The Miami Heat is funny.*
ESPN told me so. CNN told me so. NPR told me so. So it must be true.
And it is, damn it. All I can say is that I’m much happier to have the greatest player in the world actually look like he’s enjoying his life. I couldn’t stand another decade of being forced to appreciate Jordan’s sulking, sullen demeanor. I mean, the man switched to baseball just to be pitied. Give me King James, shirtless and giddy, any day.
*Before you say anything, just start humming “The Heat [Are] On” to yourself.
One of the consequences of getting cable in order to watch Giants games is that we tend have ESPN on as background noise when there’s no baseball to watch. As a result, I’ve discovered that James actually seems like a nice guy, and I sort of like the Heat. I’m kind of worried that they’re going to revoke my Chicago card.
I’m right there with you. It’s like an alternate universe in which everyone acknowledged that Pippen was the best player on the planet, and I like it better than the one where Jordan was.
I watched that clip and it hit me: James can laugh at himself. Jordan not only never learned how to do that, but I don’t think he ever realized that it’s a valuable skill.
So, I’m the only one who watched Space Jam, am I? I could have sworn there were other people in the theater with me.
And they grimaced through it with you. Jordan’s attempts to be funny, Spike Lee or otherwise, were always painful. He just had too many people tell him how great he was for too long …
… which may be the best reason to support the NBA’s draft policy. James had fewer people in his ears whispering to him of his greatness before he played for the Cavs, and so had the opportunity, numerically speaking, to develop a sense of humor.
Also, he’s a better person. And genuinely funny. If you can’t laugh at him in that video, your soul’s defective, because he’s shaking it like it’s a million white-hot Polaroid pictures …
Those Spike Lee commercials were funny because of Spike, not Jordan
I think it has to do with talent, James has always been more physically talented, hell a decent number of players were more physically talented than Jordan– what made him different was his nearly sociopathic drive.
No! James is great athlete, and big. But, Michael Jordan was the most gifted athlete, of any sport, who every lived, and likely, who ever will live. More importantly, Michael Jordan was the mentally toughest athlete of any sport who ever lived with the exception of Bjorn Borg.
Oops! This is Loud Liberal. Forgot to log in.
This seems like a classic case of overrating a guy (Jordan) who does things that look hard while underrating a guy (James) who does it so easily that it doesn’t look nearly as spectacular.
I’m going to point out if you’re claiming Jordan is a better athlete than LeBron, you’re hurting his GOAT argument.
A lot of people argue LeBron’s dominance is too based on his physical gifts. Otherwise, he pretty much blows Jordan out of the water. Have you seen his assists numbers? He’s not even a damn guard!
It might be worth mentioning that Jordan was a tall guard in his time.
Absolutely agreed on James. And when he locks in, like in Game 6 against Boston last year, he’s undefendable but looks somehow like he’s shooting around on an empty court. Oh, and check Deadspin for the dunk he pulled in warmups the other day.
But…but…free agency!!!! UPPITY NEGRO!!!!!
I know. That son of a bitch didn’t want to spend his entire life 20 miles from where he was born. Talk about nerve. We need a Fugitive Forward Act or somesuch just to set the world right.
Yeah, this was the craziest part of the whole thing to me. I grew up in south Florida (not a Heat/NBA fan though), and I think it’s overrated. I’ve been to Cleveland, and it actually seemed pretty nice, maybe even underrated. That said, why would you choose to stay in Cleveland when you could live in Miami?
The problem in leaving Cleveland wasn’t the decision, it was the Decision, the tv show devoted to it. But Lebron learned from that, is a good guy, and an amazing player. I think Miami is a lock to make the finals and face either San Antonio, OKC or the Clips
Denver’s been looking good recently, too. The West is a really competitive conference this year. Also, the ten y/o in my head wants to know when the hell did the Golden State Warriors become a competent, let alone good, team?
Denver is good but not enough experience to beat OKC or San Antonio. And Golden State has been losing lately
Golden State made some good decisions in the draft. And while the West is competitive the East is not whatsoever unless Rose gets back to form immediately.
1975.
Yeah, but even when they move to Seattle–vaya con Dios!–the West will always have the Kings to kick around. They’re the Astros of the NBA.
What the hell was the problem with that? I fully endorse anything that maximizes the pain and suffering of the cretinous creature known as the Cleveland sports fan.
Agreed.
Despite the fact that your post title is grammatically correct, I have refused to speak of basketball teams with dumb names in the singular for years.
The Miami Heats? The Miami Heaters? (very working class, like the Packers or Stealers) The Miamis, in Heat?
“The Miami Heat are,” I suspect.
very working class, like the . . . Stealers
Never took you for a Randroid, rea.
When I was a kid, and the Heat couldn’t win a game, the joke was they were going to change the name to the Humidity because, you know, it’s not the heat that’s bad…
Ahh, Guys, Jordan was the best basketball player to ever play the game. The end. I remember when they started saying Shaq was better and now James is better. Omg, Listen, Shaq, could not hit a free throw so we are done with that, and James does not have anywhere near the footwork of Jordan, not even close, not even in the same league. Or the shooting, or the athleticism, or the balance or the magic. He is a beast, no question. But so far there has been only one perfect basketball player and the name on the back of that Jersey said Jordan. Don’t get caught up in that stupid hype.
Chamberlain. Oscar – averaged a triple-double for five consecutive years. Jordan – the human travelling machine. Would not have been nearly as great prior to Dr. J and the huge change in travelling rules.
Let the pointless comparisons begin!
Jordan has the better entire career resume, obviously, but right now, in terms of peak talent, Lebron is probably the better talent. His versatility and passing skills really set him apart.
If there is one area James “might” be more effective it would be in passing and he is obviously strong as hell. But overall talent better? You’re just wrong about that. I watched Jordan most of his career, the first and second time. The first career made him a superstar and the second made him the greatest. The second 3peat he hardly ever dunked, and I don’t remember a single sky jam over anybody and yet he was unstoppable. He NEVER missed a shot. Most of his shots did not even move the net – it hit the back of the rim and straight to the floor. Jordan could take over the entire game almost at will sometimes. Just youtube James highlights then switch to Jordan – I like James but compared to Jordan he almost looks awkward and clumsy.
Well, it helped that whenever someone breathed on him, there was a whistle. And, as most of us can remember, sure helps to create space from Jazz players when you use a stiff arm
God the Jordan hagiography is insufferable. You are praising Jordan in the 2nd 3peat. Here’s his shooting breakdown from 96-97 compared to Lebron’s this year
Overall: Lebron 56.4%, Jordan 48.6%
3 pointers: Lebron 41.3%, Jordan 37.4% (against a shorter line!)
Less than 5 feet: Lebron 75.1% (comparable to prime Shaq), Jordan 52% (pedestrian for a superstar)
5-9 feet: Lebron 50%, Jordan 49.2%
10-14 feet: Lebron 40.7%, Jordan 51.5%
15-19 feet: Lebron 42%, Jordan 49.5%
20-24 feet: Lebron 51%, Jordan 39.6%
25-29 feet: Lebron 32%, Jordan 34.8%
Overall, the difference between the eFG% (which takes into account 3 pointers) on jumpshots is nearly identical, *slight* edge to Jordan: 50.7 to 47.2.
You are really overstating the difference in their efficiency as shooters, while totally eliding the mountain of difference between them in their ability to finish in the lane. Meanwhile, Lebron can guard more positions — 4 to Jordan’s 3 –, rebounds better and passes better. Lebron might not be as good as peak, late 80s/early 90s Jordan right now, but he’s certainly better than post-peak, 2nd 3-peat Jordan.
And I’ll add that I think Lebron might actually be as good as peak, late 80s/early 90s Jordan. Its just not definitive. But he’s right there in the conversation with best ever at peak, the way he’s playing this year.
And no, I don’t care that Jordan had clearly superior footwork. You don’t get points for style, you get points for putting the ball in the bucket, and your team does best if you do so efficiently. How you get to that efficiency is largely* immaterial
*we can discuss if some players have a particular style that is not suited to the adjustment/coaching-heavy 7 game NBA playoff series, in which case style might matter on the margins. But that’s not a problem for Lebron anyway.
Yes to this. The rebounding and the defensive range are amazing. Jordan could lock down PGs and SGs and could take a turn if need be on a small SF. But James can take care of all PGs, SGs, and SFs as well as take a turn on PFs. His ability to guard Cs is barely tested, however, despite the hype that he can “defend all 5 positions.”
In any case, you can’t project Jordan’s late-career footwork and shooting back onto his early career. I lived in Chicago in the late 80s and mostly he just blew by folks on the drive. It was his athleticism, not his “fundamentals” that carried him then.
In fact I’d say Jordan’s epoch-making difference was his commitment to year-round advanced training. Look at the under-developed folks in pictures from that age compared to guys today. It’s night and day.
And Jordan only went to that training in frustration at losing to the Pistons. He was a skinny little thing himself early on.
But so far there has been only one perfect basketball player and the name on the back of that Jersey said Jordan.
I’m from Jersey, so it pains me to inform you that your random capitalization invalidates your entire point, only not really, because the “perfect basketball player” would be Shaq’s size, have Jordan’s footwork, possess James’s strength and speed, and be depositing his paycheck in my bank account.
I almost Agree with Most of That. Hey I guess I am not the only one that thinks this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wcr3PR3AQw
So other than depositing his check in your account, Wilt. Actually, Wilt was much faster than James, but didn’t have Jordan’s footwork.
Jordan had the better career. But while Jordan was a great defender, he can’t do what LeBron does on defense—cover the opposing team’s best player, no matter what position he plays.
I’d also note that the Cavs, with LeBron, made regularly made the Finals or the ECF. Jordan’s Bulls prior to Pippen, by contrast, were eliminated early in the playoffs. The Cavs instantly turned from an elite (top 2-5) team to one of the worst teams in the league upon LeBron’s departure, demonstrating just how bad they were.
As a side note, I’m a Celtics fan who used to hate LeBron and view him as a regular season superstar who would fade under playoff pressure. I’d say Game 6 in the ECF last year talked me around on that.
This is a totally under-rated part of LeBron’s legacy. Cleveland went from (coin-flip) first pick in the lottery to playoffs -> conference finals -> NBA finals in short order once high schooler James joined. And they had some terrible, other than LBJ, teams those years.
Contrast that with current #2, Durant, who played a year of college and who’s team was still high lottery fodder with him on it. Jordan’s Bulls weren’t much better until Pippen came along.
Without getting into the who is better debate, I’ll just say that LeBron is, every bit as much as MJ, a once in a generation. Maybe change generation to lifetime.
Plus, more basketball posts! The only thing I miss from Yglesias’ old blog. Not Matt’s posts necessarily but the comment discussions from them.
Once in a generation ‘player’.
The thing that has always puzzled me about James is that during the first seven years of his career he was perfect, in terms of bearing and character. He was affable, made time for the media, always respectful and knowledgable about the history of the game and players who came before, always said the right thing. Remarkable, really, for a kid who came into the NBA at 18. Not to mention carrying a mediocre team on his shoulders to the finals.
And then, with the Decision (obviously a lapse of judgment), it was like all that was forgotten in one short hour, and he’s had to build back up the reputation for what he’s always been anyway.
It’s worth noting that he compounded the Decision with “not five, not six, not seven.”
Obviously the Decision was a mistake, but I’m sure he did it in good-faith. People wanted it, and he made a lot of money for his charity with it.
I enjoy people comparing Jordan and James and bringing up how egotistically James is.
HAHAHAHAHAHA. It’s like people don’t remember anything Jordan did off court. He’d be out of the NBA by now with the internet and constant media.
By all accounts, James is perfect off the court. Biking to the arena, nice to fans, etc., etc.
I’ve gotten over the Decision because James learned from the error and has been spectacular on the court.
Jordan was the best player in the NBA when the NBA had half as much total talent as it does now. Utah was worthy; Chicago won. And who else did they beat?
James could win 3 or 4 of the next 6 championships and no one would be surprised. To defeat the preening Jordan with his baseball and his pitiful DC postscript for the absurd title “best of all time” (which is really Oscar or Kareem), James should link up with K. Irving in Cleveland for 1 or more additional championships.
Then Jordan can properly be sequestered in the 1990s where he belongs, the dark ages of the NBA.
See this is where we Yanks can really learn a thing or two from the Brits. They just do collective nouns better.
No question there. But they drop the definite article. It’s a fallen world with no saints.
1. Jordan 2. Lebron 3. Magic 4. Kareem 5. Larry 6. Kobe 7. Robertson
8. Wilt 9. Russell 10. West
Honorable mention: Julius, Shaq, Hakeem, Duncan
Current players likely to join that group: CP3, Durant
I don’t see how Kareem passes Wilt or Russell.
He was a better all around player. Much better scorer than Russell, much better team defender than Wilt
My dad says he doesn’t hustle back on defense.
Tell your dad to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes.
Wilt was a much better passer, defender and rebounder than Kareem.
So, if you’re making up your all-time starting five, do you start the best player who played point guard, or do you start the best point guard?
I say, if you’ve got Chamberlain, Russell, Bird, and either Magic or Jordan on the floor, your fifth player should be the guy who will do the best job setting the offense and getting them the ball, more than another great scorer. It’s tough to sit either Jordan or Magic for Jerry West or Bob Cousy, but are you trying to put five stars on the court, or one team?
The problem with say Magic or James or Jordan on the floor at once is that they all tend to dominate the ball– its why James and Wade didn’t work until Dwyane started to fade a little physically.
“Didn’t work” is overstating it a bit–they did, after all, go to the NBA Finals and were up 2-1 there.
But as for the larger point, yeah, the best starting 5 would require players willing to take smaller roles and focus on less-sexy tasks, like setting screens and moving the ball.
Still, its not hard to imagine guys like Duncan doing that. Late career Wilt did that with the Lakers. Bill Walton off the bench. Etc. You look at Olympic play, and you can get an idea of which players are better suited to the “ensemble cast” approach–Barkley was dominant, Jordan was inefficient, e.g.
It depends. Is the game being played with five balls?
10 is the count, I believe…
If you pick those five in particular, you’ll be OK; none of those players usually had a problem sharing the ball in the right situation (Wilt did at times but mostly he made good decisions; just that the right decision most of the time was for Wilt to score).
But I would want to have Gary Payton or someone similar to provide aggressive and harassing on-ball defense and distribute the rock some or most of the time. That team helps well, but isn’t very good at forcing matters defensively.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a Lebron fan but he was pretty funny.