Once upon a time, the NBA played its All-Star Game somewhere near the middle of the season, not creeping up to the two-thirds juncture. Then again, it’s probably a good idea to get away from King Football.
Anyway, something very special is going on in the World’s Greatest Basketball League.
Comments
Love the article, but Kobe over Magic? Though Magic didn't score the same way, he was a master of all-around team basketball, I don't think Kobe ever reached the pinnacle of basketball simplicity like those other guys (including Lebron).
Amen. I also agree with bocrane, that Magic was every bit the master of all-around team basketball that Larry was, and in a way that Kobe may have approached on occasion. In any case, we are, indeed, fortunate to have the mature Lebron James in the game. May he thrive and prosper. At the same time, I'm pulling for the Celtics, the quintessential team-concept team, to find a way to overcome the great play-making advantage that Lebron brings to his team.
Overall very good analyis. Oscar - LB - MJ - Magic - Kobe - all incredible ball players. As is LeBron, however I just do not embrace "his" game. My biggest gripe about the NBA is the enforcement of the BASIC rules. Have watched every one of the players mentioned in the article, and have been a fan for decades. The way the players are allowed to play the game today (no fault of LeBron's - he takes what they give him) is just ridiculous. Case in point: A Travel is a Travel; once a 'pivot foot' is established and you proceed to take 2 - sometimes closer to 3 - steps toward the basket it is a violation called "TRAVELLING." I have seen LeBron NOT DRIBBLE inside the three-point arc as he drives to the hoop for a dunk. Simply put, this is impossible without travelling. Unless rules are enforced the same from era to era - comparison of players from different eras (already a difficult sell) just gets even more meaningless. Maybe in ten years the commissioner will just eliminate the dribble as it impedes the game!!