Quote Originally Posted by BostonCelticFTW:
Because of genetics. The league is much more physical and players have better genetics and its harder to stand out in the crowd, and people can improve technically coz they have much more to work with.
If we look at running as an example, Carl Lewis was fast as darn back in the 90s, and if we didnt have something to meassure the "fastest" 100m sprinter of all time, EVERYONE would argue about who was better or faster of Carl Lewis and Usain Bolt now. EVERYONE. But we dont, because we have a FACT stating that Usian Bolt is faster than Carl Lewis, we do not have a fact anywhere stating that LeBron is better than Michael Jordan or vice versa, its arguments/oppinions against arguments oppinions.
But, if Usian bolt where to run back then with Carl Lewis and the rest of these fellas, then he would look fast as hell because he is compared to those he is compared to. But in the world we live in today, many people would be able to run around with Carl Lewis, but it does not look like that because they are so even coz they are all so good. Its all a matter of who you are compared to. When i play basketball with my friends and i put a 40 point game on the board then i look good, but when i play with the real boys then i look like friggin garbage. And that is the same with Jordan. Jordan looked good cause he didnt face any physical players. Jordan is gifted and would be amazing in this league we have today, but he would only be one of many players, back then jordan was WAY ahead of his league, he was WAY better than the rest of those guys, but in a league as tough as todays? No friggin hell he would stand out the crowd like he did back then. Everyone talking about malone, isiah, ewing, bird magic hakeem as if they were good players, hell yeah they are, but try and place them in the league today. They wouldnt be noted as something special, i can guarantee u, if isiah, malone bird magic etc played in the league today, then we wouldnt talk about them only, we would still be talking about melo, durant, love and all these guys as highly skilled players and at an even level as these guys, they only look good because they stand out of the league in which they played in. In 10 years we will probably look back and say "LeBron played with tough fellas like Melo, Love, Durant, Kobe, Paul, Howard, Harden etc" and then say that it is a harder league than back then.
Fact is, Jordan wouldnt look anywhere as good in the league today as he did back then, because players have become better and the league has gotten way better. Hell, i would stretch it as far as stating that Igoudala would probably be the best center had he played in the league back then.
If you can run the 100M in 10.00 then you are the fastest runner in 1950, if you can run 100M in 10.00 then you are NOWHERE near the fastest runner in 2012. And thats the same for Michael Jordan. He only looked good coz u compare him to the league u compare him to.
If you are a very good basketball player today, then you are just one of many. Not like Jordan who was the only good player and the only good in his time, and he looks so much better coz he is surrounded by those people.
Heck yeah, Jordan would be a top 10 heck even a top 5 player if he played in the league today, without a doubt, but he is #1 in the league back then, and so would LeBron be, and so would Kobe be, and so would Durant be. All of these guys would be #1 in the league back then, hands down.
Wow!! ....... I don't know where to start. First let me start by saying that I agree that NBA player comparisons from different era's are all based on opinion and we don't have facts like we do with the Usain and Lewis example...But let me say that Magic and Bird would definitely standout in today's league....So would MJ, and so would Olajuwan....I can't even believe you brought Olajuwan's name in this...THERE HAS BEEN NO CENTER TO MATCH HIS SKILL SINCE HIS RETIREMENT....and about the league being harder today...i disagree...it appears that way, yeah..but i don't think it isn't...let's look at a couple of things....back in MJ's day...no ticky tack fouls, no hand check fouls, no zone defense allowed, there was no such thing as flagrant fouls (so you have to remember the defense that these guys played against was something else compared to today's defensive game where players hold back in fear of flagrant and closely called ticky tack fouls)....AND how many players in the last decade are players out of high school or freshman year of college...you may not think that is important, but THAT IS HUGE...Jordan and MJ played against GROWN MEN who most of came after playing FOUR years of college.
So I feel your point about Usain and Carl, but you still have no point with these NBA players.... How would LBJ be doing in a league full of future hall of famers where most played 3-4 years of college? Their basketball IQ's were off the charts back in those days because of that.
Today's NBA is full of players who know a league full of super-talented individuals that either played NO college ball or 1-2 yeras of college ball.
I am not making the argument that the older guys are better...I'm just saying that it is still unsettled....at least for now.
And on Olajuwan again....his name should NOT have even been thrown in this post..... If I'm a GM Olajuwan is the player I would be building my team around if ALL these guys wer
Submite in their prime, from Jordan, MJ, LBJ, Durant, Bird, Melo.....Give me Olajuwan and we build around him .....