Rodman: Lebron would be 'average' in the 80's/90's

[TheSuzerain]

Haha...I love Dennis.

Lebron wouldn't be average, not close to it. But I could see him being close to a guy like Scottie offensively in the 90's where you could be more physical with him.

lol yeah right.

Defenses aren't worse today. They are much better than the 80's.

LeBron would **** teams up in the 90s. And any era.

[Shill]

Yep. And then he'd adapt and dominate.

LeBron is the second best basketball player of all time, and I can't even definitively say anymore that MJ was unquestionably better. When LeBron is done, he'll be co-GOAT. No matter what era he would have played in.

That's just ridiculous. Please explain how he will be co-goat.

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He's already the best small forward of all time. He's also the best defensive small forward in the NBA now. Like MJ, he's evolved into an elite defender. He'll likely have 3+ titles by the time he's done. He's the most dominant player in the world by a country mile. He's the most versatile player in NBA history other than perhaps Magic Johnson, and he's the most physically gifted athlete I've ever seen in my life in any sport.

Its time for Bulls fans to just accept it. It was always inevitable someone would come along and be as good as MJ. It just happened sooner than most of us thought. By the time his career is over, LeBron will universally considered the second best player of all time. And the reason he won't be considered co-best is because lots of people just won't be willing to let someone share that with MJ.

And I hate LeBron. I was jumping up and down screaming like a little girl watching that 4th quarter last night.

+Duck

There's a lot of "back in the day" syndrome clouding people's judgment.

LeBron can do everything. I think the one thing that separates Jordan from him is the intangible killer instinct to take his game to another level, but LeBron still has time to add that to his résumé.

But statistically, it's pretty much a wash. LeBron is putting up video game numbers, just like Jordan did.

[TheSuzerain]

It's hilarious to me that people think the talent level was higher in the 80's and 90's.

That makes no sense.

[ball teacher]

Lebron is not only the best active player on the planet, he's on the consensus best team. Jordan never lost a playoff series under these circumstances...Lebron's still got lots of tough miles to travel.

This is not something I'd have ever said before this season, but its likely that when LeBron is done playing, he'll have been surrounded by talent equivalent to MJ's title teammates, once. And will have never had the quality of coaching.

The roster LeBron is playing with simply isn't as good as what MJ had. I know that sounds crazy considering the hype and fear that accompanied the formation of the Thupafwendth, but Wade is barely playing at an all-star level, and definitely isn't in these playoffs. And what can I say about Bosh. Did is averaging 6.8 rebounds per game on a team with no rebounders. Other than LeBron.

When "Jordan Rode The Bus" the Bulls won 55 games and should have been in the ECF. If you take LeBron off the Heat, they're the Hawks at best.

Not to mention the Bulls had better benches, size and interior play. So, no, I don't expect LeBron to win all of the playoff series he plays in.

I disagree with this 100%. That Miami Heat team just like the Cleveland Cav team is built around Lebron James just like the old Philly teams were built around A.I. If these teams never win it's Lebron's fault. He has his system, his surrounding role players, and his way to do whatever he wants on the floor, those team do everything they're asked to do except close the show which is in all reality the leagues superstars job, not the role players.

[ball teacher]

It's hilarious to me that people think the talent level was higher in the 80's and 90's.

That makes no sense.

Are the Bulls of today better than the Bulls that Mike had in the mid 90's? Are the Knicks with Melo better than when they had Ewing, Starks, and those guys? Are the Pacers of today better than the Pacers when they had Miller, Mark Jackson, Rik Smits and the Davis's? Was this Houston team beter or the one who repeated as champions? What about Portland in the mid 80's through to the late 90's? Seattle Supersonics with GP and Kemp? What about the Knicks with Latrell, LJ, Ewing, and Houston? These guys said the Miami Heat got beat up in a physical series vs Indiana...are they serious? What would the old Knicks, or old Pacers, have done? What would the Bad Boys have done? The Celtics of the 80's were loaded and so were the Lakers! It's no way this league today is as good as the league of the 80's and 90's. Look at who Miami had to play to get to the finals. Milwaukee Bucks who featured to guards under 6'4 and those were the best shooters/scoers and they had no big men. Then they played a depleted Bulls team with no Rose, Deng, Hinrich, and featured a hurt Noah and a 5'9 bench player. The first challenge was from the big but ultra soft Pacers team who have no real superstar that could get them over the hump, Miami has 3, and they needed 7 games and homecourt advantage to win. Miami would be a average team in the mid 90's.

[da pmp]

MEH... Lebron can never be 2nd best of all time because he will never be better than Wilt and MJ.

+1 to Rodman - absolutely correct. Lebron's stats are inflated because of the lack of physical play.

It's hilarious that people think the talent level of today is comparable to the talent level of the 80's- 90's.

[Adriano]

I love this guy! My second favorite player off all time!

[TheSuzerain]

Just a terrible post. Dripping with nostalgia instead of reality.

The ultra-soft Pacers were better defensively than the Bad Boy Pistons.

The talent pool is bigger than ever thanks to foreign BBall exploding.

Analytics are changing the game.

Medical advances are extending primes and saving careers.

There is more talent in the league today than ever before.

[TheSuzerain]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZPuVEhm7Yg[/youtube]

Can anybody watch this video and say with a straight face that it is easier to score today?

Could you even imagine how easily LeBron would score if he was given the space that perimeter players had to work with in that clip?

lol they don't even guard the 3 point line.

[da pmp]

Just a terrible post. Dripping with nostalgia instead of reality.

The ultra-soft Pacers were better defensively than the Bad Boy Pistons.

The talent pool is bigger than ever thanks to foreign BBall exploding.

Analytics are changing the game.

Medical advances are extending primes and saving careers.

There is more talent in the league today than ever before.

Name me a HOF center outside Dwight? Dumars,Laimbeer, and the rest of those bad boys destroyed MJ, or did u forget? Just imagine what they would done to LeDouche under those rules

[mj234eva]

14:25 - those aren't basketball plays - Lebron.

[musiqsoulchild]

Just a terrible post. Dripping with nostalgia instead of reality.

The ultra-soft Pacers were better defensively than the Bad Boy Pistons.

The talent pool is bigger than ever thanks to foreign BBall exploding.

Analytics are changing the game.

Medical advances are extending primes and saving careers.

There is more talent in the league today than ever before.

No. Flat out no.

There is more parity in the league now. There are more "stars" and "MVP's" and "All-Star's" now. Thats what analytics does....creates ways by which the so-so talented can maximize their on court productivity.

But, the true HOF players and legends were in the 80's and 90's.....as lopsided as the league was.

[dougthonus]

The idea that LeBron wouldn't be one of the best players in any era is ridiculous.

[ball teacher]

Just a terrible post. Dripping with nostalgia instead of reality.

The ultra-soft Pacers were better defensively than the Bad Boy Pistons.

The talent pool is bigger than ever thanks to foreign BBall exploding.

Analytics are changing the game.

Medical advances are extending primes and saving careers.

There is more talent in the league today than ever before.

Pistons team had Joe Dumars who defended the goat Michael Jordan pretty well, they had a young Dennis Rodman, they also had Rick Mahorn and John Salley who all defended the rim pretty well. I don't see how you can say this Pacers team who is ultra soft and didn't do anything except push Miami to 7 games ONLY because they are on of the few teams who have a legit 7ft player who knows how to properly play the game. And for the record, Hibbert would've been destroyed had he played vs any of these big men. Ewing, Zo Mourning, Dikembe were all better big men and would average probably 20-30 points per had they played in this weak era.
And another thing, todays big men get drafted without properly learning the game so they go to who..a 80's/90's big man (Olajuwon) to teach them how to play. Most of the point guards today don't have the PG skill set that the PG's of the 90's had, these guys get by on more athleticism than skill and I know your not gonna say the players are better overall shooters than back in the day? The only thing the players may have today is athletic ability, but skills, shooting, toughness, basketball I.Q, the big men were all better in the 80's and 90's.

[TheSuzerain]

Just a terrible post. Dripping with nostalgia instead of reality.

The ultra-soft Pacers were better defensively than the Bad Boy Pistons.

The talent pool is bigger than ever thanks to foreign BBall exploding.

Analytics are changing the game.

Medical advances are extending primes and saving careers.

There is more talent in the league today than ever before.

No. Flat out no.

There is more parity in the league now. There are more "stars" and "MVP's" and "All-Star's" now. Thats what analytics does....creates ways by which the so-so talented can maximize their on court productivity.

But, the true HOF players and legends were in the 80's and 90's.....as lopsided as the league was.

lol ok.

Why did it happen? Why is there a massive downgrade in talent despite all the factors working against that fact?

[TheSuzerain]

Ball Teacher is missing Matlock right now.

[DuckIII]

I disagree with this 100%. That Miami Heat team just like the Cleveland Cav team is built around Lebron James just like the old Philly teams were built around A.I.

That couldn't possibly be less accurate. The Heat are a superstar model, not a one star + role players model.

[musiqsoulchild]

Just a terrible post. Dripping with nostalgia instead of reality.

The ultra-soft Pacers were better defensively than the Bad Boy Pistons.

The talent pool is bigger than ever thanks to foreign BBall exploding.

Analytics are changing the game.

Medical advances are extending primes and saving careers.

There is more talent in the league today than ever before.

No. Flat out no.

There is more parity in the league now. There are more "stars" and "MVP's" and "All-Star's" now. Thats what analytics does....creates ways by which the so-so talented can maximize their on court productivity.

But, the true HOF players and legends were in the 80's and 90's.....as lopsided as the league was.

lol ok.

Why did it happen? Why is there a massive downgrade in talent despite all the factors working against that fact?

I dont know what you are asking me, but I think you might be asking me what I think is the reason for parity?

Salary cap, foreign players, globalization of the game and finally product marketing influencing the game to be more offense oriented than beatdown defense based.

[Leslie Forman]

LeBron would have averaged a triple double in the '80s. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind about that.

Defense? Nobody even shot threes back then, he would have had such an easy time guarding small forwards who basically just shot midrange jumpers all the time. He could save way more energy on that end.

[DuckIII]

Just a terrible post. Dripping with nostalgia instead of reality.

The ultra-soft Pacers were better defensively than the Bad Boy Pistons.

The talent pool is bigger than ever thanks to foreign BBall exploding.

Analytics are changing the game.

Medical advances are extending primes and saving careers.

There is more talent in the league today than ever before.

Agree on all points. We are in the midst of a golden era of the NBA. Perhaps THE golden era. Its just that we didn't grow up with posters of these guys on our walls.

I've been following the NBA closely since the late 80s. We are at the highest water mark for talent I've ever seen.

I'm also not buying the "LeBron wouldn't be able to do it in such a physical era." Right, the 6'8 280 lbs monster with lightning speed, a ridiculous vertical and shoulders as wide as Iowa wouldn't be able to take punishment, but Reggie Miller and Chris Mullin could.

LeBron would be a safety hazard to the rest of the NBA if he were permitted to play Bad Boy Pistons rules.