***Official 2023-2024 NBA Thread***

[dirk digler]

Can't believe the NBA Season is starting tonight. Way to early but here we go.

Lakers vs Nuggets: 6:30PM

Suns vs Warriors: 9PM

Both on TNT

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Should I post his game 5 through 7 stat lines again? I can.

One player won that series against a vastly superior team through sheer force of will. The greatest single accomplishment in NBA history.

Of course, it also helps that he continued on in unprecedented historic fashion 8 years after that until he was 40 as one of the top players in the game too.

Peak and longevity, the perfect combination.

As long as you post Kyrie's stats in that series too, and the big shot.

Lebron was phenomenal, but so was Kyrie. You always leave that part out because you're basically in a Lebron cult.

I never want to hear you say that rings are a team accomplishment ever again you bad faith wannabe Barry.

[KC_Connection]

This article written by Kevin Pelton about LeBron passing MJ as the GOAT statistically was written six years ago. Six years ago! https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...nba-player-all

The two GOAT contenders are in a virtual deadlock in estimated championships added based on awards, the third component of the formula. Jordan (3.05) is ahead of James (3.01) due to his modest lead in career MVP shares. James will probably take the lead when this year's MVP voting is factored into the equation.

That leaves playoff value as James' strongest argument. His 2.24 championships added in the playoffs are more than those of Jordan (2.05) and everyone else in league history. That might be tough to square with Jordan's six championships to James' three, and James' teams going 3-5 in the NBA Finals, but James comes out ahead for a couple of reasons.

First, James has simply amassed more opportunities in the playoffs by virtue of making deeper runs in seasons that ended short of a championship. While his advantage in games played owes slightly to the NBA expanding the first round of the postseason from best-of-five to best-of-seven after Jordan's playoff career, James has already played in 43 playoff series to Jordan's 37 -- not including the upcoming Eastern Conference finals. And naturally James deserves the lion's share of the credit for his teams winning enough to play in those additional series -- and get more chances at the NBA title, including more Finals appearances than Jordan's teams.

Second, for the most part, James' teams losing on the biggest stage can't be traced to his own performance. That tag was accurate in 2007, James' first Finals appearance at age 22, and in 2011, when he struggled badly as the Miami Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks. Since then, as measured by my wins above replacement player (WARP) metric, James' performance in Finals his team lost (2014, 2015 and 2017) has compared favorably to Jordan's performance in his team's Finals wins -- and even to James' own during his three title seasons, when he's won three Finals MVP trophies. That makes six Finals in which James' performance has stacked up well with Jordan's performance.

Though Jordan has a comfortable lead in Finals WARP per game played, James, by virtue of the two extra appearances, has accumulated more WARP in the Finals (10.9) than Jordan (10.1) or anyone else since the ABA-NBA merger.

Now, James comes out ahead at every age, thanks in part to starting younger but also because he reached peak performance sooner. Before adding in this season's playoffs, and without the adjustment for league quality, James already has more championships added through his age-33 season than Jordan did at 34. Barring injury or an improbable decision to walk away from the game as MJ did, James will soon pass Jordan in career points. He's already ahead by a wide margin in career rebounds and assists.

A team drafting James' entire career would assure itself championship contention for more than a decade given his metronomic consistency and ability to avoid injury. Jordan might have been better at his best, but James has already put together the best NBA career we've ever seen.

Imagine still somehow trying to hold onto the argument that MJ's career was greater than this guy after six more years of top 5-10 production (and an additional two titles).

[staylor26]

"Check my $tats" propaganda.

[staylor26]

"Look I found a stat that says Lebron actually added more championships than MJ"

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by staylor26

"Check my $tats" propaganda.

Such denial. It's sad what you've resorted to as it has become ever more obvious. So sad.

LeBron is still so good he's being accused of doing HGH.

At LeBron's age Jordan was so ass he was being outscored by Kwame Brown.

I know who my GOAT is.

— Barry (@BarryOnHere) March 2, 2024

[Sassy Squatch]

Wow. That might be the most pathetic cope yet from LeBron stans.

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Such denial. It's sad what you've resorted to as it has become ever more obvious. So sad.

LeBron is still so good he's being accused of doing HGH.

At LeBron's age Jordan was so ass he was being outscored by Kwame Brown.

I know who my GOAT is.

— Barry (@BarryOnHere) March 2, 2024

The irony when you spend 99% of your time on a Chiefs message board being a Lebron propagandist because deep down you know what the majority of fans, players, coaches, media members, etc. believe.

You're so insecure that you have to resort to taking Curry truthers seriously

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by Sassy Squatch

Wow. That might be the most pathetic cope yet from LeBron stans.

Remember, KCC truly believes championships are a team accomplishment.

That's why he has to resort to some stat that tries to bend reality and give Lebron more championships added.

That's why he has to resort to saying Lebron got his 5th championship this season.

That's why he has to resort to pretending that Lebron beat the 2016 Warriors all by himself, ignoring Kyrie's contribution as a 1B.

Not transparent at all

[New World Order]

The yearly NBA thread has the same posts year after year about the same topic

[Sassy Squatch]

I don't even care about the LeStan's trying to claim that in season tournament as a 5th, as pathetic as that is. It's the fact LeBron himself actually seems to think it that raises the pitifulness to exponential levels of hilarious.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by New World Order

The yearly NBA thread has the same posts year after year about the same topic

By the same posters. That's why I stopped posting in them. How many years in a row can people do the whole Lebron stan vs Lebron hater circle jerk?

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by -King-

By the same posters. That's why I stopped posting in them. How many years in a row can people do the whole Lebron stan vs Lebron hater circle jerk?

As many as it takes for sense to finally prevail and the clear and obvious to be accepted.

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by -King-

By the same posters. That's why I stopped posting in them. How many years in a row can people do the whole Lebron stan vs Lebron hater circle jerk?

Nah, not posters. Poster.

I might be guilty of feeding the troll, but KCC is 100% the root of this issue. I've never once brought it up myself.

[staylor26]

you spend 99% of your time on a Chiefs message board being a Lebron propagandist because deep down you know what the majority of fans, players, coaches, media members, etc. believe.

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

As many as it takes for sense to finally prevail and the clear and obvious to be accepted.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by staylor26

Nah, not posters. Poster.

I might be guilty of feeding the troll, but KCC is 100% the root of this issue.

I would say it is longstanding hate and jealousy for LeBron by MJ fanboys that is the root of the issue, but I'm not in the blame game.