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Hyperbole Hall of Fame

Candidate for immediate induction into the Hall:

"(Kobe Bryant is) the greatest Laker ever."

    -- Jeff Van Gundy, 2009 May 21

    ------

Some other Lakers:

George Mikan ("Mr. Basketball")

Elgin Baylor (best 6'5" player in NBA history)

Jerry West (model for the NBA logo)

Wilt Chamberlain (greatest per-game scorer in history, averaged more than 48 minutes per game over course of entire seasons, never fouled out in his career)

Kareem Abdul Jabbar (scored more points than any other player in NBA history)

Earvin Magic Johnson (most conceited player ever, possibly biggest ego in WORLD history)


Shaquille O'Neal (best player on the Shaq-Kobe Lakers teams of the early '00s)

       ---

Please submit your comments about (alternatively): 

 

    1.  Jeff Van Gundy's subtle appreciation of irony, or

    2.  A more Worthy candidate for the title of  "greatest Laker ever."

1 recs  |  Comment 24 comments

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Manute Bol never played for the Lakers, AFAIK

All of the guys listed at the top of the post played significant parts of their careers as Lakers. Karl Malone and Gary Payton were briefly Lakers, too, but not when they were forces of nature.

Besides, on actual height, as opposed to listed height, Mark Eaton who was in the middle for the Jazz from 1982 to 1993 may well have been taller than Bol. I remember seeing Eaton, who was listed as 7’4", IIRC, standing next to Ralph Sampson, who also was officially 7’4". Sampson’s height was legit, based on how he measured up to his teammate Olajuwan and other big men in the league. Standing next to Eaton, Sampson appeared to be about 6" shorter.

by monkeysuncle on May 22, 2009 1:40 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I think you mean Wilt

has the single game scoring record, not the per-game (career) scoring record as that belongs to Jordan.

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on May 21, 2009 9:58 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I took it as a per-game record for a season

But you’re right… right? I didn’t know Jordan had it, but it makes sense…

One year, Wilt averaged AVERAGED averaged 50 damn points. And every old replay game I see of him, he looks like garbage.

At least, garbage compared to how I expect a guy who scored 100 points and averaged 50 to look like.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on May 21, 2009 10:29 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Scoring: Michael Jordan vs. Wilt Chamberlain

Jordan and Chamberlain both averaged 30.1 points per game over the course of their NBA careers. Jordan’s highest single-season average was 37.1 in 1986-87; Chamberlain had four full seasons in which his scoring average exceeded Jordan’s highest single-season scoring average, including one year (1961-62) when he averaged 50.4 points a game.

Depending on your point of view, Chamberlain either suffered from or benefited from being a contemporary of Bill Russell. In the smaller NBA of the time, specific team match-ups came around much more frequently than they do in today’s 30-team league. Russell and Chamberlain played each other often, and on the stats sheet, Chamberlain was the lop-sided winner. But Russell was surrounded by those Celtic teams of the 50s and 60s that won the NBA title year after year, and therefore was portrayed as the better team player; and as Chamberlain was a full hand taller than Russell, and much beefier, the sporting press worked the David vs. Goliath story line to death; Chamberlain was War Admiral to Russell’s Seabiscuit. That made Chamberlain, who was very intelligent and hyper-sensitive, work all the harder to prove that he was not just a big bully, but a skilled athlete.

In the second half of his career Chamberlain decided quite deliberately to respond to critics who claimed that he was a one-dimensional scoring freak, so for two seasons — his last two years in Philadelphia — he averaged 8.2 assists per game, passing up easy shots that he could take on his own, which cost him about 12 points a game in his own scoring average. After he went to the Lakers, he decided that mere scoring was boring, and decided to become the best defensive stopper in the league, which he (of course) accomplished for five seasons, and his scoring average dropped — voluntarily, because he still had the ability to score at will when a game was on the line — as he concentrated on blocks and steals.

(Chamberlain was also — pretty much indisputably — the greatest volleyball player of all time.)

by monkeysuncle on May 22, 2009 2:29 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

he was also a good track athlete

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on May 22, 2009 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

sasha vujajic: worst nba player ever
farmar: can hear you typing that (big ears)
Odom: most beach loving
uh, I’m not really up on my Lacker history. I only really know the current dudes.
Fisher: most left-handed.

by 50backflips on May 21, 2009 10:21 PM PDT reply actions   1 recs

He's not only the greatest Laker ever

He’s also the greatest ANYTHING, ever.

He’s that good. He wins the Best Thing to Ever Exist award, easy.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on May 21, 2009 10:31 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Hyperbole is the best thing ever

I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

by haildablazer on May 27, 2009 5:24 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Well, the best player who was ever a Los Angeles Laker is almost a tie bewteen Wilt Chamberlain and ...

Kareem Abdulr-Jabbar, but the greatest all-time Laker is Earvin “Magic” Johnson — although one can argue on behalf of Jerry West — regardless, though, this is one time in which I totally disagree with Jeff Van Gundy.

by AK1984 on May 22, 2009 3:47 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

"the greatest all-time Laker is Earvin 'Magic' Johnson"

E"M"J agrees with you — but thinks that you are several orders of magnitude too subdued in your understated adulation.

by monkeysuncle on May 22, 2009 8:37 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

you're crazy

Wilt’s ego > Kobe’s ego >= Jordan’s ego >= Barkely’s ego > Magic’s ego

book that

Take it to the Hole!!

by galacticlove on May 22, 2009 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

It ain't bragging if you deliver

Wilt delivered.

Kobe, Jordan, Barkley: all of them are capable (on occasion — o.k., rare occasion) to talk about something — ANY thing — other than themselves. Magic lacks the ability to talk of any other subject than Magic Johnson.

by monkeysuncle on May 22, 2009 4:16 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

yes it is

Wilt’s ego was huge.. between his comments about his legacy vs. Jordan as the best player ever and his 2,000 tally.. the ego was huge.. the bragging was huge.. the guy was totally full of himself.. constantly trying to justify why he lost to Russell and the Celtics even though he was the greatest player ever.. his individual accomplishments are undeniable – just like his massive and overinflated ego. He won.. 2 or 3 rings..?

Magic talks about lots of things besides Magic… I’ve heard him talk about K*be, James Worthy, Kareem, Michael Jordan (whom he calls the greatest player ever), Chick Hearn, Jud Heathcote, Cookie, Andre & Earvin Jr., his car, Jerry Buss, Jerry West, Pat Riley, George Gervin, Dave Bing, Jamal Wilkes, Bob McAdoo, Nate McMillian, Mark Aguirre, Lebron James,Old School Legends video game, Urban Business renewal, Dikembe Mutombo, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, his parents, his brother and sister, Paul Westhead, aaand Norm Nixon!!!! and Kurt Rambis.. and the Rambis following.. and Byron Scott.. and Isiah Thomas.. and Dr. J.. and WILT CHAMBERLAIN!!! sheesh… talk about hyperbole..

Take it to the Hole!!

by galacticlove on May 22, 2009 6:30 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I declare GL winner by knockout with 32 seconds left in the second round.

GO
THE TEACHER ......come into my classroom "THE PAINT" for some tutelage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The rancor reflected in that remark I won't dignify with comment. But I'll address your general attitude of hopeless negativism." – Everett "O Brother, where art Thou?"

by Blazer1342 on May 22, 2009 6:44 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'd rather have Kobe than Jordan

Jordan is old and fat and if Kobe is better than the best player in the world, then he must be better than anyone else in the NBA. Therefore Kobe is the greatest Laker ever.

"Hey Beavis, let's rock!"

by tominhawaii on May 22, 2009 4:13 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Okay I just don't get this

Lakers have what, 15 titles or something stupid?

How has the greatest Laker of all time not led them to a single title?

by Zaig on May 22, 2009 9:17 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I'd say Magic would give Kobe a challenge ..

Of course, it’s a matter of opinion. That’s what makes being a fan fun. However, let’s see Kobe play point guard and center and win the NBA Finals.

Kobe is a good player, but he’s probably not even the best in the NBA right now.

People have short memories, with the discount rate so steep that history doesn’t matter. Van Gundy’s opinion sounds like the Twitter of the moment.

by jayfisher on May 22, 2009 11:45 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

i liked it.
A more Worthy candidate…

You and I will share all that we know--so close your eyes and just let yourself go.

by prezofdeath on May 24, 2009 10:53 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I also approve of your screen name ;p

You and I will share all that we know--so close your eyes and just let yourself go.

by prezofdeath on May 24, 2009 10:53 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

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