LeBron James Competition Weak Compared to the NBA's 'Golden Era'

The article can also be found at Boston Celtics News Station   Amidst the rampant off-season trade rumors circulating, I thought it would be healthy to take a break from it and do some more annoying era/player comparisons. Today I decided to pick apart LeBron James' Eastern Conference vs. the Eastern Conference of Larry Bird's era. Though the league's players have developed into athletic and physical freaks, compared to the 1980s, the NBA team's overall roster talent has drastically dropped. The 1980s brand of basketball was more team oriented, fast paced and high scoring, though watching the games, it often appeared as if the players were competing in slow motion. It's obvious that the athleticism of today, is unparalleled by any era in NBA history. However, In the 1980s, Larry Bird had to contend with a more stiff level of competition in route to the playoffs and ultimately the NBA Finals. Let's use the 1987 season as the model for my hypothesis. As opposed to recent history, ... (link)