Jordan chimes in on "What Should I Do"

[BballTim]

Lebron kinda reminds me of Dominique Wilkins. A great scorer, dunker, leaper...who just couldn't get over Jordan's shadow. Lebron is already a great NBA superstar, but until he wins a championship, he will never be in the same class as the jordans, birds, magic johnsons, etc. And if he does win a couple of titles...he'll just be another clyde drexler in my opinion. Another Jordanesque player who simply isn't as good as MJ.

  It's worth pointing out that LeBron's achievements are at least equal to Jordan's at the same age. Jordan not only didn't win a title until he was older than LeBron is but he'd also never been to the finals at LeBron's age, in fact his teams had only won a couple of playoff series by that point in time. I'm not expecting LeBron to be another MJ but it's too early to make those kinds of statements. MJ, at LeBron's age, could easily have been described as "a great scorer, dunker, leaper...who just couldn't get over Bird's/Magic's shadow".

[pearljammer10]

why does Michael Jordan have to say
"maybe you're just making excuses" ?
who's making excuses, Michael ?

Wilt was the best ever, not Michael.

This literally made me laugh out loud... Not a chance.

Just because Wilt scored a hundred points in one game where he was allowed to goaltend the ball on the offensive end, meaning any shot that went up he could catch and throw it or tap it in to count as his points, and also have his team intentionally foul the other team in order to get the ball back to score doesnt really mean anything to me...

[GreenEnvy]

why does Michael Jordan have to say
"maybe you're just making excuses" ?
who's making excuses, Michael ?

Wilt was the best ever, not Michael.

I hope you don't really believe that.

Even if you do (I have Wilt AT BEST #5 all-time), you cannot argue that Jordan changed the game more than any other player. And that is what the commercial is talking about. He worked so hard to improve his game everyday that he became the (or one of, in your opinion) greatest.

If one of the great's worked each and every day to get better, what is everyone else's excuse for not giving 100%?

[Jay G]

why does Michael Jordan have to say
"maybe you're just making excuses" ?
who's making excuses, Michael ?

Wilt was the best ever, not Michael.

I hope you don't really believe that.

Even if you do (I have Wilt AT BEST #5 all-time), you cannot argue that Jordan changed the game more than any other player. And that is what the commercial is talking about. He worked so hard to improve his game everyday that he became the (or one of, in your opinion) greatest.

If one of the great's worked each and every day to get better, what is everyone else's excuse for not giving 100%?

bill russell (easily, 11 championships, 5X mvp, best defensive player ever, etc.)
wilt (even looking past the 100 point game, dude was unstoppable, when he didnt play the celts  )
mj
magic
kareem/bird/hakeem/oscar/jerry

people gotta recognize that greatness was arround before mj, and the game just wouldn't be the same without russell.

[IBLEEDGREEN30]

yeah greatness was around the NBA, but michael jordan is the greatest player in the history of basketball.

that list has great names, none better than jordan-because nobody is better than michael jordan.

period.. and i laughed out loud as well when you said wilt is better than jordan. thats ridiculous.

hakeem? he is a great player, an all time player.. but.. better than jordan? no way. not even on that type of list, in my opinion. there are only 4 players in that category

kareem
russell
bird
magic

and jordan simply is THE man.

ovbiously that doesn't take away anything that bird or magic did. I am a huge larry bird fan, brilliant player. nobody plays like him anymore, it is a real shame many teenagers nowadays didn't get the chance to see him.

michael jordan just dominated the game of basketball, from every aspect. mental, physical, defense. he was unbelievable.

[wpdougie2180]

why does Michael Jordan have to say
"maybe you're just making excuses" ?
who's making excuses, Michael ?

Wilt was the best ever, not Michael.

This literally made me laugh out loud... Not a chance.

Just because Wilt scored a hundred points in one game where he was allowed to goaltend the ball on the offensive end, meaning any shot that went up he could catch and throw it or tap it in to count as his points, and also have his team intentionally foul the other team in order to get the ball back to score doesnt really mean anything to me...

That's just completely wrong they banned that after Wilt's rookie year

[xmuscularghandix]

These are edited together. That Jordan commercial came out like 2 years ago.

[Casperian]

I don't really like MJ, but, like Kobe, who I also can't stand, he was a great player who put in the work that greatness requires and didn't ride on his talent alone, which was enough by itself to make him a star (but not a champion).  Lebron could learn a lot from both MJ and Kobe.

Kobe is not in the same category as MJ, it´s not even close.
He was riding Shaq´s coattail to three championships, which is the only reason why people put these two in the same sentence.

[Celtics4ever]

I disagree with the statements that Jordan and LeBron are similiar in comparison in terms of accomplishments in similiar time in league.  This simply is a fallacy if one does not looking into the stats beyond superficial athleticism.

Jordan won a NCAA title in college.  LeBron did not go to College and no track record of winning anything.   Jordan never lost a finals, LeBron has never showed up for one.   Jordan won a title in 90-91 season seven years into the league.  Eight years in ( counting this year), and we are still waiting for LeBron to win one.   MJ scored 63 points once against us in his second year into the league despite missing 64 games with a foot injury that year.  LeBron has tallied 56 against Toronto in 05.  MJ's was in the playoffs and thereby more clutch.  LeBron has never had a large period of missed games.  For his career, the first seven years,  Jordan shot around .513% from FG land.  LeBron is shooting a woeful .474% from FG land for a guy that dunks as much as he does.  MJ also turned over the ball than LeBron.

I think LeBron winning an all defensive award was a gimme.  It was a league thing given to make him look good.   Was he a better defender than Tony Allen or Kobe?  No.  The only reason he is an average defender is he is given more leeways on calls and he is a beast to cover on the other end.  I can't think of one defining defensive play of his ever other than the block on Rondo, which was a body a foul.  Jordan was a way better defender.  

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/michael_jordan/index.html

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/lebron_james/career_stats.html

LeBron is a better all around stat monster though with more boards and assists.
But MJ is closer than most recall I bet.  We tend to think of him as a dominant scorer only.  But for his career MJ averaged as many assists as Larry did (certainly not as creative as a passer though but not chopped liver either).

One more year in and we not seen the killer instinct which defined Jordan.  LeBron doesn't have "it".  You can't make someone care who doesn't care.  Jordan would have killed his grandma for an edge.  James wants someone else to do the work for him and has shown tendencies to vanish when games matter, bigtime difference.

The league has spent billions marketing James as have Nike and the like.  They are backing a choke artist.  They have not figured it out yet but this year has been more telling and I think more people are seeing that James, who is uber productive, isn't quite up there with the MJ's, Birds or Magics.  I know his supporters drunk on the NBA Kool-aid and mass marketing will blame this on James's teams.  But Jordan didn't have excuses when he lost, he just went out and played harder and got better and made them pay.   What has LeBron ever added to his game from year to year?  Nothing really.

One came into the league a man who manned up to stuff.  One came to the league a man-child with the body of a man but mind of a child.   He still has not grown up either if the special was any indication.   I am not a Jordan fan, I hated the bulls being a diehard Celtic fan however I respected him as a worthy foe.   But if I was him too, I would be glad that James gave us #23.  Now to get him to take off #6 so Russ don't get tarnished by Punk James.

Wilt was very dominant at times and one could make argument that he was more dominant as a individual than Jordan.  Trouble is, he like James, doesn't have a good track record when it matters.  If James doesn't get his head out of his butt and he only has 7 more years as I see it.  He will be in the same boat without the 100 game etc.  He isn't a solid marksmen, doesn't have superb moves and when his athletic ability starts to fade (I am thinking around 33) it will game over for him.   Jordan could get by on guile with his trademark fade-away.  But if James can't over power someone with his physical ability then he is helpless.  He lacks the skill to do otherwise.

[BballTim]

I disagree with the statements that Jordan and LeBron are similiar in comparison in terms of accomplishments in similiar time in league.  This simply is a fallacy if one does not looking into the stats beyond superficial athleticism.

Jordan won a NCAA title in college.  LeBron did not go to College and no track record of winning anything.   Jordan never lost a finals, LeBron has never showed up for one.   Jordan won a title in 90-91 season seven years into the league.  Eight years in ( counting this year), and we are still waiting for LeBron to win one.

  Jordan had never lost in the finals at LeBron's age because, well, he'd never *been* there. I think that at LeBron's age MJ had won a grand total of two playoff series, whereas LeBron's won eight or so.

I think LeBron winning an all defensive award was a gimme.  It was a league thing given to make him look good.   Was he a better defender than Tony Allen or Kobe?  No.  The only reason he is an average defender is he is given more leeways on calls and he is a beast to cover on the other end.  I can't think of one defining defensive play of his ever other than the block on Rondo, which was a body a foul.  Jordan was a way better defender.  

  Want to as PP whether LeBron's a good defender or not? I don't think you'd get the answer you're expecting.

  We tend to think of him as a dominant scorer only.  But for his career MJ averaged as many assists as Larry did (certainly not as creative as a passer though but not chopped liver either).

  No, he didn't.

[Eja117]

These are edited together. That Jordan commercial came out like 2 years ago.

I am very glad someone figured that out, because I was very confused.

i don't know.  I have mixed feeling about Jordan as a quitter as well. Either he quit basketball for baseball or quit baseball to go back to basketball. He quit on his wife, as opposed to Lebron who didn't quit on any members of his family, he fudged up the Wizards....I just think he's no Larry Bird who had instant success as a player and coach and GM.....wait...maybe not GM.

[zerophase]

that was brilliant. absolutely brilliant.

[Tai]

why does Michael Jordan have to say
"maybe you're just making excuses" ?
who's making excuses, Michael ?

Wilt was the best ever, not Michael.

I don't even care that you don't think MJ's the best ever.

I just want you to educate me on how Wilt allegedly being better than MJ means that MJ's the one making excuses. Making excuses about what, exactly? 

[MBz]

These are edited together. That Jordan commercial came out like 2 years ago.

I am very glad someone figured that out, because I was very confused.

i don't know.  I have mixed feeling about Jordan as a quitter as well. Either he quit basketball for baseball or quit baseball to go back to basketball. He quit on his wife, as opposed to Lebron who didn't quit on any members of his family, he fudged up the Wizards....I just think he's no Larry Bird who had instant success as a player and coach and GM.....wait...maybe not GM.

Agreed.  A lot of people just like to forget about him trying baseball.  Though there are still the conspiracy theories that Stern told him to take some time off due to all the gambling he was doing.  It may be crazy to think that is true, but it is most definitely possible.  Another reason was that he wanted to try baseball because of his father's murder.  I have no issue with that either, he tried it, realized he was no good and went back to the game he was great at.

[youcanthandlethetruth113]

Wow. That's such an amazing video, and I hope Lebron sees it.

I love the tone of the video, calm and collected.

I love MJ.

Long live the GOAT!