OT: LeBron game winner against Golden State

[mufan2003]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI1GLB-byeQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA1hDzN2_jw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5lw84fCmBg

LeBron is backing up his talk to be one of the greatest. Golden State figured they had the game won, coming back from double digits to take the lead. LeBron may not have a ring if he did not join a fellow Hall of Famer in Dwyane Wade. That being said....the size, strength, speed, intellect and skill-set he has now in his prime is impressive.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Jordan wouldn't have 6 rings without Pippen... Jordan was great, but he didn't do it alone either

[QuetteHoops]

Jordan wouldn't have 6 rings without Pippen... Jordan was great, but he didn't do it alone either

Exactly. And as good as D-Wade is he isn't as good as Pippen was. I'm not sure how people can watch Lebron play and say that he's not even close to Jordan's level. I hear it all the time and it baffles me.

[mufan2003]

Pre knee issues, IMO, Wade was clearly better than Pippen. In the 2 years Jordan was playing baseball, Pippen could not get the Bulls to the Finals. Wade did and won NBA Finals MVP with gaudy numbers. Pippen also never led the league in scoring in those 2 years like Wade did in 2009. Pippen was very good, but Wade was better.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

I'd agree with that, but that being said they both had help, no matter how you slice it. In my opinion Jordan was great Lebron is great, choosing between the two is splitting hairs. That said if Lebron gets to 6 championships it will make the debate a bit more relevant.

[TheSultan]

Pre knee issues, IMO, Wade was clearly better than Pippen. In the 2 years Jordan was playing baseball, Pippen could not get the Bulls to the Finals. Wade did and won NBA Finals MVP with gaudy numbers. Pippen also never led the league in scoring in those 2 years like Wade did in 2009. Pippen was very good, but Wade was better.

Wade had a higher arc, but IMO Pippen was better longer. Pippen also was an incredible defender.

And it's a little unfair to saddle Pippen with not getting the Bulls to the finals - I mean the best player to ever play the game retires and he gets them to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semis against the eventual conference champion. That's not bad. And Wade of course did have one of the best 50 players (Shaq) as a teammate too.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Pre knee issues, IMO, Wade was clearly better than Pippen. In the 2 years Jordan was playing baseball, Pippen could not get the Bulls to the Finals. Wade did and won NBA Finals MVP with gaudy numbers. Pippen also never led the league in scoring in those 2 years like Wade did in 2009. Pippen was very good, but Wade was better.

When he was at Jordan's side, I always felt Pippen was the second best player in the league. The year after Jordan retired, Pippen was playing at a MVP level for most of the year and was first team All-NBA. He was also the All-Star game MVP and led the Bulls to 55 wins, only 2 fewer than the championship year before. He was first team All-NBA the next two years after that, an 8-time All-Defensive first teamer, and if not for a questionable foul call in game 7 of the Eastern Semis, the Bulls may well have won a fourth straight title.

Wade was an excellent player, but I wouldn't say he was clearly better than Pippen, and I'm not even sure he was ever better than Pippen. Wade was more of a scorer, but Scottie was a better defender and he did turn up his scoring to the two highest averages of his career in the 2 years Jordan was gone, so he may have been a more prolific scorer had he not been second option for most of his career.

[Goose85]

I would still take Jabbar or Wilt over any of them. With the lack of top level centers in the league now those two would flat out dominate.

[CaribouJim]

I would still take Jabbar or Wilt over any of them. With the lack of top level centers in the league now those two would flat out dominate.

Don't forget Hakeem Olajuwon and his Dream Shake.

My all-time, all-time team would be Magic and MJ in the back court, LBJ at the 3, Timmy at the 4 and at center is where I have the most trouble. I remember seeing Russell in last 3 years and Wilt in his last 5-6 years when for the most part were past their prime, but still winning championships and Jabbar his entire career and I think he is really under appreciated as is Hakeem. With all that said, I'm going with the Dream. I reserve the right to change my mind on a daily basis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GCyU0sKxqI

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Of guys I've watched (since the 1980s) I'd agree with much of Caribou's team. Magic and MJ backcourt, James at the 3, though I'd have a tough time picking between Tim and the Mailman at the 4. I think I'd pick Duncan just because he was a more sound all-around player, but that's a tough call. Agreed with the Dream at the 5. Shaq was physically one of the most dominant players I've ever seen, but he couldn't hit a free throw, and that tips the balance for me.

Guys I would have to consider had I seen them more would be Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson, but I'm just a bit too young to really fairly assess their place on my all-time team.