NBA 2019-2020

ZDwyr

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Still the best player in the league and the gap hasn't really closed.
 

Desert Eagle

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First 30/15/10 game in the playoffs for the Lakers since big game James. At his age and with that mileage it really is incredible. I still have him behind Kareem and Mike but he's making a solid claim to be the
 

Zen

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Theres no way he ain't second - I never really got the Kareem stuff, in the sense I know people who randomly have him over MJ, longevity should never win over really and that's generally the reasoning. LeBron now has better longevity than all but basically Kareem - who started to tail off in his last 3 years, so after next year while he won't overtake in games or points, he'll be the leader there anyway.

But then again, LeBron's been second for like a decade to me, and yet he's just stagnated there. Just like certain people would of probably told you Mike was the greatest in 1988.... Bird & Magic were more or less prepared to admit so.

But rings and all that shit aren't everything, theres more complexity to it for me - in a similar way to how I have Tiger over Jack - Tiger and Jordan changed everything in ways Nicklaus and LeBron just didn't, even though they brought their own cultural effects too. It's a reason why I feel Steph needs to be discussed quite highly, he's had an effect on the game that LeBron never did.... but obviously he's not in the GOAT discussion.
 

Moby

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LeBron now has better longevity than all but basically Kareem
Wasn't alive to watch Kareem but

LeBron:

Yr 3:2nd in MVP
Yr 4:Finals, 5th in MVP
Yr 6:MVP
Yr 7:MVP
Yr 8:Finals, 3rd in MVP
Yr 9:Champ, MVP
Yr 10:Champ, MVP
Yr 11:Finals, 2nd in MVP
Yr 12:Finals, 3rd MVP
Yr 13:Champ, 3rd in MVP
Yr 14:Finals, 4th in MVP
Yr 15:Finals, 2nd in MVP
Yr 17:Finals, 2nd in MVP
 

Zen

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And Kareem in 85-86 at 38 was 5th... behind Magic, Larry, Wilk and Hakeem. NBA Mileage wise its the same point but Kareem had a college run....

Thus Ill give him the edge for now, LeBrons gonna take that anyway as well as most numbers based stats... so its kinda moot.
 

arthurka

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LeBron taking his 3rd franchise to the finals that says a lot. Again carrying the load at what 35 years of age turning 36. When the dust settles and people can look back on it he will become more of a legend than he is today. He is just incredible that performance in the 4th tonight was magnificent. Mileage or no mileage, age or not if this was any other player he would be applauded for this performance so you would never hear the end of it but because it's LeBron is just business as usual.
 

Zen

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LeBron taking his 3rd franchise to the finals that says a lot. Again carrying the load at what 35 years of age turning 36. When the dust settles and people can look back on it he will become more of a legend than he is today. He is just incredible that performance in the 4th tonight was magnificent. Mileage or no mileage, age or not if this was any other player he would be applauded for this performance so you would never hear the end of it but because it's LeBron is just business as usual.
Well that's the problem with being great.... MJ, LeBron, Magic, Kobe, Curry, Ronaldo, Messi, Brady, ..... doing things that are special become 'the norm', and it is appreciated. I don't really get your argument really, he is getting massive praise for this performance because well, he has kinda gone above his normal greatness.

Doing it with 3 franchises I don't really put massive emphasis on it - he goes to these teams knowing it'll be built around him and getting the chips in place. If Jordan calculated his return instead of doing a Wiz run for charity, he would of got himself more or less in a similar position... because a handful of other stars would of dropped their pay to do it, similar to their ego. Not all mind you..... but he ended up in a situation akin to LeBron last year - comfortable mid playoff team with him, dog without.

It's still a good achievement mind you, but I don't consider it a massive gamebreaking thing some kinda use for him. Some could say he runs away from a situation that's slightly on the slide because he can't be bothered to battle it out - which he's done, 3 times. I hope Giannis doesn't do it - but he likely will, and similar to LeBron, when it makes it easier to get to the promiseland.... can ya blame them? Constant movement is here to stay.
 

arthurka

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Well that's the problem with being great.... MJ, LeBron, Magic, Kobe, Curry, Ronaldo, Messi, Brady, ..... doing things that are special become 'the norm', and it is appreciated. I don't really get your argument really, he is getting massive praise for this performance because well, he has kinda gone above his normal greatness.

Doing it with 3 franchises I don't really put massive emphasis on it - he goes to these teams knowing it'll be built around him and getting the chips in place. If Jordan calculated his return instead of doing a Wiz run for charity, he would of got himself more or less in a similar position... because a handful of other stars would of dropped their pay to do it, similar to their ego. Not all mind you..... but he ended up in a situation akin to LeBron last year - comfortable mid playoff team with him, dog without.

It's still a good achievement mind you, but I don't consider it a massive gamebreaking thing some kinda use for him. Some could say he runs away from a situation that's slightly on the slide because he can't be bothered to battle it out - which he's done, 3 times. I hope Giannis doesn't do it - but he likely will, and similar to LeBron, when it makes it easier to get to the promiseland.... can ya blame them? Constant movement is here to stay.
The problem is he didn't.

LeBron went back to Cleveland and made them the best team in the NBA then went to the Lakers before the rebuild started after the Lakers hasn't made the playoffs for what 6 years. He is doing this at an age when most are getting a bench role and all that after rupturing an Achilles and recovering after that to this level. Say what you will about him but that's just amazing. But I agree with you being this level will make this a norm.
 

ZDwyr

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Making the Lakers good again is not really some big achievement. He definitely didn't go there 'before the rebuild started.' He went there after the rebuild, realised he couldn't win with those players, shipped them off for AD who wanted to be in LA.
 

RDCR07

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Making the Lakers good again is not really some big achievement. He definitely didn't go there 'before the rebuild started.' He went there after the rebuild, realised he couldn't win with those players, shipped them off for AD who wanted to be in LA.
But if you ship out players don’t you have to rebuild again?
 

ZDwyr

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But if you ship out players don’t you have to rebuild again?
No, not when you ship them out for a top 5 player in the league. Plus you're in L.A so you just have to wait until a free agent decides he wants to live there and rebuilding isn't even necessary anymore.
 

ZDwyr

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The only reason to dislike Miami is how often Myers Leonard feels the need to flex.
 

choiboyx012

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LeBron taking his 3rd franchise to the finals that says a lot. Again carrying the load at what 35 years of age turning 36. When the dust settles and people can look back on it he will become more of a legend than he is today. He is just incredible that performance in the 4th tonight was magnificent. Mileage or no mileage, age or not if this was any other player he would be applauded for this performance so you would never hear the end of it but because it's LeBron is just business as usual.
As a Laker fan who grew up idolizing Kobe, I absolutely loved watching Lebron lose those finals. But putting my bias aside, I had to respect that he carried his teams to those finals and often was the only one performing against IMO better teams. The finals vs Golden state come to mind. Clearly outmatched but was a one-man wrecking ball driving to the basket and putting up numbers to keep his team alive. It really is incredible to make the finals so many times.
 

RobinLFC

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First time in NBA history that two teams are in the Finals who weren't in the playoffs the season before.

A lot to like about this Heat team, a shame they're going up against the Lakers.

Lakers in 6.
 

Sayros

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Obviously the Lakers are more talented, and usually the more talented team wins. It didn't happen with Boston though because some key match ups were favorable, most specifically Bam vs whoever the Celtics would put on him. In the case of the Lakers, AD is the match up nightmare for Bam, and Lebron is the best player in the world. Still, as a Heat fan, I will never say we have no chance to win it all. It's unlikely, but so was getting to the Finals to begin with, so I mainly hope for a good long series, and Heat in 7. :keano:
 

Organic Potatoes

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Heat in 6. It’s not exactly the same as the Jr Bad Boy Pistons against the aging Lakers early in the 2000’s, but I like the better team vs the better players.
 

R.E.D.

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Heat in 6. It’s not exactly the same as the Jr Bad Boy Pistons against the aging Lakers early in the 2000’s, but I like the better team vs the better players.
The Lakers are a really really good team though, In every possible way. Just like the Heat.
 

Organic Potatoes

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The Lakers are a really really good team though, In every possible way. Just like the Heat.
I know, I mean I just like the way the Heat plays as together as a team. If AD shows up every night, then I could be very wrong on my prediction because I know LeBron will.
 

Zen

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I'd be quite stunned if it's not Lakers in 5 or even 4 if they fancy it. The talent mismatch is just too much, and this isn't a 2004 imploding Lakers team to allow for a tremendous upset.... though it wouldn't be as big of an upset as that.
 

Bubz27

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but I like the better team vs the better players.
One finished as a first seed, the other a fifth. Heat have been very very good in the bubble, the Lakers have been all season.

I think the series goes 6. Can't call which way.
 

Moby

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Can't really look past Bron and AD with both of them playing at a very high level. Hope the Heat fight it out all the way through and take it deep into Game 6/7.
 

ZDwyr

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Don't think it was inevitable at all. Quite surprised tbh. Dantoni?