Do the Bulls win 8 straight titles if MJ never retires?

[stalkerforlife]

I say yes.

[Uncle Drew]

Dad Killer was afraid of Hakeem Olajuwon.

[stalkerforlife]

Dad Killer was afraid of Hakeem Olajuwon.

Be serious, Simon.

Hakeem wasn't even on Jordan's radar.

Hakeem had 6 other years to meet him in the finals.

[3ball]

Dad Killer was afraid of Hakeem Olajuwon.



As you can see, Hakeem is the one flinching from MJ's power:


http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/8-06-2015/FoDgh7.gif

https://i.makeagif.com/media/3-04-2019/AKMw7q.gif

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/8-06-2015/sUJiwQ.gif

[Vino24]

Would op be happier with a job? No. Answer is no. Less is more

[Manny98]

Nope MJ legit feared Hakeem and had a losing record against him (1-5 from 91-93)

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=471411

[Manny98]

As you can see, Hakeem is the one flinching from MJ's power:


http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/8-06-2015/FoDgh7.gif

https://i.makeagif.com/media/3-04-2019/AKMw7q.gif

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/8-06-2015/sUJiwQ.gif
He was 1-5 in those games :roll: :roll:

[ClipperRevival]

Dad Killer was afraid of Hakeem Olajuwon.

I always laugh at this because that would mean MJ was psychic and could see the future. Because you see, when MJ retired after 1992-93, Hakeem was ringless, viewed as somewhat of black hole that couldn't make his teammates better. There was no aura surrounding him that he enjoys now.

So ok, that makes MJ even more GOAT. He saw what Hakeem would become and avoided him like the plaque. Thanks wheels.

[3ball]

We know MJ is goat because only MJ showed us that 8-straight was possible in the modern era - and that's amazing because everyone thought Russell's 8 straight was some kind of untouchable, old world feat... :oldlol:

MJ let us know that 8 straight is still humanly POSSIBLE, and for that, he is GOAT

[SouBeachTalents]

I always laugh at this because that would mean MJ was psychic and could see the future. Because you see, when MJ retired after 1992-93, Hakeem was ringless, viewed as somewhat of black hole that couldn't make his teammates better. There was no aura surrounding him that he enjoys now.

So ok, that makes MJ even more GOAT. He saw what Hakeem would become and avoided him like the plaque. Thanks wheels.
Where have these instincts been his last 20 years as an owner?

[LAmbruh]

Where have these instincts been his last 20 years as an owner?
ouch :yaohappy:

[Turbo Slayer]

Where have these instincts been his last 20 years as an owner?
LMAO :oldlol:

[Smoke117]

Jordan was burnt out after 93, but they are going to win eight in a row? :oldlol:

[3ball]

Jordan was burnt out after 93, but they are going to win eight in a row? :oldlol:
The guy averages 41 and you say he's "burnt out"

That's crazy

You know who was burnt out and didn't have enough physically and mentally to 3-peat?

Kobe, Lebron, Durant, and Curry

:confusedshrug:

Heck Lebron averaged a pathetic 17 shots in the 14' Finals (mj averaged 34 attempts in 93')

[SouBeachTalents]

The guy averages 41 and you say he's "burnt out"

That's crazy

You know who was burnt out and didn't have enough physically and mentally to 3-peat?

Kobe, Lebron, Durant, and Curry

:confusedshrug:
LeBron was so burnt out he only went on to make 4 more Finals and win another title :lol

[3ball]

LeBron was so burnt out he only went on to make 4 more Finals and win another title :lol
Oh, so he's good enough to 3-peat a weak conference but not the league?

he 3-peated a weak conference with a stacked team, when he already beat it with a weak team (07'), along with everyone else (09', 03', 02' 01').. :facepalm

2006-2010 showed us that Lebron's skillset + non-stacked casts = perennial loser of weak conference..... 2011-2018 showed us that Lebron's skillset + strong casts = perennial winner of weak conference but loser of Finals, 3/8

Simply not goat.... this is goat:

85-87' showed us that young MJ + lottery cast = not lottery.... That's better than young Lebron/Curry/Durant + lottery cast = lottery

88-90' showed us that MJ + garbage cast = nearly beating the champs..
91-98' showed us that MJ + 18 ppg, garbage-shooting 2nd option (least offensive help ever) = goat dynasty

[baudkarma]

Possible, sure. But not likely. If MJ never retires they may not even get to 6. There's no question that playing in that many finals in a row is taxing both physically and emotionally. It wouldn't take much of a misstep for the Bulls to lose one of those finals series to Hakeem and the Rockets. And once the rest of the league sees that Jordan, Pippen, and Jackson can actually be beaten, maybe Malone and Stockton don't fail when they play the Bulls later.

[iamgine]

They might've won less than 6 if MJ never retires.

So what we can say is they might've won 3+ titles if MJ never retires. Most likely scenario is 4-8 titles.

[Gileraracer]

Dad Killer was afraid of Hakeem Olajuwon.

Oh so we have to be thankful that Hakeem only played in the NBA for 2 years

[LostCause]

Oh so we have to be thankful that Hakeem only played in the NBA for 2 years

:lol

1 and a half actually

For some reason Jordan, fearing Hakeem, decided to come back the season after Hakeem won MVP, DPOY and the Championship :roll: While Hakeem was in the midst of a statistically better season and Chicago was barely a playoff seed.

He was shook :lol

[DaHeezy]

Orlando did take them out with Jordan so the correct answer in no. Shaq's Magic was bound to go to the finals that year regardless of a full season of Jordan.

[AirBonner]

**** no

[andgar923]

The Bulls had losing records during the regular season vs a number of teams, only to beat them in the postseason.

The post season is a different beast altogether.

[stalkerforlife]

Orlando did take them out with Jordan so the correct answer in no. Shaq's Magic was bound to go to the finals that year regardless of a full season of Jordan.

Don't be ridiculous.

He played 17 regular season games.

An entire camp and regular season would've improved them.

[DaHeezy]

Don't be ridiculous.

He played 17 regular season games.

An entire camp and regular season would've improved them.

17 games is a fair enough sample size to have under your belt to adjust, considering he was only removed a season and a half and not due to injury. Plus a whole series under your belt in which he played at his elite level. That load management helped him if anything. That was Orlando's time. They weren't losing the EC.

[Jasper]

I actually think 9 were possible.

[JBSptfn]

Heck no, especially if Rodman ends up on the Magic (I don't see Grant leaving if MJ is still there, so Rodman would have went somewhere else. The Magic would have had a void at PF without Grant).

[Akeem34TheDream]

Of course not.

[SpaceJam]

Not if Pippen doesn't save him from going down 0-3 in the '93 ECF

[Ainosterhaspie]

How did MJ show us an 8 peat is possible when he couldn't handle more than three straight finals runs? He literally proved twice he didn't have it him him to try for more than three.

But let's pretend MJ isn't who he proved himself to be, i.e. a quitter who kept abandoning the game and his team. The grind and natural complacency that comes with that many wins was going to lead to a slip up by his teammates if nothing else somewhere along the way. There was going to be an injury, or someone being fed up with MJ being an asshole who hits teammates, or some guy with an ego sick of grinding for MJ to get all the glory.

As it was, they barely slipped by the Pacers in 98. If nothing else they lose that series trying for number 8 thought they probably lose something well before that.

[3ball]

How did MJ show us an 8 peat is possible when he couldn't handle more than three straight finals runs? He literally proved twice he didn't have it him him to try for more than three.

But let's pretend MJ isn't who he proved himself to be, i.e. a quitter who kept abandoning the game and his team. The grind and natural complacency that comes with that many wins was going to lead to a slip up by his teammates if nothing else somewhere along the way. There was going to be an injury, or someone being fed up with MJ being an asshole who hits teammates, or some guy with an ego sick of grinding for MJ to get all the glory.

As it was, they barely slipped by the Pacers in 98. If nothing else they lose that series trying for number 8 thought they probably lose something well before that.
The guy averaged 41 ppg and you think he "couldn't handle" the load?

Sounds like he handled a 3-peat better than anyone ever has and could've kept winning as long as he wanted

Otoh, Lebron collapsed in 2014, literally and figuratively, so he wasn't capable of holding up and wasn't good enough to 3-peat..

[AirBonner]

MJ didn

[Soundwave]

... Yes.

That's '94 Bulls with Jordan on it actually would've been the best version of the Bulls because you're adding Kukoc + you have BJ Armstrong who was becoming a pretty solid player himself and then you still have Horace Grant.

That's actually a better squad than the 72-10 Bulls in 95-96, plus MJ was a bit younger and bit more explosive then.

So they win in '94.

They probably win in '95 also, only reason the Magic beat them is because Jordan was rusty.

They probably win in 1999 also, the lockout shortened season.

But 2000 is where I think age would catch up to them and they'd be beat.