"The One" is a pretty loaded declaration. Jordan was the one not only because of his unbelievable talent and accomplishments but because he was unbelievably marketable; he was easily the most famous athlete to ever live. Jordan's likeness was recognizable anywhere on earth, and still is today. He took the game international, and without Jordan the NBA would never be what it is presently. Can't say the same about Russell, not to disrespect his career in any way, but he simply wasn't the same guy.

People don't argue if Jordan was better than Russell because Russell was kind of an asshole and played at a time when the NBA wasn't nearly as big as it was today.

Jordan's rings came at the height of the NBA's popularity, where every moment of his life was scrutinized and torn into by the media. Russell's titles came amidst the game gaining acceptance and amidst the civil rights madness. To argue over whether one's a better player is tangible but it's not as simple as saying "championships justify greatness." Robert Horry's got 7 goddamn rings but you don't hear his name come up in any "...of all time" conversations.

You've got to factor in the eras, both culturally and of the league.

edit: great read, JP

If I internet-know RFDC as well as I think I do, I don't think that's what he wanted to discuss. While you make valid points, there is easily enough ammo to argue Jordan is the GOAT without mentioning marketability. I think the main reasons him and Russell are not compared often is the different eras, different positions, and different states of the league and competition. I never hear marketability as a factor.

When it comes to the Bears, America is just a slobbering shitwagon. Every single opinion of his regarding this team is the most pristine of doomsday horseshit.

I think it's usually a given that when someone talks about the GOAT of a sport it's on-field/on-court credentials that are solely looked at.

I don't think it comes across as biased to say Michael Jordan was the best basketball player ever. I think you could easily state a convincing case while coming across objectively. I also think that's the only player in NBA history you can say that about. Ditto with NHL/Gretzky(although Boyd disagrees and he forgot more hockey than I'll ever know). I think baseball and football are murkier.

When it comes to the Bears, America is just a slobbering shitwagon. Every single opinion of his regarding this team is the most pristine of doomsday horseshit.

I think your last sentence was the only accurate one in the paragraph.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

Okay, the NBA was the pinnacle of sport in 1975 and they packed houses the world round to watch Jerry Sloan and Norm Van Lier punch people in the nuts. My mistake. In a related story, Spurs Spurs Spurs.

To be fair,here is an excellent article on winning rings:


http://chasing23.com/ring-counting/

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

Obviously it's way too early to say, but I've heard plenty of talk that Durant will be in that discussion. I think he has a much better chance to take the best scorer ever title than best ever. I like how much time and effort he seems to have committed to rebounding, defending, and the intangibles of basketball, but he still has a long way to go in that area to reach the Michael Jordan level of greatness. I do think he's close to flawless as a scorer.

I don't think I was starting with a retarded extreme in the first place.

The NBA was a garage league till David Stern took over. ...... everyone was coked up, and Red Auerbach got everyone to trade him stars for a pack of smokes.

From all that I've read on the subject, the NBA wasn't held in the highest regard from coast to coast for various reasons: it's just the same two teams fleecing everyone, it's not the same as the time-honored NCAA, they're all on drugs, so on, so forth. I mean, those battles are still being fought in patches of this great nation of ours. I'd have a hard time arguing that the NBA didn't explode in every possible way (talent, exposure, legitimacy) in the 1980s.

He is a seemingly effortless scorer, yet at the same time he trails same-years Jordan in PPG, EFG%, TS%, APG, PER, O-Rating, O-Win Shares. He's a better long-distance shooter than Jordan ever was, yet that long-distance efficiency isn't high enough to overtake Jordan's ridiculous paint scoring in his early career.

His later career could be better than Jordan's though. He'd be like some kind of Jordan-Nowitzki hybrid turnaround jumpering machine.

Jordan's rings came at the height of the NBA's popularity

But if that's going to be the basis of your argument, you can't really make it without admitting that Bird and Magic were largely the cause of that popularity. And without them paving the way, Jordan as we know him doesn't exist.

It seems two different things are being discussed here. Of course Jordan is a higher profile human being than Russell or Chamberlain. That due to circumstances having nothing to do with the players or their respective abilities to play the game of basketball.

When it comes to the Bears, America is just a slobbering shitwagon. Every single opinion of his regarding this team is the most pristine of doomsday horseshit.

Obviously it's way too early to say, but I've heard plenty of talk that Durant will be in that discussion. I think he has a much better chance to take the best scorer ever title than best ever. I like how much time and effort he seems to have committed to rebounding, defending, and the intangibles of basketball, but he still has a long way to go in that area to reach the Michael Jordan level of greatness.

at age 23, michael jordan had a long way to go to reach "michael jordan" level of greatness.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Durant is great, but with a body like his, I see him not being able to sustain this kind of offensive dominance into his 30's. I'd like to be wrong, but with a frame that big, he will probably break down easily. For now, I will love me some Kevin Durant.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Laurence Holmes is a fucking weirdo, a nerd in denial, and a wannabe. Not a very good radio host either.

nobody has been close to MJ ever

Love you man, but apparently you've never watched Kobe Bryant play basketball between 2001 and 2010.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Laurence Holmes is a fucking weirdo, a nerd in denial, and a wannabe. Not a very good radio host either.

Love you man, but apparently you've never watched Kobe Bryant play basketball between 2001 and 2010. Not saying Kobe was just as good in all areas, but Kobe is still the closest we've seen to Jordan since Jordan.

Laurence Holmes is a fucking weirdo, a nerd in denial, and a wannabe. Not a very good radio host either.

What would Kobe do with wennington/Cartwright/Longley ?

Laurence Holmes is a fucking weirdo, a nerd in denial, and a wannabe. Not a very good radio host either.