Tag: NBA
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The Slow and Deliberate Dismantling of Michael Jordan, part 4
So far, we can tally the points against Michael Jordan’s legacy. Number one: He was very good, but only because he had the right pieces around him. Except, that is true of every champion athlete. No one ever said Jordan did it all alone, yet every MJ legacy critic sets that straw man up and… Read more
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Iverson vs Shaquille: Which Disrespects Best?
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The Slow and Deliberate Dismantling of Michael Jordan, part 3
“Michael Jordan was cocky.” The best picture of what is in Jordan’s heart came when he gave his Hall of Fame speech… The only surprise was that people were surprised at all, and/or offended by what he said. You think Steph Curry and Larry Bird and even Fred Roberts don’t have people in their pasts… Read more
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Revisionist history: The Slow and Deliberate Dismantling of Michael Jordan*part 2*
This erosion of great athletes’ legacies happens to everyone. Time not only brings retirement. Time throws dirt upon anything that happened yesterday, at least to all of you prisoners of the moment. It’s inevitable. The new generation wants to remove the landmark set by their fathers. The younger always believes the newer way is better.… Read more
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Revisionist history: The Slow and Deliberate Dismantling of Michael Jordan
Babe Ruth’s dominance is not respected by casual fans, nor by sports talking heads who want to whip up some controversy. You might call it “hot takes.” Jerry West and Rick Barry and Wilt are afterthoughts to the modern sports observer, who refuses to consider that athletes were tough and fast and smart prior to… Read more
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Incredible Shrinking Interest: Will Fans Love the OKC Thunder Tomorrow?
I remember being against the idea of a NBA team being in Oklahoma City. Especially since that team had been ripped from Seattle. It was nothing against OKC. It was only the appreciation for the Sonics franchise history. The enthusiasm of the new host city has been refreshing, but the Thunder are still fairly new.… Read more
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The Question: Would You Take Isiah Thomas or Allen Iverson?
In Philly, his style convinced management to surround him with a cast of defense- and rebound-minded players. Assumedly, they didn’t care about scoring–only getting the basketball somehow, so that Iverson could fire up thirty-plus shots. In Denver, he and Carmelo Anthony couldn’t quite coexist, or whatever, so on to Detroit, where a promise of starting… Read more