If MJ never retired and had failed to 8-peet....

[Chronz]

Somebody help this child.

WTF are you kids going on about?

[Chronz]

I don't think it would've been held against him at all. It would've only added to his accolades. Where now we have a "what if" in terms of how they would've done those 2 year we would've known.

Also, it wouldn't be a detriment to lose either of those years because there were just a ton of good teams battling to win it all.

The reason I was asking is because I see any year you play as adding to your career, but if he loses despite having the best team, would it negate all that?

[Chronz]

Well I am saying if you have HCA in a series that you would expect to win that series as the favorite especially if when having HCA you have the better star player as well. Not saying no team gets upset but let's say you play 15 playoff series with HCA you will probably win 12-13 of those series. So say you are 13-2 in series with HCA that is a 87% rate. Let's say you played 10 series without HCA you will probably win 3-4 of those. So let's say 3-7 or 30%.

So 13-2 with HCA (87%) and 3-7 w/o HCA (30%)

Now when you combine then you get 16-9 in series overall or 64%

Plz keep your filth out of my thread. HCA is a cancer to your brain and your making us all dumber for it

[KnicksorBust]

The reason I was asking is because I see any year you play as adding to your career, but if he loses despite having the best team, would it negate all that?

Who is arguing the opposite?

With that belief, you must have Kobe relatively high on your all-time list.

[Bravo95]

If the current generation of fans were judging Jordan in today's NBA, a lot of them probably would find some way to hold it against him.

[Chronz]

Who is arguing the opposite?

Thats the thing, whenever you have the team to win but you fail to do so, or even worse, lose long before that point, it detracts from your greatness. But at the same time any year adds another chapter in the book of your greatness regardless of the outcome because its always better to play than not.

Then again, some players from decades past retired before their time because they wanted to go out on top and/or medical advances of their time did not permit their bodies to hold out. Its hard to punish players for retiring sooner.

Slippery slope for me.

With that belief, you must have Kobe relatively high on your all-time list.

2nd best perimeter player on my list.

[c.c.]

I'm glad he took off them two years, let my Rockets get them two championships

[Raps08-09 Champ]

He'd still be GOAT. He just won't have perfection labelled to his name.

[LordJohn]

I actually don't think he would've. People forget that Jordan came back in the 95 season, and that the Shaq/Penny Magic beat them, and they didn't even need a 7th game. Now Jordan had just come back and wasn't at 100%, and the Magic did have home court and might not have otherwise, but I'm not going to assume Jordan would've beaten them had he played the full season. They probably would've made the finals in 94, but that Rockets team might've been the best team Jordan ever faced in the finals had he played them, and the Bulls were kind of in a reloading period in general in that "in between period" even outside of Jordan leaving.

[A Black Prophet]

This is an interesting discussion, because I do think the 94 Bulls would have beaten the Rockets, but I don't think the 95 Bulls would have. Hakeem would have manhandled the Bulls' bigs, Drexler was still in his prime and that team had a magical postseason run that year and would have beaten anybody.

But would it have damaged his legacy? I don't think so. People wouldn't be able to constantly tout "6 for 6", but one Finals loss doesn't damn a career as unbelievable as his. His numbers speak for themselves.

But yet if Lebron Loses in the finals it will be held against him lol smh but honestly I think they would've beat bulls both years honestly one question who would've stopped Hakeem and one could argue rockets had a better bench

[A Black Prophet]

Correction his 1995 Playoffs were better then his 1996 1997 and 1998 play off statistics so dont give me he wasn't 100 %

[JordansBulls]

But yet if Lebron Loses in the finals it will be held against him lol smh but honestly I think they would've beat bulls both years honestly one question who would've stopped Hakeem and one could argue rockets had a better bench

Because Lebron has lost more in the finals than he has won. Also he lost with HCA several times while MJ has never lost with HCA. Not to mention Lebron is 1-3 in series with HCA vs 50+ win teams while MJ was 14-0 vs 50+ win teams with HCA.

[A Black Prophet]

I actually don't think he would've. People forget that Jordan came back in the 95 season, and that the Shaq/Penny Magic beat them, and they didn't even need a 7th game. Now Jordan had just come back and wasn't at 100%, and the Magic did have home court and might not have otherwise, but I'm not going to assume Jordan would've beaten them had he played the full season. They probably would've made the finals in 94, but that Rockets team might've been the best team Jordan ever faced in the finals had he played them, and the Bulls were kind of in a reloading period in general in that "in between period" even outside of Jordan leaving.

actually jordans 1995 playoffs stats were better then his 96-98 fact im on my xbox so i dont feel like looking it up just look it up your self

[flips333]

This is an interesting discussion, because I do think the 94 Bulls would have beaten the Rockets, but I don't think the 95 Bulls would have. Hakeem would have manhandled the Bulls' bigs, Drexler was still in his prime and that team had a magical postseason run that year and would have beaten anybody.

But would it have damaged his legacy? I don't think so. People wouldn't be able to constantly tout "6 for 6", but one Finals loss doesn't damn a career as unbelievable as his. His numbers speak for themselves.

I don't think so. I used to pick out single game tickets and i liked to see teams who would beat the bulls. I always went to the rockets games. From 91-93 the rockets were 5-1 against the bulls. Hakeem gave the bulls absolute fitz.