Each year, the NBA playoffs produce memorable moments.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: When the stakes were highest, "Zeke" and "MJ" answered the bell- who was better?

The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls were arguably the best team in NBA history, led by arguably the greatest player in NBA history.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: The accomplishments of the 1995-96 Bulls only get more amazing as time passes.

17 years ago tonight, the Bulls defeated the Bullets 103-93 to finish the season with a 72-10 record and .878 winning percentage, which eclipsed the NBA record set by 1972 Lakers, who went 69-13 for an .841 percentage. The victory over Washington earned Chicago their 33rd road victory, the most ever in a season by an NBA team.

Chicago was ridiculously hot all year and consistent throughout. The Bulls finished the month of November with a 12-2 record but improved in each of the next two months, going 13-1 in December and 14-0 in January, running their record to 39-3 after three months. In February, the Bulls ran their record to 41-3 and became the fastest NBA team to 41 wins, again besting the '71-72 Lakers previous record.

After the incredible regular season, CHI didn't cool off, going 15-3 in the playoffs for a combined total record of 87-13. The Supersonics won three of those 13 games, while the Indiana Pacers were the only other team to beat them more than once that season, winning two games in the regular season by a total of five points.

During the same victory over Washington 17 years ago, Michael Jordan set an NBA record by winning his eighth NBA scoring title (breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record of seven) after accumulating 2,491 points in 82 games for a 30.4 ppg average. The 30+ ppg average was the last time Jordan would score 30+ points per game. And of the eight seasons he did score 30+, 30.4 was the second lowest- how many guys would KILL for a season like that? 

Another interesting piece of statistical information for you about MJ. Entering '95-'96, Jordan had made 303 of 987 attempts from beyond the arc in 10 seasons, hitting them .306% of the time.

In his 11th season, MJ hit 111 of 260, hitting treys at a clip of .427%, tied with Hubert Davis for 10th best percentage in the league.

It goes to show you why Jordan was great- even though he was the best ever, even already at that point, he worked on his weak areas until they were strengths.

With that kind of leadership and talent, it's no wonder why that Bulls had the success they did.

The NBA playoffs are when we separate the good from the great.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: When the pressure is on, who stepped up and scored the most for his team, when it mattered the most?

Michael Jordan accused of stealing Bow Wow's Iverson kicks and we believe it's true.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Knowing MJ's intense competitive spirit Bow Wow's story of theft makes sense.

The best basketball player on the planet is selling more shoes than any other player on the planet.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: The only shoe salesman LBJ can't touch is "His Airness", Michael Jordan.

Recently, I noticed that fans are questioning if Michael Jordan played in a watered down era. The question has been posed time and time again. I do not understand why it gets brought up in the first place. Seriously? WTF? Dude. Stop it. I bet the question came up as a statement when Jordan was dominating the NBA. I would not be surprised if it came from an old timer during Bill Russell’s era. I am shaking my head at this garbage. Today, the question became a meme. Are you trying to discredit Michael with the question? 

Who said that Derrick Rose’s Chicago Bulls were one player away from winning the title? Anyone saying this over and over again is wrong. What makes you think this? What makes you feel this? The Bulls lack a quality shooting guard. That is true, but that does not make them just one player away. When was the last time this was said about another team? Did LeBron in Cleveland need one more player? What about Dirk’s team or Kobe when the Lakers got Pau?

Oh, to be the G.O.A.T. With enough money in the bank that his son can burn through $50K in one day in Vegas without flinching, it's not particularly surprising to see Mike drop a huge wad of cash on property. This time, it's being reported that Michael Jordan has spent some $12,400,000 on a new house situated in a super-exclusive golf development owned by Jack Nicklaus.

Even with waterfront homes still available for sale, Money opted for something a little more secluded, copping what is believed to be the most expensive spot in the development without direct access to the water. The property also includes a guard house, a guest house and a pool house, all of which is spread over a sprawling 28,000 square feet in sunny Jupiter, Florida. While Jordan's initial financial commitment totals $12.4 million ($4.8 million for the land and a further $7.6 million for the construction), it's expected that he'll have ploughed a cool $20 million into the home when all is said and done.

If Mike's looking for some competition on the links, he may ring the doorbell of neighbor and friend Tiger Woods, who snapped up three adjacent properties on the development to create his own megahome.

Kobe's ultimate competition is MJ. That's why MJ watches him. MJ made people think what he was doing wasn't human. Ditto the Kobester.I never said Kobe was better than MJ. MJ just told me Kobe's the only one to have done the work, to deserve comparison.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Michael Jordan thinks Kobe Bryant is worthy. Well, sort of.

Jordan, 'The Greatest of All-Time', thinks Bryant, a legendary scorer, can challenge his legacy because of his work ethic.

This is fair. Bryant is already one of the greatest players in NBA history, but he's not better than Jordan.

Jordan has six championships to Bryant's five. Jordan never lost an NBA Finals, while Bryant lost twice. And Jordan would never have chased Shaquille O'Neal out of town like Bryant did.

Of course, Jordan didn't call Bryant his equal. He said he can be compared -and that's it.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below. 

While the tweet disappeared fairly quickly, it was online long enough for us to get a little insight to the life of Michael Jordan's son. Marcus Jordan, a 6'3" guard for the University of Central Florida, may not have inherited his father's otherworldly talents, but the ability to burn through stacks of cash in Sin City certainly seems to be genetic. A tweet recently posted by the twenty-year-old Son of G.O.A.T. revealed that he dropped a cool $35K in a Vegas nightclub called Haze, and a total $50K over the course of the day. Here's a screenshot of the tweet:

The NFL lockout is over. If you’re an NBA fan, sucks to be one right now. If you’re also an NFL fan, it’s a great time. Right now, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant are hamming it up in the Phillippines. The highlights of their All Star game are up on Youtube. The quality is bad since the broadcast was on a stream, but you get the gist of it. Did Kobe travel on that lob pass to Rose? Yep, he sure did. Who cares though. I didn’t.

One thing I often hear in regards to Michael Jordan is how the numbers he put up in his final season were done at the expense of his team, the Washington Wizards. That Jordan was old and looked it, hanging on just long enough to average 20 ppg. That it was a shtick because he was a part owner and head of the Wizards basketball operations. And finally, that it was an ego driven move that no one other than Jordan benefited from.

2K Sports has introduced NBA 2K12 to the world. People were questioning if Michael Jordan was going to be back. Have no fear. He’s back bringing along Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Each one has their own respective covers. It’s great to have the greats of the golden era represent the game, but it’s pathetic to know that the stars of today cannot sell the game. Terrible. Yet, 2K should not use these three figure heads to cover up weaknesses of past incarnations. That would be pathetic, too.

The readers have spoken! Of all the comments and emails I received the following four names kept coming up, repeatedly. And can anyone say that any of these dunkers are really a surprise?

Read parts one, two and three of this series here. In ranking these champions, I want to completely exclude their overall skill as basketball players, and focus solely on their ability to dunk the basketball. Also, I think era in which they were dunking in is very significant, as is height. With those parameters laid out, let me throw the second five names at you, in no particular order. Of these five, I will rank them by reader comments via Hoopsvibe.com, Facebook and private emails.

No. This is not an attempt to compare any of these guys to Michael Jordan. Nope. That has been beaten, raped, and pillaged to hell and back. This is more of an examination of the talent today that might have a chance to reach Jordan’s status. They are obviously not him and will not surpass him either. The goal is ridiculous anyway. However, getting close to Jordan is possible. It’s not out of the question. 

There is a possibility that this might happen. Right now, things look grim. People are trying to remain hopeful. This is not a doom piece, but I usually go about expecting the worst out of everything. That’s life because when things go right, there is nothing to complain about. With that in mind, let’s pretend that the season is done. It’s over. Now what? The last lockout back in 1998 had the NBA miss 32 games. The league lost a lot of fans. 

We are back to what the NBA was when Michael Jordan retired for the first time in 1993. There is no true ultimate dominator in this league who is head and shoulders above everyone. Remember that time? Malone, Stockton, Olajuwon, Shaq, Kidd, Miller, Barkley, Richmond, Pippen, Payton, and more became prominent when Jordan left. As of 2011, there is no one head and shoulders above anyone. We can make arguments for a few select, but they each have flaws whether it’s getting old, shrinking up, or whatever. 

No Boston Celtic made the final three to determine the best player according to the criteria. Cheer up Celtic fan, Magic Johnson did not make it either. Even though Kareem is bitter as hell, Wilt is resting, and Jordan is enjoying people rip on his outfits, they all have a good case to be the ultimate NBA player. Hold up. Magic and Bird did not make it despite dominating the 1980s? Yep, you got it. There was no joking around when the GOAT requirements were made.  

Chris Paul via twitter: Happy for my brother @KingJames and sis @SavannahRB on their engagement!!! Extremely happy for them and the good times to come #HappyNewYearSun Jan 01 06:06:50 via UberSocial for BlackBerry.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: He isn't worried by Kobe Bryant's pending divorce. And Kris Humphries' sham marriage and current status as the NBA's 'MHP' (most hated player) doesn't phase him, either.

The twitter world is abuzz because Miami Heat superstar LeBron James finally proposed to long-time girlfriend Savannah Brinson over the weekend.

Perhaps James was inspired by Michael Jordan, who got engaged last week to his Cuban model girlfriend Yvette Prieto.  Perhaps not.

So, will James and Brinson's union end in tears and tabloid covers or will these two live happily ever after? Let HoopsVibe News know your thoughts in the comment box below.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Derrick Rose is officially the youngest NBA MVP for anyone living in a cave kicking it with John Rambo. He earned it at 22 years old. Leading the team to the number one record is a tall order for anyone. The 2010-2011 season is historic mainly because of this. Basketball fans witnessed something amazing that we will not see again from any 22 year old NBA player. It was fun to see all of the games on DirecTV. Chicago’s offense and the opposing team’s defensive game plans truly revolved around the Poohdini of the Hardwood.

Charlotte Bobcats majority owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan got engaged on Christmas, a Jordan spokeswoman first confirmed to WCNC Thursday afternoon.Several celebrity gossip websites reported MJ proposed to longtime girlfriend Yvette Prieto recently.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Millions of men are wanting to ‘Be Like Mike’ -and not because of basketball.  

Michael Jordan - global icon, Hall of Fame basketball player, and owner of the Charlotte Bobcats - is engaged to his longtime girlfriend, an international supermodel.

Jordan and his bride-to-be, Yvette Prieto, have been dating for years, so this won’t be a 72- day marriage involving nude yoga sessions, made for TV weddings, covers of tabloids, and a certain power forward on the New Jersey Nets who is now the most hated player in the NBA.

--Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The Chicago Bulls becoming the number one team, record wise, reveals a quantum leap this season and ramifications for the future. Not many people are examining the Bulls massive improvements – they practically flew over the Atlantic Ocean without breaking a sweat. Imagine predicting that the Bulls would be the number one team with the best defense before the season started. Imagine that. People laugh, mock, wants some weed that you smoked, and then label you a Bulls homer. That is why some of us should say, “We’ll see.”

Retirement may be dull for some folks, but life doesn't look too bad for Michael Jordan right now.  Not only is the GOAT free to roam the world in search of sun, sea and golf, but he has a pretty pleasant situation at home in Miami.  Throw in a gorgeous girlfriend in Yvette Prieto and a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and MJ is the envy of most men on the planet.  

What’s going on? Derrick Rose is not officially anointed as the 2010-2011 NBA MVP, but people are coming out from the woodwork to get vocal. They banded together to try to prevent him from getting the award. It just seems that way, which is hilarious. I do not know what the huge deal is. What is the problem? A lot of people are up in arms about this. I have to figure this out. Writers and basketball purists are getting emotional over this. I have to explore the reasoning behind the hate. 

Michael Jordan and his wife, Juanita divorced after 17 years of marriage.

"They will break the single-season win record [of 72],'' Jeff Van Gundy said. "And I think they have a legit shot at the Lakers' 33-game [winning] streak [in 1971-72], as well. And only the Lakers have even a remote shot at beating them in a playoff series. They will never lose two games in a row this year.” A long time friend brought to my attention regarding this comment about Dwyane Wade’s Miami Heat. I’ve caught this awhile back and needed time to ponder about such a notion. You guys do realize that in order to break the record, the team can only lose nine games, right? Count that again – 9 games. Seriously.

Michael Jordan’s franchise is stuck in a perpetual motion of doom. Defensively, the Bobcats are great. Overall, they are a mess with lottery picks given away in trades. Do they want a point guard or a center? Why not try to get both? The Bobcats never had a superstar. They were hoping that Emeka Okafor would become that guy, but that did not work out. They’re stuck with a team that is somewhat formulated just like the Detroit Pistons of 2004 considering that Larry Brown is there. Unfortunately, the team is not as good as Detroit.

Michael Jordan officially retired back in 1998. The Washington Wizards comeback does not count because there was a ghost in the shell controlling his aging body during the time. With the nth epic battle between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals and the mega 2010 Free Agent class signings shortly thereafter, one has to wonder how the MJ shadow became grand and legendary. It’s just frightening how massive this shadow has grown in the shape of a Jump Man.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Before his broadcasting days and before he took over as GM of the Phoenix Suns, Steve Kerr was the sharpshooter who played next to Michael Jordan. 

Here’s a video of Kerr describing his first impressions of Jordan. As usual, watch the video and get at us with thoughts in the comment box below.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Metta World Peace, as the former St. John's star is now known, has been throwing out ideas on Twitter recently as the labor battle between owners and players continues to rage on with no end in sight. Metta - or do we call him World Peace on second reference? - challenged Michael Jordan to a game of one-on-one Tuesday with the fate of the two sides resting in the balance. Michael Jordan I challenge you I'll spot you 20 and a bag of cheetos If I win end lockout Keep the cheetos" he tweeted.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It doesn’t matter how it ends. It only matters that it does end.

If it takes Ron Artest beating Michael Jordan in one-on-one to end the NBA’s five-month old lockout, so be it. The fact that Artest wants to throw in a bag of cheetos is irrelevant.

Something else is worth noting: Jordan is a target.

The shine has come off ‘His Airness’ since he took such a hardline as owner of the Charlotte Bobcats during negotiations.

Not long ago, Jordan the player was rather direct when telling former Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin that he shouldn’t own a team if he can’t make money or turn a profit.

Jordan, of course, has gone against his word. Expect the backlash to continue after the Collective Bargaining Agreement is settled.

Got thoughts? Well get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

It’s official. LeBron James is a free agent. He’s up for grabs. People were waiting to exhale. Don’t exhale just yet until the first week of July. The Boston Celtics has eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers from the second round in a disastrous series.

A group of between 10 and 14 owners, led by Michael Jordan, is promising to oppose any deal that gives players more than 50 percent of revenue. This group of owners wants the players' share of BRI not to exceed 47 percent and was upset when the NBA proposed a 50-50 split.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The Jordan Rules live on.

Years ago, Sam Smith, the legendary beat writer for the Chicago Bulls, wrote a best-selling book called The Jordan Rules, detailing how Michael Jordan was, a hypocrite.

Yes, he was the greatest ever. And yes, he was the most recognized person in the world.

He had flaws, though. According to Smith, Jordan worried more about scoring than winning, struggled with teammates, and operated by his rules.

Smith’s view was reinforced during the lockout of 1998 when Jordan told Washington Wizards’ owner Abe Pollin to sell his team if he can’t profit.

Of course, Jordan became an owner a few years later -with Pollin’s Wizards, too!

Today, Jordan has a controlling share of the struggling Charlotte Bobcats. The man who told Pollin to sell if he can’t make money is the league’s greatest Hawk, refusing to compromise in negotiations.

Jordan is opposed to a 50-50 split of Basketball Related Income. He, and other small market owners, want a 53% share.

Why is Jordan such a hardliner? Like Pollin, he can’t profit.

However, Jordan the owner won’t listen to Jordan the player and sell. Different rules still exist when you're The Greatest of all Time.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Kobe stands up and goes face-to-face with me and says, “You always said you’re my big brother, you’d do anything for me, and then this Colorado thing happens and you never even called me.” I did call him. … So here we are now, and we find out he really was hurt that we didn’t stand behind him. That was something new. I didn’t think he gave a rat’s ass about us either way. “Well, I thought you’d publicly support me, at least,” Kobe said. “You’re supposed to be my friend.”

Brian Shaw chimed in with “Kobe, why would you think that? Shaq had all these parties and you never showed up for any of them. We invited you to dinner on the road and you didn’t come. Shaq invited you to his wedding and you weren’t there. Then you got married and didn’t invite any of us. And now you are in the middle of this problem, this sensitive situation, and now you want all of us to step up for you. We don’t even know you.” …

Everyone was starting to calm down when I told Kobe, “If you ever say anything like what you said to Jim Gray ever again, I will kill you.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The shocking part is that their World Wars didn’t erupt sooner and destroy the Los Angeles Lakers.

Pundits often debate how many championships Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal could’ve won if they worked together and pushed their egos to the side.

The argument is that Bryant and O’Neal, while capturing three consecutive Larry O’Brien trophies, should‘ve been far more successful.

They should've been Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen (six championships). Or, they should've been Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson (five championships).

Instead they have just three. I, however, have a different view: it‘s a miracle they won anything.

Sure, they were talented. At the time, O’Neal was as dominating a player to ever suit up in the NBA, while Bryant was coming into his own as a superstar. 

The excerpts from O’Neal’s upcoming book show just how dysfunctional those Lakers were, especially the highly toxic dynamic between Shaq and Kobe.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

"When I'm done playing, I don't want people to say, Michael Jordan is the best player. I want that to be me. That's how I am. That's how I was built."  And he's got some support in his opinion. "I feel like I'm better than him, anyway," he said. "My mom is going to say I'm better than him."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Jordan Crawford, I wish you luck. You’ll need it.

The Washington Wizards combo guard recently declared that he believes he can surpass the great Michael Jordan in basketball prowess.

Translation: he doesn’t want to Be Like Mike. He thinks he can Be Better Than Mike.

I’m all for ambition, however, Crawford’s statements are ludicrous, bizarre, and unattainable. There is one ‘MJ’. And Crawford, while talented and engaging, will never match the career of perhaps the greatest player of all time.

Worst of all, Crawford ignored the reporter, who gave him the opportunity to clarify his comments, and made things worse by continuing to boast.

Now the media will focus on Wizards` young and somewhat certifiable talent.

--Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

So we go back to the timeout and I’m [upset], right? He goes, ‘I was wide open.’ ‘Yeah, I know.’ This is how I’m talking to him, like, during the game. I said, ‘You’re going to be open again, Kwame, because Rasheed is just totally ignoring you.’ He said, ‘Well, if I’m open don’t throw it to me.’ I was like, ‘Huh?’ He said, ‘Don’t throw it to me.’ I said, ‘Why not?’ He said, well, ‘I’m nervous. If I catch it and they foul me, I won’t make the free throws.’ I said, ‘Hell no!’ “I go to Phil [Jackson], I say, ‘Hey Phil, take him out of the game.’ He’s like, ‘Nah, let him figure it out.’ So, we lose the game, I go the locker room, I’m steaming.  

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Has a top pick ever been such a punching bag?

Remember, Michael Jordan and Doug Collins selected Kwame Brown first overall with the Washington Wizards and quickly shattered his confidence.

Before bouncing around the league, Brown surfaced with the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant, from the sound of things, was shocked by Brown’s issues.

After all, the prep-to-pro post had all the physical tools: a strong physique, height, strength, and a wingspan.

Something was missing between the ears, though. For instance, who says don’t pass me the ball if I am open?

A professional, even a blue-collar specialist, should want the ball when to keep opposing defenses honest.

It’s no surprise the Lakers took off once they traded Brown, dropped Smush Parker, and upgraded their supporting cast.

O.Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The NBA fined Michael Jordan $100,000 for public comments he made last month about the lockout and one of the league's players, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Even Michael Jordan must keep quiet.

Jordan, perhaps the greatest player to ever grace an NBA floor, was fined for speaking about the lockout and Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut.

Of course, Jordan no longer plays. He owns the Charlotte Bobcats, one of the league’s have-not franchises that’s losing nassive sums of money.

As an owner, he’s not allowed to speak publicly about the labour strife. For this gaffe, Jordan was fined $100, 000.

Here’s the thing: His Airness needs help. Without a new collective bargaining agreement, the Bobcats won’t win games, make money, or shake off the apathy that’s killed the Charlotte market.      

So $100, 000 is nothing. It’s the cost of doing business, or the cost of stating the Bobcats’ reality.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
 

"I can't say so much ... but I know the owners are not going to move off what we feel is very necessary for us to get a deal in place where we can co-exist as partners. We need a lot of financial support throughout the league as well as revenue sharing to keep this business afloat. Jordan said small-market teams would benefit greatly from a "hard" salary cap, and it would allow clubs such as Milwaukee to plan a future on key players including the Australian centre.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It rings hollow.

Yesterday Bobcats owner Michael Jordan said have-not markets, like Charlotte, need a hard salary cap to compete with the have markets.

Jordan is right. If the NBA wants parity, they must level the playing field with an NFL style cap and revenue sharing.

This is one part of the story, though. Owners like Jordan need to think about how they’ve run their business, and can't just tell players to sacrifice.

Can Jordan honestly say he’s done everything possible to manage the Bobcats responsibly?

The answer is no. It has to be.

Jordan, who also serves as the team’s head of basketball operations, signed off on or traded for several poor contracts.
 
There are four albatrosses currently on the roster: Matt Carroll ($4 million per annum) , Boris Diaw ($8 million per annum), DeSagana Diop ($7 million per annum), and Corey Maggette ($10 million per annum).

Tyrus Thomas has yet to reach his potential, however, that didn’t prevent Jordan from handing him a 5-year, $40 million pact last summer.

Jordan also drafted Adam Morrison, who is out of the NBA, ahead of Rudy Gay, a terrific athlete and talented scorer for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Clearly, Jordan has overpaid players. This would be forgivable if he was working as hard as possible. This hasn’t been the case.

Before becoming majority owner, Jordan didn’t do nearly enough to manage the roster effectively or forge ties with local businesses and people.

He was often photographed partying at clubs … in Chicago, in Miami, in anywhere but Charlotte. He took time off to attend the Super Bowl.

There was little attempt to form partnerships with Charlotte area companies. And he wanted appearance fees for attending community events.

Word, of course, spread quickly. And Charlotte fans - who were burned before by the NBA and the Hornets - stayed away.

To be fair, things improved once Jordan bought majority control from former BET King Bob Johnson. He moved to Charlotte and put in the work.

Jordan still bears some blame for the Bobcats’ situation. He can't ask the players to compromise on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement without being prepared to make further changes to how he runs his team.

Right now, his stance on the hard cap is hypocritical. 

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

"When you think about the Olympics and the Dream Team, I have to throw it to you," Johnson said. "Kobe [Bryant] and them won by 22 points. Ehh, 22 points? We won by an average of 44 points. So when they want to step up to that, you tell them we'll be waiting on them."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Michael, Magic, and Larry or Kobe, LeBron, and D-Wade?

It's a tough question, however, most fans assume the 1992 'Dream Team' that cruised to gold in Barcelona, Spain was the greatest team ever.

Magic Johnson, the point guard for the first American side that allowed professionals to participate in the Olympics, has no problem saying so.

Johnson recently said that the ‘92 squad would handle the 2008 squad, known as 'Redeem Team', that captured gold at the Beijing Olympics in China.

Perhaps.

I don’t buy Johnson’s argument about point differential, though. The former Laker believes the 92 squad’s wide margin of victory solidifies their status as the greatest ever.

However, I do believe the ‘92 squad trumps the ‘08 squad because they handled a terrifically talented and inspired Croatian team in the gold medal game.

--Oly Sandor.

Dream Team or Redeem Team? Well, get at HoopsVibe News with thoughts in the comment box below.
 

But not many believed him, including Phil Jackson. When I asked the former Lakers coach last season which player Bryant wants to pass on the scoring list the most, Jackson replied without hesitation, "Michael Jordan."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The Pandora’s Box known as Kobe vs. Mike is once again open, courtesy of their former coach Phil Jackson.

'Zen-Master' Phil told the L.A. Times last season that Kobe Bryant, of the Lakers, desperately wants to pass Michael Jordan, the Hall of Fame guard with the Chicago Bulls, on the league's all-time scoring list.

Bryant's reason for setting this goal is obvious: he wants his legacy to be greater than Jordan's.

Forget the all-time scoring list. One statistic proves Bryant can never top Jordan. The 'Black Mamba' has lost twice in the NBA Finals, while 'His Airness' was a perfect 6-0 in the championship series.

When the chips were on-the-line, when it mattered most, nobody was greater than Jordan. This is beyond dispute and outweighs the all-time scoring list. 

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

“The one thing about basketball is it’s a global sport now, so you can play anywhere you want to.

“As far as myself, I just train. I just train and be prepared for anybody that calls, whether the NBA starts again or a team in Europe or a team here in China decides to call, then I’ll be ready…. (Kobe Bryant).

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: They both have their bluffs.

Right now, the NBA is locked-out, which means owners and players are doing anything and everything to gain leverage when negotiations begin.

Take the owners. They’re crying poor and claiming incredible losses. And they’re threatening to shut-down the season unless the players accept some form of a hard cap.

Will 30 billionaires really shut-down the NBA for 2011-12? Will they kill the momentum the league gained in 2010-11?

Well, this is the owners’ bluff. This is the card Commissioner Stern, Mark Cuban, and Michael Jordan have. Of course, the players have their bluff, too.

NBA superstars, like Kobe Bryant, are threatening to take their talent abroad. Possible destinations: Europe and China. Will Bryant, who is used to first-class treatment, really ride busses, stay in second-rate hotels, and deal with mediocre facilities just to prove a point?

Well, this is the players' bluff. Bryant and his brethren are making sure the owners know they have options. Even if those options don't appear especially attractive.

--Oly Sandor

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

“I would not characterize it as unfair because like I said, it happened to everyone. It happened to (Michael) Jordan when he went to Atlantic City to get away from the game. It happened to Barkley. It happened to (Dennis) Rodman. It happened to Magic (Johnson). It happens to everybody. If it just started this year I would call it unfair, but I’ve been in the game for 20 years and I’ve seen similar stories.” (Shaquille O'Neal on CNNSI podcast)

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Shaquille O’Neal has offered his first pearl of wisdom while gainfully employed as a TNT analyst.

‘The Big Broadcaster’ weighed-in on the scrutiny LeBron James faced after announcing he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers on national television last July.  

One the one hand, Shaq is right. Almost every superstar learned to win by losing. And almost every superstar faced a backlash for decisions on-or-off court.

On the other hand, Shaq is underestimating what James went through. Last season, he and the Miami Heat had a bulls-eye on their backs the size of, well, Shaq.

Yes, Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Charles Barkley, and Magic Johnson dealt with criticism. But no, it was nothing compared to the burnt jerseys, backstabbing, and letter from a former owner that were thrown James' way.

Of course, James dug his grave. He empowered friends who had little business being empowered. He isolated himself. And he, or his wrongfully empowered friends, approved The Decision and The Pre-Emptive Championship Party.

Rather than learn, change, and hire a PR firm, he spent the 2010-11 season fighting upstream against the media. And he seems determined to continue putting himself out there, regardless of the consequences.

Shaq’s first take on James is open to interpretation. He did, however, succeed in getting us to talk, debate, and discuss.

And isn’t that the job of a broadcaster?

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

“No. 1 to me, he’s a Hall of Famer,” Van Gundy said. “Idon’t care if you put him in as player, as a contributor or put him in with his own heading. This guy definitely gets in for the greatness as a player when healthy or what he did as ambassador.” He then added a thought he would repeat often.“People forget,” Van Gundy said, “just how good he was.”

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: He goes in as an ambassador –or not at all.

It's tempting to get caught-up and proclaim Yao Ming a Hall of Fame NBA player. After all, Yao is a nice fellow. His numbers were good. And for a very short time, he was the premier center in the NBA.

A pleasant demeanour, good statistics, and a short run as 'The Man in the Middle' doesn't mean Yao deserves basketball's greatest individual honour –at least as a player.

The crème de la crème of NBA players validate themselves by championships. Rings, more than individual statistics, are the measure of greatness.

This is fair. Unlike Major League Baseball, one NBA player can greatly influence a team. So team success is the best gauge of that player's impact.

Yao never won a championship. In fact, he never won a playoff round. Not one best-of- seven series.

Some Hall of Fame greats failed to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy. Charles Barkley at least made the NBA Finals. Karl Malone and John Stockton twice met Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls in the league's June extravaganza.

Barkley, Malone, and Stockton were the best at their position for a prolonged period. For instance, Barkley and Malone were Most Valuable Players; Stockton is still the league's all-time assists leader. Yao, injury or not, has no such achievement on his resume.

The Hall of Fame is exclusive. Coaches, players, fans and journalists shouldn't have to argue that a player deserves entry. The player's career should do that.

Yet, since word of his retirement broke, coaches, players, fans, and journalists have been arguing on behalf of Yao the player.

This is the greatest indicator that Yao is not a Hall of Fame player. 

He is, however, a Hall of Fame ambassador, functioning as the bridge between the NBA and the lucrative Chinese market. There's no disputing Yao's influence on the business of basketball.

For this, Yao the ambassador should have a place at the basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts -just not in the players' section.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Scottie Pippen, what have you done?

The greatest wing-man in NBA history has started drama with his ‘LeBron may be the greatest player' ever comment.

This, of course, is great for the media. Today, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the greatest total scorer in NBA history, wrote an open letter taking issue with Pippen's comments.

While this isn’t a caps-locked tirade ala Dan Gilbert post The Decision, Kareem’s open-letter reminds Pippen to consider what he says before saying it and to pay greater (there's that word again) homage to the league's elders.

Mr. Skyhook also has a not-so subtle reminder for Pippen at the end of the letter. Gee, think Kareem feels his great career has been underappreciated?

Read Kareem's letter and tell us if you agree or disagree in the comment box below.

Dear Scottie,

I have nothing but respect for you my friend as an athlete and knowledgeable basketball mind. But you are way off in your assessment of who is the greatest player of all time and the greatest scorer of all time. Your comments are off because of your limited perspective. You obviously never saw Wilt Chamberlain play who undoubtedly was the greatest scorer this game has ever known. When did MJ ever average 50.4 points per game plus 25.7 rebounds? (Wilt in the 1962 season when blocked shot statistics were not kept). We will never accurately know how many shots Wilt blocked. Oh, by the way in 1967 and 68, Wilt was a league leader in assists. Did MJ ever score 100 points in a game? How many times did MJ score more than 60 points in a game? MJ led the league in scoring in consecutive seasons for 10 years but he did this in an NBA that eventually expanded into 30 teams vs. when Wilt played and there were only 8 teams.

Every team had the opportunity to amass a solid nucleus. Only the cream of the basketball world got to play then. So MJ has to be appraised in perspective. His incredible athletic ability, charisma and leadership on the court helped to make basketball popular around the world -- no question about that. But in terms of greatness, MJ has to take a backseat to The Stilt.

In terms of winning, Michael excelled as both an emotional and scoring leader but Bill Russell’s Celtics won eight consecutive NBA Championships. Bill's rebounding average per game is over 22.5 lifetime, MJs best rebounding years was eight per game (1989). But we will never know exactly how many shots Bill Russell blocked because again, they never kept that statistic while he played. However, if you ask anybody that played against Russell, they will just roll their eyes and say he blocked all the shots he wanted to block in the crucial moments of a game.

Bill played on a total of 11 championship teams and as you very well know, Scottie, the ring is the thing, and everything else is just statistics. So I would advise you to do a little homework before crowning Michael or LeBron with the title of best ever. As dominant as he is, LeBron has yet to win a championship. I must say that it looks like Miami has finally put the team together that will change that circumstance. Its my hope that today’s players get a better perspective on exactly what has been done in this league in the days of yore.

Affectionately,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Tracy McGrady: 'Bron is a star!. Huge potential. MJ best ever.''

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Tracy McGrady knows about being a star with 'huge potential'.

Once upon a time, he was a terrific scorer for the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets; however, he failed to lead either team past the first round of the playoffs.

Now he’s past his prime. Injuries have taken its toll. And he’s a problem.

For instance, McGrady led a players’ revolt in Detroit last year. And the veteran laughed when Coach John Kuester was ejected. Thankfully, his career is winding down.

His call on James is accurate, though. Right now, he can’t touch Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. One day they may be in the same breath.

McGrady has had a mixed career, but this was one thing he got right.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.