"He's never called; I mean, he may have called a couple of times but nothing to the magnitude of Kobe" - Michael Jordan opens up on LeBron James "no call" incident
LeBron James and Michael Jordan are two names that will forever be paired together. No matter what order you put them in, they are widely regarded as two of the best players to ever play the game.
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While Jordan was known for being a fierce competitor, he did his part to pass along wisdom to the next generation. The Chicago Bulls legend recently opened up on this on Jackie MacMullan's podcast 'Icons Club.'
While speaking with MacMullan, Jordan spoke about the close bond he shared with bryant' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>kobe-bryant" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kobe Bryant off the court. The two spoke regularly as Jordan became Bryant's mentor during his rise to stardom.
Similar to Kobe, Jordan offered the same type of mentorship to James. The two did not develop a similar friendship as Jordan mentioned he barely reached out to him.
"To his credit, he never called," Jordan said. "I mean, he may have called a couple of times, but nothing to the magnitude of Kobe."
Jordan did not take offense to this in any way. He later went on to say that the legend James should be close with is Magic Johnson.
"He should call Magic Johnson," Jordan said. "His basketball talent is more Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan."
Magic Johnson is a much more fitting mentor for LeBron James
Jordan's assessment was spot on. It is clear why he clung to Kobe Bryant more than LeBron James. Given that Kobe played the same position and was of a similar build, Jordan was best suited to be his mentor. He could have shared tips and wisdom with James, but it would not have been the same.
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Magic Johnson makes a lot more sense to be the legend James calls. Even before he stepped foot in the NBA, Johnson was the player James was often compared to.
Unlike Johnson, James was more naturally a forward. Outside of that, he mirrors the Lakers legend in many ways. Both are do-it-all players with incredible basketball IQs. Guys like Jordan and Kobe were known for their lethal scoring ability, while Johnson and James are maestros with the ball in their hands.
Given that James ended up with the LA Lakers, it's fair to assume he has built a relationship with Johnson. The Hall of Fame point guard also mentioned before that he played a part in getting to sign with the Lakers.
Jordan did the right thing by offering to mentor James the same way he did with Bryant but should not be surprised things played out differently.