Chicago Bulls Talk: The NBA Needs Another Michael Jordan

Every once in a while I have to compare eras when I’m watching NBA basketball. After  watching two games in two nights, I don’t think we know how competitive the era of the 80’s and 90’s were. Especially the 90’s when the Chicago Bulls ran the decade.

The one thing the NBA provides all writers during the season is the constant angles. Sometimes the NBA can really write itself. I hope fans appreciate what sports writers at go through at times trying to bring credible content to you. Sometimes it’s tough bringing entertaining stuff to you on a daily basis.

The NBA season is not even five days old and there is a disturbing coincidence going on at the top of the professional basketball food chain. It concerns the “superstars” of the NBA. The competitive drive of competing every night on the basketball court.

There is a trend that is going on with the superstars of the NBA coming out of the gate early this season. We have seen two star players come out in their home openers and lay eggs only to come back the next night and play well. These stars are Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. With the discussion of playing less games during the season recently, I ask the question…what gives?

Oct 29, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol (16) reacts after scoring a basket next to New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

When the Chicago Bulls laid waste to the New York Knicks, it was evident that Carmelo Anthony was not interested and did not compete. As the star player and leader of the team his attitude towards the game affected the whole squad and the game was over by the second quarter. Anyone with the offensive  capabilities of a Carmelo Anthony should not be limited to 13 shots in a game. He was passive and allowed himself to be lazy. The Chicago Bulls played great defense and won the game but 13 shots? From a player that can shoot 30 shots in a game and not get tired? Please.

Then to top it all off and say he’s not embarrassed by losing at home by 24 points on national television? On opening night no less?

Oct 30, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots beside three New York Knicks in the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James is guilty too. On a night that everyone was watching, he looked passive and did not compete to the level that the “so called best player in the world” should. Against the New York Knicks James scored 17 points on 5-15 shooting with eight turnovers. At the level that the media has put him at, that is unacceptable. Needless to say the Cavaliers lost by five.

Then all of a sudden, in a hyped up game by ESPN against the Chicago Bulls, he comes out with energy and scores 36 points in an overtime win.

Now remember LeBron James was one of the players that thought it would be a  good idea to shorten the season because he thought it was too much on the players.

Remember what James said to Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com about the schedule and shorter games?

"“It’s not the minutes, it’s the games. The minutes don’t mean anything. We can play 50 minute games  if we had to. It’s the games that I think we all as players think is too many games in our season. 82 games is a lot. But it’s not about the minutes, taking away minutes from the game is not going to shorten the game at all.Once you play, it takes a toll on your body. So it’s not less minutes, it’s games."

I think we all agree that we are looking at a totally different era of the NBA from the past. Players from the past were ultra competitive and played every  game like it was their last. Magic Johnson and his Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics knew that every game was important because the home court of the NBA Finals were always in the picture. The Celtics or the Lakers never took a night off because they knew the other team was watching on the other coast. See the competition here?

How about those NBA Finals games? Now those were competitive. Larry Bird would never allow a team to blow his squad out without doing something about it. Same with Magic. Both of these players knew the other was constantly working to get better and their competition to be the best basically saved a fledgling league.

In the 1990’s another player took this competitiveness to a whole new level…

Sep 27, 2014; Auchterarder, Perthshire, SCT; NBA legend Michael Jordan watches the players tee off on hole one during day two of the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles Resort – PGA Centenary Course. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Jeffrey Jordan.

I don’t think Chicago Bulls fans truly understand what this man brought to NBA arenas around the league every night he played. He didn’t try to temper expectations like LeBron James or wait until he played his friends to prove a point like Carmelo Anthony. He competed every night for the love of the game and because he wanted everyone to know he was one of the greatest of all time. He took to the floor every night he played to prove that fact over and over again.

Now remember LeBron James’ quote about how hard basketball is for him. Now check out what Michael Jordan tells ESPN’s Chris Broussard…

"“If I wasn’t playing 82 games, I would’ve been playing somewhere else because that’s the love for the game I had. As a player I never thought 82 games was an issue.”"

Think of the competitive drive and mental fortitude Jordan had to muster knowing that so many teams, good and bad brought their “A” games to try to knock the then World Champion Chicago Bulls off every night. Then think of how he had to lead his teammates to have the  same drive as well. Then using all of that determination to send the opposing teams and their fans home upset most of the time. In that quote above, Jordan was talking about the regular season. He didn’t even bring up the postseason when the stakes are really high.

Think of all of the Hall of Fame players that were denied championships because of Jordan’s competitive drive. Players such as Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing all had legitimate chances to win titles that were stopped because Michael Jordan took a lot of pride in beating these guys on the way to winning championships. Michael Jordan probably still reminds them of that fact. Michael Jordan raised a competitive level of an entire league. That’s why the quality of basketball was better. Everyone in the NBA knew how competitive Jordan was and had to match his will to win to have a chance at beating him and the Chicago Bulls.

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

I feel so bad for Kobe Bryant because he gets it when it comes to competing every night on the basketball court. The  Lakers may not win 20 games this season, but you know Kobe Bryant will not leave any bullets in the chamber when the game is over. Everyone knows that he’s going to compete.

The message here is this. People spend their time and money wanting to see the best game these players have to offer. The Chicago Bulls played two nationally televised games this past week. The  one was bad was awful and the game on Friday was the game of the year. Why? Because the game of the year featured two star players, LeBron James and Derrick Rose competing at a high level. While the awful one featured a star player that didn’t care.

I’m just asking for high level of competitiveness every single night the superstars play.

Michael Jordan did.