Subject: It's Official: LeBron James is Nuts
Posted by: Anton
Date: Nov 13 09
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-lebron-jordansnumber&prov=ap&type=lgns
Posted by: Anton
Date: Nov 13 09
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-lebron-jordansnumber&prov=ap&type=lgns25 replies. On page 1 of 2 pages. 1 2
Anton 
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I can pick apart everything he says in this link, but I will only focus on one thing. “I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. Nobody. If I’m not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it.” So Mr. LeBron wants to retire Jordan's number all across the league akin to Jackie Robinson. Michael Jordan has done nothing to merit having his number retired across the league. To put Jordan in the same category as Jackie is not only ignorant, it is downright disrespectful to Jackie. Jordan in his whole life didn't go through what Robinson did in one day of his life. Also, James is one arrogant piece of work. If he gives up his #23, then he feels everybody else who wears the number should give it up too? What gives him the right to mandate anything? What has LeBron James done? Besides sell a few jerseys and shoes, not a thing. Reply #1. Nov 13 09, 2:13 PM |
cag1970
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I don't necessarily disagree with what LeBron James is saying. Thanks directly to Michael Jordan, the NBA is the thriving league it is now. He made people actually want to watch NBA games - I'm old enough to remember when people didn't - and as a result the league now enjoys unprecedented popularity. The NBA has already stated that it will leave number retirements to individual teams. But there are a couple numbers I think would probably would fall in the retire-to-the-ages category - numbers of players like Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Bob Cousy and George Mikan come to mind. Reply #2. Nov 15 09, 5:54 PM |
| oldstuff28
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Michael Jordan really brought pro basketball to where it is now. He brought an excitement that was missing beforehand. When Jordan was inducted into the Hall of Fame, a Chicago station had 23 hours of Michael. It was really interesting watching the teams in the early nineties. One startling aspect was - no tattoos! Now some of the teams have players that are sideshows in themselves. Case in point - Denver. Reply #3. Nov 18 09, 10:19 AM |
spidersghost43
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Jordan didn't regaing the league's popularity Bird and Magic did. Jordan built on that renewed popularity. Lets get one thing straight: Jordan was not a game changer in the mode of Robinson or for that matter Babe Ruth who singlehandedly brought baseball back from the Black Sox scandal. I would also argue Wayne Gretzky is in that mode as he made Hockey much more popular in the US. Jordan greatest basketballer ever but not Jackie. Reply #4. Nov 18 09, 11:01 AM |
| oldstuff28
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Larry Bird was terrific, but no Michael. I never saw any magic in Magic. Reply #5. Nov 18 09, 12:21 PM |
| Anton
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"I never saw any magic in Magic." Then you were not paying attention or you have a bias against him or the Lakers. Reply #6. Nov 18 09, 12:40 PM |
Schoonie101
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Yeah, never mind the fact that Magic Johnson, a point guard, started at center in place of Kareem during the NBA Finals against Philly and scored 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. Only one of the greatest performances of all time in the playoffs/finals. Did I mention that it was the title-clinching game? Did I also mention that Magic was a rookie when he did that? LeBron, Bird, Jordan, Kobe, none of them ever did anything close to that as a rookie and doing it playing center against the likes of Darryl Dawkins and Dr. J. As far as Lebron retiring Jordan's number, that's ridiculous. If they use Jordan's accomplishments as the bar for that, they're going to have to retire a LOT more numbers. Maravich, Wilt, Russell, West, Baylor, Dr. J, Magic, Bird, Stockton, Kareem, Havlicek, just to barely scratch the surface. They'll run out of numbers quickly and the only ones left will be between 60 and 99 or some such. Reply #7. Nov 18 09, 1:10 PM |
| spidersghost43
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Oldstuff you miss my point. Michael was the greatest player however the league was in an upswing as he came into the league. Rhat was because of Magic and Bird. Before those 2 the NBA finals was shown on tape delay at 11:30 at night. Bird and Magic came on the scene and the NBA became primetime. That was not Jordan's doing. Reply #8. Nov 18 09, 2:04 PM |
| oldstuff28
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My son, who knows way more than me about NBA, said "You said what! ! ?) I guess, when I was watching Magic, he was past his really "magic" days. My son also said that the post was correct - Byrd and Magic really did start the upswing. Therefore, forget my post. I was in error. Reply #9. Nov 18 09, 4:11 PM |
| Anton
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In my opinion, it wasn't just Bird and Magic. I really enjoyed the Bad Boy Pistons with Thomas, Dumars, and Laimbeer. They were fun for me to watch and not so fun for Jordan to play. lol Reply #10. Nov 18 09, 4:19 PM |
ThurstAsh
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I hope that everyone will give up the number 23, Michael Jordan has done more for the NBA and basketball than anyone has and will. When I say the greatest basketball player of all-time to anyone they automatically say Michael Jordan. No one will say LeBron James. No one should be able to wear the number 23 ever again in the NBA. Reply #11. Nov 18 09, 4:47 PM |
| Anton
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So should they retire #3 from baseball and #99 from hockey just because those numbers belonged to the best of all time? Nope. Reply #12. Nov 18 09, 4:49 PM |
Prison
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Actually Anton, I believe #99 is already retired in NHL. However, #42 in MLB and #99 in NHL are the only ones that are retired leaguewide at the present. Reply #13. Nov 18 09, 5:42 PM |
| Anton
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I'm in shock. They did retire Gretzky's number league wide. Wow. Just wow. Alright, there is a precedent for this then. I'm still against this though. I am pretty ignorant when it comes to hockey, but wasn't Gordie Howe bigger than Gretzky? Reply #14. Nov 18 09, 6:39 PM |
| Prison
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Hmmm. Howe didn't have as much as of an impact as the Great One imo as Howe played in the fifties and there were also other greats in the era (Rocket Richard, Jean Believau, Ted Lindsay, etc), so he may have been overshadowed. Gretzky was by far the best player for the first 8 or so years of his career and also played in the more modern era where games were more seen. He shattered insurmountable records and set ones that are comparable to Chamberlain's in the NBA. Reply #15. Nov 18 09, 6:48 PM |
| Anton
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There is no denying Gretzky is and will always be the best NHL player of all time. Anybody who says otherwise doesn't know what they are talking about. But, I think Gordie has a bigger cult following. It could just be my circle though. Or maybe, Gretzky doesn't need to be mentioned since it goes without saying he is the best? To quote Al Michaels: "Gretzky even made hockey fashionable in Los Angeles." Reply #16. Nov 18 09, 6:57 PM |
| Prison
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Possibly. It's a tossup in the other sports. The most widely proclaimed "greatest" in the NBA, Jordan has Chamberlain or Russell or Kareem or Robertson or several other contenders for greatest ever. Ruth is considered by many the best but Willie Mays and Ty Cobb and Aaron and others could also be. But I don't think anyone in the NHL could even hope to challenge Gretzky. Howe was great, but his numbers were probably underrated due to low number of games, better team competition, and maybe even quality of goalies. It probably comes down to what you said: Everyone might as well fight for second place. Reply #17. Nov 18 09, 7:36 PM |
| Schoonie101
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Well said, Prison. Well said. Jordan was great, yes. But there have been so many great players before him, where do you stop? The most dominant basketball player of all time, though? Wilt. No contest. Scored 100 in a game, averaged 50 a game for a whole SEASON, over 30 for his CAREER. Then the rebounding numbers. Pure unadulterated domination. And someone (I think it was cag1970 - a man who definitely knows his stuff) named Oscar Robertson. Can't believe I forgot about him. You can make the GOAT claim about him very easily. The man accumulated triple doubles like Imelda Marcos did shoes. You retire Jordan's number across the league, you can make the case for at least 60 other players which deserve the same. Reply #18. Nov 18 09, 7:44 PM |
| ThurstAsh
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Actually Jackie Robinson's number isn't retired league wide, the Yankees just honored it. Reply #19. Nov 18 09, 7:51 PM |
| Schoonie101
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Actually, Jim Otto is another player whose number was retired league wide. Technically. Raiders don't retire any numbers (they would have run out a while ago) but the league DID retire 00 as a number across the league. Otto is a Hall of Famer but that wasn't the reason, guess the No Fun League decided 00 was too much of a statement of individuality. ;-) One interesting aside is that when Kareem was asked who the most amazing player he ever played against (and he played against just about EVERYONE), he responded with the Goat. Earl Manigault. Also, it's a shame Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell fell off the tracks and was incarcerated because they were going to have a 1-on-1 competition during the All-Star game between him and Jordan. I can only imagine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gY3B-uHtx0 Crazy that he was only 5'9". Reply #20. Nov 18 09, 7:51 PM |
25 replies. On page 1 of 2 pages. 1 2
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