OK, since some of you are willing to compare MJ and his alleged Lebron-like ref treatment into this.
LeBron James who has already broken Dwyane Wade's record in Free Throw Attempts in a Playoff series, is now looking to break another Playoff Free Throw Attempt record, this one held by Shaquille O'neal.
James, averaging 13.7 FTA these Playoffs, is on pace to break O'Neal's Playoff record for Total FTA this season, ... in FEWER GAMES!
O'Neal, with a Playoff FTA record of 296 FTA after 23 games, is closely followed behind James' 151 FTA after only 11 games! As of May 25th, at the pace James is heading, and assuming he makes it to the NBA Finals, it will only take him a total of 22 games (1 game less than O'Neal) to break O'Neal's nine-year old Playoff record.
James already has set the record for FTA in a Playoff Series with 19.3 FTA against Pistons; a record previously held by Dwyane Wade in 2006 against the Mavericks at 16.2 FTA.
James, in his young career, is also closely placed 2nd behind O'Neal in Playoff Career FTA at 10.5 per game, with O'Neal holding the top spot at just 11.2 per game; just 0.7 attempts ahead of James.
James, who is averaging 15 free throws per game in the playoffs and only just started to defend Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu after hiding early in the series on Rafer Alston, is averaging 1.6 fouls per game in the playoffs and never has been in foul trouble with a three fouls the most he's been called for in any game.
Bryant is averaging 2.6 fouls and has had four fouls four times. Carmelo Anthony is averaging 3.9 fouls per game and five times has had five and fouled out once. Howard is averaging more than four fouls per game and has fouled out of three playoff games and had five fouls three times.
Jordan actually fouled out of Game 4 and averaged four fouls per game in that opening series against the Cavs. Five more times in those playoffs as the Bulls beat the Knicks in six and lost to the Pistons in six Jordan had five fouls in a game. It's the playoffs. The play is rougher than the regular season. You get involved in tougher matchups, though James does rest on defense a lot other than when he is chasing guys from behind for highlight blocks. But Jordan always had a high number of playoff fouls. The season before when the Bulls beat Cleveland in five games, Jordan fouled out of Game 4 in Cleveland. In 1991 when the Bulls won their first championship, Jordan was in foul trouble with five in two of the five Finals games. It simply defies logic to see James at the free throw line so much and virtually never being called for a foul.
As for those stats, PER bullshit - hang it about your beds and admire it before bedtime.
I couldn't give a crap about numbers he puts up, Wilt Chamberlain scored 50 points, 25 rebounds and probably 10 blocks a game.
Too bad "scrubs" like Robert Horry and Steve Kerr made more difference to their teams with their miserable stats and clutch games than the Big Wilt "let me score some more tonight" Chamberlain.
Stat padding is great.
Blow the whistle.