By Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Sports journalist
Without knowing if one of them will one day end up convincing everyone, the various players in the league continue to position themselves in the debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Some people do it with unconventional arguments.
For a time there was talk of a fight between Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. Then the names of Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and even Larry Bird were added to this discussion. In the end, only two players today seem to be competing for the title of GOAT according to the majority of the NBA community, namely Michael Jordan et LeBron James. A duel which obviously causes a lot of talk.
LeBron’s double “prowess” that Jordan never achieved
As in any rivalry of this kind, every personality in the league almost has to side with Jordan or LeBron. Even more so those who had the chance to face and/or play with both men. Shane Battier was therefore unable to escape it during his time in the Draymond Green Show. The first opportunity for him to praise the King he worked with between 2011 and 2014 at the Heat:
Even though you found him super strong, he was even stronger than you thought. (…) His strength, his intelligence… He didn’t have a single shortcoming when he was in his prime. He still plays amazing now but back then you had no answer for him when you played him. He was like a queen on a chessboard, he was truly capable of doing anything.
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Obviously not very objective, Battier nevertheless raised the eternal debate between James and Jordan… with an original reasoning:
When people ask me that, I tell them, “LeBron did something twice that I think Jordan could never do.” He won two NBA titles with Shane Battier as the starting winger! »
I love Mike, he’s one of the greatest players of all time, but LeBron was crowned champion twice with me as a lousy power forward and carried me to the finish line .
Although innovative and amusing, this argument was not enough to calm the tensions that characterize this opposition. This is evidenced by the outright rejection of MJ’s supporters:
Lebron did something 6 times that MJ could never do
Lose in the finals
— Mastersensei (@Massasplinter69) February 16, 2024
LeBron also did something MJ never did six times: lost in the Finals.
Solid according to some, modest for others, Shane Battier has in any case won two championship titles as a role player alongside LeBron James. A statement which alone is enough according to him to make the King the indisputable GOAT.
2024-02-24 12:40:00
#LeBron #Jordan
