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SportsGuru08 wrote:'89 Jordan was objectively a better player at both ends. '18 LeBron was gift-wrapped another Finals appearance by virtue of a pathetic East in which he didn't face a single team that was even better than the '89 Knicks.

I don’t think you can have watched the 2018 playoffs and say he was “gift wrapped” a Finals appearance… that was one of the biggest carry jobs we’ve seen in NBA history. Nothing about that run was easy for LBJ personally. If he wasn’t playing 10/10 perfect in every big game that postseason they would’ve gone down in the first round.

I agree that Jordan was better, for what it’s worth. His defense was menacing. But I disagree with your phrasing.

18 year old LeBron was not even better than peak Kobe. Pick an version of LeBron that is older than 18.

1989 Jordan was already the best non center player that had ever played. I don’t like comparing centers to small forwards and off guards because it is like centers and off guards are not even playing the same sport.

LeBron era 3 point shooting was so much better than Jordan era 3 point shooting. LeBron era 3 point shooters pull help defenders away from the paint and that significantly improved the FG% for guys in LeBron era that primarily drove to the rim compared to drives in the Jordan era when there was always a help defender doubling the drive. Both 18 year old LeBron and 1989 Jordan Primarily drove into the paint. This is not fall away midrange shooting 1996 Jordan.

SinceGatlingWasARookie wrote:18 year old LeBron was not even better than peak Kobe. Pick an version of LeBron that is older than 18.

1989 Jordan was already the best non center player that had ever played. I don’t like comparing centers to small forwards and off guards because it is like centers and off guards are not even playing the same sport.

LeBron era 3 point shooting was so much better than Jordan era 3 point shooting. LeBron era 3 point shooters pull help defenders away from the paint and that significantly improved the FG% for guys in LeBron era that primarily drove to the rim compared to drives in the Jordan era when there was always a help defender doubling the drive. Both 18 year old LeBron and 1989 Jordan Primarily drove into the paint. This is not fall away midrange shooting 1996 Jordan.

They’re talking about 2018 LeBron, not Akron SVSM LeBron what?

rk2023 wrote:

SinceGatlingWasARookie wrote:18 year old LeBron was not even better than peak Kobe. Pick an version of LeBron that is older than 18.

1989 Jordan was already the best non center player that had ever played. I don’t like comparing centers to small forwards and off guards because it is like centers and off guards are not even playing the same sport.

LeBron era 3 point shooting was so much better than Jordan era 3 point shooting. LeBron era 3 point shooters pull help defenders away from the paint and that significantly improved the FG% for guys in LeBron era that primarily drove to the rim compared to drives in the Jordan era when there was always a help defender doubling the drive. Both 18 year old LeBron and 1989 Jordan Primarily drove into the paint. This is not fall away midrange shooting 1996 Jordan.

They’re talking about 2018 LeBron, not Akron SVSM LeBron what?

Huh? It's 89 year old Jordan vs 18 year old LeBron

rk2023 wrote:

SinceGatlingWasARookie wrote:18 year old LeBron was not even better than peak Kobe. Pick an version of LeBron that is older than 18.

1989 Jordan was already the best non center player that had ever played. I don’t like comparing centers to small forwards and off guards because it is like centers and off guards are not even playing the same sport.

LeBron era 3 point shooting was so much better than Jordan era 3 point shooting. LeBron era 3 point shooters pull help defenders away from the paint and that significantly improved the FG% for guys in LeBron era that primarily drove to the rim compared to drives in the Jordan era when there was always a help defender doubling the drive. Both 18 year old LeBron and 1989 Jordan Primarily drove into the paint. This is not fall away midrange shooting 1996 Jordan.

They’re talking about 2018 LeBron, not Akron SVSM LeBron what?

And if we had been, the 2004 NBA was dramatically tougher for perimetre players than the 1989 NBA was.