LeBron James will surpass Jordan
Roar Rookie By Skinnada, 28 Oct 2012 Skinnada is a Roar Rookie
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LeBron James has the time and talent to surpass Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time.
I for one am a Jordan fan and will always marvel at his achievements. He is, in my eyes, without a doubt the greatest sportsman to ever compete in any sport. But the footsteps of LeBron’s size 16s will be heard over the coming years to challenge Jordan’s amazing records.
LeBron James is an amazingly multi-talented basketball player with freakish physical attributes. As a Miami Heat fan, watching him at Cleveland he was a one-man band who often won out against double and triple teams.
He recorded ridiculous numbers despite all the focus by opponents knowing that if you keep him quiet you should win.
Despite his magical performances year in and year out, he was only able to reach the NBA finals once with the Cavaliers. He needed a sidekick, as MJ had at the Bulls with Scottie Pippen. He decided to join the Miami Heat which would finally give him other players who could help him win the NBA finals.
The welcoming party was by all means well over the top as was The Decision broadcast, even though money went to his charity. I must say I was excited at the prospect of ‘The King’ arriving in South Beach to play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, but the party was not required.
This just riled up fans of other teams as well as the teams themselves into despising the signings of James and Bosh even more.
LeBron had a sensational 2011 regular season with the Heat, posting 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7 assists per game. LBJ continued on with a good playoff series however he did not take the lead in the Finals when required and seemed reluctant on the big stage.
As a fan I was hugely disappointed, but knew that if it wasn’t for his play prior to the finals we would not have been in that position.
What would define LeBron is how he responded to his personal failing in the NBA finals when his team were leading 2-1 in the best of 7 series. After a few weeks of feeling sorry for himself he got back in the gym and started to work on his post game.
The Heat needed another dimension to their game due to the lack of big men in their squad. LeBron wanted to get better as a player and he certainly did that.
Then started the year of LeBron! His play was simply brutal. Whatever the Heat needed from him on any given night, he delivered. His (albeit lockout shortened season) was one of the best of all time.
His stats read 27.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 6.2 apg and 1.9 spg at a career high 53% shooting percentage.
Surely he couldn’t improve on that in the post season? Oh yes, he could, with James achieving 30.3ppg, 9.7 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.9 spg.
With a hobbled Wade and Bosh missing or playing injured for the majority of the playoffs, he played the best basketball of his career. In game four at Indiana, facing a possible 3-1 deficit, he churned out a 40 point, 18 rebound, 9 assist game which was mind blowing.
It couldn’t get better could it? In the game six elimination final, he showed he could get better.
45 points (19 of 26 shots), 15 rebounds and 5 assists later, game seven is forced. Miami went on to win.
Nervousness had set in for any Miami Heat fan. Would LeBron James finally put his 2011 finals performances behind him and be a champion or would he shy away from the big stage again. I was hopeful but not confident of him taking over when crunch time came.
OKC took over in game one when I was hopeful LBJ would. Surely this wasnt going to happen again, right?
Not a chance! LeBron James was stunning through the rest of the NBA finals with games 2,3 and 4 being very close. He capped game 4 with a big three pointer after being carried off the floor with cramps. Inspirational stuff!
Then in Game 5 with a championship within his grasp, a triple-double of 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists was the way to cap his stellar year off.
NBA finals statistics read 28.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg and 7.4 apg. The entire season of LeBron was amazing and well deserved after his hard work. The question is now, can he maintain this high level of play?
If he stays healthy and with better shooters around him this season, the Heat will only improve. They will knock down more shots so his assists will increase, as will his rebounds, due to the Heat playing small this season again.
With the monkey finally off LeBron’s back and a first title now in the books, I see LeBron building on that title quickly. The Heat will go back to back with the title this season, putting him in a similar position to Jordan at 28.
If LeBron James stays healthy for the next 10 years, I wouldn’t bet against him winning a minimum of five more titles.
Folks, don’t let the next ten years of basketball pass you by without appreciating the greatness of this superstar. The legend Michael Jordan will be hearing his footsteps, as ‘The King’ is coming!
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October 28th 2012 @ 3:34am
Johnno said | October 28th 2012 @ 3:34am | Report comment
A good article. Some facts in my opinion.
Le Bron is more talented basketball player no question. Bigger 6’8, Jordan 6’6 . more athletic, physically stronger, more moves , mentally weaker though Jordan was 1 mentally tough cookie Darren Lockyer style just a hard nut MJ was a real Ice man never gives in much, like tiger Wood, really really competitive MJ was . And as good a clutch player as they come , like Bird, Majic, James Worthy, Dirk Nowitski, Shaq, Kobe, kevin Durant who already has impressed me so much in the Olympics can shoot anywhere anytime when it counts most. and heck Brad Thorn why not i’ll throw him in.
Now Le Bron has the title of his back he will play with more freedom and he had a good Olympics too which will really lift his game too, and free Le Bron up.
Statistics too are misleading, as are how good you are. You have to compare how dominate the sportsman or sportswoman was in her era.
And Le Bron has won a title earlier than MJ by 1 year. Le Bron 27 , MJ 28 when he won his 1st. But Le Bron has 5 to go to match that, and that is massive mountain to climb, find the motivation, stay relativly injury free, and also not fade after he turns 30 which sometimes the body can do it can go into decline at different eras.
MJ was a star in his 2nd repeat, but he wasn’t the player he was at least defensively. Was still strong on offence but wasn’t the same powerhouse he was on defence. Heck Ron Harper was the best defensive guard in MJ’s 2nd 3peat era at Chicago,. ANd “the glove” Gary Payton an awesome defender format he seatlle supersonics really rattled MJ in offence when he played him one finals series.
But MJ was still the best guard, but benifitted massively from Rodman in the 2nd repeat, even more so in my mind than hoarse grant in his 1st. But MJ was one hell of a player, and he did this all in the era off checking. Le Bron even if he looked more impressive will never have to put up with the same amount of handchecking era MJ had to deal with, and as much rough play on him. You just don’t get teams like the Detroit “Bad boys” Pistons. All lhat style of basketball now is basically banned. MJ had to deal with all that physical contact yet still always came back for more punishment and dished it out too.
So will le Bron win 5 more titles, i don’t think he will if we think of the statistical odds of that happening. We have to judge Le Bron on how dominate he was in his era compared to MJ. Titles are not everything, or stats can be misleading but one has to focus on how dominate they are in there era in any sport.
Heck heather Mckay is still the best female squash player ever but would lost to any modern day player, Jahangir Khan men’s squash, Mick Doohan motor bikes 500 CC, Don bradman cricket. But someone like Dave Warner , or Gilchrist i say would be superior batsman to Bradman in range of shots, and sheer hitting power any day of the week, you just have to judge how dominate they are in there era.
Some one like Mcenroe would be blasted off the court by a Tsonga but Mcenroe was the greater player any day of the week .
Le Bron has a chance to match MJ, time will tell to early to say. But for me Shaq was the most dominant in NBA modern era and that includes MJ, Bird, and Majic.
Some of his stats were phenomenal incredible, as was MJ he had some phenomenal stats. But SHAQS NBA grand final stats were out of this world especially for a big 7’2 man
- 2000 nba finals stats:
game 1 43pts 19 rbs 4 ast
game 2 40- 24 rbs 4 asts
game 3 33pts 13 rbs 2 stls 2 blks
game 4 36 pts 21 rbs 2 blks
game 5 35pts 11rbs 2blks 2 stls
game 6 41 pts 12 rbs 4 blokes
And Shaq was the NBA finals MVP 1999-2001. What many forget is LA Lakers was Shaqs team then not Kobe’s. Shaq was 6 years older than Kobe and Kobe was awesome but Shaq was top goat.
For me Shaq was the best player i saw in the modern era. And he sure has the stats too prove it. Maybe Shaq won his titles at a weaker time in league who know but he was my no1 for reasons I have given.
But ultimately the question of greatness is how great a player is in there era, and for MJ most likely will be greater than Le Bron but Le Bron is more athletic and talented of course and is the better basketballer, but in 10 or 20 years there will be players more athletic than Le Bron but not necessarily greater.
October 28th 2012 @ 9:55am
Kim Hart said | October 28th 2012 @ 9:55am | Report comment
Come on now you’re not being serious. Shaq scored 1 3pointer out of 22 I could hit 10 fromm 22 right now and I am nothing special. Shaq scored well and so he should he just stood under the basket and provided a target for players with actual talent and then popped the ball in. He has a standing reach of 9’8″meaning he had to ‘shoot’ the ball exactly 2 inches to score. Shaq isn’t even the best centre of all time. Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game and was one of the leading scorers of that era. If you’re looking for dominance over an era here’s your man.
Kareem also won six championships and was by far a better centre than Shaq. Throw in Robinson, Ewing and Parish for good measure.
October 28th 2012 @ 2:24pm
Johnno said | October 28th 2012 @ 2:24pm | Report comment
Shaqs a centre it is not part of the job description to be a 3point shot. And no you don’t just stand under the rim and shoot. You move around the key all centre do it, and yes they are post move players there not there to shoot long range. And share had a nice jumper but he wasn’t a 3 point shooter wasn’t his job. Look at some shaq highlights you will see a very fast, mobile, big man that’s what made him so tough to mark he had so much skill and atheltisicm.
October 28th 2012 @ 3:40pm
Kim Hart said | October 28th 2012 @ 3:40pm | Report comment
The mascot had more athleticism really I think aside from Shaq himself (and even then I highly doubt it) I think you will struggle to find anyone in agreement with this view however it is yours to hold. I think Shaq isn’t even within sight of Jordan, Bryant, James, Chamberlain, Bird, Magic, Kareem, McHale, Ewing, et al. I take the point about Centre’s having a role to play (see again though Chamberlain) but if your only job is to be big post up and drop the rock in it’s going to be pretty hard to stand out above people like those above who could do that and then some (Magic was a point guard and without peer in that regard yet averaged over 20 points and up towards 10 rebounds a game in his prime). Noone is ever going to rate a punter as the greatest NFL player of all time even if they punt near perfection every game.
October 28th 2012 @ 4:35pm
Johnno said | October 28th 2012 @ 4:35pm | Report comment
Mim Hart Incredible, you obviously never watched a young shaw in his prime when he won those title. Towards the end of his career he slowed, down but he was a handful in his prime, Ewing never won a title. Shaq dominated all the best centres in the league in his prime. Shaq has the bests stats in a finals series ever , yes ever beating jordans NBA grand final stats. Shaq was MVP of the finals Kim in the 3 years he won the titles, just like MJ was.
not Kobe SHaq, he had some awesome stats. And your delving of the centre position and saying all hey do is stand under the rim is just nonsense and silly.
October 29th 2012 @ 9:09am
Kim Hart said | October 29th 2012 @ 9:09am | Report comment
I am fairly certain I have watched every game of every finals since 1988 and have never seen a better performance than those of Michael Jordan he was quite simply sublime.
Yes Ewing never won a title but he played in the most competitive era with the most dominant player of all time playing in another team. Andrew Ettingshausen never won a NSWRL/ARL comp either but that doesn’t make him great. The fact is that Jordan could have won those titles with any other four players on the court. Shaq as a centre by definition required other superstars to win his. In fact in game 6 of 93 were it not for John Paxson’s magnificent 3 pointer and Hrace Grant’s block you could say Jordan single handedly won that game (and therefore title) but why was Paxson able to get that shot away? Why was an obvious long range shot left unmarked? Because to that point in the fourth quarter only Jordan had been able to score on the superb Suns D. Jordan had brought the Bulls to within 2 and the simplest of kickout passing plays left John Paxson (If you want underated Ryan O’Connell then look no further) unmarked out wide.
October 29th 2012 @ 9:36am
Ryan O'Connell said | October 29th 2012 @ 9:36am | Report comment
Yes, Kim, Paxson was very underrated. And Jordan certainly was the main reason the Bulls won that series and that game.
But its worth pointing out that Pippen had 23 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in that game. So I don’t think you can say MJ won that game all by himself.
October 30th 2012 @ 8:39am
Kim Hart said | October 30th 2012 @ 8:39am | Report comment
No of course not. Pippen was brilliant. So was Grant.
October 28th 2012 @ 3:41pm
Kim Hart said | October 28th 2012 @ 3:41pm | Report comment
Oh and he weighed up towards 150 kgs – I reckon that had something to do with him being difficult to mark.
October 28th 2012 @ 5:00pm
Johnno said | October 28th 2012 @ 5:00pm | Report comment
Exclty Kim that is my point big guy weighed a lot makes it tough to mark. And handle physically one of reason he was so good Shaq, but he was so athletic for a big guy too.
October 28th 2012 @ 6:31pm
Rabbit Ears said | October 28th 2012 @ 6:31pm | Report comment
Dave Warner a better batsman than Bradman… mmm
October 28th 2012 @ 6:39pm
Johnno said | October 28th 2012 @ 6:39pm | Report comment
Well he technically is considering they are 80 years apart. Dave Warner can do things with a cricket bat theta Bradman could not even comprehend. Ability wise warner is better, and cricket wise better too. But that is not about greatness, read what i said i never said Wrner is greater than Bramdan in terms of contribution to game. But like every era and generation , the standard gets better and more talented and better coached. Measureing greatness is dependant on how dominant a players was in his era or generation.
Herb Elliot would get smashed now but is one of the all time greats as was Dawn Fraser. but both would be anilihated today as would Mark Spitz.
October 28th 2012 @ 6:43pm
Rabbit Ears said | October 28th 2012 @ 6:43pm | Report comment
Warner over Bradman. And he means it…
lol
Fair dinkum. Lunacy.
October 28th 2012 @ 7:26pm
Johnno said | October 28th 2012 @ 7:26pm | Report comment
Rabbit ears read what i said . Do you honestly believe a 1935-40 Don bradman is better than a cricketer in 2012 ability wise, and technique wise, and range of shots and cricketing ability as a plyer in 2010-12. And as well coached. There were no such words as biomechanics in sport back then, or ice baths, or endless specific coaches, or heart rate monitors, or GPS tracking, or high tech clouting, or high tech diets, or high tech academies.
They used to wear cotton creams, work full time, and play some cricket, play on worse pitches, and non of all the mod cons i have just said. You really have no idea about sport rabbit ears, go back to the 1950′s where you belong , lunacy.
October 28th 2012 @ 7:34pm
Rabbit Ears said | October 28th 2012 @ 7:34pm | Report comment
I’ll stay on this side of the fence with the cricket experts who agree Bradman is the best batsman of all time and you can stay on that side of the fence with Dave Warner’s parents.
October 28th 2012 @ 7:50pm
Ian Whitchurch said | October 28th 2012 @ 7:50pm | Report comment
Johnno,
You might, one day, have a look at something called a ‘sticky wicket’. Or a ‘wet wicket’.
You know, like modern cricketers dont ever face.
October 29th 2012 @ 12:30pm
Mantis said | October 29th 2012 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
I’d like to see Warner play on the minefields the Don had to play on, with just pads gloves and a box.
October 28th 2012 @ 7:36am
Rob said | October 28th 2012 @ 7:36am | Report comment
So the best 2 sportsmen of all time will be basketballers??? Give yourself an uppercut.
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October 29th 2012 @ 12:33pm
Mantis said | October 29th 2012 @ 12:33pm | Report comment
Agree. Heather Mckay would have something to say about that. She played squash in the 60′s 70′s and early 80′s. She lost only 2 matches in her entire career, and was undefeated from 1962-1981.
October 28th 2012 @ 7:53am
Stefan said | October 28th 2012 @ 7:53am | Report comment
While both Lebron and Jordan are both good basketball players, Wilt Chamberlain will always be the greatest player of sll time, he was too domanant and no one can compare to his statistics
October 28th 2012 @ 3:41pm
Kim Hart said | October 28th 2012 @ 3:41pm | Report comment
That is a fair argument.
October 29th 2012 @ 9:28am
Ryan O'Connell said | October 29th 2012 @ 9:28am | Report comment
You want dominant, I’ll give you Bill Russell. 11 championships!
October 30th 2012 @ 8:40am
Kim Hart said | October 30th 2012 @ 8:40am | Report comment
The only pity is we can’t even watch old footage of these performances.
October 30th 2012 @ 3:42pm
josh said | October 30th 2012 @ 3:42pm | Report comment
Oscar Robertson, averaged a triple double one year.
October 30th 2012 @ 10:54am
astro said | October 30th 2012 @ 10:54am | Report comment
Wilt’s stats need to be put into perspective, and a few other aspects of his game need to be remembered, especially if you think he was the greatest of all time.
Consider this:
- He helped himself more than his teams. For example, in 63 he averaged 45/24/3, but his team was just 31-49, they missed the playoffs. He ‘led’ his team to the worst record in the league (11-33) before his team decides to trade him midway through a season. Think of that for a second…he was TRADED!
- He only won 2 championships and lost 7 of 8 playoff series against Russell’s Celts, and his playoff numbers were almost always worse than his regular season performances.
- His rebounding numbers are inflated due to the era…more possession per game. Other players in his era also had high rebounding numbers, so these numbers need to be looked at in context
- He averaged 51% from the free throw line…read that one again, and tell me he’s the greatest!
Sorry…Wilt doesn’t come close.
October 28th 2012 @ 8:37am
Jason said | October 28th 2012 @ 8:37am | Report comment
LeBron is too mentally soft (perhaps nice) to be anywhere near Jordan.
October 30th 2012 @ 10:55am
astro said | October 30th 2012 @ 10:55am | Report comment
The ‘old’ Lebron was…but after last year’s playoff performances, his mindset might just have changed.
October 28th 2012 @ 11:02am
roarr said | October 28th 2012 @ 11:02am | Report comment
Are you Bill Simmons’ Australian alias?
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8555451/lebron-quest-immortality
October 28th 2012 @ 11:08am
Swampy said | October 28th 2012 @ 11:08am | Report comment
In time, Jordan will be number 1 & Lebron will, depending on the number of titles, be number 2 – with some debate.
Lebron still has to collect those titles – at this point he has only one and there is going to be a number of factors to whether or not he can collect more.
If Kobe Bryant sneaks a title this year on the back of the Lakers galacticos does that change the equation? Are titles the only measure of greatness?
Will Lebron keep the interest to 33-34 years old or will his body suffer? His game is totally physical – he is a guard in Karl Malone’s body. He hasn’t ever had a serious injury – what happens if he does have one?
At this point in time is Lebron James better than Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Larry Bird, Bill Russell or Magic Johnson? He’s in the discussion for sure but it’s no clear matter.
What is clear is that presently, MJ is the greatest ever hands down.
There is some ways to go before Lebron can challenge that status.
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October 28th 2012 @ 12:46pm
Internal Fixation said | October 28th 2012 @ 12:46pm | Report comment
Agree mainly with Swampy. All healthy speculation at preset about LBJ as he has as many titles now as Adam Morrison
Come back in 3 years when he is getting close and has proved his “new” killer instinct.
Jordan NEVER had a series like Dallas in 2011 for LeBron. Neither has Kobe. It will take a lot to erase that. I suspect Durant may kill off the chances of LeBron ever winning 6.
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October 29th 2012 @ 10:12am
mushi said | October 29th 2012 @ 10:12am | Report comment
which is exactly why the “titles” criteria must have been thought of by a small child who never watched basketball
October 28th 2012 @ 1:21pm
The Dribbler said | October 28th 2012 @ 1:21pm | Report comment
Gee I’d have to say MJ is by farand away all over Shaq. I dont even put them on the same planet. As for LeBron well I think time will tell. I think the biggest thing about MJ was the fact the Bulls struggled when he left and MJ returned to turn them around and they won a title. His influence was unmistakable. It would be disrespectful to say a champion player can make a average team good but in some cases its true. Andrew Johns is the prime example. Newcastle had a good team but without Johns they were hopeless and their stats prove it. I think the value of a champion is the way a side plays without them. So i’d have to say i’d like to see Lebron really carry a side and work on his mental fitness and then we’ll see if he is indeed the real deal. A team is not made with 1 player but 1 great player can make a team.
October 28th 2012 @ 1:47pm
Ryan O'Connell said | October 28th 2012 @ 1:47pm | Report comment
LeBron has the potential to match Jordan, no question. Topping MJ will be tough though. No matter how many championships LeBron wins, he won’t be able to erase the two NBA Finals he lost (plus the meltdown versus Boston in his last year in Cleveland). Jordan won all 6 NBA finals he competed in, and was the Finals MVP in each, just for good measure. Very rarely did Jordan fail in crunch time.
So LeBron, fairly or not, would probably have to win even more than 6 titles to eclipse Jordan, and erase his failures.
I tend to agree with Swampy. I think LeBron will eventually settle in the number 2 position, all time. But if he wins 5 or more titles, it’s going to make for one hell of a debate at the pub!
October 28th 2012 @ 2:05pm
Marc said | October 28th 2012 @ 2:05pm | Report comment
You dreamers. You just did a google search for stats and try to sound impressive. I bet your in your early 20s and never experienced Jordan. That is why you fail.
Jordan creams everyone.
Back in that era they played D. It was violent. They weren’t called the Detroit Bad Boys for nothing. Lebron would only get 20 ppg with D like that.
It was competitive. They strived to be the best and hated their competitors. The metrosexuals today are treated like cotton wool. Instead of striving to be the best – they join the best to win titles. Magic, Jordan, Bird- none of them would even contemplate joining another team to win a title. As soon as Jordan hit the olympic team he had 1 on 1 game with Magic and Bird to see WHO WAS THE BEST. The competitive spirit is why that era is better.
Back when Lebron joined Miami, it was widely considered that Dwayne Wade was the no. 2 guy in the league. They also brought in 1 of the best centeres to join them. Can you imagine adding the no. 2 guy and best centre to the Bulls back in Jordans era? that would be like Magic and Patrick Ewing joining the bulls. Now i know your gonna say he had Pippen…but Pippen was overrated and when he left it was proven.
Lebron only won the title due to his star studded teamates. He’s no Jordan and never will be. Add Wade and Bosh to chicago and they would have won 5 more titles.
October 28th 2012 @ 2:49pm
Ryan O'Connell said | October 28th 2012 @ 2:49pm | Report comment
Pippen was overrated? And it showed when Jordan left? Can’t agree with you there.
If anything, Pippen is underrated. He’s probably the best wing defender in NBA history.
And when Jordan first retired, Pippen finished third in MVP voting in 1994 and pratically dragged the Bulls all by himself to the Conference finals, where they would have made the finals of they were screwed by the refs.
October 28th 2012 @ 3:46pm
Kim Hart said | October 28th 2012 @ 3:46pm | Report comment
He’s written off Jordan when he has 6 championships because of him. He was made great by the greatest of all time never to be surpassed.
October 29th 2012 @ 9:31am
Ryan O'Connell said | October 29th 2012 @ 9:31am | Report comment
When has Pippen ever written off Jordan? I remember he made one remark about LeBron being a better scorer, and then quickly retreated from it the next day.
There is no question Pippen owes a lot of his success to Jordan. But Pippen was great without MJ as well. (As great without him? Probably not. But Pippen was no slouch, and certainly not overrated.)
October 29th 2012 @ 3:46pm
Kim Hart said | October 29th 2012 @ 3:46pm | Report comment
Oh no not overated, loved watching him play (I’ve still got a jersey somewhere) big fan but I thought to even entertain the thought of LBJ being better than MJ at anything was silly really.
October 28th 2012 @ 7:26pm
Farmerj said | October 28th 2012 @ 7:26pm | Report comment
Couldnt agree more. The detroit bad boys would eat the heat. Whilst the Heat might have mroe skill than the celtics, the celtics would have fared better back then as they just love the tough stuff.
Jordan combined the tough with skill.
This year will be no walkover for the Heat, the Lakers have plenty of skill and plenty of fight. They also have a guy who has won 4 more rings than LeBron. And if Rose can make it back at any time this season it isnt even a given that the Heat will make it out of the East.
And the fact that Lebron had to go and join his buddies to win a title will always put him below Jordan.