Davis Scores 50 in Opener

[teamchemistry15]

Lebron will probably go down as top 3 all time and if he can manage to match Jordan in titles, he may go down as the very best of all time. Not sure I can recall a player who can play all 5 positions and carry a team year in and year out the way Lebron has. I like Davis and Towns but they are not Lebron, not even close. I would rather play for a shot at another 4 or 5 titles than wait for a player like Davis to fully develop. With free agency and salary cap, it's hard to build a dynasty in the new NBA in my opinion......

Uhmm, LeBron isn't going to go down as better than Jordan. People always talk about his performances in game seven. Jordan never let it get that far. He never lost a finals. He hit every big shot he thought about. LeBron will be top ten, but even top five is a reach.

[George]

Uhmm, LeBron isn't going to go down as better than Jordan. People always talk about his performances in game seven. Jordan never let it get that far. He never lost a finals. He hit every big shot he thought about. LeBron will be top ten, but even top five is a reach.

I'm going to use this next chance I get.

[teamchemistry15]

Davis with 35 and 15 in another loss.

[Joneslab]

LeBron is the best player I've ever seen play the game.

When you talk about greatness you're really parsing players into the tiniest slivers of what we can measure. It's like talking about beautiful women: at a certain point does it really matter?

But nobody I've ever seen play the game can do what LeBron can do. And I watched Jordan religiously as a kid, as everybody did in my generation.

[KevinHall]

I'll still take Jordan 1st. He's a winner pure and simple. If he hadn't quit for baseball the Bulls may have won 8 in a row. Maybe more if their stupid owner hadn't have broke them up when he did. I'll also still take Magic and Bird before LeBron too. Two great players who would have won more championships if they had not played in the same era. Maybe by the end of Lebron's career I will think differently but for now he would be 4th, at best, on my list.

[George]

I'll still take Jordan 1st. He's a winner pure and simple. If he hadn't quit for baseball the Bulls may have won 8 in a row. Maybe more if their stupid owner hadn't have broke them up when he did. I'll also still take Magic and Bird before LeBron too. Two great players who would have won more championships if they had not played in the same era. Maybe by the end of Lebron's career I will think differently but for now he would be 4th, at best, on my list.

There's a lot of evidence to suggest that his first retirement was more like a quit-or-get-fired kind of thing because of his gambling problem.

[Spiritof96]

There's a lot of evidence to suggest that his first retirement was more like a quit-or-get-fired kind of thing because of his gambling problem.

What evidence? You are suggesting the Bulls would have traded him? released him?

[George]

What evidence? You are suggesting the Bulls would have traded him? released him?

No, I'm not suggesting any of that. "Fired" was probably the wrong word. There are theories which suggest that the first retirement was based on an agreement between Jordan and David Stern to allow Jordan time to get his affairs in order and avoid league penalties, public scrutiny, humiliation, possible loss of endorsements, etc. etc.

Around the time of the retirement Jordan was under League investigation for his gambling problems - specifically to determine whether or not he'd betted on games. Sometime before that a drug dealer was found in possession of a personal check from Michael Jordan in the amount of $57,000. Jordan admitted under oath that it was payment for gambling debts. There are lots of stories about Jordan's gambling problems, so that's not necessarily revelatory, but at some point David Stern apparently took an interest. Stories about the exact reasons are conflicting - you'll find plenty if you Google it - but some suggest that Stern had enough to bring a case against Jordan. Obviously he wouldn't have wanted to do that, as Jordan was the face of the NBA - hence the retirement agreement. Step aside for a while, straighten things out, then come back.

Jordan was quoted in the first retirement press conference as saying he might return, "...if David Stern lets me back in the league."

Might all be conspiracy theory stuff that isn't worthy any attention. But, there's lots of smoke.

[Spiritof96]

I guess I don't understand what changed in 18 months such that the investigation just went away. It seems like connecting random dots to mean something.

[George]

I guess I don't understand what changed in 18 months such that the investigation just went away. It seems like connecting random dots to mean something.

No clue. Jordan abruptly retiring in the prime of his career didn't make much sense, either.

[Blue Heaven]

No way I can say LeBron is the best I have seen. It's gotta be MJ for me. I watched a ton of great players growing up. The 80's was the best era I have seen the NBA. All of those studs like Bird, Magic, Malone, Ewing, Barkley, Hakeem, Clyde, Stockton, Isaiah, etc.,etc., coupled with the fading stars like Kareem and Dr. J made for excellent viewing. It was a great time to be a fan of the NBA. Somewhere along the way, they lost it though and I can't put my finger on the one thing or things that attributed to the fall. FWIW, the Celtics were my team, though I had no hate for Magic. Everyone else on the Lakers I couldn't stand. Larry Bird is my all time favorite player.

[George]

No way I can say LeBron is the best I have seen. It's gotta be MJ for me. I watched a ton of great players growing up. The 80's was the best era I have seen the NBA. All of those studs like Bird, Magic, Malone, Ewing, Barkley, Hakeem, Clyde, Stockton, Isaiah, etc.,etc., coupled with the fading stars like Kareem and Dr. J made for excellent viewing. It was a great time to be a fan of the NBA. Somewhere along the way, they lost it though and I can't put my finger on the one thing or things that attributed to the fall. FWIW, the Celtics were my team, though I had no hate for Magic. Everyone else on the Lakers I couldn't stand. Larry Bird is my all time favorite player.

Today's NBA is incredible. The league has recovered (and then some) from whatever down period you're referring to. It's the most fluid, consistent, and competitive show of athleticism you're going to find. Those guys go out and do something incredible every single night.

If you arent watching, you're missing out.

[Blue Heaven]

Today's NBA is incredible. The league has recovered (and then some) from whatever down period you're referring to. It's the most fluid, consistent, and competitive show of athleticism you're going to find. Those guys go out and do something incredible every single night.

If you arent watching, you're missing out.

Oh I am watching again. It just felt to me like the early 200's just wasn't very exciting. Bad shooting and even worse defense. It's definitely recovered though. I find myself watching it more and more. Of course it diesn't hurt that we have a boat load of players in the league.

[Joneslab]

There were all kinds of narratives running through NBA basketball in the '80s and '90s.

The Lakers vs. Celtics. Bird vs. Magic. Michael Jordan's rise. The Bulls vs. the Pistons. The whole Bad Boys thing. Really interesting individual players like Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller. The Pacers vs. the Knicks. And so on.

For a good 15 years there were these really intriguing backstories to the sport itself that were fascinating and that people could talk about. Outside of LeBron vs. Curry, it's hard to find much of that now...even though the players on the whole are better. It doesn't help that so many Eastern Conference teams have been weak for literally years. If you can't get people in the east interested, then you're not going to have rabid support for the product itself.

[Blue Heaven]

If there is one thing about the NBA that I can't stand, it's the stupid baseball-type organ being played DURING GAMEPLAY. Guys are out there trying to win a game and you got some idiot playing music. That has got to be one of the silliest things in all of sports.