If he wore green and white?

[damekmo@teleport.com]

>I don't agree with Red, but if Jordan isn't
>the best, he's surely 1-A.  I'm still with Russell.  Basketball is more than
>athleticism.
>
>Gene  (99 yesterday)

I absolutely agree with that last sentence, and would only like to add that
Jordan's game is much more than "athleticism." An example of an "athletic"
player, in the perjorative sense, is the the dreaded Dominique Wilkens. One
of the reasons I think Jordan's considered the greatest of all time is that
he combines his athleticism with incredible intensity and sound
fundamentals. As he's gotten older he's remade himself as a player, still
sustaining all of his dominance on the court. I'm not sure he could've
recreated himself in that way if he weren't a fundamentally sound player.
Perhaps it's all athleticism, but I'm not sure. By the way, I agree with
Red concerning the mediocre players surrounding Jordan. A lot has been made
of Jordan's apparent inability to make his teammates better. I disagree. I
think Scottie Pippen should be down on his knees every day thanking God
he's spent his entire career playing with Michael Jordan. While I'd love to
have Pippen playing with the Celtics next year, everyone who questions his
ability to make the big play when it's needed, and questions his
willingness to make it, is, I think, correct. Without Jordan, I think, he's
just another very skilled player disappearing in the fourth quarter of big
games. He'll help you get to the big games, but once there.....I'm not
sure. Jordan's defensive abilities have also taken a lot of pressure off
his teammates over the years. He makes up for other players' deficiencies,
freeing them up to develop what they do best. I'm not sure there's ever
been another non-center who's combined the offensive and defensive
dominance of Jordan. Yes, Costas' adoration of Jordan has been "a bit much"
during this series, to say the least. Yes, he did just trip. Yes he's been
getting all the calls for years. Yes, he's not the player he once was and
his age is showing. But I wonder if anybody on this list would really have
a serious disagreement with Jordan as the greatest of all time if he'd worn
green and white his whole career and been the leader on five Celtics'
championship teams in the 90's.

Paul M.