You already called Durant the best player in the NBA.
I would say he is the best player. I think most would agree too. But by no means is he a legend. I would even say Lebron James is kinda legendary but his legacy will always be tarnished due to his attitude.
I comment on this enough that it’s probably annoying if anyone’s paying attention to it, but I find it really amazing how flexible this “people think” legacy-based standard can be, depending on what experimental result you’re expecting to have to explain away.
Durant’s not a legend because he’s not “held in that regard.” Better player, but not the kind of guy who isn’t allowed to sit down. Most would agree he’s the better player: this is relevant and important (and true, evidently).
Duncan, meanwhile, is regarded as a superstar, but he’s actually *not *one in the way LeBron’s teammates somehow are. This one’s objective, who cares what people think.
And meanwhile, meanwhile, like it or not, LeBron would be seen as riding Carmelo to a championship. And if people are going to think it, then it must be reasonable.
It’s one of the real hallmarks of a bankrupt approach to rationality - if you already know what the explanation for a failure of your theory is going to be, you don’t actually believe in it.
I would deff say Tim Duncan is a NBA legend but he’s not a legend like Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth are. Lebron James could have possibly been up there with those guys but his status as a true legend will always be questioned.
Yes, like that.
For about three years LeBron and Durant have been 1-2 in the league by acclamation. There are probably some people who’d say Durant is #1 now, but no, I don’t think it’s a majority.
But he will be. Until then, though, it’s OK if he gets pulled? And I already showed you Shaq getting taken out of a game in similar circumstances, so what do we make of him? Do you have any idea what your “rules” are? I bet Jordan did get pulled out of the end of some of the Bulls’ games against the Pistons since there were some real blowouts in that series, but I can’t find proof.
Yeah but Jordan wasn’t getting pulled nor would he sit in a elimination game with 7 minutes left.
Lebron James for whatever reason came out with a lot of time left, personally I think he came out because his feelings were hurt. Lebron is too child like to ever have a killer instinct like Jordan. I mean did you hear his corny pregame speech? If you hadn’t, I must say. his speech wouldn’t even inspire a 3rd grade peewee league.
Quick multiple choice quiz – highest points per game in playoff elimination games, ever:
A: LeBron James
B: literally any other motherfucker ever
?
I’ll give you two guesses.
I’m to go with A…But most points in a game can be deceiving.
Wow! I thought Metta World Peace and World B. Free were bad.
Seconding the Grantaland article linked in post 99. Also watch this: http://deadspin.com/dwyane-wade-playing-defense-is-a-mess-1590887916
Please, go on.
Don’t you get it? Wade played terribly throughout the Finals because LeBron has no heart!
Also, I thought of another one - Julius Erving looks worse because the 76ers got Moses Malone.
So you say.
Why am I supposed to trust your opinion at this stage? You’ve got zero ability to evaluate the guy rationally.
Yeah, ask a Celtics fan about that.
For what feels like the tenth time, who give a flying fuck?
I’m not gonna lie, I went out and got hammered. I will appease my fans tomorrow…
Playing with Carmelo wouldnt equal good basketball… rumors are that they are interested in Kyle Lowry… that makes far more sense than a ball dominant big 3 that Melo is…
The person making that would be presuming that he had to ride the combined coattails of Wade and Bosh for those 2 championships (while at the same time they would have rode his).
At some point, you’re just adding too much talent through free agency. Already, the Heat are expected to win titles, which as a Florida sports fan, kinda bores me. Don’t get me wrong, I love having Wade, James, and Bosh, but just signing another superstar because they want to play in the same sandbox together and walk all over the rest of the NBA is not really very compelling to me.
Now Greg Oden, he’s a reclamation project with the potential to be a superstar. If the Heat turn him into the center he’s capable of being, then there’s your Big 4 and at least it will feel more like the Heat “earned” it.
Maybe I’m just biased, but I’ve always felt the best way to win is to build your team through the draft, or signing projects who you develop into great players. If necessary, you get a key free agent. What happened with the Heat was just three guys wanting to dominate the rest of the league. And I won’t deny it’s been fun the last four years, but it’s just not special, the way the Marlins won their two championships, or the Panther when they shocked the world and went to the Stanley Cup Finals. I also happened to be going to school in Georgia in 1991 when the Braves made it to their first world series since the Hank Aaron days. That was excitement and devotion to a team. With the Heat, it’s just like using the cheat codes to a video game to win it. It’s still fun, but not nearly as much of an accomplishment.
I hope whoever this guy is, he pays you to advocate his hypothetical future opinions, because it must feel terrible having to defend them.
This person still sounds like an idiot. And people cannot mutually ride each other’s coattails. It’s a contradiction in terms.
Oden does not have potential to be a superstar. He’s a 26-year-old guy who has suffered multiple catastrophic knee injuries. It’s semi-amazing that he’s in the NBA at all, and his ceiling today is “useful big man.” Unfortunately things did not work out for him with Miami. They got him to defend Roy Hibbert, and when they actually put him on Hibbert, he took Oden apart. Oden got yanked from that game quickly and did not play a single meaningful minute of basketball after that, regular season or playoffs. It’d be nice to see him get better, but I don’t know if that’s possible. I’m not sure anybody else will give him a shot.
You can totally ride each other’s coattails. Neither can do it alone or as the sole superstar on a team. They needed each other, diminishing both
And Oden’s done. He was done a few years ago, but he’s definitely done now