February 8, 200620 yr NEW YORK (AP) When it comes to scoring points, Michael Jordan is an expert. So he couldn't help but delight in Kobe Bryant putting up 81 and a New York high schooler going wild for 113. Still, Jordan insisted things would have been a bit different if he'd been guarding Bryant. "If I was on the other side, there's no way I would have been in at the end of that game without six fouls,'' Jordan said Tuesday. "I don't know if I could have given up 81 points and not fouled out of the game.'' Bryant's total in a come-from-behind victory over Toronto last month was the second-highest in NBA history. Epiphanny Prince set a national girls' record last week in a game that was a rout from the start. Some complained her performance in such a one-sided contest was an example of poor sportsmanship. "I can't fault the young lady for scoring 113 points when she goes out each and every minute to play the game hard,'' Jordan said. "If you're going to fault anybody, fault the coach for not taking her out of the game.'' The former Chicago Bulls star was in town to announce the players for his high school showcase, the Jordan All-American Classic, set for April 22 at Madison Square Garden. Jordan was so impressed by Prince ? one of the top prep players in the nation ? he's contemplating adding a girls' event next year. "I think that she's going to innovate this game,'' he said. "I think we should give women an opportunity to be recognized.'' Jordan, whose NBA career-high was 69, couldn't remember a specific time when people got on him about scoring too much. But he knows there were probably many occasions like that. "I imagine you guys were mad at me a lot in New York,'' Jordan joked, in a lobby adjacent to the Garden. "People got mad at me for playing hard every minute I was on the basketball court and it so happened that I scored a lot of points on their team.'' Bryant has often said the he fashions his game after the 10-time NBA scoring leader. Jordan said he can see some similarities. "You see him playing with any of the elite guys in the league ... he's going to guard them defensively and he will beg for them to guard him on the other end. That's my approach. I would do the same thing.'' He stopped himself before declaring the Los Angeles Lakers star the top player in the league, but came close. "If I had to pick the best player in the game, he certainly is up there right now,'' Jordan said. "It seems as though he's got the edge over anybody in that position, if not in the league right now.'' Back in the city where he was born, Jordan said he wouldn't give an opinion on why the Knicks are struggling this season because ??someone would take my opinion and use it as the Bible.'' But then he gave one anyway. "Everybody goes through up and down times in the season,'' Jordan said. "They haven't been able to find the right mix.'' Jordan would like to see the NBA tinker with its new rule on when players can be drafted. Now, they have to wait one year after high school ? he wants it to be two, so they get past their teens. "I think from an educational and maturity standpoint it should have been at least 20,'' he said. "That way they get at least two years of college. Colleges get the chance to teach and educate them about the game of basketball and life and it trickles down.'' "There's no way that an 18-year-old kid is going to be mature enough to handle some of the business things that they have to deal with on a professional level,'' he said. "Sure you have your obvious examples of a LeBron (James) and Carmelo (Anthony). But for every one of those, you can think of four or five who missed the boat and made the wrong decision and now they can't find their way,'' he said.
February 8, 200620 yr If jordan was guarding Kobe, Kobe wouldnt of put up 50 of that zone or not. Mike is the closest thing to a basketball god there is. Along with Wilt the stilt.
February 8, 200620 yr I would say the greatest players ever my top 5 are as followed 1 Wilt chamberlain (50 pts a night for a season average lol) 2 Michael Jordan 3 Magic Johnson 4 Oscar Robinson (average a triple double for a season) 5 toss up really so many good players Shaq wins 2 more championships it goes to him but shall see.
February 9, 200620 yr Good list, mine would be: 1 Oscar Robertson 2 Wilt Chamberlain 3 Admin Bird 4 Magic Johnson 5 Jerry West (He is the NBA logo) 6 Julius Erving 7 Michael Jordan 8 Bill Russell 9 Pete Maravich 10 Lew Alcindor (Kareem)
February 9, 200620 yr Good list, mine would be: 1 Oscar Robertson 2 Wilt Chamberlain 3 Admin Bird 4 Magic Johnson 5 Jerry West (He is the NBA logo) 6 Julius Erving 7 Michael Jordan 8 Bill Russell 9 Pete Maravich 10 Lew Alcindor (Kareem) Bird and Magic ahead of Jordan? Blasphemy.
February 9, 200620 yr Jordan was easily the most overrated player of the last 50 years. The moment Magic and Admin retired it was as if basketball before Jordan ceased to exist. His team couldn't get out of the Eastern conference playoffs until the Celtics had aged and the Pistons had run their course. Great scorer, yes. Top 5? No. If you put a player of Scottie Pippen's caliber on the Hawks, we'd be talking about Dominique Wilkins instead of Jordan. Check out Jordan's page at basketballreference.com under Similar Players by Age. Michael Jordan's stats And I'm squeezing some phenomenal talents with that top 10 like Shaq, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, Bob McAdoo, Bob Pettit, and Connie Hawkins just for starters. (Braces for the onslaught from the members of the Cult of Jordan)
February 9, 200620 yr Just for comparison here's basketball-reference.com's top 10: 1 Bill Russell 2 Wilt 3 Jordan 4 Kareem 5 John Havlicek 6 Magic 7 Bob Cousy 8 Bird 9 Oscar Robertson 10 Bob Pettit Hall of Fame Probability
February 9, 200620 yr Jordan was easily the most overrated player of the last 50 years. The moment Magic and Admin retired it was as if basketball before Jordan ceased to exist. His team couldn't get out of the Eastern conference playoffs until the Celtics had aged and the Pistons had run their course. Great scorer, yes. Top 5? No. If you put a player of Scottie Pippen's caliber on the Hawks, we'd be talking about Dominique Wilkins instead of Jordan. Check out Jordan's page at basketballreference.com under Similar Players by Age. Michael Jordan's stats And I'm squeezing some phenomenal talents with that top 10 like Shaq, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, Bob McAdoo, Bob Pettit, and Connie Hawkins just for starters. (Braces for the onslaught from the members of the Cult of Jordan) Im sorry but thats just wrong IMO. I hated Jordan but the guy was way way way way way better then DW.
February 10, 200620 yr If jordan was guarding Kobe, Kobe wouldnt of put up 50 of that zone or not. Mike is the closest thing to a basketball god there is. Along with Wilt the stilt. Bill Russell Just for comparison here's basketball-reference.com's top 10: 1 Bill Russell 2 Wilt 3 Jordan 4 Kareem 5 John Havlicek 6 Magic 7 Bob Cousy 8 Bird 9 Oscar Robertson 10 Bob Pettit Hall of Fame Probability There's no doubt Bill Russell is the greatest ever...he owned Wilt, invented the block shot, and is easily the best defensive player to play the game...not to mention 11 NBA championships, 2 NCAA championships, and olympic gold medal, and 2 high school state championships...one of only two players with 20+rebounds a game throughout his career it's a shame they didn't record blocks when he played...that would have been the most untouchable record in all pro sports The big three are easily Russell 1st, followed by Jordan, and Wilt, 2nd and 3rd in either order my top 10: 10. Karl Malone and John Stockton....easily the two greatest players never to have won a championship...one 6th in rebounds, 2nd in scoring, and the best big man of his era is enough for him to be on the list...the other is first in assists, first in steals, and the arguably the greatest point guard to ever play the game...they belong together, as they played almost their entire careers together 9. Hakeem Olajuwan...he may have stuck around too long which drove down his career averages, but still one of the best ever...for somebody to be taken over Michael Jordan in the draft, and for nobody to this day doubting that move, doesn't that say it all? 8. Kareem-Abdul Jabbar...all time scoring leader...isn't that enough to be on the list? 7. Shaquille O'Neal...the best career of any active player, has been the most dominating force in the NBA since Wilt/ Russell 6. Oscar Robertson...while the term "5 tool player" is a baseball term, if there was something like that for basketball, he would epitomize it...his season in 1962 was the greatest individual season in NBA history, becoming the first, last, and only player to average a triple double 4. Admin Bird and Magic Johnson (tie)...because they will always belong together...the greatest rivalry in NBA history, these two had many epic battles...the 80's will always be the Magic/ Bird decade...there is really no way to justifiably put one ahead of the other 3. Michael Jordan...dominated the 90's...all the best players never to win a championship never won because of him... 2. Wilt Chamberlain...averaged 30 points and 23 rebounds per game...only player to have lead the league in points, rebounds, and assists 1. Bill Russell 11 NBA titles...2 NCAA titles...invented the block shot and revolutionized the defensive aspect of the game...the only guy capable of shutting down Wilt Chamberlain...if they had recorded block shots when he played, it would be the most untouchable record in all pro sports
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.