Re: Bulls/Celtics

[bob@pointofchoice.com (bob miller)]

In a message dated 98-05-23 12:00:36 EDT, you write:

<< What do you consider to be a greater accomplishment: the
 Bulls' (probably) six titles in eight years, which would
 have been eight straight if Jordan hadn't temporarily
 retired, or the Celtics' run of eight in a row in the '60s?
 I would have to say the Bulls' run has to be ranked higher.
 The players are better, the travel schedule more grinding,
 and one thing that is often forgotten is the playoffs are
 much longer than in the earlier
 era.>>

A few more comments:
1. The Bulls lost to Orlando in the playoffs AFTER Jordan returned. He
played. He lost. Case closed.
2. Consider this: If the Bulls win this year, and then win the next five
consecutive years (99, 00, 01, 02, and 03), then they merely will tie the
C's run of 11 of 13.
3. Teams travel more, but back then you didn't have private luxury jets;
most teams took trains or went on commercial air flights, not exactly a
piece of cake.
4. Individual players may be better, but you have dilution via expansion.
There are a LOT of bad teams out there. In my view, today's players in
general are superior athletes, but then again, why can't they shoot free
throws? Percentages are lower today than they were 30 years ago. And where
has the art of the mid-range jumper gone?
4B. Plus, there is a tendency to assume that because someone plays today,
they are automatically better than players years ago. The stars of the '60s
would be the stars of today. Consider the reaction of Bulls fans of today
when some team 15 years from now (the C's!) wins four straight titles and
are proclaimed the "best ever" and the skills of Pippen and Rodman are
casually dismissed. Most Bulls fans probably never saw Sam Jones and
Havlicek or even Russell in their primes, not to mention Jerry West, Connie
Hawkins, Wilt, Monroe, etc.
5. The playoffs "much" longer? Well... for the top teams, the first round
is an utter joke (except for Seattle!), a total cakewalk. That leaves just
one extra round of playoffs.
6. Not to take away from today's Bulls, whom I really enjoy watching, or
the Great One, MJ. They are truly one of the best teams ever...