LeBron vs. Jordan. Are We REALLY Doing This?

Another season.  Another weak Eastern Conference.  Another trip to the Finals for LeBron James.  Another year of absurd Lebron James comparisons…

Last year it was Larry Bird.  Now it’s Michael Jordan.  The here and now comparisons in sports have reached a ridiculous level in recent years.  Tom Brady is now widely considered the best football player of all time.  It’s fresh.  It’s new.  Thirty years from now, Brady’s name won’t top the list.  There will be a new guy who will be the trendy pick.  Fans watch what they see today, overrate today’s stars,  and they quickly forget how good many all-time great players were.  This is now the case in the LeBron vs. Jordan debate.

Are we really doing this?  Michael Jordan isn’t only considered to be the best basketball player of all time, but he may be the best athlete of all time.  The only player who even compares in terms of dominance in the modern sports era is Wayne Gretzky.  And don’t be surprised if Sidney Crosby starts getting compared Gretzky if the Penguins win the Stanley Cup this year.  It’s coming.  The current player always gets overrated in these debates.

Back to Lebron – Jordan.  It’s amazing that playoff wins against the Pacers, Raptors, and Celtics have heightened these debates.  Was there any doubt at all that the Cavs were making the Finals this year?  The NBA is a joke and there’s no competition until the tipoff of the NBA Finals.  The league has been built so LeBron can hitch on to super teams.  Michael Jordan never hitched on to a team.  He was a true leader.  When the game was on the line, Jordan didn’t pass the ball off to Kyrie Irving or Dwayne Wade.  Jordan would take the game over and end up on the winning end the majority of the time.  When fans discuss Lebron’s greatness, it’s focus on physical ability.  It’s never about clutch plays and game winning shots.  Why?  Because he wants no part of it.  LeBron James is a front runner.  It’s as simple as that.

Think about it this way:

Who was the better scorer?  Jordan.  In fact, no one in the history of the league wins this debate.

Who was the better shooter?  Jordan.  The LeBron supporters will disagree, but Jordan had an outstanding outside shooting game.  He also made free throws!  He was an 84% shooter at the line.  LeBron is at 74%.

Who was the better rebounder?  LeBron.  Naturally…he’s a forward so this is expected.  No debate here.  However, you may be surprised to know that Lebron’s career average is 7.3 rebounds and Jordan’s is 6.2.

Who was the better passer?  LeBron.  This was not an elite strength in Jordan’s game.

Who was the better defender?  Jordan…and it’s not close.  He was an elite on ball defender.  Lebron’s defense is best known for a highlight block where he runs down a player.  Watch him play D in the Finals.  He is far from elite.  Jordan was on nine First Team All Defensive Teams.  LeBron has been on five.

Who was the more clutch player?  Jordan.  Sorry, not even doing this.  Not debatable!  Period!

Who was the better WINNER?  Jordan.  6-0 record in the NBA Finals.  LeBron is 3-4.  Enough said.

 

Can you imagine a Michael Jordan led team losing the NBA Finals to a team led by Dirk Nowitzki?  Not Larry Bird.  Not Magic Johnson.  Not even Kobe Bryant.  Dirk Nowitzki… That would have been like Jordan losing to Clyde Drexler.  Not happening.

New guy vs. old guy debates are getting silly…and this one is a complete joke!

Go Warriors.

 

 

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