List of 1st options who made the 2nd round before jordon

[TheGoatest]

jordon - 1st 2nd round at the age of 25/4th season in the league

LeBron - 1st 2nd round at the age of 21/3rd season in the league
Kareem - 1st 2nd round at the age of 22/1st season in the league
Bird - 1st 2nd round at the age of 23/1st season in the league
Shaq - 1st 2nd round at the age of 23/3rd season in the league
Durant - 1st 2nd round at the age of 22/4th season in the league
Luka - 1st 2nd round at the age of 23/4th season in the league
Iverson - 1st 2nd round at the age of 23/3rd season in the league
David Robinson - 1st 2nd round at the age of 24/1st season in the league

We also have to remember that the reason jordon even made the playoffs/1st round is due to playing in an era where 40-42, 38-44 and 30-52 records were enough for a playoff spot. All the other players above made their playoffs on legit, over-.500 records, that were sufficient for a playoff spot in any era... then along came Scottie.

Discuss.

[SATAN]

Amazing thread, OP. 5 stars.

[TheGoatest]

Just like in the "first .500 season" thread, here are also some players who arguably weren't 1st options on their teams early in their careers, but were arguably the best or as good as any player on their team. Here is how they did as far as making it to their first 2nd round:

Magic - 1st 2nd round at the age of 20/1st season in the league
Duncan - 1st 2nd round at the age of 21/1st season in the league
Hakeem - 1st 2nd round at the age of 23/2nd season in the league
Isiah - 1st 2nd round at the age of 21/2nd season in the league
Dirk - 1st 2nd round at the age of 22/3rd season in the league

Basically, pick just about any top 30 player of all time, and they have advanced past the first round at BOTH an earlier age, as well as fewer seasons played in the league than jordon... then along came Scottie.

[colts19]

Lets try to be a little fair. MJ and the Bulls lost in the first round to Milw, who had a very very good team and then to Boston, who had a great team and then a all-time great team. All those teams you mention would have lost to them also.

[TheGoatest]

If we're talking about "fair" and "would haves", then we need to mention that jordon and the Bulls would NOT have been in the playoffs in any of his first 3 seasons AT ALL had he played in a normal era. Instead, he played in an era where the following records were sufficient for a playoff spot:

40-42
38-44
30-52

In today's league, 7 teams from each conference fail to make the playoffs every season. In jordon's first three seasons 3 teams from the eastern conference failed to make the playoffs. That was it. THREE! 88 percent of eastern conference teams made the playoffs. So I am being more than fair. I am counting his first 3 playoff appearances as legit playoff appearances, even though they blatantly weren't.