Quote:
Originally Posted by spreedom
Not directing this towards you in particular, but holy shit do I hate the "LeBron isn't 'mentally tough' but Kobe is" despite the fact that LeBron is better than Kobe at literally every single aspect of basketball, including clutch scoring. Kobe is basically Tracy McGrady except he got seven years of prime Shaq on his team. Without Shaq or Pau Gasol (the two guys who were the best players on all six championship teams Kobe was a part of) Kobe probably wouldn't have any rings. Would we be talking about his killer intensity and insane work ethic if he hadn't won as part of all-time great teams?
And as much as I love Jordan, and he's the reason I ever got into basketball like so many 20- or 30-somethings, but I don't worship at the altar anymore. He was a great, great, great player who paved the way for athletes all over the world, but he wasn't even the best player on the second set of three-peats. Scottie Pippen has got to be the most underrated all-time great the game has ever seen.
LeBron deserves plenty of blame for his teams not winning more championships than they did (which I think has way more to do with his front office influence than his actual play), but he's been 2-1 as a favorite in the series he's been in (0-4 as an underdog, assuming the Cavs lose this year). The only series the Cavs/Heat were favored in that they lost was against the Mavs.
TL;DR -- I'm bored of MJ idol worship and LeBron's Finals failures are overblown
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I can't say I agree at all with your assessment of MJ and Kobe (Gasol was better than Kobe??? Pippen was better than MJ?????) I understand being sick of MJ idol worship, but for me personally it's no sentimental "idol" thing. I just don't believe there has ever been- or probably ever will be- another player as good as he was. Championships, career accolades, individual numbers... I think by any conceivable measure we have of gauging greatness, MJ objectively almost HAS to be the G.O.A.T. You could make a case for a couple of others- Kareem, maybe Wilt, but that's about it.
That being said however, I do think the whole "mental toughness" aspect of the game is EXTREMELY overrated by fans. The best players who win the most championships tend to be the ones with the most talent and athletic ability. Mental toughness is rarely a real factor in the outcome of a playoff series (I'll admit though, we did just see OKC seemingly have a mental breakdown against GSW.)