Rodman: LeBron James Would Be ‘Average’ If He Played In The ’90s
June 7, 2013 11:59 AM

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LeBron James. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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Chicago Bulls, Dennis Rodman, LeBron James, Miami Heat, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen
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(CBS) As LeBron James continues to garner more accolades and praise, the comparisons between he and Michael Jordan will only grow louder.

But don’t try starting that conversation with Hall of Fame center Dennis Rodman.

“If LeBron was playing in the late ’80s or early ’90s,” Rodman told The Dan Patrick Show, “he’d be just an average player.”

Rodman, who won three NBA titles with Jordan, said if Jordan, a six-time NBA Finals MVP, was playing today, he’d be far-and-away the best player on the court.


“If Michael played today … really? If he played the game today at 28 years old, he would average 40 points a game, probably more,” said Rodman.

“I’m just sick and tired of people always comparing (James) and Michael Jordan. It’s a whole different era, man.”

When Patrick took exception to Rodman’s comments that James would be just an “average” player, Rodman responded with:

“Look at those teams (when I played),” Rodman explained. “Look at the Cleveland Cavaliers. Look at Golden State when they had Chris Webber and all of those guys. If those teams then could play now, they would kick anybody’s ass today. Are you kidding me?”

So what if today’s Heat played his Bulls in the 90s?

“No contest,” Rodman said. “The Heat have better talent than we had, but we had smarter players. We would match up with the Heat easy. I would take Bosh out of his damn game easy. That’s not even a problem. How would Dwyane Wade match up with Scottie Pippen? Really? Scottie Pippen would guard LeBron easy. How are you going to cover those two guys (Jordan and Pippen)?”

He is right too. Rodman would drive Bosh crazy and he would be a non factor.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Rodman would grab Bosh's junk two minutes in, and render him useless for the rest of the game.

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<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

It's not that I disagree with Dennis, but I'm not sure how that could be the case. Aren't athletes better than ever now? Did humans reach their peak of evolution, training, and drugging in the 90s? We know Dick Butkus, Deacon Jones, Dolph Schayes, and George Mikan couldn't compete today. Are we headed back to those days of tiny, crippled athletes?

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Freedom is our Strength.

I am a little surprised to see Rodman say the Heat had more talent.

Jordan Pippen Rodman Harper Kukoc

Lebron Bosh Wade Allen Birdman

I think the Bulls win on that one too

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

He would also get in LeBron's head, either by trash talking or fouling him hard the first time he drove to the hoop.

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Yeah, I think the era from when Magic and Bird came into the league up until around the last Bulls championship was a golden age. But I think the 60s when you had Russell and Wilt and Bellamy and Baylor and Robertson, etc. was a golden age too. So it really doesn't have anything to do with athletes getting better in general, right?

_________________
Freedom is our Strength.

Phil Jackson vs. Erik Spoelstra

Hell, Li'l Tony Parker is in his head. The best part of that shot last night was seeing LeBron spinning hopelessly as it went in.

_________________
Freedom is our Strength.

Horace Grant and Cartwright would get Bosh out of his game too. That was a scary frontcourt tandem defensively.

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Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

Whichever one has Jordan.

_________________
Freedom is our Strength.

Who or what are you responding to? Bernstein doesn't post here.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

Are you agreeing with me?

_________________
Freedom is our Strength.

I quoted the wrong post JORR. Sorry. This is what I was replying to:




Bernstein ain't here, man.

_________________
Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

It wouldn't be fair. Phil destroyed his mentor.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Ian Mahimi got into Bosh's head....

Ten Foot Midget response: Shut Up, Rodmam

Those Piston teams of the late 80s vs the current Heat would be interesting. If we are playing by rules in place during that time.

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Yeah, it'd be interesting until Wade and Bosh were put in the ambulence mid first quarter of Game 1

bernstein isn't the only guy who thinks people were feeble forty years ago. There are plenty of guys on this board that share that viewpoint.

Rodman is right in that the teams were better and certainly deeper in the 80s and 90s. But he's wrong to say LeBron would be an "average" player. That's just as absurd as saying Jerry Lucas couldn't play today.

_________________
Freedom is our Strength.

No, that would be more interesting.

I think we're too close to the '40s, '50s, and '60s to notice substantial differences between body types and sizes. The conversation about player ability across generations too often neglects to account for how we're socialized into particular sports. I think how athletes are exposed to the sport from an early age also plays a role in determining the skill sets they're able to develop. Who knows what LeBron would be like if he grew up in the '60s as opposed to the '90s? You're not born with a crossover dribble and a couple spin moves, you get that from watching those moves on TV, or if you're privileged enough to have a really good coach who won't pigeon hole you into certain positions based on your size. Would LeBron or someone like Durant be as perimeter savvy as they are without constant exposure to those types of moves via modern, 24 hour highlight shows and infotainment?

In my own experience, the guys I tried to pattern my game after were the ones making all the headlines on TV: Iverson, Carter, Kobe, McGrady, etc. It didn't matter that I had the size of a typical PF in adolescence, I didn't really care. I just knew I wanted to play like those guys on TV, so I became this awkward perimeter player with no post skills even though I technically had the size to play in the post at the time. To put it another way, who is to say those guys in earlier eras weren't able to do some of the stuff players do now? That they weren't jumping over seven footers and dunking the ball doesn't mean they couldn't. It's more about imagination while you're developing, and a big part of your on-the-court imagination depends on what kind of players/moves/athletic feats you're exposed to.

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Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

That's a great post.

I would suggest that part of the reason that there are no great centers is that guys that should be the great centers are fucking around dribbling the ball. That may be exciting for the fan, but it's surely not as efficient as setting up on the block and scoring the same amount of points with a much higher percentage.

_________________
Freedom is our Strength.

these debates always remind me of "who would win in a battle? wolverine or batman?"

Wolverine. Duh.

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I heard the interview, which was actually pre-taped, this morning on "The Dan Patrick Show". Say what you want about LeBron James, but what in the hell was Dennis Rodman smokin' when he said was he said about James being "average"?

No way! Batman would behead Wolverine.

Mahorn Lambeer and Rodman rotating on Bosh would be hilarious

And Joe Dumars has more class in his little finger than the entire Heat franchise


Did you know he was the only one to shake hands after the Bulls sweep?


You daaaaaamn right


Class to spare

If Joe Dumars and Joe Torre were ever in the same room together the combined Class would destroy everything within 50 miles