Michael Jordan is a Hypocrite when it Comes to Lebron James
Michael Jordan played his career with the likes of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman and an array of other talented players on his rosters. His comparison is worse than Magic Johnson comparing James, Wade and Bosh to the big three of Boston and Los Angeles. Boston and Los Angeles have three big players, but not arguably the three best players in league. Ray Allen is good, but not on par with Dwayne Wade.
If you want a true analogy of great players being together in their prime, then look at 27 year old Michael Jordan winning his first championship with 25 year old Scottie Pippen in 1991. Pippen, now a first ballot Hall of Famer, averaged 17.8 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the field. This was along with his 7.3 rebounds per game and 6.2 assists.
To be fair, Jordan did not run off to sign with Scottie Pippen as they both started off with the Bulls. The same is true for Horace Grant who was on the first three Jordan championship teams. Also to Jordan's credit, Bosh is light years ahead of where Horace Grant was at the same age.
Jordan retired after the 1993 season and came back to find Toni Kukoc in Chicago. The Bulls knack for getting good young players had apparently continued in Jordan's absence. This did not force Jordan to go looking for other players like Lebron James did. Hence Jordan's competitive spirit was alive and well. Still Jordan did not complain about his competitive spirit when Dennis Rodman joined the ranks of Jordan, Pippen and Kukoc.
Jordan certainly never complained when Rodman averaged 14.9, 16.1 and 15 rebounds per game during the 1996-98 Bulls championship run. Jordan must now have forgotten that he even played with the two time defensive player of the year, the seven time all defensive team player and record breaking rebounder who has grabbed more than 25 rebounds in a single game thirty-three times.
If the New York Knicks in the 1990's had either Pippen or Rodman then who knows how different history could be. Great numbers do not equal championships after all. Just ask Lebron James who tucked his tail and headed to South Beach or Kobe Bryant who had to watch the Lakers reboot after Shaquille O'Neal left before he could continue winning championships.
Published by Luna Hanie
I am a freelance writer from New York. View profile
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6 Comments
Post a Comment@Jesus: I dont remember Lebron passing a major Jordan record like the HR record, so how is Jordan-Lebron similar to Aaron-Bonds? and Jordan deep down is probably happy that James signed in MIA bc that leads to more spotlight for his brand in Wade. Any NBA analyst could have seen this rocky start coming for the heat and they wont get it together bc their respective egos are too big. and no Jordan isnt scared of LBJ replacing him as the GOAT because he knows that no matter what lebron does he can never reach that Legend status like Jordan has
Jordan didn't pull a national television stunt like James did with his "decision" he didn't back down from the challenge of taking a lackluster team and putting them on his shoulders year in and year out. Lebron did. Jordan and Lebron weren't exactly in the same scenario seeing as Lebron was a phenom out of high school and Jordan was still making a name for himself after playing in college. But Jordan and Lebron were the same in that both had loads of support from the upper management of their teams. The Bulls did have a knack for getting young talent like Pippen. And the Bulls made shrewd moves to get talent like Rodman to compliment Jordan. The Cavs had Lebron fall into their laps in the 2003 draft and had no ability to scout and judge talent or potential. They tried to get talent for Lebron in Mo Williams and Jamison but they both flopped under pressure. SO instead of staying where he was at Lebron skipped town to a place where he could call friends up to sign
MJ isn't simply criticizing LeBron. He's comparing himself to LeBron. He's just scared that he won't be looked at as the greatest player of all time anymore after the Heat win 6 Championships in a row, not because he gives a hoot about the Cavs. Sure what he's saying makes enough sense, but it's not exactly like you're getting a verdict from an unbiased judge. It's like Hank Aaron not being happy with Barry Bonds.
DClark is right. Pippen away from Jordan is not one of the "50 Greatest Players of all time." Jordan is worlds above LeBron, and I'm not even a fan of MJ. LeBron did have a team that was put together to fit his skills. Jordan was the same. Remember Paxon, Hodges, and Kerr aren't exactly Hall of Fame material genius.
DCLARK, you are the one that is a total MORON - MJ did not "whip" Pippen to shape stupid, PIPPEN was and would have been great with or without JORDAN, HE IS ONE OF THE 50 greatest players of all TIME, LEBRON NEVER had that in cleveland not even close...... so you it is very easy to sit there and say he would have not joined forces like JORDAN said, when you have the kinds of teams that JORDAN had, you place JORDAN in the cavaliers teams instead of LEBRON, and still the outcome would have been the same...
Luna Hanie, you are an idiot. The next time you write an article make sure you know what you are talking about. MJ spent years whipping Horace and Scottie in to shape.To compare Mic's situation to LJ is as about one of the dumbest things you can do. Mike never left Chicago to sign with top free agents on a another team.