About this user
I admire the game of basketball for what it is. A game where fundamentals and team execution go hand in hand like poetry in motion. Where heart and skill must surpass great physical attributes. A game that can be mastered from all angles on the floor, whether it be along the perimeter, or inside the paint. I admire players who can perform the most basic of plays in the most advanced ways. Here are the best players in the NBA.
Top 5 Current NBA Players
1. Kobe Bryant
2. Lebron James
3. Dwayne Wade
4. Chris Paul
5. Dirk Nowitzki
With his 4th Championship win and first Finals MVP added to his already illustrious NBA resume, Kobe Bryant has made his move to the top10 of all time, now in a virtual tie between the Dream and Shaq. Should Kobe win another Ring and Finals MVP as well as cap a well-polished regular season, he can leap frog to the number 7 spot in a virtual tie with Tim Duncan.
Top 10 All-Time NBA Players
1. Michael Jordan
2. Magic Johnson
3. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
4. Wilt Chamberlain
5. Bill Russell
6. Larry Bird
7.Tim Duncan
8. Shaquille O'Neal
9. Hakeem Olajuwon
10.. Kobe Bryant
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11. Oscar Robertson
Lebron is putting up numbers comparable to Oscar Robertson. Another similar number is 1 championship over his entire career. Lebron has yet to meet Oscar in that regard.
Lebronism - A common belief shared among Lebron James' fan base that he is "The Chosen One" and carried the Cleveland Cavaliers throughout all their success as a single being, often heralded as "The King". Followers often blame the failures of that franchise to be anyone's doing other than Lebron's, who is viewed as the flawless martyr in any monumental meltdown the team undergoes.
Lebroffense - An offense that consists of Lebron James burning the shot clock via running isolation plays from the top of the 3pt arc. This offense is easy to predict and severely limits what teammates can do, but the success rate can range from 40-50%, by either getting fouled, taking an uncontested jumper, or making a pass late in the shot clock. Consistent use of this offense can leave teammates flat-footed, similar to the offense ran by Allen Iverson. To see examples of Lebroffense, see "Cleveland vs Orlando".
The 08-09 Cleveland Cavaliers, a 66-win team were considered a premier title contender halfway into the season, slaughtering their opposition by averaging a 10+point margin in wins. They drew comparisons to the '98 Bulls for their perfect combination of offense and defense, all while being led by the efficient play by Lebron James, who deserved nothing short of an MVP. Mo Williams, Delonte West, and a healthy Big Z proved to be valuable assets alongside Lebron heading into the playoffs, expectations were high. They capped off a season with a home record comparable to the '86 Celtics, there seemed to be nothing standing in the way of these Cavaliers. Then came the Eastern Conference Finals. The Orlando Magic pulled a rabbit out of a hat by taking Game 1, and as the old saying goes, "everyone has a plan until they get hit". Lebron got hit, and suddenly a switch set him in panic mode, as he began dominating the ball seemingly every time he was in the game. There were moments when the ball was moving and their shooters were getting great looks the Cavs made up huge deficits, but then they were overshadowed by Lebron's shot-clock eating possessions where he would attempt to take the game by himself possession by possession. The stats lie. Lebron James lost trust in his team and truly believed he could take matters into his own hands, and instead wound up dismantling a 66-win team on the verge of being one of history's finest teams lead by arguably one of the best in the game. He lost for his team, again. The guy has mighty shoulders to bear burden, yet seems to rarely have to do so. He will be remember in this series as the martyr, the one who tried but didn't have the people around him to push the team over the top. The fact of the matter is it was Lebron himself who shied away from what made the Cavaliers great, by freezing his once trusted teammates out of the offense for an ego-inflating tear.
