The Best Thing About Jordan Playing

[Superfluous_Nut]

Is that we'll finally get to legitimize the current talent in the league.

Jordan wasn't ordained till he beat the previous group of Super Stars. By retiring at the top, he never gave the current group an opportunity to prove themselves against him. As a result, there was nothing but "Jordan was the best ever" talk. And how could you argue -- Iverson, Kobe, Vince, T-Mac, Pierce, etc. never really got to "take the torch" so to speak cuz Mike took it home with him.

Hopefully, people will be at ease with this and not claim that Jordan is merely a shell of his former self. Which might be true, but it's just the way it goes.

 

[Guest]

One of these days, I think, Jordan will retire for good and there will be a new crop of superstars that will not be able to measure themselves against the greatest ever. It is unfair to players to say their talent is not legitimized until they face Jordan. And while he may be the greatest ever, it is in fact necessary to add that he is way past his prime and I think someone like T-Mac--who is probably doing the best all-around impersonation--would outplay MJ on a regular basis at this point.

Which brings the point of why T-Mac is the "heir apparent." Carter doesn't have the defense or the maturity just yet, Bryant has never had to struggle to lead the team without bukus of assistance, Pierce is just now placing himself among the true elite, and Iverson and Kidd are completely different types of players.

McGrady can dominate a game nearly by himself, plays sound defense, and has the maturity to make his teammates better. He might not be the MVP this year but I think he is the best player in the NBA right now.

 

[Superfluous_Nut]

I dunno. Is it just people from NC that can't possibly accept that somebody might be better than Jordan?

I don't think other players are making this point, it's just me. But you have to admit, every few years the great players are passed by new great players. The ones from the 70's don't get a lot of hype because the NBA was struggling then. But when Magic and Bird came into the league, they established themselves as great players, taking over from Dr. J and who-ever else was "the best ever" at that time. Magic and Bird's sorta plateau and fade, then it's Isiah who's the man for a brief time, Barkley might even get some nods, David Robinson perhaps or Hakeem, but then Jordan asserts himself and is crowned king.

But he's crowned king only because he outshone the previous Kings. By retiring, I think he didn't do his "duty" -- letting the young pups cut their teeth on his shoes. You owe it to the next generation to play until you look foolish. Unless you're so hell bent on trying to keep your "best in the game" title.

 

[Guest]

I didn't mean that Jordan was still better than all those guys, I meant that McGrady is the one now "carrying the torch."

 

[SandMan]

There are different torches to carry. Right now there is not player in the NBA today that will ever walk away from the game as complete a player and probably the same number of championships as MJ.

He may not be the same now but in his day, he was better than anything currently in the NBA... by far!