"No one else could ever change not only basketball but American life like Jordan did, nobody else could simultaneously inspire and dominate like Jackie did in his prime, no one else could become the symbol for resistance, speed, power, and leadership like Ali became. There are some, though who’s legacy, or lack thereof, is at the mercy of the era in which they played in. This article is dedicated to them." -- Miles De Rosa
Throughout the history of sports there have been athletes who are transcendent of generations, of era. Those who are simply great. Athletes like Muhammed Ali, Jackie Robinson, Wayne Gretzky, and Michael Jordan. These athletes not only excelled at their respective sports, but they changed them forever.
Unfortunately, in every sport, most are forgotten. No one else could ever change not only basketball but American life like Jordan did, nobody else could simultaneously inspire and dominate like Jackie did in his prime, no one else could become the symbol for resistance, speed, power, and leadership like Ali became. There are some, though who’s legacy, or lack thereof, is at the mercy of the era in which they played in. This article is dedicated to them.
Unfortunately, in every sport, most are forgotten. No one else could ever change not only basketball but American life like Jordan did, nobody else could simultaneously inspire and dominate like Jackie did in his prime, no one else could become the symbol for resistance, speed, power, and leadership like Ali became. There are some, though who’s legacy, or lack thereof, is at the mercy of the era in which they played in. This article is dedicated to them.
Chris Webber, PF 1993-2007:
First on this list of the four athletes is former NBA power forward and current commentator Chris Webber. Chris Webber’s legacy may be unfortunately be shrouded in infamy on account of a tragically bone-headed play in the NCAA finals where he attempted to call time out with no time outs left. This results in an automatic technical foul, meaning the other team got a free throw as well as possession.
In fact when you type Chris Webber’s name into youtube the first thing that comes up isn’t his highlight reel full of athletic putback finishes and transition run outs. It’s this unfortunate mental lapse that just so happened to cost him and the rest of the Fab Five an NCAA title. When looking up his career, one of the first things that comes up is his trade from the Magic to the Warriors on draft day and then Webber forcing himself out of the Golden State because of difficulties with the coaching staff.
Don Nelson - the coach of a Warriors teams led by Mullin and Hardaway that was unfortunate enough to play during Jordan’s reign of terror - was determined to turn the free-flowing forward into a post up four. Webber prefered to continue to play his game; running out in transition, driving in from the perimeter, spotting up for midranges and threes, and handling the ball in the half court as both a scoring and passing threat.
The only problem was that bigs who played small like Webber were not commodities. He played in an era dominated by Jordan and a collection of bigs around the NBA. Shaq, Hakeem The Dream, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Shawn Kemp, Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, and later Dirk Nowitzki. All these guys where two or three inches taller then Webber at least, and operated primarily in the post. None had the game that he had.
But unfortunately, he was the one who was often forced to adapt, not the other way around. He was still made to play in the post by the Bullets (now the Wizards) and the Kings later on. He wasn’t put in plays to take as many mid range jumpers or handle the ball on the perimeter. All things we see undersized bigs Draymond Green and Aaron Gordon doing now.
The undersized big has become somewhat of a commodity. Draymond Green has two championships, a DPOY award, and is a primary ball handler for the best team in the NBA. Aaron Gordon averaged 20 ppg for a sorry, sorry Orlando Magic team and is do for a Max level payday this summer as a restricted free agent. This breed of player is often referred to as the point forward, someone who can create plays for others and handle the ball from the four or five.
In today’s modern NBA webber would’ve been permitted and encouraged to operate as a cutter towards the rim, using his size and strength to get buckets as well as creating shots for others. His jumper would’ve been a valuable asset to help space the floor and his defensive versatility would’ve been coveted in today’s switch everything, positionless mindset. Imagine Draymond’s defense and IQ but with Aaron Gordon’s athleticism and three point shooting in today’s NBA.
First on this list of the four athletes is former NBA power forward and current commentator Chris Webber. Chris Webber’s legacy may be unfortunately be shrouded in infamy on account of a tragically bone-headed play in the NCAA finals where he attempted to call time out with no time outs left. This results in an automatic technical foul, meaning the other team got a free throw as well as possession.
In fact when you type Chris Webber’s name into youtube the first thing that comes up isn’t his highlight reel full of athletic putback finishes and transition run outs. It’s this unfortunate mental lapse that just so happened to cost him and the rest of the Fab Five an NCAA title. When looking up his career, one of the first things that comes up is his trade from the Magic to the Warriors on draft day and then Webber forcing himself out of the Golden State because of difficulties with the coaching staff.
Don Nelson - the coach of a Warriors teams led by Mullin and Hardaway that was unfortunate enough to play during Jordan’s reign of terror - was determined to turn the free-flowing forward into a post up four. Webber prefered to continue to play his game; running out in transition, driving in from the perimeter, spotting up for midranges and threes, and handling the ball in the half court as both a scoring and passing threat.
The only problem was that bigs who played small like Webber were not commodities. He played in an era dominated by Jordan and a collection of bigs around the NBA. Shaq, Hakeem The Dream, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Shawn Kemp, Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, and later Dirk Nowitzki. All these guys where two or three inches taller then Webber at least, and operated primarily in the post. None had the game that he had.
But unfortunately, he was the one who was often forced to adapt, not the other way around. He was still made to play in the post by the Bullets (now the Wizards) and the Kings later on. He wasn’t put in plays to take as many mid range jumpers or handle the ball on the perimeter. All things we see undersized bigs Draymond Green and Aaron Gordon doing now.
The undersized big has become somewhat of a commodity. Draymond Green has two championships, a DPOY award, and is a primary ball handler for the best team in the NBA. Aaron Gordon averaged 20 ppg for a sorry, sorry Orlando Magic team and is do for a Max level payday this summer as a restricted free agent. This breed of player is often referred to as the point forward, someone who can create plays for others and handle the ball from the four or five.
In today’s modern NBA webber would’ve been permitted and encouraged to operate as a cutter towards the rim, using his size and strength to get buckets as well as creating shots for others. His jumper would’ve been a valuable asset to help space the floor and his defensive versatility would’ve been coveted in today’s switch everything, positionless mindset. Imagine Draymond’s defense and IQ but with Aaron Gordon’s athleticism and three point shooting in today’s NBA.
Billy Hamilton, OF 2013-Present:
Last year in Major League Baseball there were more homeruns hit than any other year in history. And as homeruns trend up, stolen bases trend down, making both the stolen base and it’s merchants less and less valuable.
But it wasn’t always like this. For a long time, baseball was ruled by men like Billy. For about a decade, the eighties, we played on turf. And speedsters, men who hit the ball on the ground, became the most valuable players in the game.
Turf affects the game in a very simple way that can have drastic results - the ball rolls faster, and so balls hit on the ground becomes inherently more valuable. Every ground ball is more likely to roll through to the outfield for a hit, and in the 80’s, 12 teams played on grass in a 26 team league. Now the Toronto Blue Jays are the one hold out in a thirty team league.
Billy Hamilton hits a lot of his balls on the ground and he steals a lot of bases. I mean, a lot. Since he broke into the league four season ago he has stolen 248. In the eighties, that was the recipe. Hitting balls on the ground and speed. The ball would run across the turf and sneak through the infield. Steal second. Sacrifice bunt over to third and a sac fly or base hit to get him in.
This period in baseball was known as the speed era. It was dominated by men like Tim Raines, Ricky Henderson, and Vince Coleman. Players who were in the same vein of Billy Hamilton and they found great success, because this era catered directly to their skill sets. Now, Ricky is a transcendent talent who didn’t just need his speed to be great but Raines and Coleman were true speedsters. In today’s game, they might be shuffled to the bottom of the totem pole, just like Hamilton has been throughout his short career.
But if he played in the eighties, he may have been a truly valuable asset. He would’ve been allowed to steal more bases, as run creation was more predicated on small ball then the three run homer. Not just this, his average would have risen to potentially elite levels given the difference in playing surface and the lack of the defensive shift.
Last year in Major League Baseball there were more homeruns hit than any other year in history. And as homeruns trend up, stolen bases trend down, making both the stolen base and it’s merchants less and less valuable.
But it wasn’t always like this. For a long time, baseball was ruled by men like Billy. For about a decade, the eighties, we played on turf. And speedsters, men who hit the ball on the ground, became the most valuable players in the game.
Turf affects the game in a very simple way that can have drastic results - the ball rolls faster, and so balls hit on the ground becomes inherently more valuable. Every ground ball is more likely to roll through to the outfield for a hit, and in the 80’s, 12 teams played on grass in a 26 team league. Now the Toronto Blue Jays are the one hold out in a thirty team league.
Billy Hamilton hits a lot of his balls on the ground and he steals a lot of bases. I mean, a lot. Since he broke into the league four season ago he has stolen 248. In the eighties, that was the recipe. Hitting balls on the ground and speed. The ball would run across the turf and sneak through the infield. Steal second. Sacrifice bunt over to third and a sac fly or base hit to get him in.
This period in baseball was known as the speed era. It was dominated by men like Tim Raines, Ricky Henderson, and Vince Coleman. Players who were in the same vein of Billy Hamilton and they found great success, because this era catered directly to their skill sets. Now, Ricky is a transcendent talent who didn’t just need his speed to be great but Raines and Coleman were true speedsters. In today’s game, they might be shuffled to the bottom of the totem pole, just like Hamilton has been throughout his short career.
But if he played in the eighties, he may have been a truly valuable asset. He would’ve been allowed to steal more bases, as run creation was more predicated on small ball then the three run homer. Not just this, his average would have risen to potentially elite levels given the difference in playing surface and the lack of the defensive shift.
“Pistol Pete” Maravich, SG 1970-1980:
Pistol Pete Maravich is the greatest collegiate scorer the sport of basketball has ever known. Over three seasons at LSU, he tallied 3,667 points (an NCAA record), averaging just above 44 a game. This record is increasingly impressive considering that A) Maravich played without a three point line, B) he wasn’t allowed to play his freshman year because of an NCAA restriction, and C) he played without a shot clock, meaning the average amount of possessions and therefore the amount of scoring opportunities was much lower than in today's game.
Maravich was way, way ahead of his time. Drawn to basketball by a determined father, Pistol Pete became fascinated with the flashier aspects of off the games. Unique dribble moves, creative passes, long jump shots. These parts of the game that, though today are common place, were often considered “offensive” by teammates and coaches alike. He was out of place. Almost too special.
This didn’t stop him from becoming an absolute offensive force, despite never making it deep into the playoffs. Even without a three point line, Maravich would pull up from thirty feet at times and absolutely drill the shot. Dale Brown, Marabich’s coach at LSU used to track where he the gunslinger took every shot. He estimated based on this that with a three point line, Maravich would’ve averaged a nearly impossible 57 ppg in college. 57. Without a shot clock.
In today’s game, his dynamic style of play and ability to shoot from anywhere would be utilized the same way Steph Curry’s game is today. Instead of being forced to play in the poorly spaced, big dominated basketball of yesterday, the 6’5 guard would be allowed to create shooting space with dribble moves, and make flashy passes to complete plays.
Not only would he have put up inane numbers, he would’ve been a super star. Pulling up from thirty and drilling threes, making defenders look stupid with dribble moves, and creating for his team mates. Sadly, back in his own era, he played i the shadows of giants like Kareem, Wilt, Bill Walton, and Moses Malone. He could have been the best, and maybe even a champion.
Pistol Pete Maravich is the greatest collegiate scorer the sport of basketball has ever known. Over three seasons at LSU, he tallied 3,667 points (an NCAA record), averaging just above 44 a game. This record is increasingly impressive considering that A) Maravich played without a three point line, B) he wasn’t allowed to play his freshman year because of an NCAA restriction, and C) he played without a shot clock, meaning the average amount of possessions and therefore the amount of scoring opportunities was much lower than in today's game.
Maravich was way, way ahead of his time. Drawn to basketball by a determined father, Pistol Pete became fascinated with the flashier aspects of off the games. Unique dribble moves, creative passes, long jump shots. These parts of the game that, though today are common place, were often considered “offensive” by teammates and coaches alike. He was out of place. Almost too special.
This didn’t stop him from becoming an absolute offensive force, despite never making it deep into the playoffs. Even without a three point line, Maravich would pull up from thirty feet at times and absolutely drill the shot. Dale Brown, Marabich’s coach at LSU used to track where he the gunslinger took every shot. He estimated based on this that with a three point line, Maravich would’ve averaged a nearly impossible 57 ppg in college. 57. Without a shot clock.
In today’s game, his dynamic style of play and ability to shoot from anywhere would be utilized the same way Steph Curry’s game is today. Instead of being forced to play in the poorly spaced, big dominated basketball of yesterday, the 6’5 guard would be allowed to create shooting space with dribble moves, and make flashy passes to complete plays.
Not only would he have put up inane numbers, he would’ve been a super star. Pulling up from thirty and drilling threes, making defenders look stupid with dribble moves, and creating for his team mates. Sadly, back in his own era, he played i the shadows of giants like Kareem, Wilt, Bill Walton, and Moses Malone. He could have been the best, and maybe even a champion.
LeBron James, SF 2003-Present:
LeBron James is the best player to ever have played in the NBA. If even last year I had said that, I would barely recognize myself in the mirror. But after watching him in this years playoffs elevate a supporting cast that consists of Kevin Love and a bunch of YMCA beer league all stars to championship levels, I have changed my mind. If he stays even remotely close to the path his career is on and plays for five more seasons (would still be under 40) he would break Kareem’s all time scoring record, and would finish with 40,000+ points, 10,000+ assists, and 10,000+ rebounds.
Despite his being the best ever, he is still not the GOAT. That title, in my eyes, still belongs to Michael Jordan. Because the GOAT title is less about the statistical greatness of a single player, and more about his legacy. And LeBron won’t be selling shoes 20 years after his retirement. No logo associated with him will ever be as ubiquitous as Jumpman was, is, and forever will be. No one’s legacy will surpass Jordan’s, probably ever, definitely not in the next 20 years. No one will change the game like he did, no one will ever go 6-0 in the finals again, no one will put together the catalogue of iconic shots and moments he did.
But when it comes to numbers, no one has ever had the level of production and stat-stuffing LeBron has amassed. He did this too without being a me-first, stat stuffing type like Russell Westbrook. He did it and by consistently elevating some atrocious supporting casts to Championship status. Even the team he has right now is missing a true sidekick. Or really any sidekick.
Despite this consistent winning, it hasn’t resulted in titles the way it did for Jordan. Which is why Jordan is the goat. 6-0 is a statement. It’s the first thing you put on your resume when applying for the position. LeBron is 3-5. Mostly by fault of his surrounding team, save for his horrendous series against the Mavs when he somehow failed to guard Jason Terry. This is why he played in the wrong era. No one knew how to build a team around a player like LeBron. And because of that, despite having GOAT-like talent, he falls short of that title. But maybe if he had played today, he wouldn’t have.
LeBron operates best in space. During his time in Miami he played in an isolation based system where Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh sat on the perimeter waiting for a kick out from either him or Wade. When he returned to Cleveland he was surrounded by three point bombers, Kyrie, J.R. Smith, and Kevin Love who created space for him to operate. These systems worked for him. LeBron has won all three of his titles with either Miami or his second stint in Cleveland.
Unfortunately for The King, the Cavs the first time around had no idea how to build a team around a player like LeBron. A point forward. Someone who could both athletically dominate the competition to put the rock in the hole along with the basketball IQ and passing vision of an elite point guard. That, and utter, utter mismanagement of the Cavs led to his eventual departure after a lack of winning
Now, thanks to Steph Curry and the three point revolution we’ve realized, SPACE IS THE PLACE. The Sixers know it. They have their own version of LeBron, Ben Simmons. A 6’10 point guard who can throw down like a big but handle and pass like a guard. They have Simmons, who can’t shoot - much like a young LeBron - and four three point shooters around him. And it works (to be fair he also has a bonafide side kick in Joel Embiid). We know now how to build a team around a talent like LeBron.
Because of this, whatever team he would’ve come into in this era would know, and understand how to properly utilize a talent like James, and build a roster around him. He would've won. A lot. Maybe he would’ve even had a list of accomplishments impressive enough to be called The GOAT.
LeBron James is the best player to ever have played in the NBA. If even last year I had said that, I would barely recognize myself in the mirror. But after watching him in this years playoffs elevate a supporting cast that consists of Kevin Love and a bunch of YMCA beer league all stars to championship levels, I have changed my mind. If he stays even remotely close to the path his career is on and plays for five more seasons (would still be under 40) he would break Kareem’s all time scoring record, and would finish with 40,000+ points, 10,000+ assists, and 10,000+ rebounds.
Despite his being the best ever, he is still not the GOAT. That title, in my eyes, still belongs to Michael Jordan. Because the GOAT title is less about the statistical greatness of a single player, and more about his legacy. And LeBron won’t be selling shoes 20 years after his retirement. No logo associated with him will ever be as ubiquitous as Jumpman was, is, and forever will be. No one’s legacy will surpass Jordan’s, probably ever, definitely not in the next 20 years. No one will change the game like he did, no one will ever go 6-0 in the finals again, no one will put together the catalogue of iconic shots and moments he did.
But when it comes to numbers, no one has ever had the level of production and stat-stuffing LeBron has amassed. He did this too without being a me-first, stat stuffing type like Russell Westbrook. He did it and by consistently elevating some atrocious supporting casts to Championship status. Even the team he has right now is missing a true sidekick. Or really any sidekick.
Despite this consistent winning, it hasn’t resulted in titles the way it did for Jordan. Which is why Jordan is the goat. 6-0 is a statement. It’s the first thing you put on your resume when applying for the position. LeBron is 3-5. Mostly by fault of his surrounding team, save for his horrendous series against the Mavs when he somehow failed to guard Jason Terry. This is why he played in the wrong era. No one knew how to build a team around a player like LeBron. And because of that, despite having GOAT-like talent, he falls short of that title. But maybe if he had played today, he wouldn’t have.
LeBron operates best in space. During his time in Miami he played in an isolation based system where Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh sat on the perimeter waiting for a kick out from either him or Wade. When he returned to Cleveland he was surrounded by three point bombers, Kyrie, J.R. Smith, and Kevin Love who created space for him to operate. These systems worked for him. LeBron has won all three of his titles with either Miami or his second stint in Cleveland.
Unfortunately for The King, the Cavs the first time around had no idea how to build a team around a player like LeBron. A point forward. Someone who could both athletically dominate the competition to put the rock in the hole along with the basketball IQ and passing vision of an elite point guard. That, and utter, utter mismanagement of the Cavs led to his eventual departure after a lack of winning
Now, thanks to Steph Curry and the three point revolution we’ve realized, SPACE IS THE PLACE. The Sixers know it. They have their own version of LeBron, Ben Simmons. A 6’10 point guard who can throw down like a big but handle and pass like a guard. They have Simmons, who can’t shoot - much like a young LeBron - and four three point shooters around him. And it works (to be fair he also has a bonafide side kick in Joel Embiid). We know now how to build a team around a talent like LeBron.
Because of this, whatever team he would’ve come into in this era would know, and understand how to properly utilize a talent like James, and build a roster around him. He would've won. A lot. Maybe he would’ve even had a list of accomplishments impressive enough to be called The GOAT.