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.
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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...
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... 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
It was not until the year 2002 that the NBA was able to find someone to match Jordan’s dazzling acrobatic style of play. His name is Lebron James. Lebron, who plays shooting guard and small forward, stands at an athletic six-eight. James, however, never played in the NCAA. He was drafted straight out of high school in the 2003-04 season, by the Cleveland Cavaliers. James is already on the road to success by achieving co-rookie of the year, and he appeared in the Olympics. James is expected to be a champion, but he may not have what it takes to become a real champion such as Michael Jordan was. Before Jordan or James can be categorized as a champion, they have to be able to handle pressure, fame, and maintain a positive relationship with their team. When comparing Jordan and James’ clutch capabilities, or their ab...
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.
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
Although unlike LeBron in many ways, his presence was similar off the court. Rhoden held the belief that Michael Jordan managed to actually transcend race. This is true. Rhoden believed that Michael Jordan had the opportunity to change the world for the black man, and specifically the black athlete. But that was not the person Jordan wanted to be. Rhoden is hypocritical for pawning off the “one-on-one” idea of not being a team player but then shuns Jordan for clearly choosing that route. It is true Jordan could have created change, but he put his personal goals and ambitions first. Rhoden details the way that Jordan put himself first in order to keep his image and brand separated from the racial politics of the time period. This may be controversial, and he may not like it, but the fact of the matter is, Jordan’s life challenges Rhoden 's fundamental argument. Superior black athletes do go one-on-one on and off the court. Not because white people created and perpetuated the image, but because they have good reasons to do
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.
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,...
Kobe Bryant has had quite a substantial effect on the NBA throughout his illustrious career .He came into the league as a renowned high school player and thanks to him being drafted by a big franchise in a big city (Los Angeles Lakers) and having a superstar often compared to superman to mentor him (Shaquille O’Neal) Kobe would eventually evolve into a superstar forever remembered in NBA history due to his prolific scoring, competitive spirit and ability to perform under pressure. There is no denying Kobe’s status as a legend however, simply put, LeBron has achieved as much Kobe did when he was Lebron’s current age (Lebron is six years younger) and he excelled where Kobe failed to succeed. LeBron didn’t have a mentor to back him up, he didn’t have a big market to support him financially, but that didn’t stop him from bringing his mediocre teams and himself to greatness. Kobe may be a fierce competitor however, he achieved this feat at the expense of his teammates respect for him while LeBron on the other hand, is competitive while still being a great teammate. To conclude, due to the fact LeBron paralleled Kobe’s strength and exceeded where Kobe was weak , he is a more impactful player of this era than Kobe Bryant
When you think of the greatest NBA players ever, who do you think of? Most likely you thought of players such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, or Charles Barkley. But, one name surpasses all others when it comes to NBA greats, that name is Michael Jordan. That recognition doesn’t come with just being a good player, you have to be able to prove it and Michael Jordan’s six NBA championships and his 5 MVP’s for certain just helps his case of being the best player of all time all that much more.
It is not very often that one person can change someone else’s life by telling a story of his or her own. Michael “Air” Jordan makes that happen. Michael played an important role in changing how people viewed great basketball and strong, hard-working athletes. Michael’s life explains to the world, how with just a little drive, great achievements can be made.
Can you imagine playing the game of basketball without a three point line? Basketball has constantly changed throughout history and continues to change today. The National Basketball Association has risen in popularity and is now one of America’s most popular sports. Because basketball continues to be a popular sport, a fan should learn about the origin of the NBA, how the game evolved from the late 1940s to the early two thousands, and how the players today impact the way it is played.
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.
Wayne Gretzky played 1487 games scored 894 goals and assisted on 1963 goals for a total of 2857 points. Lemieux played 915 games scored 690 goals and assisted on 1033 goals for a total of 1723 points. These numbers are elite and some of the best all time in hockey. Although the total numbers may seem to favor Gretzky when points are divided by games played, the average points per game played are similar. Lemieux with 1.88 and Gretzky at 1.92 average points per a game played. A point per game for current players is considered elite. Gretzky had a relatively healthy career missing far fewer games, while Lemieux battled back injuries, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and eventually retired due to an irregular heartbeat. Had Lemieux been healthier and played more games the points per game shows he may have had similar total numbers to Gretzky. The style of power forward Lemieux played could have contributed to the back injury causing him to miss additional time. Yet still amazing numbers for a shortened career beset by injuries and illness. Considering where each player played during their career could affect how greatness is
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...
The National Basketball Associations, Golden State Warriors are approaching history. They are the number 1 ranked team in the league and the quest for winning a record 73 games is well within reach. The keys they play by have helped them be the success they are. The consistent 3 point shooting threat has left many shaking their heads in disbelief. Always making the extra pass has allowed them to strive on and off the ball. Most importantly teamwork both on offense and defense has led them to be ranked among the league’s best in both. As long as the Golden State Warriors keep shooting the three point shot the way they have been, along with great passing and teamwork they will pass the record held by the 1995-1996 Michael Jordan led Chicago bulls team.
How do you measure the greatness of the two biggest NBA superstars of all time? Michael Jordan is significantly known for being the ultimate basketball player in NBA history. However, LeBron James is considered one of the top basketball players in the NBA now. There inspiring leadership and unbelievable talent on the court makes it hard for us to choose a winner. James is continuously breaking NBA history, but Jordan's mighty legacy is considered unbreakable. Why can't both exceptional players be valued and appreciated, rather than compared?