With an accomplished NBA career that set the bar high, MJ is seen by many as the greatest ever.
The NBA GOAT debate has always been a topic of endless discussions over the decades, especially with the emergence of today’s superstars trying to emulate icons of the past.
The debate has evolved as the eras have passed. But now, the NBA world has seemingly been at a standstill, as two players have dominated parley for the last decade.
Why MJ is the greatest
For most, Michael Jordan is the greatest NBA player ever. Since he retired, many players have sought to play like him. While only a few have come close, there hasn’t been a player quite like Mike.
In a recent podcast appearance, former NBA player Sam Cassell gave his two cents on the debate. Having been around the game for decades, the retired guard has watched and competed against many of the game’s greatest players.
“In my opinion, it’s between LeBron and MJ,” expressed the former All-Star. “I played against both. It ain’t hard for me at all; [it’s] Michael Jordan in my aspect. But that’s no knock on LeBron. I don’t think we’ll ever see a Michael Jordan-caliber ball player ever.”
With six championships, including two three-peats (with zero Finals losses), six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, ten scoring titles, and a Defensive Player of the Year, the bar MJ set is still something players are relentlessly chasing today.
A legacy above everyone
Mike could do everything on the floor, but his relentless killer instinct is what set him apart from the competition. However, he was an all-around player, as he knew when to look for his teammates, even though his scoring ability always stood out the most.
While Cassell doesn’t discredit the legacy of James, many players who stood across the Chicago Bulls icon on the court rarely hesitate to put him in a league of his own.
“I don’t think we’re gonna see another LeBron James either. But what I’m saying is… the hardest thing in our league is score, and the thing I tell our young guys around here, how he [Jordan] scored, he scored so easily at times… that’s what separated him, in my opinion, more than anybody in our league; he didn’t exercise a lot of dribbles, he didn’t,” Cassell added.
Mike’s final moments as a Chicago player probably summed up perfectly his dominant career as a Bull. In 1998, the Bulls held a 3-2 lead over the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals. However, with 41.9 seconds left in Game 6, it appeared that a Game 7 was on the horizon, as Utah was clinging to a narrow three-point lead.
After Bulls coach Phil Jackson called a timeout and play resumed, MJ, in what turned out to be his penultimate game, cut through the defense and sank a shot to trim the lead to one point.
With the ball in Karl Malone’s hands on the ensuing possession, No. 23 came behind him and stole the ball, dribbled down the court, and, with 5.2 seconds left, hit a jumper over Utah’s Bryon Russell in what became the eventual game-winner.
Chicago held on in the final seconds to cap their second three-peat, and Jordan bowed out on a high. It was perhaps the greatest mic-drop moment in sports history.