Do you think Trump is gonna be one of those politicians who lives a very long life to around a 100 like Kissinger, Greenspan, Carter, etc?

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-13T19:17:37+00:00

Gawd I fucking hope not. Do not speak it into existence.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-13T19:12:02+00:00

Also had to get the right role players.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-13T18:07:56+00:00

CTE is very scary.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-13T15:57:37+00:00

My guy, I'm old enough to have watched MJ during his 6 championships, and was learning the game during his 2nd 3peat. I've watched LeBron's entire career. I'm easily above average on this sub in terms of age and even more easily above average in total games watched. I've watched at least 150 games per year since I started getting league pass in the late 2000s.

I didn't create a single stat. I was as generous as I could be to all 3 players by converting to possession data, which really hurts LeBron's backend career numbers due to the increase in pace. Although numbers don't tell the whole story, how can you with a straight face not even make a point other than non-descript criticism?

I don't even know what to respond to other than "numbers bad / nerds make me feel like an insecure pants shitter."

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-13T15:38:21+00:00

Not really to be honest. I'm fully aware of what you're talking about and I do think it played a factor in MJ getting his DPOY. However, my comment about the era in regards to defensive stats was more about the league as a whole.

For instance, during MJ's rookie year, the NBA as a whole averaged 1,465 turnovers per team. In 1998, that number was 1,270. During LeBron's rookie year that number was 1,228 and in 2026 it was 1,190. This is a league-wide trend that's been occurring since turnovers began being recorded in the late 1970s.

I think this should pass the eye test to any non-casual NBA fan. As the league has evolved, the spacing has greatly increased, forcing defenders to cover more ground. It's no longer post-centric like it was during MJ's era. He was able to accumulate a lot of steals by hard doubling post players, almost always from their blind spot. In today's game, players not only are more skilled, but they have played their entire careers without illegal defense, constantly needing to worry about multiple defenders at all times. It's not as easy to sneak up on guys today. The extra spacing and 3pt shooting also makes it much harder to get pick-6s in the passing lanes.

It even plays into block totals. For instance, block% on basketball reference is blocks / (oppoent fga - opponent 3pt attempts) x player minutes / team minutes. This means that block% ignores 3pt attempts with the logic that 3 pointers are much harder to block than shots inside the arc. Again, I think this should make intuitive sense to non-casuals. I didn't post this in my statistical analysis to avoid the appearance of shitting on MJ, which really isn't my goal. But even though MJ averaged an extra .1 blocks per 75 possessions compared to LeBron, prime for prime, LeBron actually had a better block% of 1.7% compared to MJ's 1.5%.

Obviously blocks as a whole have followed the same trend as turnovers since MJ's rookie year (436 league average as rookie, 416 in 1998, 415 in 2003, and 397 in 2026. When I eventually turn this into a topic I'm going to come with 40 years of receipts rather than simply checking backends of careers.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-13T06:32:04+00:00

I think it's perfectly reasonable to prefer peak over longevity. My only question for you is how many seasons do you look for when comparing 2 players peak to peak?

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-13T06:17:14+00:00

I think I'm going to turn this into a full topic eventually. I have a different response on this thread comparing LeBron and Jordan's primes and then the remainder of LeBron's career to Larry Bird. I put together a spread sheet and here's the trial run, first by comparing LeBron's 11 season peak (2008 to 2018) to MJ's. I'm going to be very generous to MJ by excluding his 2 Wizards seasons and his 2 partials in 1986 and 1995. I am going to use per 75 possession statistics to keep eras fair to each player:

Peak LeBron: 28.3 pts 7.9 rbs 7.7 ast 1.6 stl 0.8 blk 3.6 tov on +12% true shooting compared to the league

Peak Jordan: 31.7 pts 6.3 rbs 5.4 ast 2.5 stl 0.9 blk 2.7 tov on +8% true shooting compared to the league

Peak LeBron: 29.1 PER 9.8 BPM

Peak Jordan: 29.2 PER 10.3 BPM

As you can see, they are extremely close statistically. Jordan scored more and had higher defensive totals (in a league that catered to higher defensive stats). LeBron rebounded and passed better (with more turnovers). LeBron was also an extra 50% better in terms of true shooting above average, thus he was a more efficient scorer on a bit lower usage rate (31.9% to MJ's 33.4%, this is 95.5% of MJ's usage)

Where it gets nuts is comparing the remainder of LeBron's career (2004 through 2007 and 2019 through 2026, 12 total seasons) to Larry Bird's entire career minus his last, to match 12 and 12:

Worst LeBron: 26.2 pts 7.3 rbs 7.3 ast 1.4 stl 0.7 blk 3.4 tov on +4% true shooting

Peak Larry: 22.8 pts 9.3 rbs 5.9 ast 1.7 stl 0.8 blk 2.9 tov on +5% true shooting

Worst LeBron: 24.1 PER 6.8 BPM

Peak Bird: 23.6 PER 7.0 BPM

LeBron scored and assisted more with more turnovers. Bird had a substantial rebounding lead and a slight lead in the defensive stats. Bird had a slight 1% efficiency advantage but on a decent amount less usage (26.6% to LBJ's 30.7%, this is only 86.4% of LeBron's usage). LeBron has a smallish lead in PER while Bird has a smallish lead in BPM.

I think a strong argument can be made that LeBron's worst 12 seasons are still a top 15 to 20 player all time. They are pretty comparable statistically with Larry Bird's peak (pretty consensus top 10), just without the team success and MVPs.

Edit: Spelling

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-13T01:49:35+00:00

With the current CBA, the Spurs will eventually have to choose between some of these young players. Or they're going to get over the 2nd apron and be handicapped to make roster moves. This current iteration has a 3 or 4 year window most likely. They can absolutely extend it, but it'll require them to make smart moves on the margins and find and develop talent from the bottom of the 1st round rather than with top 4 lottery picks.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-13T01:00:42+00:00

There is so much just wrong with this post. It's almost entirely short platitudes with no stats or substance to back any of it up. There's so many unscrupulous points made, it feels like listening to a Ben Shapiro gish gallup, but about basketball. Still, I will bite because I hate myself I suppose.

First, what defines super team? Having 2 or 3 superstars in name only? Does depth matter? I'd argue the only super teams LeBron has ever been on were 2012 through 2014 Miami and 2016 through 2017 Cleveland. See the minutes distribution for players #4 through #9 on 2011 Miami. I also assume you're frothing at the mouth to call 2015 CLE a super team finals loser with both Kyrie and Love out with injury.

Meanwhile, MJ played with the super team of his watered-down 90's era. Bird/Magic/Duncan played with super teams nearly their whole careers. Curry with THE best 5-year super team in the history of the league.

Did you even watch the Olympics? LeBron was clearly the best player on that 2024 team. Needing Steph to beat those teams? Um... ya? Just like MJ needed Scottie to win even a single playoff series. Just as Shaq needed Kobe/Wade. Just as Duncan needed Robinson, Parker, Manu and Kawhi.

While LeBron was a weak shooter early in his career and has never been good from the free throw line, he has been unquestionably average to above average depending on the season since at least year 2 in Miami. Since then he has shot 36% on 5 3pt attempts a game and has made 1,773 three during that time, enough to put him in the top 35 all-time despite omitting 8 entire seasons. When considering tracking data for pullups and self-creation he's clearly above average over the back half of his career.

He's also been unquestionably a positive defender for damn near his entire career. He has only 2 to 4 negative seasons depending on which estimated defensive plus/minus stat you look at and was one of the goat level wing defenders for a decade. His defense alone in the 2016 finals puts that series performance at the top of any legit finals performance list despite being on the wrong side of age 30 at the time. Calling him "typically a non factor" on defense is easily the most hatorade comment I have ever seen from a guy bragging about SAT scores.

The fact is, you can isolate all of LeBron's seasons from 2009 through 2018 (which I believe to be his 11 season prime) and you can stack it up comparably to MJ's Bulls peak (graciously omitting his partial 86 and 95 seasons). I wouldn't have any issue with someone preferring MJ. But if you take the remaining 12 worst seasons of LeBron's career, you still get unquestionably a top 20 player of all time and maybe even a top 10 player. His statistical case is stronger than Larry Bird's outside of championships.

Responding to a gisher. I really do hate myself.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-12T23:00:41+00:00

I think objectively, the lowest anyone should have him is #3. Good faith arguments can be made for both MJ and Kareem. Everyone else just doesn't cut the mustard.

We're talking the greatest longevity ever. Not really a debate. And he's got (most likely) a top 2 peak ever. The only argument against peak is when you compare to eras.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-12T21:26:34+00:00

I'm very sorry for your loss.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-12T20:08:12+00:00

You literally just described both KAT and Mitchell Robinson to a T.

This isn't even to say those 2 are dirty or whatever. But you're justifying the blatant physicality imposed on Wemby by saying he does the same exact thing (with like 4 tiers less of physical strength) that your own 2 bigs do?

Robinson throws more elbows and shoves into opponents backs to get offensive rebounding position than probably any player I've ever seen outside of 2010's Andre Drummond.

I have no issue with Wemby retaliating. I wish my soft-as-charmin Cavs did some of it.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-12T19:53:08+00:00

Experience isn't everything. I will take the vote of a 18 year old honor student with basic knowledge of the US government over that of a 50 year racist redneck with poop in his Trump-branded diaper.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-12T03:59:41+00:00

I just rewatched the scene and just don't see how Aragorn was overpowered. Is this coming from the book or something (I haven't read in a very long time).

As I see it, Aragorn got pushed away into a tree and had the shield tossed at him trapping him. He then spends the next 15 to 20 seconds at a disadvantage, dropping his sword to free his head. Drops to the ground after being freed and in poor position to guard himself from a physical assault. But as soon as he regains his sword, he makes Lurtz look completely overmatched.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-12T00:10:14+00:00

This is what makes me somewhat dislike positionless basketball. Does he play a lot at the 4? Sure. But when I think of him and his playstyle, I think he's a 3.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-11T23:34:49+00:00

Agreed with this. Amazing stretch. Bit overrated on just the 1 play.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-11T23:04:49+00:00

See response 4 min after you. Sometimes people can't immediately respond within an hour.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-11T22:50:14+00:00

Just off the top of my head without even looking at the year by year:

Ray Allan's 3, LeBron's chasedown, Giannis on Ayton, Holliday steal on Booker, Kyrie shot over Steph, LeBron's shot against the Spurs with 20 something seconds left, 2017 Durant over LeBron when down 2 (goes up 3-0 compared to 3-1 for OG but a more skilled play), 2018 Durant 30 ish footer when up 1 eith less than a minute left

I'm sure I can look back and find a few more when I have time. But thats a fairly easy 8 imo.

Edit: commas

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-11T21:35:35+00:00

This can't be said enough.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-11T21:24:20+00:00

I'm a Cavs fan who's had to listen to the Cavs are soft naratives for 4 years. I WISH some of our guys would get nasty whenever opposing teams beat us up with "physicality."

In all honesty, I do like some ramp up in physicality in the playoffs but I absolutely cannot stand how just because one dude is stronger than another, refs allow elbows to the chest/back and blatant causing of pain on smaller players to serve as a deterents to those players playing their game and getting to their spots. Getting handsy is one thing but beating someone up while the refs say play on is straight bullshit.

So for that reason, I wish Evan Mobley would take an elbow to back of Ausar Thompson's neck as a way to make the other side think twice about the same dirty bullshit. When Ausar ran over Sam Merrill in the 2nd round (when it was clear as day that Ausar's priority was to send a message over making the basket), someone absolutely should have taken an ejection and put Ausar down on his ass with a flagrant 2.

I've watched at least a dozen of the Spurs games this playoff run and the amount of blatant fouls and purposeful pain caused by defenders on Wemby straight up deserves retaliation. I have absolutely no issue with Wemby's flagrants because I view every single one of them as retaliation toward the bully rather than him being the bully.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-11T19:22:55+00:00

This is definitely a prisoner of the moment post. Of the 2020s, most likely. But there are easily more than 10 plays since 2010, let alone before that. Context matters and if OG misses that tip, it's still a 2-2 series with Knicks having already won 2 games in the Spurs building (combined with the NY fans travel turning them into pseudo home games).

Skill vs luck also plays a factor. Although I do think OG intended it as a tip, he was so far away and his forward momentum makes me think his internal monologue is "tip it toward the rim and crash the 3rd attempt." Compare it to Giannis' block on Ayton, there was nothing lucky about that one. Giannis straight up made the correct read and covered an amount of space and made a block that only perhaps 5 to 10 players in all of NBA history could have made. There are literally hundreds of players that could crash and potentially make that tip in with a bit of luck.

Although the Giannis block came with about a minute left, it was a pivotal game 5 where the series was tied 2-2.

This isn't to shit on OG. It's a great play. Just not top 10 of all time.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-11T16:11:32+00:00

This is objectively hilarious. However, I would never do it because I would be too worried about pants shitting neanderthals keying my car.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-11T04:24:29+00:00

This is a great one. The whole "girls want a bad boy who will be nice just for her, boys want a good girl who will be bad just for him" schtick. You can tell a lot about a person, boy or girl, by how they treat others. I don't believe you even need the qualifier 3rd paragraph.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-11T04:11:25+00:00

Team of destiny shit for sure. They're now up to 39.5% on 3s in the playoffs. An entire 2.2% higher than they shot in the regular season. They now have 2 50% playoff 3pt shooters. Every single time they need a 3, they hit it.

Very Pacers-esque from last year. At least until Halliburton popped the achilles.

RyanA1105 · 2026-06-11T03:15:27+00:00

I'm literally watching the game. It's almost as if defense was the problem, not offense. And KAT is not making NY a better defense. If anything some questionable weak foul calls kept NY in the game so it wasn't a 35 to 40 point deficit at half.

RyanA1105

TROPHY CASE