Are Jordan, Magic comments actually also a diss to the Celtics top three?

[xmuscularghandix]

...AND all of our guys were past the prime of their careers. They didn’t unite to play together at the height of their talents.

[Celtics4ever]

I really think the league will be in for an eye opener when these three in Miami, choke or fall apart.  Wade, Bosh and James are both used to dominating the ball.  They are also used to having their way in all things.  3 spoiled brats which you can't say that about the big three equals trouble.   

Stern should be looking into this for tampering but he needs to find some way to get LeBron to play Kobe.  We all know LeBron can't play his way into the finals with regularity.

[Tr1boy]

The celtics big 3 did not come together and develop a scenario where they could play together. As Celtics fans we all know that our current big 3 was assembled by a domino effect. Ray first came to Boston and then KG followed suit. And once again to reiterate my earlier point, KG+Ray+Pierce were all perenial all-stars, but they ain't no Lebron + Wade + Bosh. Lebron has more MVPs then all three combined and Wade is repeatedly in the mix as well. I love our guys but to compare our big 3 to Miami's big 3 is like taking a Porsche and saying it is as high class as a lambo.

Bosh?? Do you understand he is owned by 5 to 7 pf's in the league. KG definitely has outplayed him when they have met.

[Evantime34]

I don't think Jordan was insulting the current Celtics or even the original Big 3. However, it did seem to be an unintentional insult to a guy like Pippen, who was extremely good and played with Jordan.

[wiley]

Nick you are saying like Danny had all of this planned. In actually he had little to do with these trades other than hoping KG would sign an extension. Pierce heavily recruited these guys to come to the Celtics. He also pretty much told Danny how to do his job by initiating the trades.

  Is this supposed to be serious?

Yeah, as I recall Pierce was surprised when KG landed on top of Ray as the veteran help he so desperately wanted.....In fact, if I remember, Pierce was dumbfounded, and expressed his surprise verbally......he then had to deal with the ego adjustment that came with no longer automatically being seen as the leader, which he handled quite well.....

[Birdbrain]

It would if their ages were anywhere close.  They aren't so more than likely not.

Plus of course the whole King stuff that will now never come to fruition.  Neither Allen or KG were looked on in the same manner ironically now he won't be either.

[MBunge]

I really think the league will be in for an eye opener when these three in Miami, choke or fall apart.  Wade, Bosh and James are both used to dominating the ball.  They are also used to having their way in all things.  3 spoiled brats which you can't say that about the big three equals trouble.   

Stern should be looking into this for tampering but he needs to find some way to get LeBron to play Kobe.  We all know LeBron can't play his way into the finals with regularity.

I'm actually not sure if there will be any problems with LeBron and Wade.  I'm pretty sure Wade would be willing to let LeBron have his touches during the first three quarters and I don't think LeBron will mind Wade taking over in the 4th.  The problem is likely going to come from Bosh, who's taken over 11 hundred shots and over 540 free throws a year for the past 6 seasons.  He is going to get significantly fewer touches and it will be interesting to see how that affects his rebounding and his already questionable defense.

Mike

[drza44]

Not remotely similar situations.  Jordan and Magic both played with players that were frankly more highly thought of than Pierce and Allen have ever been.  They weren't criticizing playing with talent, they were criticizing one "best player in league" choosing another "best player in league" and manipulating events to go play with him.  Pierce and Allen have never approached that level (in addition to the difference between trades and FA moves), so the dynamics of things aren't even close.

That said, there is still a bit of hypocrisy in Magic's stance, because (for example) Magic (Kareem) and Kobe (Shaq) both got to build their legacy and win their initial titles next to arguably the best player in the league and one of the best in history.  The difference, of course, is that Magic and Kobe began their careers next to those players and didn't choose to go there as FAs.  Nevertheless, that's a slippery slope to argue because it essentially says it's ok to luck up and play next to the best and reap the rewards, but it's a copout to choose to enter that circumstance. 

For someone like Magic, who certainly benefited strongly from being in the situation that LeBron now chooses to enter, to criticize...like I said, it's a bit questionable.

[Finkelskyhook]

I don't really much care what a guy who was officiated along the lines of the messiah for all of his championship years and the fake disease guy who can't put together a coherent sentence think.

Fake disease guy? I would think you would be referring to Magic with the coherent sentence bit because he may be the worst commentator out there at making meaningful points, but Magic has a very legit virus.

That was a really odd way to refer to Magic.

Strong case of the flu?

I don't like Magic, but I hope he lives a healthy life.  I was worried he'd morph into that guy that Tom Hanks played in 'Philadelphia.'

I just think it's a little ironic that the biggest narcissist in sports of his generation....Who retired based on the biggest publicity stunt of his generation...Would comment on the biggest narcissist in sports of this generation who generated the biggest publicity stunt of his.

The basis of both publicity stunts having about the same authenticity to them.

[Tai]

The Heat aren't even projected to win the NBA Finals over the Lakers. What's the big deal?  And hey...C's still have something to say about them, right? 

Jordan's comments I've seen him say a thousand times on TV; basically he acknowledged that although he wouldn't do it himself in HIS time, today is a different time.

Magic, as far as I've heard from him, did suggest that Lebron/Wade/Bosh saw KG/PP/Ray and KG/Gasol and thought "hey, maybe we need to do that too."

[LB3533]

This past weekend, Jordan said at a celebrity golf event that he never would have played with Johnson or Bird.

"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry [Bird], called up Magic [Johnson] and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team,' " Jordan said after playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada.

"But that's ... things are different. I can't say that's a bad thing.

Jordan: It's an opportunity these kids have today.

Magic Johnson added on Tuesday: "It was never a question in our mind because nobody has ever done that."

Magic: "We didn't think about it 'cause that's not what we were about," "From college, I was trying to figure out how to beat Larry Bird."


For all 3 former legends, each has played against each other in the playoffs and Finals.

The "Miami 3" have never faced each other in the playoffs. They never thought about beating each other because they never had that chance or built up that rivalry.

I think a lot of people and the mainstream media are blowing these former greats' quotes way out of context.

[manl_lui]

This past weekend, Jordan said at a celebrity golf event that he never would have played with Johnson or Bird.

"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry [Bird], called up Magic [Johnson] and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team,' " Jordan said after playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada.

"But that's ... things are different. I can't say that's a bad thing.

Jordan: It's an opportunity these kids have today.

Magic Johnson added on Tuesday: "It was never a question in our mind because nobody has ever done that."

Magic: "We didn't think about it 'cause that's not what we were about," "From college, I was trying to figure out how to beat Larry Bird."


For all 3 former legends, each has played against each other in the playoffs and Finals.

The "Miami 3" have never faced each other in the playoffs. They never thought about beating each other because they never had that chance or built up that rivalry.

I think a lot of people and the mainstream media are blowing these former greats' quotes way out of context.

well said, couldn't said it any better...but then again people say Lebron and Wade did had some sort of rivalry...

[guava_wrench]

I don't really much care what a guy who was officiated along the lines of the messiah for all of his championship years and the fake disease guy who can't put together a coherent sentence think.

Fake disease guy? I would think you would be referring to Magic with the coherent sentence bit because he may be the worst commentator out there at making meaningful points, but Magic has a very legit virus.

That was a really odd way to refer to Magic.

Strong case of the flu?

I don't like Magic, but I hope he lives a healthy life.  I was worried he'd morph into that guy that Tom Hanks played in 'Philadelphia.'

I just think it's a little ironic that the biggest narcissist in sports of his generation....Who retired based on the biggest publicity stunt of his generation...Would comment on the biggest narcissist in sports of this generation who generated the biggest publicity stunt of his.

The basis of both publicity stunts having about the same authenticity to them.

Where do people get this stuff? I'm not anti-fantasy, but why would you want to post such silliness here?

Publicity stunt? Getting HIV?

Magic clearly did not want to retire. He was also clearly embarrassed by having to go public with that news. I don't like Magic, but I prefer reality to alien abduction world.

I guess I can't empathize with these people who so dislike players that they come up with these delusional fictions to make them into villains.

[Chelm]

I must admit, I've never heard a conspiracy theorist suggesting Magic lied about having HIV in order to retire.  Comparing Magic's press conference announcing HIV / retirement to Lebron's "Decision" is unfathomably dumb.  @Finkelskyhook.

[Tai]

I don't really much care what a guy who was officiated along the lines of the messiah for all of his championship years and the fake disease guy who can't put together a coherent sentence think.

Fake disease guy? I would think you would be referring to Magic with the coherent sentence bit because he may be the worst commentator out there at making meaningful points, but Magic has a very legit virus.

That was a really odd way to refer to Magic.

Strong case of the flu?

I don't like Magic, but I hope he lives a healthy life.  I was worried he'd morph into that guy that Tom Hanks played in 'Philadelphia.'

I just think it's a little ironic that the biggest narcissist in sports of his generation....Who retired based on the biggest publicity stunt of his generation...Would comment on the biggest narcissist in sports of this generation who generated the biggest publicity stunt of his.

The basis of both publicity stunts having about the same authenticity to them.

Whining about the refs are one thing (and honestly, one thing I don't like, but it's your opinion), but accusing an athlete of using a publicity stunt to retire based on a disease/illness is senseless, and that specific slam would probably warrant you being banned from any given Lakers forum.