HoopWatch

We are now down to our Top Five! The place for Legends and the best of the best. It is intriguing to note that these guys are MVPs and franchise guys. Let’s start things off with:

5. Larry Bird – Dirk Nowitzki

I know that Dirk is much taller than Bird. But they play pretty much alike. The outside shots. The help defense. The inside penetration. Those fancy passes. That high-arching fade-away jumper. The clutch baskets. The anchor of their teams. Both are MVPs. Bird has won four titles in the 80’s. Dirk still has none. But he has nine more years to win one. The Mavericks almost did. But they took a step backwards when they lost in five games to the Warriors. Now Dirk has to redeem himself.

4. Wilt Chamberlain – Shaquille O’Neal

Clearly, during their own eras, it has been their size that has made them virtually unstoppable. In Wilt’s time, there were only a few seven-footers hovering around. And if there were some, they were not as strong, as agile or half-as-good as Chamberlain was. With Shaq, a lot of seven-footers and even taller players in his modern time, but they were not as big, as agile, as talented, as versatile, as fast and as talented as Shaq. He was just toying with his defenders in his prime. Even Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning, great defensive big men, could not stop him.

3. Magic Johnson – LeBron James

LBJ may be wearing #23, and we all know he loves Michael Jordan. But his development and the way he plays reminds me of another legend, and that legend ain’t MJ, but another MJ, Magic Johnson. He is unselfish as Magic was. He shoots like Magic did. And he involves his teammates more often than not, even in heart-pulsating situations. Remember how he was criticized for passing-up a probable game-winning shot in Game One of the NBA Finals.

Now the last two comparisons involve Michael Jordan, the greatest ball-player has ever played. Now you be the judge who plays similarly to Michael.

2. Michael Jordan – Kobe Bryant

Clearly, Kobe has the same path of development as Jordan had. They won the Slam Dunk Contest in their younger years, and developed into great outside shooters in their mid-years. There are differences. Jordan was a phenomenon right when he got in the NBA. He led the previously hapless Chicago Bulls back to the playoffs right on his rookie year. He got injured most of his second year, but went back to his dominant mode and scored 63 points in a playoff loss to the mighty Boston Celtics.

Kobe, on the other hand, averaged only 7.9 points in his rookie year. He joined a Laker team that was loaded with talent. The Lakers had Shaq, Eddie Jones, Nick Van Exel and Elden Campbelle. Bryant has won three titles with Shaq as the focal point of the offense.

Right now, he is chasing for a title not having a dominant center inside just like MJ never had any dominant big man to complement his game. But Bryant is vocal about his frustrations, and instead of facing the challenge, he has been whining about lacking the needed support he needs to have for a title.

1. Michael Jordan – Dwyane Wade

I should say Dwyane was Jordanesque in that Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. They were down big in that fourth quarter of Game Three, and Wade put on his Superman suit and went to work. He was virtually unstoppable! Mid-range jumpers, dribble penetration, the bank shots. He was amazing. Shades of Michael, I should say. I can’t wait to see him in the NBA’s biggest stage once again.