By Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Sports journalist
For many observers, Michael Jordan sits at the top of the ranking of the best players in NBA history. However, a young and immense talent supposedly could have overshadowed him… if he had been able to have a successful career.
Although he does not hold the record for the number of MVP trophies won in his career, he is still considered by most fans as the greatest all-time player. Michael Jordan deeply marked the NBA with his domination in an era where superstars were legion on the circuit. However, none has managed to gain the upper hand over him in the long term, even if a “What-if” persists today.
The tragic fate of Michael Jordan’s announced rival
Retired since 2003, Jordan unfortunately never had the opportunity to face in the NBA what many consider to be his biggest competitor in the GOAT debate, namely LeBron James. On the other hand, he could have come across a certain Len Bias there, who plethora of observers announced as promised this status. An opinion shared by the famous analyst Jay Bilas, who knew the specimen well:
I think if he hadn’t died, Len Bias could have rivaled Jordan and been the best player in the league. He was that good. Moreover, he was already competing with him in college for the status of best player in the ACC. We were from the same vintage so I often faced him. He was Superman. A blend of athleticism, strength and magnificent touch. He was a beautiful, ultra-competitive shooter.
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A former Duke player, Bilas was able to see the incredible talent and immense potential contained in the winger, whose fate ultimately turned out to be tragic :
I remember the moment I found out he was dead, and I always relate it to an event that marked my parents’ generation, namely the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. I felt the same thing about Len Bias.
I think all young people should be interested in him and search his name on YouTube to watch his highlights. It was indefensible. Indefensible.
Indeed, a simple glance at “Frosty’s” most memorable NCAA successes gives us an idea of the immense career that awaited him at the higher level:
Len Bias was a PROBLEM ???? #iykyk pic.twitter.com/pgn5X7S6Vp
— Naismith Muse (@NaismithMuse) August 16, 2023
University star, Len Bias seemingly had all the qualities to explode in the NBA and steal the spotlight from Michael Jordan. A crazy scenario that would perhaps have seen the light of day if the promising strong winger had not died just two days after his draft.
2023-11-04 19:22:55
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