Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Michael Jordan is Michael Jordan, LeBron James is LeBron James

By Michael Whitlow

facebooktwitterreddit

I know comparing two first-ballot Hall of Famers is always fun for fans of the NBA, but the Michael Jordan-LeBron James debate benefits nobody.

Michael Jordan is without question, the greatest basketball player of all-time.

More from Bulls News

“His Airness” flew through the skies and defied gravity on a nightly basis on his way to six NBA Championships and five NBA Most Valuable Player Awards.

LeBron James is without question, the best basketball player on the planet today.

“King James” is the closest thing to a real-life version of Marvel Comics’ Wolverine character. James has won two titles and four league MVPs in 12 seasons and is a 6-foot-8, 240-pound machine.

Fans get a kick out of debating who is the better player in sports across the globe. Whether it’s Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron in baseball, Joe Montana and Tom Brady in football, or Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux in hockey, fans type away at their keyboards and cellphones, engaging in (sometimes heated) conversations over who’s better.

The most ridiculous debate in sports right now might just be Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James.

Hell, the Michael Jordan-LeBron James debate escalated into a physical altercation, and resulted in a 22-year-old Pennsylvania man arrested on an aggravated assault charge.

Earlier this week, Cavs players Kendrick Perkins and J.R. Smith expressed their opinions on the Jordan-James debate, and sided with their teammate.

"“The only thing that he’s missing is a couple more championships and then it’s a wrap,” Kendrick Perkins told Northeast Ohio Media Group. “Right now we have arguably the best player to ever play the game. I’m just saying man. I’m not taking anything away from Jordan, but all (James is) missing is titles. A couple of more titles and that’s it.”-Kendrick Perkins on the Michael Jordan-LeBron James debate, Cleveland.com"

Smith echoed Perkins’ thoughts by saying,

"“That’s one hell of a debate. Honestly, in my opinion, if it’s not Jordan then it’s him,” J.R. Smith told NEOMG. “It used to be no question. It was a landslide. It was Jordan. Now, you have to consider my boy.”-J.R. Smith on the MJ-LeBron debate, Cleveland.com"

OK, two things about this whole thing after Perkins and Smith’s comments:

  1. Who cares? LeBron’s career isn’t ending any time soon and it’s clear that he’s not going to win over some hoop fans for some actions in his past.
  2. Why is it so necessary for reporters to ask questions about a debate that’s so dry and irrelevant during the NBA Conference Finals?

Plus, who honestly values Kendrick Perkins‘ opinion on any basketball matter at this point in his career?

Listen, no matter what LeBron has done or will do in the future, some people will never grasp the fact that LeBron’s probably the best player we’ve seen since Jordan retired (the second time).

For Bulls fans to have an extreme hatred towards James is understandable. I mean, the guy’s only eliminated the Bulls four times in the last six seasons.

But, deep down, there’s no denying how good James has been and will be moving forward.

Sure, Michael was involved in his fair share of debates during his playing days. First, it was, “He’ll never be as good as Larry or Magic.” Then, it moved to “Clyde’s a better shooter than Michael.”

It’s a never-ending cycle in terms of who is the absolute best in any sport.

But, one thing’s for sure: Michael Jordan is Michael Jordan. LeBron James is LeBron James. It’s not “Michael does this better” and “LeBron isn’t as good as MJ with (insert hoop skill)”.

They’re the two most dominant players in two separate eras. Leave it at that.

More from Pippen Ain't Easy

Next: Will Chicago Bulls management ever be held accountable for their actions?

Home/Bulls News