I didn't know that, but it goes to the point. He played both ends of the court very well.

Nope.

Also, the only 40 year old player to ever score over 40 points in a game.

My guess would be Kareem.

>>My guess would be Kareem. [/B][/QUOTE]


Nope.

JW. 32.

Bingo!

Jordan is the only 40 year old to ever score 40 or more in an NBA game. He did it about a month ago.

I thought you guys meant besides Michael. Sorry.

BTW - Mikan won three consecutive championships playing in a different pro league each season!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mark Padgett
[B][QUOTE]Originally posted by BktBallRef
[B][QUOTE]Originally posted by Mark Padgett

Quote:

Originally posted by BktBallRef BTW - Mikan won three consecutive championships playing in a different pro league each season!

Here's a look at Mikan's stats compared to Moses Malone (who isn't even mentioned as a candidate for all time best:

Malone:
G FG% FT% Rebs RPG Asts APG Stls Blks Pts
1,329 .491 .769 16,212 12.2 1,796 1.4 1,089 1,733 27,409
PPG
20.6

Mikan:
G FG% FT% Rebs RPG Asts APG Pts PPG
439 .404 .782 4,167 9.5 1,245 2.8 10,156 23.1

Imagine if you looked at the stats PG for Moses just
from his nine or so prime seasons.

http://www.nba.com/history/players/malonem_summary.html

http://www.nba.com/history/players/mikan_summary.html

You know I never saw Mikan play, and I'll freely admit he
was the man in his era, but I can't imagine the guy in this
photo taking it to Shaq, Yao, or Moses for that matter:

http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/Mikan.htm

Mine too, b/c he's the one that Robert Parrish clubbed to the floor. And he deserved it, too! :)

I agree that he deserved it. You must admit.. those Pistons changed the way the game is played. (not saying that it was for the better, however)

Notice that George usually averaged at least 7 or 8 ppg higher than the runner up in his league. That type of spread is why I feel he was the greatest. Could he (assuming you could get a time machine) in his prime compete with today's top centers. Probably not, but that wasn't my point. My point is that when you compare players of different eras, in order to have an apples to apples comparison, it is fair to judge them against their peers and see the gap between them and the next best player of their era.

Yeah, before they came along, you hardly ever heard the words "flagrant foul"... :D

"it is fair to judge them against their peers and see the gap between them and the next best player of their era."

Or it shows there weren't very many good players in his era.... I mean, his career FG% was just over 40%, and compared to MJ, Moses, K. Malone, Stockton, Kareem, Rodman :-), etc. he had a very short career. What would his
PG stats have looked like if he played until he was 40?

Again, Jordan lead the NBA in scoring 4 or 5 times after
he turned 30, while leading so-so teams to championships. No one else in any era is even close in that regard. Again, West is the only other player to ever do it, and he only did it once.