20 Second Timeout

Frank Layden Coached With a Smile and Left the Fans Smiling

Frank Layden, who passed away on July 9, 2025 at the age of 93, was the second Utah coach in Jazz history after the franchise spent its first five seasons based in New Orleans. The Jazz did not post a winning record or make a playoff appearance in New Orleans, nor did they do so in their first four Utah seasons--but they went 45-37 and reached the second round in their fifth Utah season (1983-84), which was Layden's second full season on the Jazz bench. That year, Layden won the Coach of the Year award, the Executive of the Year award, and the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship award--a trifecta that is unlikely to ever be matched, as only a handful of other people have won even two out of those three awards, much less won two of them in the same year. 

After his great success in 1984, Layden led the Jazz to four more playoff appearances in the next four seasons before suddenly retiring with an 11-6 record in the 1988-89 season. When he retired from coaching, Layden said, "I think America takes all sports too seriously. Sometimes in the NBA, you feel like a dog. You age seven years in one. The pressure in the NBA is intense. It's time to have my time." Two-time NBA scoring champion (1981, 1984) Adrian Dantley was Utah's best player during most of Layden's time with the Jazz, with John Stockton arriving in 1984-85 (but not becoming a full-time starter until 1987-88) and Karl Malone arriving in 1985-86 (but not becoming an All-Star until 1988). Layden returned to the bench in 1998 for a brief stint as the coach of the WNBA's Utah Starzz before retiring from coaching for good, citing his desire to "enjoy life."

Layden posted a 277-294 record as an NBA head coach, which is not bad considering the condition of the Jazz franchise when he took over. Layden had a strong basketball pedigree dating back to his time as a player at Niagara, where he was a teammate/roommate of the legendary Hubie Brown. Layden served as an assistant coach for Brown with the Atlanta Hawks before joining the Jazz. 

However, Layden will be remembered for more than his basketball acumen or his won/loss record. He had a jovial personality, and he would banter good-naturedly with fans, one time asking a heckler if he paid for his seats. Layden explained that he could accept barbs from paying customers but not from the "freebies."  Layden co-hosted two NBA blooper tapes with Hall of Fame broadcaster Marv Albert.

It seems like a lot of the characters and quirky personalities of the game like Frank Layden have been replaced by "quants" (I call them "stat gurus") who are long on spreadsheets and short on one-liners. There is a place in basketball for analytics and data (properly utilized), but there is also a place for subjectivity and just good old fashioned fun--and Layden understood that.

Labels: Adrian Dantley, Frank Layden, Hubie Brown, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Niagara, Utah Jazz

posted by David Friedman @ 2:02 AM

0 comments

Kevin Durant is the Ninth Member of Pro Basketball's 30,000 Point Club

The Memphis Grizzlies built a 19 point lead and held on to defeat the Phoenix Suns 119-112, but the headline story from that game is that the Suns' Kevin Durant joined the elite 30,000 point club by making a free throw with 1:11 remaining in the third quarter. Durant finished with a game-high 34 points on 12-18 field goal shooting. Ja Morant scored a team-high 26 points as the Grizzlies improved to 36-17 while dropping the Suns to 26-27. The Grizzlies have the second best record in the Western Conference, while the Suns are fighting just to earn a berth in the Play-In Tournament; the Suns are yet another example of how the "Big Three" model of instant team building fails more often than it succeeds.

Durant is the 30,000 point club's ninth member, and the first new member since LeBron James became the eighth (and youngest) member in 2018, one year after Dirk Nowitzki joined. Before we reflect on Durant's excellent career, it must be emphasized that it is shameful that the NBA and its media partners call Durant the 30,000 point club's eighth member, ignoring the fact that Julius Erving scored 30,026 points. ABA numbers should be counted offiically by the NBA, just like the NFL officially counts AFL numbers. Erving was just the third player to score at least 30,000 points, and he was the first "midsize" (6-7 or under) player to accomplish the feat; nearly 40 years after Erving retired, the only other "midsize" players who have scored at least 30,000 points are Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Ignoring Erving's accomplishments and statistics skews the ubiquitous conversation about the greatest players of all-time; Erving is often left out of that discussion, but he deserves to be prominently mentioned. Erving starred in the ABA for five years before enjoying a spectacular 11 year run with the Philadelphia 76ers. He made the All-Star team in each of his 16 professional seasons, he never played for a losing or non-playoff team, and he is the only player to win an MVP award in both leagues. Erving won four regular season MVPs, three championships, and two Finals MVPs; he did a lot more than just score, but he was also one of the greatest, most consistent scorers of all-time, with scoring averages ranging from 20.0 ppg to 31.9 ppg in his first 14 seasons.

Durant is unlikely to join James in the 40,000 point club, but he has come a long way from being a skinny rookie who was played out of position at guard before blossoming in his second season after being shifted to his natural position of small forward. Durant spent his prime years at small forward but as his body developed and the league began favoring smaller lineups he became a devastating weapon at power forward, stretching the floor while not being afraid to attack the hoop. Durant had a high, loose dribble as a young player but he developed into an effective ballhandler. He did not average at least 4 apg until his sixth season, but he averaged at least 4 apg in each of the next 12 seasons. Durant won four scoring titles, and he posted two 50/40/90 seasons that exemplify how complete his scoring repertoire is: Durant is renowned as a midrange assassin, but he also posts up, drives to the hoop, drains three pointers, and not only draws fouls but shoots his free throws at an elite (.882) clip. Like Erving, Durant has an all-around game, and an impressive list of accomplishments, including two Finals MVPs, two championships, and one regular season MVP.

Six of the nine members of the 30,000 point club are in my Pantheon (an asterisk denotes that the player is in my Pantheon):

                               Pro Basketball's 30,000 Point Club 

1. LeBron James* 41,623 

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 38,387 

3. Karl Malone 36,928 

4. Kobe Bryant* 33,643 

5. Michael Jordan* 32,292 

6. Dirk Nowitzki 31,560 

7. Wilt Chamberlain* 31,419 

8. Julius Erving* 30,026

9. Kevin Durant  30,008

Labels: Dirk Nowitzki, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 3:25 AM

20 comments

NBA Legends Brunch Honors Bill Russell, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Pau Gasol

The NBA Legends Brunch has always been my favorite side event of NBA All-Star Weekend. It is often both more entertaining and more meaningful than the All-Star Game--and that was definitely the case this year, as I will discuss in greater detail in my 2023 NBA All-Star Game recap. 

I had the privilege of attending the NBA Legends Brunch as a credentialed journalist six times (2005-2010); when I have not been able to attend in person it is appointment TV viewing for me, and I often write an article about it (links to several of my NBA Legends Brunch articles are appended to this article). 

This year's NBA Legends Brunch marked the debut of a new honor: the Bob Lanier Community Impact Award. I interviewed Lanier in person during the 2005 NBA All-Star Weekend, and I later did a phone interview with him that provided much of the background material for a 2006 profile that I wrote about Lanier.

Lanier was a wonderful person and a great interview subject. One quote in particular stood out from the time that I spent speaking with him. I asked him to describe his greatest moment, and he provided this reply:

Greatest moment? To me--and I know that this might sound a little trite--the greatest moment is that basketball has enabled me to touch other people's lives. I've always been able to do that. Since day one, being an NBA player and visiting a hospital or going to a senior citizens' home and listening to an elderly person who has much more wisdom than I'll ever have and brightening their day and giving my energy. It's something that is very, very special that the NBA has been able to do. It's terrific for me. (NBA Senior Vice President) Kathy (Behrens) talked about seeing our players making words come to life. That is very special because I see them in gyms and community centers with these kids, bright eyed kids draped all around them. They've got their hands on these books that they almost cover up because their hands are so big. Then, the energy that they have by making the words come to life and then going over to a tech center where they get on these computers. It's funny sometimes, because really the kids know more about how to do online stuff than our players, so they end up teaching our players. It's really, really nice.

Lanier devoted much of his life to having a positive impact on the community, and he particularly focused on helping children, so it is fitting that this new award is named for him. The first recipient of the honor is Pau Gasol. Gasol gave a wonderful Legends Brunch speech focusing on his understanding of the need and value of NBA players giving back to the community. He said of NBA players, "We are role models whether we like it or not." That point is worth emphasizing. Charles Barkley once did a famous TV commercial in which he declared that the ability to dribble a basketball well does not make someone a role model--but in that commercial Barkley missed the larger point: whether or not the ability to dribble a basketball well should make someone a role model in an ideal world where parents and teachers would be a child's main role models is less important than the reality that children look up to NBA players (and other sports stars) as role models, and that reality creates a responsibility that NBA players should embrace. NBA players are role models, and they should use their fame, money, and prominent platform to do as much good as possible for as many people as possible.

It should also be noted that Gasol is a native Spanish speaker from Spain who gave his Legends Brunch speech in flawless English. Imagine growing up in the United States speaking English, becoming a major star in a Spanish professional sports league, and then giving a speech in Spanish to a Spanish-speaking audience in Spain. That is the equivalent of what Gasol did, and I wonder how many Americans would be able to do that? Gasol is one of many NBA stars from countries other than the United States who did not grow up speaking English but who now speak English fluently.

John Stockton received the Hometown Hero award. He described his journey from Gonzaga--which was not a college basketball powerhouse when he played there--to being a Hall of Famer, and he thanked the many people who helped him along the way, including teammates Rickey Green, Adrian Dantley, Thurl Bailey, and--of course--Karl Malone, who teamed with Stockton to form the most famous pick and roll duo in basketball history. Stockton teared up when he spoke about Coach Jerry Sloan, who he credited with providing the spirit and soul that kept their team together. Stockton also praised the family atmosphere that has always been a part of the Jazz franchise, and he said that he could not picture himself having the same amount of success and happiness playing for any other NBA team.  

Bill Russell, the greatest champion in the history of North American team sports, passed away last summer. The Legends Brunch provided a heartfelt tribute to Russell. Julius Erving, for whom the NBA recently named its Slam Dunk Contest trophy, gave the keynote speech for the Bill Russell tribute. Erving was the perfect choice for this honor, both because of the reverence that the basketball community has for him--it is likely that no one has been a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame presenter more often than he has--and because of his deep, longstanding personal connection with Russell. Erving is also one of the NBA community's most eloquent speakers. 

Erving began by noting that few people have the privilege of being the greatest champion in their sport. Erving added, "Fewer still take that spirit to be champions in their communities...More than anyone else before or after him, he was a champion on and off the court." Erving declared, "Bill Russell succeeded athletically at every level," and he listed a set of accomplishments that deserve emphasis: high school champion, two-time NCAA champion at the University of San Francisco, leader of America's 1956 Olympic gold medal-winning squad, winner of 11 NBA titles with the Boston Celtics, and five-time NBA regular season MVP (and if the NBA Finals MVP had existed before Russell's last season, he likely would have accumulated a trophy case full of those trophies as well). 

After Erving rattled off the important facts about Russell's life and career, he put away his note cards and spoke from the heart about his personal connection with Russell that lasted over 50 years. Erving remembered first meeting Russell as a college player at the University of Massachusetts, and he spoke about how he cherished Russell as a mentor and as a friend. Erving is too modest to mention this, but he mentored many other future legends the same way that Russell mentored him (the list of players mentored by Erving includes George Gervin and Magic Johnson, who stayed at Erving's home during the summer that he was deciding whether to go back to college or jump into the NBA Draft as an underclassman, something far less common in 1979 than it is now).

Erving talked about the many wonderful hours that he spent in Russell's home with Russell and his family, and the many wonderful hours that Russell spent in his home with him and his family. Erving cherished the time that they spent together on the golf course, while noting that he is not a great golfer and saying with a smile that golf "is not for everyone." Erving recalled that he and Russell talked about serious topics and humorous topics, and that when someone said something funny Russell would unleash his famous cackle. Erving enjoyed spending time with Russell during All-Star Weekend, and he remembered that Russell talked about how it felt to be the oldest guy in the room. "You are going to feel that one day," Russell told Erving. Erving noted with a smile that as long as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and a few others are around he will not be the oldest guy in the room at the Legends Brunch.

Circling back to a statement that Legends Brunch host Ernie Johnson made, Erving pointed out that there is one vacant seat at the Bill Russell family table, and Erving said that no one will ever be able to fill that seat.

A video tribute to Russell's career concluded with this quote from Russell: "I tried to live my life doing what I think is right and for the right reasons."

Three other speakers also honored Russell. Current Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown talked about how much he respects Russell's legacy on and off of the basketball court. 

Hall of Famer Grant Hill recalled not only Russell's championships and off-court accomplishments but his humor. Hill added, "My understanding of leadership comes from Bill Russell," and he concluded, "Justice is power and joy is power."

Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said that he first met Bill Russell as a 14 year old high school player who stood two inches taller than Russell, who was already a multi-time NBA champion. Abdul-Jabbar said that the Boston Celtics practiced at his high school before playing the New York Knicks because Power Memorial High School was located close to Madison Square Garden. Abdul-Jabbar described how Russell was not much interested in meeting him at first, and how their connection grew with each subsequent encounter. Abdul-Jabbar said that he admired Russell as a player for playing defense like a chess master who saw many moves ahead, and who customized his defensive tactics for each individual opponent. Abdul-Jabbar recalled with admiration Russell's leadership at the legendary Ali Summit in Cleveland in 1967. Abdul-Jabbar said that Russell encouraged all of those who gathered to listen to Ali, as opposed to trying to persuade them to agree with Ali. Abdul-Jabbar drew strength from Russell's example of leadership. 

Abdul-Jabbar said that Russell always called him "kid," even long after Abdul-Jabbar had retired as a player. Abdul-Jabbar thought that was Russell's gentle way of reminding him, "I was here first." Abdul-Jabbar spoke about filming a commercial with Russell, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. After filming that commercial, Abdul-Jabbar asked Russell for a favor for the first time in their decades-long friendship: he asked Russell to autograph a jersey. 

One of the most poignant moments in every NBA Legends Brunch is the video tribute to players, coaches, referees, and other members of the basketball community who passed away in the last year. This time, Thurl Bailey sang "Lean on Me" while the video tribute played. 

Bill Walton presented the final award--Legend of the Year--to Karl Malone. Speaking without notes, and pacing back and forth instead of standing in front of the lectern, Walton talked at length about how much he respects and admires Malone for rising from humble beginnings to becoming a great NBA player. Walton declared, "Karl was a team guy. He played hard, he played to win."

Malone was overcome with emotion as he accepted the award, and he frequently dabbed tears from his face. Malone said, "I've got more time in the rearview mirror than the windshield," and he said that it was very important to him to use this moment to honor and recognize "My hero that got me through the things I went through: Julius 'Dr. J' Erving." Malone revealed that he chose his jersey number 32 to honor Erving, who wore number 32 during his fantastic ABA career. I think that younger fans--and many of the commentators who neglect to mention Erving when discussing pro basketball's greatest and most influential players--fail to appreciate the impact that Erving had not only on the court as a dominant performer but also as an inspiration to a whole generation of great players who followed him. It is not an accident that so many Hall of Famers tap Erving to be their Hall of Fame presenter. It takes nothing away from the greatness of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan to give credit to Erving as perhaps the most influential and inspirational player from the 1970s and 1980s. If you grew up in that era, you know what I mean: everyone wanted to be Dr. J, including many kids from that era (including Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, Dominique Wilkins, and many others) who became NBA legends in their own right.

Malone also talked about how much impact his mother had on his life. His mother told him that it is important to not let your mistakes define you: "There will be a lot of noise around you. Let your success be your noise." Malone's mother told him, "He that throws rocks at every dog that is barking will never reach his destination." Malone added, "Words do two things in life…they either lift you up or tear you down."

Malone concluded by quoting the words of former Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller, who used to say "Let’s do so much good in this world that there is no more good left to do."

Selected Previous NBA Legends Recaps:

Jerry West Gives Powerful Speech After Being Honored as NBA Legend of the Year (2022) 

Legends Brunch Honors Alonzo Mourning, Five Great Mavs (2010)

NBA Legends Brunch Honors Phoenix' Rich Basketball History (2009)

King James Reigns in Houston (2006 NBA All-Star Weekend) 

Labels: Bill Russell, John Stockton, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, NBA Legends Brunch, Pau Gasol

posted by David Friedman @ 10:16 AM

0 comments

LeBron James is Playing at a Level no other 38 Year Old Has Reached

LeBron James celebrated his 38th birthday on December 30, 2022, and in the past three weeks he has played at a level no other 38 year old NBA player has ever reached, averaging 34.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg, and 8.6 apg in seven games. Overall, this season he is averaging 29.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg, and 7.0 apg while playing 35 of a possible 45 games. Until the season is over it is too soon to definitively proclaim James the greatest 38 year old NBA player ever, but it is already safe to say that he has placed himself on the short list.

Unless James' play declines significantly down the stretch, the only age 38 player who played at a comparable level was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who holds the career regular season scoring record (38,387 points) that James is on pace to pass in about three weeks.

In Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's age 38 season (1984-85), he averaged 22.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, and 3.2 apg while playing in 79 of a possible 82 games. He finished fourth in regular season MVP voting, but was relegated to the All-NBA Second Team behind Moses Malone, the All-NBA First Team center that season who was third in MVP voting, trailing only Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Abdul-Jabbar won the 1985 Finals MVP after averaging 25.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, and 5.2 apg as his L.A. Lakers defeated the defending champion Boston Celtics in six games. In his age 39 season (1985-86), Abdul-Jabbar averaged 23.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, and 3.5 apg to earn an All-NBA First Team selection along with a fifth place finish in the regular season MVP voting.

In Michael Jordan's age 38 season (2001-02), he averaged 22.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and 5.2 apg while playing in 60 of a possible 82 games for the Washington Wizards. Jordan had been retired for three years, so it could be argued that his body was well-rested, but it could also be argued that he was rusty after spending an extended period of time away from NBA competition. Jordan made the All-Star team but was not selected for the All-NBA Team. He had five 40 point games—including a season-high 51 point outburst versus the Charlotte Hornets—but he also scored fewer than 10 points in five games. Jordan shot .416 from the field, the worst field goal percentage of his career (not counting the 17 games he played in 1994-95 during his first comeback). During his age 39 season, Jordan's scoring average declined to 20.0 ppg but his field goal percentage improve to .445 (still well below his career average of .497). The two most remarkable facts about Jordan's final season are (1) he played all 82 games despite having chronic knee problems, and (2) he averaged 37.0 mpg, which would rank third in the league this season (in the pre load-management 2002-03 season, Jordan ranked 35th in mpg).

In Karl Malone's age 38 season (2001-02), he averaged 22.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg, and 4.3 apg in 80 games. He was selected to the All-Star team.

In John Stockton's age 38 season (1999-00), he averaged 12.1 ppg and 8.6 apg (sixth in the NBA) in 82 games while earning the last of his 10 All-Star selections. 

A good conditioning program is vital for any NBA player, but it is particularly important for older players. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Ron Harper formed a "Breakfast Club" during which they worked out and trained together so that their bodies would be prepared not only for the regular season but also for deep playoff runs, and that dedication paid off with the Chicago Bulls' second "three-peat" from 1996-98. Jordan played until he was 40, Pippen played until he was 38, and Harper played until he was 37.

Julius Erving was one of the early adopters in terms of doing conditioning work with the express purpose of extending his career by maintaining strength and flexibility to prevent injuries. Howard Cosell profiled John Kilbourne's work with Erving and the 1983 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers. Erving also trained with Pat Croce, who complimented Erving as the hardest working athlete he had ever seen. A 1985 Orlando Sentinel article called Erving Croce's "prize pupil" in an era when NBA players and teams were just beginning to understand the importance of weightlifting and training. Croce is best known for being the Philadelphia 76ers' majority owner during Allen Iverson's prime years. 

Erving played 16 professional seasons, retiring after his age 37 season (1986-87) during which he averaged 16.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, and 3.2 apg while earning his 16th All-Star selection (second all-time behind only Abdul-Jabbar's 17 at that point). In recent years, it has become more common not only for careers to last 16 or more seasons but also for older players to remain productive--but at the time Erving retired making the All-Star team at 37 was very rare, and even playing past age 33 was uncommon: in 1986-87, there were only 20 NBA players 33 or older, and Erving ranked sixth in scoring in that group (the only player older than Erving who posted a higher scoring average that season was Abdul-Jabbar, who scored 17.5 ppg). This season, there are more than 40 players who are 33 or older, three of them are each averaging at least 29 ppg (LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry), and four others are each averaging at least 21 ppg.

Today's players have more time, money, and resources than their predecessors did to help preserve their bodies. It has been reported that James spends more than $1 million per year on body maintenance, and it is clear that the effort, money, and time spent are paying tremendous dividends for him. James is setting an incredible standard for players in their late 30s, and it will be interesting to see how long he can play at this level, and if 20 or 30 years from now additional advances make it more common for players to perform so well near the age of 40.

Labels: John Stockton, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, L.A. Lakers, LeBron James, Michael Jordan

posted by David Friedman @ 7:42 PM

9 comments

Examining Pro Basketball's 30,000 Point Club

Pro basketball's 30,000 point club has admitted just eight members in 75 seasons (listed in current ranking order): Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (the regular season career scoring leader from 1984-present), LeBron James, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain (the regular season career scoring leader from 1966-84), and Julius Erving. When Chamberlain retired after the 1973 season, he was the lone member of the 30,000 point club, and only a handful of players had scored at least 20,000 regular season points. It took a decade for Abdul-Jabbar to become the 30,000 point club's second member. In 1987, Erving became the third member--and the first "midsize" player to top the 30,000 point mark. 

For more than a decade, Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain, and Erving remained the club's only members. After Michael Jordan's 1998 retirement, Karl Malone passed Jordan on the career scoring list and then became the 30,000 point club's fourth member. Jordan came out of retirement and joined the club during his brief time with the Washington Wizards. Bryant joined the 30,000 point club in 2012; he, Jordan, and Erving remain the only "midsize" players who have been brilliant enough and durable enough to score more than 30,000 points. How significant is that? If a player plays 80 games a year for 10 straight years while averaging 25 ppg he will "only" be 10,000 points short of the 30,000 point club!

In 2017, Nowitzki became the first 30,000 point scorer who was born outside of the United States, and in 2018 James set the record as the youngest player to score 30,000 regular season points. 

Each 30,000 point club member grabbed at least 6500 rebounds, and Nowitzki is the only 30,000 point club member who did not notch at least 4000 assists. 

Chamberlain is the only 30,000 point club member who tallied at least 20,000 rebounds (his 23,924 career rebounds is a record that is unlikely to ever be broken). Abdul-Jabbar is the only other 30,000 point club member who also had at least 15,000 rebounds (17,440, fourth on pro basketball's all-time list behind Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Moses Malone). Abdul-Jabbar, Malone, and Erving were the first three 30,000 point club members who had at least 10,000 rebounds and at least 5000 assists. 

James recently became the first player with at least 30,000 regular season points, at least 10,000 regular season rebounds, and at least 10,000 regular season assists. The 30,000 point club member who ranks second in assists behind James is Bryant (6306), so while it is true that James is not a pass first player it is also true that he is a very gifted passer, particularly for someone whose primary skill set strength is scoring. James is not the first great scorer who was also a great passer but his combination of durability with consistent productivity in both departments is rare. The assist statistic is inherently subjective, but there is no doubt that James performs at an elite level as both a scorer and as a playmaker. 

Abdul-Jabbar and Jordan lead the 30,000 point club with six championships each, followed by Bryant (five), James (four), Erving (three), Chamberlain (two), and Nowitzki (one). Malone is the lone 30,000 point club member who did not win a title. 

Abdul-Jabbar won six regular season MVPs plus two Finals MVPs. Jordan won five regular season MVPs and six Finals MVPs. Chamberlain won four regular season MVPs and one Finals MVP (the Finals MVP was first handed out after the 10th of Chamberlain's 14 seasons). Erving won four regular season MVPs and two Finals MVPs. James won four regular season MVPs and four Finals MVPs. Malone won two regular season MVPs and no Finals MVPs. Bryant won one regular season MVP and two Finals MVPs. Nowitzki won one regular season MVP and one Finals MVP.

Who will join the 30,000 point club next? Only five active players other than James have scored at least 20,000 career regular season points: Carmelo Anthony (28,243), Kevin Durant (25,248), James Harden (23,305), Russell Westbrook (23,164), and Chris Paul (20,844). Anthony, who will turn 38 in May, would need two healthy seasons at his current scoring pace to join the 30,000 point club. Considering age and current productivity levels, Durant looks like the best candidate to be the next member of the 30,000 point club.

Labels: Dirk Nowitzki, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 11:30 PM

0 comments

The Ageless LeBron James

LeBron James is one of the select few players who belongs in the conversation for the title of the greatest basketball player of all-time, but there will probably never be a consensus choice for that distinction: Bill Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons, Wilt Chamberlain set numerous individual statistical records and led two dominant championship runs, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six championships and had incredible longevity, Michael Jordan broke some of Chamberlain's scoring records while posting a 6-0 NBA Finals record, and a handful of other players merit being mentioned as well.

However, one title that LeBron James may clinch--if he has not done so already--is greatest "old" basketball player of all-time. "Old" can be defined in various ways, but this article stipulates that an "old" player is one who turns 35 during a given calendar year. Historically, that age is a meaningful milestone. For example, Jerry West made the 1973 All-NBA First Team and finished sixth in MVP voting just before turning 35, but he played only 31 games as a 35 year old before retiring after the 1973-74 season. Only a relatively small number of players extend their careers past the age of 35, and a much smaller number of players that age perform at an All-Star level, let alone at an All-NBA, MVP, and/or Finals MVP level.

I first wrote about pro basketball's ageless wonders in the November 2002 issue of Basketball Digest, and then I revisited that subject in the April 2004 issue of Basketball Digest. The first article used 35 as a demarcation point, while the second article--written in the wake of Michael Jordan's two year stint as a Washington Wizard--focused on the 40 and over club, which LeBron James has not yet joined.

The first article crowned Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as "the unquestioned king of the 35 and over club," noting that he posted Hall of Fame caliber numbers just in the eight seasons comprising that portion of his career, including playing an important role for four Lakers' championship teams while receiving eight All-Star selections, four All-NBA First or Second Team selections, one All-Defensive Second Team selection, and one Finals MVP. He ranked among the league's scoring, field goal percentage and shot blocking leaders in several of those seasons. To put those accolades into perspective, Hall of Fame centers Dave Cowens, Bob Lanier, Willis Reed, and Nate Thurmond each earned eight or fewer All-Star selections in their entire careers! 

Jordan turned 35 during his final season as a Chicago Bull, and he authored perhaps the greatest season by a 35 year old player, winning the scoring title (28.7 ppg), the All-Star Game MVP, the regular season MVP, and the Finals MVP while also being selected to the All-NBA First Team and the All-Defensive First Team. He then retired for three years before coming back to play two seasons as a Wizard, when he earned two All-Star selections but no other seasonal honors (he finished 13th in the 2002 MVP voting).

Jordan may have been the greatest 35 year old ever, but his overall post-35 body of work does not match up with Abdul-Jabbar's.

Other players who had notable accomplishments at 35 or older include Bill Russell (in his final season he finished fourth in MVP voting, made the All-Defensive First Team, and averaged 19.3 rpg for a championship team as player-coach), Wilt Chamberlain (one Finals MVP, two rebounding titles), John Havlicek (four All-Star selections, second only to Abdul-Jabbar in this age category), Julius Erving (three All-Star selections, and he holds the record as the oldest member of the 100-100 club), Dennis Rodman (three rebounding titles while playing for three championship teams), and Karl Malone (won the 1999 regular season MVP as a 35 year old).

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to three straight NBA Finals and back to back titles in the 12th-14th seasons of his career, mirroring what Jordan did with the Bulls at a similar stage in his career (but Jordan was older, because he played three years of college ball compared to Bryant going straight from high school to the NBA), and it seemed that he might challenge Abdul-Jabbar and Jordan as the greatest "old" player of all-time, but ultimately Bryant's body gave out. Bryant was playing at an MVP level (he finished fifth in the 2013 regular season MVP voting) when he ruptured his Achilles just a few months prior to turning 35. He played 107 games over three seasons at ages 35-37, but he never regained his old form, though he did finish his career on a high note by setting the all-time record for most points scored in a player's final NBA game (60, more than doubling John Havlicek's previous record of 29) while also becoming the oldest player to score at least 60 points in an NBA game.

If Bryant had not suffered such a serious injury then he seemed on track to be an elite performer past the age of 35, but of course injuries are a part of the game, and injuries are one of the major reasons that most players do not even play past 35 at all.

LeBron James turned 35 last season, when he averaged 25.3 ppg, a career-high/league leading 10.2 apg, and 7.8 rpg. During the playoffs he averaged 27.6 ppg, 8.8 apg, and 10.8 rpg, and he led the L.A. Lakers to their first title of the post-Bryant era. James won his fourth Finals MVP after averaging 29.8 ppg, 11.8 rpg, and 8.5 apg as the Lakers beat the Heat in six games. He is the second oldest Finals MVP, trailing only Abdul-Jabbar.

This season, through his first 20 games James averaged 25.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and 7.5 apg. He is on pace to post a career-high three point field goal percentage (.417), though that may be an artifact of a small sample size.

When comparing "old" Abdul-Jabbar to "old" James it is important to remember that Abdul-Jabbar--arguably the greatest college basketball player of all-time--played four years at UCLA before joining the NBA, while James jumped straight from high school to the NBA. Thus, James is currently a 36 year old in his 18th season, while Abdul-Jabbar turned 40 years old late in his 18th season, and Abdul-Jabbar turned 36 years old late in his 14th season. Thus, you cannot fairly compare the two players only on a season to season basis, because that gives James a four year age advantage over Abdul-Jabbar.

Abdul-Jabbar's post-35 career is quite remarkable.

As a 35 year old in his 13th season, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 23.9 ppg and 8.7 rpg during the regular season. That was the worst season of his career up to that point, and he slipped to 10th in the MVP voting after finishing third and first in the previous two years. However, he and Norm Nixon each averaged 20.4 ppg in the playoffs (Nixon scored one more point than Abdul-Jabbar over the span of 14 playoff games) to share the team lead as the Lakers won their second title in three seasons.

As a 36 year old in his 14th season, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 21.8 ppg and 7.5 rpg during the regular season. He again finished 10th in the regular season MVP voting. Abdul-Jabbar led the NBA in playoff scoring (27.1 ppg), but the Lakers were swept in the NBA Finals by one of the best single-season teams of all-time, the Moses Malone-Julius Erving Philadelphia 76ers. 

As a 37 year old in his 15th season, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 21.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg during the regular season. He finished fourth in the regular season MVP voting. He averaged 23.9 ppg and 8.2 rpg in the playoffs, but the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the NBA Finals.

As a 38 year old in his 16th season, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 22.0 ppg and 7.9 rpg during the regular season. He finished fourth in regular season MVP balloting and made the All-NBA Second Team before winning the Finals MVP after averaging 25.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 5.2 apg, and 1.5 bpg as his Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in six games. He led the Lakers in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots during the Finals, while ranking second on the team in assists behind Magic Johnson.

Abdul-Jabbar made the All-NBA Team for the final time--earning First Team honors--as a 39 year old during his 17th season. He averaged 23.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, and 1.6 bpg during the regular season, and he finished fifth in regular season MVP voting. He was the Lakers' leading scorer during the regular season and the playoffs (25.9 ppg) as the Lakers lost to Houston in the Western Conference Finals.

As a 40 year old in his 18th season, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 17.5 ppg and 6.7 rpg during the regular season and 19.2 ppg and 6.8 rpg during the playoffs. He was the Lakers' third leading scorer during both the regular season and the playoffs as the Lakers won the title after a 65-17 regular season. 

Abdul-Jabbar averaged at least 40 mpg in each of his first seven seasons. Then, he averaged between 35 and 39.5 mpg in each of the next six seasons. He averaged between 31-33 mpg in the next five seasons, before averaging 28.9 mpg in season 19 and 22.9 mpg in season 20.  

James' mpg numbers have followed a similar trajectory: he averaged at least 40 mpg for four straight seasons early in his career, but he is averaging a career-low 33.1 mpg this season. However, James is more productive on a per minute basis now--as a scorer, rebounder, and playmaker--than he was during most of his previous seasons: his 2021 per minute numbers are his second best ever in scoring, his second best ever in rebounding, and his fifth best ever in assists. The most amazing thing about James' play as a 35 year old--and now as a 36 year old--is that when you watch him, if you ignore that he is developing a hairline resembling "old" Abdul-Jabbar, you cannot tell his age, nor can you tell that he is an 18 year veteran. 

In terms of accolades, Michael Jordan's 1998 season was even better than LeBron James' 2020 season, but the way that James played last season and the way he is playing so far this season seems different--looks different--than "old" Jordan or "old" Abdul-Jabbar or any other "old" all-time great discussed above. "Old" Jordan was extraordinarily productive: he was crafty, and after an intensive exercise regimen he was probably stronger than he had ever been. However, you would never mistake "old" Jordan for Air Jordan in terms of athleticism and explosiveness.

Similarly, "old" Abdul-Jabbar posted impressive statistics while playing an integral role for four championship teams, but he was not the highly mobile and incredibly athletic marvel that he had been during his prime years.

In terms of retaining elite athletic ability at an advanced age, Julius Erving ranks as highly as anyone: he took off from just inside the free throw line in the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest at 35, and he was a more prolific shot blocker at that age (109 blocked shots in 78 games) than James ever was (James had a career-high 93 blocked shots in 81 games as a 24 year old in 2008-09)--but, even accounting for Erving's late career shift from forward to guard, he was not the rebounder that he was during his prime, and he did not consistently play above the rim to the extent that he did during his prime. During his final season at the age of 37, Erving claimed that he could still do any single move that he had ever done before, and that was probably true, but Erving could no longer do those moves repeatedly every game over the course of a season.

In contrast, James is still flying through the air on a regular basis, still posting elite scoring numbers with a high field goal percentage (.496, just below his career average), and still able to go head to head with much younger MVP caliber players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard not only using craftiness, strength and guile, but also at the very least matching their athleticism as well. 

I would take young Jordan and young Bryant over James, for reasons that I have discussed at length in various articles--but "old" James is obviously better than hobbled "old" Bryant, "old" James' peak is better than "old" Abdul-Jabbar's peak, and "old" James is at least comparable to the 1998 version of "old" Jordan ("old" James is better than "old" Jordan from the Wizards, though to be fair to Jordan he was several years older at that time than James is now).

It remains to be seen if James will have a post-35 career as long and productive as Abdul-Jabbar's and/or if James will still be an All-Star at 40 as Jordan was, but in terms of peak value James has already made a strong case that he is the greatest "old" player of all-time.

Labels: Bill Russell, Jerry West, John Havlicek, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 3:01 AM

2 comments

"Pass First" LeBron James Passes Wilt Chamberlain on the Regular Season Career Scoring List

LeBron James scored 44 points in the L.A. Lakers' 126-117 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night and he moved past Wilt Chamberlain into fifth place on the pro basketball regular season career scoring list with 31,425 points. James now trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643) and Michael Jordan (32,292).

ESPN's Chauncey Billups commented about James being the only "pass first" player on the above list. What is remarkable is that the "pass first" myth persists even as James seems to be on course to become the sport's all-time leading scorer. We have covered this ground before but it is worth mentioning again: "Pass first" players do not score 61 points in a game, nor do they score over 30,000 points in a career.

LeBron James is a great scorer who also possesses high level passing skills--which is true, at least to some extent, of each of the other five players listed above. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the best passing centers of all-time and he averaged at least 5 apg three times. Karl Malone was purely an athlete who could dunk and rebound at the start of his career but he developed into a solid shooter and good passer. Kobe Bryant was the primary ballhandler/playmaker on five championship teams. Michael Jordan averaged 8.0 apg and rang up a string of triple doubles in 1988-89 when Coach Doug Collins shifted Jordan from shooting guard to point guard. Jordan remained a good playmaker the rest of his career, though Scottie Pippen was the primary playmaker as the Jordan-Pippen duo led the Chicago Bulls to six championships in the 1990s. Chamberlain, who retired as the all-time leading scorer, led the league in assists in 1968, at a time when the leader was determined by total assists and not apg average.

Chamberlain, Jerry West, Nate Archibald, Russell Westbrook and James Harden are the only players who have won at least one scoring title and at least one assist title. Only Archibald won both titles in the same season. None of those players is considered a "pass first" player, though Archibald became one in the latter part of his career after suffering an Achilles injury and then landing on a talented Boston team featuring Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

James won the 2008 scoring title and he has ranked in the top five in scoring 14 times, including four second place finishes and six third place finishes. James spent more than a decade as one of the league's top three scorers, yet he is still called a pass first player! James finished second in apg last season, the first time he ranked in the top five in that category; yes, James is a very good passer but his first option--rightfully so, considering his skill set--is to score.

It interesting to contrast James' statistics and reputation with Westbrook's statistics and reputation.Westbrook won the 2015 and 2017 scoring titles. He led the league in assists in 2018 and has ranked in the top four in that category in each of the past four seasons. Westbrook ranked 10th in rebounding in 2017 and 2018 while averaging a triple double in consecutive seasons, an unprecedented accomplishment. Westbrook led the league in playoff apg in 2016 and 2017 and he also ranked first in playoff ppg in 2017. Westbrook is clearly a great all-around player and, at least statistically, on par with James as a passer--yet Westbrook is routinely derided as a selfish gunner.

I am the first to state that assists are not the only way to rate playmaking ability and assists are not necessarily the most accurate statistic. I would also say that Westbrook's shot selection and offensive efficiency are inferior to James' shot selection and offensive efficiency.

However, after granting those stipulations and considering all other factors in their totality, it does not make sense to say that a player whose career averages are 27.2 ppg, 19.6 fga/g, 7.2 apg and 7.4 rpg is an all-around player who has a "pass first" mindset but a player whose career averages are 23.0 ppg, 18.4 fga/g, 8.2 apg and 6.6 rpg is a one-dimensional gunner. The James-Westbrook comparison is especially relevant because they have played in the same era under the same rules.

That said, some historical comparisons shed further light on this "pass first" business. James ranks 11th in pro basketball history in fga/g, just ahead of Kobe Bryant and trailing only Elgin Baylor, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson, Pete Maravich, Bob Pettit, Rick Barry, Jerry West, Dominique Wilkins and George Mikan.

There is nothing inherently wrong with being a shoot first player, as James is. The best player on a team generally has an obligation and responsibility to score prolifically, because this helps his team not only by the points he directly creates but also by forcing the defense to trap him and therefore open up opportunities for players who cannot create their own shots.

James is a tremendous scorer who is also a skillful and willing passer. That is a great combination and there is no need to create false labels; praising James for his scoring takes nothing away from his passing or from any of his other skills--but artificially applying one ill-fitting label to James while also applying other ill-fitting labels to other players does not increase our understanding or appreciation of greatness but rather diminishes both while also being an affront to truth.

Labels: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Russell Westbrook, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 11:09 PM

2 comments

LeBron James Becomes Eighth--and Youngest--Member of the Elite 30,000 Point Club

LeBron James scored 28 points in Cleveland's 114-102 loss to the San Antonio Spurs last night, becoming the eighth member of pro basketball's elite 30,000 point club. James, at 33 years and 24 days old, nipped Kobe Bryant (34 years and 104 days), as the youngest player to join the club. You may have read or heard media reports stating that James is the club's seventh member; it is an ongoing shame/scandal that the NBA and most media members who cover the league refuse to recognize ABA statistics in general and Julius Erving's statistics in particular.

As I wrote last year after Dirk Nowitzki joined the club, "Julius "Dr. J" Erving is the most overlooked member of the club, because many media outlets inexplicably fail to account for his ABA points--but Erving deserves recognition as the first 'midsize' player to break the 30,000 point barrier, a feat only accomplished by centers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain at the time that Erving joined the club in 1987; indeed, it would be 13 years after Erving retired before power forward Karl Malone became the club's fourth member. Soon after that, Michael Jordan (in his second comeback, this time as a Wizard) became the club's fifth member and just second 'midsize' player, a feat matched about a decade later by the club's third and final 'midsize' member, Kobe Bryant."

The complete list of 30,000 point club members consists entirely of players who are recognized by one name: Kareem, Mailman, Kobe, Jordan, Wilt, Dirk, Dr. J, LeBron.

Scoring 30,000 points requires tremendous skill and durability. It is unfortunate that the media consistently fails to recognize Erving's accomplishment but perhaps James reaching this milestone will be the first (or, hopefully, final) step in the process of shattering the myth that James is a "pass first" player. James has a legitimate chance to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record (38,387) to become the sport's all-time leading scorer; barring an injury that causes him to miss a significant number of games, James--who currently sports a 26.8 ppg scoring average and ranks fifth all-time at 27.1 ppg--needs to average about 25 ppg over the next four seasons to supplant Abdul-Jabbar. James has averaged at least 25 ppg every season since his rookie campaign and he is showing no signs of slowing down, at least as a scorer.

James is without question a great passer but it is equally without question that he is a great scorer. Many of his fellow 30,000 point club members were great passers (and all of them were at least good passers) but none of them were ever considered "pass first" players. James deserves hearty congratulations for this great accomplishment but the media members who cover pro basketball need to cover the sport's history accurately and completely, without randomly disregarding some statistics and without creating false narratives that do not match a player's resume/skill set.

Labels: Dirk Nowitzki, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 7:28 AM

6 comments

Underrated Dirk Nowitzki Joins Elite 30,000 Point Club

Dirk Nowitzki joined the 30,000 point club on Wednesday night, scoring 25 points in Dallas' 122-111 win over the L.A. Lakers. Pro basketball fans are on a first name (or nickname) basis with the other six members of that club: Kareem, Mailman, Kobe, Jordan, Wilt, Dr. J.

Julius "Dr. J" Erving is the most overlooked member of the club, because many media outlets inexplicably fail to account for his ABA points--but Erving deserves recognition as the first "midsize" player to break the 30,000 point barrier, a feat only accomplished by centers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain at the time that Erving joined the club in 1987; indeed, it would be 13 years after Erving retired before power forward Karl Malone became the club's fourth member. Soon after that, Michael Jordan (in his second comeback, this time as a Wizard) became the club's fifth member and just second "midsize" player, a feat matched about a decade later by the club's third and final "midsize" member, Kobe Bryant. Kareem, Wilt and Dirk are/were at least 7-feet tall, while Mailman was a 6-9 power player, a description also befitting LeBron James (who is on track to be the next player to join the club).

While Erving is the club's most overlooked player and is a highly underrated player as well, Nowitzki may be the most underrated 30,000 point scorer. He is perceived by many as "just" a jump shooter but Nowitzki in his prime could score from anywhere on the court. Nowitzki was also a very good rebounder, particularly early in his career when he tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record by posting at least 30 points and at least 15 rebounds in four straight playoff games--something that Wilt and Shaq and Moses never accomplished. Think about that for a moment and then also consider that Nowitzki is one of just four players who have averaged at least 25 ppg and 10 rpg in the postseason, joining Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor and Hakeem Olajuwon; he performed even better in the playoffs than he did in the regular season, which is a rare trait. Nowitzki notched 29 playoff games with at least 30 points and at least 10 rebounds, four more than Larry Bird; the career leader is Baylor (56) and the only other players ahead of Nowitzki are Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone, Wilt Chamberlain, Olajuwon, Pettit and Tim Duncan. Nowitzki was never a great defender but as he got older, wiser and stronger he learned how to use his length and his foot speed to be at least adequate at that end of the court.

Nowitzki has to be included on the short list of greatest power forwards of all-time. In the post Michael Jordan era, I would rank him behind only Tim Duncan. Kevin Garnett fans may go ballistic after reading that sentence, but Nowitzki did more with less over a longer period of time than Garnett did; Garnett spent most of his career struggling to get out of the first round of the playoffs and when he won a championship he was one cog in the Big Three. Nowitzki was without question a better clutch player than Garnett, who only enjoyed any playoff success when he was paired with someone else who was willing and able to make big shots down the stretch (Sam Cassell in Minnesota, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in Boston).

Labels: Dirk Nowitzki, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 4:10 AM

29 comments

Basketball Reference Elo Ratings Reveal Extent of Fan Bias Against Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant

Ranking the greatest basketball players of all-time is a challenging and, to some extent, subjective exercise; there are so many factors and variables that it is difficult to make a completely objective evaluation, though it is possible to reasonably classify players into various broad categories such as top 10 or top 20--but even that cannot be done without controversy. My Pantheon series examines the careers of 10 of the greatest retired basketball players of all-time, plus four active players who also deserve consideration for Pantheon status. I do not dispute that the placement of players within the Pantheon can be intelligently debated, nor do I deny that a good case can be made for some players who I did not include.

Physicist Arpad Elo, a chess master who won the Wisconsin State Chess championship eight times, developed a rating system that not only ranks players but can also be used to predict the probability of victory based on the rating differences between players. The Elo rating system is most widely identified with chess, though it can and has been used for a variety of different games.

BasketballReference.com publishes so-called Elo player ratings for all NBA players who reached at least one of the following statistical levels: 10,000 points, 5000 rebounds, 2500 assists or 1000 steals plus blocked shots. BR.com assigned each qualifying player an initial rating of 1500 and then created fictional matchups between various players; visitors to BR.com can vote on who they think would win a given matchup. The matchups are generated randomly, so visitors cannot deliberately vote up (or vote down) any one particular player.

BR.com describes this project as "a community-based project with the goal of rating the best players in NBA history." Presumably, the idea is that by collecting the votes of a large number of people, bias will be smoothed out and a reasonable consensus about pro basketball greatness will be reached.

The ratings fluctuate but certain trends are consistent. Michael Jordan is usually ranked first by a fairly sizable margin and he is the only player currently rated above 2400. Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Julius Erving, Karl Malone, John Stockton and David Robinson fill the next spots in various orders and players in that group have ratings clustered between 2300-2360. One could quibble with some of those choices--I would not put Malone or Robinson in the top 10--but Stockton is the only player who never came close to winning an MVP and who does not even belong in the top 30, let alone the top seven.

The BR.com ratings look objective superficially--each player has a four digit rating, just like chess players do!--but of course the ratings are not a product of actual competition; they are a product of fan voting, which is little more than a popularity contest. It is revealing to look at the list as a whole and see which players are so hated by the fans that the fans are unwilling or incapable of separating hate from reality.

For instance, an excellent case could be made that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest basketball player of all-time. He holds the career regular scoring record (38,387 points), he holds the record for most regular season MVPs (six), he won six championships and he was a dominant player for most of his 20 year career (winning the Finals MVP as a 23 year old and as a 37 year old). It would be very difficult to rationally argue that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not at least a top 10 player of all-time. However, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not very popular and thus in the BR.com rankings he barely cracks the top 50, trailing Ray Allen, Chris Mullin, Dikembe Mutombo and Reggie Miller, players who had a fraction of the impact that Abdul-Jabbar did.

However, by far the most ludicrous rating for an all-time great player belongs to Kobe Bryant. The last time I checked (ratings change continuously), Kobe Bryant ranked 326th out of 560 qualifying players, just behind Darrell Armstrong, David Wesley, Joe Smith and Caron Butler and just ahead of Michael Adams, Johnny Green, Kurt Thomas and Mo Williams. One can have an intelligent conversation about Kobe Bryant versus LeBron James or Kobe Bryant versus Michael Jordan; one cannot have an intelligent conversation that begins with the premise that Bryant is not just outside of the 50 Greatest Players list but that he misses the cut for the top 300! If you hate Bryant that much, then why vote? How does that vote contribute to the conversation or add value to BR.com's Elo ratings? Placing Bryant in the midst of players who were fringe All-Stars at best makes BR.com's Elo ratings look amateurish and silly.

Then there is Bill Russell; the greatest winner in the history of North American professional team sports barely makes BR.com's top 40. I don't think that fans hate Russell the way that they apparently hate Abdul-Jabbar and Bryant but I do think that fans fail to understand the nature and extent of Russell's greatness. I am baffled that Russell's accomplishments are not more widely appreciated and that so many fans denigrate his skill set, particularly as an offensive player; he scored at least 16 ppg for six straight seasons en route to posting a solid 15.1 ppg career average, he ranked in the top 10 in assists four times and he ranked in the top four in field goal percentage four times. No, Russell was not an offensive powerhouse but he was hardly a liability at that end of the court and the things that he did well offensively--run the floor, pass and rebound--would translate very well to the modern era. Furthermore, the idea that a player of Russell's size could not play post defense in today's game is belied by the success of players like Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace.

In theory, having fans vote about thousands of player simulations in order to rank the greatest players of all-time sounds like a fun idea that should produce a fair list, but in practice BR.com's Elo ratings simply reveal widespread ignorance and bias even among the subset of fans who are interested enough in analytics to visit BR.com.

Labels: Arpad Elo, Basketball Reference, Bill Russell, David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, John Stockton, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan

posted by David Friedman @ 4:30 PM

39 comments

Assessing Kobe Bryant as a Lion in Winter

Kobe Bryant's 31 point, 12 assist, 11 rebound stat line in the L.A. Lakers' 129-122 overtime victory over the East-leading Toronto Raptors on Sunday night would be special for any player at any time--but those numbers have added meaning for Bryant; he not only notched his 20th career triple double but he became the oldest player in NBA history to drop 30-10-10 in a game and he became the first player in pro basketball history to accumulate at least 30,000 career points and at least 6000 career assists. Earlier this season, Bryant became just the fifth different player in the past 30 years who posted at least 39 points and at least nine rebounds in a game at the age of 36 or older (Michael Jordan accomplished this three times, Karl Malone did it twice and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal did it once each).

Bryant is on pace to become the oldest scoring champion in pro basketball history--and he is doing this while some of the most prolific scorers in the league are in their prime years, including LeBron James (27.5 ppg career scoring average, third in pro basketball history) and Carmelo Anthony (25.2 ppg career scoring average, 11th in pro basketball history). Bryant is also tenth in minutes per game (35.9 mpg) this season and he is averaging more steals per game than top notch defenders LeBron James and Luol Deng.

Bryant is attempting a career-high nine free throws a game and on a per minute basis his rebounds, assists and turnovers are all right around his career norms. He is still a very skilled player and he is remarkably effective considering his age, his mileage and his recent injury history. Despite all the positive things that Bryant is doing, the statistics that are attracting the most media attention are his career-low shooting percentages from the field (.392) and the free throw line (.783), plus his 23.1 field goal attempts per game. Bryant is being criticized for shooting so frequently and so poorly. Those are valid concerns but it is important to remember that he is less than 20 games into what--presumably and hopefully--will be his first full season since the 2012-13 campaign after suffering a torn Achilles tendon and a knee fracture. Bryant is a 36 year old, 19 veteran who has essentially been out of action for nearly two years after overcoming potentially career-ending injuries but instead of being praised for his work ethic and his all-around skill set, much of the commentary around Bryant focuses on the size of his contract and how he is supposedly destroying the franchise that he helped lead to five championships since 2000. There are plenty of franchises that would like to be "destroyed" the way that Bryant has "destroyed" the Lakers--and the Lakers did not exactly tear up the league during Bryant's absence last season.

Like most older player who have dealt with injuries, Bryant will struggle to match the field goal percentage that he posted during his prime years--but the same media members who are killing Bryant just a few games into his comeback put James Harden on the All-NBA First Team last season despite Harden's .405 field goal percentage and abysmal defense. If Harden is supposedly a top five player in the league while shooting poorly and playing defense like a turnstile then how can it be true that Bryant--aging, coming off of two major injuries and surrounded by a conspicuous lack of talent--is as bad as his very vocal critics suggest?

We are not seeing the Kobe Bryant that carried Smush Parker and Kwame Brown to consecutive postseason  appearances and nearly beat the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns in the 2006 playoffs. We are not seeing the Kobe Bryant who led the Lakers to back to back championships after the first time that he supposedly destroyed the Lakers by allegedly chasing away Shaquille O'Neal. Those Kobe Bryants had younger, healthier legs and could carry a team not just for a game but for a month, a playoff series, an entire season. However, this Kobe Bryant is capping off a great career by showing that even an older player whose wheels have been damaged can still use guile, skills and toughness to compete with the best players in the world's best basketball league. He is not shortchanging the Lakers, himself or the fans and he should be praised for the approach that he is taking and the determination that he is demonstrating.

Labels: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal

posted by David Friedman @ 7:01 AM

15 comments

LeBron James Versus Kevin Durant: One More Chapter in the Eternal Debate About MVP Criteria

Most informed NBA observers agree that LeBron James is the best all-around player in the league, an unofficial title that he seized from Kobe Bryant several years ago. However, it seems unlikely that James will win the 2014 MVP award, because popular sentiment heavily favors Kevin Durant, the four-time scoring champion who has finished second in MVP voting in three of the four seasons that James won the award. Durant is posting career-high averages in scoring and assists while leading his Oklahoma City Thunder to the second best record in the NBA; the Thunder are four games ahead of James' Heat with one game remaining on both teams' schedules. Durant has indisputably authored an MVP caliber season and he has been an MVP caliber player for several years but should he win the award over James based primarily on a slight difference in their respective teams' records and some form of voter fatigue regarding James? Or, should the MVP award go to the player who is still the best all-around performer in the league?

The names are different now but the questions are the same ones that have been debated for many years. Michael Jordan was the consensus best all-around player in the league for roughly a decade--though he missed nearly two full seasons while he pursued a pro baseball career--and is widely regarded as the greatest player of all-time but he "only" won five regular season MVP awards. In the late 1980s/early 1990s, Jordan annually battled another greatest player of all-time candidate--Magic Johnson--for MVP honors and then Charles Barkley and Karl Malone each received one MVP during Jordan's prime, supposedly because voters were reluctant to give the trophy to Jordan every single year, a form of "logic" that makes no sense: there is no good reason that one player should not/cannot win eight or 10 MVPs. I much prefer the Rucker League precedent; if I recall the story correctly, even though Connie Hawkins missed most of the season he still made the Rucker League All-Star team because a Rucker League All-Star team simply wasn't authentic if it didn't have Connie Hawkins on it--and it is only a slight exaggeration to say that during the Jordan era an NBA MVP award was not authentic if it went to someone other than Jordan. Obviously, in a more formal league like the NBA a player cannot miss most of the season and still deserve All-Star or MVP consideration but Jordan should have won every regular season MVP from 1988 through 1998, except for 1994 (when he missed the entire season) and 1995 (when he only played 17 games); he was the best all-around player in the league and even though Hall of Famers Johnson, Barkley and Malone had some MVP caliber seasons during that era no knowledgeable observer would have picked any of them ahead of Jordan if all four players were available to be drafted or signed.

Kobe Bryant got an even worse deal than Jordan; at least Jordan still racked up the second most MVPs in pro basketball history, falling just one short of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record. Bryant was the best all-around player in the NBA for the better part of the 2000s (circa 2003-2009), he proved equally adept at carrying decrepit teams to the playoffs and at leading a solid but not particularly deep Lakers' team to three straight Finals appearances/two straight championships but he only received one regular season MVP (2008). Bryant should have won the 2006 and 2007 MVPs and he also played at an MVP level in 2003 and 2009, though Tim Duncan and LeBron James were slightly better than Bryant in those respective seasons (injuries knocked Bryant out of serious MVP contention in 2004 and 2005, as he missed 17 and 16 games respectively).

According to the popular, media driven storyline, this is Durant's time: he is supposedly having a career year while James is allegedly just coasting and waiting for the playoffs to begin. The reality is that Durant is essentially playing at the same level he has been playing at for several years, with two notable exceptions: he is attempting about three more field goals a game and he is dishing off about one more assist a game, though assists are so subjective that this change may not even be statistically significant or have much to do with an actual increase in playmaking ability. Durant is shooting and passing more often not because his skill set has changed but rather but because the Thunder's other All-NBA First Team caliber player--Russell Westbrook--missed almost half of the season due to injury, forcing Durant to shoulder a bigger load. Durant's field goal percentage, three point field goal percentage, free throw percentage, rebounding average, steals average and blocked shots average are all lower than they were last season.

What about the "coasting" James? James has been remarkably consistent since he joined the Heat four years ago, averaging between 26.7 and 27.1 ppg, between 6.9 and 8.0 rpg and between 6.2 and 7.3 apg. He has increased his field goal percentage for seven straight years (including 2013-14), his free throw percentage annually hovers around .750 and this season he has posted the second best three point shooting percentage of his career. There is no discernible evidence that James is taking it easy or that he is declining. The "stat gurus" claim that James' defense has fallen off but while it is true that James' shotblocking--always an overrated part of his game (his best seasonal total is 93, five fewer than the best seasonal total posted by that noted high flyer Larry Bird)--has decreased to a ridiculously low level for a player with his athletic gifts (.3 bpg) James is still the multi-positional anchor for a defense that ranks fifth in points allowed.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant have been the two best players in the NBA for several years and figure to remain the two best players for a few more years. In any given year, either player could deservedly win the MVP award--but James is the more physically imposing player at both ends of the court, a better inside scorer, a better passer and a better/more versatile defender. James used to be the better rebounder but Durant has closed the gap in that department. I doubt that any GM or coach would prefer to have Durant over James but because of the storyline that the media has relentlessly crafted throughout this season Durant will win the 2014 MVP. Honoring Durant will not likely turn out as badly as presenting Dirk Nowitzki the 2007 MVP hardware in a broom closet at an undisclosed location and perhaps Durant will soon have his day in the Finals' sun much like Nowitzki eventually did but I will always say that the MVP award should go to the league's best all-around player (unless there is a big man like Shaquille O'Neal whose physical dominance trumps the best all-around player's versatility) regardless of storylines, "advanced basketball statistics" and any form of voter fatigue directed against multiple MVP winners.

Labels: Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan

posted by David Friedman @ 5:03 PM

9 comments

LeBron James Posts 500th Consecutive Double Figure Scoring Game

LeBron James scored a season-high 35 points on 13-20 field goal shooting in the Miami Heat's 104-95 win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. James has now scored at least 10 points in 500 consecutive regular season games, the sixth best such streak in NBA history--a feat exceeded only by Michael Jordan (866 games), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (787), Karl Malone (575), Moses Malone (526) and Abdul-Jabbar (508). The players ahead of James on that list are all elite scorers: Abdul-Jabbar is the all-time ABA/NBA career regular season scoring leader (38,387 points), Karl Malone ranks second (36,928 points), Jordan ranks third (32,292 points) and Moses Malone ranks seventh (29,580 points). James has scored in double figures in every game he played in seven of his 10 full seasons; only Abdul-Jabbar (15 seasons), Jordan (12 seasons) and Karl Malone/Kevin Garnett (nine seasons each) had more seasons in which they scored in double figures in every single game that they played. 

It is often asserted that James' greatest skill set strength is his passing ability but the reality is that--even though James is a great passer/playmaker--James is one of the most prolific scorers in pro basketball history. James asserts himself as a scorer early and often; during his 500 game streak he has scored at least 10 points in the first quarter 162 times and during his career he has authored nine 50 point games while failing to score at least 10 points just eight times. When James is at his best, he is neither waiting for his teammates to get going nor is he deferring to them for any significant portion of the game; he pours in points in the first quarter and continues doing so for the rest of the game.

Labels: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Moses Malone

posted by David Friedman @ 2:57 PM

0 comments

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan Earn Milestone All-NBA Selections

Four-time MVP LeBron James is the only player who earned unanimous selection to the 2013 All-NBA First Team. James has made the First Team seven times, tied with Wilt Chamberlain for 14th on the all-time NBA/ABA list. Kobe Bryant joined James on the First Team and thus tied Karl Malone for first on the all-time NBA/ABA list with 11 First Team selections. Bryant's 15 overall All-NBA Team selections are matched only by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Tim Duncan made the All-NBA First Team for the 10th time overall and the first time since 2007. The 37 year old Duncan is the oldest First Team player since Abdul-Jabbar made the squad at 39 in 1986. Duncan's 14 overall All-NBA Team selections are tied for third on the all-time list (Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal) and he is one of seven players who have earned 10 First Team selections, trailing only Bryant and Abdul-Jabbar in that category. Kevin Durant and Chris Paul are the other two members of the All-NBA First Team this year.

Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin, Marc Gasol, Russell Westbrook and Tony Parker made the All-NBA Second Team, while the Third Team consists of David Lee, Paul George, Dwight Howard, James Harden and Dwyane Wade.

My All-NBA Team includes 12 of the 15 players selected by the media; I preferred Brook Lopez, Stephen Curry and Chris Bosh over Marc Gasol, James Harden and Paul George. One discrepancy is that the NBA considered Tim Duncan a center on the All-NBA Team but listed him as a forward on the All-Defensive Team; if the NBA correctly categorized Duncan as a forward on the All-NBA Team then he would have made the Second Team at that spot, bumping Griffin to the Third Team and knocking George off of the squad. Lopez would then have been the Third Team center.

The bottom line is that by listing Duncan under the wrong position the NBA denied Lopez an All-NBA selection, gave an All-NBA selection to George and moved Griffin up from the Third Team to the Second Team.

I put Westbrook on my First Team and Paul on my Second Team; the media consistently underrates Westbrook, though perhaps the impact his absence had on this year's playoffs will help people to further appreciate his value. Duncan and Anthony are my Second Team forwards, while I chose Paul and Wade as my Second Team guards.

I placed Lee, Griffin, Bosh, Parker and Curry on my Third Team.

Overall, the media voters did a solid job this year. My biggest disagreement is the aforementioned positional designation issue that cost Lopez All-NBA honors--and I also disagree with the voters who ranked him behind Gasol and Howard: Howard is the best big man in the NBA when he is healthy but he was not fully healthy in 2012-13 and I think that Lopez had the best all-around performance of any NBA center this season. Bosh received four First Team votes but he finished fifth overall among centers (fourth if Duncan is correctly listed as a power forward); his versatility is an important factor in Miami's success and he deserves All-NBA recognition even though his statistics are not overwhelming.

Harden had a better first half of the season than Curry and thus deservedly made the All-Star team ahead of Curry but Curry outperformed Harden down the stretch and should have made the All-NBA Third Team.

I might very well have picked George as a Third Team forward if I had classified Duncan as a center.

********************************************

Here are some of my previous articles about All-NBA Team voting:

All-NBA Selections Mostly Make Sense Despite not Quite Adding Up (2012)

Analysis of the All-NBA Team Voting (2011)

Analyzing the Votes for the All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA Team (2010)

James, Bryant Top All-NBA Voting (2009)

The Best Player is Finally Recognized as the "Most Valuable" (2008)

Choosing This Season's NBA Awards Winners (2008)

Inside the NBA Crew Hands Out Some Hardware (2007)

Labels: Brook Lopez, Chris Paul, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tim Duncan

posted by David Friedman @ 1:43 AM

1 comments

Kevin Garnett is the 20th Member of the 25,000 Point Club

Kevin Garnett scored 15 points in the Boston Celtics' 116-95 win over the L.A. Lakers on Thursday night and he became just the 20th member of pro basketball's 25,000 point club. Here is the complete 25,000 point club roster:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Michael Jordan 32,292
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
Kobe Bryant 30,861
Julius Erving 30,026
Moses Malone 29,580
Shaquille O'Neal 28,596
Dan Issel 27,482
Elvin Hayes 27,313
Hakeem Olajuwon 26,946
Oscar Robertson 26,710
Dominique Wilkins 26,668
George Gervin 26,595
John Havlicek 26,395
Alex English 25,613
Rick Barry 25,279
Reggie Miller 25,279
Jerry West 25,192
Kevin Garnett 25,009

Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Dan Issel, George Gervin and Rick Barry spent part of their careers in the ABA and Malone is the only member of that quintet who scored at least 25,000 points in the NBA, so the NBA and most mainstream media outlets pretend that Erving, Issel, Gervin and Barry are not in fact members of the 25,000 point club; thus, most reports about Garnett's accomplishment erroneously state that he is the 16th member of the 25,000 point club.

Erving and Garnett are the only members of the 25,000 point club who each amassed at least 10,000 rebounds, 5000 assists, 1500 steals and 1500 blocked shots. Steals and blocked shots were not recorded during Erving's rookie season, so Erving's "official" totals of 2272 steals (the ABA/NBA career record when he retired in 1987 and still good enough for seventh place now) and 1941 blocked shots (sixth on the ABA/NBA career list when he retired and 22nd now, just behind Garnett) most likely shortchange him by about 150 in each category. Erving and Garnett displayed a remarkable combination of versatility and longevity to post those all-around numbers while also scoring so prolifically. Erving averaged at least 20 ppg in each of his first 14 seasons before scoring 18.1 ppg and 16.8 ppg in his final two campaigns; Garnett has not been a big-time scorer since he joined the Boston Celtics in 2007-08, so it is easy to forget that he averaged at least 20 ppg and at least 10 rpg for nine straight seasons (1999-2007). Erving averaged 24.2 ppg in his 16 season career with a high average of 31.9 ppg in his second season, while Garnett has averaged 19.2 ppg so far in his 18 season career with a high average of 24.2 ppg in his ninth season.

Further Reading:

Julius Erving Ignored as Kobe Bryant Joins Exclusive 25,000/5000/5000 Club

Bryant Joins Erving and Jordan in Elite 30,000 Point Club

ABA Numbers Ignored as Lebron James Becomes Youngest Member of 20,000 Point Club

Labels: ABA, Dan Issel, George Gervin, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, Michael Jordan, Moses Malone, Rick Barry

posted by David Friedman @ 6:59 AM

6 comments

Bryant Joins Erving and Jordan in Elite 30,000 Point Club

Kobe Bryant scored 29 points on Wednesday night as his L.A. Lakers defeated the New Orleans Hornets, 103-87; he became just the sixth member of pro basketball's 30,000 point club, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Julius Erving. Most media outlets will probably ignore Erving in this discussion but ABA Numbers Should Also Count and Erving was not only just the third player to cross the 30,000 point barrier but he was also the first "midsize" player to do so. Jordan and now Bryant are the only other "midsize" players on the list, which is a testament to the productivity, consistency and durability that Erving, Jordan and Bryant each displayed during their careers. It is disappointing--but not at all surprising--that ESPN "expert" Bill Simmons admitted that he did not even know which players were on this list (presumably referring to the NBA-only list; Simmons likely does not have a clue about the significance of Erving's ABA accomplishments and/or where Erving stands in pro basketball's Pantheon).

The 34 year old Bryant is the youngest player to score 30,000 points; if he averages at least 25 ppg (he currently leads the league in scoring with a 27.9 ppg average, including 31.2 ppg in his last five games) and does not retire when his current contract ends (after the 2013-14 season) then he will surpass Abdul-Jabbar's all-time record (38,387 points) early in the 2016-17 season. Bryant has the third highest career scoring average among the 30,000 point club members (25.4 ppg), trailing only Jordan and Chamberlain (30.1 ppg each, the highest regular season scoring average in pro basketball history--with Jordan holding on to top honors by .05 ppg).

In February 2011, Bryant became the eighth member of the 25,000/5000/5000 Club and now he is just the fifth player who has scored at least 30,000 points while also accumulating at least 5000 rebounds and at least 5000 assists (Abdul-Jabbar, Malone, Jordan and Erving are the others). Abdul-Jabbar, Malone and Erving are the only members of pro basketball's 30,000/10,000/5000 Club, a group that Bryant is several thousand rebounds short of joining.

Labels: Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 2:55 AM

23 comments

LeBron James Leads with a Triple Double as the Heat Win the First Title of the Big Three Era

"I just looked at myself in the mirror and said, 'You need to be better, both on and off the floor.'"--LeBron James, postgame interview after the Miami Heat won the 2012 NBA Championship

LeBron James clinched his first NBA Championship with a dominant game five performance--26 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds--as the Miami Heat blew out the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106. James led the Heat in all three major statistical categories during the game and the series, earning unanimous selection as the 2012 NBA Finals MVP; he averaged 28.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg and 7.4 apg during the series. Chris Bosh, the most underrated and unappreciated member of Miami's Big Three, scored 24 points on 9-14 field goal shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. The Heat went 11-3 during the playoffs with Bosh in the lineup but just 5-4 during the nine games that he missed due to an abdominal injury; the Heat probably would not have beaten Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals if Bosh had not returned to action and they certainly would not have defeated the Thunder without Bosh, who ranked second on the Heat in rebounding (9.4 rpg) and third on the Heat in scoring (14.6 ppg) during the NBA Finals. Bosh's shooting ability spaces the floor on offense and he is a mobile, versatile defender.

Mike Miller poured in 23 points in just 23 minutes, draining seven of his eight three pointers after not making a single shot from beyond the arc in the first four games of the series. Miller's marksmanship helped the Heat tie the NBA Finals record for most three pointers made by a team in one game (14). Dwyane Wade had a nice all-around performance: 20 points on 7-12 field goal shooting, eight rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots, two steals. Wade seems to have entered the declining phase of his career but he is still a potent second option, probably the second best second option in the league behind only Russell Westbrook, whose great game four performance should have convinced the doubters that he is in fact the best point guard in the NBA.

Another person must be mentioned even though he did not make a shot, grab a rebound or dish for an assist: Coach Erik Spoelstra deserves credit for designing and implementing Miami's tenacious defense, for helping his team to resiliently bounce back after trailing in three out of four playoff series and for improving the team's once subpar halfcourt offense. Spoelstra essentially shifted James to power forward, making James the low post focal point of the halfcourt offense and the team's key rebounder at both ends of the court (in tandem with Bosh, who functioned as a mobile center much like Boston's Kevin Garnett).

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with a game-high 32 points on 13-24 field goal shooting and 11 rebounds but he had little help; Russell Westbrook attacked the hoop with great vigor but only made four of his 20 field goal attempts, finishing with 19 points, six assists and four rebounds. James Harden finally showed up--even if a lot of his production came during garbage time--with 19 points and five assists and Derek Fisher had a solid game (11 points, four rebounds, three assists) but most of the other Thunder players had little discernible impact.

The Heat led for most of the game but--at least initially--the Thunder battled back, eventually cutting a 17 point deficit to just 61-56 early in the third quarter. It seemed like this would be yet another fantastic finish but then Miami blew the game open with a 33-14 run that included five three pointers and the Thunder never seriously threatened to get back in the game after that, turning the fourth quarter into what Marv Albert would call "extensive garbage time."

This series contained a lot of stories and subplots but we all knew that there were only two possible headlines after it ended: either "LeBron Wins" or "LeBron Loses." James' first championship will undoubtedly cause celebration in some quarters and angst in other quarters and it will also prompt a lot of historical revisionism; neither the celebration nor the angst particularly interest or engage me but I am concerned about historical revisionism and I think that it is very important to place James' accomplishment in proper context.

James made a candid admission prior to game five: "Last year, after game six, after losing, once again, I was very frustrated. Like I said, last year I played to prove people wrong instead of just playing my game, instead of just going out and having fun and playing a game that I grew up loving and why I fell in love with the game. So I was very immature last year after game six towards you guys and towards everyone that was watching." In case you forgot, this is what James said after he and the Heat lost three straight games to blow a 2-1 lead in the 2011 NBA Finals: "At the end of the day, all of the people that were rooting for me to fail, tomorrow they'll have to wake up and have the same life that [they had] before they woke up today. They got the same personal problems they had today and I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things I want to do." That comment, along with James' infamous "Decision" TV show and his boast that it would be "easy" to "win multiple championships," are examples of the immaturity that James finally realized was holding him back from reaching his full potential. Winning one championship does not validate James' previous immature actions and statements--and in fact he would not have won a championship without both realizing that he has been immature and taking steps to correct that immaturity.

This year James cut down on the foolishness and the histrionics before, during and after games; he approached his craft in a much more professional, businesslike manner. He not only altered his demeanor but he finally took full advantage of his physical gifts by relentlessly attacking the paint with drives and postups; when the going got tough he did not settle for jump shots or simply give up the ball but he continued to attack: during game five, James scored 16 of his 26 points within five feet of the hoop and during the NBA Finals he averaged nearly 18 ppg in the paint. It must be emphasized that James' triumph does not "refute" his critics: James' critics were right and James responded properly by making the appropriate changes in his mindset. NBA TV's Charles Barkley said that winning a championship did not make James a better player but Barkley has it backwards; only by becoming a better, more focused player did James succeed where he previously had failed.

The difference between LeBron James this season and last season is like the difference between Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back and in Return of the Jedi. In the former, Skywalker could "feel" the Force but he could not "control it" (as Yoda tried to explain to his young apprentice) and when he rushed headlong into a showdown with Darth Vader he got his hand chopped off and almost lost his life; in the latter, a more mature Skywalker was able to defeat Vader and also avoid being tempted to turn to the Dark Side. James now has a much fuller appreciation of how to use his gifts to win at the highest level of the sport and his mental/psychological approach to competition is much better than it was previously.

James averaged 30.3 ppg during the playoffs, the second time he has finished first in the league in postseason scoring average; Kobe Bryant leads active players with three such scoring crowns, while Michael Jordan tops the all-time list with 10 and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and George Gervin each accomplished this feat five times. James also averaged 9.7 rpg and 5.6 apg, becoming the first player in NBA history to twice average at least 30 ppg, 9 rpg and 5 apg in one postseason; James previously achieved this in 2009 and Oscar Robertson is the only other NBA player who has done it even once (1963)--however, it must be noted that Julius Erving averaged 33.3 ppg, 20.4 rpg and 6.5 apg for the Virginia Squires in the 1972 ABA playoffs as a rookie and Erving just narrowly missed this plateau during the 1976 playoffs when he led the New York Nets to the final ABA title while averaging 34.7 ppg, 12.6 rpg and 4.9 apg. Also, George McGinnis averaged 32.3 ppg, 15.9 rpg and 8.2 apg for the Indiana Pacers in the 1975 ABA playoffs.

It is ironic that James is persistently described as a "pass first" player and that it is commonly believed that he had to leave Cleveland in order to get enough help to win a title; the reality is that during the first championship run of James' career he posted his third highest postseason scoring average, his highest rebounding average and his lowest assists average: James led the Heat to the championship by becoming a dominant inside scorer and rebounder who is willing/able to pass when he is double teamed. The Heat would not have won this championship without James' scoring--and James' teams very likely would have won the 2010 and 2011 championships if James had been willing/able to be a dominant inside scorer instead of settling for outside shots or passively giving up the ball without even being double teamed. James scored at least 30 points in 13 of the Heat's 23 playoff games; Magic Johnson, who truly was a "pass first" player, scored at least 30 points in just 12 of his 190 career playoff games. James has never averaged more than 8 apg during a single postseason, while Johnson averaged at least 9.3 apg in 11 of his 13 postseasons, with the two exceptions coming in an abbreviated three game playoff run after his second season and in a similarly abbreviated four game playoff run after his brief 1996 comeback.

James is not the heir to Magic Johnson; James' game--when he is playing the right way--is some combination of the ABA Julius Erving, the older Karl Malone who could post up and pass to cutters and the Larry Bird who played the "point forward" position (James made a couple very Bird-like touch passes for assists during the NBA Finals, redirecting the ball while barely touching it to get an easy basket for a teammate). James has a mixture of Erving's hops, Malone's bulk and Bird's court vision. It is difficult to think of a direct comparison in terms of James' ability to guard multiple positions, though Scottie Pippen in his prime and Julius Erving in his Nets' years are two players who come to mind--both Pippen and Erving would have had more difficulty defending big centers than James does but James rarely guards a big center who actually is a low post scoring threat (Pippen used to check Greg Ostertag at times during the NBA Finals and the young Erving also could use his athletic ability to occasionally guard bigger players).

James' 2012 playoff run is one for the ages not just because of the raw numbers or because of the way his skill set is an amalgamation of Erving/Malone/Bird but because James fully directed his mind, his energy and his skills toward doing whatever he had to do for his team to win. James admitted that he did not make enough "game changing plays" during the 2011 NBA Finals and he made sure that he made many such plays during the 2012 NBA Finals.

Labels: Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, James Harden, Julius Erving, Karl Malone, Kevin Durant, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook

posted by David Friedman @ 4:55 AM

4 comments