Originally Posted by NOBLE

Some of those guys are never coming back. That's just a reality. If the whole point is to make an accurate comparison and then rank guys based on that comparison, you can't use factors that didn't exist when some guys were around. That's like ranking NBA greats and using the Slam Dunk contest as part of the rubric. There's no telling how Jerry West, for example, would've done in the Slam Dunk contest because it wasn't around when he was active. So it's a bit unfair to rate newer guys above him or give them more points because they won such contests and he didn't. You'd have to use (as much as possible) factors that have always been around to even the playing field when comparing guys from different eras.

Comparing battle rappers to NBA Legends isn't an accurate analogy. People obviously can't compete at a high level in the NBA for more than 10-15 years, so yeah it's fair to say you can't compare between different eras because the game changes (which is why the MJ/LeBron debate will never hold any weight because the game is drastically different now in comparison to what it was then).

However, battle rappers don't have that problem. Battle rappers and rappers in general have the ability to evolve with the culture changes. Whether they choose to or not is completely up to them. Look at ALL-BORO, for instance. He started on LB well before LBA/LBT ever existed and he's the current LBA Champion. That's an accomplishment taken away from him that he earned all because of the rest of the people from his era aren't active anymore when they choose not to be. Is that fair to BORO? Absolutely not. What makes the old heads anymore special to where LBA/LBT can't be counted against them when one of their own from that era won it and is dominating with it as we speak?

Idk, I'm just not in to the whole handicapping thing with LBA/LBT, as it's been an important aspect of the site since it was first revived by RULE (s/o to @RULE for that, btw).

What's everyone else's thoughts on it?

Originally Posted by NOBLE

Some of those guys are never coming back. That's just a reality. If the whole point is to make an accurate comparison and then rank guys based on that comparison, you can't use factors that didn't exist when some guys were around. That's like ranking NBA greats and using the Slam Dunk contest as part of the rubric. There's no telling how Jerry West, for example, would've done in the Slam Dunk contest because it wasn't around when he was active. So it's a bit unfair to rate newer guys above him or give them more points because they won such contests and he didn't. You'd have to use (as much as possible) factors that have always been around to even the playing field when comparing guys from different eras.

Comparing battle rappers to NBA Legends isn't an accurate analogy. People obviously can't compete at a high level in the NBA for more than 10-15 years, so yeah it's fair to say you can't compare between different eras because the game changes (which is why the MJ/LeBron debate will never hold any weight because the game is drastically different now in comparison to what it was then).

However, battle rappers don't have that problem. Battle rappers and rappers in general have the ability to evolve with the culture changes. Whether they choose to or not is completely up to them. Look at ALL-BORO, for instance. He started on LB well before LBA/LBT ever existed and he's the current LBA Champion. That's an accomplishment taken away from him that he earned all because of the rest of the people from his era aren't active anymore when they choose not to be. Is that fair to BORO? Absolutely not. What makes the old heads anymore special to where LBA/LBT can't be counted against them when one of their own from that era won it and is dominating with it as we speak?

Idk, I'm just not in to the whole handicapping thing with LBA/LBT, as it's been an important aspect of the site since it was first revived by RULE (s/o to @RULE for that, btw).

What's everyone else's thoughts on it?