LeBron = The only player who would be #1 in an era with or without the 3 point line

[TheGoatest]

We already know that LeBron is the best player in this current era, where the 3 point shot is heavily emphasized.

And we already know that sub-Westbrickian 3pt% jordon would struggle in the current era, as long as they didn't shorten the 3pt line for him, like they did between 1994 and 1997.

Kareem, Wilt and Russell couldn't shoot 3s at all, so obviously their impact would suffer a lot. As would any other all-time great center who couldn't shoot 3s, which is pretty much all of them.

Then you have the opposite case of a player like Curry, whose impact would suffer major damage in a pre-1979 court without the 3 point line. Curry's career 2pt field goals made per game is 4.5 on .520, and even they come with an asterisk, where defenders want to make sure that he doesn't take a 3, which often results in clear paths to open layups. Meanwhile, LeBron's career 2pt FGM is 8.3 on .552.

The closest players who would match the combination of LeBron's impact in both a pre-and-post-1979 court are Durant and Bird. We already know that LeBron is better than Durant in the current 3pt era, and Durant's career 7.4 2pt FGM on .536 is inferior to LeBron's 8.3 on .552, so it's pointless to argue that LeBron would be better on an all-2 point court. That leaves Bird, who was a great 3 point shooter. His career 2pt FGM is very good at 8.9 2pt FGM and is 0.6 higher than LeBron's career 2pt FGM, but they come on a .509 percentage, which is clearly lower than LeBron's .552. This difference becomes even greater when you compare their playoff career 2pt averages: LeBron's is 8.6 on .543 and Bird's is 8.4 on .485.

I rest my case: LeBron is the one player who fits perfectly in any era. :applause:

[3ba11]

We don't care about 3-point percentage for guys that only take 1.5 threes per game.

So most of Jordan's 3-point efficiency is meaningless.

Curry would shoot poorly too if he purposefully limited himself to 1 highly-contested end-of-shot clock three per game (bailout volume)

Otoh, Jordan's goat form shot well anytime he took more than bailout volume like the 90/93' regular seasons (3 attempts on 36%), or the 93' Playoffs (4 attempts on 39%), or the 92' Finals (5 attempts on 43%)...

Notice how the percentage goes up with higher attempts (getting in rhythm) - good form shoots threes better at higher volumes. Jordan would have a lot of shrug games in today's higher volume offenses

[coastalmarker99]

Lebron's impact would suffer massively if you put in him eras such as the 1970s and the 1960s.

In which travels and offensive fouls were called incredibly strict plus there was a serious lack of spacing.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=624az_zp-9g

[coastalmarker99]

I find it hard to believe that Wilt wouldn't be the best player in any era when you consider the fact that the NBA itself basically designed rules to stop him from dominating even more.


Not like the rules these days which are basically designed to stop defensive players and inflate offensive players' numbers.


As if you put a 37-year-old Lebron who is basically a shell of his prime self in the late 1990's


There is zero chance that he averages over 30 PPG.


In all Seriousness.


Wilt was timed in 4.6 seconds for a 40-yard run in bare feet.”

As for Lebron, he was also timed running 40 yards in 4.6 seconds as well.


As for their vertical jumps.

A well-known and respected sportswriter measured a vertical leap by Wilt at 42" (he witnessed Wilt touching the ceiling in a hospital and measured it afterwards.)


As for Lebron, his vertical jump was measured at 44.


Wilt is considered by most people to be the best athlete in the NBA ever by a pretty wide margin


He would basically be Giannis on steroids in today's era.

[TheGoatest]

Wilt would average 0.0 3 pointers per game in an era where well over half of the teams' field goal points come from 3 pointers. :oldlol:
He would be a Ben Simmons-like meme player who was ridiculed for his lack of 3 point shooting.
To be fair, he may hit a 3 pointer like this a couple of times over the course of his career:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhXTT9ApTKk

Wilt's defensive impact would also suffer, since players drive way less to the basket and constantly shoot 3s. See Rudy Gobert's perimeter "defense" for reference.
And the times they would drive to the basket, he still wouldn't be as impactful as in the 60s/70s, because they actually call goal tending today, unlike in his day, where they allowed him to get away with blatant goal tending violations:

https://i.makeagif.com/media/7-08-2015/kMdEcF.gif

[coastalmarker99]

Wilt is ten times the athlete that Rudy is.

Height: 7'1
Weight: 290-320 pounds (depends on which year)
7'8 wingspan (he was only officiated measured in a suit however. Legend has it that it's likely 2 inches more)
9'7.5 standing reach.

Imagine somebody of that physical profile, that is also a track star, ridiculous vertical leap, gifted passer (lead the league in assists one year) and with a gifted touch around the rim on the offensive end.


Not only that but on defence, a center that is truly capable of guarding 1-5 with his size, length and speed combined.


Kansas City Chiefs coach Hank Stram interested in signing Wilt Chamberlain.

“The seven-foot-one center, who weighs 290 pounds, was timed in 4.6 seconds for a 40-yard run in bare feet.”

(Jun 22, 1964)

https://twitter.com/WiltStats/status/1531628873502232577


The only current NBA player that could rival him in terms of athleticism is Giannis.


Yet physically, he even towers over him.

Giannis in comparison:

Height: 6'11
Weight: 242 pounds
Wingspan: 7'3
Standing reach: 9'2

I have yet to see any player at his position come along with his combined strength, size and athleticism.

Let alone the skills Wilt had on offence and defence.

[TheGoatest]

Giannis is a 72% career free throw shooter and is at least capable of hitting a 3 pointer.
Wilt is a 51% career free throw shooter and never hit a shot outside of 15 feet.

[coastalmarker99]

I am supposed to believe that a player who is taller than Lebron while being just as fast and having over a 40-itch vertical jump would get exposed on the perimeter in today's game.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF8yJ1J1W7Q


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JC6ahiLDL4

[coastalmarker99]

Giannis is a 72% career free throw shooter and is at least capable of hitting a 3 pointer.
Wilt is a 51% career free throw shooter and never hit a shot outside of 15 feet.


Wilt actually hit a lot of shots over 15 feet during his career and New's paper reports back this up.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O9MgNfcGJA&t=299s


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKXWdyF--hE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0IC8Nwkd1w


Wilt had range he probably got it from playing for the globetrotters haha

The problem with Wilt was that he was just a complete headcase at the free throw line.

[TheGoatest]

No, we're supposed to believe all the Chuck Norris meme-like legends about Wilt.. :oldlol:

https://images4.imagebam.com/eb/ea/ba/MEC5RAB_o.png

https://chumley.barstoolsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/29/Screen-Shot-2019-03-29-at-2.08.27-PM.png

For reference, from the day he entered the NBA to the day he retired fewer than 5000 days had passed. :roll:

[TheGoatest]

We all know how much offseason/practice drainage of 3 pointers really mean...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq7v4CdASLE

:roll:

[coastalmarker99]

Wilt could have played far longer than he actually did.

In fact he was still receiving legitimate offers to play in the NBA at 50 years old with the Nets Lakers and Clippers.


At the 50-minute mark of this video there is an interview with Wilt in 1978 when he was 42 and look how good physically he looks.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxChvQHVLS4

A NBA player told Matt Weiner of NBA TV that the best player he ever played against was a 50 yr old Wilt Chamberlain at the famous pickup games at UCLA

Also a old Wilt basically embarrassed Magic and made him take his ball home.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae4UhI-o_Fg


Wilt basically had nothing more left to prove when he retired.

He had 4 MVPs

He had 11 rebounding titles

He had 7 scoring titles
He had 9 field goal titles

He had one assist title.

He owned over 200 Records

He was the leader of two of the Goat teams up till that point.

And he was the all-time leader in scoring and rebounding and most likely blocked shots had they counted them.

[coastalmarker99]

Lebron's longevity is impressive but outside of a Bubble that allowed his old legs to get a 3-month break.


His body has basically fallen apart every single season he has spent in LA all the while he basically plays zero defence to conserve his energy on offence.


How else can you explain Lebron not making a single All-Defensive team since 2014.


For reference Wilt at age 35 and 36 was being voted first team on the Defensive end over prime Kareem.


And he also was widely considered by most people to be the best defensive player in the NBA.


Hell even in his very last game.


Wilt's two-way domination is apparent

As he posted 23pts (9-16fg) 21reb 3a 2blk 3stl


While in the first round vs the Bulls in game seven he had 8 blocks to go along with 21 points and 28 rebounds to save the Lakers.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiMlxa8ex1g&t=36s

[RogueBorg]

OP proves once again he knows nothing about the NBA pre-2000's.

I guess he's just going to ignore that there once was a prevailing thought that teams can't win without a dominant big man. Lebron would not have been picked ahead of Shaq in '92, Robinson in '87, Ewing in '85, Olajuwon in '84, Sampson in '83, or Kareem in '69.

Cool story though.

[TheGoatest]

Ignoring the fact that maybe 2 championships were won with a big man as the backbone in the past 20 years, and ignoring the fact that Wilt couldn't hit a 3 to save his life in an era where the vast majority of field goal points come from 3 pointers, this is what your counter-arguments consist of, just replace the name "Chuck Norris" with "Wilt":

https://images.baklol.com/12_jpeg798d374ebbe96baa27b1a617ecf8e8c7.jpeg

https://img-9gag-fun.9cache.com/photo/aKmV83W_460s.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ae/45/ea/ae45ea9db98d782d107631911e69a5fa.jpg

https://usveteransmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/1499599124_501_best-funny-quotes-top-30-chuck-norris-jokes.jpg

:oldlol:

[TheGoatest]

Then there is of course Wilt's general post-season chokeage compared to his own contemporaries, which disqualifies him even further from being dominant in a 3-point heavy era:

https://images4.imagebam.com/5c/d8/b6/MEC5U5P_o.png

[MrFonzworth]

2011:yaohappy:

[LeGoat4Life]

I agree
He would be the #1 turnover machine in any era

[2much_knowledge]

When you say we, you mean you and your 8 alts??

[kawhileonard2]

MJ couldn't lose with HCA nor bring bronze medal to America nor only win titles switching teams and have a guy a star in his own era have as many titles as him that won league and finals mvp. Lebron despite stacking the deck couldn't 3 peat. He couldn't win more than 1 title for the franchise that drafted him and needed a suspension for that to happen. He lost with Shaq on his squad while Wade and Kobe won with him, he also couldn't win gold with peak Duncan/Iverson on the squad. He lost with HCA to Dwight Howard a career loser. Need I say more?

Curry has as many titles in less years without switching teams.