“An all-star for sure, but not the Michael Jordan that he was back then” - Jason Williams believes Michael Jordan would’ve found it harder to dominate the NBA in this era
Michael Jordan, by most measures, is considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time. Jordan single-handedly revolutionized the game of basketball both with the ball on the court and with his persona off it.
The Jordan-led 1995-96 Chicago Bulls team is unanimously considered to be the greatest NBA team of all time. His six championships, five regular-season MVPs and a host of other achievements have propelled him to the apex of basketball greatness.
The widespread popularity of basketball throughout the '80s and '90s can almost entirely be attributed to Michael Jordan and his brand, Nike's Air Jordan. The signature sneakers have become synonymous with basketball itself. This has led to some of the most commercially successful campaigns surrounding basketball.
Michael's title as "the greatest basketball player ever" comes with a fair share of opinions on whether he would have been as successful in different eras.
He played the game throughout the '80s and '90s. It was a time when the NBA upheld physicality and brute force. Several opinions have now been passed around on whether MJ will flourish in today's game or not.
To that end, Jason Williams, on "BroBible," put forward his take:
"Obviously he's (Jordan) gonna be great, don't get me wrong, but I think it'll be little harder for him now because the defenses have changed and now he's gonna have three guys on the same side of the floor when he has the ball in the wing whereas back in the day he just had one guy"
Williams believes Jordan's greatness would have taken a hit if he had played today:
"I think he'd be great, be an all star for sure but not the Michael Jordan that he was back then"
Michael Jordan post-NBA
Michael Jordan retired three times in his career: In 1993 after the first three-peat, in 1999 after the second three-peat and finally in 2003 after playing two seasons with the Washington Wizards.
After his second retirement, Jordan became the president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards in 2000. Although he thought he would be able to return to his position in the front-office once he was done playing in 2003, Wizards owner Abe Pollin fired him as the team's president of basketball operations.
In 2006, Jordan bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats (Hornets), and as part of the deal took over its basketball operations. In 2010, Jordan purchased a majority stake in the Bobcats and in the process became the first former player to do so. Jordan also fields 23XI Racing, a NASCAR team.
NEWS: Michael Jordan and @dennyhamlin announce @23XIRacing team name, No. 23 car number for 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Details: nas.cr/31tMlHV https://t.co/rpSzpDVgrv
Besides his business endeavors, Michael Jordan is also a widely recognized figure in popular culture, owing in part to his brand Air Jordan and the 1996 box-office hit Space Jam.