In the NBA rings define a career a lot more than any other sport IMO.

 

I understand what you are saying...but I am going to disagree with you a little on this. While yes, with everything else being equal, a ring (or two) can help set you a part from your peers...but getting the ring in the first place does not, and can not rest solely on the shoulders of one player.

 

Since 1980, there have been only 8 teams that have won titles...

 

Lakers (9)

Bulls (6)

Celtics (4)

Spurs (4)

Pistons (3)

Rockets (2)

76'ers (1)

Heat (1)

 

Does this mean there were no other "superstars" in the rest of the league? Heaven's no! But when 4 organizations can claim 75% of the titles over a 30 year period, it's a lot more than just 1 player. Would Magic still have been good with Kareem and Worthy? Sure...but he probably wouldn't have the rings that he does now. Same with Bird (McHale, Parrish, etc.) Yes, one player can push a team "over the edge" (see Bulls with/without Jordan)...but to believe that Jordan himself could win without Pippen and cast is just foolish.

 

Is Clyde Drexler THAT much better than Karl Malone, simply because he won a ring with Hakeem and the Rockets? (And we won't even touch whether the Rockets would have even won in the first place, if Jordan were still playing at the time!) In my mind, no.

 

I'm just saying that even though some people may say that a player makes up 20% of the talent on the floor...that's still 80% left unaccounted for. The better organizations find the pieces needed to fit the puzzle. So far, the Cavs have not (yet?). Only time will tell. But, to say that someone like D-Wade is "better" than Lebron simply because he has more rings isn't accurate in my book. Wade just had better talent around him (at least for one year), that's all.

I understand what you are saying...but I am going to disagree with you a little on this. While yes, with everything else being equal, a ring (or two) can help set you a part from your peers...but getting the ring in the first place does not, and can not rest solely on the shoulders of one player.

 

Since 1980, there have been only 8 teams that have won titles...

 

Lakers (9)

Bulls (6)

Celtics (4)

Spurs (4)

Pistons (3)

Rockets (2)

76'ers (1)

Heat (1)

 

Does this mean there were no other "superstars" in the rest of the league? Heaven's no! But when 4 organizations can claim 75% of the titles over a 30 year period, it's a lot more than just 1 player. Would Magic still have been good with Kareem and Worthy? Sure...but he probably wouldn't have the rings that he does now. Same with Bird (McHale, Parrish, etc.) Yes, one player can push a team "over the edge" (see Bulls with/without Jordan)...but to believe that Jordan himself could win without Pippen and cast is just foolish.

 

Is Clyde Drexler THAT much better than Karl Malone, simply because he won a ring with Hakeem and the Rockets? (And we won't even touch whether the Rockets would have even won in the first place, if Jordan were still playing at the time!) In my mind, no.

 

I'm just saying that even though some people may say that a player makes up 20% of the talent on the floor...that's still 80% left unaccounted for. The better organizations find the pieces needed to fit the puzzle. So far, the Cavs have not (yet?). Only time will tell. But, to say that someone like D-Wade is "better" than Lebron simply because he has more rings isn't accurate in my book. Wade just had better talent around him (at least for one year), that's all.

 

Nice post. LeBron haters aren't going to agree with that but it's foolish to not see the reality behind NBA championships. Jordan/Pippen, Robinson/Duncan and then Duncan/Parker/Manu, Kobe/Shaq & then Kobe/Gasol, Boston's Big 3, the Detroit 5.....When has LeBron had a teammate like Pau Gasol, Paul Pierce or Rasheed Wallace in his prime?

 

People can hate all they want but LeBron has came closer than anyone ever has in the modern NBA to winning a title by himself. The team he took to the Finals was a completely garbage unit. He finally has some pieces that will allow him to better compete with other contenders, so let's hold off judgment until after the season, because trashing him on his first 6 years is ludicrous IMO. Kobe didn't win titles with Kwame Brown and Caron Butler as his sidekicks, DWade hasn't sniffed the Finals with Jermaine O'Neal or the other guys he's played with lately. How many championships did Garnett win when he was running with Wally Szczerbiak? For most of his career Big Z is the best player he's played with on an annual basis. That might have been a good combo in '97 but Big Z is far removed from being a Big time post player in the NBA.

Wow. Just kind of skimmed through this thread. I didn't realize LeBron was hated by so many people. I mean, I knew after Dunkgate and Didn'tshakehandsgate that people began to openly bash him but I didn't realize that the hatred for him caused people to just...I don't know.....(loss of words)

 

I guess the only thing I can compare it to is that I could not stand MJ his whole career and still have no use for him. I always have considered him overrated...and still do. I guess for all of those people who ridiculed me for my hate, I guess it's come full circle now. :idunno:

 

The man tells the truth(he could easily win the scoring title every year if he wanted to....easily) and the haters come out to play. Wow. This is almost like a Duke thread in the college basketball forum.

Wow. Just kind of skimmed through this thread. I didn't realize LeBron was hated by so many people. I mean, I knew after Dunkgate and Didn'tshakehandsgate that people began to openly bash him but I didn't realize that the hatred for him caused people to just...I don't know.....(loss of words)

 

I guess the only thing I can compare it to is that I could not stand MJ his whole career and still have no use for him. I always have considered him overrated...and still do. I guess for all of those people who ridiculed me for my hate, I guess it's come full circle now. :idunno:

 

The man tells the truth(he could easily win the scoring title every year if he wanted to....easily) and the haters come out to play. Wow. This is almost like a Duke thread in the college basketball forum.

 

That's something people are overlooking. Guys like Melo and Durant are trying to score as much as possible every night because that what their teams want and need them to do. The 30 a game Durant averages is the most he could average at this point in his career IMO. LeBron averages 30 and has games where he doesn't try to score (a team couldn't keep him to 12 points unless he was having an awful night). If LeBron wanted to I think he could average about 35 or so a night pretty easily (for him at least). Only a younger Kobe could do that out of the current players IMO.:thumb:

That's something people are overlooking. Guys like Melo and Durant are trying to score as much as possible every night because that what their teams want and need them to do. The 30 a game Durant averages is the most he could average at this point in his career IMO. LeBron averages 30 and has games where he doesn't try to score (a team couldn't keep him to 12 points unless he was having an awful night). If LeBron wanted to I think he could average about 35 or so a night pretty easily (for him at least). Only a younger Kobe could do that out of the current players IMO.:thumb:

D. Wade could. It's evident that you've got the Leblinders on as much as many of us are on the other side of the fence are sure that he's not the greatest to lace 'em up. Perhaps a few rings and time will prove you are correct.

Here you go Cats, I'm gonna give you some of this in the event you need to pry yourself off Lebron's jock. Don't worry, there's plenty if HT needs to get off of Kobe's.:lol:

D. Wade could. It's evident that you've got the Leblinders on as much as many of us are on the other side of the fence are sure that he's not the greatest to lace 'em up. Perhaps a few rings and time will prove you are correct.

 

The old DWade might have been able to. I don't think he could right now, because he's gotten pretty old pretty quick though he's still a great player. Besides I think DWade tries to score all he can as is most of the time. But I think he would be the next closest because of how crafty he is.

 

As for LeBron blinders, what can I say? He's the best athlete in the NBA (possibly in NBA history) and he continues to get better and better. I think he's in a class with only MJ and Kobe on the wing, because all 3 cannot really be guarded if they are on their games.

 

He has a combination of skills on the court that no one has ever had. He can shoot (50% FG), rebound like a power forward, pass like a top notch PG (8.5 APG this year). He's not the lockdown defender that MJ or Kobe are/were, but he could get there and the other facets of his defensive game make up for that some IMO. And even if someone put all that together he's 6'8", strong as an ox, and is arguably the fastest player in the NBA. He has a package of skills that have never been seen before. If he had MJ or Kobe's mentality about the game I don't even think there would be a discussion about who is the best of all-time at the end of his career.

 

However, I do think without some rings it will be impossible for him to pass either one.

Here you go Cats, I'm gonna give you some of this in the event you need to pry yourself off Lebron's jock. Don't worry, there's plenty if HT needs to get off of Kobe's.:lol:

 

 

:laugh: :notworthy: But, without the big Kobe or LeBron fans on here the NBA discussions would be extremely boring.:isurrender:

Back to Lebron's original statement...I think what he ultimately was trying to say is that if he was selfish enough, he's got the tools to put points on the board. But, I think he's also smart enough to realize that it takes more than just points from one player to win games consistently.

 

I mean, Wilt Chamberlain averaged over 50 points per game for a season, and his team didn't even play in the finals that year. Plus, Jordan scored over 60 a couple of times in his career in games that his team lost. Lebron knows he's going to need help to win a title...so he gets his teammates involved.

 

Look at it this way, he and Durant are virtually tied for points per game. But, Lebron is averaging 6 more assists per game than Durant. So, there's 12-18 points more per game that the Cavs are getting from Lebron's involvement that aren't coming from him actually scoring. Doesn't take too much imagination to figure if Lebron keeps those possessions in his hand (instead of passing it off), he could probably score another 4 or 5 points per game.

Here you go Cats, I'm gonna give you some of this in the event you need to pry yourself off Lebron's jock. Don't worry, there's plenty if HT needs to get off of Kobe's.:lol:

 

:laugh::lol:

 

Now that's funny!!!