List of 1st options who led their teams to a .500 season before jordon

[TheGoatest]

Yesterday I made a fact-based thread about jordon's poor longevity towards the end of his career, and how many all-time greats beat his 14th season in the league. Now, let us look at the opposite end of jordon's career:

jordon - first .500 season at the age of 25/4th season in the league

LeBron - first .500 season at the age of 20/2nd season in the league
Kareem - first .500 season at the age of 22/1st season in the league
Bird - first .500 season at the age of 23/1st season in the league
Shaq - first .500 at the age of 21/1st season in the league
Durant - first .500 season at the age of 21/3rd season in the league
Luka - first .500 season at the age of 21/2nd season in the league
Iverson - first .500 season at the age of 23/3rd season in the league
David Robinson - first .500 season at the age of 24/1st season in the league
Chuck Person - first .500 season at the age of 22/1st season in the league - the same season a 24 year-old/3rd season in the league jordon failed to reach .500

Discuss.

[3ba11]

Lebron had a bummy 45-win team in year 5 (2008) - his 5th healthy season.

Jordan was making the ECF and going 6 games with the champs in his 5th healthy season

Lebron lost a TON in his prime and often wet the bed, while Jordan did neither - he barely lost in his prime and never wet the bed

The all-star duo of Lebron/Zydrunas added a 22/5/5/ all-defender to make the 06' Playoffs as a favored high seed - he never had to carry bad records and low seeds in the playoffs like MJ because he got 3 years to develop his team into a veteran high seed before entering the 06 Playoffs

[Real Men Wear Green]

The library must be open early. Which is generally a good thing but little Suzy needs do internet research so she can write her report for science class so you need to get up. Your 15 minutes are over.

[Baller789]

OP, who's paying you to keep making these redundant anti Jordan threads?

Cuz if youre doing it for free, youre and idiot.

[Johnny32]

OP, who's paying you to keep making these redundant anti Jordan threads?

Cuz if youre doing it for free, youre and idiot.

indeed

[jayfan]

I will say this, Jordan does come up short in another interesting troll stat.

Increase in the number of team wins over the previous season in superstar's rookie season:

Larry Bird - 32
Isiah Thomas - 18
Lebron James - 18
Magic Johnson - 13
Michael Jordan - 11

.

[TheGoatest]

There are also these players, who weren't exactly 1st options on their teams early in their careers, but were arguably the best or as good as any player on their team:

Magic - first .500 season at the age of 20/1st season in the league
Duncan - first .500 season at the age of 21/1st season in the league
Hakeem - first .500 season at the age of 22/1st season in the league
Isiah - first .500 season at the age of 22/3rd season in the league
Garnett - first .500 season at the age of 21/3rd season in the league
Dirk - first .500 season at the age of 22/3rd season in the league

In other words, pick just about any top 30 player of all time, and they've had their first .500 season at an earlier age, as well as fewer seasons in the league than jordon...then along came Scottie.

[3ba11]

Then along came Scottie.

Everyone you listed entered the league with all-star or HOF teammates, including Lebron, Magic, Hakeem and Duncan.

Only Jordan landed on a rookie team of bums

The all-star duo of Lebron/Zydrunas added a 22/5/5 all-defender to make the 06' Playoffs as a high seed.. So Lebron never had to carry low seeds with a bad record like Jordan because he got 3 years to develop his team into a veteran high seed before entering the 06 Playoffs.

[Full Court]

Yesterday I made a fact-based thread about jordon's poor longevity towards the end of his career, and how many all-time greats beat his 14th season in the league. Now, let us look at the opposite end of jordon's career:

jordon - first .500 season at the age of 25/4th season in the league

LeBron - first .500 season at the age of 20/2nd season in the league
Kareem - first .500 season at the age of 22/1st season in the league
Bird - first .500 season at the age of 23/1st season in the league
Shaq - first .500 at the age of 21/1st season in the league
Durant - first .500 season at the age of 21/3rd season in the league
Luka - first .500 season at the age of 21/2nd season in the league
Iverson - first .500 season at the age of 23/3rd season in the league
David Robinson - first .500 season at the age of 24/1st season in the league
Chuck Person - first .500 season at the age of 22/1st season in the league - the same season a 24 year-old/3rd season in the league jordon failed to reach .500

Discuss.

How many of those guys in your list three-peated? How many of them did it twice?

Discuss.

[jayfan]

Everyone you listed entered the league with all-star or HOF teammates, including Lebron, Magic, Hakeem and Duncan.

Only Jordan landed on a rookie team of bums

Isiah didn't.

.

[Spurs m8]

What's there to even discuss?lol

Weird cnt

[theman93]

37 year old Lebron vs 38 year old Jordan

[light]

Lebron had a bummy 45-win team in year 5 (2008) - his 5th healthy season.

Jordan was making the ECF and going 6 games with the champs in his 5th healthy season

Lebron lost a TON in his prime and often wet the bed, while Jordan did neither - he barely lost in his prime and never wet the bed

The all-star duo of Lebron/Zydrunas added a 22/5/5/ all-defender to make the 06' Playoffs as a favored high seed - he never had to carry bad records and low seeds in the playoffs like MJ because he got 3 years to develop his team into a veteran high seed before entering the 06 Playoffs

That was not my experience as a Jordan fan. He quit in his prime. He tapped out in his prime. He won three rings and was done. He quit. Even before his dad died he was talking about retiring and playing baseball. He complained about the pressure from the media. So Jordan quitting in his prime was a sad day for Jordan fans and sports fans around the world. And when he came back he wet the bed in one of the most disappointing experiences I've ever had as a fan in 1995 against the Orlando Magic. He came back saying he was the missing piece and that he was going to win a championship but instead he let Nick Anderson and Horace Grant get the best of him. And we then realized how important the Power Forward position was to the Bulls. They couldn't win without Horace Grant. Jordan ended that season saying they needed a Power Forward.

That entire episode in the mid 90s was equal or worse to any disappointment I've felt as a LeBron fan.

But both cases, 1995 and 2011, had explanations, or "excuses" if you will - LeBron's first time on a new team and Jordan coming back from baseball, but they followed both of those disappointments up with triumphs so all's well that ends well.

The biggest difference though is that LeBron always does more than Jordan and Bron has always done more than Jordan. If Bron is missing a Power Forward he becomes the Power Forward - he doesn't have to complain about lacking one like Jordan did in 1995. If Bron is missing a point guard he becomes the point guard. If Bron is missing a center he becomes the center. Jordan was at the mercy of his GM to give him those gifts which Bron can inherently provide.

And Bron has always had more responsibilities than MJ because his teams always trusted LeBron more than the Bulls and Phil Jackson trusted Jordan.

In short, Jordan has never won like LeBron. MJ has 0 rings being responsible for all of the things that LeBron does.

[TheMan]

That was not my experience as a Jordan fan. He quit in his prime. He tapped out in his prime. He won three rings and was done. He quit. Even before his dad died he was talking about retiring and playing baseball. He complained about the pressure from the media. So Jordan quitting in his prime was a sad day for Jordan fans and sports fans around the world. And when he came back he wet the bed in one of the most disappointing experiences I've ever had as a fan in 1995 against the Orlando Magic. He came back saying he was the missing piece and that he was going to win a championship but instead he let Nick Anderson and Horace Grant get the best of him. And we then realized how important the Power Forward position was to the Bulls. They couldn't win without Horace Grant. Jordan ended that season saying they needed a Power Forward.

That entire episode in the mid 90s was equal or worse to any disappointment I've felt as a LeBron fan.

But both cases, 1995 and 2011, had explanations, or "excuses" if you will - LeBron's first time on a new team and Jordan coming back from baseball, but they followed both of those disappointments up with triumphs so all's well that ends well.

The biggest difference though is that LeBron always does more than Jordan and Bron has always done more than Jordan. If Bron is missing a Power Forward he becomes the Power Forward - he doesn't have to complain about lacking one like Jordan did in 1995. If Bron is missing a point guard he becomes the point guard. If Bron is missing a center he becomes the center. Jordan was at the mercy of his GM to give him those gifts which Bron can inherently provide.

And Bron has always had more responsibilities than MJ because his teams always trusted LeBron more than the Bulls and Phil Jackson trusted Jordan.

In short, Jordan has never won like LeBron. MJ has 0 rings being responsible for all of the things that LeBron does.

[TheGoatest]

Isiah didn't.

.

Also, how many entered the league with a teammate averaging 23 on 55%? The answer might surprise you.