Veggie Rankings

As you grow older everything changes - your body, your mindset, your emotions, even your tastebuds.  When I was younger I could not stand eating vegetables; I was far more into the candy. The one thing that amazes me everyday is how much certain people are willing to eat whatever is made them. Like, literally whatever is made for them. Personally, I can not eat white condiments. There is no racism behind the comment - it just happens to be that 99% of white condiments are extremely disgusting. Think about it - ranch? Blllllllluuuuuuuuaaaaaaahhhhhhh. I don't know if it is the texture that gets me - but every time I look at ranch I just think of the aftermath of a crazy sex-cation with my wife and I most definitely am not cleaning that up with my mouth. Don't even get me started on mayonnaise! It is essentially just whipped fat. What if someone walked up and ordered a burger, "Yeah, uhhhh - I'll take a number 1 with extra whipped fat." Does not sound appetizing at all.

However, as you grow older your tastebuds do change and you can begin to adapt to different foods. Which is why I think it is important to realize which foods are the best to try first - as your tastebuds mature. Now, we clearly don't need to look at any type of candy or dessert - all that sh*t is delicious. Fruit? Nah, fruit is just natures candy and is almost as good as candy or dessert (this is a lie, but it is one that we should tell all our kids so that they eat healthier). Bread/grain is not even actually a food but more of a serving platter for all the butter that we slather on it. Who really wakes up in the middle of the night craving a piece of bread? When women are on their period do they crave a nice slice of whole grain? Hell no. This leaves only one other food group - the group that few will venture into.... THE VEGGIES!

It is important to know which vegetables are the best vegetables to first try out. This allows to feel comfortable with the food group and feel as though we can try other vegetables. You don't get a new video game and instantly play it on the insanely hardest level possible. No, no, no - you gotta ease your way into the game. You gotta work your way up. Likewise, you don't turn the shower on to the burning hot water right away. You make the water warm, step in and feel the temperature of the air. Does this feel right? You let the splatter hit your legs and slowly work your way under the water. Then you turn the heat up.

Soooooooo, let's breakdown the top veggies for you to try first. Without further ado, I give you the....

Top 5 Vegetables

5. Corn

     In my mind this is an upset. Corn is a vegetable that everyone eats and eats a lot.  You would think by the amount of corn that gets eaten on a daily basis it might be ranked higher, but...

     My reasoning for putting corn at number 5 and not higher is solely due to the pigeon-holed ability of corn.  Also, you can get a very plastic tasting batch of corn (I see you KFC).  Nonetheless, throwing some corn on the side of almost any barbecue dish is always a smart decision - especially if it is still on the cob (the one other variation being off the cob).  Which is why corn finds itself in the top 5 of all vegetables to eat.

4. Carrots

     Carrots are essentially the same thing as corn.  I love a good cooked carrot.  The kind of carrot that does not even resemble a carrot.  You plop it in your mouth and it melts.  Honestly, as I am typing these rankings I am kind of rethinking the ranking between carrot and corn. I mean corn is good and could very easily be placed at number 4, but then again you can't eat corn raw - or at least it certainly would not taste good.  The ability to pull a carrot out of the ground and chomp away has lead me to believe that carrots do deserve to be ranked higher than corn! Back the f*ck up corn this is carrots time to shine!

3. Pepper

     Now, keep in mind that your boi (slang for me) does not like super spicy foods.  When I say pepper I am mainly speaking about the bell pepper.  There are 3 main reasons why the bell pepper has found itself at the number 3 spot.  First, the bell pepper can make a great casing for many other foods.  You can throw some meat inside the pepper, cook it, and you have yourself a nice little meal.  Second, the bell pepper is undeniably a must-have if you are cooking kabobs.  You throw a little italian dressing on it, let sit on the grill and it is delicious. Third, you can find the bell pepper in many different colors.  How cool is that? Yes, I know you can have different colored carrots. However, the colored carrots are all dried out and ashy looking. Which sounds incredibly racist, but I swear to you it isn't. The different colored peppers are vibrant and beautiful. Colored peppers for the win!

2. Mushroom

     As I was deciding on these rankings I began to think about the how much I disliked mushrooms when I was little.  I mean if you really think about it, mushrooms are kind of disgusting.  They are technically fungus - I just ranked fungus as the number 2 best vegetable!?! Yes, I have never felt better about it.  You know what my favorite pizza is? Cheese and mushroom. You know what my favorite side dish to a nice steak is? Skewered mushrooms.  You know what my favorite snack is? Probably peanuts... but grilled mushrooms is a close second. We have not even began to talk about a portobello mushroom with cheese. That could be a main dish all by itself. So you could essentially have a an entire meal made up of entirely mushrooms. But, let's be real - we all know that the sole reason why mushrooms have earned their number 2 ranking is because of where they started.  They started from the bottom and they here (thanks, Drake - although does anybody even listen to Drake anymore?).  Mushrooms went from a food that is usually completely despised by kids to a food that is generally preferred by most adults. Viva la fungus!

1. Potato

     Versatility. Versatility. Versatility.  A potato is a vegetable that can play all the parts.  Did you that some restaurants use a potato in their rice?  Many fast food places serve potatoes, although maybe not in its' healthiest of form.  You can slice a potato and cook, steam, fry, grill (you can virtually grill anything) them. A potato is the Michael Jordan of vegetables. The potato has changed the game of vegetables. It has transcended the game of veggies - much like MJ. If you were to give our championship rings to veggies - the potato would definitely have 6 of them. The potato may not be the best at everything - but it is the best at being the best, and that is the only thing that matters in the vegetable game. Hell, the potato can even be the main dish.  The baked potato in itself is so delicious it can go from a side dish to a main dish - to even having its' own buffet.  No other vegetables can say they have their own buffet. You ever see a corn bar? Carrot bar? Nobody is having a mushroom bar for their graduation party. Yet, somebody is going to have a potato bar this year - if we are lucky enough, there might be a few potato bars.

Voice your opinions if you would like

Mwah

$1000 a mile - you in?

            “My body will never breakdown, I will walk forever.”

-       Overconfident male

During my childhood we had many family dinners where arguments soon took over the conversation. My family consists of three different parties – the overconfident brothers, the constant disagreeing females, and the joke cracking father. No matter the argument, these three sides always formed. Eventually, the brothers would turn on each other and they would begin to argue between themselves. Essentially, a nice, calm family turned into ravaging wolves just waiting for the other person to say something wrong.

            Usually our arguments involved money and some sort of crazy action. One of the favorite arguments featured a feat of stamina and getting paid for the duration of time you could make it. Stamina is a funny thing – many people have it and they don’t even know it. So much of stamina is actually mind over the body, which is often referred to as “will power.” Which brings us to our debate….

            How far could you walk if you were paid $1,000 for every mile?

            Now, before we really dive into this argument, we need to set some parameters. First, once you stop moving you are done with the challenge. Secondly, after you continue to walk you are paid for every mile completed – if your last mile you don’t make it, you don’t get paid. Essentially, you are beginning to walk as long as possible and once you stop – you are given a briefcase of cash that matches the number of whole miles completed.

            It is incredibly important to have a strategic plan to go as far and as long as you possibly could. The first phase of the argument – how far would you want to go? Many people when asked this question would have a specific goal in mind. They would walk 20 miles and be done, enough to buy a car they had been checking out. Some might only walk five miles and take their $5,000 and be happy with it. These people are missing out.

            According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the average American that works in a professional, management and related occupations earn $63,000 annually. That number can be broken down to $1,211 a week and $30 and hour. Essentially, if you were to go to college and earn a degree and then immediately find a job – on average you will be earning $30 an hour. Yes, this value can change from occupation to occupation or from city to city. For the most part, the average American citizen makes $30 an hour and would love to have a pay raise.

            During this “walk-a-thon” you are given a chance to drastically increase your hourly wage. The average “fitness walking pace” is one mile for 15 minutes. That is four miles in one hour and roughly $4,000 an hour. One does not simply walk away from a chance to earn that amount of money, that quickly (pun intended).

            To answer the first question: How far would you want to walk? As far as humanly possible. I would never want to put an end point on an opportunity like this. If ever presented, highly unlikely, I would continue to walk until my legs fell off. Which brings up the second question: How far could someone physically walk without stopping?

            The physicality of a challenge like this is extremely difficult to pinpoint. Many females love to spend an entire Saturday completing a mission to “shop until you drop.” However, do they ever actually reach their physical limit of shopping? If not, what is that physical limit? When will the human body breakdown?

            There are multiple physical aspects when examining the human body and its ability to walk and exercise. When exercising the body needs sugar for energy required to contract muscles and movement. When we eat sugar, or glycogen, or body stores it and that can create our fatty tissues. However, if monitored and used properly – the sugar intake can increase our energy and ability to exercise. Marshawn Lynch is an NFL running back – and a bruising back to say the least. Lynch is known for his punishing runs and eagerness to run into the person, rather than avoiding, trying to tackle him. He also known for his sideline antics and sideline snack….. skittles. Lynch can be seen snacking on skittles during the course of an NFL game. This energy intake helps propel him through the course of the game.

            The body also uses adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Essentially, ATP has three parts: a nitrogenous base, a sugar ribose, and a triphosphate. The downfall of the human body is in the biochemical ability to only hold so much of each ATP and sugar. So what happens when the body runs out? Where do we find the energy to keep going?

            In order to create more ATP the body requires oxygen. As we continue to work out we are also trying to force as much O₂ into our system to help create the needed ATP. Have you ever watched an NFL game and the players come to the sideline and put on an oxygen mask? These players are trying to meet their bodies needs of oxygen in order to create more ATP for the muscles. When your body can no longer create ATP – or the oxygen intake can not keep up with the workout – lactic acid begins to build in the muscle. The lactic acid is our body’s way of forcing us to stop and go through a recovery process.

            When exercising, your muscles need a time to repair and recover. If never given that proper amount of time – your muscles may never fully repair. During the workout, you are attempting to break down the muscle. This muscle will then repair itself stronger and bigger. Essentially, it is similar to if you break a bone in your body. Once you break that bone your body sends all kinds of nutrients and calcium to make that specific location stronger. Can you still break that bone in the same place? Sure, but you would be hard-pressed to break that bone with the exact similar amount of force on the bone. Likewise, can you still breakdown your muscle? Sure, but it would take a much greater force (or heavier weight) to break down that muscle.

            So the real question is more related to someone’s ability to hold off the lactic acid as long as possible, right? To a point – what if you never allow body to reach that point? Many people believe that your body has the ability to go as far, and as long, as you are mentally able to take it.

            Tim Noakes, a sports psychologist from the University of Cape Town, is known for his studies in the sports science world. Once he carried out a study that that force a rule change in the game of Rugby. He also contested that the required amount of fluid intake during a marathon was too much. He concluded that marathons runners were getting fatigued and collapsing from too much fluid intake, not dehydration. Naturally, this theory was refuted and brushed off. However, in the 2002 Boston Marathon 13% of the runners were found to have suffered from water intoxication, which one runner died as a result. Naturally, Noakes’ study was taken a little more seriously after the race.

            Noakes also believes that the human body is only limited by what the brain allows us to do. His theory was that when we are tired or fatigued, it is not because we have used all of our energy – rather we have used all the energy that our brain allows us to sue. His study involved testing many different athletes and their muscles fibers. He found that when his athletes said they were too fatigued to continue – they actually still had many unused muscle fibers.

            First, Noakes tested the oxygen intake. Noakes tested the basic theory in which our muscles run out of oxygen and that is why we are fatigued. However, in his studies Noakes was unable to find any athletes that were running out of oxygen. Sure, it may be harder for their bodies to generate the oxygen – which is why you see athletes taking deep breathes. However, Noakes could not find athletes that were completely depleted of oxygen.

            Next, Noakes studied the muscle fibers. He had cyclists ride exercise bikes with wires attached to their muscles. He was going to measure the use of each muscle fiber. He found that when the athletes said they were too fatigued to continue – nearly 50 percent of their muscle fiber was still available to be used.

            Essentially, Tim Noakes and his colleagues had convinced themselves that muscle fatigue is actually generated by the brain and not the muscle itself. Every has probably experienced the feeling of working out and being so fatigued that you just couldn’t run another mile. Yet, you are able to walk to the car and move around your home. What if at the very moment you walk out the gym and pack of rabid dogs start to attack you? Would your muscles be fatigued to the point at which you could no longer protect yourself?

            Our brain is designed in a way to always make sure we have enough muscle fibers left to be able to function throughout the day. Our brain begins to shut down different parts of the body well before they are actually depleted. This is for our own safety and functionality. What would the world be like if our brain never placed a safeguard on our body? We would have people passing out all over the street.

            So, when you are discussing how far could you walk for $1,000 a mile – you are essentially asking yourself, how long will your brain allow your body to go, before its safeguard kicks in? Many people may argue that they work out five days a week and are in great shape, but does that really matter if they are mentally unable to push their body to their limit? For argument’s sake, let’s say they can push their body to the limit.

            If you break down the challenge into sheer numbers, you may have a better idea of the payday you are able to receive. The average fitness walking pace is a mile every 15 minutes. The pace will gradually get slower as the person continues to walk throughout the day. It is a safe assumption that the person can finish at a 20-minute mile pace, which means they will be able to walk 3 miles in an hour. If that same person is able to walk for 20 hours straight – they would earn $60,000. If they are able to push themselves one more hour they are able to make the same amount of money that the average professional American makes in one year.

            Essentially, if you can turn your brain off and push your body to the limit for one entire day, you could stop working for an entire year. The question is: Can you turn your brain off and push yourself to your utter limit in order to have the biggest payday of your life?

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"Standing 6'4" and weighing in at 190 pounds of twisted steel and sex appeal - AAAAADDDDAAAMMM AAAATTTTKKKKIIINNNNSSS"

Yes, I am back. And I will say that is back by popular demand. If you don't want to read it because it no longer will involve your fantasy team then don't - but if you are bored and you are looking for something outlandish to semi-entertain you for a little bit, this is the place for you.

Obviously, this blog will shift landscapes and will no longer feature fantasy football predictions - although we all know who was clearly the best at that one.

Now, this blog will be focusing solely on the rumblings that move around my mind. Possibly things that men argue about, or maybe some funny videos, or maybe some deep intellectual thoughts. For today - we will start with the classic: Jordan vs. Lebron.....

The game of basketball is a funny sport. If you are from a country that does not have a national team – you would be extremely confused. First, there is a good chance that your country is a big supporter of soccer, or football, if your country doesn’t have basketball. This means that the very fundamental rule of basketball is already going to confuse you – kicking is illegal and using your hands is essential to success. However, you would be very surprised to find that soccer (football) is not that different from basketball.

The main difference is the creation, or origin of each respected sport (and the whole hands and feet difference). Soccer was first recorded as a training exercise for Chinese soldiers in the Han Dynasty. The game was called Tsu-Chu and translates to “kicking the ball.” It was a possession based game that featured two teams trying to kick a small leather ball into a net. There are many other cultures that have some form of soccer played in their past; Australians played Marn Grook, Native Americans played Pahsaherman, and the Moari’s played Ki-o-rahi. Whichever culture you believe to be the beginning of the sport – there is always disagreements. In fact some scholars would even argue that soccer really started in Britain. Britian is traditionally thought to be the founding country of modern day soccer. There is rarely a concrete agreement on the origin of soccer.

The origin of basketball is simple and sweet – and never argued. Dr. James Naismith was asked to create a game that students could play indoors during the winter. In 1891 Naismith took a soccer ball and a peach basket and created the game of basketball. However, in this form of basketball there was no dribbling allowed. Naismith, being a physical education teacher, noticed that in most games injuries happen when a player with the ball runs around. Thus, in this form of basketball there was no running when you had possession of the ball.

On December 21, 1891 the first inaugural basketball was played. The game lasted 30 minutes, two 15 minutes halves – and the final score was 1-0. William R. Chase is credited with the first, and only basket, in the game. After a few years the local YMCA had really began to take to the game of basketball and soon the surrounding YMCA’s were playing as well. Eventually, the game became widespread with little adaptions made here and there. For example, instead of peach baskets – one local YMCA used iron circles with netting. In 1901, a tweak in the rules allowed the players to dribble the ball up the court. In 1904 boundary lines were created – originally the entire gymnasium was in bounds, except the walls. Slowly, but surely the game progressed from soccer balls and peach baskets to rims and orange basketballs.

Not only did the game of basketball progress – so did the scoring. In the first collegiate game, University of Iowa versus the University of Chicago, UofC defeated UofI by a score of 15-12. Soon, games consisted of scores in the high 50’s and 60’s. Yet, still nothing compared to the scores we see in today’s modern basketball game.

Soccer is just the opposite. Soccer scoring has not progressed in the least bit. In fact, it is extremely surprising to see many professional teams score more than a couple goals. Many scholars believe that soccer is defensive minded game – there are too many players on the pitch that solely focus on defense. Not to mention that in soccer, you have a goalie. This person is allowed to use their hands and their sole job is to protect the net/goal. This creates and very possession, or defensive, oriented game. In either sport – there are two teams that have one purpose in mind, to score more points than the opponent. In some cases, one team might win because they have better chemistry or they are more experienced. In some cases, one team might win because they have the best player. Which is always a tightly debated discussion.

It is not hard to decide who the greatest soccer player of all-time is: Pele. It is not hard to decide who the greatest baseball player of time is: Babe Ruth. In fact, in most sports there is little argument for the greatest ever. In hockey – there is Wayne Gretzky. In football – there is Tom Brady. In tennis – there is Roger Federer. In basketball – there is? Michael Jordan? Lebron James? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? Magic Johnson? Wilt Chamberlain?

With such a complex game of different needs a team must fill in order to become successful – there is always an argument for who is the greatest basketball player of all-time. Let’s begin by narrowing down the argument, here are a few qualifications:
 
-     The player must have played in the NBA.
-     The player must have at least won the NBA championship.
-     The player must have a career longer than 10 years.
-     The player must be the best of his era.
-     The player must be the best at his respective position.

These are basic qualifications, but needed. This allows to focus on a group of men, instead of the entire world. There may be players in the world who have scored more points in a single game – but are clearly not good enough to compete in the NBA. The NBA is widely considered the greatest league for basketball. If you have not played against the best, then you cannot be considered one of the greatest.

Likewise, if you are the greatest player of all-time, you better have won. Sorry, Karl Malone and John Stockton – you are not in the argument. In fact, it should go to show that if you don’t win a championship – how could one even argue that they are the greatest person if they can’t even win a championship in their era.

There always need to be some restraints on the length someone has competed. As stated earlier, someone could score an obscene amount of points in one game – but the sample size is too small for it to actually matter. Jack Taylor scored 138 points on November 20, 2012. He played for Grinnell College – whose system involved no defense and quick shots. The theory was, the more shots they shoot the better chance they had to score points. Now, clearly Jack Taylor is not the greatest basketball player of all time – but he very well may have had the best game of all-time. All that being said, it is important to establish criteria for the duration of a career. I figure that the first three to four years in the NBA is time to reach the prime of one’s career. The next four to eight years is time in the prime, and anything beyond that is the downward spiral after their prime. Thus, a player must have a career longer than 10 years.

The last requirement sounds simple – and it should be simple. In order to be considered for the argument of the best to ever play the game of basketball, you need to be the best in your era of basketball. For example, Kevin Durant is an amazing player – MVP in 2014, NBA Finals MVP in 2017, 4x scoring champion, Rookie of the Year in 2008, and an 5x All-NBA first team member – however, he has never been the best player of his generation. Therefore, he does not belong in the argument of the greatest of all-time.

Many would argue that Kobe Bryant is the player is a player that was once in a lifetime for his generation. Kobe squeezed right in between Jordan and James and managed to dominate the league for at least six years. He is the reason why Tim Duncan is not on the list of the greatest ever – Bryant takes the top spot for that generation. However, with that being said – Bryant does not belong in the argument. Bryant is a hall of fame player, one that changed the game. Bryant won 5 NBA Championships, Finals MVP twice, MVP once, NBA Scoring Champion twice, and was an 11 All-NBA first team member. However, Bryant is often the most overlooked player when you are considering the greatest of all time. Mainly, because he came right after Michael Jordan (whom many consider to be the greatest) and he is right before Lebron James (freak athlete who is the most recent contender to the title). Call it unlucky due to the timing of his career. Call it karma due to his scandal with “extra-curricular” activities outside of his marriage. Call it, “Hey, you not the best shooting guard to play the game!” Call it whatever you like – Mamba Out!

With these criteria there are basically a handful of guys that you could possibly argue:
 
-     Wilt Chamberlain
-     Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
-     Magic Johnson
-     Michael Jordan
-     Lebron James

Hey, wait a second, Chamberlain and Jabbar both played center – you are breaking the last criteria. You, my newfound friend, are correct. Chamberlain has what could be argued as the greatest season ever – even better than Westbrook’s most recent escapade through the land of triple-doubles. In one season, Chamberlain averaged 50 points and 25 rebounds. In the first four seasons he was in the league, he led the league in scoring and rebounds. Essentially, anything Jabbar could do – Chamberlain did better. The only thing that Jabbar did better? Play longer. Jabbar has the most points ever scored in the NBA with 38,387 points scored. The main reason this was achieved? He played for 19 seasons. Jabbar did have four seasons where he averaged 30 or more points and right around 15 rebounds. Chamberlain had 8 seasons where he averaged 30 or more points and 12 seasons where he averaged more than 20 rebounds. Not only that, in the seasons that they played at the same time – Chamberlain averaged more rebounds and roughly 8 or so points less. However, Chamberlain was at the end of his career and Jabbar was just coming into the prime of his career.

Both men played in a time when being the biggest and tallest was extremely helpful. Chamberlain was 7’1” and weighed 250. Sure, he was enormous – but he was also extremely strong and had great stamina. In 1962, Wilt Chamberlain sat out 8 minutes…the entire season. He averaged over 46 minutes a game over the course of his career. He also had a known bench press of 500 pounds. Shaq – arguably the strongest player to play the game of basketball – was only ever able to bench 450. Wilt was an unstoppable force.

Jabbar, on the other hand, was more a skilled and finesse player. Jabbar was known for his offense skill set and shooter’s touch. He developed the unstoppable “Sky Hook,” that many have attempted to replicate. The most interesting part about the sky hook? There is very few 7’2” players that have developed the touch it takes to be efficient with that shot. Therefore, any type of replication is usually considered a “Baby Sky Hook.” Jabbar had an amazing shooter’s touch – never before seen in a 7’2” player before.

Many people would argue that Jabbar and Chamberlain would be able to play in today’s NBA, myself included, they still are probably not in the same realm as the other three gentlemen. Chamberlain was only ever to win two NBA Championships. Jabbar was able to win six NBA Championships, none with the Lakers and five of those came with the help of another all-time great.

Magic Johnson was drafted by the Lakers #1 overall in the 1979 draft. Johnson and Jabbar went on to lead the Lakers to the NBA Finals. In game 6, after Jabbar injured his ankle, Magic Johnson started at center - Johnson had started at point guard that season. During that game Johnson played center, guard, and forward and recorded 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. Johnson is the only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP – all while playing out of position.

Magic Johnson has been to the finals 9 times in his 12-year career – which was sadly cut short due HIV. In 75% of his career, his season ended with him having a chance to win the NBA Championship. Johnson also won the NBA Championship 5 times – nearly half the amount of seasons he played in the NBA. If there was ever a player that you want to run the point and you know would show-up and do whatever it takes to win, Magic Johnson belongs in that conversation.
However, Johnson did have a few knocks in his career. Johnson’s career was cut short due to his battle with HIV. The issue is not with him having HIV, however it is more closely related to the fact that he was only able to play for 12 seasons. When Johnson walked away from the game, he was still very clearly in his prime. He was selected for the 1992 Dream Team which was the first year he did not play in the NBA due to HIV. Still, very clearly – with the ability to win games and increase his statistics.

Also, and most notably, the biggest knock against Magic Johnson: his teammates were all hall of famers. Magic Johnson had played with Abdul-Jabbar, another player who belongs in the all-time great argument. Johnson also played with Michael Cooper and James Worthy. Michael Cooper was an 8-time all-defensive team member, as well the Defensive Player of the Year in 1986. James Worthy, another hall of fame player, was a 7-time all-star. So, Johnson was able to play with Abdul-Jabbar, Cooper, and Worthy – and yet somehow, he was still considered the best of the group. One could argue that many of these players would not have had the careers they did have, if not for Magic Johnson.

None the less, Magic Johnson did have many great players around – whether he made them great or not – and because of this many people do not consider him to be the greatest. Personally, he deserves to be in the argument – maybe the 2^nd greatest of all-time. The absurdity that follows is a part of every NBA fan’s argument, especially those that are 15 and under…..
 
The greatest ever: Lebron James or Michael Jordan
 
The argument between James and Jordan is ever prevalent in current NBA fan’s conversation. On one side, Michael Jordan, you have the widely thought of greatest of all-time. On the flip side, Lebron James, you have the current best in the game. The argument will always be: Michael Jordan or whomever is currently dominating the game. I am here to prove to you that this not really an argument that worth having, more rather an idealism that can be used to see who is a true fan of the NBA.

Michael Jordan changed the game of basketball. He is, and will continue to be, the player who made basketball a physical sport. Yes, you had “The Bad Boys” in Detroit and Larry Bird – who wanted to fight with anyone - in Boston. Not to mention, the Indiana Pacers and Ron Artest looking to actually fight anyone, even the fans. The argument here is not that Jordan was a bullying, in fact Jordan was probably bullied more than any other player. The argument is that Jordan made it “cool” to workout and push your body physically so you could overpower your opponent.

I understand the Chamberlain was physically dominating players and that there was no other Shaquille O’Neal in the league. These guys were the very definition of physical specimens – but did they have to work for it? Obviously not. They were just that much bigger than everyone else.
In the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, “Bad Boys” the Detroit Pistons talk about how they developed the “Jordan Rules.” Essentially, anytime Michael Jordan had the ball or was in the paint was being physically pushed or knocked down. It wasn’t until the next season when Jordan came back and was physically ready for the Pistons. At that moment, everyone around the NBA became aware to the fact that if you want to win in the NBA – you have to work for it. Jordan was the pioneer for preparing your body for the physical demand that rears its ugly head in the NBA regular season. Without Jordan leading the way, James may never be the physical specimen he is now.

There is also no denying the fact that off the basketball court Jordan was the pioneer. Jordan was not the first guy to sign a deal for sneaker endorsements, that honor belongs to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Adidas. However, he was the player that started the feeding frenzy. In 1985 the “Air Jordan I” was released to the public. The shoe’s prototype, Nike Air Ship, was soon outlawed by David Stern, due to not enough white being in the design. This was then used as a promotional tool to “obtain a certain edginess, one must wear the shoe that was banned.”

As Jordan’s career began to balloon with success, so did his shoes. Until now, there was never a player that was so dominate in the league with his own personal shoe line. Is it fair to say that Michael Jordan completely changed the endorsement world? Yes, of course. Does that really have any effect on his all-time greatness? Not much, but I would argue that it does help continue to keep him prevalent in today’s game and in today’s youth. Those that never had a chance to actually witness, sorry LBJ, Jordan play can at least understand that he was good enough to earn his own shoe line – a shoe line that has catapulted Michael Jordan in to the billionaire’s club.

If you really want to discuss facts and statistics, Jordan has that portion of the game covered as well. Michael Jordan was an 10 time NBA scoring champion in his 13 year career with the Chicago Bulls. Not to mention, that he never averaged less than 28 points a game in the seasons that he played more than 18 games (there were two seasons cut short due to injury and retirement). Even after he retired from the NBA for a second time, he came back and played at the age of 38 and 39 and averaged more than 20 points a game for each season – not even the NBA all-time leading scorer could average that at the same age. Clearly, Michael Jordan knew how to score the basketball.

However, offense is only one part of the game. Michael Jordan should be in the argument for the greatest defender of all-time. Jordan was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and was a nine-time member of the all-defensive team. He finished his career averaging 2.3 steals a game, which happens to be more than John Stockton – the all-time NBA leader in steals.

Many would argue that the shooting guard position is not traditionally thought of as a rebounding position. However, Jordan was able to average 6.2 rebounds a game. This may not sound like an astounding number, but do not let the fact that Dennis Rodman averaged 15 rebounds a game while in Chicago. In the NBA, at that time, a team would average 42 rebounds a game – which means after Rodman grabbed his wolf’s share of the boards, there were only 27 rebounds left to go around. Jordan was able to corral in 23% of those opportunities. That is an astounding number for a player who also scoring 30+ points and 6 assists a game.

Clearly, Michael Jordan has the stats to back-up the hype that is needed to become the greatest of all-time. Jordan’s prime, say his best six seasons, stack-up against anyone else’s prime – especially if you consider winning the championship an important aspect of the game. Before we go any further down this road, one must understand that winning the championship is the reason why professionals play the game of basketball. It is a team’s sole purpose in the NBA. Is it the only measurement for all-time greatest – but it is a big measurement.

Michael Jordan won the NBA Championship six times, all six times he was the NBA Finals MVP. Not only that, Jordan won the NBA Championship three times in a row and then retired to play baseball. After his two-year stint with baseball, he returned to the NBA and won three more championships. One could safely assume that had Jordan not left the NBA to try baseball, he could have very easily made it to the finals 8 consecutive seasons and possibly won 8 consecutive NBA Championships. Now, I do understand that anything could happen – injury, suspension, etc. However, the main point stands that during those eight years – Jordan played in six seasons and won six championships. Anyone in their right mind would not bet against Jordan had he played in the other two seasons.

Michael Jordan not only built his career around scoring and making it to the championship – he also dominated when the lights were the brightest. Jordan went to the finals six times and won the Finals MVP six times. The greatest players always shine brightest on the greatest stage. Now, don’t get me wrong – Lebron James – is a great player, but I personally am always going to pick the brightest light!

Of all the stats and achievements Michael Jordan has to his name – nothing holds a candle to Jordan’s mindset. Every players wants to win the game, otherwise why are they playing the game? I am not saying that all other players don’t care about the game of basketball, but there is something to be said about players who are willing to put everything on the line just win once game.

In 1997, the Chicago Bulls were playing the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals. The series was tied 2-2 and Jordan had just suffered food poisoning and a severe virus. Jordan willed his way to 38 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. Phil Jackson, widely renowned as one of the greatest basketball coaches ever, said, “Just another heroic effort to add the collection of efforts that make up his legend.”

There are many others who would suggest that Jordan was not actually sick, but rather hung over. Some would say that if this were true, it would taint the effort and make it less amazing. However, you cannot disregard an effort of someone that “ill” because of the reasoning that they are ill. Whether he was hungover or sick or food poisoned – either way, his effort was amazing for someone who was playing in perfect conditions, let alone someone was suffering from some kind of illness.
Many basketball fans have heard of “The Dream Team” documentary that was originally broadcast on NBATV. The documentary is focused on the very first US Dream Team and the players that were on it. Essentially, it is focused on the best American basketball players at the time and how they beat every other country by an astounding 43.8 points (record in the Olympics for average margin of victory). Few would argue that this was the best group of basketball players ever assembled – especially in comparison to the competition.

There is one crucial scene in this documentary that showcases just how dominate Michael Jordan was. During the beginning of the documentary viewers are described a typical practice session from the eyes of players. Multiple players described the end of practice with a scrimmage. One team will be winning, and coach Chuck Daly will call timeout. He will then switch Michael Jordan to the losing team (which means the assumption is that he was on the winning team). In the second portion of the scrimmage Jordan would bring his team back and the game would be competitive.

Essentially, in a practice with the best players in the world – the only player that the coach feels is good enough to switch is Jordan. Coach Daly selects Jordan to switch to the losing team in order to make it fair again. Michael Jordan was clearly the guy on the Dream Team. Oh, and by the way, 10 of the 12 players to play for the 1992 Dream Team went on to be selected for the Hall of Fame.
Jordan has changed the game of basketball the way that no other player has: endorsements, scoring, defensively, will to win, rings, and the list could go on. No other player has the same combination of tangibles and intangibles that make up the basketball player that was Michael Jordan. Like it or not, there has only ever been one Space Jam – and the Looney Toons wanted Michael Jordan!

Mwah