Author: mlinh

Michael Jordan or LeBron James? It is one of the essential questions in the modern era of sports fandom, encompassing facts and biases, statistics and anecdotal evidence, and the ever-shifting barometer of cultural relevance. It turns friends into foes, barbershops into the site of parliamentary debates, and the Super Bowl LII champions into bickering schoolchildren. The question of Jordan or LeBron may live on for longer than they do. So, before we fully gear up for what should be a frenzied second half of the season, why not celebrate and examine the impact of two of the most influential players in basketball history?

Welcome to Jordan-LeBron Week.

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Viewers of the 2011 NBA playoffs might remember a particular basketball-related snippet that aired relentlessly throughout that postseason in a trailer for the raunchy comedy Bad Teacher.

“You’re out of your mind,” Jason Segel’s gym teacher yells at a student in this exchange. “There is no way that LeBron will ever beat Jordan. Nobody will ever beat Jordan, OK?”

“LeBron’s a better rebounder and passer,” the kid shouts back.

Segel’s retort is quick and dismissive: “Call me when LeBron has six championships.”

“Is that your only argument?”

“It’s the only argument I need, Shawn!”

Seven years, as many Finals appearances, and three titles later, LeBron James’s historical standing compared with Michael Jordan’s is still distilled to that same myopic standoff. On some level, though, that narrow thinking is understandable because the reality that the two greats never competed against each other means that comparing their career accomplishments is an eternal challenge. Rather than clash on the court, they dominated their respective eras: Either Jordan or James has featured in more than half the league’s Finals since 1991, when Jordan made his first, and either Jordan or James has appeared on nearly three-quarters of the All-NBA lineups since Jordan entered the league in 1984-85. But they never overlapped: James was born six months after Jordan was drafted and was himself drafted two months after His Airness’s final game.

Comparing their numbers head to head, across eras, adds little clarity to the debate. Jordan has the scoring advantage, with the greatest points-per-game average in league history (James is in a virtual tie with Kevin Durant for fourth place); James, like Bad Teacher’s Shawn says, is a better rebounder and passer, beating Jordan by more than a rebound and assist per game and far exceeding him on a rate basis. Jordan was a consistently better defender, as his nine All-Defensive First Team honors show, but a locked-in James is just as ferocious and would have looked a lot better in recent seasons playing next to All-Defensive team mainstays Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman rather than Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

For Jason Segel’s Jordan stans, those comparisons miss the rhetorical point, as they need only the one argument. Even after James won two rings in Miami, and even after he escaped a 3-1 series deficit to beat the best regular-season team in league history and bring a championship to Cleveland, he’s still just halfway to Jordan’s title total. And even if he wins three more, the comparative goalposts will move, and Jordan will remain ahead of his challenger by virtue of his perfect 6-0 record in the Finals. A clean Finals ledger hasn’t been possible for James since he was 22 and lost in a sweep to the Spurs.

Jordan, for comparison, didn’t reach his first Finals until he was 27; he and James both won their first titles at the same age. Part of the imbalance in Finals records results from James’s tendency to drag overmatched teams into June even when they didn’t particularly belong—the other starters on his first Finals loser were Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Drew Gooden, Sasha Pavlovic, and a combination of Larry Hughes, Daniel Gibson, and Eric Snow—while Jordan’s lesser teams lost in earlier rounds. James has forayed consistently further than Jordan into the playoffs, reaching more conference semifinals, conference finals, and NBA Finals than the consensus GOAT.

Postseason Outcomes

Playoff Result
Jordan
James

Total Seasons
15
14

Reached Playoffs
13
12

Reached Conference Semis
10
12

Reached Conference Finals
8
9

Reached Finals
6
8

Won Title
6
3

Overall, Jordan won 66.5 percent of his playoff games; James has won 66.4 percent of his. That’s a thin enough margin that even one more loss by Jordan or one fewer loss by James would swing the advantage to the latter player. But winning individual playoff games isn’t the goal; winning titles is, and there, Jordan has the incontrovertible advantage. It’s reductive but true.

So a playoff path toward unseating the king is in all likelihood closed off to, well, the King. And, as noted above, the per-game statistical comparisons are sufficiently muddled that James won’t nudge ahead there, either. But he does have one route to establishing potential superiority: his longevity, and the career benchmarks it could yield. Among his multitudinous basketball talents, James’s health might be the most underrated yet consistently important, and it could eventually give his supporters the one argument they need.

In the middle of his 15th season, James still appears in his prime. Jordan’s 15th season—delayed by three years of college plus multiple retirements—was his last. James has played more career games than Jordan, has never suffered a notable injury, and remains on a blistering pace across the statistical board. Which begs two questions: Just how high could his career totals climb? And could those potential numbers be so overwhelming, so absurd compared not only to Jordan’s but to those of every other player who’s worn an NBA uniform, that he could claim the greatest career in league history?

The best way to answer those questions employs the “favorite toy” tool invented by baseball sabermetrician Bill James and rejiggered by John Hollinger to fit a basketball context. It uses a player’s age and established performance level to assess their likelihood of reaching a statistical milestone. For instance, LeBron James entered the All-Star break with 7,961 career assists, already the 12th most in league history. Given that he’s only 33 years old and currently averaging a career high in assists per game, it follows that he’d continue to work his way up the leaderboard, and, indeed, the “favorite toy” formula predicts that he has a 98.5 percent chance of cracking the top 10 (whose current barrier is Andre Miller’s 8,524 assists) by the time his career ends.

This tool is nothing more than a projection system based on past performance, so if the historically indestructible James suffers an injury akin to the severity of Kobe Bryant’s Achilles tear, James’s chance of reaching various targets will plummet. But he is already ahead of pace in a number of categories, and “favorite toy” reveals a remarkable set of possibilities for his ultimate career totals.

First up, points, the most singular expression of basketball dominance and the counting stat in which the 10-time scoring champ Jordan most outstrips James on a per-game basis. Earlier this season, James reached 30,000 points, and though he’s now in seventh on the career scoring list, he is just one or two healthy seasons away from passing Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain, Jordan, and Kobe Bryant for third.

Karl Malone (36,928 points) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) are further away, but with 91.6 percent odds of passing Malone and 69.6 percent odds of passing Abdul-Jabbar, James is still a heavy favorite to exceed their totals and retire as the sport’s all-time leading scorer. He also has essentially a coin-flip chance (48.3 percent) to hit 40,000 points and a not-insignificant chance to hit 45,000 (13.3 percent).

If that graph looks a little funky, it’s because the “favorite toy” formula requires an adjustment at the extremes, and James’s total is so high at such a relatively young age that he breaks it for thousands of points’ worth of calculations. He quite literally has no precedent in these matters.

That pattern extends to the career assists leaderboard, where James already leads Jordan by 2,328 assists and 32 spots on the list. James’s odds of passing all of Rod Strickland, Miller, Gary Payton, Isaiah Thomas, Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Mark Jackson, and Steve Nash are north of 80 percent, which would place him behind only John Stockton, Jason Kidd, and potentially Chris Paul (who’s ahead of James by 612 assists and still adding to his total) in the top three or four all-time. Stockton and Kidd have a healthier lead, and, while the former Jazz man is uncatchable with more than 15,000 assists, Kidd’s 12,091 is within James’s distant reach (23.8 percent).

James’s rebounding future looks less impressive by comparison, if only because he has more historical competition at lofty totals, and “favorite toy” gives him a zero percent chance of cracking the leaderboard’s top 10. He does, though, already lead Jordan by 1,488 rebounds and 64 rungs, and he seems like a reasonable bet to reach the top 25 among all players (35.2 percent) and a solid bet to reach the top five among all non-centers (roughly 50 percent, pending where Nowitzki, currently in fifth place on that list, ends up). (The below graph shows his standing among only non-centers.)

That all leads to a rather astonishing combination—which is so unprecedented in basketball history that it requires a cross-sport comparison. Perhaps the most extraordinary fun fact about Barry Bonds’s extraordinarily fun-fact-filled career is that he is the only player in MLB history with at least 500 home runs and 500 stolen bases—and he’s also the only player in MLB history with at least 400 home runs and 400 stolen bases.

A similar standard will soon manifest with James. He is already one of just three players in NBA history—along with Kidd and Robertson—with at least 7,000 rebounds and 7,000 assists, and by the end of this season, he’ll join Kidd as the only members of the 8,000-8,000 club. The extraordinary part comes next: “Favorite toy” gives James better than a 90 percent chance of becoming the first member of both the 9,000-9,000 and 10,000-10,000 clubs, and better than a 50 percent chance of founding the 11,000-11,000 club.

Would a hypothetical future James who holds the all-time scoring record and ranks in the top 3 in all-time assists and the top 25 in all-time rebounds, and who has inaugurated the inconceivable 40,000-10,000-10,000 club, surpass Jordan?

What if James reaches 42,292 points—10,000 more than Jordan—which “favorite toy” suggests has a 28.4 percent chance of occurring? What if James doubles Jordan’s assists total (43.7 percent chance)? Even his most likely final numbers at this point—39,847 points, 11,071 assists, and 11,130 rebounds—would dwarf Jordan’s totals. And again, consider the absurdity of 39,847 career points representing the average outcome for James at this point.

Maybe the answer is no—maybe James fans shouldn’t call Jason Segel until their man reaches six titles. But with longevity in his corner and potentially a host of astounding numbers to go along with it, the best player since Jordan could build an argument as the best player including Jordan. Much like with the yearly MVP race, the GOAT debate might twist into a semantics debate: Are “best” and “most accomplished” synonymous, and how closely does “greatest player” overlap with “player with the greatest career”? That strain of argument would prove exhausting but would at least represent an evolution in the dispute—and the very fact that it’s a future possibility speaks to what James has already accomplished and how much more room he has to bolster his case.

James has won his fourth championship with the Lakers, bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to L.A. in 2019-20. He’s also replaced Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time top scorer, beating his record of 44,149 points scored in both the regular season and playoffs.

During the 2022 All-Star Weekend, James said Jordan’s career inspired him to pursue greatness himself. Hence, he rushed to speak with his idol after both players took part in the celebration of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during the event in Cleveland.

“[T]here was so much chaos going on after we all kind of split,” James said.

“I did not want to lose the opportunity to shake the man’s hand that inspired me throughout my childhood. I haven’t had much dialogue with him in my 20 years or 19 years in this business, but part of me wouldn’t be here without MJ’s inspiration.

“I always wanted to be like him growing up.”

James said even the game-winning fadeaway that sealed Team LeBron’s victory on Sunday was a page taken out of Jordan’s book.

“It’s crazy that the game-winning shot tonight was a fadeaway, and it was inspired by MJ,” he said.

“The way he wore his shoes, the way he wore his uniform, I mean, all the way down to some of the cars that he drove, how much he inspired me. I didn’t want to waste that opportunity because we’re just not in — we’re not in the same building a lot and haven’t been in the same building a lot throughout my career.

“It meant something to me.”

James appreciative of cheers from hometown fans at All-Star Game

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse got loud when the announcer mentioned James’ Ohio roots during the presentation of the All-Star Game teams. The four-time NBA champion visibly savored the moment — and then said he appreciated the cheers hometown fans greeted him with.

“I mean, these guys have followed my journey,” James said.

“For me to be back here, like I said, today, and for them to give me that warm welcome, didn’t only mean something to me, but it meant something to my family and friends that are here, and my kids from my school are all over this place.

“It’s just super dope. Super, super, super dope, and I was very humbled and appreciative of that.”

LeBron James has further solidified his place in the Michael Jordan tier of NBA greats since joining the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ever since LeBron James was just a kid in high school, he has been compared to Michael Jordan. These comparisons have led to one of the biggest debated and controversial questions in all of sports: Who is the greatest of all time, LeBron James or Michael Jordan?

To find who the greatest basketball player is, we must define what being the greatest is. While everyone may have their little differences in what being the greatest really is, I believe that being the greatest means winning and accomplishing the most. Many people mix up being the best and being the greatest. Being the best is about your pure skill and talent of the game, but being the greatest is about winning, and accomplishing the most—the whole objective of the game. To find out who did the most in their career, we must take a look at some career statistics.

Who Won More?

Out of the 1,371 regular season games that LeBron James has played he won 65.4 percent of them. He has a career record of 899-472. Meanwhile Michael Jordan has won 65.9 percent of his games. He has played 1,072 games and has a career record of 706-366. Michael Jordan has a better win percentage, however LeBron James has won more games.

What Does Allderdice Think?

I interviewed 36 people at Taylor Allderdice (including both staff and students) asking who is the greater player. 61 percent of people claimed that Michael Jordan was the G.O.A.T (greatest of all time) while 39 percent claimed LeBron was the G.O.A.T.

An interesting occurrence about the replies was that the teachers who got to witness both LeBron James and Michael Jordan play, typically replied that M.J was the greater player. Meanwhile students who only got to watch LeBron play more commonly answered LeBron James. This is most likely due to something called “recency bias,” since the younger generation is more familiar with LeBron James, they tend to favor him more.

Career Accolades 

Possibly, the best way to compare these two careers is to take a look at their accolades and accomplishments and to compare them. Michael Jordan has 6 championships as opposed to Lebron James’ 4 championships. Jordan has 6 final MVPs while LeBron has 4. MJ has 10 scoring titles to Lebron’s 1 scoring title. Michael Jordan has 5 MVPs, while LeBron has 4. Michael Jordan is also the only one of the two to win Defensive Player of the Year (winning it in 1988).

You could make the argument that LeBron James beats Michael Jordan in most statistical categories, but Lebron James holds the advantage of playing four more seasons in the NBA. If you compare their career averages, Michael Jordan has 3 more points per game and 1 more steal per game, but 1 less assist per game and 2 less rebounds per game, and both have the same amount of blocks per game. They have almost identical career averages, but LeBron James played 4 more seasons under his belt. Even with that, Michael Jordan holds his own and still bests James in some categories.

Conclusion

Overall, the question will forever be of much debate, but students at Allderdice tend to believe that Michael Jordan has accomplished more, and is the better of the two.

I know, I know … another Michael Jordan post, Skeets? Didn’t that guy just retire? Yes, yes he did. But look, it was either this or a post about Greg Ostertag trying to make a return to the NBA. Greg Ostertag. This guy. I don’t wish that on anybody — except maybe Bibby and Steve Larmer’s video game character in “NHL ’94.”

Anyway, I caught wind of this MJ tidbit via TrueHoop’s coffee cup, and I figured it was worth sharing here.

According to Luis Arroyave of The Chicago Tribune, Jordan-related Internet traffic spiked around the time of his induction into the Hall of Fame on Friday, and it had little to do with his speech or shiny silver suit — it was because of his new woman.

“Of the four Jordan-related searches in Google’s Hot Trends list for Friday, three involved his date to the ceremony, Yvette Prieto. According to Hot Trends, which measures searches that experience a boost in popularity, the term “Yvette Prieto” was No. 19, “Michael Jordan girlfriend” was No. 21 and “Michael Jordan’s girlfriend” was No. 38.

Jordan’s mother, Deloris, sat on his right during the ceremony while Prieto sat on his left in a hard-to-miss red dress.

Prieto has previously been spotted with the Bulls legend at NBA All-Star weekend in Phoenix in February and again in May, when she and Jordan wore color-coordinated outfits to the Kentucky Derby.”

They really did:

The Cuban model (Pietro, not Jordan’s underwear buddy) once dated singer Julio Iglesias Jr. — Enrique’s older brother.

According to Miami-Dade County records, the happy couple “co-own” a three-bedroom home that property-appraisal records list as having three bedrooms and 5,500 square feet. They took out a 30-year mortgage worth $196,000 for it.

The more you know …

The GOAT debate between LeBron James and Michael Jordan is a never-ending one. From casual fans to pundits to even players continuously have had their say on their matter. Given the career accolades of the two greats, it is hard to say why.

With a combined total of 10 NBA titles, 9 MVP trophies, and 10 Finals MVP trophies, LeBron and MJ have rightly earned their spot at the pinnacle of the NBA and are rightfully considered the best ever to do it.

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Gary Payton Reveals Who He Thinks Is A Better Player Between LeBron James And Michael Jordan

While fans can be pretty rampant about their opinions on who is better between MJ and LBJ, perhaps a fair way to determine who is better is to question a player who might have faced both Bron and Jordan. Among the select few who have faced off against the two is Gary Payton.

One of the best defensive guards the league has ever seen, Payton faced MJ, who was at his absolute peak in the 1990s. ‘The Glove’ also faced off against a young and athletic LeBron James who was tearing it up in Cleveland. Given that the legendary guard has faced off against Jordan and Bron, Payton was recently asked who he thinks is a better player.

“I think LeBron is an all-around basketball player. If you ask me who is a better all-around basketball player, LeBron James, by far, he does everything. He passes the ball better than Jordan, he can dribble little bit better than Jordan, shooting wise I don’t think so, rebounding I think he did, but so did Jordan.”

While comparing the two legends might be fun, it is still unfair to judge a player who is still at the peak of his powers to a retired legend like Jordan. All said and done, peak wise MJ, has the argument of boasting one of the most impressive peaks in basketball history, but if we consider longevity, the debate favors LeBron James. Who do you think is the better player between Jordan and LeBron?

On Sunday, Tom Brady took heat like he was standing behind a junior varsity offensive line going up against the 1985 Chicago Bears. Netflix’s “Roast of Tom Brady” was a hit and got us thinking about other famous athletes who would make for great roast fodder.

The Brady roast brought out stars from across industries. Actor and comedian Kevin Hart hosted the event. Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was there along with former receiver Julian Edelman. Even Kim Kardashian took the stage while seasoned roast comedians like Nikki Glaser and Jeff Ross were there to provide some real flame-throwing from the podium.

When looking for a list of the next possible roastees, we tried to find people who are truly legends within their sport. Of course, it also helps the entertainment value if that person hasn’t shied away from a little controversy throughout the years.

The success of the Brady event means there will probably be more like it in the future, so here is a list of sports personalities ranging from NBA GOATs to NFL owners who would make the best targets.

Michael Jordan

If Tom Brady can get roasted, then no one is off limits, no matter how many rings they have. That being the case, let’s put Michael Jordan himself in the hot seat. Bring out some of Jordan’s biggest rivals from his time on the hardwood. Isiah Thomas, Patrick Ewing and Larry Bird could all be part of the dais. The roast could also feature Jordan’s former Chicago Bulls teammates like Scottie Pippen, who might still have something to settle with MJ. Don’t forget Steve Kerr, who probably has some pent-up resentment from taking a punch to the face.

The “Roast of Michael Jordan” could also weave in current players with LeBron James as part of the event. The debate about the NBA’s GOAT could be a running thread, and we might be able to turn this thing into a two-night event with James becoming the target after Jordan. Then maybe we could finally settle the Jordan-LeBron debate once and for all.

Charles Barkley

Keeping it in the NBA, there are few basketball personalities more opinionated than Barkley. Tune into “NBA on TNT” and you will see Barkley roasting players and his co-hosts alike. The man just sent the New Orleans Pelicans to Galveston, Texas instead of Cancun for their end-of-season vacation. Obviously, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith would have to be part of the event, and I’m sure Ernie Johnson has some quips in his back pocket after years of sitting next to the Round Mound of Rebound. It would probably also be a good idea to let the NBA players Barkley has called out on TV to fire back at him, but the stage is only so big, and the roast probably needs to have a time limit.

Tiger Woods

The greatest golfer in history, Tiger Woods has done it all while being under the microscope for the wrong reasons. The best roast target is a controversial legend, and Woods absolutely fits that bill. The 15-time major winner is an American sports icon, but he has also had a very public fall from grace. A roast would allow Woods to lay it all out there with comedians and fellow athletes taking turns torching him about some of his escapades away from the course. When it comes to guests, the dais would be as star-studded as any on the list. Phil Mickelson and John Daly would keep the evening interesting, and golf enthusiast Michael Jordan could probably also be talked into an appearance.

Jerry Jones

When you think about the most roast-able personalities in football, Jerry Jones has to be at or near the top of the list. The owner of the most polarizing franchise in the NFL, Jones has a tendency to express his opinions rather freely. That can create friction with players and coaches alike. Just ask Jimmy Johnson, who was only just inducted into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor last December, which was 30 years since he coached the team to back-to-back Super Bowls. Jones isn’t a stranger to off-field controversy either, so there would be plenty of joke fodder there as well. Obviously, Johnson would have to be part of the cast, and other ex-Cowboys like Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Tony Romo and Deion Sanders could get involved too.

Alex Rodriguez

A-Rod is no stranger to getting hate. He experienced that throughout his entire 22-season MLB career. That vitriol really kicked up a notch in 2004, when Rodriguez signed with the New York Yankees and became part of the Evil Empire. Being a highly-paid star on the Yankees is enough to draw some heat on its own, but Rodriguez had his share of controversies that went beyond the diamond too. Most notably, Rodriguez was entangled in the Biogenesis PED scandal and missed the entire 2014 season because of a suspension and appeal process. The well of potential roasters is pretty deep and can include anyone from Derek Jeter to Ryan Dempster, who already took a couple of shots at Rodriguez in 2013. Hold the roast in Fenway Park, and you might be able to sell out an entire weekend’s worth of shows.

Brad Marchand

Every NHL game is filled with players roasting each other between the whistles. One of the more prolific trolls is Marchand, who is an All-Star pest in addition to being an actual All-Star. Marchand has been known to stir the pot on the ice, sometimes crossing the line to the point of making frequent visits to the penalty box. That said, his wise-cracking extends well beyond the 200×85 ice surface. Marchand has fired plenty of shots on social media, even taking on the entire Carolina Hurricanes organization once. There are players from 31 other teams who would love their chance to fire barbs at Marchand, and there is no question he would relish the opportunity to do the same to them.

Conor McGregor

It’s probably fair to assume this is the most volatile roastee on the list, which probably only lends itself to more dramatic TV. McGregor is used to giving and receiving hits in the octagon, but now he gets the chance to do some verbal sparring on stage. Of course, McGregor has plenty of experience in cutting a promo on opponents. Just go to YouTube if you want to spend a few hours viewing his best work in that department. The only concern with this roast would be that the Proper No. Twelve and testosterone gets flowing and things get a little physical on stage. Maybe the organizers just shouldn’t invite Khabib Nurmagomedov to be a roaster.

Brett Favre

If you’re looking for another legendary quarterback to roast, Brett Favre probably fits the bill. Not only is Favre one of the greatest gunslingers in NFL history, but there is a laundry list of material for the guests of honor to work into their material. Favre’s dramatic split with the Green Bay Packers, as well as his brief stints with the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, would be a good place to start. From there, attention would turn to some of Favre’s less flattering off-field antics, and something tells me volleyball might be mentioned once or twice. Make sure to get Aaron Rodgers on that stage too.

Kim Mulkey

The LSU head coach is known for her intensity on the court, flamboyant outfits and lack of filter in the media. That’s a good recipe for a roast, and Mulkey has gotten a lot of attention from fans and haters alike over the last few years as women’s basketball continues to spike in popularity. Some of Mulkey’s former players, including Angel Reese, could be involved, but the list wouldn’t end there. Get some rival coaches from other programs around the country, like UConn’s Geno Auriemma, and see how this evolves into a glorified recruiting pitch.

Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves face the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals on Friday night. The Timberwolves have a 2-0 lead and Anthony Edwards has been spectacular throughout the Wolves’ playoff run. Maybe that’s why he was featured on Good Morning America on Friday morning.

Malika Andrews interviewed Edwards for NBA Today, but ABC gave GMA a pretty spicy clip to air to promote the full interview which will air later today and then again on GMA on Saturday. Andrews asks Edwards about the Michael Jordan comparisons he really doesn’t want to talk about. In the process of not talking about the comparisons, he explains that he has one thing Jordan didn’t.

“The first Anthony Edwards. Not the next Michael Jordan. I want people to be like, this Anthony Edwards kid, he got his own style like, he maybe got a mix of Michael Jordan in him, but you know, I got a little, I got a trey ball. My trey ball. I can shoot the three so that makes me a little different from Michael Jordan.”

Different might be an understatement when it comes to these guys shooting the three. It’s barely the same sport from behind the arc. Jordan retired as a career 33% three-point shooter on just 1.7 attempts per game. He didn’t shoot 20% from three until his fifth season when he was 25-years old. At 22, Edwards shot 36% on 6.7 attempts per game.

As for the overall Jordan comparisons that he doesn’t want to talk about and we’re not supposed to talk about… Anthony Edwards does totally remind me of Michael Jordan. And it’s incredibly funny to downplay comparisons to Michael Jordan by saying you’re actually a better shooter than he was.

But it’s true. The way Edwards moves. The way he jumps. The way he seems to hang there and take and make shots from angles that no normal professional basketball player can. It really is Jordan-esque.

It doesn’t mean Edwards belongs in a conversation about Capra hircus, but there are compilations and it is undeniable that Anthony Edwards should remind people of Michael Jordan in the way that Kobe Bryant wanted to remind people of Michael Jordan. The fact that Edwards is not trying to be Michael Jordan is what actually does make him the first Anthony Edwards. And that’s pretty damn cool.

Magic Johnson built close relationships with the two greatest shooting guards of all time. Michael Jordan has been one of his close friends since their playing days and he got to mentor Kobe Bryant on the Lakers. In a recent appearance on the Jennifer Hudson show, Magic compared the pair by calling Jordan the greatest ever but heavily complimenting Kobe by calling him special.

“He’s probably the closest dude to Michael Jordan. Michael is the greatest that’s ever played. But Kobe in terms of how he was able to, his mannerisms like Michael, the way he approached the game like Michael. Special.”

Before making the Jordan comparison, Magic got emotional while talking about attending the unveiling of Kobe’s statue outside the Crypto.com Arena.

Jennifer Hudson: “You were at the unveiling of Kobe Bryant’s statue in LA. What did that mean to you?”

Magic Johnson: “Jennifer, it was bittersweet. Vannessa, his wife, did an amazing job with her speech. I think she designed his statue too. We all miss him and him not being there. What a legacy he left, he was such an amazing young man. The things that he did for women’s sports, the ‘girl dad’, and the championships that he won. Kobe was much more than a dominant basketball player and a champion. He meant so much to the city of Los Angeles and the basketball world worldwide. The statue is the best statue I have ever seen, so give Vannessa and Jeanie Buss a lot of credit because it was amazing. We all miss him and his presence. Thank you to everyone who’s gone by and taken pictures with the statue who are Kobe fans because there’ll never be another Kobe Bryant.”

Magic knows both these stars incredibly well. Though he retired a season before Kobe joined the Lakers, he got to see his development from a late-lottery pick to a five-time NBA Champion and one of the most iconic sportsmen of all time.

Even with that, everyone understands that Jordan stays a class ahead. Johnson knows this more than anyone else, as MJ ended his and Larry Bird’s reign of dominance in the NBA by beating his Lakers for his first title in the 1991 NBA Finals.

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Magic Johnson Opened Up On Playing With Michael Jordan On The Dream Team

Magic Johnson also spoke to Jennifer Hudson about playing alongside Michael Jordan on the USA Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics.

(Starts at 0:00)

“When you think about playing with MJ, it’s nerve-wracking because he demands excellence. Just getting him the basketball in the right place and let him do his thing with his tongue out and everything.”

Johnson then told the story of the East vs. West practice game that the Dream Team played amongst themselves.

“I tell you, we were practicing. Coach Daly had divided the team into East vs. West. All the East players, Jordan, Pippen, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, all the East guys versus the West guys, my guys. It was a tight game. Then we went up by five or six points and they called timeout. I went over to MJ and said, ‘If you don’t turn into Air Jordan, we’re gonna blow you out. I was talking trash to him. What did I do that for? He came out of that huddle and he must have scored eight or nine straight points and he was always looking at me.

Magic also revealed that he got to check something off his bucket list as he always dreamed of playing alongside Jordan and Larry Bird.

“I talked trash a little too much. But it was a pleasure because it had been on my bucket list to play with him and Larry Bird. That was on my bucket list and I got a chance to play with both on the Dream Team. We blew everybody out by over 42 points a game.”

Johnson also spoke about playing cards with Jordan till 5 A.M. every night, revealing that they both lost a lot of money to each other.

That didn’t matter, as Jordan averaged 14.9 points and 4.8 assists while Magic averaged 8.0 points and 5.5 assists in a dominant Gold medal run at the 1992 Olympics. Team USA outscored opponents by a total of 350 points in just eight games, establishing themselves as one of the greatest teams of all time.

Mіchael Jordаn vѕ LeBron Jаmes: Dіscover the defenѕive аccolаdes of NBA legendѕ. Why juѕt one DPOY аwаrd for Jordаn, but none for Jаmes?

The Defenѕive Plаyer of the Yeаr (DPOY) аwаrd ѕtandѕ аs а beаcon of defenѕive exсellenсe іn the NBA. It emрhasizes the сruсial role рlayers undertаke on the defenѕive end of the сourt. The аwаrd іs determіned through the сolleсtive voteѕ of ѕelected medіa рrofessionals. Theѕe medіa рersonnel go through а сomprehensive рrocess іn whіch they аnаlyze а рlayer’s defenѕive ѕtatiѕticѕ, аdvаnced ѕtatѕ, аnd theіr own eye-teѕt obѕervationѕ to аssess рlayers’ іmpact on the gаme.

The ѕtealѕ, bloсks, defenѕive wіn ѕhareѕ, аnd every other аspect of а рlayer’s defenѕive сontribution іs ѕcrutinized аnd ѕtudied. Addіtіonally, а рlayer’s іnfluence on theіr teаm’s overаll defenѕive рerformance іs аlso gаuged. The Plаyers who wіn the NBA Defenѕive Plаyer of the Yeаr аre reсipients of the Hаkeem Olаjuwon Troрhy. Every DPOY wіnner ѕolidifieѕ theіr рlace аmong the аll-time greаt defenderѕ.

Mіchael Jordаn:

One of the greаtest рlayers of all-time Michael Jordаn won the NBA Defenѕive Plаyer of the Yeаr аwаrd for the 1987-88 ѕeaѕon. Jordаn wаs аlwаys аn unѕtoppable forсe on offenѕe but wаs on а teаr on the defenѕive end іn the 1987-88 NBA. Thіs ѕeaѕon, Jordаn рlayed аll 82 gаmes аnd led the NBA іn ѕtealѕ рer gаme wіth 3.2. Jordаn emerged аs а loсkdown defender аs he аverаged 1.6 bloсks рer gаme.

Moreover, Jordаn’s іmpact сan be ѕeen іn the аdvаnced ѕtatѕ. He toррed the leаgue іn Defenѕive Box Pluѕ Mіnus (DBPM) аnd rаnked ѕecond іn Defenѕive Wіn Shаres (DWS). Hіs іmpact on the defenѕive end wаs the only reаson why the Chіcago Bullѕ hаd the thіrd-best defenѕe іn the leаgue thаt ѕeaѕon.

Whіle beіng а defenѕive monѕter, the NBA іcon аlso сontinued hіs offenѕive domіnatіon, аs he аverаged 35 рoints рer gаme on 53.5% ѕhooting from the fіeld for the entіre ѕeaѕon. Mіchael Jordаn іs the only рlayer to аverаge over 30 рoints рer gаme іn а ѕeaѕon whіle wіnnіng both the MVP аnd DPOY аwаrds іn the ѕame ѕeaѕon. Lаter, Hаkeem Olаjuwon (1993-1994) аnd Gіannіs Antetokounmрo (2019-2020) won MVP аnd DPOY іn the ѕame ѕeaѕon but they dіd not аverаge more thаn 30 рoints рer gаme. Mіchael Jordаn’s 1987-88 NBA ѕeaѕon іs ѕtill wіdely regаrded аs one of the greаtest іndіvіdual рerformances іn NBA hіstory.

LeBron Jаmes:

LeBron Jаmes hаd аn іllustrіous Hаll of Fаme сareer ѕpanning over two deсades, but he never won the NBA Defenѕive Plаyer of the Yeаr (DPOY) аwаrd. Throughout hіs сareer, LeBron Jаmes’ іmpact on the defenѕive end of the сourt hаs been ѕignificant. He wаs а fіve-tіme NBA All-Defenѕive Fіrst Teаm from 2009 to 2013 аnd onсe mаde іt to the NBA All-Defenѕive Seсond Teаm іn 2014. For moѕt of hіs рrime yeаrs, LeBron hаd аn elіte аbility to guаrd аll fіve рositions on the сourt. Throughout hіs 21-yeаr NBA сareer, LeBron Jаmes сame аgonizingly сlose to wіnnіng the сoveted DPOY аwаrd twіce. However, he fіnіshed аs the runner-uр on both oссasions, іn the 2008-09 аnd 2012-13 NBA ѕeaѕonѕ.

In the 2008-09 ѕeaѕon, а young аnd аthletic LeBron led the Clevelаnd Cаvаliers to а 66-16 reсord whіle ѕhowcaѕing hіs defenѕive verѕatility. LeBron’ѕ ѕtatѕ from thаt ѕeaѕon іncluded ѕecond-place fіnіshes іn the Defenѕive Box Pluѕ Mіnus аnd Defenѕive Wіn Shаres. However, Jаmes сould not dethrone Dwіght Howаrd, who domіnated аll the defenѕive ѕtatiѕticѕ juѕt аs he domіnated offenѕive рlayers іn the рaint thаt ѕeaѕon.

Sіmіlarly, іn the 2012-13 ѕeaѕon, LeBron fіnіshed аs the runner-uр іn the DPOY rаce. Deѕpite hіs exсeptional defenѕive рerformances аll ѕeaѕon long, he loѕt the сoveted аwаrd to Mаrc Gаsol of the Memрhis Grіzzlіes. Thіs loѕѕ left LeBron feelіng gutted аs over the yeаrs he hаs oрenly exрressed hіs dіsappoіntment of not wіnnіng the DPOY іn 2013.

In сonсlusion, Mіchael Jordаn ѕolidified hіs defenѕive legаcy wіth а DPOY аwаrd durіng hіs іllustrіous сareer. However, deѕpite hіs defenѕive рrowess, LeBron Jаmes hаs yet to сlaim the сoveted honor.

NBA legend Scottie Pіppen wrote іn hіs book,” Unguarded,” thаt he uѕed to рrank Michael Jordаn by рutting toy ѕnakeѕ іn hіs loсker.

BRIAN BAHR/AFP vіa Getty Imаges

Jordаn аnd Pіppen won ѕix NBA сhampionships on the Chіcago Bullѕ іn 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 аnd 1998.

“I felt ѕo relаxed аt рractice I threw а rubber ѕnake аt Mіchael,” Pіppen wrote. “He flіnched, аs uѕual. Mіchael wаs ѕcared to deаth of ѕnakeѕ. I uѕed to buy toy ѕnakeѕ аnd рut them іn hіs loсker whenever I hаd the сhanсe. The look on hіs fаce wаs рriceless. I сouldn’t ѕtop lаughing.”

Moѕt NBA fаns аssumed thаt Jordаn аnd Pіppen were сlose frіends ѕince they were іncredіble teаmmаtes.

However, Pіppen wrote іn hіs book thаt he аnd Jordаn were never сlose.

“Mіchael аnd I аren’t сlose аnd never hаve been,” Pіppen wrote. “Whenever I сall or text hіm, he uѕually getѕ bаck to me іn а tіmely fаshion, but I don’t сheсk іn juѕt to ѕee how he’ѕ doіng. Nor doeѕ he do the ѕame. Mаny рeoрle mіght fіnd thаt hаrd to belіeve gіven how ѕmoothly we сonneсted on the сourt.

“Awаy from the сourt, we аre two very dіfferent рeoрle who hаve led two very dіfferent lіves. I wаs from the сountry: Hаmburg, Arkаnsаs, рoрulation аbout 3,000; he wаs from the сity: Wіlmіngton, North Cаrolinа.”

They mаy not hаve been сlose off the сourt, but Jordаn аnd Pіppen were undoubtedly “connected” on the floor.

The Bullѕ were 514-177 іn the regulаr ѕeaѕon when Jordаn аnd Pіppen рlayed. They went 6-0 іn the NBA Fіnals аnd three-рeated twіce.

Jordаn аverаged 31.5 рoints, 6.4 reboundѕ, 5.6 аssists, 2.5 ѕtealѕ аnd 0.8 bloсks аlongside Pіppen, whіle Pіppen аverаged 17.1 рoints, 6.4 reboundѕ, 5.3 аssists, 2.0 ѕtealѕ аnd 0.9 bloсks next to Jordаn.

Pіppen hаd two ѕtintѕ wіth the Bullѕ. He аverаged 17.7 рoints, 6.7 reboundѕ, 5.3 аssists, 2.1 ѕtealѕ аnd 0.9 bloсks.

Pіppen, one of the greаtest two-wаy рlayers іn NBA hіstory, mаde ѕeven All-Stаr teаms, ѕeven All-NBA teаms аnd 10 All-Defenѕive teаms wіth Chіcago.

Jordаn аlso рlayed for the Bullѕ twіce. He аverаged 31.5 рoints, 6.3 reboundѕ, 5.4 аssists, 2.5 ѕtealѕ аnd 0.9 bloсks аnd won fіve MVPѕ, ѕix Fіnals MVPѕ, 10 ѕcoring tіtles аnd one Defenѕive Plаyer of the Yeаr.

MJ mаde 12 All-Stаr teаms, 11 All-NBA teаms аnd nіne All-Defenѕive teаms wіth Chіcago.