James: 18 yrs old: Overall: 77; Loyalty: 90 (the game had him at 0); Durability: 99; Prime ages: 21-35
All four players have Potential ratings of 99. All four players are on six-year deals at the same salaries.
I used the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Draft classes in the proper places, but after that I randomized historical classes, making sure not to repeat classes (esp. the classes of these four players) or use any class that was within ten years of the relevant season. I don't like the generic CAP Drafts.
Year by year results for nineteen seasons:
Spoiler:
Year 1: Neither team makes the playoffs. Chicago wins 39 games, while Charlotte wins 32. The Bulls draft Jalen Duren and acquire Miles Bridges. Charlotte drafts Jalen Williams, Mark Williams, and Tari Eason.
Year 2: Chicago wins 53 games but loses in the First Round. Charlotte experiences injuries and only wins 25 games.
Year 3: Both teams win 57 games and lose in the First Round.
Year 4: Chicago falls back to 49 wins and loses for the third straight season in Round 1. Charlotte wins 50 games and James makes it to the Finals, just as he did in his actual fourth season. However, the Finals result is also similar, as a Dallas trio of 2025 Jokic, Doncic, and Edwards crushes Charlotte 4-1.
Year 5: Chicago wins 51 games and Charlotte wins 49. The teams meet in the ECF, with Chicago advancing. In the Finals, the Bulls go up 3-1 on the defending champion Mavericks. In Game 5, Chicago is down nine points at the half. On the very first possession of the second half, Jordan suffers a lower leg injury while defending and leaves for the rest of the series. The Bulls make it a three-point game in the final seconds of Game 7, but ultimately succumb to Dallas' powerhouse trio.
Year 6: Chicago wins 60 games but collapses in Round 1. Charlotte, similarly, wins 56 games and loses in the First Round. All four players resign with their teams.
Year 7: Chicago wins 56 games, while Charlotte manages 48 wins. Charlotte loses in Round 2, while in a Finals parallel to reality similar to James losing there in his fourth season, Jordan wins his first championship in his seventh NBA season. The Bulls starting lineup is Lonzo Ball, Jordan, Michael Porter Jr., Bird, and Jalen Duren.
Year 8: Chicago wins 56 games again, and Charlotte finishes with 50 wins. The teams meet in the ECF for the second time, and for the second time, Chicago prevails before going on to the Finals to repeat as champions. Bird wins his second Finals MVP.
Year 9: Both teams win 60 games and meet for the third time in the ECF. This time, Charlotte is victorious, and they go on to win in the Finals. Their formidable starting five is Curry, Jaylen Brown, James, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Chet Holmgren. In must-win games, the team (naturally) plays James at PG and slides Curry and Brown up a spot. James wins his first Finals MVP.
Year 10: Chicago wins 58 games. Charlotte wins 57. The teams meet for a fourth time in the ECF, and Chicago goes through Charlotte toward its third NBA title. Scoot Henderson has replaced Lonzo Ball, and Jordan wins his first Finals MVP.
Year 11: Chicago wins 58 games while Charlotte wins 66. The teams meet in the ECF for the fifth time, and Chicago wins for the fourth time before going on to its fourth championship and a second Finals MVP for Jordan. The starting five is now Scoot Henderson, Jordan, Michael Porter Jr., Bird, and Jeff Ruland.
Year 12: Both teams win 60 games, but Charlotte falters in the Second Round, while Chicago three-peats (another parallel) to win its fifth title in six seasons. Jordan wins his third-straight Finals MVP.
Year 13: Chicago wins 67 games, and Charlotte wins 60. The teams meet for a sixth ECF matchup, and this time Charlotte ends Chicago's title run. The Hornets go on to win it all, and James wins his second Finals MVP. Jaylen Brown retires. The team is unable to find a suitable wing replacement and acquires De'Aron Fox to fill his starting role.
Year 14: Chicago wins 66 games. Charlotte follows close behind with 65. In Round 1, Charlotte faces a five-out, high pick and roll Boston Celtics attack lead by LaMelo Ball. Controversy ensues due to two coaching errors from the Hornets coach: 1) the coach leaves poor defender De'Aaron Fox on LaMelo for the entire series, and Melo torches him repeatedly in the high PnR; and 2) the coach doesn't bring rim protectors JJJ and Holmgren off of Boston's shooters enough to adequately protect the rim, meaning Melo is able to basically run a layup drill on his way to monster numbers. By the time the coach is ready to adjust, Charlotte has lost the series 1-4. Charlotte definitely had the talent to win it all if they'd run the proper schemes. James fumes. Chicago fares a bit better against Boston's lethal offense, but still loses to them in Round 2. James is a free agent in the summer, and leaves Charlotte for the Los Angeles Lakers in yet another move similar to actual history. Charlotte signs the top free agent other than James, a 24 year old Dwight Howard. This gives them a glut at the 4 and 5 and a hole at the 3. They try to convince the Lakers to trade James back, but are unable to find a deal that doesn't include Curry, which would defeat the purpose of keeping the two players together.
Year 15: Chicago wins 52 games, and Charlotte manages 48 wins without James. Both teams lose in the Second Round. In a decision that shocks me much more than it maybe should, Jordan becomes the first of the four players to retire. He is only 36, and still either the best or second best player in the league, along with James. The sim continues with Bird and Curry leading their respective franchises.
Year 16: Chicago wins 52 games again but loses in the First Round. Charlotte wins 50 games and loses in the Conference Finals. James' Lakers defeat the East champs in the Finals, giving James his third title and Finals MVP. Bird retires, ending Chicago's time in the sim. Only Curry remains with his original team now.
Year 17: Charlotte wins 61 games, and Curry leads the team to his third title before retiring as a Finals MVP, in a move that echoes what IRL Jordan did in 1998. Charlotte beat a frankly over matched Los Angeles team by double digits in Games 6 and 7. Curry beating James in the Finals is yet another parallel to real NBA history. With Curry retiring, the "build around" experiment has now ended, but the sim continues with James going to the 76ers.
Year 18: I don't remember where Philadelphia finished, but I know they did not win the championship
Year 19: James reaches his third Finals in four seasons, and wins his fourth title as well as his fourth Finals MVP. This gives him four titles and four Finals MVP's on three different teams: exactly what he has done in real life. Spooky. James' longevity is so powerful at this point that it extends beyond the capabilities of my PC. I try three times to continue the sim, but each time I get a crash to desktop, and we are left to wonder what additions James might have made to his legacy.
Year 2: Chicago wins 53 games but loses in the First Round. Charlotte experiences injuries and only wins 25 games.
Year 3: Both teams win 57 games and lose in the First Round.
Year 4: Chicago falls back to 49 wins and loses for the third straight season in Round 1. Charlotte wins 50 games and James makes it to the Finals, just as he did in his actual fourth season. However, the Finals result is also similar, as a Dallas trio of 2025 Jokic, Doncic, and Edwards crushes Charlotte 4-1.
Year 5: Chicago wins 51 games and Charlotte wins 49. The teams meet in the ECF, with Chicago advancing. In the Finals, the Bulls go up 3-1 on the defending champion Mavericks. In Game 5, Chicago is down nine points at the half. On the very first possession of the second half, Jordan suffers a lower leg injury while defending and leaves for the rest of the series. The Bulls make it a three-point game in the final seconds of Game 7, but ultimately succumb to Dallas' powerhouse trio.
Year 6: Chicago wins 60 games but collapses in Round 1. Charlotte, similarly, wins 56 games and loses in the First Round. All four players resign with their teams.
Year 7: Chicago wins 56 games, while Charlotte manages 48 wins. Charlotte loses in Round 2, while in a Finals parallel to reality similar to James losing there in his fourth season, Jordan wins his first championship in his seventh NBA season. The Bulls starting lineup is Lonzo Ball, Jordan, Michael Porter Jr., Bird, and Jalen Duren.
Year 8: Chicago wins 56 games again, and Charlotte finishes with 50 wins. The teams meet in the ECF for the second time, and for the second time, Chicago prevails before going on to the Finals to repeat as champions. Bird wins his second Finals MVP.
Year 9: Both teams win 60 games and meet for the third time in the ECF. This time, Charlotte is victorious, and they go on to win in the Finals. Their formidable starting five is Curry, Jaylen Brown, James, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Chet Holmgren. In must-win games, the team (naturally) plays James at PG and slides Curry and Brown up a spot. James wins his first Finals MVP.
Year 10: Chicago wins 58 games. Charlotte wins 57. The teams meet for a fourth time in the ECF, and Chicago goes through Charlotte toward its third NBA title. Scoot Henderson has replaced Lonzo Ball, and Jordan wins his first Finals MVP.
Year 11: Chicago wins 58 games while Charlotte wins 66. The teams meet in the ECF for the fifth time, and Chicago wins for the fourth time before going on to its fourth championship and a second Finals MVP for Jordan. The starting five is now Scoot Henderson, Jordan, Michael Porter Jr., Bird, and Jeff Ruland.
Year 12: Both teams win 60 games, but Charlotte falters in the Second Round, while Chicago three-peats (another parallel) to win its fifth title in six seasons. Jordan wins his third-straight Finals MVP.
Year 13: Chicago wins 67 games, and Charlotte wins 60. The teams meet for a sixth ECF matchup, and this time Charlotte ends Chicago's title run. The Hornets go on to win it all, and James wins his second Finals MVP. Jaylen Brown retires. The team is unable to find a suitable wing replacement and acquires De'Aron Fox to fill his starting role.
Year 14: Chicago wins 66 games. Charlotte follows close behind with 65. In Round 1, Charlotte faces a five-out, high pick and roll Boston Celtics attack lead by LaMelo Ball. Controversy ensues due to two coaching errors from the Hornets coach: 1) the coach leaves poor defender De'Aaron Fox on LaMelo for the entire series, and Melo torches him repeatedly in the high PnR; and 2) the coach doesn't bring rim protectors JJJ and Holmgren off of Boston's shooters enough to adequately protect the rim, meaning Melo is able to basically run a layup drill on his way to monster numbers. By the time the coach is ready to adjust, Charlotte has lost the series 1-4. Charlotte definitely had the talent to win it all if they'd run the proper schemes. James fumes. Chicago fares a bit better against Boston's lethal offense, but still loses to them in Round 2. James is a free agent in the summer, and leaves Charlotte for the Los Angeles Lakers in yet another move similar to actual history. Charlotte signs the top free agent other than James, a 24 year old Dwight Howard. This gives them a glut at the 4 and 5 and a hole at the 3. They try to convince the Lakers to trade James back, but are unable to find a deal that doesn't include Curry, which would defeat the purpose of keeping the two players together.
Year 15: Chicago wins 52 games, and Charlotte manages 48 wins without James. Both teams lose in the Second Round. In a decision that shocks me much more than it maybe should, Jordan becomes the first of the four players to retire. He is only 36, and still either the best or second best player in the league, along with James. The sim continues with Bird and Curry leading their respective franchises.
Year 16: Chicago wins 52 games again but loses in the First Round. Charlotte wins 50 games and loses in the Conference Finals. James' Lakers defeat the East champs in the Finals, giving James his third title and Finals MVP. Bird retires, ending Chicago's time in the sim. Only Curry remains with his original team now.
Year 17: Charlotte wins 61 games, and Curry leads the team to his third title before retiring as a Finals MVP, in a move that echoes what IRL Jordan did in 1998. Charlotte beat a frankly over matched Los Angeles team by double digits in Games 6 and 7. Curry beating James in the Finals is yet another parallel to real NBA history. With Curry retiring, the "build around" experiment has now ended, but the sim continues with James going to the 76ers.
Year 18: I don't remember where Philadelphia finished, but I know they did not win the championship
Year 19: James reaches his third Finals in four seasons, and wins his fourth title as well as his fourth Finals MVP. This gives him four titles and four Finals MVP's on three different teams: exactly what he has done in real life. Spooky. James' longevity is so powerful at this point that it extends beyond the capabilities of my PC. I try three times to continue the sim, but each time I get a crash to desktop, and we are left to wonder what additions James might have made to his legacy.
The final team results:
Spoiler:
Chicago: .679 winning percentage (56 wins) over sixteen seasons. Five championships and one Finals loss.
Charlotte: .641 winning percentage (53 wins) over seventeen seasons. Three championships and one Finals loss.
The Bird and Jordan duo clearly wins out over the James and Curry duo: five championships to three.
(Needless to say, if the teams had been in separate conferences, there would have been more Finals appearances.)
Charlotte: .641 winning percentage (53 wins) over seventeen seasons. Three championships and one Finals loss.
The Bird and Jordan duo clearly wins out over the James and Curry duo: five championships to three.
(Needless to say, if the teams had been in separate conferences, there would have been more Finals appearances.)
Individual results:
Spoiler:
Bird: Five titles, two Finals MVP's. Sixteen seasons: two MVP's, 21.7 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.8 bpg.
Jordan: Five titles, three Finals MVP's. Fifteen seasons: one MVP, 25.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.7 apg, 2.1 spg, 1.0 bpg.
James: Four titles, four Finals MVP's. Nineteen seasons: one MVP, 21.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.1 bpg. NEVER RETIRED.
Curry: Three titles, one Finals MVP. Seventeen seasons: two MVP's, 21.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 spg, 0.4 bpg.
Curry probably has the worst resume, while you could take your pick among the other three. Bird was surprisingly durable, perhaps due to modern methods. Jordan and Curry each suffered one or two injuries that cost their teams a shot at a title. James was basically never hurt.
I know I haven't conveyed it very well in this post, but I had an enormous amount of fun watching all of this play out over the course of a week.
Jordan: Five titles, three Finals MVP's. Fifteen seasons: one MVP, 25.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.7 apg, 2.1 spg, 1.0 bpg.
James: Four titles, four Finals MVP's. Nineteen seasons: one MVP, 21.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.1 bpg. NEVER RETIRED.
Curry: Three titles, one Finals MVP. Seventeen seasons: two MVP's, 21.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 spg, 0.4 bpg.
Curry probably has the worst resume, while you could take your pick among the other three. Bird was surprisingly durable, perhaps due to modern methods. Jordan and Curry each suffered one or two injuries that cost their teams a shot at a title. James was basically never hurt.
I know I haven't conveyed it very well in this post, but I had an enormous amount of fun watching all of this play out over the course of a week.
