lebron calls ai 'pound for pound' the greatest player ever

[avonbarksdale]

@HarveyAraton
Here in Miami, LeBron just called Allen Iverson "pound for pound the greatest player ever"

https://twitter.com/harveyaraton/status/394869969860968448

[sportjames23]

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/OMGRalph_Furley.gif

[nathanjizzle]

their is some validity to that. he was what 165 pounds and the impact he made on his team was extremely high. probably 3/4ths of jordan.

[cos88]

:applause:

[kennethgriffin]

pound for pound kobe bryant is the greatest ever

limited speed yet blows by everyone

average hops yet pulls off the best in game dunks ever

small hands yet has all the handles, moves and shots of a michael jordan

skinny as hell yet posts up way bigger people with ease



if kobe was 6 feet tall like iverson he would be just as effective. none of his game is built on a physical advantage over the entire league like jordan or lebron had


which is why half the body he once had can still manage 1st team all nba with 27/5/6

and i bet on one leg this season he'l manage the same line


once iversons insane speed advantage was gone. he became a nobody.... his overall skills werent what kobes are

[Mass Debator]

I read something way back saying Stockton was the best pound for pound when you consider weight and win shares. Jordan was the leader in the playoffs.

[Pointguard]

Both of the greatest athletes of grand dimensions (Shaq and Lebron) said this. AI did go harder at the rim than anybody and he was 100 lbs less than Lebron and about 10 inches shorter. Pound for pound he was definitely more relentless offensively than anybody, Jordan included. You couldn't pound him down.

[bdreason]

Two words;


Isiah Thomas.

[JimmyMcAdocious]

Overrated players unite.

[NumberSix]

I honestly doubt LeBron even understands what pound for pound means.

[East_Stone_Ya]

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2280689/infinityjrue.gif

[DuMa]

http://www.reactiongifs.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ill_allow_it_community.gif

[jlip]

"Pound for pound" is typically used as a qualifier to to explain why a smaller great player is/ was not as effective or accomplished as a significantly larger legend.

[Pointguard]

pound for pound kobe bryant is the greatest ever

limited speed yet blows by everyone

average hops yet pulls off the best in game dunks ever

small hands yet has all the handles, moves and shots of a michael jordan

skinny as hell yet posts up way bigger people with ease

if kobe was 6 feet tall like iverson he would be just as effective. none of his game is built on a physical advantage over the entire league like jordan or lebron had

which is why half the body he once had can still manage 1st team all nba with 27/5/6

and i bet on one leg this season he'l manage the same line

once iversons insane speed advantage was gone. he became a nobody.... his overall skills werent what kobes are
AI at Kobe's height - 8 inches taller and 50 lbs heavier. Naaaah, I got AI. I'd take AI at half those margins at 6'2 and 190.

If you want to go the no advantages route, Dantley was about the same weight as Bryant only a little bit heavier, about an inch or two shorter, and he had no physical advantages at all. He just knew how to ball.

[TheMarkMadsen]

Well he's right.

How ironic because Lebrons fans are like the anti Iverson crusade on here.

But yeah as you can see those who actually watched AI play will recognize his greatness.

[OldSkoolball#52]

But why just strip guys' height/weight? Of course Iverson had other physical advantages like quickness that other guys didnt possess. So why count size against guys but not quickness?

If you made everyone the same physical dimensions and gave them the exact same athleticism, the best player is going to be Bird IMO. Ball handling, passing, post game, shooting. Probably most complete offensive player ever based on skill.

[Pointguard]

"Pound for pound" is typically used as a qualifier to to explain why a smaller great player is/ was not as effective or accomplished as a significantly larger legend.

It can be used that way but I guarantee you nobody thinks that Klitzscho is in the same hemisphere as Mayweather in almost any aspect. "Pound for pound" is primarily a boxing term.

[HomieWeMajor]

Nah that would be this guy
http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Sports/images/midget-basketball.jpg
I bet he has more PER per pound than AI

[Nuff Said]

His game was based off his height and size. If you increased his measurements, surely he would not be playing the same exact way he did? His stamina might take a hit.

[kennethgriffin]

AI at Kobe's height - 8 inches taller and 50 lbs heavier. Naaaah, I got AI. I'd take AI at half those margins at 6'2 and 190.

If you want to go the no advantages route, Dantley was about the same weight as Bryant only a little bit heavier, about an inch or two shorter, and he had no physical advantages at all. He just knew how to ball.


you think kobes game is built on height advantages?

hes regularly guarded by 6-7 and 6-8 forwards these days


most of them who are quicker/faster and jump higher than kobe

doesnt make a difference... iversons game was built on quickness rather than his brain/footwork

which kobe is a master at. like i said. theres a reason iverson got shat out of the bottom of the nba the minute he wasnt the absolute fastest player of all time anymore

iverson had more of a physical advantage on his defenders than kobe ever had

[ZenMaster]

His game was based off his height and size. If you increased his measurements, surely he would not be playing the same exact way he did? His stamina might take a hit.

Exactly, same reason the league i filled with 5ft10 guards scoring 25+ per game, they just base their game on their size.

[kennethgriffin]

best pound for pound are guys who didnt need any physical advantage to dominate


guys like

- larry bird
- kobe bryant
- rick barry
- steve nash



iverson is in the same boat as guys like shaq, lebron, jordan

all guys who dominated with extreme physical advantages over everyone they faced. nobody could stick infront of them due to either a speed, power or overall athletic disadvantage


put kobe, bird, barry, nash into an average ymca 6 foot ballers body with limited speed,quickness... theyel still be great

put those other 4 guys into that kind of body... maybe only jordan could make some noise. but his outside shooting would limit his game


pound for pound the best players ever are

#1 kobe
#2 bird
#3 barry
#4 nash
#5 west

[unbreakable]

if we're talking little guys who were great players.. the greatest has to be ZEKE . 2 championships as the alpha PG. :bowdown:

[alexd]

Boykins was pretty good and really strong dude

[unbreakable]

if we're talking little guys who were great players.. the greatest has to be ZEKE . 2 championships as the alpha PG. while CRUSHING MJ every year

http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nba/photogallery/isiahmj.jpg

:bowdown:

[kennethgriffin]

if we're talking little guys who were great players.. the greatest has to be ZEKE . 2 championships as the alpha PG. :bowdown:


greatest little guy and pound for pound aren't the same thing


but yes. isiah thomas is probably the best little guy ever

[colts19]

I would go with Zeke. I would also put Tiny A. above him.

[Nash]

How ironic because Lebrons fans are like the anti Iverson crusade on here.


:biggums:
Just making shit up about Lebron fans these days.

"Lebron fans are anti democracy"

[pauk]

Kenneth..... Kobe is (was) one of the most athletic players in NBA history, at his position only Jordan was somewhat more athletic for longer time... he sure damn used it and needed it to dominate (especially defensively).... once that started to noticeably decrease now/past few years there was less and less dominating dont you think.... what Kobe is doing now / past few years is not what i would say dominating? Yes, he still plays great, gets his shots up for PPG... but dominating?

[KNOW1EDGE]

Remember when I said AI was pound for pound best player ever a few months ago in a thread and all the clowns mocked me?

Well now their God agrees with me

[Legends66NBA7]

Just making shit up about Lebron fans these days.

Actually, he's on point about James fans dissing Iverson, but really a lot of fans today overall hate on Iverson because they didn't watch him in context and just god is efficiency.

Granted, Iverson does have a lot of fingers to be pointed at, but it seems all the time it comes from a certain camp of fans.

[kennethgriffin]

Kenneth..... Kobe is (was) one of the most athletic players in NBA history, at his position only Jordan was somewhat more athletic for longer time... he sure damn used it and needed it to dominate (especially defensively).... once that started to noticeably decrease now/past few years there was less and less dominating dont you think.... what Kobe is doing now / past few years is not what i would say dominating? Yes, he still plays great, gets his shots up for PPG... but dominating?


i'm talking about the 2nd half of kobes career

since his knee problems in 2004.. he's never been the same type of freak athlete he was from 1997-2003


yet he actually had better individual success since... because he doesnt need a physical advantage with his all around game he's achieved

[get these NETS]

AI at Kobe's height - 8 inches taller and 50 lbs heavier. Naaaah, I got AI. I'd take AI at half those margins at 6'2 and 190.

If you want to go the no advantages route, Dantley was about the same weight as Bryant only a little bit heavier, about an inch or two shorter, and he had no physical advantages at all. He just knew how to ball.


Adrian Dantely is one of those players that white basketball fans tend to forget about before they inevitably bring up Bird in these types of threads.

and just read some later posts.....on cue Bird's name comes up .


pound for pound....Nate Archibald, Isiah Thomas, and AI have to be mentioned near the top

[AintNoSunshine]

That's not a outrageous thing to say at all. Being barely 6' and 160lb and still did what he did on a nightly basis among giants, give him 6 inches and 50lb it wouldn't surprise me if he can rival MJ:confusedshrug:

[kNicKz]

Iverson made basketball look easy.....without question one of favorites to ever watch play

[sportjames23]

if we're talking little guys who were great players.. the greatest has to be ZEKE . 2 championships as the alpha PG. while CRUSHING MJ every year

http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nba/photogallery/isiahmj.jpg

:bowdown:


Crushing who? I seem to remember MJ lighting up the Pistons, even with their Jordan Rules, while his teammates didn't step up. And then MJ and the Bulls going on to end the Pistons' mini dynasty once and for all.

[KingLeBronJames]

I got love for you LeBron but this is straight up a laughable statement. :roll:

[HylianNightmare]

yes

[JellyBean]

And they say Lebron is a student of the game. Smh. Dude ever hear of Isiah Lord Thomas?? Or Tiny Archibald?

[9erempiree]

I'm going with Kobe. He was very athletic contrary to what people want to say but he didn't really used any of that to his advantage like non-skill players like Jordan, Shaq and even Lebron and I hate to even mention him in the conversation and no disrespect to MJ and Shaq. These guys relied heavily on their athleticism against their opponents.

Kobe's career was incredible. Dunking on people and dominating in a fashion unseen before. That's why he is ranked among the greatest players of all time.

We have to admit that Kobe is probably the most entertaining player ever. He dominates without actually using his athletic ability and it's very fun to watch.

[bizil]

When I think pound for pound in bball, I think guards 6'1 and under. Guys who are just as skilled as anybody but are limited pretty much to one maybe two positions. For example U KNOW if AI was 6'6 he would be even more of a beast. Because he would have the size to really matchup on both ends with the MJ's, Kobe's, Drexler's, Wade's, Gervin's, etc. on defense. Offensively, AI can score on anybody. People underestimate at how defenders like Pip, Bron, Cooper, or MJ can make life hard for PG's or smaller guards when they defend them. They can space them out and recover in time to get a hand up in their grill. That's why many small SG's can't make it in the L from college. They lack PG skills AND can't get their off on bigger wings.

But AI could score at will on anybody AND had PG skills to boot. And also had arguably the sickest handles ever. And was an awesome athlete. So in that sense, AI is the most dominant pound for pound ever along with Isiah. And don't sleep on Tiny and CP3 either.

[CavaliersFTW]

175-188lb Jerry West >>>> anyone else under 190lbs

Jerry takes the crown for best pound for pound player ever in my books. He's the damn logo. Tiny, Thomas, AI etc are all examples of other worthy candidates though.

[aj1987]

Lebron is an idiot.

[bizil]

175-188lb Jerry West >>>> anyone else under 190lbs

Jerry takes the crown for best pound for pound player ever in my books. He's the damn logo. Tiny, Thomas, AI etc are all examples of other worthy candidates though.

If we are talking 6'3 and under 200 pounds then I'm down with that for sure. My top five historically would be West, Isiah, AI, Tiny,and Monroe. From there u got guys like Nash, Paul, Tim Hardaway, and KJ. And this Golden Era of PG's could produce a multitude of guys with Rose and Westbrook leading the way.

[NumberSix]

Lebron is an idiot.
He's a fcukin piece of shit.

[TheBigVeto]

pound for pound kobe bryant is the greatest ever

limited speed yet blows by everyone

average hops yet pulls off the best in game dunks ever

small hands yet has all the handles, moves and shots of a michael jordan

skinny as hell yet posts up way bigger people with ease



if kobe was 6 feet tall like iverson he would be just as effective. none of his game is built on a physical advantage over the entire league like jordan or lebron had


which is why half the body he once had can still manage 1st team all nba with 27/5/6

and i bet on one leg this season he'l manage the same line


once iversons insane speed advantage was gone. he became a nobody.... his overall skills werent what kobes are

:wtf:
http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh600/Rodman2124/kobeclutch.gif


U Mad Kobetards?
Kobetards are phaggits
Kobe isn't a great player, FACT

[RoseCity07]

I've come to the same conclusion a few times when thinking about the difference between average people and NBA players. For instance, no matter how much I practice I can never do the stuff Kobe does because my hands aren't big enough, I'm not tall enough, athletic enough, etc. This made me realize that it's important to judge players based on how much they did with their physical limitations.

Obviously Steve Kerr isn't better than Jordan because he had a good career with less physical ability. Think about great players that didn't have super athleticism. A high percentage of people could become good to great basketball players if we had the exact same build and athletic ability of someone like Lebron or Kobe.

How many people could say that if they were suddenly given Iverson's body and athletic ability? I know a lot of people would be good but it wouldn't be as easy. I think Iverson had to have a higher degree of skill to do what he did than some the superstar players that were 6-6 to 6-11.

[NumberSix]

I've come to the same conclusion a few times when thinking about the difference between average people and NBA players. For instance, no matter how much I practice I can never do the stuff Kobe does because my hands aren't big enough, I'm not tall enough, athletic enough, etc. This made me realize that it's important to judge players based on how much they did with their physical limitations.

Obviously Steve Kerr isn't better than Jordan because he had a good career with less physical ability. Think about great players that didn't have super athleticism. A high percentage of people could become good to great basketball players if we had the exact same build and athletic ability of someone like Lebron or Kobe.

How many people could say that if they were suddenly given Iverson's body and athletic ability? I know a lot of people would be good but it wouldn't be as easy. I think Iverson had to have a higher degree of skill to do what he did than some the superstar players that were 6-6 to 6-11.
Meh. Iverson was honestly not that much smaller than Derrick Rose. Athleticism and size are part of the game.

People aren't created equally. Some people are more physically gifted than others and some are more mentally gifted. We never seem to mention the mental part though. There are tons of physical freaks who would be better if they didn't happen to be borderline retarded. Dominique Wilkins would have been the best player of all time if he had Larry Bird's brain, but he didn't.

Everything counts and you're only as good as the sum of all your parts. We don't grade on a curve to accommodate physically inferior players or morons who can't spell their own name.

[ripthekik]

first time i agree with that lebron has to say.

[joeyjoejoe]

P4p he's up there but there's better ie nash paul stock peak nate isiah

[Soundwave]

Honestly he's not even 6'0. I'm 6'0 and literally bumped into him coming out of an All-Star Weekend party in Hollywood, and he was at least an inch shorter than me.

[BoutPractice]

Iverson used to be crazy overrated, but now he's underrated.
The advent of FG% conscious players turned him from "the next Jordan" to "cancer his teams would have been better without". I've seen people put him out of their top 50 players of all time or put him in the same category as Maravich...

So let's recapitulate the facts:
- led the league in scoring 4 times. Ironically, he did not lead the league in his best scoring year, where he averaged 33 ppg.
- led the league in steals 3 times.
- although "selfish" he still averaged over 6 apg in his career, including 5 years over 7 apg and an 8 apg year
- despite being much maligned for his FG%, Allen Iverson averaged over 45% in his 3 years in Denver, when he was finally surrounded by another potent scoring option
- led the league in mpg 7 times, which should tell you something about his heart and stamina
- averaged 30 ppg in the playoffs... good for 2nd all time!
- everyone remembers that the "loser" Iverson led his team to the Finals... but let's not forget that he actually outscored peak Shaq in the series. He started off with a memorable 48 point game and ended with averages of 35 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
- he's an NBA MVP, Rookie of the Year and All-Star Game MVP, a 3 time All-NBA first teamer, and an 11 time All-Star in a 14 year career.

His resume (and the eye test) just don't match with the common perception of him nowadays.

[i cant dunk]

pound for pound kobe bryant is the greatest ever

limited speed yet blows by everyone

average hops yet pulls off the best in game dunks ever

small hands yet has all the handles, moves and shots of a michael jordan

skinny as hell yet posts up way bigger people with ease



if kobe was 6 feet tall like iverson he would be just as effective. none of his game is built on a physical advantage over the entire league like jordan or lebron had


which is why half the body he once had can still manage 1st team all nba with 27/5/6

and i bet on one leg this season he'l manage the same line


once iversons insane speed advantage was gone. he became a nobody.... his overall skills werent what kobes are

your an idiot, there's nothing average about Kobe's speed and hops and overall athleticism. he just learned to cope with his degrading body better then most players.

[Just2McFly]

P4p he's up there but there's better ie nash paul stock peak nate isiah
Nash, Stockton and Nate??? Wtf

[Rooster]

When I think pound for pound in bball, I think guards 6'1 and under. Guys who are just as skilled as anybody but are limited pretty much to one maybe two positions. For example U KNOW if AI was 6'6 he would be even more of a beast. Because he would have the size to really matchup on both ends with the MJ's, Kobe's, Drexler's, Wade's, Gervin's, etc. on defense. Offensively, AI can score on anybody. People underestimate at how defenders like Pip, Bron, Cooper, or MJ can make life hard for PG's or smaller guards when they defend them. They can space them out and recover in time to get a hand up in their grill. That's why many small SG's can't make it in the L from college. They lack PG skills AND can't get their off on bigger wings.

But AI could score at will on anybody AND had PG skills to boot. And also had arguably the sickest handles ever. And was an awesome athlete. So in that sense, AI is the most dominant pound for pound ever along with Isiah. And don't sleep on Tiny and CP3 either.

I agree with Lebron on this one. Iverson was a scoring machine and pound for pound he is arguably be the best. Just like in boxing, what really means is if everyone is on the same size, Iverson might be the greatest.

[SilkkTheShocker]

Well he's right.

How ironic because Lebrons fans are like the anti Iverson crusade on here.

But yeah as you can see those who actually watched AI play will recognize his greatness.

This f.aggot can't post anything unless it has something to do with LeBron or his fans. Get over LeBron being a better player than Kobe ever was, clown.

[get these NETS]

Does anybody here watch college basketball?

The past 25 years or so..I've seen athletes equal to or better than say Kobe

darvin ham, i think chris porter,etc.......off the charts athleticism


andre iguodola and richard jefferson are nba players who I think are superior athletes to kobe

kobe is no freak athlete.. just has work ethic drive and skillset that drove him to be a better player than those freak athletes

let's not player hate against athletes for having athleticism ....hundreds of guys play division 1 sports.......you have to be a superior athlete to get a FREE ride to college......but just being a great athlete doesn't land or keep you a spot in the NBA..

all these guys spent the better part of their childhoods and teen years HONING their skills....they kept their heads on straight and put themselves in positions to be pro athletes..


get off the hater bullshit that says that they just were born athletes who just showed up in an NBA camp.....

the guys out there who ACTUALLY played hoops growing up know what it is...hundreds of great athletes dn't make it to the league

[BoutPractice]

get these NETS > That pretty much sums it up. Kobe used to be a great athlete, but he did not succeed on account of his athleticism.