Lets bet Chop... I'll give you 2-1 that the Cavs don't beat the spurs for 200... you win 400 if I lose... You want to do it??
Jordan played in a better Era of basketball... Jordan's team was worse then the Cavs teams....
Jordan has 6 rings on his fingers Lebron has 0... Yes he is younger but before we have this guy pass Wade or Kobe even.... Can he at least win a title?
Not so my friend. I was always in defense of Lebron in those threads.
I have always been on LJ side the whole time. Read my previous before last night post on this subject.
But I do agree with you. There are alot of bandwagon jumpers on this forum right now.
What is funny about what I wrote. He has zero titles? I gave him credit for being one of the best three players in the NBA but he hasn't won anything yet... And you are crowning him an all time great... How does that work... You are jumping on a bandwagon after a great performance.... What if they choke the series away like last year then what do you say...
Can we wait until he wins something?
Get out the popcorn.
i dont even count the wizards series from this year on his resume. i was hoping for washington to be fully healthy just to watch the rematch as a fan. but that 4 game sweep should have an asterisk by it. cleveland was, what, about -2100 i believe at olympic before the wizards series? needless to say, that series should be ignored.
the nets are a different story. great team? of course not. theyre not deep. but their star power can rival some of the best in the league. it was a good win for the cavs. no shame in that.
i dont think cleveland should get much credit for their early round wins the L2 years. but if they take a prohibitive favorite to 7 last year and then come back and (potentially) knock that same prohibitive favorite out of the playoffs (again, potentially in 6), then its hard not to give credit where its due. the east as a whole is weak. detroit, however, is as good as any team in the nba.
Ok forget it I'm out of this thread... It is pointless... I presented an argument that everyone else is suddenly jumping aboard a ship they were sinking 4 days ago...
I love it... the guy was ripped by similar posters 4 days ago and now he is suddenly the savior... He still hasn't won anything... but I should praise him like he is the greatest of all time? Makes no sense to me what so ever. I will leave this thread because I am being humorous because I refuse to give a guy that doesn't have a title the best player in the NBA tag of one of the top 5 players of all time tag... haha... This is just flat out funny...
And Journey what do you mean... everyone is jumping on... In this forum 4-5 days ago there were hundreds of people ripping Lebron... now he is being proclaimed as a top 5 player of all time
And Desthi was saying the East is worse now... and those Pistons teams would get murdered by the Pistons teams that Mike kept losing to... This team doesn't even compare to that one.
I love it... the guy was ripped by similar posters 4 days ago and now he is suddenly the savior... He still hasn't won anything... but I should praise him like he is the greatest of all time? Makes no sense to me what so ever. I will leave this thread because I am being humorous because I refuse to give a guy that doesn't have a title the best player in the NBA tag of one of the top 5 players of all time tag... haha... This is just flat out funny...
And Journey what do you mean... everyone is jumping on... In this forum 4-5 days ago there were hundreds of people ripping Lebron... now he is being proclaimed as a top 5 player of all time
And Desthi was saying the East is worse now... and those Pistons teams would get murdered by the Pistons teams that Mike kept losing to... This team doesn't even compare to that one.
Ilgauskas is a top 10 NBA center.
Gooden is a top NBA rebounder who is always a double-double threat.
Hughes has shown he can score 20+ if need be.
Pavlovic is one of the best 3 point shooters when he gets a chance.
Donyell Marshall is a huge matchup problem. Great rebounder who can stick a 3.
That is more supporting talent than alot of teams in the NBA have.
Interesting argument here but LeBron being mentioned with the top 5 of all time? That's absurd. The Eastern Conference was so much tougher back in Jordan's prime and let's not forget a travel was actually called once in awhile.
His performance last night was great and should be talked about but it was the conference finals not the championship series. Here's a list of 10 performances in the championship series which really mean something. Let's not jump the gun and call it the greatest this and that just because you watched it on T.V. last night and it's fresh in your memory. Magic's performance in game six as a rookie was the greatest of all time.
1. 1980: Magic Johnson - 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists in series-clinching Game 6, in place of injured Kareem. In one game, a 20-year-old rookie named Magic Johnson went from precocious to prodigious. With six-time NBA MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out with a severe ankle sprain, Magic started at center and turned in the best performance ever in an NBA Finals game -- 42 points, 15 boards, seven assists -- on the road, no less -- as the Lakers won their first of five NBA titles in the '80s.
2. 1997: Michael Jordan - 38 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists with the flu in decisive Game 5 in Utah. Bitten hard by the flu bug, Michael Jordan was so ill some speculated that he wouldn't be able to play in Game 5 against the Jazz in Utah with the series tied at 2-2. Jordan fought the Jazz, dehydration and exhaustion (he could barely walk to the bench during timeouts) -- and won. Jordan turned in another masterful performance with 38 points and seven rebounds, sending the series back to Chicago with the Bulls up 3-2 in the series. Two days later, the Bulls won their fifth title in six years.
3. 1962: Bill Russell - 30 points and 40 rebounds in Game 7 overtime win
Game 7 in the '62 Finals went to overtime and, thanks to Bill Russell, the Celtics added another notch to their championship belt. The Celtics had already forced a Game 7 with a Game 6 win in L.A. two days before. In the final contest, Russell scored 30 points and grabbed an incredible 40 rebounds as the Celtics won their fourth of eight consecutive titles.
4. 1962: Elgin Baylor - 61 points, 22 rebounds to lead Lakers to Game 5 win
The Los Angeles Lakers were making their first Finals appearance and it looked as if they were going to make it a success thanks to Elgin Baylor. The forward poured in a Finals record (and then-playoffs record) 61 points against the Celtics in the Boston Garden, giving the Lakers a 3-2 series lead.
5. 1970: Walt Frazier - 36 points and 19 assists to lead Knicks in Game 7 after Reed's emotional entrance
Willis Reed may have opened the door, but it was Walt "Clyde" Frazier who closed it on the Lakers in Game 7. Reed, suffering from a torn thigh, made a brief but inspiring appearance in the first quarter to give the Knicks a psychological lift. Frazier took over after that, scoring 36 points and dishing 19 assists, as the Knicks clobbered the Lakers 113-99 for New York's first NBA title.
6. 1958: Bob Pettit - 50 points, including 19 of St. Louis' last 21, in series-clinching Game 6. If there were one team in the NBA that could challenge Bill Russell's Celtics for the championship, it was Bob Pettit's St. Louis Hawks. After losing a heartbreaker of a Game 7 in The Finals the year before, Pettit made sure the Hawks got their NBA title in Game 6. Pettit notched 50 points, including 19 of the Hawks' final 21 as St. Louis eked out a 110-109 win to close out the Hawks' only NBA title to date.
7. 1986: Larry Bird - 29 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists in dominating Game 6 performance. In 1986, Larry Bird was the NBA's best player and the Boston Celtics the league's best team. And in Game 6 of the 1986 Finals, Bird and the Celtics showed why. Bird helped Boston clinch its 16th NBA title with a triple-double performance of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
8. 1969: Jerry West - 42 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists in Game 7; only player to be named MVP in losing effort. Jerry West was making his sixth trip to the NBA Finals in 1969. The previous five had ended in defeat, each by the Boston Celtics' hand. Trip No. 6 appeared to be different as the Lakers took a 3-2 series lead, but a Game 6 loss sent the series back to L.A. West had a triple-double with 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, but the Celtics prevailed again, winning Game 7, 108-106. West's performance earned him the Finals MVP, the only player from a losing team ever to do so.
9. 1977: Bill Walton - 20 points, 23 rebounds, 7 assists, 8 blocks in series-clinching Game 6. The Portland Trail Blazers were appearing in their first-ever postseason, let alone their first Finals. And after the Philadelphia 76ers won the first two games, the outlook appeared bleak for the Blazers. But Portland won the next three games and center Bill Walton applied the coup de grace with a 20-point, 23-rebound performance in Game 6. He was named Finals MVP.
10. 1998: Michael Jordan - 45 points in Game 6, including steal that led to game-winner. It may have been the best-ever ending to a career steeped in excellence. The Jazz held a one-point lead and Utah's All-Star power forward Karl Malone held the ball. But Jordan faked like he was going to follow his man weakside, but stopped and stripped Malone. The ball then never left Jordan's hands until he launched a game-winning 20-footer over Bryon Russell. Jordan finished with 45 points, his sixth title and his sixth NBA Finals MVP award.<!-- / message -->
His performance last night was great and should be talked about but it was the conference finals not the championship series. Here's a list of 10 performances in the championship series which really mean something. Let's not jump the gun and call it the greatest this and that just because you watched it on T.V. last night and it's fresh in your memory. Magic's performance in game six as a rookie was the greatest of all time.
1. 1980: Magic Johnson - 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists in series-clinching Game 6, in place of injured Kareem. In one game, a 20-year-old rookie named Magic Johnson went from precocious to prodigious. With six-time NBA MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out with a severe ankle sprain, Magic started at center and turned in the best performance ever in an NBA Finals game -- 42 points, 15 boards, seven assists -- on the road, no less -- as the Lakers won their first of five NBA titles in the '80s.
2. 1997: Michael Jordan - 38 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists with the flu in decisive Game 5 in Utah. Bitten hard by the flu bug, Michael Jordan was so ill some speculated that he wouldn't be able to play in Game 5 against the Jazz in Utah with the series tied at 2-2. Jordan fought the Jazz, dehydration and exhaustion (he could barely walk to the bench during timeouts) -- and won. Jordan turned in another masterful performance with 38 points and seven rebounds, sending the series back to Chicago with the Bulls up 3-2 in the series. Two days later, the Bulls won their fifth title in six years.
3. 1962: Bill Russell - 30 points and 40 rebounds in Game 7 overtime win
Game 7 in the '62 Finals went to overtime and, thanks to Bill Russell, the Celtics added another notch to their championship belt. The Celtics had already forced a Game 7 with a Game 6 win in L.A. two days before. In the final contest, Russell scored 30 points and grabbed an incredible 40 rebounds as the Celtics won their fourth of eight consecutive titles.
4. 1962: Elgin Baylor - 61 points, 22 rebounds to lead Lakers to Game 5 win
The Los Angeles Lakers were making their first Finals appearance and it looked as if they were going to make it a success thanks to Elgin Baylor. The forward poured in a Finals record (and then-playoffs record) 61 points against the Celtics in the Boston Garden, giving the Lakers a 3-2 series lead.
5. 1970: Walt Frazier - 36 points and 19 assists to lead Knicks in Game 7 after Reed's emotional entrance
Willis Reed may have opened the door, but it was Walt "Clyde" Frazier who closed it on the Lakers in Game 7. Reed, suffering from a torn thigh, made a brief but inspiring appearance in the first quarter to give the Knicks a psychological lift. Frazier took over after that, scoring 36 points and dishing 19 assists, as the Knicks clobbered the Lakers 113-99 for New York's first NBA title.
6. 1958: Bob Pettit - 50 points, including 19 of St. Louis' last 21, in series-clinching Game 6. If there were one team in the NBA that could challenge Bill Russell's Celtics for the championship, it was Bob Pettit's St. Louis Hawks. After losing a heartbreaker of a Game 7 in The Finals the year before, Pettit made sure the Hawks got their NBA title in Game 6. Pettit notched 50 points, including 19 of the Hawks' final 21 as St. Louis eked out a 110-109 win to close out the Hawks' only NBA title to date.
7. 1986: Larry Bird - 29 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists in dominating Game 6 performance. In 1986, Larry Bird was the NBA's best player and the Boston Celtics the league's best team. And in Game 6 of the 1986 Finals, Bird and the Celtics showed why. Bird helped Boston clinch its 16th NBA title with a triple-double performance of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
8. 1969: Jerry West - 42 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists in Game 7; only player to be named MVP in losing effort. Jerry West was making his sixth trip to the NBA Finals in 1969. The previous five had ended in defeat, each by the Boston Celtics' hand. Trip No. 6 appeared to be different as the Lakers took a 3-2 series lead, but a Game 6 loss sent the series back to L.A. West had a triple-double with 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, but the Celtics prevailed again, winning Game 7, 108-106. West's performance earned him the Finals MVP, the only player from a losing team ever to do so.
9. 1977: Bill Walton - 20 points, 23 rebounds, 7 assists, 8 blocks in series-clinching Game 6. The Portland Trail Blazers were appearing in their first-ever postseason, let alone their first Finals. And after the Philadelphia 76ers won the first two games, the outlook appeared bleak for the Blazers. But Portland won the next three games and center Bill Walton applied the coup de grace with a 20-point, 23-rebound performance in Game 6. He was named Finals MVP.
10. 1998: Michael Jordan - 45 points in Game 6, including steal that led to game-winner. It may have been the best-ever ending to a career steeped in excellence. The Jazz held a one-point lead and Utah's All-Star power forward Karl Malone held the ball. But Jordan faked like he was going to follow his man weakside, but stopped and stripped Malone. The ball then never left Jordan's hands until he launched a game-winning 20-footer over Bryon Russell. Jordan finished with 45 points, his sixth title and his sixth NBA Finals MVP award.<!-- / message -->
Palovic almost single handidly cost Cle the game last night...we saw what he did with his chance, they suck Jake...Hughes may be hurt now but he sucks anyway, they won without him last yr and are doing it again. Gooden has been very solid, Ilgauskas is the Bill Wennington of this era...Gibson has been most impressive...I will give that , this team is a 25 win team without him.
