Go to nordvpn.com/jonnyarnett to get 70% off a 2-year plan plus 1 additional month free, only $3.56 per month. It’s risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! So Thanos just gave you the Reality Stone because he considers you a friend…. What about NBA History are you changing??
@@T.H.E.O.R.Y. same here, always blows my mind how people looked at these stats and thought it was all ok that we didn’t add them. Honestly having a record for everything would be very nice. Idk what we need though but a few ideas are successful screens, secondary assist. Aren’t really important ideas but would be fun too look into
Lakers don't steal the 88 finals from pistons. Isaiah gets a 3 peat. Lakers don't steal the 2002 WC finals from the king's The gasol trade for chump change and a pick, with the Lakers basically being in both sides of the counter influenced by Jerry west never happens. Pop does not bench Duncan so he can grab a crucial rebound on game 6 of the 2013 finals Leonard is never injured by pachulia Reggie Lewis and Len bias don't die.
For me if I could change 1 thing I would make it so more of wilts game’s were televised. Watching a man drop a 100 or block 15+ shots would have been a whole different viewing experience
That was more of an issue with technology and accessibility than anything, but yeah I agree it's a tragedy that no footage if Wilt's 100 point game exists.
I’m sure you know about the 1984 nba draft and how the Rockets almost drafted Hakeem and Jordan while trading Sampson for Drexler but I think that deserves a video on its own. Jordan Hakeem Drexler from 1985-1998 is Atleast 10 rings in a row
Yeah, I've spoke on it in several videos, but I've never given it a full video, which I probably should. SOOOO many hypotheticals in a video like that, but still could be quite entertaining and fun to discuss.
These are my 4 1. My kings not getting cheated in 2002 2. Tim Duncan going to Orlando 3.Jordan doesn't retire in the 90s 4.Hand checking not being outlawed
@Cameron No I'm not a fan of Doc rivers, but that Orlando team would be amazing.. Tmac needed a Duncan.. If Yao was close to Timmy defensively, I see the Rockets in the finals
@Grammys World I think it would have been better for Mac, worse for Duncan. Personally, him and Dwight would have been the best thing for Mac. As good as those magic teams were, Mac would have made them better, sooner.
I would give Kobe help from 05 to 07, I would make drose healthy his whole career, I would fix Larry bird's back, and make Kobe vs bron in the finals happen
Great choices. It's insane how good Bird was even through several years of chronic back problems. Can only imagine what those years look like if he's completely healthy. Concerning Kobe in 05-07... how many of the greatest players in NBA History can say that they had NO LEGIT HELP during their best season?? Kobe is on a short list. I'll never forgot the day we got Pau!
@@jonnyarnett facts if Larry is healthy then i don't see the pistons dynasty happening. And Larry probably has more rings and finals mvps. And I have no doubt that Kobe with allstar help in those years wins a ring or two
@@colewrld901 you would be removing one of my favorite playoff runs ever and to this day my favorite players first ring. You would also being greatly changing the legacy of the spurs, a team that ive always hated but glad they were there. Not everything has to be changed, im glad some players dont have a broken team every year, you get to see others flourish and you get to see kobe drag his lakers to wins
@@colewrld901 makes me laugh when people try to discredit Jordan by bringing up how the pistons were old but its hypocrite for leaving out how the pistons were winning when boston was with injuries with bird. Not tryna discredit them but bringing out hypocrisy
My list, before I watch, probably a lot more obscure than yours; >Celtics re-sign Isaiah Thomas >Michael Beasley doesn't have to come off the bench for Dwayne Wade >Amar'e doesn't run up on Horry >(this one might not count) the Yugoslavian National Team continues to exist for the 1992 Olympics, giving The Dream Team the competition they deserve to have
1. 2002 officiating with Lakers/Kings 2. Tim Duncan benching in 2013 NBA finals 3. Ewing missing the finger roll (circa 1995) Great work nonetheless, Jonny
#2. . .gross. I forgot about Popovich over-coaching and blowing that championship because of it. Though it wasn't the only problem there. Duncan missed a layup instead of just dunking it which would've sealed the game and been memorable. Leonard missed multiple free throws, any of which would've sealed the game, and Ginobili played horribly all game (I think he had 8 turnovers, didn't even score 10 points, and had a -21 +/-). Duncan winning 6 would've been pretty interesting for the all-time list discussion.
@@snakeplissken7671 thats true. i kept thinking "why isnt duncan in the game?" towards the end of game 6. but also down the stretch, spurs were missing big free throws and shots that shouldve been easy points. looking back, im kinda glad it all happened, as ray allen's shot is just so unreal. yet it's still an interesting what if scenario to wonder.
@@UghRegret LeBron didn’t have 2 future MVPs beside him at Cleveland, he was surrounded by hot garbage. He didn’t join a team he blew a 3-1 lead against in the play-offs. And he didn’t join the most winningest team of all time. Not even close.
@@s.a.6377 i remember Bron fans saying Cavs in 5 Cavs in 6 before they faced the KD warriors. They got smacked then All the media Lebron James Jock strap sniffers. And his blind witnesses moved the goal post. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@messagekeenenivorywayansvo3011 wait, are you telling me that cava fan hoped that the cava would win!! Thats crazy, how dare they have fake faith in there teams abilities. All other fans of the sport knew what was gonna happen
1. More footage from old games, Wilt, Oscar, Pistol Pete would be crazy to see in actual good footage. 2. Chris Paul doesnt get injured against the Warriors 3. SAC Lakers series not rigged 4. Bird doesn't have to end his career because of back injuries
With all the feelings being poured out about how Scottie feels about Jordan years later, do you think Scottie would have wanted to play with MJ in Portland? It was be amazing to see but I find it hard to see a happy Scottie wanting to go back to how it used to be.
Great point. Just another reason why LA might have been the more viable option if it wasn't for Washington. I think MJ would have like the idea of competing again with Scottie.... but yeah, Pip probably wouldn't have shared those feelings. Who knows though? I think the years of being in Jordan's shadow, has probably caused Pippen to say some things out of bitterness that he probably didn't feel when he was younger.
@@jonnyarnett I agree, those lingering problems he had probably built up in his mental with years of people debating if he is a top 50 player or just someone MJ carried 🤣 MJ on the Lakers would’ve been too ideal! Side note: As a basketball fan, I hope your Lakers can figure it out brother. But as a Phoenix fan, it’s beautiful to watch after all those times y’all killed our dreams.
Lol. I completely understand your dislike of us, so you're good 🤣. I'll never forget the 06 Playoffs though. If we could have just got that stupid rebound in Game 6, Thomas doesn't hit that 3, and we win the series. UGH. The fact that Kobe's greatest Playoff game was a loss to you guys, still bothers me. lol. Concerning this year's Lakers, I'm honestly not too emotionally invested. I vividly remember our old Super Teams not working out in 04 and 13, so when this team assembled, I knew what to be wary of, and not to get my hopes up.
@@jonnyarnett Didn't Jordan's desire to be an owner drive his 2nd comeback more than some itch to play. I've heard in the past that that was his biggest reason for coming back, and if he never had ownership aspirations those 2 years on the Wizards would've never happened.
I would change Bird and Magics early retirements, Kobe and Lebron finals, 2013 Lakers without injuries and chemistry issue and a Rockets vs Bulls 1995 finals
Jonny, I do understand your point about Jordan joining the Wizards, but if it's one thing I would change is that meniscus injury never happening. It would have been interesting to see how deep in the playoffs the Wizards would have gone. Oh yeah I'd also prevent that Rip Hamilton/Jerry Stackhouse trade from happening too.
Plus with that injury never happening, Jordan probably would've played at least 1 more season with the Wizards, meaning that on November 19th 2003, we would've seen Jordan take on a rookie LeBron James.
I'm completely with you on the Malice at the Palace. That fight more or less single-handedly destroyed competitive, hard-nosed, defensive-minded basketball. Not just in the changes in officiating, but also rules changes which turned the league into the flopping, three-chucking snore-fest we have today.
@@catherinelynnfraser2001 So are you suggesting that if Dirk Nowitzki and started pummeling a fan after getting a drink thrown at him, the league would have handled it differently?
@@AaronMichaelLong unfortunately, yes. It sucks that that's the world we live in, and we're getting better as a society. But yes, I do believe it would have been handled differently
I'm curious to see how Scottie in Seattle would've played out. I personally would've fixed Penny's knee. Imagine a Penny-Kobe rivalry. I would also make sure Doc Rivers doesn't say anything stupid to Tim Duncan.
If Penny knee isn’t injury doesn’t happen he probably doesn’t get traded to Phoenix which gave Orlando the cap space to sign Duncan, Hill, and T-Mac. But if they traded him still to Phoenix that Penny -Kobe Matchups would of been legendary. Like Penny vs MJ
Seattle took Scottie because Chicago told them to as part of the trade. If that trade never happened, Seattle would've probably taken someone else entirely. Scottie may not have even been drafted at all, either. He came from a small NAIA school, not an NCAA school. There might not have been many NBA scouts looking at him. My opinion is that if Krause never made that trade and Scottie went to Chicago, we probably wouldn't even know who Scottie Pippen is today.
I would give the players in the 50s and 60s a 3pt line, since we know that there where a lot of good sharpshooters in that era of basketball. I would record the stats of those players. I would sub out Rose out of that game ws 76ers, because I think that D Rose would have changed the way that we know todays basketball.
College careers: Jordan [3 years] = 17.7 ppg (.540 fg%), 5.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.7 bpg, 30.8 mp Bias [4 years] = 16.4 ppg (.536 fg%), 5.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.7 bpg, 32.8 mp North Carolina Tar Heels vs Maryland Terrapins on January 12, 1984: Bias = 24 pts, 4 rebs Jordan = 21 pts, 12 rebs (7 off), 2 blks, at least 4 stls Highlights of the game was uploaded by starks23 (stats provided in the description), which ended with Jordan's iconic cradle dunk at the buzzer. Both men played each other four times overall. The first two in '83, Bias wasn't a starter yet. The last one was on February 19th the next year where Jordan scored 25 and Bias had 18. Then again, there've been players who were great in college but not in the pros. Check out these senior year stats: Bias = 23.2 ppg (.544 fg%), 7.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.8, spg, 0.4 bpg, 37.0 mp Laettner = 21.5 ppg (.575 fg%), 7.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.1 spg, 0.9 bpg, 32.2 mp Hence, we can't really be sure if Len would've actually been an NBA superstar.
My four biggest things: All stats were recorded since the game's inception All current awards were present since the game's inception Criteria for each award were established and concrete since the game's inception "Ideal" rules were established (and never changed) since the game's inception I know these aren't really in the spirit of the video, but I just like objectiveness.
That would be really interesting to see. Of course, we could never see a league be officiated/recorded in the exact same way way over the spah of 75 years, but it would be interesting to see how awards and stats would look if everyone always had the same metrics to go by.
@@navonmyhand7999 Yeah, I think it would really put everyone on as even of a "playing field" as possible."'GOAT' conversations" would be as close to objective as possible. Of course, you'd still have your Wilt and Kobe Stans though.
I would have changed Jordan retiring after his 3rd ring. Of course this is assuming that the Bulls go to the 94 and 95 Finals and matchup with the Rockets. Hakeem and MJ are two of my favorite players of all time and I would have loved to see them compete in the Finals. Either the legend of Jordan would have grown with 7-8 rings in total or Hakeem would be getting more respect for actually ruining Jordan's opportunity to win 8 straight. Box office either way.
I understand MJ’s decision to not play for a while due to the passing of his father, but if I could control history then I would make him come back late into the 94’ season just in time for the last 30 games of the season.
Oh, I would change officials in game 6, playoff series between Lakers and Kings. Starting with con man Bavetta. Those Kings deserve the crown that year. Also, I would fix Grant Hill's injury. He was Lebron before Lebron. In a serious way, I would give White Mamba his deserved MVP finals in 2008
This was mine along with Malice at the Palace. Kings were the better team and they got cheated, who knows how the Lakers would come back after a loss that year and what else would change but the franchise should have a ring, along with Chris Webber.
My one: The Bad Boy Pistons don't get that phantom foul call in the '88 Finals. Not only did it possibly cost the Pistons the Championship, but (if the rest of history played out the same) the Pistons would have been the first team to three-peat since the 60s, not Jordan's Bulls. And the 80s would be remembered as being the era of Magic, Bird, and Isaiah; not just Magic & Bird.
I would have made some kind of a rule where the home team had to record the game. Imagine having every single will Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, etc. game on film
Two easy ones for me: 1. Early 90s, Hakeem Olajuwon was disgruntled in Houston and wanted a trade. The Rockets and the Sonics worked out a deal where Olajuwon would have been sent to Seattle for Benoit Benjamin and other players. The best part? Seattle wouldn't have had to give up a young Gary Payton or Shawn Kemp to do it. Seattle backed out because they didn't want to include Derrick McKey. Come on Sonics....just awful. 2. I would block the Sonics from moving to OKC. Seattle fans would have gotten to watch Durant instead of having him stolen from us, and Seattle wouldn't have pinched pennies when the time came and would have kept Durant, Westbrook, and Harden together.
My 4: 1. Earlier stats (records of steals, blocks, etc) 2. 3 point line way earlier 3. Jordan not taking hiatus to play baseball 4. Maurice Stokes not getting paralyzed Another would be to have implemented modern goaltending rules earlier
I would change the victors of the 2014-15 and 2015-16. Basically, Cavaliers would win in Lebron's first season back in 14-15, bringing Cleveland its first championship in decades, while GSW would win the 2015-16 finals, completing the dream season, getting curry a FMVP and a 3-peat. I know KD said he went to GSW because they lost, but if all else remain the same. I would change this. Both players still improve their legacy while Curry could be vaulted into top 10 all time discussion.
The 1988 NBA Finals Game 6 Phantom Call against Bill Laimbeer on Kareem Abdul Jabbar after Isiah Thomas set the NBA Finals record with 25 points in one quarter and had 45 points in that game. Detroit Pistons would've 3-peated from 88,89&90.
Jonny you’ve dropped another banger! Would love to be on your podcast if you allow guests without a platform. Would be amazing to talk basketball with you.
Hey Micheal! That means a lot, and I would down to talk Basketball. The only thing is that the Apex Greatness Podcast isn't actually my podcast, I just occasionally guest appear on it, and they let me use clips on my channel. Have you ever used Discord? If you join my server, thats a good way to talk Basketball, because I try to get on there pretty often. There's a link to it in the video's description if you wanna join, and maybe we can hop in a room together sometime in chat. I'm actually thinking about promoting group chats soon, so it should be fun if we can make it work
I can't believe you didn't mention Sabonis going to the Blazers in '86, or even the Hawks in '85. He wouldn't have gotten overplayed, could have gotten the proper care for his knees and Achilles, and completely changed the landscape of the NBA
The Malice at the Palace was one of the most memorable moments of my childhood, it was so surreal, I thought I dreamed it for a while, but I could have never have known the lasting ramifications it would have on the NBA.
Things I would change: NBA players were always allowed to play in the Olympics Oscar Schmidt decides to play for the Nets Arvydas Sabonis is allowed to go to us to play for Blazers The ABA teams were an expansion in 1967 instead of being a whole new league Jordan never retires (both times) and MJ and Jerry's relation is healthy The Cavs don't let Boozer go The NBA writes down all the stats and gives the awards that they do now, since the inaugural season. The Malice at the Palace never happens AND probably the most important, Andrew Bogut never goes for that dunk and instead does a layup.
Jonny I like your MJ change team but I might added the Mavs to that deal cause Owner almost made a deal with MJ to be Manager there but MJ already sign the deal with the wizards.
1. See the Kings get a fair shot at the 2002 Western Conference Finals 2. Scottie Pippen woulda seen the Red Flags 🚩 with Larsa 3. Jermaine O'Neal didn't slip on the beer 🍻 4. Brandon Roy...
#1, bird doesn’t have any chronic injuries (in regards to his back, elbow, hands, fingers, all of it) and magic doesn’t get hiv #2 record blocks and steals from the beginning #3 D-Rose doesn’t get hurt #4 the lakers win atleast one in the 60s. (And most importantly Kobe never dies and gets to become a coach)
Frank Selvy hits the game-winning baseline shot, and the Lakers beat Boston in the 1962 Finals. Also, another thing I would change is seeing a healthy Billy Cunningham for Philly in 1968. They beat Boston and the Lakers, Wilt isn't traded, and maybe Russell retires a year early.
Top 4 things I would change in NBA history: 1. Jordan only retires once instead of 3 times which would of led to at least 1 (maybe 2) finals matchup between Hakeem's Rockets and Jordan's Bulls. Jordan playing after 98 would of been interesting had Jordan/Pippen/Rodman/Phil stayed together and see how long their dynasty would of lasted. 2. 98-99 season doesn't have a lockout which would of led to an entire 82 game season. Would of been a way better season obviously and the Spurs (who imo still would of made the finals) would of had a better finals matchup than the Knicks. 3. David Stern doesn't suspend Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire for game 5 of the west semis against the Spurs. Could of easily led to the Suns winning in 7 games. They were a better team than the Jazz and Cavaliers so they could of easily won it all in 07. 4. We don't have a pandemic which leads to the 2020 season playing all the way through June. The playoffs and seeding matchups would of been completely different.
Legends like Stockton/Malone duo, Steve nash, Ewing, Sir Charles and other greats have at least one championship in their names. Also, record advanced statistics in the earliest days and be televised. Finally, Shaq and Kobe never split, who knows how much they would've won.
1. Kobe-Lebron finals matchup 2. MJ-Hakeem finals matchup 3. Derrick Rose with no injuries 4. Lakers-Celtics finals in 86 where the Lakers battle it out against the Celtics at their absolute peak
The team I always wanted Jordan to join after the Bulls were the '98-99 Knicks. Imagine a reality where there had been no lockout, where Jordan INSTEAD of Sprewell had joined Ewing, Allan Houston and the rest of the Knicks. He could've slid over to small forward and they could've started Ward, Houston, Jordan, Oakley, and Ewing with LJ and Camby coming off the bench. That would've been absolute magic in MSG.
When Boston acquired KG, I knew immediately that they were winning the title, and thats mostly due to his impact. Didn't surprise me in the slightest that he won DPOY and a championship on his very first year with a great team. Have KG and Tim Duncan swap places that they played, and we'll view that comparison completely differently
For Me 1) What if pistons win 04/05 Final 2) What if Miami Heat set 3 peat 3) What if KG Join Lakers 4) What if Ben Wallace Stay In Pistons throughout his career
Wasnt sure if you would mention the Seattle Sonics moving to Oklahoma...since it is indeed a tragedy. As a blazer fan that used to live in seattle, i miss that I-5 rivalry
If I could change NBA history: 1. Karl Malone & John Stockton's Utah Jazz wins the 1994 & 1995 NBA championships (or at least 1994). Alt. The Shaq-Kobe-Malone LA Lakers wins the 2004 NBA championship. EIther way, the 2x MVP "The Mailman" Malone shall have at least 1 ring. 2. The Bulls remained intact for the 1998-1999 season and won a 4th straight 7th overall) championship. 3. Michael Jordan never played for the Wsh Wizards and instead became in office with the Chicago Bulls as new GM in 2001 -. 4. Shaquille O'neal stayed more basketball career focused and kept himself in better play-condition. 5. Magic Johnson not been forced into retirement and been allowed to continue play on in LA Lakers. 6. The Seattle SuperSonics never left Seattle and remained in NBA. And never changed away there 1995/96 - 2000/01 logo and jerseys. 7. Having several NBA teams to never make these logo's and jersey changes since I LOVED those logos and jerseys: - the Orlando Magic never change there original logo and uniforms , - the Philadelphia 76:ers never changed away there 1997-2008 logo and uniforms, - the Detroit Pistons never changed away there 2001/02 - 2004/05 logo and jerseys, - the Washington Wizards never changed away there 1997/98 - 2006/07 logo and jerseys, - the Utah Jazz never changed away there 1996/97 - 2003/04 logo and jerseys. - the Cleveland Cavaliers never changed away there 2003/04 - 2009/10 logo and jerseys, - the Houston Rockets never changed away there 1995/96 - 2002/03 logo and jerseys, - the Atlanta Hawks never changed away there 1995/96 - 2006/07 logo and jerseys. - the Milwaukee Bucks never changed away there 1993/94 - 2005/06 logo and jerseys, - the Sacramento Kings never changed away there 1994/95 - 2015/16 logo and jerseys, - the San Antonio Spurs never changed away there 2002/03 - 2016/17 logo and jerseys - the Phoenix Suns never changed away there 1992/93 - 1999/00 logo and jerseys, - the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies never changed away there 1995/96 - 1999/00 logo and jerseys'
You're not the only one. I've been a big Celtics fan since around 1970 or so, and you probably know how we feel about the Lakers (although I only hate the team, not the individual players).
Video suggestion: Debunking the most bogus media narratives in NBA history Most rigged moments in NBA history Most controversial off court moments in NBA history
I wish old jordan played for the Mavs. I’m completely sure of the validity of what Mark Cuban said about begging mj to play for them, but him with nash and Dirk would have been a unit
I would make every game (including 60s) televised and in color with full stats (and awards) I would make Wilt (and other territorial picks) started playing when they were actually drafted I would make every player from any era modern equipments and rules. I would love to see Maurice Stokes in his prime.
1. Shawn Kemp never leaves the Sonics 2. The Sonics are never moved and rebranded to OKC 3. The 98 bulls are never broken up and they get to run it back 4. Derrick Rose, Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway never get hurt 5. Shaq and Kobe never split up
1. Jordan plays straight through his career. 1984-2002. Don't care where he does it but even though he was underrated when he came back he was clearly a shell of his former self. I think he would have been a lot better if he played those 3 years in between. It's a lot harder to shake the rust off when you're 38 instead of 32. We would have gotten to see two finals of Jordan vs Hakeem, and we would have gotten to see the torch being passed toward the end of Michael's career rather than what just kind of felt like a void after he retired at the top in 98. At the time I think it would have been cool to see him go play with Scottie on the Blazers but knowing what we know now about how envious and ungrateful Scottie was, I'm glad it never happened. 2. Record sheets wiped clean after NBA/ABA merger. Too many records are held by these guys who played in an 8 team era. Two guys dominated the whole NBA, and they never could have set those records in any other era. I also think that it's wrong that everything from the ABA doesn't count but everything from the NBA does. Guys like Dr J really got a raw deal from that one. 3. The rule changes to promote offense over defense. Some people like seeing the more free flowing offense. Myself, I was always more of a fan of tough, grittier games. These rules created some situations that were an absolute embarrassment for the league , such as all the flopping, having to guard James Harden woth your arms behind your back on lurking behind him over his shoulder, etc. 4. Steph Curry never plays in the NBA I hate the way the NBA has become a 3 point shootout. It used to feel special when someone hit the occasional 3. Now some teams just pass the ball around the perimeter until they get a good look. Boring. I have a deep respect for Steph's talent, but he definitely impacted the game for me in a negative way as a viewer. Ironically, Steph himself is a whole lot of fun to watch. The rest of the 3 point shooters though, not so much.
There are so many what-ifs of different eras that I wished happen. Here’s my Top 3 list for the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s: NBA 1990’s 1. Arvydas Sabonis plays for Portland earlier 2. Magic and Bird play longer without injuries and disease 3. Karl Malone goes to prison NBA 2000s 1. 2002 Sacramento vs Lakers Game 7 plays out naturally, instead of being rigged 2. Kobe gets more help in the mid 2000s, resulting in back to back MVPs 3. The East gets stronger by having TMac or Vince on the Pistons, and KG in Boston earlier NBA 2010s 1. Rivalries between the 2003 draft class (Melo in NY, Wade in Miami, and LeBron stays in Cleveland) 2. Greg Oden and Brandon Roy don’t suffer career ending injuries 3. Stephen Curry wins FMVP instead of Andre Iguodala
As somebody who thinks about basketball and the NBA for a considerable amount of time everyday, I would like to say this is one of the best videos about the NBA in all of UA-cam. Also it's pretty cool that Jonny admits to his biases. I don't remember rooting for the Lakers much before 2022, I'm just badwagoning with the Lakers this year, followed Swishbrook here. Yes I was rooting for the Wizards last year if you're curious. Hope this comment ages well 😆😆
I’d change the rule that if an offensive player jumps into the defender while attempting a shot I’d make that offensive foul instead of a regular foul. That rule ruined the 4th quarter of many games.
That's not the rule. The refs just keep calling it incorrectly. It absolutely drive me nuts, too. If the defender is standing straight with his hands straight up in the air, the law of verticality dictates that he should not be called for a foul.
Excellent video bro, do you think the Cavs had a strong enough bench to even compete with LA? Jordan would have played with a contender for sure. LA top spot. Pacers would have won it all. Maybe lol. AGREE Paul should have been a Laker.
Hey bro! It’s honestly tough to say with Cleveland. That team was a little bit better than people typically remember. Ilgauskas was an All-Star worthy big, and a veteran Ben Wallace was impactful defensively off the bench. They would have gave Pau some issues down low. Mo Williams was pretty solid, Boobie Gibson was a decent scoring spark, and even Wally Sczerberiak was a decent piece off the bench. I do think we would have won the series, but it definitely wouldn’t have been easy. We didn’t have an answer for LeBron during that season. Artest would have been better to handle him in 2010, but Ariza was too small for him in 2009. Cleveland beat us as often as we beat them during that era, and they actually had a 66-16 record compared to our 65-17 record, so they would have had homecourt advantage as well. I think we win in 6, possibly 7.
The 4 things I would change in NBA history: 1) Wilt Chamberlin's 100 point game televised 2) Blocks and Steals statistics documented at the inception of the league 3) The 3 point line existing in 1960 4) Playoff series format dating back to ABA/NBA merger 7 game series 2-3-2 5 game series 2-2-1
1. Shaq works hard after winning first championship and doesn't beef with Kobe, so we can witness the greatest dynasty in history 2. MJ not having 2 year break between 3-peats 3. AI hitting gym more often than hitting clubs 4. Healthy DRose
Instead of the Hawks trading Dominique to the Clippers in 94, I wish he could've gone to the Knicks to help Ewing finally get a ring. I also wish Magic never contracted HIV and wasn't forced to retire early in 91 and it would've been awesome to see Barkley traded to my Lakers in 92 instead of the Suns.
Dražen Petrović doesn't die in a car accident, European players such as Spanulis, Djordjević, Paspalj, Boban Marjanović get a chance to show their skills in the NBA instead of getting only a couple of minutes a game (and with the exception of Boban they get their hands tied, confidence crashed, not allowed to play to their strengths etc.)
1. Len Bias and Reggie Lewis living 2. blocks and steals being first tracked the same season as rebounds and assists were 3. MJ never retiring 4. Kobe vs LBJ in Finals 5. Bird and Magic not ending their careers early
Even a old MJ to be on the same team as young Kobe n prime Shaq would be the most frightening thing any opposing team could even dream of. Imagine they still 3 peat but w Jordan, that would make it his third 3 peat n 9-0 in the finals securing his spot as best playoff performer ever w no one even comin close. Not to mention Kobe would go even harder against MJ in a daily basis n they would force Shaq to stay in shape so he’d easily be the best play in the league til atleast 05 not longer.
I would have loved to see Memphis get the top pick in 2003. The Grizzlies owed the Pistons a 1st round pick from #2 to #18 as a result of the Pistons sending Otis Thorpe to the then Vancouver Grizzlies in 1997. From 1998 to 2002, the Grizzlies drafted #2 overall 3 times and had a #4 and #6 but since the Grizzlies had the option to not convey it, they never did. 2003 was the last year it was supposed to convey. Memphis was one of 2 teams left with a chance at the top pick. If Memphis wins the lottery, they get to keep the pick. If not, the pick goes to Detroit. Unfortunately for Memphis, Cleveland won the lottery and the pick conveyed to the Pistons. Now we all know what happened. Cleveland drafted Bron and Detroit drafted Darko. But... what if? What if Memphis won the lottery and got to keep the pick? They would have definitely drafted Bron but, how would the rest of the draft have gone? Who would Cleveland have drafted with the 2nd pick overall? Would Darko still have been drafted 2nd and, if not, how far would he have fallen? And how would history have been affected if this all went down? Detroit never really got to use Milicic and only gave him garbage time minutes, thus earning him the monicker "the human victory cigar." They went on to win the 2004 championship but, what if Milicic got the opportunity to get more playing time with another team during these crucial development years. How would his career have turned out? And how would the careers of Melo, Bosh and Wade have turned out if they had been drafted elsewhere.
1. MJ doesn’t “retire”, ends up with a 6-2 record in the Finals and my Rockets gets the respect they deserve. Jordan himself said the Bulls would have no answer for Olajuwon and he the best player in the league during both the 93-94 and 94-95 seasons. 2. Penny Hardaway, Derrick Rose and Grant Hill all stay healthy and ends up making the 75 greatest players list. 3. The Sonics never move to OKC. Howard Shultz doesn’t sell the team to Clay Bennett but instead sells it Steve Ballmer, the teams stays and a new arena is built. Maybe Durant stays as a result. 4. The NBA adopts the baseball rule for the draft in 2006. In MLB high school players can be drafted but if the decide to go to college they must wait for 3 before they’re eligible for the draft again. I’d do something similar in the NBA with the only difference being 2 years instead of 3. The high school players with talent to make the jump would be allowed to do so and the college game would still benefit from the ones that need time to develop.
If Jordan hadn't retired in 98 he'd be playing for NY Knicks, the knicks were dying for him to play on their team, imagine him playing alongside Ewing, Sprewell, Camby etc. till 03, not only that, they'll probably meet the Shaq Kobe in the finals too
1. If the JJ hickson - Amare Trade happened and didn't blocked by the cavs org. LeBron would've stayed since he would've had a legit front court combo with big Z and varejao and amare was almost a superstar level at that point in time. We might have seen a Kobe vs LeBron finals in 2010. Also possibly, D wade would've signed with the cavs the following off season and join force with Bron and Amare in cleveland. 2. If KD stayed with the thunder. We might be able to see an awesome 3-way rivarly between OKC, GSW, and Cavs 3. If Klay didn't got injured back in game 6 of the 2019 finals. It would be interesting to see if they can bounce back from a 3-1 deficit and made history of the only team to have been on the losing and winning end of a super rare 3-1 finals comeback. Also Steph would've gotten his long desired FMVP and they could've been one of the teams to make a rare 3 peat which was done almost 2 decades ago from that point in time.
I wish John Stockton didn't miss the shot on game 6 of 98 finals. - Stockton and Malone would probably have a ring that they so much deserve. - If Chicago loses that 98 final then Jordan would be super mad and I don't see him retiring, he would probably join a good team like Blazers, Lakers, etcétera, more years with Jordan would have been amazing.
Bruh the clip of Ron artest jus smacking that fan in the face got me rolling 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I’d never seen that part of the clip shits hilarious dude jus looked at the fan and punched him right in the face 🤣🤣🤣🤣
some left out; -Arvydas sabonis comes into league earlier -KD stays with OKC - creating a 3 star team balance of Curry + Klay, Lebron + Kyrie and KD + Westbrook -Chris Paul stays with Clippers and Blake Griffin never gets injured -Derrick Rose never gets injured
An underrated what-if that always intrigued me: A playoff series pitting LeBron vs. Dwyane Wade. It nearly happened in 2006, 2009 and 2016, but all 3 times, one of them lost a game 7, one win short of facing the other in the next round. Miami-Cleveland ECF in 2016 would have been especially interesting. P.S. There should definitely be a rule preventing KD to GSW. Only way it's acceptable is if Warriors somehow lose '15 and '16, maybe give Bron a half-strength Kyrie for the '15 finals and keep '16 the same
I worked at ESPN radio and Jordan came in and asked if anyone had played a certain golf course because he was going to play it and wanted someone who knew the course and could help him with how the course played because he had never played it and wanted a leg up. The management sent me to Jordan because I had played the course m I re than anyone else. I was Jordan's caddy and did as he asked. He played for insane money and won. He thanked me and gave me a huge tip. He was so cool to me and I enjoyed every moment and didn't fan boy out but he gave me a gift to thank me for my job and said if he comes back he wants me to caddy again. He didn't come back but I was over the moon Michael Jordan the GOAT thanked me. He told the people in the club house I was his good friend and I never had to pay green fees again. So awesome!
I think sometimes the Rockets run in the two years between the Bulls 3-peats is a bit overrated. I honestly don't think Houston would've even made the finals those two years if Jordan had not retired. Am I saying the Bulls would've won 8 instead? Not exactly. However it's my opinion that Jordan not playing created a vacuum at the top which caused many teams to play differently because NOW they felt they had a legitimate chance to win. I think that possibility is what made teams like the Rockets try harder to win. Psychologically the league was in a much different place without Jordan, it was opened up, anyone had a shot. Once he came back and reestablished himself and the Bulls as champions, the way the other contenders played was greatly changed.
Go to nordvpn.com/jonnyarnett to get 70% off a 2-year plan plus 1 additional month free, only $3.56 per month. It’s risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee!
So Thanos just gave you the Reality Stone because he considers you a friend…. What about NBA History are you changing??
THE KNICKS WINNING IN 1993/1994 AND 1998/1999..
Lakers beat the Magic in 6 not 5 btw
Part 2!
Number 1; record blocks and steals way earlier
Record everything that seems like it's a stat. Don't know why or how it wasn't from the start.
@@T.H.E.O.R.Y. same here, always blows my mind how people looked at these stats and thought it was all ok that we didn’t add them. Honestly having a record for everything would be very nice. Idk what we need though but a few ideas are successful screens, secondary assist. Aren’t really important ideas but would be fun too look into
If they recorded blocks and steals bill russell and wilt would seem like monsters
Agreed!!
This
My top 4-
1. MJ & Olajuwon finals; 97 or 93
2. Kobe & LeBron finals
3. CP3 trade doesnt get vetoed
4. Magic doesnt get H.I.V, Bird doesnt hurt his back.
Your #4 rewrites the record books in so many ways.
Almost perfect list
If magic can play 20 seasons he shatters John Stockton “unbreakable” record
This one better. Ofc drose never got injured is a given
Lakers don't steal the 88 finals from pistons. Isaiah gets a 3 peat.
Lakers don't steal the 2002 WC finals from the king's
The gasol trade for chump change and a pick, with the Lakers basically being in both sides of the counter influenced by Jerry west never happens.
Pop does not bench Duncan so he can grab a crucial rebound on game 6 of the 2013 finals
Leonard is never injured by pachulia
Reggie Lewis and Len bias don't die.
For me if I could change 1 thing I would make it so more of wilts game’s were televised. Watching a man drop a 100 or block 15+ shots would have been a whole different viewing experience
That was more of an issue with technology and accessibility than anything, but yeah I agree it's a tragedy that no footage if Wilt's 100 point game exists.
Track all modern stats from inception of the league. Then we’d know how many blocks Wilt and Russell had.
100% agree.
Fax
I got to see Lakers era Wilt in real time when it was actually happening. It was amazing.
Also would've loved to have seen prime Sabonis in the league
We haven’t even seen prime Domantas Sabonis 😭
@@UnemploymentScrub23 arvydas (I think that's how you spell it) sabonis. Its his dad
@@UnemploymentScrub23 lolllll his pops was the meta
That's a good one
You do now
I’m sure you know about the 1984 nba draft and how the Rockets almost drafted Hakeem and Jordan while trading Sampson for Drexler but I think that deserves a video on its own. Jordan Hakeem Drexler from 1985-1998 is Atleast 10 rings in a row
Yeah, I've spoke on it in several videos, but I've never given it a full video, which I probably should. SOOOO many hypotheticals in a video like that, but still could be quite entertaining and fun to discuss.
MJ Drexler Hakeem Rockets would be right up there with Russel Celtics
@@jonnyarnett you should most definitely make a video about this just for the fun of it
I would say more than 10
Larry Bird would have a lot to say about that considering the Celts owned Houston and Jordan never beat Boston in the playoffs.
These are my 4
1. My kings not getting cheated in 2002
2. Tim Duncan going to Orlando
3.Jordan doesn't retire in the 90s
4.Hand checking not being outlawed
Why Tim to ORL? Tim had an amazing career. If for Mac, he could have just stayed in Orl and won with Dwight.
@Cameron No I'm not a fan of Doc rivers, but that Orlando team would be amazing.. Tmac needed a Duncan.. If Yao was close to Timmy defensively, I see the Rockets in the finals
@Grammys World I think it would have been better for Mac, worse for Duncan. Personally, him and Dwight would have been the best thing for Mac. As good as those magic teams were, Mac would have made them better, sooner.
LeBron last minute DUNK in game 7 in 2016 finals
I would give Kobe help from 05 to 07, I would make drose healthy his whole career, I would fix Larry bird's back, and make Kobe vs bron in the finals happen
Great choices. It's insane how good Bird was even through several years of chronic back problems. Can only imagine what those years look like if he's completely healthy.
Concerning Kobe in 05-07... how many of the greatest players in NBA History can say that they had NO LEGIT HELP during their best season?? Kobe is on a short list. I'll never forgot the day we got Pau!
@@jonnyarnett facts if Larry is healthy then i don't see the pistons dynasty happening. And Larry probably has more rings and finals mvps. And I have no doubt that Kobe with allstar help in those years wins a ring or two
Kobe doesn't wear having to play all those minutes Never tears his Achilles Try to stay in the league as long as Tom Brady Still alive today
@@colewrld901 you would be removing one of my favorite playoff runs ever and to this day my favorite players first ring. You would also being greatly changing the legacy of the spurs, a team that ive always hated but glad they were there. Not everything has to be changed, im glad some players dont have a broken team every year, you get to see others flourish and you get to see kobe drag his lakers to wins
@@colewrld901 makes me laugh when people try to discredit Jordan by bringing up how the pistons were old but its hypocrite for leaving out how the pistons were winning when boston was with injuries with bird. Not tryna discredit them but bringing out hypocrisy
My list, before I watch, probably a lot more obscure than yours;
>Celtics re-sign Isaiah Thomas
>Michael Beasley doesn't have to come off the bench for Dwayne Wade
>Amar'e doesn't run up on Horry
>(this one might not count) the Yugoslavian National Team continues to exist for the 1992 Olympics, giving The Dream Team the competition they deserve to have
Hey, you indirectly agreed with one [:
1. 2002 officiating with Lakers/Kings
2. Tim Duncan benching in 2013 NBA finals
3. Ewing missing the finger roll (circa 1995)
Great work nonetheless, Jonny
#2. . .gross. I forgot about Popovich over-coaching and blowing that championship because of it. Though it wasn't the only problem there. Duncan missed a layup instead of just dunking it which would've sealed the game and been memorable. Leonard missed multiple free throws, any of which would've sealed the game, and Ginobili played horribly all game (I think he had 8 turnovers, didn't even score 10 points, and had a -21 +/-). Duncan winning 6 would've been pretty interesting for the all-time list discussion.
@@snakeplissken7671 thats true. i kept thinking "why isnt duncan in the game?" towards the end of game 6. but also down the stretch, spurs were missing big free throws and shots that shouldve been easy points. looking back, im kinda glad it all happened, as ray allen's shot is just so unreal. yet it's still an interesting what if scenario to wonder.
KD, Russ and Harden staying together would’ve led to an intense 3 way competitive battle with Bron, Kyrie, Love Cavs and GSW 💥
Facts!! But KD pulled the ultimate cup cake move of the century
@@alexanderadonyae7937 nope. Lebron to miami was the sht.
@@UghRegret LeBron didn’t have 2 future MVPs beside him at Cleveland, he was surrounded by hot garbage. He didn’t join a team he blew a 3-1 lead against in the play-offs. And he didn’t join the most winningest team of all time. Not even close.
@@s.a.6377 i remember Bron fans saying Cavs in 5 Cavs in 6 before they faced the KD warriors.
They got smacked then All the media Lebron James Jock strap sniffers. And his blind witnesses moved the goal post.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@messagekeenenivorywayansvo3011 wait, are you telling me that cava fan hoped that the cava would win!! Thats crazy, how dare they have fake faith in there teams abilities. All other fans of the sport knew what was gonna happen
1. More footage from old games, Wilt, Oscar, Pistol Pete would be crazy to see in actual good footage.
2. Chris Paul doesnt get injured against the Warriors
3. SAC Lakers series not rigged
4. Bird doesn't have to end his career because of back injuries
1. KD doesnt get hurt against Rockets, maybe Rockets would've won.
With all the feelings being poured out about how Scottie feels about Jordan years later, do you think Scottie would have wanted to play with MJ in Portland? It was be amazing to see but I find it hard to see a happy Scottie wanting to go back to how it used to be.
Great point. Just another reason why LA might have been the more viable option if it wasn't for Washington. I think MJ would have like the idea of competing again with Scottie.... but yeah, Pip probably wouldn't have shared those feelings. Who knows though? I think the years of being in Jordan's shadow, has probably caused Pippen to say some things out of bitterness that he probably didn't feel when he was younger.
@@jonnyarnett I agree, those lingering problems he had probably built up in his mental with years of people debating if he is a top 50 player or just someone MJ carried 🤣 MJ on the Lakers would’ve been too ideal!
Side note: As a basketball fan, I hope your Lakers can figure it out brother. But as a Phoenix fan, it’s beautiful to watch after all those times y’all killed our dreams.
Lol. I completely understand your dislike of us, so you're good 🤣. I'll never forget the 06 Playoffs though. If we could have just got that stupid rebound in Game 6, Thomas doesn't hit that 3, and we win the series. UGH. The fact that Kobe's greatest Playoff game was a loss to you guys, still bothers me. lol.
Concerning this year's Lakers, I'm honestly not too emotionally invested. I vividly remember our old Super Teams not working out in 04 and 13, so when this team assembled, I knew what to be wary of, and not to get my hopes up.
@@jonnyarnett about the lakers who do you think is the biggest issue. Also which team do you think will win it all this year
@@jonnyarnett Didn't Jordan's desire to be an owner drive his 2nd comeback more than some itch to play. I've heard in the past that that was his biggest reason for coming back, and if he never had ownership aspirations those 2 years on the Wizards would've never happened.
I would change Bird and Magics early retirements, Kobe and Lebron finals, 2013 Lakers without injuries and chemistry issue and a Rockets vs Bulls 1995 finals
Pistol Pete playing in the modern era. The man would truly be a superstar.
or Jerry West
@@kvltizt Jerry West kinda already got his due already.
Pistol Pete on the other hand...
@@khaitranngoc4176 Yeah, I just meant he was another guy who shot from deep when there was no 3 point line. He’d tear it up in today’s league.
Jonny, I do understand your point about Jordan joining the Wizards, but if it's one thing I would change is that meniscus injury never happening. It would have been interesting to see how deep in the playoffs the Wizards would have gone. Oh yeah I'd also prevent that Rip Hamilton/Jerry Stackhouse trade from happening too.
Jordan had a legit case for mvp if it wasnt for injuries. Plus they won 37 games and with Jordan they were on pace to win 47 games.
Plus with that injury never happening, Jordan probably would've played at least 1 more season with the Wizards, meaning that on November 19th 2003, we would've seen Jordan take on a rookie LeBron James.
I'm completely with you on the Malice at the Palace. That fight more or less single-handedly destroyed competitive, hard-nosed, defensive-minded basketball. Not just in the changes in officiating, but also rules changes which turned the league into the flopping, three-chucking snore-fest we have today.
I think the Malice at the Palace was an overreaction to the clash between Black culture and the NBA ownership.
@@catherinelynnfraser2001 So are you suggesting that if Dirk Nowitzki and started pummeling a fan after getting a drink thrown at him, the league would have handled it differently?
@@AaronMichaelLong yes
@@AaronMichaelLong unfortunately, yes. It sucks that that's the world we live in, and we're getting better as a society. But yes, I do believe it would have been handled differently
And the pacers
I'm curious to see how Scottie in Seattle would've played out. I personally would've fixed Penny's knee. Imagine a Penny-Kobe rivalry. I would also make sure Doc Rivers doesn't say anything stupid to Tim Duncan.
fr ill never forgive Doc for robbing us of Tmac GHill and Duncan... imagine if they wouldve all been healthy...
If Penny knee isn’t injury doesn’t happen he probably doesn’t get traded to Phoenix which gave Orlando the cap space to sign Duncan, Hill, and T-Mac. But if they traded him still to Phoenix that Penny -Kobe Matchups would of been legendary. Like Penny vs MJ
Seattle took Scottie because Chicago told them to as part of the trade. If that trade never happened, Seattle would've probably taken someone else entirely. Scottie may not have even been drafted at all, either. He came from a small NAIA school, not an NCAA school. There might not have been many NBA scouts looking at him. My opinion is that if Krause never made that trade and Scottie went to Chicago, we probably wouldn't even know who Scottie Pippen is today.
As a spurs fan, thank you doc rivers
I would have loved to see the MJ-Shawn Kemp tandem
I would give the players in the 50s and 60s a 3pt line, since we know that there where a lot of good sharpshooters in that era of basketball. I would record the stats of those players. I would sub out Rose out of that game ws 76ers, because I think that D Rose would have changed the way that we know todays basketball.
Rose would of gotten injured anyways. The way he jumped and landed was the problem not the game against philly
imagine pistol pete with a 3 point line? his numbers woulda been something else
Jerry West GOAT easily...
@@khaitranngoc4176 Jerry West + 3 Point Line= Unstoppable Jerry West
the cp3 trade getting vetoed is the biggest bullshit in nba history
Nets: 3 top 15 current players
2017 Warriors: 4 top 20 current players
Lakers with MJ: 3 Top 10 players ever
Jordan wouldn’t sell out and go to the pansie team
shaq isn’t top 10
I'd make Len Bias live. Dude was a beat back in his day and would've kept the Celtics dynasty alive. He also would've been Jordan's top NBA rival.
Agree legit first thing I thought when I saw the title
We don't know that. As we know many elite college players doesn't live up to a great NBA career.
College careers:
Jordan [3 years] = 17.7 ppg (.540 fg%), 5.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.7 bpg, 30.8 mp
Bias [4 years] = 16.4 ppg (.536 fg%), 5.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.7 bpg, 32.8 mp
North Carolina Tar Heels vs Maryland Terrapins on January 12, 1984:
Bias = 24 pts, 4 rebs
Jordan = 21 pts, 12 rebs (7 off), 2 blks, at least 4 stls
Highlights of the game was uploaded by starks23 (stats provided in the description), which ended with Jordan's iconic cradle dunk at the buzzer. Both men played each other four times overall. The first two in '83, Bias wasn't a starter yet. The last one was on February 19th the next year where Jordan scored 25 and Bias had 18.
Then again, there've been players who were great in college but not in the pros. Check out these senior year stats:
Bias = 23.2 ppg (.544 fg%), 7.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.8, spg, 0.4 bpg, 37.0 mp
Laettner = 21.5 ppg (.575 fg%), 7.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.1 spg, 0.9 bpg, 32.2 mp
Hence, we can't really be sure if Len would've actually been an NBA superstar.
My four biggest things:
All stats were recorded since the game's inception
All current awards were present since the game's inception
Criteria for each award were established and concrete since the game's inception
"Ideal" rules were established (and never changed) since the game's inception
I know these aren't really in the spirit of the video, but I just like objectiveness.
@Gibran Camus This is what I mean by criteria for awards being "concrete" (for better or for worse, a formula could be present).
That would be really interesting to see. Of course, we could never see a league be officiated/recorded in the exact same way way over the spah of 75 years, but it would be interesting to see how awards and stats would look if everyone always had the same metrics to go by.
@@navonmyhand7999 Yeah, I think it would really put everyone on as even of a "playing field" as possible."'GOAT' conversations" would be as close to objective as possible. Of course, you'd still have your Wilt and Kobe Stans though.
I would have changed Jordan retiring after his 3rd ring. Of course this is assuming that the Bulls go to the 94 and 95 Finals and matchup with the Rockets. Hakeem and MJ are two of my favorite players of all time and I would have loved to see them compete in the Finals. Either the legend of Jordan would have grown with 7-8 rings in total or Hakeem would be getting more respect for actually ruining Jordan's opportunity to win 8 straight. Box office either way.
I understand MJ’s decision to not play for a while due to the passing of his father, but if I could control history then I would make him come back late into the 94’ season just in time for the last 30 games of the season.
Oh, I would change officials in game 6, playoff series between Lakers and Kings. Starting with con man Bavetta. Those Kings deserve the crown that year.
Also, I would fix Grant Hill's injury. He was Lebron before Lebron.
In a serious way, I would give White Mamba his deserved MVP finals in 2008
This was mine along with Malice at the Palace. Kings were the better team and they got cheated, who knows how the Lakers would come back after a loss that year and what else would change but the franchise should have a ring, along with Chris Webber.
My one: The Bad Boy Pistons don't get that phantom foul call in the '88 Finals.
Not only did it possibly cost the Pistons the Championship, but (if the rest of history played out the same) the Pistons would have been the first team to three-peat since the 60s, not Jordan's Bulls. And the 80s would be remembered as being the era of Magic, Bird, and Isaiah; not just Magic & Bird.
I would have made some kind of a rule where the home team had to record the game. Imagine having every single will Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, etc. game on film
@Fries Precisely !!
And that's what the NFL did right and that's were the NBA failed but there's also the fact that the NFL was much more popular to.
Two easy ones for me:
1. Early 90s, Hakeem Olajuwon was disgruntled in Houston and wanted a trade. The Rockets and the Sonics worked out a deal where Olajuwon would have been sent to Seattle for Benoit Benjamin and other players. The best part? Seattle wouldn't have had to give up a young Gary Payton or Shawn Kemp to do it. Seattle backed out because they didn't want to include Derrick McKey. Come on Sonics....just awful.
2. I would block the Sonics from moving to OKC. Seattle fans would have gotten to watch Durant instead of having him stolen from us, and Seattle wouldn't have pinched pennies when the time came and would have kept Durant, Westbrook, and Harden together.
Bruh Kemp Gary And the Dream……..
@@curtis2609 Filthy. I don't see how anyone could have stopped them.
@@DerethAC bruh two of thee best two way players before two way was a thing
Only the Bulls
Either Kemp Payton + X (X = Hakeem or Pippen) would have been a banner, easily.
My 4:
1. Earlier stats (records of steals, blocks, etc)
2. 3 point line way earlier
3. Jordan not taking hiatus to play baseball
4. Maurice Stokes not getting paralyzed
Another would be to have implemented modern goaltending rules earlier
I would change the victors of the 2014-15 and 2015-16. Basically, Cavaliers would win in Lebron's first season back in 14-15, bringing Cleveland its first championship in decades, while GSW would win the 2015-16 finals, completing the dream season, getting curry a FMVP and a 3-peat.
I know KD said he went to GSW because they lost, but if all else remain the same. I would change this. Both players still improve their legacy while Curry could be vaulted into top 10 all time discussion.
Draymond probably would have won FMVP in 2016 in all honesty
The 1988 NBA Finals Game 6 Phantom Call against Bill Laimbeer on Kareem Abdul Jabbar after Isiah Thomas set the NBA Finals record with 25 points in one quarter and had 45 points in that game. Detroit Pistons would've 3-peated from 88,89&90.
Or Lakers in 2002
Jonny you’ve dropped another banger! Would love to be on your podcast if you allow guests without a platform. Would be amazing to talk basketball with you.
Hey Micheal! That means a lot, and I would down to talk Basketball. The only thing is that the Apex Greatness Podcast isn't actually my podcast, I just occasionally guest appear on it, and they let me use clips on my channel. Have you ever used Discord? If you join my server, thats a good way to talk Basketball, because I try to get on there pretty often. There's a link to it in the video's description if you wanna join, and maybe we can hop in a room together sometime in chat. I'm actually thinking about promoting group chats soon, so it should be fun if we can make it work
@@jonnyarnett where that discord link? I would love to join
There should be one in the video's description, but if that doesn't work, here ya go! discord.gg/SzwHrmDD
I wish Hakeem and Jordan met in the finals
I was about to say that
I can't believe you didn't mention Sabonis going to the Blazers in '86, or even the Hawks in '85. He wouldn't have gotten overplayed, could have gotten the proper care for his knees and Achilles, and completely changed the landscape of the NBA
The Malice at the Palace was one of the most memorable moments of my childhood, it was so surreal, I thought I dreamed it for a while, but I could have never have known the lasting ramifications it would have on the NBA.
Things I would change:
NBA players were always allowed to play in the Olympics
Oscar Schmidt decides to play for the Nets
Arvydas Sabonis is allowed to go to us to play for Blazers
The ABA teams were an expansion in 1967 instead of being a whole new league
Jordan never retires (both times) and MJ and Jerry's relation is healthy
The Cavs don't let Boozer go
The NBA writes down all the stats and gives the awards that they do now, since the inaugural season.
The Malice at the Palace never happens
AND probably the most important, Andrew Bogut never goes for that dunk and instead does a layup.
The USA would dominate the Olympics in Basketball for like 4 decades
@@dannychamberlain6244 Yea but It means more international players in the NBA
Jonny I like your MJ change team but I might added the Mavs to that deal cause Owner almost made a deal with MJ to be Manager there but MJ already sign the deal with the wizards.
1. See the Kings get a fair shot at the 2002 Western Conference Finals
2. Scottie Pippen woulda seen the Red Flags 🚩 with Larsa
3. Jermaine O'Neal didn't slip on the beer 🍻
4. Brandon Roy...
I would void the trade that landed Steve Nash in Phoenix. I'm thinking Dirk and Nash at least win 2 titles together had they not separated.
#1, bird doesn’t have any chronic injuries (in regards to his back, elbow, hands, fingers, all of it) and magic doesn’t get hiv
#2 record blocks and steals from the beginning
#3 D-Rose doesn’t get hurt
#4 the lakers win atleast one in the 60s.
(And most importantly Kobe never dies and gets to become a coach)
Frank Selvy hits the game-winning baseline shot, and the Lakers beat Boston in the 1962 Finals. Also, another thing I would change is seeing a healthy Billy Cunningham for Philly in 1968. They beat Boston and the Lakers, Wilt isn't traded, and maybe Russell retires a year early.
Top 4 things I would change in NBA history:
1. Jordan only retires once instead of 3 times which would of led to at least 1 (maybe 2) finals matchup between Hakeem's Rockets and Jordan's Bulls. Jordan playing after 98 would of been interesting had Jordan/Pippen/Rodman/Phil stayed together and see how long their dynasty would of lasted.
2. 98-99 season doesn't have a lockout which would of led to an entire 82 game season. Would of been a way better season obviously and the Spurs (who imo still would of made the finals) would of had a better finals matchup than the Knicks.
3. David Stern doesn't suspend Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire for game 5 of the west semis against the Spurs. Could of easily led to the Suns winning in 7 games. They were a better team than the Jazz and Cavaliers so they could of easily won it all in 07.
4. We don't have a pandemic which leads to the 2020 season playing all the way through June. The playoffs and seeding matchups would of been completely different.
Airness + Black Mamba + Diesel
3 GOAT's in 1 team.
MJ playing with the Hornets is another fun alternative. he’d play one season instead of two given the move but they were pretty decent that year
Legends like Stockton/Malone duo, Steve nash, Ewing, Sir Charles and other greats have at least one championship in their names. Also, record advanced statistics in the earliest days and be televised. Finally, Shaq and Kobe never split, who knows how much they would've won.
I'm glad Pedo Malone doesn't have a chip.
If every star had one then they wouldn't be special.
I’d like Amare and Nash to have a chip, preferably in 07, which might have kept 7 seconds or less around longer.
1. Kobe-Lebron finals matchup
2. MJ-Hakeem finals matchup
3. Derrick Rose with no injuries
4. Lakers-Celtics finals in 86 where the Lakers battle it out against the Celtics at their absolute peak
Jordan at 38 coming back to play meant 2 things. Saving the nba once again and putting seats in the thrash wizard franchise at that time
The team I always wanted Jordan to join after the Bulls were the '98-99 Knicks. Imagine a reality where there had been no lockout, where Jordan INSTEAD of Sprewell had joined Ewing, Allan Houston and the rest of the Knicks. He could've slid over to small forward and they could've started Ward, Houston, Jordan, Oakley, and Ewing with LJ and Camby coming off the bench. That would've been absolute magic in MSG.
Kevin Garnett getting drafted to a good team has always been mine 🙏
When Boston acquired KG, I knew immediately that they were winning the title, and thats mostly due to his impact. Didn't surprise me in the slightest that he won DPOY and a championship on his very first year with a great team. Have KG and Tim Duncan swap places that they played, and we'll view that comparison completely differently
For Me
1) What if pistons win 04/05 Final
2) What if Miami Heat set 3 peat
3) What if KG Join Lakers
4) What if Ben Wallace Stay In Pistons throughout his career
Dr J playing his entire career in the NBA immediately comes to mind , followed by Kobe and Shaq getting along and winning a few more titles .
Wasnt sure if you would mention the Seattle Sonics moving to Oklahoma...since it is indeed a tragedy. As a blazer fan that used to live in seattle, i miss that I-5 rivalry
If I could change NBA history:
1. Karl Malone & John Stockton's Utah Jazz wins the 1994 & 1995 NBA championships (or at least 1994).
Alt. The Shaq-Kobe-Malone LA Lakers wins the 2004 NBA championship. EIther way, the 2x MVP "The Mailman" Malone shall have at least 1 ring.
2. The Bulls remained intact for the 1998-1999 season and won a 4th straight 7th overall) championship.
3. Michael Jordan never played for the Wsh Wizards and instead became in office with the Chicago Bulls as new GM in 2001 -.
4. Shaquille O'neal stayed more basketball career focused and kept himself in better play-condition.
5. Magic Johnson not been forced into retirement and been allowed to continue play on in LA Lakers.
6. The Seattle SuperSonics never left Seattle and remained in NBA. And never changed away there 1995/96 - 2000/01 logo and jerseys.
7. Having several NBA teams to never make these logo's and jersey changes since I LOVED those logos and jerseys:
- the Orlando Magic never change there original logo and uniforms ,
- the Philadelphia 76:ers never changed away there 1997-2008 logo and uniforms,
- the Detroit Pistons never changed away there 2001/02 - 2004/05 logo and jerseys,
- the Washington Wizards never changed away there 1997/98 - 2006/07 logo and jerseys,
- the Utah Jazz never changed away there 1996/97 - 2003/04 logo and jerseys.
- the Cleveland Cavaliers never changed away there 2003/04 - 2009/10 logo and jerseys,
- the Houston Rockets never changed away there 1995/96 - 2002/03 logo and jerseys,
- the Atlanta Hawks never changed away there 1995/96 - 2006/07 logo and jerseys.
- the Milwaukee Bucks never changed away there 1993/94 - 2005/06 logo and jerseys,
- the Sacramento Kings never changed away there 1994/95 - 2015/16 logo and jerseys,
- the San Antonio Spurs never changed away there 2002/03 - 2016/17 logo and jerseys
- the Phoenix Suns never changed away there 1992/93 - 1999/00 logo and jerseys,
- the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies never changed away there 1995/96 - 1999/00 logo and jerseys'
Speaking of Jordan and the Blazers, what if the Trailblazers had drafted Jordan instead of Sam Bowie?
1. Sixers win the championship in 2001
2. LeBron vs Kobe in 2009
3. Jordan vs Hakeem in 1997
4. Len Bias
I have to be the only one happy that CP3 trade got veto’d, I genuinely love it whenever the Lakers get shafted
You're not the only one. I've been a big Celtics fan since around 1970 or so, and you probably know how we feel about the Lakers (although I only hate the team, not the individual players).
Jordan on the Lakers would've been scary! He may have played 5-6 more Yeats collecting rings and playing mediator with Shaq and kobe
Video suggestion: Debunking the most bogus media narratives in NBA history
Most rigged moments in NBA history
Most controversial off court moments in NBA history
It’s just so weird how they didn’t let cp3 go to the lakers but have allowed countless super teams to form prior and after
2:30 So help me that sign...
1) Len Bias survives
2) Larry doesn't hurt his back so he can mentor Len Bias
3) Bill Walton doesn't get injured
I wish old jordan played for the Mavs. I’m completely sure of the validity of what Mark Cuban said about begging mj to play for them, but him with nash and Dirk would have been a unit
I would make every game (including 60s) televised and in color with full stats (and awards)
I would make Wilt (and other territorial picks) started playing when they were actually drafted
I would make every player from any era modern equipments and rules.
I would love to see Maurice Stokes in his prime.
CP3 veto indirectly affected Kobe's fate too, he would've played more years eventually and won't have that tragic morning 😔
1. Shawn Kemp never leaves the Sonics
2. The Sonics are never moved and rebranded to OKC
3. The 98 bulls are never broken up and they get to run it back
4. Derrick Rose, Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway never get hurt
5. Shaq and Kobe never split up
Amen!
1. Jordan plays straight through his career. 1984-2002. Don't care where he does it but even though he was underrated when he came back he was clearly a shell of his former self. I think he would have been a lot better if he played those 3 years in between. It's a lot harder to shake the rust off when you're 38 instead of 32. We would have gotten to see two finals of Jordan vs Hakeem, and we would have gotten to see the torch being passed toward the end of Michael's career rather than what just kind of felt like a void after he retired at the top in 98. At the time I think it would have been cool to see him go play with Scottie on the Blazers but knowing what we know now about how envious and ungrateful Scottie was, I'm glad it never happened.
2. Record sheets wiped clean after NBA/ABA merger. Too many records are held by these guys who played in an 8 team era. Two guys dominated the whole NBA, and they never could have set those records in any other era. I also think that it's wrong that everything from the ABA doesn't count but everything from the NBA does. Guys like Dr J really got a raw deal from that one.
3. The rule changes to promote offense over defense. Some people like seeing the more free flowing offense. Myself, I was always more of a fan of tough, grittier games. These rules created some situations that were an absolute embarrassment for the league , such as all the flopping, having to guard James Harden woth your arms behind your back on lurking behind him over his shoulder, etc.
4. Steph Curry never plays in the NBA
I hate the way the NBA has become a 3 point shootout. It used to feel special when someone hit the occasional 3. Now some teams just pass the ball around the perimeter until they get a good look. Boring. I have a deep respect for Steph's talent, but he definitely impacted the game for me in a negative way as a viewer. Ironically, Steph himself is a whole lot of fun to watch. The rest of the 3 point shooters though, not so much.
I would change Jordan's first retirement to go play baseball and instead MJ doesn't leave and continues to play for the Bulls
There are so many what-ifs of different eras that I wished happen. Here’s my Top 3 list for the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s:
NBA 1990’s
1. Arvydas Sabonis plays for Portland earlier
2. Magic and Bird play longer without injuries and disease
3. Karl Malone goes to prison
NBA 2000s
1. 2002 Sacramento vs Lakers Game 7 plays out naturally, instead of being rigged
2. Kobe gets more help in the mid 2000s, resulting in back to back MVPs
3. The East gets stronger by having TMac or Vince on the Pistons, and KG in Boston earlier
NBA 2010s
1. Rivalries between the 2003 draft class (Melo in NY, Wade in Miami, and LeBron stays in Cleveland)
2. Greg Oden and Brandon Roy don’t suffer career ending injuries
3. Stephen Curry wins FMVP instead of Andre Iguodala
Wilt starts his career with a great coach, and he doesn't become a stat machine, but the Celtics and Warriors win alternating championships.
As somebody who thinks about basketball and the NBA for a considerable amount of time everyday, I would like to say this is one of the best videos about the NBA in all of UA-cam. Also it's pretty cool that Jonny admits to his biases. I don't remember rooting for the Lakers much before 2022, I'm just badwagoning with the Lakers this year, followed Swishbrook here. Yes I was rooting for the Wizards last year if you're curious. Hope this comment ages well 😆😆
I’d change the rule that if an offensive player jumps into the defender while attempting a shot I’d make that offensive foul instead of a regular foul. That rule ruined the 4th quarter of many games.
I agree!
That's not the rule. The refs just keep calling it incorrectly. It absolutely drive me nuts, too. If the defender is standing straight with his hands straight up in the air, the law of verticality dictates that he should not be called for a foul.
Excellent video bro, do you think the Cavs had a strong enough bench to even compete with LA? Jordan would have played with a contender for sure. LA top spot. Pacers would have won it all. Maybe lol. AGREE Paul should have been a Laker.
Hey bro! It’s honestly tough to say with Cleveland. That team was a little bit better than people typically remember. Ilgauskas was an All-Star worthy big, and a veteran Ben Wallace was impactful defensively off the bench. They would have gave Pau some issues down low. Mo Williams was pretty solid, Boobie Gibson was a decent scoring spark, and even Wally Sczerberiak was a decent piece off the bench. I do think we would have won the series, but it definitely wouldn’t have been easy. We didn’t have an answer for LeBron during that season. Artest would have been better to handle him in 2010, but Ariza was too small for him in 2009.
Cleveland beat us as often as we beat them during that era, and they actually had a 66-16 record compared to our 65-17 record, so they would have had homecourt advantage as well. I think we win in 6, possibly 7.
Another banger of a video, good job. 👍🏾
5th for me would be seeing prime Sabonis on Blazers. Maybe he and drexler would have won the ring or two.
6th hanchecking doesnt get the ban.
Love your content! Can you do a video on Tom Chambers? Seems to me like he totally flies under everybodies radar.
The 4 things I would change in NBA history:
1) Wilt Chamberlin's 100 point game televised
2) Blocks and Steals statistics documented at the inception of the league
3) The 3 point line existing in 1960
4) Playoff series format dating back to ABA/NBA merger
7 game series 2-3-2
5 game series 2-2-1
I would make it so that the 3 point line was introduced earlier when Pistol Pete was in his prime. Can you imagine how dominant he would be?
It'd Be Interesting If Pistol Pete Himself Introduced The 3 Point Explaining It's Functions To The Newbies
1. Shaq works hard after winning first championship and doesn't beef with Kobe, so we can witness the greatest dynasty in history
2. MJ not having 2 year break between 3-peats
3. AI hitting gym more often than hitting clubs
4. Healthy DRose
2:54: David Stern: Let me look into that further, I'll see what I can do.
Instead of the Hawks trading Dominique to the Clippers in 94, I wish he could've gone to the Knicks to help Ewing finally get a ring. I also wish Magic never contracted HIV and wasn't forced to retire early in 91 and it would've been awesome to see Barkley traded to my Lakers in 92 instead of the Suns.
I would have loved to see the Pistons Draft Melo in 2003
Dražen Petrović doesn't die in a car accident,
European players such as Spanulis, Djordjević, Paspalj, Boban Marjanović get a chance to show their skills in the NBA instead of getting only a couple of minutes a game (and with the exception of Boban they get their hands tied, confidence crashed, not allowed to play to their strengths etc.)
1. Len Bias and Reggie Lewis living
2. blocks and steals being first tracked the same season as rebounds and assists were
3. MJ never retiring
4. Kobe vs LBJ in Finals
5. Bird and Magic not ending their careers early
Even a old MJ to be on the same team as young Kobe n prime Shaq would be the most frightening thing any opposing team could even dream of. Imagine they still 3 peat but w Jordan, that would make it his third 3 peat n 9-0 in the finals securing his spot as best playoff performer ever w no one even comin close. Not to mention Kobe would go even harder against MJ in a daily basis n they would force Shaq to stay in shape so he’d easily be the best play in the league til atleast 05 not longer.
Grant Hill never gets injured, Kawhi and Spurs stay together well, Bron wins DPOY, Len Bias doesn’t pass away.
I would have loved to see Memphis get the top pick in 2003. The Grizzlies owed the Pistons a 1st round pick from #2 to #18 as a result of the Pistons sending Otis Thorpe to the then Vancouver Grizzlies in 1997. From 1998 to 2002, the Grizzlies drafted #2 overall 3 times and had a #4 and #6 but since the Grizzlies had the option to not convey it, they never did. 2003 was the last year it was supposed to convey. Memphis was one of 2 teams left with a chance at the top pick. If Memphis wins the lottery, they get to keep the pick. If not, the pick goes to Detroit. Unfortunately for Memphis, Cleveland won the lottery and the pick conveyed to the Pistons.
Now we all know what happened. Cleveland drafted Bron and Detroit drafted Darko. But... what if? What if Memphis won the lottery and got to keep the pick? They would have definitely drafted Bron but, how would the rest of the draft have gone? Who would Cleveland have drafted with the 2nd pick overall? Would Darko still have been drafted 2nd and, if not, how far would he have fallen? And how would history have been affected if this all went down? Detroit never really got to use Milicic and only gave him garbage time minutes, thus earning him the monicker "the human victory cigar." They went on to win the 2004 championship but, what if Milicic got the opportunity to get more playing time with another team during these crucial development years. How would his career have turned out? And how would the careers of Melo, Bosh and Wade have turned out if they had been drafted elsewhere.
1. MJ doesn’t “retire”, ends up with a 6-2 record in the Finals and my Rockets gets the respect they deserve. Jordan himself said the Bulls would have no answer for Olajuwon and he the best player in the league during both the 93-94 and 94-95 seasons.
2. Penny Hardaway, Derrick Rose and Grant Hill all stay healthy and ends up making the 75 greatest players list.
3. The Sonics never move to OKC. Howard Shultz doesn’t sell the team to Clay Bennett but instead sells it Steve Ballmer, the teams stays and a new arena is built. Maybe Durant stays as a result.
4. The NBA adopts the baseball rule for the draft in 2006. In MLB high school players can be drafted but if the decide to go to college they must wait for 3 before they’re eligible for the draft again. I’d do something similar in the NBA with the only difference being 2 years instead of 3. The high school players with talent to make the jump would be allowed to do so and the college game would still benefit from the ones that need time to develop.
Have an activated 3 point line.
Each team gets 25 3 point attempts. The 26th on will count only as 2.
Overtime, each teams get 5 for 3 point shots.
If Jordan hadn't retired in 98 he'd be playing for NY Knicks, the knicks were dying for him to play on their team, imagine him playing alongside Ewing, Sprewell, Camby etc. till 03, not only that, they'll probably meet the Shaq Kobe in the finals too
I would had kept the NBA on NBC like the NFL is keeping the NFL on Fox
1. If the JJ hickson - Amare Trade happened and didn't blocked by the cavs org. LeBron would've stayed since he would've had a legit front court combo with big Z and varejao and amare was almost a superstar level at that point in time. We might have seen a Kobe vs LeBron finals in 2010. Also possibly, D wade would've signed with the cavs the following off season and join force with Bron and Amare in cleveland.
2. If KD stayed with the thunder. We might be able to see an awesome 3-way rivarly between OKC, GSW, and Cavs
3. If Klay didn't got injured back in game 6 of the 2019 finals. It would be interesting to see if they can bounce back from a 3-1 deficit and made history of the only team to have been on the losing and winning end of a super rare 3-1 finals comeback. Also Steph would've gotten his long desired FMVP and they could've been one of the teams to make a rare 3 peat which was done almost 2 decades ago from that point in time.
I wish John Stockton didn't miss the shot on game 6 of 98 finals.
- Stockton and Malone would probably have a ring that they so much deserve.
- If Chicago loses that 98 final then Jordan would be super mad and I don't see him retiring, he would probably join a good team like Blazers, Lakers, etcétera, more years with Jordan would have been amazing.
Great answer. No matter who won, that Game 7 would have been all-time classic. Absolutely with you
@@greywolf2155 That's absolutely correct... That is worth only for the seventh game... that would have been amazing.
Bruh the clip of Ron artest jus smacking that fan in the face got me rolling 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I’d never seen that part of the clip shits hilarious dude jus looked at the fan and punched him right in the face 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Bran The Broken yells out that Malice In The Palace was just... awesome.
WHY DO YOU THINK HE CAME ALL THIS WAY??!?!?!!
some left out;
-Arvydas sabonis comes into league earlier
-KD stays with OKC - creating a 3 star team balance of Curry + Klay, Lebron + Kyrie and KD + Westbrook
-Chris Paul stays with Clippers and Blake Griffin never gets injured
-Derrick Rose never gets injured
Youve been dropping amazing video after amazing video!
That Michael Jordan scenario was completely possible because he had a salary cap of $1 million
An underrated what-if that always intrigued me: A playoff series pitting LeBron vs. Dwyane Wade. It nearly happened in 2006, 2009 and 2016, but all 3 times, one of them lost a game 7, one win short of facing the other in the next round. Miami-Cleveland ECF in 2016 would have been especially interesting.
P.S. There should definitely be a rule preventing KD to GSW. Only way it's acceptable is if Warriors somehow lose '15 and '16, maybe give Bron a half-strength Kyrie for the '15 finals and keep '16 the same
Speaking of that, I wish Dwyane Wade's parents had spelled his first name properly. That "Dwyane" spelling drives me crazy.
I worked at ESPN radio and Jordan came in and asked if anyone had played a certain golf course because he was going to play it and wanted someone who knew the course and could help him with how the course played because he had never played it and wanted a leg up. The management sent me to Jordan because I had played the course m I re than anyone else. I was Jordan's caddy and did as he asked. He played for insane money and won. He thanked me and gave me a huge tip. He was so cool to me and I enjoyed every moment and didn't fan boy out but he gave me a gift to thank me for my job and said if he comes back he wants me to caddy again. He didn't come back but I was over the moon Michael Jordan the GOAT thanked me. He told the people in the club house I was his good friend and I never had to pay green fees again. So awesome!
I think sometimes the Rockets run in the two years between the Bulls 3-peats is a bit overrated. I honestly don't think Houston would've even made the finals those two years if Jordan had not retired. Am I saying the Bulls would've won 8 instead? Not exactly. However it's my opinion that Jordan not playing created a vacuum at the top which caused many teams to play differently because NOW they felt they had a legitimate chance to win. I think that possibility is what made teams like the Rockets try harder to win. Psychologically the league was in a much different place without Jordan, it was opened up, anyone had a shot. Once he came back and reestablished himself and the Bulls as champions, the way the other contenders played was greatly changed.