re: Tom Brady (5/8) > LeBron James (3/8) in championship title games

quote:

---

I agree, this is primarily because LeBron's more versatile as a player (can play all 5 positions proficiently), almost never gets injured, and is simply scary to defend because of his strength and physicality plus he can shoot a competent three to boot

---

He is a swiss army knife that that era would never have seen before and been ill-equipped to defend.

Conversely, drop prime MJ into this league, and he's dealing with a very different set of stressers. He's not as big as James, and there are guys who would be bigger/faster than him on the floor who can do the same things he can. What was revolutionary as far as body positioning in MJ's day is the bare minimum of what you have to do to be a benchwarmer in this league now. And that's before we even get to the 1-5 versatility of the players, like you were saying.

It's not a knock on MJ. His generation of players pushed the league into worldwide relevance/prominence. Players today have just built on that.

Bron trying to go into the lane when MJ played he would have gotten slammed to the court so many times he would be an even bigger crybaby than he is now.... prime Rodmsn would have gotten into brims head so bad it would take him completely off his game....

quote:

---

And I really don't care what you decide... poll any GM in the NFL that saw both Brady and Rice play and 95% would say Rice was/is the better overall football player....

---

What if we include Aaron Rodgers/John Elway in that equation? Both are arguably two of the most talented QBs to have ever played the position, well them and Bert Jones but not many remember his greatness at his peak in the mid-1970s

quote:

---

His killer instinct was notorious as he could take apart a team all by himself most times, he could not be stopped, really hated anyone trying to stop him.

---

This is romanticism--do you honestly think the 2014 Spurs or 2017 Warriors would have been petrified of 6'6" MJ trying to go 1v5 against them at ANY point during a Finals?

quote:

---

Lebron has had trouble with real good defensive players like Kawahi Leonard despite having that size advantage. Jordan would have hated someone like Leonard trying to shut him down and gotten pissed and taking the guy apart. Lol

---

Again, this is the romanticism I'm talking about. I'm a Spurs fan, obviously, so I pay close attention to Kawhi. Leonard never shut James down. He contained him. That was it. That was the gameplan. Did a damn good job doing it, but as good as Leonard is, he gives up size to James, and LeBron is good enough to exploit even the tiniest crack.

Conversely, Leonard would smother MJ. Absolutely smother. Especially if they played with the illegal defense rules of Jordan's era. MJ is not iso'ing up Leonard, who is a full inch taller, has a 7' wingspan, is cat-quick, and accustomed to checking players stronger, faster, and with better handles than MJ.

Again, it's not a matter of just shitting on Jordan. It's more a nod to the evolution of the game, which he was the biggest part of spurring.

Basketball was so brutal then. I’m surprised there’s still so many living NBA players from the ‘90s.

quote:

---

Bron trying to go into the lane when MJ played he would have gotten slammed to the court so many times he would be an even bigger crybaby than he is now.... prime Rodmsn would have gotten into brims head so bad it would take him completely off his game....

---

WHen you post things like this you completely ruin anything you have said or will say


So, we are supposed to believe one of the most physically gifted basketball players, would have been worse playing in a more physical time?

Wouldnt this have helped him?

quote:

---

there is no comparison between some YouTube highlights and the real thing....

---

You can watch any full game you'd like to.

Now if you were to come from the perspective of needing to know and follow the context of what he was doing and when, I would agree, but from a pure talent standpoint, seeing old games shows how talented they were.

And plenty of older millennials up to gen x saw all or most of their careers.

I have long said Elway was the best ever.... even over Peyton... Rogers is more gifted than Brady for sure, but Brady is real good even though he is a statue... Elway was unreal in his days and led some real crappy teams to the SB... he was must see TV back then because basically ZERO game was out of reach for him even though in the 80's he did not have nearly the talent around him as Brady or Rogers have now.....

quote:

---

The rules were not even close to the same now as they were back then.....

---

And those rules back then would have absolutely benefited LeBrons game

There is no argument otherwise. The spacing would have been huge for him