How The Lebron/MJ Comparison Streches Beyond The Court

Many people love to cover the Lebron James vs Michael Jordan storyline from an on court perspective but this story goes far beyond the hardwood. When you are as great as those 2 are at the NBA level a lot of business opportunities are thrown your way and both of them their hands in a lot of endorsement deals. Jordan and James have endorsement deals with company's such as Nike, Mcdonalds, Hanes, Bubbalicious and more. So the comparison between them should never be just regulated to on the court statistics but incorporate off the court influence on the game of basketball and its culture.

Obviously no player in history has had a more cultural impact than MJ's Air Jordan brand of sneakers. Since Nike signed him in the late 80's the sneaker industry has been changed forever and America hasn't looked at shoes the same way since. Lebron came into the league out of high school and received an unprecedented 90 Million $ contract with Nike and success was looked at from a different perspective. Both have culturally impacted the basketball sneaker culture like nobody else but there can only be room for 1 and Lebron is along way from Jordan but as long as he wins champonships then the more iconic his brand becomes. Last year he racked in 300 Million $ for Nike which was the highest among all active players. The only person he trailed though was Jordan who sold over 2 Billion $ of shoes last year, so LBJ still has a long way to go.

This year the comparison between the 2 can even go as far as to comparing the 2 players installments of NBA 2K. Michael Jordan if you don't know was the cover boy and centerpiece of NBA 2K11. The game has sold over 5 Million copies and is the most successful game in 2K history as far as sales and quality game play. The premier basketball simulation featured a whole mode dedicated to Jordan where you can play as him in some of his greatest game such as “The Flue Game” and many others. It is widely regarded as the greatest sports video game of this generation. Jordans greatness was not only good enough to push the limits of the NBA but it pushed the limits of NBA Video gaming.

Lebron James is the cover boy for this years edition-NBA 2K14. Like the year Jordan graced the cover the franchise has had lapses in game play and want to take it back to the next level. So what better way to take it to the the next level then with LBJ on the cover. Lebron will have his own game mode this year in the game titled “Path To Greatness” where you can play as Lebron and forge the rest of his legacy threw the game mode. I think its a great concept and I'm interested to see what the response will be like for the 2K gaming community. If the game doesn’t live up to the standard 2K11 set then it could be used in as another argument for why Jordan is better But if somehow Lebron can surpass what 2K11 did then the debate becomes even more intriguing.

So as basketball fans across the globe wait to see how Lebron's career plays out on the court it won't hurt if he dominates Jordan off the court and what better opportunity then with this years edition of NBA 2K.  

Tru School Of Kicks: Air Jordan 1 "Highlight Film"

The the Nike Air Jordan 1 silhouette adds yet another classic colorway to its storied history with the throwback Atlanta Hawks colors of the 80’s and 90’s. Reminiscent of Spud Webb and Dominique Wilkins these shoes are for lack of a better term “fresh”. Color way is red, black, white and Yellow. The Air Jordan 1 is a timeless shoe and almost any color you throw on it works, this is a testament to that.

If you look closely at the black part of the shoe you will notice a highlight reel print on the sneaker. Great subtle move and tribute to “The Human Highlight Film” Dominique Wilkins. Shoe is set for a September 7^th release threw Jordan Brand and is currently available on Ebay. Price set at 140$.

Dwyane Wade vs Kobe Bryant (The Twitter Debate)

Before I get into the whole premise of this article let me just first start off by saying that this is not to slander or discredit the knowledge of these basketball fans. In fact I would appreciate if you guys followed everyone of these people on Twitter. The whole point of this post is to help you guys better understand what it is I am referring to in my video up top. With that said, several weeks ago Court Vision asked the following question down below and you can clearly see my answers.

The question of top 5 shooting guards was on display in a public forum (Twitter). So my top 5 Consist of the following as you can see in my Tweet above.

1. Michael Jordan

2. Dwyane Wade

3.Kobe Bryant

4.Reggie Miller

5.George Gervin

@CourtVisionNBA Jordan,Wade,Kobe,Reggie Miller,Gervin
— Brendan Taylor (@ThatboyBTaylor) July 26, 2013

Minutes after posting my tweet answering the question many people attacked my list with a bunch of tweets about how Kobe is better then Dwyane Wade but gave me no concrete facts. After I stated that Wade is a more efficient player then Kobe, Court Vision even said that FG percentage isn't everything when it comes to determining how great a player is. He is right but it is certainly the foundation in which we judge how great a player, which is exactly the reason Michael Jordan is held in such a high regard 

@ThatboyBTaylor @NBAsNewsDaily FG% isn't everything my man.
— Court Vision (@CourtVisionNBA) July 26, 2013

While I continued to get many more tweets which lacked any kind of facts or logic to back up the opinion the Kobe is a better shooting guard than Dwyane Wade, I pulled an article from ESPN's John Hollinger which ranked the greatest NBA Finals performances ever. The article was basically a guide or reference if you will of how great certain players played on the games biggest stage. In the 2006 NBA Finals vs Dallas, Dwyane Wade put the Heat on his back from a 2-0 deficit to their 1^st ever NBA Title. His statistical averages were beyond crazy.

Dwyane Wade's 2006 Finals Statistics

34.7 PPG 7.8 Rebounds 3.8 Assists 46 FG% 33.8 PER (Highest In NBA Finals History)

So think about that for a second this guy is a 6'4 shooting guard and averaged 7.8 rebounds a game in the NBA Finals. He leads his team to a championship down 2-0 to a very good Dallas team lead by Dirk Nowitzki. To top it all off in the process of doing that he averages just under 35 points per game and collects the highest player efficiency rating at 33.8 in Finals history. Kobe Bryant NEVER played at that level on the biggest stage in basketball. To make matters worse Kobe Bryant isn't even in the top 10 all-time statistically as far as finals performances go, Wade has 2 top 10 performances (2006,2011).   

If you think Kobe Bryant is better then Dwade then you are probably a Laker fan or just uninformed here you go http://t.co/V5bo76k5jL. READ!
— Brendan Taylor (@ThatboyBTaylor) July 26, 2013

I then posed the challenge of to any Kobe/Laker fans to debate me on why Kobe is better then Wade using facts and it didn't happen.

This Tweet is directed at ALL my Laker/Kobe Followers...If Kobe is better then Wade give me just a few logical reasons why and back it up
— Brendan Taylor (@ThatboyBTaylor) July 26, 2013

One of the funnier responses basically said Kobe was better than Wade based solely on the fact that he gets comparisons to Michael Jordan and Dwyane Wade doesn’t. That’s because Kobe plays offense like him to a degree. Kobe has never been a shutdown defender and most likely will never win defensive player of the year. The premise of that statement is nonsense.

@ThatboyBTaylor @CourtVisionNBA Kobe is no MJ but he at least gets comparisons.
— SportsFeedDaily (@SportsFeedDaily) July 26, 2013

So after that I was tweeted a picture placing Wade and Kobe's accomplishments next to each other. Keep in mind that Kobe has played in the league 7 seasons longer then Wade and the accolades were still close (which was sad by the way). Wade has done more in his 10 years then Kobe has in 17, its about number of seasons not accolades. Again this comes back to efficiency and in terms of making all-star teams and the playoffs in that department Wade is more efficient than Kobe as All NBA Talk says down below.

@CourtVisionNBA @thatboybtaylor Wade missed playoffs/all stars 1x, Kobe did twice. Both missed all NBA team 2x. Gotta think abt # of seasons
— All NBA Talk (@OnlyNBATalk) July 26, 2013

A new Kobe supporter decided to join the conversation and asked if I was serious about my pick of Wade over Kobe Bryant, of course I told him yes and backed it up with facts as you can see down below.

@NBAsNewsDaily @CourtVisionNBA Wades better on defense, oiffense and you can't sit here and tell me that he isn't a winner because he has 3
— Brendan Taylor (@ThatboyBTaylor) July 26, 2013

@NBAsNewsDaily @CourtVisionNBA rings and at 31 years old shot the highest % of his career at 52% at 31 years old your boy Kobe shot 45%
— Brendan Taylor (@ThatboyBTaylor) July 26, 2013

Real acknowledges real as you can see down in he tweet below!

@ThatboyBTaylor @courtvisionnba @nbasnewsdaily this dude is speaking with all facts! Efficiency makes players great!
— All NBA Talk (@OnlyNBATalk) July 26, 2013

In a very empty statement I get another opinion on from what I think is Kobe supporter.

@ThatboyBTaylor I've been watching basketball as long as you've been alive Wade is great but he's just not in Kobe's class, no knock on wade
— rellimsportingview (@rellimsportview) July 26, 2013

One last opinion based statement.

@rellimsportview I'm not getting any reasons though besides your opinion and an opinion without facts is just words
— Brendan Taylor (@ThatboyBTaylor) July 26, 2013

Had to let my followers know its love and that I love talking basketball with them at the end of the day.

Just wanted to let all my followers know that regardless of what I say to you I love talking hoopswith you guys #Salute
— Brendan Taylor (@ThatboyBTaylor) July 26, 2013

I know many would beg to differ on my opinion on the NBA's top 5 shooting guards but I feel like Wade is better then Kobe. He has accomplished as much in a decade as Kobe has in 17 seasons and has been more efficient as far as shot made along with displaying a better shot selection. As a basketball player you need to have a great since of self and stay within yourself while not trying to do that. Wade does that, Kobe doesn’t which explains why he is a more efficient player than Bryant. If you disagree with me feel free to tweet me @Thatboybtaylor or @Truschoolsports.

A Reflection On The Career Of Allen Iverson

The last few days have been rough for me as a basketball fan. Its always a hard day when the guy you grew up wanting to be just like on a basketball court retires but that day has finally came for me. Sources are reporting that the 11 time all-star and 4 time scoring champion Allen Iverson will finally retire from the game of basketball after all of these years. Some people love him and some people hate him but AI is one of the greatest point guards to ever step on the hardwood and the proof is in the pudding on and off the court.

A New Era

Allen Iverson was different but he brought in a whole new culture to basketball as the NBA was preparing for the Post-Jordan era. The Doo-rags, Tattoos and fitted caps where all authentic to who Allen was as a person he was himself and never changed that throughout the course of his entire career. This sometimes benefited him and hurt him but he was always entreating  in the process. The Hip-Hop era in the NBA was really brought to the forefront when Allen Iverson was a marquee player in the league. His influence was and is still huge to this day.

As the NBA was preparing for the post-MJ era it was looking for a new face of the league and although it had Kobe Bryant the real hero or the guy who many people that come from a background of low income and poverty could relate to was Allen Iverson. He brought the hood to the hardwood and was proud of who he was that's why in that era of  hip-hop culture Allen Iverson Sixers jerseys were popular because of who he was as a person and the kind of player he was on the court. Iverson's jersey along with his Reebok "The Questions" Sneaker were wildly successful and still are to this day. Recently Reebok has re released the popular shoe and it has seen a great response from the sneaker world and shoe lovers worldwide. Iverson is To Reebok what Jordan is to the Air Jordan brand.

Little Big Man

Allen Iverson is listed generously at 6 feet tall and 165 pounds and is the greatest undersized guard of all-time along with Isiah Thomas. I once heard someone say the following about AI "Take Michael Jordan's greatest moves and speed them up and you have Allen Iverson". Allen Iverson played the game fearlessly and it demands respect. Taking on guys who are a foot taller and 100 pounds heavier then him Iverson played the game his way and that was with no fear and if need be at the rim. This attitude allowed him to score 24,369 points with a 26.7 scoring average on his career. Iverson made big baskets and made a living putting the Sixers on his back.

We all know Iverson is one of the greatest performers ever but very few people know that he is 2nd all-time in playoff scoring average in the history of the NBA only behind Michael Jordan averaging 29.7 points per game. He put Philly on his back in the most important games.Iverson played with heart and would make bigger guys look like they shouldn't be on the same floor. Like take for example in a playoff series against the Toronto Raptors and the much bigger more athletic Vince Carter in 2001. Iverson had 2 games of 50+ points with his 54 points in game 2 and 52 points in game 5. Allen was little no doubt about that but he was also something else- The MVP of the league.

The Problems

A.I's career comes with a lot of glory but a lot of problems as well, many of them self-inflicted. Allen was never a "pure point guard" but many basketball purists knocked him for that over the years calling him selfish and not a team player. There was the infamous "Practice" press conference in which he looked like a complete buffoon and totally selfish. Allen had his fans but equally had his detractors.

Then there was his relationship with head coach Larry Brown. For many years they couldn't see eye to eye because Allen hated practice. When they finally found some common ground they helped turn the Sixers into a playoff team and eventually reached the finals in 2001 with an eventual loss to the Shaq & Kobe Lakers. Some say had Allen not been so hard headed that his career would have looked better but Allen was Allen and he wasn't changing for nobody.

The Decline

Allen Iverson's scoring average was 26.7 points per game in the regular season. The end of his career kept that number from being higher with his stops in Denver, Detroit and Memphis. Seeing Allen anywhere but Philly was weird and all the seasons he had averaging less then 20 points hurt his average but he just didn't fit in on any of those teams.

It was sad to see how no NBA franchise in the latter part of Iverson's career wanted to give him a shot. Some of that is due in part to AI's ego not wanting to come off the bench and declined numerous offers in China and D-League where he could have proven himself to NBA GM's. No matter how you spin it the end of his career is just sad, you never want to see a guy of his stature go out that way.

The Legacy

Allen Iverson's career left much to be desired in terms of his championship success. He never captured an NBA title and its a down right travesty but nobody will ever say that he didn't deserve it. Iverson is a 1st ballot hall of famer whether you like him or not its not even a question. The only Point guard that is better then him at his size is maybe Isiah Thomas but besides that A.I is the best undersized point guard to ever play the game of basketball.

Hip Hop & Basketball: What NBA Players Can Learn From Kendrick Lamar

They say basketball and hip-hop have always been intertwined and anybody who disagrees with that clearly doesn’t watch nor are they in tune to the culture of basketball. Over the last few seasons Lebron James and the Miami Heat have ruled the basketball world but many old school fans or fans of that era will say that this era of NBA basketball is soft or not as strong as the 90's. The same people who say that can say the same about hip-hop music. For years hip-hop has lost its core value in lyrics and clever wordplay in exchange for catchy beats and song lyrics for the radio but like anything in life it has its cycles.

Enter Compton MC Kendrick Lamar-one of the top rappers in the game today. As an up and comer gunning for the top spot in the world of hip hop Kendrick was featured in a song with Detroit based rapper Big Sean titled “Control”. In this song Kendrick took shots at every rapper who he sees as competition and didn't mention rappers he doesn’t fear as competition. He even went as far as calling himself “King Of New York” even though he is a native of California. He stirred up a lot of controversy and although he may have respect for his peers in the rap game such as J.cole,Cassidy and Big Krit that dosen't mean he isn't trying to destroy them as far as competition is concerned because at the end of the day its about being the best and most well respected at your craft and Kendrick Lamar’s craft is hip hop music.

Fraternize-To associate with others in a brotherly or congenial way.

The word Fraternize or the act of it known as fraternizing is incredibly obvious in the NBA today. The Miami Heat's big 3 of Dwyane Wade, Lebron James and Chris Bosh all joined all once number 1 options for their respective franchises joined forces in the summer of 2010 to compete for championships. Or at least that’s what they will tell you but a big reason they are together is because well...they are friends. Now I’m not hating on them but I'm giving an example that everybody knows about. Now I will not say that the players in the NBA aren't competitive because to play in the NBA you have to be but I will say that guys are a bit to buddy-buddy.

Just picture this right its 1990something (you fill in the year) and Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller are playing in an intense playoff series between the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers. Its approaching halftime the Pacers have the basketball and Reggie Miller comes off a screen and drills a 3 point shot at the buzzer. Nice play right? Well this play was so nice that in the middle of a playoff game that Michael Jordan goes up to Reggie Miller and high fives him in honor of him drilling a shot on his team. Visualize and marinate on that for a second,does that look right?

The answer is a resounding “HELL NO” so why do we see NBA players fraternizing with each other during playoff games. For example take this seasons Eastern Conference Finals between the Pacers and Miami Heat. Paul George dunks on Chris Andersen the following play Lebron James comes back and hits a 3 pointer to beat the buzzer at halftime. They could have just went to the locker room and that’s that but no they had to high five each other because of course they are friends. Now I know those guys train together in the off season but save that stuff for post game this is the Eastern Conference Finals and a trip to the NBA Finals is on the line. Lebron James has friends on the Heat he can go clap up Dwyane Wade and Paul George can go give Roy Hibbert some dap but don't fraternize during games its just not right and it looks wrong.

Players from back in the day such as Charles Barkley can't stand guys being friends saying “I hate that stuff I see today”. He has every right to while this is the highest level of basketball in the world and there is a certain level of respect that it commands you can't show it during the games though its war. Like I said though just like hip-hop everything has cycles and maybe basketball will once return to the days of genuine hatred and less fraternizing it makes for better basketball.

Rajon Rondo is a guy I have a tremendous amount of respect for. Along with being one of the top guards in the NBA this guy is hyper competitive and isn't about being Chris Paul's or Russell Westbook's best friend because he is to busy trying to beat them and prove he is the best. Rondo embodies everything right with basketball from a competitive standpoint. Again not hating on the Miami Heat but everyone and their mom is taking the veterans minimum to go there and not all NBA fans agree with that and some even myself may see it as a cop out or just more fraternizing. Rondo isn't in the best situation in Boston and could easily go somewhere better if the right scenario was presented but He wants to be the guy in Boston and he isn't friends with that many NBA players and I actually admire that it's not about making friends its about winning so Rondo gets it.

The NBA could learn a lot about having a competitive balance from Kendrick Lamar. He isn't tweeting J.Cole about how great he is nor is he speaking about how musically gifted he thinks Wale's last album may have been. He is trying to destroy his opponents (whom he has respect for) but he is trying to be the best at his craft so you aren't going to hear him talk about how great he thinks those guys are when he is trying to stake his claim as the best in hip-hop. The way Michael Jordan told people to step up their game through his exceptional play is the same way Kendrick is telling his peers in the rap world to step their game up lyrically.

So what has been the aftermath of Lamar's verse calling out all of his peers. He has gotten responses from some notable names such as Joell Ortiz, Papoose, Cassidy and Joe Budden. It has sparked some great lyrics in hip-hop over the last week or so and fans of the genre couldn't be happier.

Will the NBA ever follow in hip-hops current foot steps and stop the acting like friends while on the court? Hopefully, I think it makes the sport look bad when dudes are hugging each other just before tip-off. I don't care how much respect Kevin Durant has for Lebron I along with millions don't want see him be friends on court with James nor do we want to see him back down we want more guys in the league to take on the attitude of Joakim Noah, Nate Robinson,Rajon Rondo and Roy Hibbert. That’s the attitude of “This is basketball and I respect your game but I'm here to kick your ass”. So NBA Players follow the lead of your favorite rapper Kendrick Lamar and respect the hard work the opponent puts into their craft but tear their head off on that hardwood. Kendrick Lamar is the perfect example of striking a balance of respect for someones craft and confidence in your ability and the NBA needs to get back to that.

The Curious Case Of Tyreke Evans

This season is all about fresh starts in New Orleans. New logo, new team name, new colors and most importantly new talent with guys like Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans. There is no denying the talent on the Pelicans roster but the real question is how will it all mesh together with them being so guard heavy. The biggest question comes in the form of former Rookie of the year Tyreke Evans. The 6-6 versatile ballplayer has disappointed the basketball world majorly over the last few years seeing his points decrease and a whole lot of inconsistency. Now there isn’t any denying the talent of Evans but will the move from the Kings to the Pelicans wake him up and reenergize his career.

Tyreke as many of you know set the basketball world on fire in 2009 during his rookie of the year campaign where he joined the likes of  Michael Jordan,Oscar Robertson and Lebron James to average 20 points 5  rebounds and 5 assists. That is some pretty elite company and it only makes sense that people would have expectations of him being an elite player. Over the past few seasons he has looked disengaged playing on losing Kings teams but that in part is due to him not improving as a basketball player. This is the NBA coaches and players make adjustments after they have film of you so while the league adjusted to Tyreke the adjustment was never made for Tyreke to adjust to the league.

Hopefully his move to the Pelicans re energizes his career because when he is playing at a high level he is as fun to watch as anybody in the NBA. The Pelicans are very guard heavy and Evans has already made it clear that he will come off the bench and play anywhere from point guard to small forward. I think playing on a team as the 6^th man not only gives the Pelicans great line up flexibility but puts him in a position to show his versatility while staying on the floor for a team that has playoff potential which is all Evans really wants which is to win.

So when the Reke show makes its debut in the big easy its put up or shut up, this is year 5 and you are now playing with talented players at every position. I nor are most basketball asking for the return of 2009-10 Tyreke Evans (Although it would be cool to see) but what we are asking is for Evans to be a factor for the Pelicans playing basketball at a high level. All I know is that the curious case of Tyreke Evans will be a fun thing to watch this season in the NBA.