April 25, 2024

Who is Better, MJ or LeBron?

I have seen both Michael and LeBron play live and countless times on TV. Yes I was even the moron who watched LeBron play in a televised ESPN2 high school game at famed Pauley Pavilion. In that game LeBron should have received at least three offensive fouls, but he scored 21 points on 8-24 shooting while leading St Vincents to a victory over the then #4 in the country Mater Dei. I said then to a couple of hoopaholics that this phenom out of HS would never be a true force in the NBA. This was the final year HS players could come out and apply for the NBA draft. LeBron went #1 overall to the Cavs which I found hard to believe because Carmelo just won a National Title at Syracuse and went #3 and going #4 and #5 were Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.

Well fast forward a few years and LeBron just held the MVP of the NBA to 6% shooting when he guarded him in the 2011 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. 6’8″ LeBron can play all five positions if need be. Could MJ do that? LeBron is a monster at his size and I have to believe MJ would have major issues checking him if they went head-to-head.

I know MJ has six rings, but they were in a completely different era. LeBron is the most dominating player I have ever seen and I saw Wilt, Kareem, Jerry West, Magic and Larry in person too.

Just a Bit Outside

The Cleveland Indians have the best record in baseball with their 13th straight home win after the first month of the 2011 MLB season. Bob Uecker and the gang would be very proud! No Manny, CC or even a Jobu, but the team which lost 93 games in 2010 looks like they could be for real. Timely hitting and exceptional pitching have catapulted the Tribe into the most dangerous team in all of baseball entering the month of May. What has changed? The AL Central is the worst division in baseball right now and their closest pursuer and only other team over .500 is Kansas City so that pretty much says it all.

Cleveland starts May with a west coast swing against the Angels and A’s and then come home to face the red hot Tampa Rays so it will be interesting to see if the Indians can keep up their fast start.

Bikini Wax

Those famous words were uttered by Gary McCord 16 years ago in reference to what might have been used on the greens at The Masters. After a letter to Augusta National management by Tom Watson and complaints from viewers McCord was let go. The tradition and mystique is deep and it’s that time a year again when everyone focuses on Augusta and The Masters for the next four days. Below are my thoughts on the top four golfers to watch. Enjoy folks!

KJ Choi

Miguel Angel Jimenez

Rickie Fowler

Tiger Woods

Each of these golfers will finish in the Top 20 and one of them will be sporting the Green Jacket at the end of the weekend.

Play Ball!!

First off I would like to congratulate the founder of this site Stonecoldjz on the birth of his first child.

The Opening Day of MLB is here. Here are my projections for the Playoffs and the World Series.

NL East: Atlanta

NL Central: Milwaukee

NL West: Colorado

NL Wild Card: Philadelphia

NL Pennant Winner: Colorado – NL MVP Ryan Braun – CY Roy Halladay

AL East: Boston

Al Central: Detroit

Al West: LA Angels

Wild Card: Oakland

Al Pennant Winner: Boston

World Series Winner: Boston – AL MVP Robinson Cano,  CY Jon Lester

Boston has spent their money wisely and have both the pitching and the hitting to again win the whole banana. Colorado learned that losing their last 8 games in 2010 to get knocked out of the Playoffs hurt like hell and have loaded up with pitching to compliment their awesome hitting.

Oh my “I cant believe their still in the hunt” teams are Baltimore from the AL and the NY Mets from the NL.

It is spring and that means baseball is here so enjoy the season.

The Big Least is Turrrrable!

Can we all agree that the Big East heading into this NCAA tourney was overrated? The NCAA Committee should finally understand that there are other teams that can ball and can make waves in the tournament besides the Big East. Even Charles Barkley acknowledged at the beginning of the tournament that the Big East would not do well. He continued to trash the Big East right in front of his studio partner Rick Pitino after Louisville was bounced by Morehead State.

Out of the eleven teams from the Big Least that made the Big Dance UConn and Marquette are the only two left.  All the big names including Pitt, Notre Dame, and Syracuse have all gone fishing. VCU is a team that almost everyone had a problem making the tournament and all they have done is blow out USC, Georgetown and Purdue on their way to the Sweet Sixteen. In the future let more teams like Harvard, Wichita State and Colorado in the tournament because they have just as could a chance of producing some March magic.

Lew is the Largest Legend

Lew Alcindor aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played three seasons for the UCLA Bruins from 1966–69 under coach John Wooden. During his freshman year when Lew wasn’t allowed to play he and his teammates would beat the National Champions on a daily basis in a practice.  Alcindor went 88-2 over his three seasons with the Bruins and was the most dominating force ever seen.

During his college career, Alcindor was twice named Player of the Year (1967, 1969), was a three-time First Team All-American (1967–69), played on three NCAA basketball champion teams (1967, 1968, 1969), was honored as the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament (1967, 1968, 1969), and became the first-ever Naismith College Player of the Year in 1969.

Lew Alcindor changed the game and when he became a pro the NCAA decided to not allow dunking. When the NCAA decides to change rules based on one man you know he must be the greatest of all-time.

Lew Alcindor is the #1 college basketball player of all-time.

Premier Pistol Pete

Pete Maravich was arguably the most exciting college basketball player in history to watch. Not only are his accomplishments still NCAA records to this day, but the way he played with reckless abandon started a revolution of how to have fun while competing.

Check out these accomplishments:

  • Holds NCAA career record for most points (3,667, 44.2 ppg, three-year career) in 83 games
  • Averaged 44.5 points in 1970, 44.2 points in 1969 and 43.8 points in 1968.
  • Scored 69 points vs. Alabama, Feb. 7, 1970.
  • Unanimous first-team All-American in 1968, 1969, 1970.
  • Naismith Award winner in 1970.
  • Holds NCAA career record for highest points per game average (44.2 ppg)

Pete Maravich is the #2 college basketball player of all-time.

David Skywalker Thompson

David Thompson was nicknamed “Skywalker” due to his remarkable 48″ vertical leap. Thompson invented the alley-oop pass, which has become the norm in today’s above-the-rim game. Thompson played basketball while the slam dunk was outlawed by the “Lew Alcindor” rule. In 1974 Thompson and the Wolfpack shocked the UCLA Bruins in the Final Four and went on to win the NCAA title by defeating Marquette 76-64.

David Thompson is the #3 college basketball player of all-time.

Bill Walton The Big Red-Head

Born in California,  Walton played for the United States men’s national basketball team at the 1970 FIBA World Championship. John Wooden recruited Bill and he played for UCLA from 1971 to 1974. Walton won the national title in 1972 over Florida State and then again in 1973 with a 87–66 win over Memphis State. In the championship game Bill made 21-of-22 field goal attempts and scored 44 points.

Don’t forget Walton was part of two consecutive 30–0 seasons and an NCAA men’s basketball record 88-game winning streak.

Bill Walton is the #4 college basketball player of all-time.

The ‘NBA Logo’ Jerry West

Due to his consistent mid-range jumper and excellent scoring average in high school Jerry West became a highly recruited player heading into college. West ultimately chose to stay close to home and attend West Virginia University. During the 1958-59 season under head coach Fred Schaus Jerry West led the Moutaineers to the National Championship game. West was an All-American that averaged 26.6 points-per-game and 12.1 rebounds during that illustrious season. He averaged an astonishing 32 ppg during the tournament, but in the final game West Virginia lost 71-70 to California. Because of Jerry’s performance during the tournament he was selected as the MVP.

In the 1959–60 season West’s final collegiate season he averaged 29.3 points-per-game and 16.5 rebounds. He was selected as an All-American again and attained 30 double-doubles and fifteen 30-point games that year.

Jerry West is the #5 college basketball player of all-time.