40 year old MJ scores 43

[deja vu]

I thought modern era NBA athletes would own him? :lol

[poido123]

The sad part is, they hang their hat on "MJ couldn't do it in today's era"


:facepalm

[deja vu]

The sad part is, they hang their hat on "MJ couldn't do it in today's era"


:facepalm
Kobe Bryant was nearing his prime that year and Tim Duncan would win MVP. Two all time greats who are still owning the league in the 2010s.

[poido123]

Kobe Bryant was nearing his prime that year and Tim Duncan would win MVP. Two all time greats who are still owning the league in the 2010s.


We know the truth.

We will wait until they are old enough to understand basketball outside of who's playing in today's era :lol

[played0ut]

People don't consider how all the eras have overlapped, and how the best players in each era have EASILY competed with the era after them.

i.e, people who claim Wilt would be a 'poor man's Javale McGee' did not consider how he played a high level against Kareem.


Kareem who played a high level with Magic.

Magic who played at a high level with MJ.

MJ who played at a high level with Kobe/Duncan/Garnett

Kobe/Duncan/Garnett who played/are playing a high level against Melo/Bron/Durant.




If it really was so different and if the previous eras were so exponentially weaker than the modern era, Wilt/KAreem/Magic/Jordan would've been completely decimated by the newer players, but they weren't.



I understand why people are saying new > old, but it's really just logical.

[deja vu]

People don't consider how all the eras have overlapped, and how the best players in each era has EASILY competed with the era after them.

i.e, people who claim Wilt would be a 'poor man's Javale McGee' did not consider how he played a high level against Kareem.


Kareem who played a high level with Magic.

Magic who played at a high level with MJ.

MJ who played at a high level with Kobe/Duncan/Garnett

Kobe/Duncan/Garnett who played/are playing a high level against Melo/Bron/Durant.




If it really was so different and if the previous eras were so exponentially weaker than the modern era, Wilt/KAreem/Magic/Jordan would've completely be decimated by the newer players, but they weren't.



I understand why people are saying new > old, but it's really just logical.
This.

Imagine Kareem in today's NBA oh my Lawd! he would flat out dominate with that unstoppable skyhook of his. And past his prime Wilt was having some success playing against him.

[bizil]

People don't consider how all the eras have overlapped, and how the best players in each era have EASILY competed with the era after them.

i.e, people who claim Wilt would be a 'poor man's Javale McGee' did not consider how he played a high level against Kareem.


Kareem who played a high level with Magic.

Magic who played at a high level with MJ.

MJ who played at a high level with Kobe/Duncan/Garnett

Kobe/Duncan/Garnett who played/are playing a high level against Melo/Bron/Durant.




If it really was so different and if the previous eras were so exponentially weaker than the modern era, Wilt/KAreem/Magic/Jordan would've been completely decimated by the newer players, but they weren't.



I understand why people are saying new > old, but it's really just logical.


Awesome point! I make that argument with people all the time. Eras do overlap. Kareem is an awesome example of SUSTAINED LONGEVITY! He battled Wilt all the way down to Olajuwon and Ewing. Kareem was Finals MVP at 38 years of age. MJ to me did very well in his comeback with the Wizards considering his age AND how long he was retired. Even looking at the league TODAY, how many perimeter players are putting up at least 23 points, 6 boards, and 5 dimes? Those are All Star numbers for in any season. I also think MJ was kind of in coach-executive-player mode. I think he was more in a teaching mode than at any point of his career. I feel he could have ACTUALLY averaged like 26 points if he wasn't in that mode.

[GimmeThat]

I guess you can't unlearn your jump shots/skills.


Kobe could probably give you a few 5 or 6 3pointer games in his 40.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvR1SHEkWXI

[LAZERUSS]

This.

Imagine Kareem in today's NBA oh my Lawd! he would flat out dominate with that unstoppable skyhook of his. And past his prime Wilt was having some success playing against him.

A 34 year old Wilt, on a surgically repaired knee, statistically outplayed a peak Kareem in their ten H2H games of the '70-71 season.

And by all accounts, a 35 year old Wilt outplayed a peak Kareem, despite being outscored.

Oh, and in their one H2H game before Wilt blew out his knee...he absolutely OWNED Kareem.

Now, tell me, what do you think a PEAK Chamberlain, who was just ANNIHILATING the likes of Russell, Reed, Bellamy, and Thurmond in those H2H's (and I mean carpet-bombing them all)...would do against these "titans" of today?

[jongib369]

A 34 year old Wilt, on a surgically repaired knee, statistically outplayed a peak Kareem in their ten H2H games of the '70-71 season.

And by all accounts, a 35 year old Wilt outplayed a peak Kareem, despite being outscored.

Oh, and in their one H2H game before Wilt blew out his knee...he absolutely OWNED Kareem.

Now, tell me, what do you think a PEAK Chamberlain, who was just ANNIHILATING the likes of Russell, Reed, Bellamy, and Thurmond in those H2H's (and I mean carpet-bombing them all)...would do against these "titans" of today?
Regular season

[ImKobe]

MJ had a few high scoring games because he was a #1 option on a horrible team, so he got to chuck the ball as much as he wanted. He was bound to have a few decent games, when he felt like his old self.

overall he played horribly in the early 2000s and failed to make the Playoffs in the weak East (9th seed in 2003 with 37 wins). Really stopped the development of Washington and screwed up their roster for the future with the Kwame Brown pick, if he wasn't chucking in 02-03 and they let their young guys learn while they're losing a lot of games, who knows, they might have gotten Wade or Bosh or even Lebron if they were that bad, instead, MJ leaves them the legacy of Kwame and a shitty 10th pick to draft a guy named "Jarvis Hayes".

[oh the horror]

MJ had a few high scoring games because he was a #1 option on a horrible team, so he got to chuck the ball as much as he wanted. He was bound to have a few decent games, when he felt like his old self.

overall he played horribly in the early 2000s and failed to make the Playoffs in the weak East (9th seed in 2003 with 37 wins). Really stopped the development of Washington and screwed up their roster for the future with the Kwame Brown pick, if he wasn't chucking in 02-03 and they let their young guys learn while they're losing a lot of games, who knows, they might have gotten Wade or Bosh or even Lebron if they were that bad, instead, MJ leaves them the legacy of Kwame and a shitty 10th pick to draft a guy named "Jarvis Hayes".



If he was the number one option then why couldn't the defenses stop him? I remember him having a good amount of high scoring games on Washington.

[ImKobe]

If he was the number one option then why couldn't the defenses stop him? I remember him having a good amount of high scoring games on Washington.

He had high scoring games, but he took 22 shots a game to average 23 ppg on 47%TS

for every 10-20 shooting night with around 25-30 pts, he had those 10 pt games on 4-14 shooting or 17 pts on 7-21 shooting

[Sarcastic]

He had high scoring games, but he took 22 shots a game to average 23 ppg on 47%TS

for every 10-20 shooting night with around 25-30 pts, he had those 10 pt games on 4-14 shooting or 17 pts on 7-21 shooting


He was 40 years old. Do you know how hard it is to compete in the NBA, with the greatest athletes in the world, at that age?

[bizil]

He was 40 years old. Do you know how hard it is to compete in the NBA, with the greatest athletes in the world, at that age?

Agreed! I felt MJ did very well in his comeback. Anybody expecting MJ to be in his prime were mistaking themselves. Certain nights the body feels great. Other nights the body is sore. James Harden, who just made All NBA first team averaged 25.4 points, 4.7 boards, and 6 dimes. MJ put up nearly 23 points, 5.7 boards, and 5.2 assists at 38 years old. And MJ even at 38 and 39 years old had better D than Harden currently does. So when u look at it like that, I view his comeback as very good. I didn't expect the Wizards to be world beaters anyway. I think he was coming back because he missed the game and he wanted to help the franchise out in various ways.

[Dragonyeuw]

People don't consider how all the eras have overlapped, and how the best players in each era have EASILY competed with the era after them.

i.e, people who claim Wilt would be a 'poor man's Javale McGee' did not consider how he played a high level against Kareem.


Kareem who played a high level with Magic.

Magic who played at a high level with MJ.

MJ who played at a high level with Kobe/Duncan/Garnett

Kobe/Duncan/Garnett who played/are playing a high level against Melo/Bron/Durant.


If it really was so different and if the previous eras were so exponentially weaker than the modern era, Wilt/KAreem/Magic/Jordan would've been completely decimated by the newer players, but they weren't.


I understand why people are saying new > old, but it's really just logical.

Refreshing post, this x 1000. This whole weak/strong era/different rules bs is only to minimize players in these endlessly redundant 'who's better' arguments. Its retarded, if we're going to use these excuses then there really are no 'alltime' greats, its just greats relative to their own era. Thats pretty much what this moronic 'logic' is saying. On a related note, a near 40 year old Karl Malone averaged 20+ and 8+ in a time when the league was deep with great PFs in Duncan, Garnett, Dirk, Webber, etc. But but but.....the older players cant compete today!!!

[Oly BC]

He had high scoring games, but he took 22 shots a game to average 23 ppg on 47%TS

for every 10-20 shooting night with around 25-30 pts, he had those 10 pt games on 4-14 shooting or 17 pts on 7-21 shooting
Sounds like every major star, except he was 40 and had retired twice.

[sekachu]

He had high scoring games, but he took 22 shots a game to average 23 ppg on 47%TS

for every 10-20 shooting night with around 25-30 pts, he had those 10 pt games on 4-14 shooting or 17 pts on 7-21 shooting



Well, even Michael Jordan couldn't overcome ages. Exemplify, tmac, vince, iverson who were great players but what happened to them once they reached 30. They were even worst than MJ.

Other factor, MJ played with a horrible team. If he chose to play with other great team. I am sure as hell he ll play a lot better.

[Iceman#44]

MJ at 39 before the all-star break, with tendonitis in his knee, was 25/6/5 before his knee went down. The Wizards were 5th in the Eastern and he was a Serious Mvp candidate. Hell, his 2002 stats were totally ruined by the 7 games he play AFTER the knee surgery in february. He scored just 12.4 ppg playing like 20 minutes after the knee surgery then he had to stop again

[Iceman#44]

AFTER Jordan turned 40 years old, he averaged 22.4 ppg, 7.2 rebounds and 3.4 ast...GOAT....AH and also with 4 consecutive double double 20/10 games...

[Dragonyeuw]

MJ at 39 before the all-star break, with tendonitis in his knee, was 25/6/5 before his knee went down. The Wizards were 5th in the Eastern and he was a Serious Mvp candidate. Hell, his 2002 stats were totally ruined by the 7 games he play AFTER the knee surgery in february. He scored just 12.4 ppg playing like 20 minutes after the knee surgery then he had to stop again

Yep, I made almost the exact same post a few days ago concerning Jordans 2002 midseason averages before his knee injuries. Those are insane stats for a 39 year old 3 years removed from the game, playing against an entirely different era.