Comments on: The man who cut Michael Jordan in high school… sort of

By: ashot324

ashot324 — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:36:07 +0000

i suppose you would have chosen ben gordon, luol deng, and shaun livingston over dwight howard in 2004

By: jollyjoker2

jollyjoker2 — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:02:42 +0000

I thought though that Jorden was the best scorer I ever seen in the NBA. Awesome. If I had to pick the best all around player I would take m johnson of the lakers because he could play center or guard. He won a few championships himself M Jorden couldn’t play center but then again he didn’t need to.

By: dirtydavis

dirtydavis — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:43:57 +0000

Q: Are any of those guys ranked in your top 20 greatest of all time?

By: redbaronx

redbaronx — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:22:44 +0000

I’m not even a Bulls fan, but I have to set the record straight. Dirty is way off here, but Keyshawn made one mistake. Michael did NOT beat Magic AND Kareem in his first Finals appearance. Kareem retired in 88. Michael played Magic and the Lakers with Vlade Divac at center in 91. So now that we have that corrected….

Lets see which legends Mike beat: Magic Johnson and the Lakers in 91. And lets not forget who the bulls beat on the WAY to the Finals. The prior, year before champion Detroit Pistons and Isaiah Thomas. Patrick Ewing and some really devastating, Pat Riley coached Knicks teams in the 90′s. If it weren’t for Michael and the Bulls you would probably be counting one or two Knicks titles in the 90′s. Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trailblazers who had been to the Finals vs. the Lakers. And yes if you want to count legends, then he beat Larry Legend and the Celtics too. Also, lets not forget that Utah wasn’t just John Stockton and Karl Malone. They also had Jeff Hornacek, the Manu Ginobili of the time. The same Jeff Hornacek that he had to beat in 93 along with Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson’s Phoenix Suns. And yes, the Sonics in 96. For those of you who didn’t see them at the top of their game, the 96 Sonics were one of the scariest teams you ever laid eyes on. Shawn Kemp was a monster like you’ve never seen in today’s NBA, and Gary Payton was considered the best 2 way point guard at the time and his nickname was the glove for shutting people down defensively. Plus you had Nate McMillan and Hersey Hawkins on the wing, Sam Perkins, Eric Snow, and Detlef Schrempf bombing three pointers.

The reason the Bulls and Michael are one of the greatest teams of all time is that they beat the legends. If you judge teams by who they play, then you have to give them credit. The Lakers were the best. NO ONE thought the Bulls were going to win before the series. 4-1 Bulls.

In 1992 everyone thought that Portland, a team that reached the Finals in 1990 vs. Detroit would show the Bulls what a real team would do vs the ‘individuals’ of Michael and Pippen’s ‘team’. People thought Drexler was the West Coast version of Michael. Game one of the Finals, Michael hits SIX threes in the FIRST HALF. 4-2 Bulls.

In 1993 Phoenix looked like world beaters with the addition of Charles Barkley, to an already powerful Phoenix team that had Kevin Johnson, Danny Ainge, Cedric Ceballos, Tom Chambers, Richard Dumas, Thunder Dan Majerle, Oliver Miller the paint clogger, and Mark West. This was the year the Bulls weren’t going to win. They had the burden of a three peat. Phoenix had three All Stars and a roster chuck full of great players in their own right. Silly us for thinking the Bulls might lose! 4-2 Bulls.

I could go on….but seriously. I can’t imagine that anyone watching the Bulls in the 90′s and lived through the 80′s could think that the Bulls were anything less then one of the greatest teams ever, right up there with the Celtics teams of the 60′s. I wasn’t alive in the 60′s, but I sure as hell saw games in the 80′s. Magic and Bird would be the first to tell you that they had never seen anything like MJ, and that the 1996 70 win Bulls that beat the Sonics are without a doubt one of the top five champs of all time.

The only thing that could explain such ignorance of Bulls/MJ detractors is that they weren’t there to see it. This comes from a Knicks fan. We hated MJ, but we know basketball. Give Michael, Scottie, and the rest of the Bulls their due. They beat the best.

By: redbaronx

redbaronx — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:36:38 +0000

I agree with you gpatrick. These people that have thumbs down don’t get it. Today’s NBA requires game changing scorers to win titles. Guys like Troy here like to think you’re using hindsight to make decisions, when it’s really quite simple. The days of having a defensive anchor in the middle that solidifies the team for championship caliber are over. You need top flight offense. Defense can be worked on, or you get a defensive specialist at the 4 or 5 spots. Look at how Tyson Chandler, not a superstar by any means, helped Dallas with solid fundamental defense and rebounding. But do you think Dallas wins a championship without Nowitzki??? All you guys that gave thumbs down on this need to understand. The premium is to get a scorer in today’s NBA, not defensive anchors. The last time this worked was Tim Duncan, and Tim Duncan is a once in a generation player who had the offensive scoring skills to go along with the defensive ones.

By: jimbroney

jimbroney — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:52:43 +0000

A true dirtbag because I think jordans phony? Wow, you gonna sleep tonight?

By: t16rich

t16rich — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:08:26 +0000

Space Jam was good, but Con Air is way better. Thought I would mention that

By: tcclark

tcclark — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:54:57 +0000

people were comparing Oden to Bill Russell…. and not because they’re the same age

By: trueballs

trueballs — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:40:51 +0000

owe money *to.

By: trueballs

trueballs — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:39:42 +0000

MJ could’ve been the reason his father died….idk man…Dad get’s killed in his car while taking a nap at a rest stop? Jordan happened to owe a lot of people money around that time. Not the kind of people you want to owe money too.

His performance as an athlete is why we think he’s god. And he was…ON THE COURT.

By: trueballs

trueballs — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:35:06 +0000

I would definitely rank Magic, Bird, & Kareem in their primes over Malone, Stockton, Kemp, Drexler, and Ewing. So yes…the greats were gone when Jordan began his reign.

It’s tough to compare because Jordan won with much less help then Magic/Bird/Kareem, but he also won against easier competition than what Magic/Bird/Kareem faced (mostly each other).

By: mrheavychevy

mrheavychevy — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:53:20 +0000

Who cares!! Soo what he has 6 rings Russell has 11 & no one says anything

By: jaakkrt1

jaakkrt1 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:47:29 +0000

So, you just said that stuff to get people riled up huh? The people that gave you a thumbs donw because they disagreed with you are losers huh? Interesting, you sound like a true dirtbag to me. And since we’re sharing….looks like you’re the royal pain…

By: tomtravis76

tomtravis76 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:18:54 +0000

Explain why he is such a bad person in your eyes?

By: l0yalr0yal

l0yalr0yal — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:56:56 +0000

“The greatest player ever to lace up a pair of sneakers and put a ball through a hoop”?

Please. Let’s get a thumbs up for Detlef Schrempf*.

* It’s a joke.

By: jimbroney

jimbroney — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:36:34 +0000

I knew I could get all you losers riled up. Never said he wasn’t the greatest player of all time. Just think he is a royal p?n:s.

By: dirtydavis

dirtydavis — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:01:49 +0000

@ Key… Get you facts straight, son!!! Kareem was already retired when Bulls beat the Lakers in 91 and plus we all know that Scottie was the guy guarding Magic. Who was Drexler’s sidekick??? Barkley?!?!? the guy is 6’4 playing the 4 spot and was allergic to defense. The Sonics were the only real good team during the Mid 90s. MJ shot 40% during that series.

Be real with yourself…Do you consider any of those players in your top 10 greatest of all time??? or maybe top 15?

By: dirksimmons

dirksimmons — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:44:03 +0000

Don’t forget Shawn Kemp was on that Sonics team. He was a beast at the time.

By: goforthanddie

goforthanddie — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:43:11 +0000

This is ancient history, we’ve already heard it repeatedly. And, yeah, the whole “MJ retired years ago” thing.

By: keyshawn22

keyshawn22 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:32:54 +0000

Dirty, you say he won his championships after legends retired??? He only beat magic and Kareem in his first title appearance… Drexler in the 2nd… Barkley in the 3rd… Payton in the 4th… And Malone and stockton twice in the 5th and 6th….plus Ewing every year in the eastern playoffs. Get a clue or shut up

He’s the greatest of all time period…

By: chitownmatt

chitownmatt — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:19:21 +0000

So there is a lesson for all GMs to be learned in this story and even in Henlins review, although he obviously has not learned it….

If you are ever faced with the choice, TAKE THE DOMINATING SCORER OVER HEIGHT!!!

Iverson over Camby; Rose over Beasely; etc…etc..etc.

By: dirtydavis

dirtydavis — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:10:22 +0000

You would be the Matt Millen of the NBA if you were to be GM

By: dirtydavis

dirtydavis — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:08:03 +0000

MJ… When was the last time he picked up a basketball? You clowns act as if he can walk on water… Pssshhh!!!! Funny how MJ and two other hall of famers won all those championships after the legends retired.

By: shackdelrio

shackdelrio — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:04:03 +0000

Are they now going to reshoot the beginning of Space Jam?

By: tomtravis76

tomtravis76 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:52:01 +0000

Jordan was a kid kid who grew not far from the beach in Wilmington,NC in a simple life from a simple place, went to an excellent college, went to the NBA(not too many people get that chance-accomplishment by just doing that), became the Greatest player to ever lace up a pair of sneakers and put a ball through a hoop, created a clothing/sneaker line that is sold world wide and now is an owner of a professional sports franchise along with many other business ventures which employee people. That is one heck of story for any person to admire. So, you think he is fake because your bible beating morals and teachings aren’t what Jordan practices?

And that is your fault that you hand blinders on when watching Pippen play, anyone who watched the Bulls knew Pippen was fun to watch, he is one of the 50 Greatest.

By: troy10

troy10 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:40:14 +0000

no… I gave a Thumbs Down… because it’s easy for some Joe Schmoe to get on a website and say “if I was a GM.. I’d do this… or that”… that’s easy.. you don’t have the weight of an entire organization, or city for that matter, on your shoulders.
The knocks on Durant when he came out was.. can he get his shot on the NBA level, will he get knocked around b/c he’s so ‘skinny’, will he be another Wesley Person type? Or the dreaded “tweener”
Yes.. there were also knocks on Oden as well… but people saw him to have the potential of a modern day Bill Russell. Someone to dominate the boards and patrol the paint.. and develop a nice offensive game.

Seems all those doubts were just silly when you look at how things turned out.
So.. it’s sooooo EASY to sit here now and say, “Oh… I would have taken Durant over Oden” 5 YEARS after it happened!! Hell, anyone can do that.

How many teams passed on a Scottie Pippen (drafted 5th), Karl Malone (drafted 13th) or John Stockton (15th pick) because of concerns?? And these are all guys that made the NBA 50 Greatest list. And you’re telling me you’re the one person that would have known to draft them number one in whatever year they came out?????
You should just go be a GM then… you’ll have many championships!

Oh.. and if you don’t like us “thumb downers” either don’t post… or don’t post something stupid like that.

By: junebucket

junebucket — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:11:01 +0000

All I can say about Jordan playing Junior Varsity, is that when I was a senior basketball player at Southern Wayne High, our jayvee came in the locker room, as we were about to take the floor, absoloutely shell shocked. One kid kept saying Mike Jordan is ready for the pros right now. Apparently, Jordan had scored 40 points. Even though we won the game handily, on the way back our coach, Marshal Hamilton, was upset and kept saying he didn’t think anbody on the jv would move up because they couldn’t guard anybody.

By: gpatrick15

gpatrick15 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:59:45 +0000

All you thumb downers, your logic is how you end up with Bowie over MJ, Oden over Durant, Milicic over Carmelo. You’d think with all of the prior occurences that teams would not fall for this. Unless the big men coming out had the potential to be Olajuwon, Shaq, Abdul-Jabar, Wilt, etc, then take the dominant scorer.

By: gpatrick15

gpatrick15 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:28:56 +0000

Drafting talent trumps drafting for need, especially with free agency and trades.

By: gpatrick15

gpatrick15 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:27:45 +0000

Not all GM’s would choose size as the only factor. I’m no GM. But if faced with the option of taking the dominant scorer who shows more potential than the dominant big man in the same draft, I think I’d take the scorer every time, ESPECIALLY if I’m the trail blazers, who fell for that same trap with Bowie over MJ.