Michael Jordan’s retirement in 1998 marked the end of basketball’s Jordan-Era. The question became which franchise and players would ascend to dominance if anyone in Jordan’s abscence. This question was answered by two big men, whose unique play and winning attitudes would allow the coming decade, to of NBA basketball to be just as historic as the previous one had been. Despite their stylistic differences, Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan shared a knack for success. The begining of this era saw eight of the next nine NBA champions teams lead primarily by either Shaq or Duncan. Shaquille O’Neal, whose endless amount of nicknames, including the The Big Aristotle, Shaq Daddy, Shaq Diesel , stemmed from his dominant, loud style of play, as well as his boisterous personality. Duncan’s nickname, “The Big Fundamental”, a nickname which was actually given to him by Shaq, is a perfect way to sum up what Duncan represents. This nickname pays homage to Duncan’s no flash, strictly precise game plan and execution. These two superstars can break down through stats and style. I can't possibly sit here and pick Shaquille O'Neal over Tim Duncan or vice versa. They're just too different, yet identical in their impact. Shaquille O'Neal was all about power, while Duncan was/is about consistent non-flashy production.
Statistics
It In terms of regular season success both Shaq and Duncan have proved to be lead their teams to successful postseason runs. In terms of regular season records, each have been on teams that were consistently on the top of the standings in the Western conference. However, Duncan has received two regular season NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, as opposed to O’Neil’s one. In 16 year NBA career, Duncan accolades also include being...
... middle of paper ...
... of Shaq’s championships have been shared with super star guard by his side. The Laker’s 3-Peat from 2000-2002 was lead O'Neal and a young star named Kobe Bryant, arguably the best players of the decade. O'Neal was the NBA Finals MVP in all three of their championship. Their ego’s got in the way of their pursuit of greatness and their roles on the team seemed hard to coexist. In 2004 the Lakers traded Shaqille to the Miami Heat, where Shaq joing another up and coming superstar in Dwayne Wade. In 2006, lead by the new duo, the Miami Heat won the 2006 NBA championship. It seems that Duncan’s selfless attitude, and focus on the title allowed him to create an enviroment that was condusive to wining. Duncan has the ability to make more out of less in his teamates. Shaq on the other hand, has a history of both having an excellent supporting cast, and leadership qualities
Michael played in a completely different era than LeBron James. It was an era of short shorts, not the baggy ones seen on today’s players. Because of the differences in competition and style of play, it is not possible to tell who the better player is. Both players should be recognized as some of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball for their individual, unique abilities. It’s not about comparing apples and oranges.
During the time of Michael Jordan and the now present Lebron James American culture has changed a lot. Both of these two superstars show how American society love and appreciate their superstars. The society loves them both, they are both amazingly talented and have supporting fans that will always be by their side no matter what happens, through the peaks and valleys. These two allstars are beyond incredible and show their talent in a variety of ways. Both are very truly “Blessed” with their talents and capabilities. Both MJ and LBJ are two of the best to ever to play the game of basketball. Jordan and James are both good at what they do, Jordan and James’ passion to get to the rim and make plays really put a spark in both of their game. These traits that both of the stars have really make their fans and supporters love them even more! Both of these stars show how American Society love their stars and role models.
Even some basketball fans don’t even know who they are. For people that love watching basketball, and that are fans of college basketball and the NBA. They need to know who really paved the way for people like Allen Iverson and Shaquille O'neal. These were such big stars that we know today because they were so voicetress and charismatic to not just the basketball world but the pop culture world as well. People that play basketball today owe a token of gratitude to the Fab Five for paving the way for things we take for granted like wearing stylish basketball clothes, listening to music before a game, and for trash talking. All these things were irrelevant in 1992. The Fab Five made these things acceptable and alright to be liked. Whether we know them or not the Fab Five changed the game of
The National Basketball Association no longer holds the prominence that it once had. In the aftermath of the lockout that took away half of the 1998-99 season, the National Basketball Association finds itself looking into an uncertain future. Appearing similar to the state of the league during the mid 1980's, the NBA finds itself with a tarnished image and no icon's to build the league around. With the retirement of Michael Jordan and the number of superstars in which the league built its popularity on during the 1990's getting smaller, the National Basketball Association sits in limbo while it searches for its new identity.
Everybody in Detroit called him “The Man” because he always was a leader and the to-go person in any tough moment of the game. Some people called him “The Gentleman” because he was a genuinely nice person with respect for the game and for others. Joe Dumars, a member of the legendary 1989-1990 Detroit Pistons team, once declared “He is the best player I’ve seen coming into the league for years”. Road to history was wide open for Grant, but luck had some other plans for his career. This is the story of Grant Hill, a story about having faith, patience and love for the game of basketball.
Although many youngsters fail in the NBA, there are a few high school players who have had, or do have a successful career in the NBA. Some of these are, Moses Malone, Kobe Bryant, Tracey McGrady, and this year’s most valu...
Several foreign basketball players have individually left their marks on NBA courts, in NBA record books, and in their fans’ hearts. Different ethnic groups, races, and sports fans in general have united, cheering on heroic efforts from players from overseas. These international players amped up the level of competition in basketball and found themselves at home in the NBA. Four international players have been honored with the most prestigious award a player can receive in professional basketball, NBA MVP. These same four players are undoubtedly future Hall of Famers and were listed in the top 30 international players of all time in a 2013 “Dime Magazine” article (Daruaku). These four players, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan,...
Like Robinson, these men paved the way for today’s players and are the reason that the best athletes in the world now play in the NBA.” (Dave Howell, NBA.com, Six Who Paved The Way, Page 1). African-Americans in basketball, more specifically the first 5 players, began to make people realize that African Americans were not foreign creatures, they were actual people. People also began to realize that African Americans make equally as significant contributions to the society and community as anyone else
Shaquille O’Neal was an NBA center; his life has been pretty fascinating as you can tell. Shaq was the most dominant center to ever live because he hold the number one spot for blocks, rebounds, and points in his position. So therefore you can tell by stats that he was one of if not the most dominant players to ever live, you can ask anyone and they will tell you the same thing, people might even say he was the best rookie to ever come out of college, as well as one of the best players to come out of high
Michael Jordan vs Lebron James Michael Jordan, in his prime, was thought of as one of the greatest basketball champions of all time. A shooting guard, standing at six-six, Jordan was able to out play anyone in his position. He started his career at the University of North Carolina, where he helped his team win a national championship. He then was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984-85 season. While playing for the Bulls, Jordan received many awards such as, MVP, five championships, Olympic gold medals, slam dunk contests, and many more defensive and offensive awards.
The NBA is well known for the number of amazing professional athletes it has had over the years. Some of the most gifted and talented individuals come through the NBA and one of the better-known superstars is none other than Kobe Bryant. For years people have wondered what makes Bryant so successful. The main contributors that lead to Kobe Bryant’s success is his hard work and dedication, his mindset, his natural ability’s and talent, and the people that have helped him throughout his life. Kobe Bryant was very successful in the NBA because of the amount of hard work he has put in, the people in his life, his relentless determination and his god given natural abilities.
Michael Jordan, portrayed by Jim Naughton in the biography Taking To The Air: The Rise of Michael Jordan, is well regarded as not only the greatest basketball player of all time but also the face of a generation. During the mid to late 1980s NBA basketball was simply treading water. As a result of the lack of a marketable superstar, the NBA was losing popularity to the National Football League and Major League Baseball. Following Jordan’s emergence, the NBA’s attendance rose dramatically and it’s worldwide popularity skyrocketed. Michael Jordan returned basketball to its past popularity in the United States and revolutionized the way the world viewed the game of basketball. (Harriman) Michael Jordan’s life is succinctly depicted in Taking to The Air: The Rise of Michael Jordan. Jim Naughton focuses on Jordan’s influence on worldwide sports and culture as one of the most publicized and marketed athletes of all time. Naughton explains the circumstances in Jordan’s upbringing that gave him the ability to be a humungous star. This biography is examined by Kirkus Reviews. They describe Naughton’s biography: “Besides offering a solid chronological biography and record of Michael Jordan’s basketball career, here Naughton also gives an astute assessment of this superstar’s impact on society.” (“Taking to the Air”) The article in the Kirkus Review explains that this biography investigates Jordan’s impact on marketing while telling the story of his life. Like Kirkus Reviews, I too believe that Naughton’s work goes into great description about Jordan’s upbringing and later career while also examining his cultural impact. Throughout his life, Michael Jordan has topped the sports and entertainment worlds by becoming the greatest basketball pl...
Kevin Durant was right up in LeBron James’ face, guarding him the best he could. Ten seconds left now as LeBron starts to drive. Kevin stays right on him and forces an off balance shot and snacthed the rebound. Five seconds left as Durant pounds the ball up the court with LeBron hot on his tail. Three seconds left now as Durant starts to pull up for a mid-range jumper. One second left and Kevin Durant is at the highest point of his jump. He smoothly releases the ball but, out of no where LeBron blocks the shot crisply from behind as the buzzer sounds. They were heading to overtime. There are many things that you can compare and contrast on LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who are arguably the two best players in the NBA.
First, we will celebrate LeBron James’s accomplishments in the NBA. There are over 400 players in the NBA. These players are on the battlefield, fighting day after day because they all know only one can become the Most Valuable Player. LeBron James rose above all, claiming the MVP award, not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 times. Not only is LeBron James an MVP, but he is also a 13-time All-Star player. LeBron James garnered enough votes from the fans, the players, and the media to become an All-Star like a presidential candidate getting enough votes from the voters to become the President.
Due to the mark Michael Jordan has left on the world as the “G.O.A.T.”, it will be very difficult for any player to surpass his legacy. Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James all have similarities of Michael Jordan but, out of all three players James is the closest. LeBron has the most similarities and the potential to surpass Michael Jordan’s legacy with his personality, stats and he popularity on and off the court. Even though James has the potential to surpass his legacy, there is still a very long journey ahead of James if he ever wants to be considered the “G.O.A.T.”.