re: Golden State is not only the greatest NBA team ever, they're the greatest sports team ever

You could argue advanced medicine and training is more detrimental than anything. Players are more fragile than ever. Especially big men.

Of EVERY SINGLE big drafted since 2000 the only ones who have played 3000 minutes in a season are Dwight (once) Pau (once) Blake (once) Aldridge (twice) Randolph (twice). Karl Malone on the other hand played 3000 minutes 9 consecutive seasons.

meh

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Shaq gets to sag like a motherfricker and he probably fouls out half their team on the other end.

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i think their defense would be the rope a dope where shaq gets to eat and everyone else gets shut down

shaq would eventually wear down in games and likely get in foul trouble unless he played NO defense

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You could argue advanced medicine and training is more detrimental than anything

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VerlanderBEASTMODE post

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This proves your recency bias Lewis’ PR in the 100 was 9.86. The Silver medalist in 2008 ran 9.89. Lewis ran that 9.86 in 1991 at age 30. In 2016 a week or 2 before turning 30 Bolt won the 100 at 9.81. In the 200 Lewis best is 19.75 silver in 2008 was 19.96. And he ran 19.80 in 84 So try again

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Nah, it proves I typed in the wrong time.

I used his 1988 WR, not his personal best. My b.

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For GOAT type of discussion you need perspective of time and to see how things play out

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you've never proclaimed something in the moment as "the best"?

I just have a hard time believing that.

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Our side of Curry and KD who knows how the rest of the team will be viewed.

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well, we know Klay Thompson is one of the 20 best players in the league, but gets the Pippen treatment for the most part.

we know Dray has a DPOY award, is a multiple time all star, has made multiple 1st team D & All NBA teams


These guys are accomplished, and are really really good. Likely HOF players .

i will say this about the 96 bulls

people keep talking about how they would need the 90s rules to win but imagine Jordan, Pippen, and Harper all rotating around without illegal defense. that would be magical to watch

It’s to the point where I won’t be too upset if the Cavs miss the Finals. I know it’s just an arse kicking in the waiting.

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This probably came up in the thread, but I thought it was telling in Kerr's sideline interview during the game, his first thought was basically that the level of play was so insane he just said "good thing I played twenty years ago."

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somebody referenced that a page or 2 back

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It highlights the idea that even though we have factual evidence that Bolt and his peers are faster than Carl Lewis, plenty of 40 somethings would day Lewis was faster than Bolt.

Carl Lewis wouldn't have made the podium in the 2008 Olympics, yet 17 years prior he broke the world record in the 100m.

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Carl Lewis is a great example of recency bias. He set the world record at 9.86. Despite improvements in equipment, medicine, and the track itself, it took 15 years to shave a tenth of a second off his record. Then came Usain Bolt, who destroyed everything because, well, he's awesome. But Bolt ran a 9.81 in Rio. Gatlin won the silver medal at 9.89... behind Carl Lewis' world record pace. the idea that Carl Lewis wouldn't be competitive now doesn't really hold water. His world record time would've won silver in 2016, and that was with 1991 tech.

But it's not just Lewis. Michael Johnson retired in 2000. He still owns half of the top 10 times in 400m history. His 200m record in 1996 would have easily won gold in 2016. In fact, his season best time of 19.71 in his final year as a pro still would've won gold in 2016.

This idea that we've somehow massively evolved past the athletic standards of the prior generation is fantasy. There used to be a huge improvement curve, due primarily to the fact people couldn't really devote their whole lives to training and now they can, as well as the technological breakthroughs. While tech is always improving and shaving off fractions of a seconds, the financial reward has been there since the 1980s.

Of the roughly 50 world records in men's track and field, 18 were set prior to 2000. Which is the same number set this decade.

Any argument predicated on athletes are so much better now than they were in 1990 is recency bias in action. Now, that's an accurate argument as you go further back in time, but since sports became a viable professional career which sets you for life, athletic ability is fairly constant. This levelling occurred, depending on the sport, sometime in the 80s or the 90s.