Barkley: ""I do think he can be better than Michael," Barkley said."

[ILLsmak]

Bron isn't above Kobe, Shaq, or Duncan at this point. Potentially, sure, but it'll be hard for me to put him above Shaq as a player unless he gets a lot of rings.

His stats are sexier than Shaqs, but Shaq had a larger impact.

-Smak

[ILLsmak]

Bron has a chance to surpass MJ's accolades.

But what made MJ special wasn't that his personal resume, but HOW he did it.

Disagree. Bron isn't going to win 6+ rings.

-Smak

[Da_Realist]

I don’t understand why people are so flabbergasted by this ”overcorrection” by Chuck. He did the exact same thing with Kobe.

Go back to 04, 05, 06 and 07 on Inside the NBA and Charles was ripping Kobe a new one every week. Then he saw the 2010 Phoenix series up close - the next thing you know, he in his top 5 all time.

This. NBATV is trying to sell the current NBA. They can't keep paying guys to say, "No, the best has already come. Sorry you missed out. But stick around for some of these other guys."

Jordan was so good that... if Lebron becomes better (level of play, not accolades) EVERYONE will know it. Even people that won't want to admit it will have to. He's just not there right now. The NBA and it's television partners are selling the current NBA, not the NBA from 20 years ago. Around the Horn, PTI, Sports Reporters, Halftime shows all exist because arguments and teaser quotes are arranged behind the scenes. You can't get people to watch by saying the best has already happened, stay tuned anyway. How many people are going to watch because they want to hear Barkley explain himself? How many would tune in to hear him say the status quo "Jordan's the best. These guys aren't on that level, but they're good so watch them anyway."?

[longtime lurker]

Bron isn't above Kobe, Shaq, or Duncan at this point. Potentially, sure, but it'll be hard for me to put him above Shaq as a player unless he gets a lot of rings.

His stats are sexier than Shaqs, but Shaq had a larger impact.

-Smak

This. Too many people are in a rush to annoint the King.

[pauk]

Lebron sure has potential and he is actually on decent pace compared to what Jordan had at his age, but we shall see.... only time will tell...

[Optimus Prime]

Barkley is an idiot. He used to be funny but now he actually takes himself seriously and comes across as ignorant more often than not.

MJ is the GOAT. Kobe will end up close but unless he wins like 2-3 more rings and passes MJ on the scoring list it's just not gonna happen.

LeBron?

[AceManIII]

This. NBATV is trying to sell the current NBA. They can't keep paying guys to say, "No, the best has already come. Sorry you missed out. But stick around for some of these other guys."

^^This

Kobe will never be better than MJ

LeBron will never be better than MJ

[Dragonyeuw]

His stats are sexier than Shaqs, but Shaq had a larger impact.

-Smak

Shaq's peak/MVP years were 29/13/3/3/60% shooting. That's pretty damn sexy lol....

[julizaver]

It is silly - even the moderate and no biased Lakers fans (and over 30 years old) could tell you that Jordan was better than Kobe and Shaq was the best player during 01-03 three peat - although it is not Kobe fault that it happens during Shaq's prime. However As I wrote several times it is not fair to compare best players only by championships. The simple fact is that MJ was better than KB in amost every aspect at the game.

Lebron is awesome BUT i don't think he has MJ mentality. Maybe he can prove me wrong during the next 3-4 years, which will be defining for his career overall.
Thins year he was more determine and concentrated than previous years. He has the skills, the athletism, the first championship, second olympic gold.
Anyway the everlasting memores for me of him will be a playoff game with Pistons(considered the best defensive team at the time), while with CAVS, where he literally destroy the entire Pistons alone in the 4th quarter with several consecutive baskets, all of them power drives to the basket over 3-4 opposing players. In that sense it was the first time I thought that somebody could surpass Jordan (which I consider the best player from the time I starting watching basketball).

[funnystuff]

Bron has never been faster or quicker than MJ. Never.

As for strength? Bron is bigger, I don't know if he's STRONGER. People always comment on MJ's unusual strength for his size.

And it doesn't always come from sheer muscle mass, or size.

You're an idiot.

[unbreakable]

jordan is GOAT for many reasons and one of those is his incredible SKILL and TECHNIQUE which lebron lacks severely when compared to the great one

[guy]

How many people are going to watch because they want to hear Barkley explain himself? How many would tune in to hear him say the status quo "Jordan's the best. These guys aren't on that level, but they're good so watch them anyway."?

Well for years he would say that about Kobe had no shot even though it was the popular thing to say. I completely disagree with him, but I'm not sure he's just saying it to say it.

[ihoopallday]

Lmao some of you guys are getting all defensive for no reason. Barkley's just trying to bring in ratings.

[Legends66NBA7]

Lmao some of you guys are getting all defensive for no reason. Barkley's just trying to bring in ratings.

Yeah, I sensed a mile away. I think a lot of people follow the game know that a lot of players are said to say some of these things for ratings. Not to say LeBron isn't off pace, but this a part of that hype and overrating, to an extent.

[Money 23]

Just a re-post as to why I consider MJ the GOAT, and why his already legendary resume has built in hypotheticals that would've put him even further away from the nearest competitor.

MJ's career has the built in mystique of like say a Barry Sanders. Guy retired just a 1,000 or so yards from the all-time rushing title. Which for him was a little less than one full season. He walked away that close to it, and it took Emmitt Smith extra years to pass it, and with a much better offensive line.

By walking away that close, he will forever be attached to the award, while never actually holding it. He walked away at the right time to retain a mystique, to be a legend. Everyone will always comment on how he could've got it if he wanted it.

Same goes for MJ. The man was the UNDISPUTED best player in basketball from '89 - '98. Actually should've been the MVP award winner in '89, '90, '93, and '97.

The man walked away from the sport at the pinnacle of his dominance of it, where he had an unquestionable strangle hold on the throne. Left after just 8 seasons, after the first three peat in decades .. got a statue REAL QUICK outside of a stadium that his grosses got built for the city of Chicago.

He left two years of his absolute peak / prime on the table, which adds even more mystique to his legend.

We could assume (and it is very probable) that there would've been more MVPs, Championships, Finals MVPs, All NBA 1st Teams, Scoring Titles, All NBA 1st Team Defense, Steals Leader, etc. added to his already STUD like resume.

He could've REALISTICALLY been the first alpha dog superstar since the Russell / Cousy Celtics to lead a team to 4x straight championships in 1994. A feat unheard of ... and still yet to be duplicated.

If he played in '94 and the full season of '95, his career point totals would have him sitting pretty near the top next to Kareem, or above him. Along with probable addittional MVPs.

His career as it stands is the best, and then you throw in the missing years of his prime / peak, and even the years of his twilight (1999, 2000, and 2001) and you have a career resume that will never be duplicated.

If he played for the Bulls in '99, 2000, and 2001 ... given his averages in '98 as a 35 year old (28 ppg), add in residual regression. I say in '99 he averages 27 ppg, while also possibly winning another championship if the Bulls core was held together ... then in 2000 he averages 26 ppg, and in 2001 averages 25 ppg.

And mind you, in 2002 as a 39 year old and before that devastating knee injury he was putting up 25 / 5 / 5 ... so these numbers aren't asinine or pulled from the anus.

And don't give me the AlphaDog24 / eliteballer stan response of he wouldn't have been able to hold up. And that he got some magic rest trying to re-invent his body at 30 to work hard daily, trying to master ANOTHER professional sport.

MJ was more durable than Kobe ever has been. As durable as current LeBron, and only had two major injuries in his career. One a freak accident as a young man, and another a lingering knee injury on an old man's body, that just didn't allow him to recover.

With those years ('94, '95) and then twilight years ('99, '00, '01) he's EASILY the all-time leader in scoring. So as it stands his current resume is GOAT, then throw in the mystique of PROBABLE hypotheticals and it isn't even CLOSE.

Guy already should've had like 7 or 8 MVPs, then include the '94 and '95 seasons. Maybe add 2 - 3 rings to his total, bringing his ring count to 8 or 9 (depending if the Bulls stay together in '99) an MVP or two and then the addition of the twilight years where he'd no longer be the best in the league, but still ELITE and putting up big numbers compared to league averages. It's borderline INSANE how great this man was. His athleticism dominated the league, his skill dominated the league, his will power dominated the league, and his intelligence dominated the league.



He re-invented himself and re-molded his game, time and time again to stay relevant, and dominant. There will be no one like this man ever again, and as great as LeBron is ... he doesn't have a lot of the stuff MJ had in his overall arsenal. From a skills or intangibles perspective.

No one's prime / peak touches MJs. His prime arguably lasted from '89 - '98. Almost a full decade. And if he played, I'm pretty sure he still would've been the best player in the game in the lock out shortened 1999 season as well.