Michael Jordan Takes on the 1986 Celtics

If you were old enough to watch Larry Bird in his prime, then you probably remember a young Michael Jordan winning slam dunk contests as well. Before Jordan dominated the league in the 90s, players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Julius Erving were showcasing their magnificent abilities throughout the 1980s. Many fans may also remember the intense rivalries between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics that resulted in eight championships in ten years. Many players from those teams have either had their jersey numbers retired or have been enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Yes folks, the 80s were great times for basketball fans around the world since the game was played at a faster pace.

The Bulls were never considered a powerhouse throughout Jordan's early years, but what if the best Bulls team from the 1990s was to match up against the best Celtics team from the 1980s? This has been speculated not only by basketball fans across the world, but by sport analysts as well. The best squad the Chicago Bulls had was back in 1996 when they won an NBA record 72 games. How would this Bulls team fair against the Boston Celtics of the 1980s in a seven game playoff series? The answer may baffle some, but I actually believe the Boston Celtics would fend off the Bulls in almost every possible way. The Celtics were a brutally strong team with plenty of talented big men unlike the Bulls. Bulls had centers such as Bill Wennington and Robert Parish who were well past their primes (coincidentally, Parish also played for the Celtics during the 80s). The more frightening thing about the Celtics was the fact that even their small forwards were tall. Larry Bird for example was 6 foot 9 and played like shooting guard at times.

To make matters even more difficult for the Bulls, Celtics had former Finals MVP Dennis Johnson who can easily be considered an upgrade to Ron Harper. Sure, the 1996 Bulls did have players such as Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc, and Dennis Rodman, but could they have handled the likes of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Bill Walton all at once? Again, my answer would be no and this is coming from a huge Michael Jordan fan. That Celtics squad had tons of experience against teams like the Lakers, Rockets, Sixers, and Pistons. Michael Jordan was unquestionably the greatest athlete to play the game of basketball, but I don't believe he was unstoppable. Personally, if were to play in today's league, he would easily dominate the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwayne Wade. Today's league needs a wake up call since it is full of egos that have yet to prove anything. Additional information was provided by the NBA's encyclopedia. For further information you can go to their site at www.nba.com/encyclopdia/