donjunio

I made my point very clear: Celtics are deeper, but as a starting five, Philly was second to none, and in 1980 they definitely had greater chemistry. If you want to believe that Doctor J won the '82 series by himself and that guys like Toney, Cheeks, Chocolate Thunder, and Bobby Jones were mere extras, you are free to do so. Jordan at 33 had his best season ever, the one with 72 wins: at that age, indeed, one can do sublime things. The Maravich seen with the Celtics was certainly not the legendary one from his prime years. When it comes to Dennis Johnson, I trust Bird more, who called him the best player he ever had by his side, and I just need to rewatch the '79 finals against the Sonics where he was named MVP. Take care.

The frontline is well-known, but McHale is a player who has honed his skills over time, especially his legendary post moves. It's no coincidence that he came off the bench back then. In fact, I wrote that from '81 to '83 the Irish had more depth in their roster, but as a starting lineup, I believe the Sixers were slightly better. To me, the challenges in '81 and '82 were pretty much equal, while in '80 the Celtics were just beginning their run. Keep in mind that during those years, Dr. J was at the peak of his career, especially in '82, while Bird would reach his prime a few years later. The player who took the Celtics to the next level was Dennis Johnson (whom Magic Johnson referred to as "the greatest backcourt defender I've ever met" and Bird himself called the best player he ever played with in Boston), but no one ever remembers him; he's not even a Hall of Famer, what a shame. And who could argue against Dr. J? One of the greatest of all time, his basket in the '82 finals is THE basket: just like Elgin Baylor who won even less than he did, so it doesn’t count, you’re right about that. And the ring from 1983 is immensely valuable, earned by a team that was simply unbeatable and among the strongest of all time. As for regrets: they also have them in Boston for the absurd death of Len Bias or for Larry's back, don't believe otherwise.

For me, the glaring gap in talent between the Sixers and Celtics occurs after 1983. Between 1981 and 1983, the Celtics had a deeper bench (McHale, in fact, won the Sixth Man of the Year award a couple of times; he’s a player who really "built himself up" over time), but as a starting five, the Sixers had something more during those years. Scottie Pippen is one of the strongest and most versatile players of all time. Let’s remember that in the year they played without Jordan (1994), the Bulls still made it to Game 7 against the Knicks and were actually victims of a shocking officiating blunder in the last second of Game 5 at Madison (Bulls up by one, a perfectly clean block by Pippen, and Hubert Davis was sent to the free-throw line to seal the contest), without which they would have gone to Chicago to close the series at 4-2. After all, if the Bulls had reached the Finals without MJ, it would have been a hard hit to Air’s messianic reputation. Moreover, the team of the second three-peat had a simply star-studded roster, with Rodman and Toni Kukoc as luxury sixth men...

The Sixers in 1980 had a much stronger roster than the Celtics, who had just been revamped with Bird's arrival and were still lacking the legendary frontline. Toney in Boston is still remembered as a nightmare. In the following years up until 1983, there was substantial balance, but then the game was no longer even (also thanks to Dj's arrival). Doctor J was the most elegant player of all time, but in terms of assists, he had to give way to the man from French Lick. Ale, Bird was definitely a total player, but Jordan was no less: MJ, among other things, was a phenomenal defender. Alfredo, at least he took a photo with everyone, no worries.....go Cagliari eheheh

Eh Eh Ale, but you get more fired up for Cantrell than for Larry Legend, that's not good! What else to add, these debates about the iconic athletes of the '92 dream team have been going on for decades on both sides of the ocean; every mother thinks her own child is beautiful. I agree with Ale on the greater competitiveness of the '80s, with three dynasties fighting it out for that cursed ring (besides the Sixers), and a much more balanced Eastern Conference (and no Alfredo, Wilkins still holds the record for most points scored in a Game 7, right against the Celtics, he’s not just any Wilkes). Probably the Olajuwon Rockets of '94 and '95 would have seriously embarrassed Coach Zen's troops, but we’ll never know. There are still 6 Bulls titles, with some series of undeniable intensity and quality (like those against Riley's Knicks or the '93 Finals with Phoenix): a step below the previous decade, but certainly not a subsidiary. Jordan was simply a monstrous basketball player, blessed by mother nature with inhuman athletic ability, but he is probably a replicable figure, already having had some credible heirs (Bryant, James). Who knows if we'll see another white player win three MVPs in a row, compete on equal terms with the blacks, and often outplay them like Larry did for much of the Eighties. Dumars has hated Jordan since the legendary battles between the Bad Boys and the Bulls; it would be like asking Biaggi for an autograph while wearing a 46 cap. I stand with the great Joe; I’ve always found Jordan pompous and arrogant. In my life, I’ve had jerseys of countless NBA players, NEVER that number 23.

Seeing Joe Dumars at the camp refuse autographs to the lobotomized multitudes in Bulls 23 jerseys and granting them only to a select few is priceless. Great Hammer Sikma, along with Gus Williams and Dennis Johnson (RIP), hero of the only ring of my late Sonics.

Great report.

Ale, make sure to write a nice report of the concert, okay!

listened to it recently, great album.

Beautiful Pier.