April 28th, 2010 - Simply the Best
I best column I ever read was in Sports Illustrated back when it was worth reading ? meaning nearly three decades ago. It was about how dominating Larry Bird and Wayne Gretzky were at that time and it was entitled ?Simply the Best?. The opening line went something like this - ?If you ask any one who knows ?who is the best jazz artist in the world?, they would answer, ?You mean, besides Ella??? Ella Fitzgerald was so heads-and-shoulders above everyone else, there wasn?t even a debate.
The same thing has been said for the past 20 years or so about one Michael Jordan. Simply the best was what he was ? and I thought he would always be. But something happened on Sunday that changed that perception. I watched LeBron James personally destroy the Bulls in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.
I saw the original #23 (and even #45) do a lot ? but I never saw him hitting an effortless jumpshot from just over half court to end a quarter - and it was a swish.
?I can comfortably shoot that shot from half-court or beyond," James said, like he was talking about a free-throw. ?It was a regular jump shot for me.?
Nor did Jordan ever hit three straight three-pointers in a minute in half to bury his opponents in the fourth quarter like James did. Nor, and this is perhaps most amazing, did I ever see Jordan dunk like LeBron. Jordan was impossibly graceful and athletic. James is straight up scary with his power and violence. In the first quarter he slammed the Bulls fans into submission leaving them breathless. They?d never seen the like either.
He finished with 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. His coach, Mike Brown, was remarkably low-key in his praise. ?LeBron had a terrific game with his triple-double,? he said. ?But this is what this man is capable of doing.?
So, it?s becoming increasingly clear that, when it comes to the ?greater than MJ? debate, is he capable of doing that?
Not too long ago the man closest to that mantle was Kobe Bryant. But where Kobe?s at in his career and where he?d have to get to looks to be just about impossible.
Great as he is, he?s simply not the ?greatest?. Nor will he ever be.
Nope ? it?s all left to LeBron now. Thus far there is very little to separate he and Jordan comparing their careers.
In the same point in his career Jordan was averaging 31points per game, 5 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Lebron has averaged 28 points per game, 7 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 steals as well.
Little to separate them, but you?ve got to give the nod to LeBron for overall offensive contribution.
Defensively Jordan was clearly the better player, seemingly always on the best player and forcing game changing stops. James does have a ways to go before he truly is dominant defensively like Jordan was, however he has dramatically improved in this aspect of his game, especially this season. On Sunday it was LeBron who set the tone when the Bulls had the ball.
LeBron also advantages many Jordan didn?t. First off, James is much more well rounded than Jordan was at the same age. Already LeBron has established himself as the best passing forward since Larry Bird. Then there?s his size. He won?t get as beat up as Jordan sometimes did, particularly later in his career, when he was forced to abandon his inside game. Also at the same stages in their careers, James has had much better teams to play on and in a much poorer Eastern conference. At the same point in his career Jordan had played in 20 playoff games. James has played in 64.
Of course what will be the ultimate measurement is championships.
Can he manage to win six NBA titles in six full seasons like Jordan did?
Unlikely. The league is different now. A punishing salary cap, and guaranteed veteran contracts makes keeping cohesive units together almost impossible. As good as he is, he needs that steady foundation like Scottie Pippen and Bill Cartwright and Dennis Rodman provided Jordan.
But he will win championships, and with this year?s post-season is so topsy-turvy out west early he and his team have to look like the favorites.
He could get his first. Then the debate can begin in earnest.
Simply the best?
It?s still Jordan. But at least on that one Sunday, there was no debate.
Cheers ? Gavin McDougald ? AKA Couch
I best column I ever read was in Sports Illustrated back when it was worth reading ? meaning nearly three decades ago. It was about how dominating Larry Bird and Wayne Gretzky were at that time and it was entitled ?Simply the Best?. The opening line went something like this - ?If you ask any one who knows ?who is the best jazz artist in the world?, they would answer, ?You mean, besides Ella??? Ella Fitzgerald was so heads-and-shoulders above everyone else, there wasn?t even a debate.
The same thing has been said for the past 20 years or so about one Michael Jordan. Simply the best was what he was ? and I thought he would always be. But something happened on Sunday that changed that perception. I watched LeBron James personally destroy the Bulls in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.
I saw the original #23 (and even #45) do a lot ? but I never saw him hitting an effortless jumpshot from just over half court to end a quarter - and it was a swish.
?I can comfortably shoot that shot from half-court or beyond," James said, like he was talking about a free-throw. ?It was a regular jump shot for me.?
Nor did Jordan ever hit three straight three-pointers in a minute in half to bury his opponents in the fourth quarter like James did. Nor, and this is perhaps most amazing, did I ever see Jordan dunk like LeBron. Jordan was impossibly graceful and athletic. James is straight up scary with his power and violence. In the first quarter he slammed the Bulls fans into submission leaving them breathless. They?d never seen the like either.
He finished with 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. His coach, Mike Brown, was remarkably low-key in his praise. ?LeBron had a terrific game with his triple-double,? he said. ?But this is what this man is capable of doing.?
So, it?s becoming increasingly clear that, when it comes to the ?greater than MJ? debate, is he capable of doing that?
Not too long ago the man closest to that mantle was Kobe Bryant. But where Kobe?s at in his career and where he?d have to get to looks to be just about impossible.
Great as he is, he?s simply not the ?greatest?. Nor will he ever be.
Nope ? it?s all left to LeBron now. Thus far there is very little to separate he and Jordan comparing their careers.
In the same point in his career Jordan was averaging 31points per game, 5 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Lebron has averaged 28 points per game, 7 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 steals as well.
Little to separate them, but you?ve got to give the nod to LeBron for overall offensive contribution.
Defensively Jordan was clearly the better player, seemingly always on the best player and forcing game changing stops. James does have a ways to go before he truly is dominant defensively like Jordan was, however he has dramatically improved in this aspect of his game, especially this season. On Sunday it was LeBron who set the tone when the Bulls had the ball.
LeBron also advantages many Jordan didn?t. First off, James is much more well rounded than Jordan was at the same age. Already LeBron has established himself as the best passing forward since Larry Bird. Then there?s his size. He won?t get as beat up as Jordan sometimes did, particularly later in his career, when he was forced to abandon his inside game. Also at the same stages in their careers, James has had much better teams to play on and in a much poorer Eastern conference. At the same point in his career Jordan had played in 20 playoff games. James has played in 64.
Of course what will be the ultimate measurement is championships.
Can he manage to win six NBA titles in six full seasons like Jordan did?
Unlikely. The league is different now. A punishing salary cap, and guaranteed veteran contracts makes keeping cohesive units together almost impossible. As good as he is, he needs that steady foundation like Scottie Pippen and Bill Cartwright and Dennis Rodman provided Jordan.
But he will win championships, and with this year?s post-season is so topsy-turvy out west early he and his team have to look like the favorites.
He could get his first. Then the debate can begin in earnest.
Simply the best?
It?s still Jordan. But at least on that one Sunday, there was no debate.
Cheers ? Gavin McDougald ? AKA Couch
