A TALE OF TWO BASKETBALL GREATS: THE PAST MEETS THE PRESENT

Sports . . . an avenue for success some people say. Many people get their inspiration from sports. Sportsmen can be considered as modern-day heroes – they can be a source of good moral values such as sportsmanship, determination, perseverance, and the like. With sports, certain stars are born and this writer will be talking about them. Both are considered basketball greats. Both don the number 23 in their basketball jerseys. Both play the shooting guard position. They are none other than LeBron James and Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan, a product of Dean Smith’s impressive North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA, came into the NBA with the Chicago Bulls selecting him as the 3rd overall selection in the 1984 NBA Draft. He was known to be a prolific scorer, weaving through defenses as if they were not there at all.

LeBron James, a product of St. Vincent – St. Mart High School in Akron, Ohio, came into the NBA with hype surrounding him largely because of a stellar high school career in which he compiled 2,657 points, 892 rebounds, and 523 assists. He was selected 1st overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft

So the question still remains: Is LeBron James greater than Michael Jordan? Let us now do the analysis with yours truly giving his two cents on every aspect possible.

Offense
LeBron James can score at his will. Same goes to Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan has amassed a total of 32, 292 points while LeBron James now has 10,689 points. This however must not be a basis for comparison. A good basis for comparison would be on how they score points. LeBron James uses his upper-body strength to will his way into the rim and get the easy two. He does not have that reliable midrange jump shot just yet. He also has had some free throw struggles. Still, LeBron James is one of those good clutch performers. He thrives under clutch moments and makes the most out of them. However, one cannot deny the fact that LeBron James’ dunks are simply outstanding and thunderous. One also must not forget that LeBron is also an efficient passer – trusting his teammates to make that big shot.

Michael Jordan, considered to be the greatest NBA player of all time, is known to make clutch shots when they matter the most. He is also one of the best passers in the game. He made one play wherein he passed the ball to Steve Kerr for the game-winning shot. He has won six championships (All with the Bulls). He is known to score in bunches – including a record 63 points in a playoff game against the Celtics. With his prolific scoring ability, other teams employed a number of defenses against him – one of which is the famous “Jordan Rules” defense by the Detroit Pistons. He is known to use an array of moves – remember that shot he had against Utah in Game 6 of the 1998 Finals where he had that flu yet still had the strength to make the game-winning basket? That is how amazing Michael Jordan was during his storied NBA career.

EDGE: Jordan – simply too good and LeBron has not yet matured as an offensive go-to-guy who is making good decisions down the stretch for the Cavaliers.

Defense
LeBron James is not known to be a defensive specialist but we have seen him make outstanding defensive plays. He is a player who is shaky in defense. In the end, he is just an average defender who excels more in offense.

Michael Jordan is one of the best defensive guards in NBA history. He has been included in the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team for a record 9 times. He has a record of 8 steals in one half of a game. He was the first NBA player to record 200 steals and 100 blocked shots in a season (1986-1987 season). He was a 3-time league leader in steals. He also has the record of most blocked shots in a season by a guard with 131 in the 1987-1988 season. He also has the record of most blocked shots by a guard in a career with 893. Jordan also has won the Most Defensive Player of the Year once.

EDGE: Jordan – LeBron is not yet that defensive standout and Jordan is simply the better defender.

Playoff Experience
LeBron James has gone to the Conference Finals once and to the Conference Semifinals thrice. He has appeared in 46 playoff games, averaging 27. 5 points per game, 8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. He has one memorable playoff game against the Pistons(Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals) wherein he scored 29 of Cleveland’s last 30 points on route to a victory against the Piston. This performance was described by “Jordan-esque” by Steve Kerr and “one of the greatest moments in postseason history” by Marv Albert.

Michael Jordan has appeared in a total of 179 playoff games. He has won 6 championships – two three-peats – all with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan has an average of 33.4 points per game, 6.4 rebounds per game, and 5.7 assists in the playoffs. Jordan has had his share of memorable playoff moments. One memorable playoff moment was when he made that game-winning shot over Craig Ehlo of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of their first round series in the 1989 NBA Playoffs. He also had that one memorable NBA Finals moment against the Jazz wherein he made a championship-clinching shot over Bryon Russell.

EDGE: Jordan – Lots more playoff experience, more championships and simply, he is better at present.

THE FINAL WORDS
At present, we cannot compare LeBron James to Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is a living legacy. No doubt about it. For now, Michael Jordan is simply the better man. However, we must not forget that LeBron James is only 23 years old and has more room for improvement and I consider him to be one of the greatest NBA players alive by the time he reaches his prime. We must not forget that Jordan has had his share of playoff misfortunes and James already has had those playoff misfortunes.
The sky is the limit for LeBron James. Michael Jordan may have had a legacy – one that cannot be forgotten in these modern times thanks to its level of superiority. The bottom line is that Jordan is better than James at the present but then, with James’ current level of performance, we might see a “modern Jordan” in 4 to 5 years.