Legend of the orange ball, Michael Jordan has a special status within the league. To the point where for some, to attempt comparisons with him would be a heresy! This is in particular the opinion of a former player, who has been inflexible on the issue.
It’s no secret that Michael Jordan is arguably the most important figure in NBA history. The former Chicago player marked the sport in general by his domination on the grounds of the big league, sweeping everything in his path between 1984 and 2003. With in particular six rings and ten titles of top scorer, he literally crushed the competition in the 1980s and 1990s! Suffice to say that he is therefore a suitable candidate for the title of GOAT.
However, other players also claim this unofficial distinction, in particular LeBron James. It also happens regularly that His Airness is compared to other orange ball monsters. To believe Jamal Crawford, however, this would be a real sacrilege. Asked by Landon Buford recently, the triple Sixth Man of the Year didn’t go into detail:
Jamal Crawford refuses to compare other players to Michael Jordan
Comparing anyone to MJ is disrespectful, says @JCrossover.
“Everyone you compare him to has flaws.”#NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/R4J50rKQha
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) October 31, 2021
Comparing anyone to Michael Jordan would be disrespectful, according to Jamal Crawford.
“Everyone you compare to him has weaknesses, flaws.”
If he never had the honor of playing with MJ, Crawford on the other hand started his career with the Bulls in the 2000-01 season, and remained there for four years. Not only was he able to face No.23 on the court when the latter came out of his second retirement in Washington, but he was also able to see the impact he had had on basketball at Windy City. So we can understand the position of the guard, in a sense.
However, one detail in his statement is worth investigating further: the implicit explanation that Jordan had no flaws, unlike the others that are cited in the GOAT debate. It is true that the back was a player without much weakness, except for an outside shot that he never really needed to develop. He is also one of the rare members of a club that is almost impossible to integrate., proof of its fabulous versatility.
Obviously, the fans of the other candidates have arguments to put forward to support their favorite athlete. However, just with his perfect record in the NBA Finals (6-0 and six MVPs of the Finals), Jordan has a considerable lead in the eyes of a vast majority of observers. If a LeBron, for example, wants to be considered the GOAT, he will have to win at least one more ring… And again, Mike would always have one more than him.
For Jamal Crawford, there’s no arguing that Jordan is one of a kind, so let’s stop comparing other players to him. Ex-Bull fans will appreciate the release!
