Michael Jordan memo to Kobe Bryant:

[QUOTE=Linspired]can't discuss basketball with dudes who are born in early 90's. seriously.[/QUOTE]

It's very difficult. It's like discussing film, painting, architecture or music with someone who has a very limited background in the field.

It's like a college professor arguing with an uninformed student. Or like a war veteran arguing with a young soldier.

With basketball, unless you go back to watch hundreds of games, "you really had to be there."

Some opinions, by nature, are more valid than others.

Another thing, I hear people saying this team doesn't include players like Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, etc. Well, people are ignoring that the Dream Team didn't include Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, etc.

Am I the only one who recalls LeBron and Wade being hesitant to attack the rim whenever old hobbled Garnett was in the game in the past Celtics/Heat series?

What makes you think they'll have better luck vs prime DRob and Ewing on the floor at the same time?:facepalm

The 92 team had enough horses to run a fastbreak (Jordan, Pippen, Drexler, Robinson) and the bigs to crush the 12 in the offensive low post game/rebounds (Barkley, Malone, Robinson, Ewing).

The 92 Dream Team's FC is the difference in my opinion.

PG Jordan
SG Drexler
SF Pippen
PF Robinson
C Ewing

Try to take it to the rim on that line up and watch your shot attempts turn into fastbreaks going the other way.

What is Kobe supposed to say?
"I have no confidence and we will lose to the Dream team" ?

:facepalm

[QUOTE=Deuce Bigalow]What is Kobe supposed to say?
"I have no confidence and we will lose to the Dream team" ?

:facepalm[/QUOTE]

I'm on the phone with my cousin right now trying to argue this freaking point to him! They're professional athletes! What is he supposed to freaking say!!!!!!

[QUOTE=guy]Another thing, I hear people saying this team doesn't include players like Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, etc. Well, people are ignoring that the Dream Team didn't include Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, etc.[/QUOTE]

I'm so sick of people who try to compare era's.
My uncle (59 year old), biggest Knicks fan I know always tells me.

Take Kobe, LeBron, Durant and literally inflate their stats 10-15% and you will find out their statistics in the 80's/early 90's. Take their stats and inflate them by 20-25% to get an idea of how they'd do in 60's/70's. Now why does he say that?

BECAUSE THE GAME AND PLAYERS HAVE EVOLUTIONIZED.
The guy is a student of the game since the mid 60's, he has watched all the greats play for most part. He still says Bill Russell was the greatest ever. He says that because he compares each player relative to their era. It is absolutely foolish to compare players from different era's, because a lot elements change over time. Rules, league parity, condensement of talent, global recognition, physical preparation and even diet.

I tend to agree. How many players in the 80's had insane numbers? How many players shot 50% back in the day? People who say the talent was better back in the day simply are using a cop-out to elevate players like Bird, Jordan etc. to higher levels. It is completely pointless to compare stats across era's, the variables are NOT the same.

Just for curiousity sake, my uncle believes these are the top 5 players of All-Time:

1) Russell
2) Chamberlain
3) Magic Johnson
4) Jordan
5) Kareem Abdul Jabbar

He also says that James is the most impressive athletic basketball player besides Wilt Chamberlain he has ever seen.

My point is, it is very subjective to compare players from different era's so just compare them to players within their own time horizone; who had similar environments and competition around them which includes basketball rules. :cheers:

Oh and one more thing. Michael Jordan is the last person to try and evaluate any kind of talent or another player's ability. Let's be for real. Michael Jordan basically said Adam Morrison was better than Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay. This is the same man that basically said Kwame Brown was better than Gilbert Arenas, Pau Gasol, Tyson Chandler and freaking Joe Johnson! Cmon son. How you gonna listen to him. The only thing he can say is who he's better than. That's about it.

[QUOTE=guy]Another thing, I hear people saying this team doesn't include players like Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, etc. Well, people are ignoring that the Dream Team didn't include Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, etc.[/QUOTE]

Huh? Olajuwon wasn't a US citizen yet, and neither Isiah nor 'Nique were better than the players chosen over them by '92.

The only thing you cant compare is the skill level of the euro teams back then vs. now.

[QUOTE=Deuce Bigalow]What is Kobe supposed to say?
"I have no confidence and we will lose to the Dream team" ?

:facepalm[/QUOTE]
Well, he could've said that a game between those two squads would be a hell of a game and you really can't say for sure who'd win.

instead he gives his reasons as to why the 12 team would win and Barkley and Jordan respond with their opinions as to why they think the 92 team would win.

[QUOTE=Mr Exlax]I'm on the phone with my cousin right now trying to argue this freaking point to him! They're professional athletes! What is he supposed to freaking say!!!!!![/QUOTE]


Your cousin must think you are an idiot. The correct answer is pretty simple.

"I don't know"

[QUOTE=guy]Another thing, I hear people saying this team doesn't include players like Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, etc. [/QUOTE]


Seriously if they don't play then they don't count.

Dream Team could have easily picked Shaq instead of Laettner. I don't see anyone talking about Shaq as if he was actually on the team.

[QUOTE=rhythmic

Smh at the young-uns who think that the '12 team wouldn't get slaughtered.

[QUOTE=tontoz]Your cousin must think you are an idiot. The correct answer is pretty simple.

"I don't know"[/QUOTE]

No no no. He's saying Kobe is stupid for thinking it and just because Michael Jordan says there's no comparison then he's right. I asked him why would he listen to Michael Jordan's evaluation of talent based on the players he passed up and the players he actually drafted. Follow me?